newbobooks Chapter 111 Court Hearing (Part 1)
Chapter 111 Court Hearing (Part 1)
That evening, Li Chenglong was watering the flowers by the window when the door suddenly opened, and Han Xiaoling stormed in, fuming, "Brother, this is infuriating! Did you hear what happened?" Yunlan poured Han Xiaoling a glass of water and handed it to her, saying, "Don't panic, have some water first. Who made you angry? Tell me after you finish." Han Xiaoling took the water and drank it all in one gulp. After calming herself down, she said, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, I just heard something that really made me angry." Then she recounted the whole story.
A case occurred today: a soldier from the Second Battalion returned home early after completing his mission, only to discover his wife was having an affair. The soldier had known about it before and initially wanted a divorce, but for the sake of their six-year-old son, he had a serious talk with his wife. She repeatedly promised it would only happen once and would never happen again. However, when he returned to his assigned quarters today, he found his son locked outside, crying from hunger. Upon entering, he found his wife still committing adultery, completely disregarding their son's life. Enraged, the soldier shot and killed his wife. Security personnel heard the gunshot and quickly arrived, saving the adulterer's life. However, because of the murder, the soldier was immediately taken into custody by the security team according to the provisional laws of Dawn City. He is reportedly to be tried tomorrow, and according to the law, he will likely face the death penalty.
After Han Xiaoling finished speaking, she said angrily, "Sister-in-law, what should we do? Isn't this soldier being wronged?" Yunlan was also furious when she heard this: "How could such a thing happen? This is intolerable!" Then the two of them looked at Li Chenglong. Yunlan gently nudged Han Xiaoling and said, "Xiaoling, ask your brother what he should do." Han Xiaoling walked up to Li Chenglong, took the showerhead from his hand, and tugged at his sleeve, saying, "Brother, what should we do?" Li Chenglong's face was cold and stern. He said calmly, "The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice sent me this afternoon. Actually, I also feel that it's quite troublesome to handle. On the one hand, this soldier did kill someone, but on the other hand, his circumstances are pitiful and exonerated. If only I were an ancient emperor, I could just write a few words and pardon him."
As the three were still chatting, the doorbell rang. Han Xiaoling opened the door and saw Zheng Aiguo, Wan Dahai, Sun Youcai, and several other company and platoon leaders—more than a dozen people in total. Li Chenglong invited them to sit down and poured each of them a glass of water. Zheng Aiguo hurriedly said, "Captain Li, don't bother. You probably know why we brothers are here today." Then a platoon leader named Wang Qi said, "Regimental Commander, Platoon Leader Zhao really doesn't deserve to die. He and I joined our family in Qing'an Town and have been under Battalion Commander Zheng ever since. He's always been at the forefront of battles and is very good to his comrades. I alone have been saved by Platoon Leader Zhao three times. I know his wife; she's not a good person even in peacetime. If it weren't for the children, we would have all advised him to divorce her. It's quite remarkable that a man can endure this for so long."
Several company and platoon leaders then spoke, and finally Zheng Aiguo said, "Please, Regiment Commander, give Platoon Leader Zhao another chance. The entire Second Battalion vouches for him." Li Chenglong clapped his hands: "Good! With soldiers like you, how could our Dawn City and the Dawn Army not grow stronger?" Then Li Chenglong took out some documents from his study, all from other battalions pleading for Platoon Leader Zhao. Li Chenglong said, "Please all go back. I will be attending the court hearing tomorrow and guarantee a good outcome for everyone." Hearing their commander's words, the group said nothing more and left.
That evening, Li Chenglong leaned against the headboard, reviewing the cases that the Shuguang City Court would hear the next day, while Yunlan combed her hair at the dressing table. The two discussed the cases, and Li Chenglong said, "We need to designate some cases as exemplary cases, so that when similar situations arise again, the court will find it easier to make a judgment. From now on, Shuguang City will have laws to follow, laws will be followed, enforcement will be strict, and violations will be investigated."
