MWC – Chapter 4 The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (Part 2)

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Lu Ming’s questioning continued; he stood in front of Zhao Jinsong and exclaimed, “It’s precisely because you’re relatives that you planned early on how to frame Long Daxing. Due to the new police station chief’s deliberate targeting of Long Daxing, you played into his hands. It’s well-known that after the police took action against Long Daxing, legal gambling dens and smoking houses were shut down. After this trial, we will formally complain and sue the Wuan Police Station…”

“Objection! The defense’s statement is irrelevant to this case!” Li Mingxuan suddenly stood up.

Boris nodded, “Objection sustained. Defense, please focus on relevant issues.” Then, addressing the jury, he added, “I instruct you to disregard the defense’s questions when considering the case.”

Lu Ming turned to glance at Li Mingxuan, “Yes, indeed. The lead prosecutor in this case also owns gambling dens and smoking houses. After the police took action against Long Daxing, your family’s businesses must have profited significantly, right?”

Li Mingxuan, who had just sat down, suddenly stood up again.

Lu Ming raised his hand, “I withdraw my question.”

Boris waved his hand, and Lu Ming approached. Boris said sternly, “Don’t play these tricks in my court.”

“Yes, Your Honor!” Lu Ming nodded.

Li Mingxuan’s face turned pale as he looked at the jury. He saw confusion on their faces, some whispering among themselves. Although Lu Ming said he withdrew his question, he had already shaken the jurors’ logic.

Looking at Lu Ming, then at Xie Wenquan, Li Mingxuan gritted his teeth. If all of this was orchestrated by him behind the scenes, he was too formidable, a terrifying opponent.

To predict that he would object, then let Lu Ming naturally mention the conflict of interests between his family business and Long Daxing’s business.

And Lu Ming, had such a clear mind and remembered all these complicated behaviors.

I need to stay alert!

Li Mingxuan gritted his teeth.

Lu Ming looked at the jury, nodding. Presently, the demands on the jury weren’t so high. Even during the trial, it wasn’t strictly forbidden to discuss the case among themselves.

“Witness, please answer me: did you and Zhao Yuancheng plan the entire false accusation incident? And incidentally, get rid of Long Daxing, whom the police have been trying to deal with but have been repeatedly thwarted by legal means, and whom you both hate the most?!” Lu Ming provocatively waved his hand in front of Zhao Jinsong, his face full of disdain.

Li Mingxuan’s heart immediately tensed.

Zhao Jinsong’s eyelids twitched, his face flushed, and his fists clenched tightly. He seemed about to explode.

Li Mingxuan suddenly stood up, “Jinsong, calm down!” Even if scolded by the judge, at this critical moment, he had to take action; otherwise, if this witness was disqualified, the case would become much more difficult.

After all, it’s better not to use underhanded tactics if unnecessary.

This case was supposed to be easy. Using underhanded tactics would make Commissioner Shi Xin reevaluate his abilities.

“Prosecution!” Boris impatiently banged his gavel.

Actually, in the north, because the police force clashed with Westerners, most Western judges had a negative impression of the police.

But Boris had received many benefits from him. Even his favorite mistress was a gift from him.

Li Mingxuan cursed inwardly; Westerners were all like this, seeming righteous on the surface but actually hypocrites.

He had promised to guide the jury to convict Lu Ming and the others, even if the jury found them innocent, he would use his authority as a judge to overturn the jury’s decision.

Judges rarely overturned jury decisions, but Boris, seduced by his mistress, had vaguely agreed.

Now, on the surface, he acted as if nothing happened.

Li Mingxuan felt nothing but disdain but nervously watched Zhao Jinsong’s reaction.

Zhao Jinsong, awakened by Li Mingxuan’s words, sighed and looked at Lu Ming coldly, “You’re just talking nonsense. Do you have any evidence?”

Lu Ming was stunned, a hint of disappointment on his face as he stood there dumbfounded.

“Defense, do you have any further questions?” Boris asked with a smile after a minute had passed.

“Not for now!” Lu Ming slowly walked back to his seat, disappointment evident on his face.

Li Mingxuan stood up and walked to Zhao Jinsong, “Witness, please tell us in detail about your relationship with Zhao Yuancheng.”

“Zhao Yuancheng and I are distant relatives. However, our grandfathers had a dispute over land, not only filing lawsuits against each other but also fighting physically. My grandmother died of fright that year. In my generation, although I didn’t want the old hatred to continue, before this case, Zhao Yuancheng and I never spoke. And we’ve even had lawsuits against each other.”

Li Mingxuan nodded, then looked at Boris, “In court, I have over a dozen witnesses who can testify to this.” He suddenly pointed to a middle-aged man among the jury, “Actually, Mr. Wang Xiang is the most aware of this.”

Lu Ming suddenly stood up, “Objection! I request the jury be reselected because this juror violates the principle of neutrality and has a vested interest with the witness!”

