BXBX NOVEL Chapter 397: 397: Sentenced! Chu Qin’s Outcome, Ye Wenhan’s Embarrassment!
Chapter 397: 397: Sentenced! Chu Qin’s Outcome, Ye Wenhan’s Embarrassment!
Li Sheng was trembling with fear and apprehension.
It took a long while for her to respond, “I forgot, you told me once but it’s been so long that I completely forgot.”
“Did you forget, or did I never tell you in the first place?” Song Zhizhi raised her eyebrows, her powerful aura still intact despite having been confined in prison for so long.
Li Sheng bit her lip, her body shaking.
“Li Sheng, we both know the nature of our relationship. I’m well aware of you always trying to curry favor with me, and I’ve always let you keep up this facade. Do you know why?”
Li Sheng looked straight at Song Zhizhi, her realization hitting hard.
So Song Zhizhi had known all along about her ulterior motives and that she was working for Chu Qin, and her laissez-faire attitude was just to gather evidence against them.
“And who you’re working with now… who you’re close to…” Song Zhizhi’s eyes narrowed, “I’m very clear on that, and I have solid evidence.”
Li Sheng was astounded.
“Commercial Management conducts a performance assessment of its employees every month to evaluate their work over that period. According to feedback from the HR department, your performance has always been ranked first in Chu Qin’s department every month. It’s not the highest scoring standard project, but the highest score for the impression of the project. Chu Qin always gives you the highest score, and you always get the highest salary in the department. Given Chu Qin’s favoritism and promotion, do you have any reason to betray her to curry favor with me? Especially when you know full well that Chu Qin and I don’t get along.”
“We joined the company together. Even if Manager Chu gives me the highest performance rating because of my ability, I still hold some sentiment towards the old days…”
“Just now, the lawyer Wen made it very clear, you’re a plastic flower painted to bloom, when it comes to interests, you wouldn’t choose me! Now you’re talking about sentiment, but according to your words, even though Chu Qin is so good to you, you aren’t willing to truly follow her. You’re an honest person when it comes to feelings, so why did you tell Liang Ping that I made you suppress Liu Wen?!”
“I…” Li Sheng couldn’t say a word.
All the explanations she had prepared were useless now!
Everything was exposed, and she didn’t know what to say. But she also dared not say it. She knew very well who was behind Chu Qin, Ye Wenhan. Even if Chu Qin was convicted now, if she incurred Ye Wenhan’s revenge, she wouldn’t have good days ahead.
All she could do was keep her mouth shut.
Song Zhizhi didn’t mind her silence and said, “Let me speak for you then. Ultimately, you’re Chu Qin’s follower, you do whatever Chu Qin tells you to do! The person in the video is not you, but Chu Qin. He’s scared of implicating himself, or perhaps others are scared of being implicated, so he let you play in this drama, made you appear in court to accuse me and admit to your deal with Liang Ping. As for you, you have two benefits! First, you can further curry favor with Chu Qin; second, if you don’t do it, Chu Qin will threaten to make your job impossible at Commercial Management. Either way, you have to appear in court! Think carefully, perjury can be punishable by imprisonment! Clearly, your series of actions have already constituted a criminal act!”
Li Sheng didn’t know what to do!
She turned her head to look at Chu Qin.
Everyone was watching her.
It was quite obvious that Li Sheng couldn’t hold on any longer.
Under such intense pressure, it would be impossible for an ordinary person not to break.
Her eyes turned red as she looked at Chu Qin.
Chu Qin’s face worsened and he seemed very flustered, “What are you looking at me for? It’s your issue, what can I do about it!”
Li Sheng’s body couldn’t stop shaking.
At that moment, as if she had finally made up her mind, under all the pressure, she started to speak, “I’m sorry, Manager Chu, I can no longer hide this. Although you’ve always been good to me, I don’t want to commit a crime and I don’t want to go to jail.”
“What are you talking about! Stop spouting nonsense! Don’t let Song Zhizhi’s threats make you lose your mind. Remember who you are!”
