MWC – Chapter 63 A Sudden Enlightenment

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

On July 5th, the highly anticipated case of serial child murderer Kato Masahichi officially entered the pre-trial preparation phase. In the morning, both parties began selecting jurors.

According to an application submitted by Yamakawa, to ensure the case could be tried as fairly as possible, the jury was to be as diverse as possible. The ten jurors were to be composed of three Japanese, three Westerners, and four Chinese.

It was extremely rare that during the juror selection phase, both the prosecution and the defense fiercely competed, with Cheng Lingyu and Yamakawa repeatedly vetoing each other’s chosen jurors. In addition, both sides asked numerous questions to the jurors, resulting in only three jurors being confirmed after a whole day: one Chinese, one Westerner, and one Japanese.

The court had to announce that three days later, a new juror selection would take place because most of the initially selected juror candidates had been vetoed, necessitating the preparation of new candidates.

This case was destined to go down in the history of the legal community in Donghai.

As the second chair prosecutor, Lu Ming spent most of his time quietly observing.

Their strategy for selecting jurors had long been discussed and decided upon, especially for the Japanese and Westerners. They tried to choose females who showed basic sympathy when answering questions, and for the Chinese, they aimed to select males who appeared strong-willed from their responses.

Lu Ming had a bit of a different opinion at the time, but since it was the result of everyone’s discussion, he did not insist.

The courtroom was almost always noisy with arguments throughout the day. When the court adjourned around 5 p.m., Lu Ming immediately stood up and left through the side door. If he went out the main door, the media swarming outside would be more of a headache, and the spotlight under the flashbulbs was destined to be on Cheng Lingyu and Yamakawa.

…

“Lawyer Lu!”

In the corridor, Lu Ming heard someone calling him from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Cheng Ye.

Cheng Ye, a lawyer from Liu Hanming Law Firm, had represented the “good son” in Lu Ming’s first case, where he helped Bess clear her grievances.

Cheng Ye looked at Lu Ming with a complex expression.

A few months had passed, and the identities and statuses of the two were no longer comparable. This Lawyer Lu Qianxing had transformed from a rookie lawyer into a genius debater known to everyone in Beiguan’s legal circles, becoming a second-tier lawyer in his first year as a registered lawyer, surpassing even his boss Liu Hanming in terms of fame.

Not only had he technically defeated his boss Liu Hanming, but he also became Liu Hanming’s treasured protégé. It was rumored that Liu Hanming was preparing to make significant efforts to bring this young lawyer over to his firm, possibly offering generous conditions for a senior partnership.

It was no wonder—setting a record for the shortest time to be promoted to a second-tier lawyer and participating in a high-profile case like the Kato Masahichi case, his future was undoubtedly bright.

As for Cheng Ye, a few months had passed, and he was still a small lawyer at the same firm. Or rather, there hadn’t been much change in the past few years, as if he could already see the end of his career.

Thinking about it, Cheng Ye sighed lightly in his heart but quickly adjusted his mindset and smiled, “Lawyer Lu, I won’t be attending your promotion banquet to celebrate your becoming a second-tier lawyer!” He pulled out a red envelope from his briefcase, “Congratulations, Lawyer Lu, on your bright future!”

Lu Ming was slightly stunned. Recently, he had been quite busy and hadn’t prepared to host any banquets. However, Wang Da’an had mentioned it several times, saying that such a grand event should be celebrated properly.

Thinking it over, Lu Ming accepted the red envelope and smiled, “Thank you, Lawyer Cheng.” Just like in the past, it was customary to accept red envelopes during social interactions, and refusing it outright would be too disrespectful.

But this Cheng Ye seemed to have prepared the red envelope in advance, almost as if he knew Lu Ming would be appearing in court today and waited specifically for him.

Seeing Cheng Ye’s hesitant expression, Lu Ming smiled and said, “Lawyer Cheng, is there something you want to talk about?”

Cheng Ye, seemingly troubled about how to start the conversation, was relieved when Lu Ming asked directly. However, he shook his head and said, “I didn’t want to trouble you, Lawyer Lu. I have a close friend who’s a reporter and has been wanting to do an exclusive interview with you…”

Lu Ming immediately waved his hand and smiled, “Forget it, Lawyer Cheng. To be honest, this case involving the Japanese is too sensitive, and many media outlets want to get some insider information. If I leak anything, Prosecutor Cheng will be furious!”

“Lawyer Lu, rest assured, she doesn’t want to get exclusive information about this case. She admires you for breaking the record as the youngest second-tier lawyer, a record previously held by Westerners. That’s why she wants to do an interview with you. Also, she’s a reporter for the ‘Daily Empire News,’ not some third-rate tabloid!”

Lu Ming paused, then shook his head, “Let’s wait until this case blows over!” He thought to himself, “Wow, that makes it even more impossible. This is one of the biggest newspapers in the Empire. While it’s not widely circulated in the northern four provinces, the upper class still uses its Chinese edition to understand the core dynamics of the Empire. If my photo ends up in it, I might as well be posting a wanted notice for myself.”

Cheng Ye sighed, “Alright, since you’re so determined, we’ll wait until later.”

Lu Ming thought for a moment and then took out a business card from his briefcase, “Lawyer Cheng, here’s my latest contact information, including my personal contact number. Have her contact my team when she has time. Whether or not to do the interview can be decided after some communication.” The card had the contact number of the Wang-Lu Law Firm at Ji Bird Tower, as well as a personal number, which was the number for Room 408 at the Wind Bao Club.

Cheng Ye was immediately pleased and quickly took the card, “Great, thank you so much!” This way, for him, the matter was considered settled. Whether the interview took place depended on the communication between his friend and Lu Ming’s team.

