Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

Monday, August 1983, 3.

Stanley Prison, visiting room.

Through the thick bulletproof glass, Song Zihao picked up the microphone and looked at Zhong Tianzheng, who was wearing a brown prison uniform but looked much better than before.

"Brother Hao, why did you call me so urgently? Is there something you need?"

Chung Tin-ching is very smart. Sung Tze-ho had just visited him last week, and if there's nothing urgent, he should come again next week.

"Ah Zheng, how have you been doing lately?" Song Zihao asked with a smile.

"Thanks to Brother Hao. Killer Xiong is down, and Da Tun is ruined. Now Warehouse C is our territory. Even the prison guards have heard of us, and they politely offer us a cigarette when they see us." Ah Zheng chuckled, his ease coming from the bottom of his heart.

"That's good. I do have something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Song Zihao lowered his voice slightly, and even though the prison guards had been dismissed from the visiting room, he remained sufficiently cautious.

"That new 'tycoon' Dai Fuqiang, is he in the same cell as you?"

"Yes. He's in the bunk opposite mine." Zhong Tianzheng nodded. "That kid's pretty arrogant; only A-Wu can keep him in check. What? Brother Hao, you want to mess with him?"

"No." Song Zihao shook his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "It's my boss who wants him to leave."

"Get out?!" Ah Zheng was stunned. "Brother Hao, are you kidding me? He's sentenced to eighteen years! This is a major case of robbing an armored truck! How can he get out? Escape from prison?"

"Only idiots would attempt such a low-level escape." Song Zihao pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and stuck it on the glass. "You're an old hand; you should know the ropes here."

"Listen, Zheng, I've checked the case file. The security guard Chen Weiwen, who identified Dai Fuqiang, didn't recognize Dai Fuqiang during his first statement. He changed his statement the next day under police pressure. In legal terms, this is called 'leading testimony,' a serious procedural violation."

"After you go back, find an opportunity to 'casually' reveal this idea to Dai Fuqiang. Tell him that as long as he seizes this point and hires a good lawyer, this case... has potential."

Ah Zheng stared at the note for a few seconds, his mind racing.

He was a seasoned veteran who had been to the palace, and he was quite familiar with the legal procedures.

"I get it," Ah Zheng said with a wicked smile. "This is instigating him to appeal and arbitrate the 'benefit of the doubt' argument."

"Smart!" Song Zihao put away the note, tore it to shreds, and said, "As long as he gets out, the boss will remember this favor."

As for why they went through a roundabout way to find Dai Fuqiang to cause trouble for Li Chengjia instead of having people from the winery do it, the reason is simple—outsourcing increases security.

Moreover, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. In terms of kidnapping, Dai Fuqiang is definitely a top-tier expert, so Lu Chen is very confident in entrusting the task to him.

……

The following day, at the laundry room of Stanley Prison.

The huge drum washing machine whirred and spun, filling the air with the smell of hot steam and cheap laundry detergent.

Hundreds of prisoners are working here.

Although Dai Fuqiang was a serious criminal, he still had to work. At that moment, he was shoving a pile of smelly bed sheets into the washing machine with a disgruntled expression, muttering curses under his breath.

"Damn it, I'm worth over a hundred million, and I'm washing dead people's sheets here!" Dai Fuqiang slammed a wad of sheets onto the ground. "When I get out of here, I'm buying this laundry factory and burning it down!"

"Qiang, calm down," Zhong Tianzheng had become familiar with Dai Fuqiang over the past two days. He walked over carrying a basket of dirty clothes and handed Dai Fuqiang a cigarette. "What's done is done. It's only eighteen years. Just grit your teeth and it'll pass. You'll be a hero again when you get out."

"Eighteen years?" Dai Fuqiang took the cigarette, but didn't light it; he just clenched it tightly in his hand. "I can't stand it for even a day longer! If they really had the ability to arrest me, that would be one thing, but they resorted to such underhanded tactics to frame me. I won't accept this!"

"Oh? Framed?"

Zhong Tianzheng feigned curiosity, folding clothes as he chatted casually, "How exactly was you framed? I heard that witness knew you inside and out, didn't he?"

"Acknowledge my ass!" Dai Fuqiang spat. "That bastard Chen Weiwen was so scared he peed his pants and didn't dare look up! When he was first identified at the police station, he clearly shook his head and said he couldn't see clearly! But after one night, the inspector from the Major Crimes Unit said something to him, and the next day when he was identified again, he insisted it was me! Isn't this a frame-up?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Tianzheng stopped what he was doing, and the expression on his face became quite interesting.

"Holy crap! Is that true?" Zhong Tianzheng leaned closer to Dai Fuqiang and whispered, "Qiang, if it's really like what you're saying... then you're really being unfairly imprisoned!"

"What do you mean?" Dai Fuqiang frowned.

Chung Tin-ching, with the air of a seasoned veteran, pointed out, "I've been in there a long time, and I've seen cases like yours. According to Hong Kong law, if a witness's testimony is contradictory, it's called 'contaminated testimony' in court. This indicates that the police engaged in leading questions! It might even be coercion!"

"The judge cannot accept this kind of evidence! Once this evidence is invalidated, do they have any other evidence? Do they have fingerprints? Do they have stolen money?"