“Even if you threaten me, I will tell the truth! We’re at this point now, what more is there to hide!” Li Sheng was very emotional as she yelled at Chu Qin, “You’ve always been jealous of Song Zhizhi, jealous that she’s better at everything than you are. So you can’t wait for her to be kicked out of Commercial Management and to be sent to jail immediately. Only then can you vent the oppression you’ve experienced in front of Song Zhizhi all these years! The truth is, you’ve never been as capable as Song Zhizhi!”
“Shut up, shut up!” Chu Qin yelled emotionally.
“I’m going to tell everything now! Song Zhizhi was right. I’m helping you now, doing whatever you ask me to do. You can offer me a high performance rating and a high salary, so I have no choice but to go along with your arrangements. The conversation that was just played in court was between me and Chu Qin. She asked me to appear in court to accuse Song Zhizhi. She also said that she had everything arranged, and as long as I insisted that Song Zhizhi was the mastermind, Song Zhizhi could be sentenced. After Song Zhizhi was sentenced, she would give me bigger benefits. I was foolish and did everything she told me to do! Besides, I couldn’t refuse even if I wanted to. If I didn’t do it, Chu Qin would surely ruin me!”
“Li Sheng, have you gone mad? That recording isn’t of us speaking, have you gone mad?!” Chu Qin was so emotional that he almost rushed to cover Li Sheng’s mouth.
Staff immediately restrained him.
Li Sheng glared at her, seemingly fearless now!
The Judgment Chief had to sternly call for silence several times amidst the somewhat chaotic court.
Order was restored after more than ten minutes.
The venue gradually regained its solemnity.
Song Zhizhi asked Li Sheng, “Li Sheng, why are you so afraid of Chu Qin?”
Li Sheng said, “I’m sorry, Song Zhizhi, I was indeed bribed by her. She could give me many benefits, promotions, and salary raises. I couldn’t refuse, I’m just an ordinary person.”
“Apart from Chu Qin, is there anyone else who induces fear in you due to their identity? Logically, you did have a good relationship with me at the start, there was indeed potential for you to enjoy the position you have now if you had just worked well alongside me. Besides, judging from how Chu Qin and I are progressing in the Commercial Management, I don’t think you would choose Chu Qin over me.”
“I…” Li Sheng hesitated somewhat.
“Since we’ve come this far, do you think you can still hide anything from them? You’re already a thorn in their eyes no matter what you try to conceal!”
Li Sheng was persuaded by Song Zhizhi.
She said, “Yes, apart from Chu Qin, there is also Mr. Ye Wenhan.”
The entire courtroom fell silent suddenly.
After a few seconds of silence, everyone’s gaze fell on Ye Wenhan in the audience!
Ye Wenhan’s face changed instantly.
His entire body involuntary tensed up, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Qian Guanshu grabbed his arm to calm him down!
“What do you mean?” Song Zhizhi asked, digging further.
“Before Mr. Ye assumed leadership of Commercial Management, he and Manager Chu continued to be intimately connected behind the scenes, even…”
“In a romantic relationship?” Song Zhizhi concluded.
“Yes.”
“So, because of Ye Wenhan’s status, you had to follow Chu Qin’s arrangements?”
“Yes, with Chu Qin having such a good relationship with Mr. Ye, would I still be able to work well in Commercial Management if I didn’t obey Chu Qin?”
“Was the decision for you to testify against me in court Chu Qin’s idea alone or was it a combination of Chu Qin and Ye Wenhan?”
“Of course, both of them! Mr. Ye despises you to the bone and can’t wait to see you in a bad situation, so he always conspires with Manager Chu to push you out. This incident must be the will of both Mr. Ye and Manager Chu. Manager Chu has always been subservient to Mr. Ye, and certainly would not have acted if Mr. Ye had not requested it.”
“Really?” Song Zhizhi lifted an eyebrow.
At that moment, his gaze fell on Ye Wenhan.
Ye Wenhan’s face turned ashen.
He clearly felt the provocation from Song Zhizhi.
Song Zhizhi averted his gaze, turning to Chu Qin, “Chu Qin, you’re merely aiding Ye Wenhan?”