As Lu Ming walked out, he casually opened the red envelope and was slightly surprised to find a 100-yuan note inside.

Nowadays, for casual acquaintances, a gift of one or two yuan was common for weddings or funerals, and five yuan was for close friends. Gifts between lawyers were usually more substantial, but ten or twenty yuan would suffice. A direct gift of 100 yuan from an ordinary lawyer like Cheng Ye either indicated a very close relationship or the significant respect he held for the recipient.

This Cheng Ye was interesting.

Pondering this, Lu Ming walked out of the courthouse’s east gate, and soon, Sun Lutian appeared before him.

The black car, which had been parked under the shade, also slowly drove over and stopped at the steps.

“Master, my wife is here…” Sun Lutian hesitated, his ears looking slightly red, as if someone had recently pulled them, which was unusual for a man his age.

Lu Ming paused for a moment.

Noticing Lu Ming’s attention on his ears, Sun Lutian’s face suddenly reddened, and he seemed even more awkward, “Master, she…”

“Why wouldn’t the master see me? Is it you who dislikes me?” From behind the green trees next to the steps, a small figure walked out. “You’re always like this, so slow and indecisive, no wonder even a few punks can handle you!”

The approaching figure was a rural woman wearing a blue floral jacket and black pants, her graying hair neatly combed. Though her face was dark, showing few wrinkles, her eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, not fitting her age.

“Master, this humble servant, Sun Erniang, greets you!” The woman clasped her hands in salute and spoke briskly, clearly a capable and energetic person.

Lu Ming inwardly sighed. Sun Lutian had mentioned his wife would be delighted when she first met the “Saint Envoy,” but he hadn’t brought it up again. Unexpectedly, she had come on her own accord.

It seemed she was here to serve the “Saint Envoy.”

Sun Erniang, what an unusual name.

So be it. In serving the “Saint Envoy,” they were essentially his followers, a seed planted by his ancestors long ago, passed down from generation to generation. Given Sun Lutian’s difficulty in finding a successor, it was likely these followers, even if there were many planted by his ancestors, had become very rare.

And they only knew about the “Saint Envoy,” which served as a firewall, the legacy of the “Saint Envoy” being his firewall.

But for various reasons, in his current situation, this firewall was of no practical use.

According to the original plan of his ancestors, these people shouldn’t have been able to meet him without going through various trials.

“Ah, so you’re the auntie.” Lu Ming casually pondered and smiled, “It’s been hard on you coming all this way. Uncle Sun, take Auntie for a good tour today. Also, Auntie, feel free to stay in any room downstairs!”

“Master, what ‘auntie’ and ‘uncle’? Just call me Erniang, and him Old Sun!” Sun Erniang said, glaring at Sun Lutian.

Sun Lutian meekly replied, “I originally wanted the master to call me that…” But under her glare, he didn’t dare to speak further.

Lu Ming couldn’t help but laugh. If there was a martial world, Sun Iron Palm would be a renowned hero, yet here he was, dominated by his wife.

Sigh, the end of the martial world, a lament of the rivers and lakes. Now there’s neither the martial world nor the rivers and lakes, and these people are no different from ordinary citizens.

“Master, I’m here just to see you. When it comes to protecting you, I’m definitely not as good as this old ghost. So, don’t worry about me. I’ll pay my respects to the Saint Envoy later!” Sun Erniang’s voice lowered in the latter part of her speech.

Lu Ming smiled and nodded.

…

After visiting the Royal Alice Institute of Technology, Lu Ming’s thoughts on how to handle the case became clearer, greatly improving his mood.

Returning home, Zhen Shi timidly asked, “Master, can we celebrate today?”

Lu Ming paused, remembering that it was to celebrate his promotion to a second-tier lawyer. Zhen Shi had heard it from Pamela and knew it was a great event. She had prepared a table full of delicious dishes, but Lu Ming had been too busy to come home that day. Recently, he had been preoccupied with the Japanese case, rarely coming home, and often deep in thought. She didn’t dare disturb him.

Today, finally seeing his mood improve, she cautiously brought it up again.

Seeing her expectant eyes, Lu Ming felt a slight ache in his heart. If she were isolated from everything, she wouldn’t survive in this world. She knew nothing and understood nothing, solely depending on him, her mood dictated by his emotions.

Yet, inside her, there was a powerful jade pearl. One day, she might completely disappear.

“Celebrate, let’s celebrate today!” Seeing her eyes light up, Lu Ming forced a smile.

Zhen Shi was instantly overjoyed, “Great, Master, I’ll go prepare!” Preparing such a large meal was no small task, but she was incredibly happy. Yet, she cautiously added, “But it will take a while to prepare, Master, don’t rush…”

“Don’t worry…” Lu Ming gently took her delicate hand, making her body instantly stiffen.

“Come, sit with me for a while. Later, I’ll help you prepare the meal!”

“Ah?” Zhen Shi was stunned but followed Lu Ming to the sofa, and he gently pulled her onto his lap. She blushed deeply, curling up like a cat in his embrace, not daring to move or look at him.

If she fainted from excitement, Lu Ming was ready to have the jade pearl take over immediately.

Fortunately, this wasn’t the first time he had gently embraced her, so her reaction wasn’t as extreme as the first time.

Holding her soft, almost weightless body, the sensation was like holding a cotton candy in a spring dream. Any man would find it hard to resist such temptation.

But Lu Ming’s mind was clear, filled with tenderness. Smelling her hair, he thought, “I hope you won’t turn into a fantasy and will stay with me until old age.”