Li Mingxuan felt a twinge of joy as he looked at the cornered Lu Ming and smiled, “When I mentioned Mr. Wang Xiang, it’s not because he knows the two witnesses, Zhao Jinsong and Zhao Yuancheng. It’s because when Mr. Wang Xiang worked for the Beining Evening News, the newspaper published an apology from Zhao Jinsong’s father. It was after Zhao Jinsong and Zhao Yuancheng’s fathers lost a lawsuit and had to apologize publicly. Later, Zhao Jinsong’s father fell seriously ill. Of course, Mr. Wang Xiang probably doesn’t remember this apology, but I have the newspaper from back then.”

He picked up a newspaper from the table and placed it on Boris’s high desk, “This is the corroborative evidence, Exhibit A, this newspaper.”

Boris glanced at it, nodded, and signaled for the court officer to pass the newspaper to each member of the jury to inspect individually. Then he furrowed his brow and said to Li Mingxuan, “If you speak directly to the jurors again, I will declare this trial invalid, and you will need to prosecute the defendants again. The court will reconstitute the jury.”

“Yes, Your Honor, but I didn’t directly address the jury. I just pointed out that one of the jurors had worked for the newspaper that published the piece of evidence,” Li Mingxuan said, raising his voice. “Think about it. How could two people with such a bad relationship conspire together? Besides, before this case, Zhao Yuancheng was a trusted confidant of Long Daxing, earning a considerable income, and he looked down on junior police officers like Zhao Jinsong, although Zhao Jinsong is a very upright person!”

He glanced back at Lu Ming, then slowly returned to the prosecution’s seat, casting another glance at the spectators’ area.

Commissioner Shi Zaixin nodded in satisfaction.

Li Mingxuan slowly sat down, closed his eyes slightly, thinking that Lu Ming had offended the jurors, and the case was as good as lost. Moreover, he had offended Commissioner Shi Zaixin, and he might not even reach the gallows. Even if he wanted to appeal and delay the execution, during this time in prison, he would probably lose his life. Who didn’t know he was a heavy smoker, weak in health?

The Shuanglong Club wouldn’t spare him, and Commissioner Shi Zaixin would instruct the prison warden to turn a blind eye.

“The defense requests to question the witness again!” Lu Ming raised his hand.

Boris nodded.

According to the Empire’s legal procedures, during the presence of a witness, the defense and prosecution could take turns cross-examining, addressing their opponent’s previous unfavorable questions with their own. There was no limit to the number of times this could be done.

Of course, if no new doubts were raised, the judge would naturally intervene.

Lu Ming approached Zhao Jinsong again. “So, Officer Zhao Jinsong, you and Zhao Yuancheng were essentially strangers before this, right?”

Zhao Jinsong smirked and nodded.

“Please answer my question,” Lu Ming stared at him.

“Yes, you could say we were strangers,” Zhao Jinsong replied impatiently.

Lu Ming nodded, murmuring, “So, there was no premeditation between you two. Your bicycle collided with Zhao Yuancheng’s car by chance, right?”

“Objection! Objection to the defense asking two questions to the witness simultaneously,” Li Mingxuan suddenly raised his hand.

During courtroom questioning, each question asked by the defense or prosecution had to be answered by the witness before moving on to the next. This was basic legal knowledge for lawyers.

A police officer from the prosecution desk sneered, “I now suspect that the defense doesn’t understand the law at all, which is why they’re breaking it, colluding with each other to murder.”

“In court, these two questions of mine are essentially one,” Lu Ming said to Boris, then turned to the police officer, smiling, “Please pay attention, I am representing myself now. If I lack basic legal knowledge and the court allows me to represent myself, then I have sufficient grounds to appeal the outcome of this trial. Does the prosecution understand this? Why would you give me such obvious grounds for appeal?”

Li Mingxuan frowned and glared at the police officer, who was in his fifties and unable to say a word, his face turning purple.

“Continue… Witness, please answer the defense’s questions,” Boris waved his hand dismissively.

Zhao Jinsong looked at Lu Ming coldly, “Yes, as stated in my testimony, I rode my bicycle into Zhong Street and unexpectedly encountered Zhao Yuancheng’s car traveling in the wrong direction, resulting in the collision.”

Lu Ming nodded, murmuring to himself, “It seems Zhao Yuancheng didn’t intentionally drive in the wrong direction to give you an opportunity.”

Defense attorney Xie Wenquan sitting beside Long Daxing shook his head helplessly.

He had been absent-mindedly observing the intense quarrel and then suddenly became attentive to the case again.

He hadn’t expected this Lu Ming, this heavy smoker, to receive guidance from someone skilled. He had found a unique breakthrough point, intending to frame the police and make the prosecution’s witness lose their composure. The situation might undergo subtle changes.

He didn’t expect this to be quickly dismantled by the lead prosecutor, Li Mingxuan.

By now, Lu Ming was muttering to himself, admitting to his mistakes, which meant all his previous efforts were in vain.

This was simply the most

basic mistake. Admitting his initial misjudgment in court and, moreover, letting the jury hear him self-talk.

A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on Li Mingxuan’s face as he glanced at Xie Wenquan, thinking, Did you forget to instruct him on these details on the spot? Unexpectedly, he’s such a fool. No matter how skilled you are, can you really help a hopeless case?