“What nonsense are you talking about! Your Honor, are you just going to take Li Sheng’s words as proof? Is there any evidence to show that I’m at fault? Just because Li Sheng says the recording is ours, means it’s ours? Just because Li Sheng says that I bribed her means I did? I gave Li Sheng a high performance bonus because she truly performed well. I’ve always been fair and impartial in my work!” Chu Qin retorted sharply. “Song Zhizhi is merely manipulating Li Sheng, this is completely baseless! Moreover, if Li Sheng’s false allegations against Song Zhizhi are untrue, why should her allegations against me be true! I find it absurd, I even doubt Li Sheng’s mental stability and her words can’t be trusted entirely!”
“I didn’t, everything I said is true!” Li Sheng defended emotionally, “Everything I said is true!”
“You’re confusing right and wrong, your words contradict each other, your testimony changes every time, which part of what you said is true?!” Chu Qin addressed the Judgment Chief, “Your Honor, Li Sheng’s narratives are inconsistent and lack logical structure, we can’t believe what she says. I hope the court takes her away. I believe it is necessary to conduct a mental analysis on Li Sheng to check if she has any issues, to determine whether she has a mental illness!”
“I’m mentally stable, I don’t have any mental disorders, you’re the one who’s ill, your jealousy towards Song Zhizhi has distorted your heart!”
“I don’t want to hear another word from her, I need a mental report and evaluation on her, otherwise, I won’t utter another word! I also need a lawyer, I need a lawyer to counter the allegations made by Li Sheng and Song Zhizhi against me. I’m demanding an immediate recess, I can’t bear such personal attacks, I want my lawyer to legally defend me!”
Song Zhizhi looked at Chu Qin.
He could see that even though she was agitated, she was not completely lost. It must be acknowledged that her ability to think about defending her rights under these circumstances was impressive, as it would allow her to leave the courtroom unscathed.
Regardless, gaining more time to prepare for the investigation was the most advantageous solution for Chu Qin!
The excuses Chu Qin made were reasonable- on one hand, she suspected Li Sheng was mentally unstable and thus his words should not be readily accepted as evidence unless duly certified by an authority; on the other hand, she needed a lawyer to defend her in court against the sudden accusations.
The court could not deny either of her requests!
In the tense atmosphere, there was silence for a minute or two. Ultimately, it was clear what the Judgment Chief, after discussing with the panel, would decide.
Song Zhizhi would be acquitted on the spot, and Chu Qin would not be subject to immediate trial either.
As they waited for the decision…
Ye Wenhan suddenly stood up from the spectators’ bench and said, “I have evidence for this case that can prove that Chu Qin was indeed the mastermind behind it all! ”
Every focus in the room turned to Ye Wenhan.
Chu Qin seemed to not believe what she was hearing.
She had just figured out how to avoid being exposed and leave without being accused, even if they were suspicious, they would still have time to think about a resolution. But now, now Ye Wenhan had said he had evidence.
She looked at him in disbelief.
She watched as Ye Wenhan left the spectator’s bench and walked up to the stand.
The Judgment Chief was respectfully deferential to him, “What evidence do you have, Mr. Ye?”
“Actually, not only did Song Zhizhi suspect that the instigator of this incident was Chu Qin, but I started to suspect, too. But I didn’t want to interfere with the progress of the trial, so I quietly conducted my own investigation. Either way, this incident originated from our Commercial Management institution. Our institution holds ultimate responsibility for causing such a great economic and reputational loss to Yanshang Country. Therefore, while the official family was thoroughly investigating this case, I was also conducting an investigation.” Ye Wenhan began, always with a pretext.
It seemed as if without these grand statements, others wouldn’t know that he always approached problems from a large, benevolent and righteous standpoint.
“Mr. Ye, please present your evidence.” The Judgment Chief’s tone was clearly ingratiating.
“I just received the evidence, it’s currently on my phone. I was surprised when I saw the video on my phone. I never thought, indeed it was Chu Qin. I didn’t want to suspect her, because I couldn’t believe that there would be such a treacherous and cunning woman in our institution!” Ye Wenhan growled through gritted teeth, seemingly infuriated.
Chu Qin stared at Ye Wenhan.
She glared at him.
Seemingly oblivious to Chu Qin’s gaze, Ye Wenhan handed his phone to an attendant.
The attendant connected the phone to the television.
Then…
A video started to play in the room.
