Chapter 246: Hoist with His Own Petard

At this moment, the entire courtroom fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone looked at Old Man Ding in disbelief, then at the bewildered Fang Lichang, unsure of what had just happened.

Judge Gu Yuan was also uncharacteristically stunned. He had been a judge for so many years and had handled countless bizarre cases, but this was the first time he had seen something as eerie as this...

"Old Man Ding! What kind of nonsense are you spouting!" Fang Lichang was furious. "How could I possibly be 'Spade 6'?"

Gu Yuan narrowed his eyes, his brain working at lightning speed. Before Fang Lichang could continue, he spoke loudly:

"Old Man Ding, do not be afraid. This is a tribunal; we will protect you if anything happens... Tell me first, are the accusations that the defendant, Han Meng, extorted protection money and joined the Twilight Society to become 'Spade 6' true?"

"No... no! It's all fake! Fang Lichang gave me a lot of money to say that!" Old Man Ding said, trembling. "It's him... it must be him! He didn't want his identity exposed, so he framed that Han Meng! That way, no one would know he is 'Spade 6'... He, he even wanted to kill us to silence us!!

You have to kill him! Kill him now!!! Don't let him get away!!"

Old Man Ding's shocking statement completely overturned everyone's understanding. Even Zhao Yi, who had been preparing to rush up and punch Old Man Ding, was left standing there in a daze, his eyes filled with confusion...

Just then, an officer ran over from a distance, holding several photos, and whispered something in Gu Yuan's ear.

A flash of surprise crossed Gu Yuan's eyes. He looked at the photos for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Everyone, just now, we received several identical reports simultaneously," Gu Yuan's voice rang out again. "Several reporters from different media outlets claim to have been attacked by 'Spade 6' and have simultaneously identified the attacker as the former prosecutor, Fang Lichang..."

"At the same time, we received a letter from a reporter named Zhu, who calls himself a friend of justice. The letter contains several photos taken on the top floor of the Meli Hotel. The scene is littered with 'Spade 6' playing cards, along with over a dozen victims... Preliminary judgment confirms that the identities of these victims match those of the reporters."

As these words were spoken, everyone's expression changed. If Old Man Ding's words could be dismissed as the ramblings of a deranged mind, it was impossible for so many people to have simultaneously gone insane and identified Fang Lichang.

Most importantly, regardless of who "Spade 6" was, since the person had appeared at the Meli Hotel, Han Meng, who had been locked in the black prison the entire time, could naturally be cleared of suspicion... which meant all of Fang Lichang's accusations against Han Meng were invalid.

Hearing this, Fang Lichang's face was filled with disbelief. He shook his head repeatedly, muttering to himself:

"No... this is impossible! I am not 'Spade 6'! This is a pure frame-up and conspiracy!! Judge Gu Yuan... someone is framing me!!"

Gu Yuan watched the near-hysterical Fang Lichang, a faint light flickering in his eyes... Having been an officer for so many years, he wasn't easily misled by external information. Moreover, all this evidence had arrived too suddenly and strangely; he certainly didn't believe there wasn't someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Although Gu Yuan didn't know who the person behind it was, judging by the direction of all this, the other party's goal was to frame Fang Lichang, perhaps while also clearing Han Meng's name... This didn't conflict with Gu Yuan's current plan—

Han Meng had to be acquitted, and the traitor Fang Lichang had to be punished.

Within seconds, Gu Yuan had already calculated his move. He spoke slowly: "Fang Lichang, do you have anything else to say?"

"I am really not 'Spade 6'! When I saw those cards at the banquet, I felt something was wrong, and then..." Fang Lichang waved his hands angrily, trying to reconstruct the situation for everyone. Just then, he felt an itch at his collar;

As he spoke, he reached up to scratch it, and something drifted from his fingertips, falling from his collar to the ground...

The moment he saw what it was, Fang Lichang's voice cut off abruptly!

It was a "Spade 6."

"It's him!! It's him!!! He is 'Spade 6'!!!" Seeing this, the deepest fear in Old Man Ding's heart was reactivated. He scrambled to his feet from the ground and ran madly toward the exit of the courtroom like a madman!

[Audience Expectation +3]

"This... how is this possible?" Fang Lichang felt his scalp go numb. He felt his collar and discovered that the lining that had been tucked underneath was gone...

Witnessing the "Spade 6" fly out, the expressions of the officers on the tribunal changed drastically!

Gu Yuan's expression darkened, and he spoke slowly:

"Fang Lichang... do you have any other evidence to prove your innocence?"

"Evidence? I am not 'Spade 6' at all! What other evidence could there be??" Fang Lichang roared hysterically. "Are you going to convict me as a member of the Twilight Society based on a few people's words, a few photos of unknown origin, and a playing card??"

"When it comes to the Twilight Society, how could one ever collect such detailed evidence? For the stability and safety of Aurora City, it's better to execute them quickly." Xu Chongguo, in the gallery, suddenly spoke with a cold sneer.

"Isn't that what you said when you were framing Officer Han Meng? Why doesn't it apply when it's your turn?"

"And now, there is far more evidence pointing to you than there ever was pointing to Officer Han Meng..."

Fang Lichang widened his eyes, speechless.

*Thud—!*

A gavel sound rang out from in front of Gu Yuan. He said calmly:

"Former prosecutor Fang Lichang is suspected of being 'Spade 6' of the Twilight Society. With evidence now conclusive, he is to be taken to the black prison for the highest level of interrogation..."

Fang Lichang's pupils contracted sharply. As if realizing something, he backed away in terror. "No... Gu Yuan! You can't do this to me!! I am not 'Spade 6'! I am really not 'Spade 6'!!"

Before Fang Lichang could say anything more, several high-ranking officers took action, their terrifying pressure pinning him to the spot to prevent him from attempting to flee.

Then, amidst Fang Lichang's angry roars, he was dragged away from the courtroom.

"Your Honor." The defense attorney stood up at the right moment.

"Regardless of whether Fang Lichang is 'Spade 6' himself, I think this at least clears the defendant of suspicion... Furthermore, I have one more piece of key evidence that can prove the defendant's innocence."