Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

The court notice for Zhou Tianming's case was delivered to Pingjiang on a morning in early winter.

When Lin Feng received the notice, he stood by the window in silence for a long time.

Outside the window, the sky over Pingjiang was hazy and gray. The distant mines were no longer emitting smoke, and the trees on the mountains were bare, shivering in the cold wind.

He thought of Zhao Tiejun, of the old man who was squatting by the lake in the mining park, lost in thought, and of him saying, "My son would be happy if he saw this forest."

He picked up the phone and dialed Lei Ming's number. "Director Lei, Zhou Tianming's case is about to go to trial. Arrange for someone to accompany Zhao Tiejun to the hearing."

Lei Ming said, "Understood."

On the day of the trial, the entrance to the Intermediate People's Court of a city in Jiangnan Province was packed with people.

There were reporters, victims' families, members of the public in attendance, and officials and miners who had come from Pingjiang. Bailiffs maintained order at the entrance; security was tight, and everyone entering had to have their identity checked.

Zhao Tiejun appeared in court as a witness and entered through a special passage, without going through the main gate.

He was wearing a dark blue cotton-padded coat, a new one issued by the town government. He had washed and ironed it, and it made him look very smart. His hair was also cut, his beard was neatly shaved, and although his face had deep wrinkles, his eyes were bright.

The courtroom is very large, seating more than two hundred people, and it was packed to capacity today.

Among those in the audience were officials from Pingjiang, family members of the victims, journalists, and ordinary citizens.

Lin Feng sat in a corner of the gallery, not wanting to be recognized. He wore a dark jacket and a hat, and kept his head down. Chen Yue sat next to him, also in casual clothes.

When the bailiffs brought Zhou Tianming in, a commotion broke out in the gallery.

He was wearing an orange vest, his hair was shaved very short, his face was ashen, and his eyes were sunken. He was completely different from the spirited President Zhou of the past.

He walked slowly with his head down as the bailiffs led him to the defendant's dock. He didn't look at the audience, nor at anyone else; he just kept his head down, staring at the table in front of him.

The presiding judge struck the gavel. "Court is now in session. Summon the defendant, Zhou Tianming, to the courtroom."

The trial lasted a full day. The prosecution accused Zhou Tianming of multiple crimes, including organizing and leading a mafia-style organization, smuggling, bribery, intentional injury, illegal mining, and provoking trouble, involving more than 5 billion yuan and involving two murder cases and more than 20 assault cases.

The prosecutor read the indictment for nearly an hour, his voice loud and clear, each word ringing with conviction. Zhou Tianming stood in the dock, head bowed, motionless, like a withered tree.

The presiding judge asked, "Defendant Zhou Tianming, what are your opinions on the criminal facts alleged in the indictment?"

Zhou Tianming paused for a moment, then raised his head to look at the presiding judge. His voice was hoarse, but clear. "No objections. I plead guilty."

A commotion arose again in the gallery. Some whispered among themselves, some shook their heads and sighed, and some had tears in their eyes.

Lin Feng sat motionless in the corner. He looked at Zhou Tianming's back and recalled the first time he saw him in the municipal party committee building—wearing a dark jacket, a white shirt, no tie, a kind smile, sharp eyes, and speaking with impeccable manner.

Back then, Zhou Tianming said, "Sometimes, you can't avoid certain people when it comes to things in Pingjiang." Now, some of those "certain people" are sitting in the audience, some are standing in the dock, and some are waiting for the trial to begin in the detention center. They can't be avoided.

When the prosecution presented evidence, a video was played in court.

That was a photo Zhao Xiaojun secretly took before his death. The image is blurry, but you can see several people standing by the mine. The one in the lead is Zhou Tianming, who is talking to a man in a suit.

Zhao Xiaojun's voice came in from off-screen, very softly, as if he were talking to himself: "Zhou Tianming is here again, I wonder what he's up to this time." That was the last sound he left in this world.

Zhao Tiejun sat in the witness lounge, not having seen the video. But he had heard it. The soundproofing wasn't great, and the sounds from the courtroom drifted in, indistinct and unclear. He couldn't make out what was being said, but he could hear his son's voice. His hands began to tremble, and his eyes reddened, but he didn't shed a tear.

In the afternoon, Zhao Tiejun appeared in court as a witness. As he entered the courtroom through the witness entrance, the gallery fell silent. Many people didn't recognize him, but seeing his faded dark blue cotton-padded jacket, the deep wrinkles on his face, and his gray hair, they all knew who he was. The bailiffs led him to the witness stand, where he stood, unsure what to do with his hands.

The presiding judge asked, "Witness, what is your name, age, and occupation?"

Zhao Tiejun's voice trembled slightly, but it was clear. "Zhao Tiejun, 63 years old, farmer from Longnan Town, Pingjiang City."

The presiding judge said, "Please state the facts you know to the court."

Zhao Tiejun paused for a moment, then raised his head and looked at the presiding judge. His gaze slowly shifted to the defendant's dock and landed on Zhou Tianming.

Zhou Tianming also raised his head and looked at Zhao Tiejun. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then Zhou Tianming lowered his head.

Zhao Tiejun didn't lower his head; he was still looking. He looked at Zhou Tianming as if he were looking at a mountain, a mountain that had weighed on him for many years. His voice was hoarse, but every word was clear.

"My son's name is Zhao Xiaojun. He worked in the mine. He reported Zhou Tianming's mine entrance and died a few days later. The mine said there was a collapse, but when I went to check, there was no collapse. He was beaten to death; there was a hole in his head. I went to the Public Security Bureau, and they said they had investigated and it was an accident. I went to the Petition Office, and they said they were handling it and told me to go home and wait for news. I waited for two years, until my hair turned completely white, until Secretary Lin came, and until Zhou Tianming was arrested."

His voice began to tremble. "I'm here today to seek justice for my son."

Someone in the audience cried. Lin Feng sat in the corner, motionless, but his hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white.

The presiding judge asked, "Defendant Zhou Tianming, what are your comments on the witness's statement?"

Zhou Tianming stood there, head down, silent for a long time.

Then he turned around, faced the audience, and bowed deeply. His voice was very soft, as if squeezed from his chest. "I am sorry to the victims' families, to the people of Pingjiang, to the organization that nurtured me, and to my uncle. I plead guilty, and I am willing to accept the punishment of the law."

He straightened up, his gaze sweeping across the audience before landing on Zhao Tiejun. Zhao Tiejun looked back at him, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds. Zhao Tiejun's eyes reddened, but he didn't shed a tear. He stood there, like an old tree that had been battered by the wind for many years, finally waiting for the wind to stop.

The court hearing ended. As the bailiffs led Zhou Tianming away, he stopped at the door, turned around, and glanced at Zhao Tiejun.

Zhao Tiejun looked at him without saying a word. Zhou Tianming lowered his head, turned, and left. The people in the audience gradually left. Zhao Tiejun remained standing there, staring motionless in the direction Zhou Tianming had disappeared.

Lin Feng walked over and stood beside him. "Master Zhao, let's go."

Zhao Tiejun didn't move. After a long while, he spoke, his voice very soft. "Secretary Lin, if my son could see today, he would be happy too."

Lin Feng remained silent. He stood there, accompanying Zhao Tiejun, until everyone in the courtroom had left and the lights were turned off. The corridor was quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps. Zhao Tiejun walked ahead, with Lin Feng following behind. Upon reaching the main entrance, Zhao Tiejun stopped, turned around, and looked at Lin Feng.

"Secretary Lin, thank you."

Lin Feng shook his head. "No need to thank me. It's what we should do."

Zhao Tiejun nodded, turned around and left.