The video showed Li Sheng and Chu Qin speaking to each other, their conversation matching exactly with the one from the audio recording. This time there was the addition of video footage that clearly portrayed Chu Qin and Li Sheng, their looks, expressions, and voices were crystal clear.
The evidence was indisputable, and regardless of Chu Qin’s defense, it was futile.
As the video ended…
The room’s attention turned to Chu Qin.
In the face of such exposing evidence, she suddenly seemed calm.
There were no tantrums, only her reddened eyes staring at Ye Wenhan.
She listened to him say, “The reason I have this recording is that I have noticed some clues that are highly disparate to the evidence gathered by Song Zhizhi. I too had doubts, for example, why I suddenly resigned from the company and why the property management company issued such a lawyer’s letter. After deep investigation, I found that these people have certain associations with Chu Qin, but as Chu Qin didn’t intervene directly, I was hesitant to make a premature conclusion. Therefore, I secretly installed a surveillance device in her office while she wasn’t aware. As the time between the initial trial and now has been brief, I did not anticipate Chu Qin would order Li Sheng to testify at this time. Thus, I didn’t check the surveillance. Just now, seeing the evidence presented by Ji Baijian, I suddenly thought of my surveillance on Chu Qin. So, I had someone quickly review the footage and they discovered this scene.”
Ye Wenhan was explaining why he didn’t present the evidence earlier. It was not because he was shielding someone, but because he genuinely just received the evidence.
Everything was flowing smoothly, just as he had planned.
Chu Qin finally understood, she finally got it. The reason why they had her command Li Sheng to testify in court was to manufacture substantial evidence, to prove her guilt while perfectly sidestepping his criminal actions.
She laughed coldly.
A sudden cold laughter escaped her lips.
When Ji Baijian had warned her, she had predicted that in dangerous times, Ye Wenhan might abandon her to save himself. What she hadn’t expected at all was how decisively Ye Wenhan would push her out, or even that from the very beginning, he was prepared to sacrifice her!
But all along, she had thought, she had constantly believed, that Ye Wenhan had feelings for her.
That Ye Wenhan would feel reluctant to let her go.
Her eyes were thoroughly red.
After all she had done for him, was this the end she was to meet?
Was she to meet an end at his hands?
She looked straight at Ye Wenhan, who turned his head to look at her once.
Just one look, a fleeting glance.
Ye Wenhan respectfully said to the Judgment Chief, “Your Honor, this is the evidence I have obtained, I hope it will somewhat aid in the investigation of this case.”
“It will be of great help,” the Judgment Chief hurriedly and earnestly said, “We’re extremely thankful to you, Mr. Ye, for conducting a thorough investigation of this matter amidst your busy schedule and for bringing in such substantial evidence. We can now proceed with the judgment for this case…”
“Ye Wenhan, is this your so-called love for me?” Chu Qin suddenly spoke.
Suddenly, in the courtroom, she questioned him earnestly.
Ye Wenhan turned his head, looking at her.
Not a hint of emotion in his eyes.
Song Zhizhi was likewise watching Chu Qin, observing the despair and heartache in her eyes.
She could relate to that feeling all too well.
The cruellest thing about Ye Wenhan was that he could be so cold-blooded towards anyone who was of no use to him!
Ye Wenhan said, “I admit I was once slightly moved by you? When I was abandoned by Song Zhizhi, when I was isolated and helpless, when you actively approached and warmed me. You told me you were unhappily married, that it was in name only, that you did not like him and that you liked me. I admit that during that time, I was really moved by you.”
Chu Qin laughed coldly, a chilling laugh.
So now, it was she who had actively approached him?
The man who had once lost his dignity trying to please and curry favor with her, who wagged his tail saying he liked her, could now turn his back and deny knowing her.
All she did was listen to him say, coldly, “Ye Wenhan, a man should not be so shameless! Back then, who seduced whom? When you were not in your current position, was it you who curried favor with me or was it me who shamelessly seduced you?!”
“Chu Qin, I know uncovering you now puts you in a tough spot and the fact is, you have really gone too far! Even if you despise Song Zhizhi, you can’t go this far. Even if you detest her, as long as your fights don’t affect the Commercial Management or the national interests, I’m willing to turn a blind eye. But I can’t believe you actually went as far as to jeopardize Yanshang Country’s interests! I really can’t forgive you!” Ye Wenhan said, seeming very injured.
