Me! A disgraced celebrity! Starting by seeking justice for impoverished students.

The prosecutor spoke firmly, showing no intention of backing down.

"Does the victim's representative have anything to add?"

The presiding judge looked at Jiang Chen again.

Jiang Chen stood up and added only one sentence.

"We would like to add: If this is merely 'negligence in management,' then how do you explain the fact that all twelve elderly people who prepaid high fees over the past three years, and not a single one of them who paid monthly, experienced any incidents? How can the defense explain this precise negligence?"

The entire courtroom fell silent instantly.

In short, it left Fu Chengyu no room for explanation.

If it's just a management oversight, why are the ones who always seem to be the most lucrative target group always the ones who get into trouble?

Why are the deviations so precise and so regular?

Fu Chengyu's expression changed slightly, and he was momentarily speechless.

He paused briefly, wanting to argue further: "It's just a coincidence..."

"coincide?"

Jiang Chen's eyes sharpened. "Twelve coincidences, spanning three years, each time precisely targeting elderly people who have prepaid large sums?"

"Does the defense believe the court will accept this argument?"

Seeing this, the presiding judge struck the gavel to stop it.

Boom!

"Defense counsel, when expressing opinions based on evidence, must not make unfounded speculations."

Fu Chengyu pursed his lips and had no choice but to sit down reluctantly.

Subsequently, seeing that none of the parties had any further arguments, Judge Zhou Mingyuan slammed his gavel down.

Boom!

"Court debate concluded!"

"According to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, each defendant has the right to make a final statement."

"Now, each defendant will make their final statement in turn!"

As the judge finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The final statement is the ultimate right granted to each defendant by law.

This is also their last chance to express their stance to the court and the public before the verdict.

Judge Zhou Mingyuan's gaze swept across the defendants' dock, and he gestured in a deep voice: "The defendants shall make their final statements in turn, starting with defendant Gao Jianming."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jianming slowly stood up, holding onto the railing of the defendant's dock.

The pressure of the trial had long since worn away his former high spirits.

His face was sallow, his eyes were bloodshot, and his figure seemed to be hunched over.

Gao Jianming raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice hoarse and dry.

"Presiding Judge, Judges, I...I would like to say a few words."

"I have been running a nursing home for almost ten years. My original intention in opening the nursing home was to give the elderly a peaceful old age. I never thought of harming anyone, let alone taking anyone's life."

"This incident is a major problem in my management. I failed to supervise my subordinates properly and failed to properly control the quality of medicines, which allowed my subordinates to take advantage of the loopholes and commit violations of regulations."

"I am also heartbroken by the passing of the elderly person, but I really had no knowledge of it and did not lead any action to abandon the elderly person."

"I am willing to fully refund all the remaining fees for the elderly and compensate their families for all their losses. I only ask that the court take into account that I am a first-time offender and that I had no malicious intent, and give me a lenient sentence."

After he finished speaking, he bowed slightly and slowly sat down.

His eyes darted away, avoiding looking at the victim's family members, as well as at the prosecutor's seat and Jiang Chen.

He repeated this same story over and over again throughout the entire process.

In his final statement, he still clung to the phrase "management negligence" and refused to budge.

They attempted to completely downplay the serious crime of intentional homicide as a minor offense.

A low commotion immediately arose in the audience.

Zhou Zhenhai's face showed anger, but he suppressed his emotions and remained silent.

The live stream chat was filled with disdain.

[Tsk tsk tsk! They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!]

These are crocodile tears; he doesn't know he's wrong, he just knows he's going to die!

[Still shifting the blame to subordinates at the end? They have absolutely no sense of responsibility!]

[Ten years of nursing home life, three years of which harmed twelve people – and they call that a good intention?]

[It's all platitudes; there's not a shred of remorse, they're just afraid of going to jail!]

This person must be severely punished! He doesn't deserve leniency at all!

"Defendant Wang Hao, please make your final statement."

The presiding judge continued to gesture.

Wang Hao stood up, head down, shoulders slightly slumped, his voice filled with heavy regret.

"Presiding Judge, Judge, I plead guilty."

"Everything was arranged by Gao Jianming. Giving me medicine, not taking me to the hospital, and driving me out late at night were all rules he set."

"I went against my conscience to keep my job and get promoted. I'm sorry to those elderly people and their families."

"I know I have made a big mistake, and I am willing to accept any punishment under the law. I plead guilty and repent."

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply.

As she sat down, she glanced at Gao Jianming from the side, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.

At this point, he no longer wanted to take the blame for anyone; he only wanted to confess in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Following that, caregivers Lü Qian and Zhang Ting stood up one after the other to give their statements.

Both of them were quite young, and their eyes were red and their voices were trembling with tears.

"I plead guilty... I shouldn't have listened to my supervisor and given the elderly person medication. I was afraid of being fired and didn't dare to refuse. I know I was wrong."

"I'm sorry to those grandparents, I'm sorry to their families. I'm willing to accept punishment and I beg the court for a lenient sentence."

Their voices choked with emotion, and after speaking, they both sat down, wiping away tears.

They are the lowest-level executors in the entire industry, and they are also the ones who confessed their crimes from the very beginning, with remorse written on their faces.

Finally, there was the driver, Liu Jun.

He stood up; he was dark-skinned, and his voice was hoarse but very honest.

"Your Honor, I plead guilty."

"I shouldn't have driven an elderly person to the wilderness in the middle of the night for that little bit of money."

"I knew that doing that would kill the old man, but I still did it. I was foolish."

"I have nothing to say in my defense. I will accept whatever the court decides and I will abide by the verdict."

In just a few words, he was straightforward and honest, without any unnecessary excuses.

The final statements of all five defendants have concluded.

Some stubbornly defended themselves, while others confessed and repented; their attitudes were clearly distinct.

Some people understand that at this point, even if they continue to resist, there will be no good outcome.

The panel of judges will ultimately decide based on the facts, not what they say.

Gao Jianming sat at the front, his face turning pale and then red, and he didn't look back at the four co-defendants behind him once.

He knew in his heart that from the moment Wang Hao identified him in court, his claim that "his subordinates acted on their own" was no longer tenable.

Presiding Judge Zhou Mingyuan carefully reviewed the court transcript and confirmed that all defendants had completed their final statements and had no further comments.

He looked up and surveyed the entire room, his voice solemn and authoritative.

"The defendants have finished their final statements."

"The entire trial process has been completed, including court investigation, court debate, and the defendant's final statement."

"I now declare the court adjourned!"

"The panel of judges will conduct a closed-door deliberation on this case and render a judgment in accordance with the facts and evidence that have been ascertained and in accordance with relevant legal provisions."

Boom!