MWC – Chapter 72 True Death

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

The “conference room” at Jinshun Hotel was filled with prosecutors who still seemed to be in a dream-like state. They couldn’t believe how the case had turned around in just one session. Looking at Prosecutor Cheng and Lawyer Lu’s calm expressions, it was clear that everything had been meticulously planned by the two, leaving everyone else in the dark.

Once the scientific experiment confirmed that the murder photos were real, convicting Kato Masahichi seemed inevitable. Moreover, the giant, Yamakawa, had already been technically knocked out by Lawyer Lu.

“We can’t relax yet; we must guard against any last-ditch dirty tricks they might pull,” Cheng Lingyu said seriously. He then looked at Lu Ming and added, “I’ve already requested personal protection for you from the police.”

Indeed, given Kato’s methods, it was essential to be on guard against desperate, retaliatory actions.

“No need for that…” Lu Ming was taken aback. He touched his hidden pistol and thought of Sun Lutian, feeling that there shouldn’t be any major issues. If necessary, he could bring along Da Hei and Er Hei.

“It’s a must! Listen to me on this!” Cheng Lingyu made a decisive gesture, leaving no room for argument.

Cheng Lingyu’s words dampened the excitement of the prosecutors, reminding them that it wasn’t time to celebrate yet.

Just then, the phone on the nearby table rang urgently. A staff member answered and then walked over to Cheng Lingyu, whispering, “Prosecutor Cheng, it’s for you. It’s from the High Prosecutor’s Office!”

Cheng Lingyu frowned and huffed, “If anyone dares to ask for leniency, don’t blame me for turning hostile!” He got up to take the call and was suddenly shocked, “What?!”

After a few more words from the other end, he confirmed, “It’s confirmed? They saw the body?”

Upon receiving a clear response, Cheng Lingyu turned around, looking somewhat lost. After a moment, he suddenly lifted his head and said, “Kato Masahichi committed suicide, and it’s confirmed beyond doubt.”

Everyone was stunned and didn’t know how to react.

Lu Ming was also slightly taken aback, but he quickly understood. The Kato family was a prestigious family. If a member of the family were a psychopathic serial killer, convicted for the brutal murder of several boys in Donghai and sentenced to death, it would be the greatest disgrace in the family’s history. This was a shame no patriarch would want to bear.

Especially with psychopathic tendencies and pedophilia, which had long been rumored to be hereditary, if convicted, the Kato family’s bloodline would no longer be a source of pride. They might even be labeled a family of perverts, something no Kato family member could accept.

Thus, the family’s upper echelons must have instructed Kato Masahichi to commit suicide if the case became hopeless.

No wonder Yamakawa had suddenly fallen silent in court; he must have known this was the worst-case scenario.

“It seems this case will have to be suspended,” Cheng Lingyu shook his head, looking somewhat dissatisfied. What should have been a decisive victory ended with such a conclusion.

“Prosecutor Cheng, actually, we’ve already won. That scoundrel got what he deserved, didn’t he?” Lu Ming smiled, “Prosecutor Cheng, I promised that if we won this case, I’d treat everyone to a meal!”

“Right, Lawyer Lu is right!” Cheng Lingyu perked up, looking around at the others, and laughed, “This is something worth celebrating! After dealing with the aftermath, we should let Lawyer Lu treat us to seafood at the Wind Bao Club. Lawyer Lu, is that okay?”

Lu Ming smiled, “You can come and eat every day if you want!”

Cheng Lingyu laughed heartily, “That’s great! I’ve made a very generous friend, and now I have a place to mooch meals from!”

Everyone joined in, clapping and cheering.

Wang Xiaohu looked at Lu Ming, who was now sitting habitually next to Prosecutor Cheng, and clapped until his palms were red, feeling immense excitement. His idol had never let him down and had now become an equal partner with Prosecutor Cheng. All of this was earned through strength. Prosecutor Cheng had initially been extremely prejudiced against Lawyer Lu. But Lawyer Lu never got angry or complained, just quietly did his work.

