Ark, they don't revolve around you

However, the judge who arrived was an outlier.

Her name was Lavinia Falcone, the adopted daughter of Bernardo Bellone, the former ruler of the Volsinians.

This is not uncommon, as families often train their own judges to serve as a means of quibbling over words and attacking their enemies.

And Lavinia arrived just ten minutes after Zhuang Ning killed the man. Just based on her efficiency, she has to be praised.

Stepping on the soaked blood, Lavinia was silent for a moment and stopped her companions from coming in.

The Archangel also recognized the judge and blinked, but this was a public occasion, so Lavinia could only pretend not to know him.

But the murderer looked innocent. He stood up and complained: "You are finally here, Judge Lavinia. I have been waiting for you for a long time."

"Look at this scene, it's so heartless. I am also deeply saddened."

Hearing this, Lavinia lowered her eyes slightly and looked at Zhuang Ning, whose face was still red under the blood.

Zhuang Ning didn't mind and said emotionally: "Syracuse is a country with a legal system. How could such a tragedy happen? Is there still law? Is there still law?!"

"Stop it, Doctor!" Lavinia finally couldn't help but yelled, "You did all this! You ignored the code you drafted yourself and executed people in public! Your behavior has already constituted a crime!"

"Ah?" Zhuang Ning was stunned.

He seemed to find it funny and asked, "Same old, Judge Lavinia, I told you, people who are too fair can't do your job."

"Besides, don't slander someone out of thin air." Zhuang Ning's voice became colder and colder. "Who can prove that I was the one who killed him?"

He turned his head and looked at the terrified passers-by: "Is there anyone willing to accuse me?"

No one spoke, they just lowered their heads even deeper.

Zhuang Ning spread his hands and said, "Look, no one said I was the one who killed him."

Lavinia couldn't believe it: "Doctor, you...how could you..."

But she immediately responded: "There are surveillance cameras!"

Zhuang Ning immediately took out his gun, loaded it, and pulled the trigger continuously at the camera in the store.

boom! boom! boom!

The deafening sound faded, the camera shattered, and Lavinia was left powerless.

Zhuang Ning gently put on his coat and said, "I am very sorry for this tragedy, but since there is insufficient evidence, I don't think Judge Lavinia can keep me."

"I'm very busy and don't have time to care about these things."

Lavinia stood still, and finally gritted her teeth and called him: "Doctor!"

"what happened?"

"What's the difference between you and the people in your family?"

This sentence surprised Zhuang Ning. He couldn't help but laugh: "What's the difference between them and the people in the family?"

"That's very interesting...Judge Lavinia, in your eyes, haven't I already become one with my family?"

He said, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Syracuse, be a Syracusan. I am always polite."

Zhuang Ning held his hat to his chest and said, "There may be many similar cases in Syracuse recently. The city may be in a panic for a while, but I believe that the wise and brave Judge Lavinia will solve everything."

"Give my regards to Mayor Leon Tusseau."

Lavinia watched him in daze as he got into the car and disappeared from her sight.

She glanced at the crowd and found that everyone present stood up hurriedly. After seeing Zhuang Ning leave, they felt relieved and walked away in small steps, unwilling to stay for a moment.

Some subordinates tried to stop them, but Lavinia just waved her hand and let the people in the store leave.

The woman rarely seemed shaken, and closed her eyes in agony.

She guessed that the man had been waiting for her on purpose, in order to tease the Volsinian judge in this way.

What can I do? The doctor's contempt for the law must be due to Lavinia, right?

Lavinia thought back to two years ago, when she was still a judge in Bellone.

Because of the connections behind her, she enjoys unique advantages and is very popular.

It is for this reason that she still has ideals, but this kind of nobleness is meaningless and she is destined to suffer a great blow in Syracuse.

The courts of Syracuse were meant to be held in contempt, and no family member feared going to jail; instead, they viewed it as an honor.

Every Syracusan's rite of passage is to go to jail. When a member comes out of jail, his family will welcome him with joy and sing praises to him, as if he has not been to jail but to the battlefield, bringing honor to his family with a medal of glory.

But two years ago, Zhuang Ning would still respect her as a judge, praise her ideals, support her, and even accompany her to collect evidence.

Lavinia Falcone is not just a simple judge. Although she and Leontuso, the young master of the Bellone family, have no blood relationship, they are actually siblings.

Inside the Mafia, Lavinia witnessed the family's operating model and gradually learned a way of thinking. With the help of the Doctor, this group soon caused quite a stir in Volsini at the time.

The so-called "Great Trial" is still considered by many people to be a suppression of other families by the Bellone family.

Hundreds of family members were thrown into prison and the courtroom was packed.

Lavinia is full of fighting spirit, and during her time working with the Doctor, she seems to have really grasped the ideals that were about to disappear.

As a judge, you do not have to bend the law for personal gain and must enforce justice.

But soon, this action was stopped, and the one who stopped Lavinia was Bernardo Bellone, who was like a father to her.

As the man who once handed the gavel of trial to Lavinia when she was a child, he always said that he wanted to maintain the glory of the law, but in the end he chose to go against Lavinia.

