Death sentence turned into acquittal? Who told him to be a detective!

Chapter 218 The Reporter Who Catches a Daring Scoop! [44]

4 month 20 day.

In Aoshi City, the capital of Arashiyama Province, the Intermediate People's Court held a routine second-instance civil trial.

Generally, these types of cases do not attract much attention.
Do not!
Or rather, there are almost none!

Civil cases mainly focus on disputes, most of which are trivial matters, and some are even less attention-grabbing than mediation programs!

of course.

Civil cases are not entirely ignored; in fact, a very small number of them attract more attention than criminal cases!

For example, cases involving men and women, such as the well-known engagement rape case, generate far more public interest than criminal cases.

But this mainly stems from social conflicts and public opinion.

In 2005, there was almost no interest in this area in Dongguo, and the biggest contradiction lay in the "Western-worshipping dogs" on the Internet.

Therefore, not many people paid attention to the civil case in Jiangcheng.

But the words came back again.

As the saying goes, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow!
The case itself may not be particularly interesting, but the people who are investigating it have attracted some reporters!
"Hey Zhang Tao, are we really going to snag any breaking news here? I have a feeling it's unlikely."

"Let me tell you, this train ticket was incredibly expensive. I even broke a camera lens on the way here, and I'm heartbroken about it!"

"."

April 20th, noon.

At the entrance of the Qingshi Intermediate People's Court, small groups of people were gathered.

One of the photographers, who was a bit overweight, was pulling at a tall, thin man beside him, muttering to himself.

Unfortunately, the man named Zhang Tao didn't reply to a single word.

They are journalists.

The figures around me were also reporters!
However, the other reporters...
Looking at the images of Zhang Tao and Li Ye, the local reporter from Qingshi City felt that they were somewhat unfamiliar faces, but did not pay much attention to them.

That's exactly what happened.

Zhang Tao and Li Ye are reporters from out of town, working for Hanhai City Zhulang Culture Media Co., Ltd.
During the Duan Feipeng case, he even conducted an exclusive interview with Xu Liang!

Li Ye was holding his scratched camera lens and wailing to Zhang Tao.

"Zhang Tao, say something! Zhang Tao, why aren't you talking to me? Talk to me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tao's lips twitched.

"Do not talk nonsense!"

"Trust me this time, I guarantee you'll find some breaking news!"

As he spoke, Zhang Tao paused, lowered his voice, and covered his mouth with his hand.

He whispered to Li Ye, as if they were exchanging some business secrets.

"Although it's just a civil case, remember this: last time with Sun Zhou, Attorney Xu also started with a civil case, but you know how it ended!"

Furthermore…

"Have you forgotten how we got here all this time?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ye subconsciously recalled the events.

To be honest, Li Ye now feels that his life is somewhat like a dream.

I graduated in 2004 and joined the company as an intern with Zhang Tao at the end of May.

I thought it would take three or four months before they would decide whether I would be promoted.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Tao took him to a case whose popularity was steadily declining.
That is, the Chen Dong case!

The Chen Dong case initially attracted less public attention due to the speed at which the case was solved, and then the first instance verdict was delivered, leading to a gradual decline in attention during the second instance.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Tao and he only wanted to try their luck and incidentally report on a familiar hand, but...
The second trial took a dramatic turn in just a few hours!

This extremely explosive hot topic was seized upon by the two interns, Zhang Tao and Li Ye!

even
Zhang Tao's keen senses detected something unusual. After most of the people had left, he encountered another case.

[The case of Yoo Myung-bak carrying a corpse to file a complaint!]

This news story has ignited nationwide news coverage!
Zhang Tao was the only one who had firsthand information about the entire process.

"In June, a case that wasn't generating any buzz, Brother Pian helped us get promoted directly, and we were raking in bonuses!"

"But what happens next!?"

Zhang Tao spoke in a low voice, his eyes revealing determination:
"After that, although we seized the opportunity in the Sun Quan case, the traffic was not much. We could only say that we followed the trend and got a share of the pie."

"Then came Duan Feipeng, who ate even less."

Two explosive cases, they were at their peak right from the start. Their typing speed was nowhere near as fast as those seasoned veterans, and their writing was not as attention-grabbing.

"What did I say about Sun Zhou's case in March?"

Zhang Tao suddenly launched into a scathing rebuke, his words filled with heartache.

“I noticed that Brother Pian went to Sunzhou. He’s convinced that the case is definitely extraordinary. If we go there, we’re sure to make a fortune!”

"But when applying for funding, the manager was short-sighted and saw that it was a civil case, so he refused to approve even the train tickets and accommodation, which prevented us from going!"

"What happened next?!"