Now, he sat beside Prosecutor Cheng, and who could still be dissatisfied? That was the most admirable part!

And it’s easy to imagine that after this case, his idol’s fame would soar, making him one of the most sought-after lawyers in Beiguan and even Donghai.

…

“Extra, extra!” Street vendors were shouting about Kato Masahichi’s death everywhere. 

Although the court had not been able to declare him guilty, nearly all the Chinese newspapers still labeled him as an infamous criminal who committed suicide out of guilt.

“Lawyer Lu dominates Beiguan! The world’s best legal expert!” shouted an excited newspaper boy, his face flushed.

Nowadays, headlines were often exaggerated, especially in tabloids.

Pedestrians on the street would occasionally stop to buy a newspaper from the vendor.

In the 88th private room of Wind Bao Club, one could see the newspaper vendors running alongside the trolleybuses from the window.

It seemed like they could hear what the vendors were shouting.

Lu Ming smiled wryly. These past few days, that kind of shouting had been ringing in his ears constantly.

He felt it was a bit too high-profile. However, he also felt that even if the mastermind now knew his whereabouts and sent people from the north, they might not be able to harm him in Beiguan.

Cheng Lingyu seemed poised for a promotion to Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

The High Prosecutor’s Office had one chief and three deputies, who were the top commanders of all prosecutors in Donghai.

It seemed that some big shots with significant influence over the High Prosecutor’s Office personnel changes hated Kato Masahichi.

Moreover, Cheng Lingyu had enough experience. The Chief Prosecutor’s rank was the highest in the prosecutor’s hierarchy. These chief prosecutors were strong candidates for the High Prosecutor’s Office’s key positions.

Lu Ming recalled how Cheng Lingyu had met with him yesterday and strongly invited him to join the High Prosecutor’s Office. He suggested starting at the Beiguan branch and could help him directly strive for the position of Deputy Chief Prosecutor, considering he was too young. After a few years, he could easily become Chief Prosecutor or even Senior Chief Prosecutor.

He also mentioned that Lu Ming didn’t seem to need the little money from being a lawyer and that it was a waste of his talent.

Lu Ming had temporarily declined, finding the role of a prosecutor too restrictive. He preferred the freedom of being a lawyer and had other plans in mind.

However, he also promised Cheng Lingyu that if he took on defense cases in the future, he would avoid criminal cases unless he believed the client was innocent.

Cheng Lingyu had smiled wryly, “So, in cases you take on, we should cancel the prosecution directly? If you win, it’s fine, but if you lose, we’ve wronged an innocent person? That’s even worse. Are you trying to make me look bad?”

Thinking about that conversation, Lu Ming couldn’t help but smile. Even the serious Cheng Lingyu had made a joke.

“Lawyer Lu, I’m grateful, very grateful that I handed this case over to you!” Wei Baozeng said as he walked over to Lu Ming.

Today, Liu Laocai, Wen Liangyu, and Councilman Meng Dezhu were celebrating Lu Ming’s success here. Wei Baozeng had heard the news and arrived with Meng Dezhu.

Previously, Wei Baozeng had looked down on this circle. Now, however, he felt immense gratitude for his wise decision back then. He realized how lucky his family was to have Lawyer Lu volunteer to help them. Although economic cases and criminal cases were different and lawyers had their specialties, it seemed that Lawyer Lu excelled in every field.

“Brother Qianxing, those hangers-on of yours, riding around in those three-wheeled motorbikes, are really shabby!” Liu Laocai laughed as he walked over.

Lu Ming rubbed his nose in resignation. Although Kato Masahichi was dead, the police, at Cheng Lingyu’s insistence, were still providing him with 24-hour protection. Today’s team was led by Sha Dahai. He had been transferred to the Patrol Division, which was similar to a public security brigade in Lu Ming’s previous life.