What's even more hateful is that when Lavinia decided to continue working with the Doctor, Zhuang Ning also refused.

In the misty bar, the doctor sighed: "Lavinia, I know you are very sad now. You feel that Bellone has betrayed you, and you also feel that I have betrayed you."

"There's none?"

"We have our own difficulties, Lavinia."

"A secret? What secret can there be?" Lavinia remembered that she was very angry, and the alcohol completely wiped out her limited rationality.

She was actually a heavy drinker, but at that time she just wanted to get drunk.

"He has simply changed, becoming more power-hungry. So have you, Doctor... Is your cooperation with me also his instruction? He wants to use you to remove his obstacles?!"

"What kind of trial? I thought he could really fulfill his promise."

"Doctor, you actually knew this a long time ago, right? Have you been laughing at me?!"

"You are drunk." Zhuang Ning said calmly, "I respect your ideals. In fact, I was also shocked when I first heard that he wanted to prohibit you and me from doing this."

"But he gave me a reason I couldn't refuse, Lavinia." Zhuang Ning sighed, "If you continue to do this, you will die. A grand trial can be regarded as a means for Bellone to show off his power, but if you and I continue to investigate, you will die."

"I'm not afraid of death!" Lavinia sneered, "So why do you have to find those excuses? What about worrying about me, what about having to tolerate for the future, but it's all nonsense."

"Doctor, are people like you just saying the same nice things and using similar words to deceive people?"

"What's the difference between you and those ambitious people? You used your operators, and then used me, and you made Texas devoted to you."

"But have you ever thought that maybe your face will be torn to pieces?"

"They will find out that you are actually that kind of person, always talking about justice but always thinking about profit."

"Well, you helped Bernardo, you helped Texas. Now, although you are not a member of the family, your status must have risen, right?"

"Is this your method? You liar, you are also a sinner. Syracuse is a prison for sinners, and I have only the code in my hand, but I am being played like a clown!"

Zhuang Ning was surprised: "Do you think I think so?"

He wanted to refute, but he couldn't seem to find the direction, so he could only whisper: "Do you think I'm an ambitious person? I helped you investigate the trivial matters behind the twelve families in exchange for Bernardo's trust?"

"Is not it?"

"...I wanted to say no at first, but now I think about it, no matter how I explain, you won't believe me."

Zhuang Ning put down a few silver coins: "It seems that I didn't do well enough."

"But I still want to tell you, Lavinia, the justice you believe in and the laws you respect are not upheld by you alone. Some people have to make sacrifices for the greater justice."

"Are you talking about Bernardo or yourself?" Lavinia smiled even more cruelly. "You will only compromise, but I will never compromise. Even if I die, I will fight."

"Compromise...but our lives are spent in compromise." Zhuang Ning looked back for the last time: "Lavinia, I respect your character, but it seems that we should really go our separate ways."

"Thank you for the inspiration you gave me... I seem to gradually understand some of the reasons." Zhuang Ning seemed to have just woken up from a dream. "I understand why they all left in the end. Maybe in their eyes, I am also an ambitious person who can only talk big but is pedantic and full of desires in my heart."

He felt regretful but helpless as he walked quietly towards the door.

"Of course you are." A voice suddenly came from behind. It was Lavinia's murmur. "Let's make a bet. Doctor, I guess Texas will leave you in the end."

"You will be a real loner, just like Bernardo Bellone. This is the price of being a strong man!"

As the sound disappeared, Zhuang Ning closed the door of the tavern with a click.

"Ambition?... Although I really want to refute her, it seems... Being an ambition is not bad, right?"

Zhuang Ning seemed to have a sudden inspiration, "If I can be completely ruthless..."

For several days after that, Lavinia drank to drown her sorrows.

No longer believe in any oaths, and abide by the rules even if you are alone, like a lonely martyr.

If she could define Zhuang Ning as an ambitious person, she must be a firm idealist.

A few days later, Lavinia put away the bottle of wine, changed into formal clothes, and attended the court. She was still righteous and eloquent, and would not tolerate any sand in her eyes.

This person who accused others of crimes had always been so noble that she remained indifferent even when some people said behind her back that it was Bernardo Bellone.

Of course, Lavinia occasionally felt that her drunken remarks were too extreme, and wanted to find Zhuang Ning, or at least listen to what he said carefully.

As a result, it was discovered that Zhuang Ning had completely started cooperating with Bernardo.

…No, that’s not even a collaboration.

Bernardo gave Zhuang Ning more trust and allowed him to take over part of the family business. It was at that time that Rhodes Island's office in Volsini opened.

Her breathing became heavier, and she felt more and more that she had seen through the true nature of Zhuang Ning and Bernardo.

They are indeed birds of a feather, creatures alienated and corrupted by power!

But this idea changed after only a few days.

Who could have thought that Bernardo, a vested interest, a man who stood at the pinnacle of power in Syracuse and was second only to one man and above ten thousand people, would betray his position without hesitation one day!

He instigated internal strife among the twelve families, took the opportunity to split off the Volsinian Empire, openly expressed his disgust for the family, and acted as if he was ready to die.