Later, the first trial of Sun Zhou's case took a dramatic turn.

First, it was revealed that Sunzhou was severely polluted, with groundwater contamination levels comparable to arsenic!

I thought this was terrifying enough, but who knew...
A case titled "[Steel Case]" has become a national headline, generating an explosive amount of buzz!
Do you know how much less data we're consuming?!

With a handsome face, Zhang Tao, in his early twenties, was heartbroken.

Because of this incident, the company missed a development opportunity, the manager was almost demoted, and Zhang Tao was promoted to team leader because of his keen sense of news!
He is now a team leader in the company.

Having been with the company for less than a year, with no resources or connections, I went directly from intern to team leader. Even though I didn't have many people under me, my treatment and power were that of a team leader!

And those classmates from back then.
At this point, he is still facing the crossroads of being promoted to a permanent position or being laid off!
"Old Li, Brother Pian may not be good at anything else, but he can definitely bring you something that will surprise you!"

Zhang Tao's eyes were calm, but his words were full of seduction.

Although he looks somewhat lonely and disheveled sitting on the steps, his speech logic is completely contrary to his appearance.

“I’ve looked into this case. It was an accidental death, and it’s a workers’ compensation case.”

"Aside from us and a few other reporters who were drawn here by Brother Pian's reputation, nobody else is paying attention to civil cases!"

Zhang Tao's eyes were filled with suppressed excitement. He clenched his fists, already itching to go to court to report on it.

As for 'Brother Pian', it naturally refers to Xu Liang!
Without him.

Li Ye discovered that no matter how he photographed the other person, they were very photogenic, especially their impassioned demeanor in court. Even a casual snapshot of them carried an emotion that could evoke others!
"Coco's first trial is over. The judge ruled in her favor, awarding her compensation."

Li Ye said weakly.

"It's precisely because of the compensation award that we should come even more!"

Unexpectedly, Zhang Tao's eyes narrowed, and he said something contrary to common sense:

"In the first instance, who won the case based on the outcome?"

Li Ye subconsciously said, "The plaintiff's brother."

"Who initiated the second trial?" Zhang Tao asked again.

"Too."

As he spoke, Li Ye suddenly realized what was happening and froze.

If Xu Liang won the first instance...
Why would the other party bother appealing to the second instance if they had nothing better to do?!

This is not the case of Sun Quan and Zheng Mei.

The judge imposed an excessive fine, and you've already won the case, so why are you appealing to the second instance?!
In an instant, Li Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

“Based on my understanding of Brother Pian,” Zhang Tao said with a shrewd look in his eyes, a flicker of his gaze before he stated confidently:
There must be something hidden that no one knows about!

"Old Li, we only got a little bit of the soup in the Sun Quan and Duan Feipeng case, and we didn't even get a sip in the Sunzhou Steel case. Are you satisfied with that? I'm not! So, this case..."

"I want to eat meat!"

Furthermore, because the second instance is the final judgment, therefore...
This is the kind of thing where two people can devour the entire table of delicacies!
"I understand." Li Ye's mind cleared up instantly, as if struck by a thunderbolt.

Just as he was excitedly about to ask something, a distraught figure suddenly came into view.

The man had dark eyes, rough and dull skin, and no sparkle in his eyes. He walked with a somewhat dazed expression.

And this person is...
"Cheng Jia?"

Zhang Tao paused, and a name popped into his mind.

He had met Jiang Chengjia; he had even gone to the courthouse to see her photo for an interview.

just
Why are you in such poor condition?

Zhang Tao suddenly frowned. He looked Cheng Jia up and down, and just as he stood up, he stopped in his tracks, looking suspicious.

This person is indeed Cheng Jia, not bad.

However, Cheng Jia in front of me was in a ridiculously bad state!
The other person seemed to have been working intensely and hadn't slept for a day and a night; their hands were weak as they carried their briefcase, and their legs were trembling.

This scene actually made Zhang Tao hesitate.

It was this hesitation that led to the other party disappearing from sight and walking into the Qingshi Intermediate People's Court by the time they came to their senses.

Zhang Tao and Li Ye stared blankly at the direction the other person had disappeared in.

"Where's Zhao Hailong?!" Zhang Tao suddenly asked in surprise.

They've been waiting outside the courthouse since eight in the morning; they can't possibly miss anyone!
But now that Cheng Jia is in court and the trial is imminent, where is Zhao Hailong?!
"Did I miss something?" Li Ye also had some self-doubt.

But the two of them had no time to react.

They waited outside the courthouse for a long time, but Zhao Hailong did not appear just before the trial was about to begin.

Only after seeing Xu Liang enter the courtroom did they stop waiting and walk directly into the courtroom.

court.