Dai Fuqiang was stunned. His eyes widened as a sudden inspiration flashed through his mind.

"That's right, they have nothing!" Dai Fuqiang grabbed Zhong Tianzheng's arm excitedly. "All they have is that damned bastard! They have absolutely no other evidence!"

"That's it!" Chung Tin-ching slapped his thigh. "Ah-Chiang, you've been fooled by that prosecutor! They're just taking advantage of your ignorance of the law! If you're willing to spend the money, hire the best Queen's Counsel in Hong Kong to exploit this procedural loophole. Appeal! Demand a retrial!"

"If you can prove that witness's testimony is unreliable, you're innocent! The benefit of the doubt goes to the defendant, Qiang!"

boom--

These words, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through the fog before Dai Fuqiang's eyes.

Although he was a ruthless bandit, he hadn't read many books and didn't really understand the complicated legal procedures. He knew about appealing, but he didn't know from which direction to refute it.

But now, Ah Zheng's words have opened a door to a new world for him.

At that moment, he deeply realized the power of knowledge. Zhong Tianzheng not only helped him get away with his crime, but also changed his future preferences for committing crimes—exploiting professional knowledge and legal loopholes.

"Damn! So that's how it is! So that's how you can play!" The gloom in Dai Fuqiang's eyes vanished, replaced by ecstasy and ambition.

"Zheng-ge! Thanks!" Dai Fuqiang patted Zheng on the shoulder heavily. "If we can get out of here, I'll owe you a huge favor!"

After saying that, he disregarded all labor discipline and rushed towards the guard, shouting, "I need to make a phone call! I need to see a lawyer!"

Watching Dai Fuqiang's excited back, Zhong Tianzheng stood in the steamy laundry room, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

……

Two weeks later, the Admiralty High Court

The entire Hong Kong media was in an uproar once again.

The century-old robbery case, which had already resulted in an eighteen-year sentence, took an astonishing turn in the appeals court.

Inside the courtroom.

Dai Fuqiang's wife, a woman who appears weak but is actually very opinionated, spent a lot of money to hire Harry Potter, the royal counsel for the British royal family.

This British lawyer, known in the legal profession as a "sharp-tongued lawyer," cross-examined the poor cashier, Chen Weiwen, for three hours in court.

"Mr. Chen, please look at the jury and answer my questions." Attorney Potter adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone aggressive. "Why did you clearly state in your first statement on the day of the incident that you were 'too scared to see the robber's face clearly'? And yet, just twelve hours later, without any new memories surfacing, you were able to accurately identify my client?"

"Did the police say anything to you? Like... 'If you don't identify him, we'll charge you with being an accomplice'?"

"I...I..." Chen Weiwen was sweating profusely and speaking incoherently in the witness stand.

"Objection! The defense attorney is leading the witness!" the prosecutor shouted in protest.

"Objection overruled," the judge said coldly. "The witness must explain this contradiction."

Chen Weiwen trembled all over as he looked at the lawyer, Potter, and then at Dai Fuqiang, who was grinning maliciously in the defendant's seat.

He broke down.

"It was...it was the police who forced me..." Chen Weiwen cried out, "They said if I didn't identify the suspect, they would arrest me and put me in jail...I really didn't see clearly...I really didn't see clearly!!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar upon hearing this.

At that moment, the credibility of the police was shattered.

Sitting in the dock, Dai Fuqiang straightened his tie and laughed arrogantly.

Finally, the judge, dressed in a red robe, struck the gavel.

"Based on significant doubts surrounding the key witness testimonies provided by the prosecution, and the lack of other substantial physical evidence to corroborate them."

"This court hereby declares: The original verdict is overturned. Defendant Dai Fuqiang is acquitted!"

Whoosh—!

The entire courtroom erupted in chaos. Reporters frantically snapped photos.

The prosecutor was so angry that he threw down his pen, and the superintendent of the Major Crimes Unit was even more furious, wishing he could draw his gun and shoot that foreign lawyer.

But that's the law. This is Hong Kong under Western rule. Money really can buy freedom.

In the defendant's column.

Dai Fuqiang loosened his tie, revealing an extremely arrogant smile on his face.

He looked at the police superintendent who was glaring at him and raised his middle finger.

"Officer, I told you," Dai Fuqiang straightened his suit, his voice echoing throughout the courtroom, "The law is based on evidence. Want to arrest me? In your next life!"

"Also, remember to refund me the food expenses for the few days I didn't serve in jail!"

Ten minutes later.

Surrounded by a group of bodyguards and lawyers, Dai Fuqiang walked out of the courthouse like a hero.

He was surrounded by flashing lights, and countless microphones were thrust at his mouth.

"Mr. Dai! What are your thoughts on this verdict?"

"Mr. Dai! Will you sue the police for abuse of power?"

Dai Fuqiang put on sunglasses, waved at the camera, and acted like a big star.

"My opinion? My opinion is that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law! Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent! Hahahaha!"

"I originally planned to sue the police for compensation, but then I thought I'd only be in jail for a few days, so I decided to let them off the hook!"

Amidst his maniacal laughter, he pushed aside the reporters, climbed into a Ferrari that had been waiting for him, and sped away.