The next morning, Li Chenglong, Yun Lan, Zheng Yong, Ma Tiancheng, and others arrived at the court to observe the hearing. The Shuguang City Court and Procuratorate were both under the jurisdiction of the Legal Affairs Department, with a total of six judges. In addition to handling various cases in Shuguang City, they also temporarily acted as the military court. This court hearing was open to people from all walks of life in Shuguang City, and the enthusiasm of the public was very high; more than one hundred people came to observe the trial that day.
The judge tapped his gavel: "Please be quiet, everyone. Thank you very much for participating in court this morning. We will now proceed with the first case of the day, the Zhao Qiang murder case. Prosecutor, please present your case." Prosecutor Chen Yonghao stood up and said, "Thank you very much, Your Honor. Now, I will present the facts of the case." After recounting the case, Chen Yonghao concluded, "Zhao Qiang confessed to the crime. The facts are clear, and the method of the murder was brutal and heinous. I request the court to give a fair sentence and sentence the suspect to death." However, as soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in uproar. A woman said, "This woman was at fault first. Platoon Leader Zhao had already endured it time and time again. This time, he simply couldn't bear it anymore and acted impulsively. He really shouldn't be sentenced to death." Another man said, "Yes, Platoon Leader Zhao received commendations twice. He's someone who has done great things for Shuguang City. Let him atone for his crime through meritorious service." But others said, "He broke the law and must accept the punishment of the law. His crimes cannot be excused by his past meritorious service."
The presiding judge tapped the gavel: "Please be quiet, everyone. Does the defense attorney have anything to say?" Defense attorney Ma Qian stood up and said, "Regarding Zhao Qiang's crimes, we have nothing to say. However, we request that the judge consider Zhao Qiang's contributions to Shuguang City, as well as the plaintiff's repeated infidelity, including locking her young child out to have sex with her lover. Finally, we would like to hear Zhao Qiang's own words again."
The presiding judge nodded and asked Zhao Qiang, "Do you have anything to say, Zhao Qiang?" Zhao Qiang looked very haggard and said slowly, "I killed someone, violated military discipline, and also violated the laws of Dawn City. It is right for me to be executed, but I don't want to die in vain like this. Please enlist me in the suicide squad. I am willing to die on the front line of killing zombies."
After listening to Zhao Qiang's words, the presiding judge struck his gavel and announced, "I hereby adjourn the court. The verdict will be announced in fifteen minutes." He and the two judges beside him then stood up and left the courtroom, heading to the back lounge. At this moment, Li Chenglong and his group entered. They sat down and discussed the matter for a while, with Li Chenglong and Zheng Yong offering numerous opinions and suggestions.
After a short break, the presiding judge picked up the verdict and said, "Please all rise. The verdict will be read. Zhao Qiang committed intentional homicide; the facts of the crime are clear. Furthermore, he is a member of the Dawn Army and knowingly broke the law. This court hereby sentences him to death, to be carried out immediately. However, in this incident, Zhao Qiang's wife bears greater responsibility. Considering that Zhao Qiang has a six-year-old child, this court, after careful consideration, sentences Zhao Qiang to 25 years imprisonment and deprives him of his political rights for life. Given that we are currently in the apocalypse, after comprehensive consideration, we sentence Zhao Qiang to be assigned to the suicide squad and required to wear a transmitter for monitoring purposes. Zhao Qiang's wife's lover is guilty of disrupting a military marriage and is sentenced to be publicly displayed around the city before being exiled from Dawn City, and is permanently barred from joining Dawn City's territory."
After the verdict was read, Zhao Qiang collapsed in the dock, weeping bitterly. Li Chenglong said to Yun Lan beside him, "Let the compound raise Zhao Qiang's child. Make sure to explain this clearly to the teachers and administrators there; there absolutely cannot be any discrimination or bullying." Yun Lan immediately replied, "Okay, I'll take care of it in a bit." With some time before the second court session, Li Chenglong went outside. Several special forces members were already waiting there. Li Chenglong pulled them aside and said, "The task of exiling that man is now yours. I don't want to see him again, understand?" The special forces members' faces lit up with joy, and they all said in unison, "We will definitely complete the mission successfully."