Inside the waiting room.

"Liang Shan, what's the outcome of the first trial in this case?"

"Something feels off to me."

"Who was the judge in Jiangcheng who handled the first instance trial?!"

In the waiting room, several judges in long robes were holding civil documents, frowning as they discussed the case.

This document
It's naturally related to the case of Jiang Cheng's accidental fall to his death!
They hadn't discussed it much before, but now that they'd reviewed the entire case, they finally...
"The plaintiff's evidence is not accepted?"

"To deny recognition without verification?!"

Someone hesitated and asked the presiding judge, Liang Shan, a question.

The man named Liang Shan was fifty years old, with slightly graying hair, wearing black glasses, and a resolute face that inexplicably exuded a sense of authority.

He looked at the documents in his hand in silence, not in a hurry to answer.

According to the materials from the first instance trial
During the court hearing, the plaintiff submitted some objective evidence that was neither particularly clear nor well-founded.

However, the presiding judge, Liu Shengnan, chose not to recognize it.

This is a bit strange.

What's even stranger is that they didn't accept the plaintiff's evidence, yet they still ruled in favor of the plaintiff!

This is somewhat puzzling.

In most cases, the second instance court upholds the original verdict from the first instance court. So, in this case...
"Change the verdict?" someone asked, frowning.

Someone countered, "How should it be changed?! Should the defendant pay more or less in compensation?!"

Upon hearing this, the people in the waiting room fell silent.

This is a civil compensation case, and the judgment will basically only concern the amount of compensation.

unless
If the case takes an unexpected turn, such as Xu Liang changing the case from civil to criminal, and then trying him for other charges!

Can.
"The data was somewhat disorganized, and apart from the autopsy report, the rest of the speculations were mostly based on personal subjective opinions."

"There is no objective evidence to support this claim."

Suddenly, Liang Shan spoke up and uttered a sentence.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded.

This is indeed the case.

That's why, in their eyes, the first-instance verdict was just strange, but not to the point of arousing suspicion!

The evidence is disorganized, lacks objective and irrefutable proof, is largely based on subjective speculation, and is presented as a surprise attack.
If they gave Liu Shengnan a bad first impression, then it would be reasonable not to approve of them!

"but"

"Who was the plaintiff's lawyer again?" someone suddenly asked.

Someone answered, "Xu Liang."

After those two words were spoken, the waiting room fell silent.

The name Xu Liang has haunted everyone like a nightmare since June 2004!

It's been a full ten months now, and the other side hasn't even cracked a single minor case!
The smallest case was the Chen Dong case, and the largest case even caused a huge uproar!

However, a civil case has now been filed.
To be honest, Liangshan always felt a bit eerie.

But no matter how bizarre it is, there's nothing we can do. Today is the opening day of the second trial, and the trial must proceed no matter what!
Thinking of this, Liang Shan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"How long until the trial begins?"

"Five minutes," the judge said.

five minutes?
Upon hearing this, Liang Shan no longer hesitated. He stood up and, with heavy steps, slowly walked towards the courtroom.

Qingshi City is the provincial capital.

The Intermediate People's Court is much better than the one in Sunzhou, Hanhai City; its interior design is very grand and impressive!

Even the materials used for the main entrance to the courtroom were much better than those used in other courts.

Liang Shan placed his hand on the door and gave it a slight push.
"squeak!"

The door opened.

Groups of two or three figures appeared in front of Liangshan.

At this moment, the people in the courtroom immediately became serious when they saw the judge enter.

"Brother Tao, the judge is here!"

Upon seeing this, Li Ye, who was in the audience, was startled and said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tao, who was standing to the side, was overjoyed.

In the case where Xu Liang won in the first instance, the opposing party appealed for a second instance, clearly indicating their dissatisfaction with the verdict!

However, he was still not satisfied with the 700,000 yuan workers' compensation.
So what exactly is the other party dissatisfied with?

Perhaps there's a real chance the case might change!

"Shh~"

Zhang Tao immediately fell silent, not wanting to disrupt the court proceedings or delay the trial.

Li Ye quickly shut up.

At the main gate, Liang Shan and several others slowly stepped in.

"Chi~!"

Liang Shan landed on the judge's bench and adjusted his chair slightly.

He then glanced around, recalling the detailed proceedings of the first trial.

Finally, after confirming that nothing was missed and that everything was memorized, Liang Shan took a deep breath.

He leaned slightly closer to the microphone, and his deep voice traveled through the microphone into the courthouse, startling one bored person and the other drowsy person awake in their waiting rooms!

"The plaintiff and the defendant."

"Please enter the courtroom for trial!"

(End of this chapter)