Although it wasn’t official yet, he was essentially promoted to the head of the Patrol Division. This promotion was largely due to the high evaluation he received from the prosecutors during this case. Cheng Lingyu had entrusted Lu Ming with writing his evaluation. Lu Ming didn’t have a strong opinion of Sha Dahai; he neither liked nor disliked him. However, seeing his dedication, Lu Ming felt he deserved a good evaluation. He wasn’t one to be overly critical or uncompromising and was kind to those who made efforts to support him.

Of course, Sha Dahai’s promotion was mainly due to his work within the bureau, but the evaluation served as a significant catalyst, making his promotion a smooth process. Now, Sha Dahai was even more enthusiastic, often personally leading the team to protect Lu Ming. The best vehicles the Patrol Division had were two sidecar motorcycles, which Liu Laocai referred to as “three-wheelers.” One of these had been assigned to the officers protecting Lu Ming.

Hearing Liu Laocai’s remark, Lu Ming smiled and was about to respond when Liu Laocai said, “How about this? I have a car at home that was used by Xiaosanzi, but it’s not being used now. Let’s lend it to them. If you don’t need it anymore, I’ll donate it to the police force.”

Lu Ming was speechless. Ever since Liu Laocai discovered that both his sons wanted him in jail, he seemed to have let go of everything, acting like he was ready to squander his fortune. He had been doing good deeds everywhere and was even planning to open an orphanage, seemingly wanting to leave nothing behind before he died. However, he was also frequently taking Deng Hongmei to the doctor, perhaps hoping for another child.

“Chairman Liu, count me in for that orphanage. Let’s split the cost fifty-fifty,” Lu Ming said with a smile. It wasn’t a large sum and didn’t require a loan. These days, whenever he thought about investments, his first thought was whether he could get a loan to manage it.

Liu Laocai laughed, “Alright, in that case, my original plan won’t work. We’ll need to double the scale at least.”

Lu Ming was momentarily speechless. While he didn’t mind spending money on a good cause, Liu Laocai was beginning to seem like a living Buddha. Perhaps it was because Deng Hongmei’s pregnancy troubles were making him seek peace through good deeds.

“Qianxing, everyone is waiting for you!” Wen Liangyu said with a smile as he pushed the door open. The room outside was bustling with activity, while this elegant little room by the window offered a scenic view.

“I know you don’t like crowds, but you’re the main character today. You can’t be absent. Come on, come on!” Wen Liangyu smiled, taking Lu Ming’s arm and leading him outside. Lu Ming had no choice but to follow, turning to Wei Baozeng, “Brother Baozeng, your case is being stalled by the other party. I’ll come up with a plan in the next few days.”

Wei Baozeng nodded. In the spacious hall outside, as soon as Lu Ming appeared, there was a burst of applause. Many of the guests, both men and women, were strangers to him, and Wen Liangyu introduced them one by one.

An elderly man with a goatee raised his thumb and said shakily, “Young hero, young hero!”

Lu Ming smiled wryly, thinking that if the next person named him one of the “Top Ten Outstanding Youths of Beiguan,” this must all be a dream.

…

Surrounded by a large crowd, Lu Ming walked down the steps of the Wind Bao Club, feeling a bit dizzy from all the compliments and having drunk a few glasses out of politeness. Once he got into the car, Sha Dahai and two black-uniformed officers eagerly gathered around. They had just enjoyed a seafood buffet downstairs and felt that this protection duty was a paradise-like assignment. To top it off, someone had donated a luxury car for their use, making their job even better.

“Ah, take it easy, take it easy!” Sha Dahai said as he saw Lu Ming leaning back in his seat, looking a bit tired. He waved his hand, signaling the officers to follow him to the other car.

Once settled in the back seat, Lu Ming closed his eyes for a moment, reflecting on the whirlwind of recent events. The applause, the praise, the crowded rooms—all were signs of his growing reputation. Yet amidst all this, he remained grounded, knowing that his work was far from over.