As if he was the one who had been hurt.
“And, regardless of how moved I was by you, at the end of the day, I do not like you. I cannot like you. You are a married woman; you really shouldn’t be having an affair, it’s immoral. You often came to my office to flirt with me, you even purposefully asked me out for dinner at night to seduce me. I never told you because I didn’t want to hurt you. But now, faced with the things you’ve done, I really shouldn’t spare you any face.”
“Ye Wenhan!” Chu Qin screamed.
Her suppressed emotions suddenly erupted.
“Are you always this crazed and heartbroken? Everything I did for you was because I was blind! You’d betray me for your own gain!” Chu Qin roared in fury.
Ye Wenhan seemed very calm, “Chu Qin, I hope you can calm down.”
“Calm down? Ye Wenhan, aren’t you scared of divine retribution for all you’ve done?! I finally understand why Song Zhizhi left you. I wish I could kill myself for ever developing feelings for a man like you…”
“Chu Qin, just because you had feelings for me does not mean that I felt the same for you. Granted, you did warm me in the past so I cannot forget your grace and kindness. Hence, I chose to turn a blind eye to your arrogance, like your threats to Li Sheng, using my status to coerce her into doing things for you. I knew all along and endured. I thought as long as it wasn’t too outrageous, I could let it slide. I had no idea that you, fueled by my indulgence, would become increasingly domineering and arrogant. I truly regret spoiling you back then, allowing you to be daring enough to harm the country’s interests!”
“Well, Ye Wenhan, what a fine piece of work you are! You forced me to say this, you forced me to say this!” cried Chu Qin with an intense madness, her eyes filled with a bloody taste, “The plot to frame Song Zhizhi was crafted entirely by you, making me do what you said! Yes, the woman in the video is me. The person trading with Liang Ping is also me; the one who framed Song Zhizhi is me. I also pressured Gao Chao’s company to fire him to suppress the news and public opinion, preventing the residents of the Airport District from discussing this matter. I even pressured the property management company to issue a lawyer’s letter, all of this, everything, was ordered by Ye Wenhan. He wanted to retaliate against Song Zhizhi for abandoning him!”
Throughout the courtroom, Chu Qin’s voice echoed.
Everyone was watching Ye Wenhan and Chu Qin, watching her rage.
Yet, Ye Wenhan appeared calm, saying, “Chu Qin, just because I exposed you, you are shifting the blame to me? I won’t deny that I do not like Song Zhizhi because I did love her once and was heartbroken when she chose another man. However, as the helmsman of Commercial Management, affairs of the heart do not hold much importance in my world; my primary job is to drive Yanshang Country’s economic development. Any grievances I had with Song Zhizhi have vanished with the passage of time and our different life paths. Moreover, there is no need for me to retaliate against Song Zhizhi; my attaining the position of the helmsman is a revenge in itself for her not choosing me. She already regrets it and there is no need for me to do anything extra.”
Song Zhizhi let out a cold laugh.
She interjected, “Ye Wenhan, you think too highly of yourself.”
Ye Wenhan turned his gaze, “I know you are stubborn, but I don’t engage in verbal confrontations. As a matter of fact, everyone can see clearly.”
“The evidence shows that, in the face of interests, you will not hesitate to abandon a woman who once loved you wholeheartedly. I used to despise Chu Qin, but now I think she’s unworthy,” Song retorted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I can clearly tell everyone that there is nothing between Chu Qin and me. Chu Qin may have had feelings for me, but I never made any promises to her. I said I couldn’t give her what she wanted. She has her own family, and I can’t commit such amoral acts. This would be an insult to my integrity, so it’s impossible for me to be with Chu Qin. Here, in front of the judge and the prosecution, and everyone in the courtroom, I, Ye Wenhan, swear that I have never overstepped boundaries with Chu Qin, and there’s been nothing between us!” Ye Wenhan’s words were forceful and resounding.
Everyone believed his sincere and resolute denial.
The truth was as he said.
Ye Wenhan indeed had never laid a hand on Chu Qin, which probably empowered him to make such statements.
He continued, “I had no intimate relationship with her and did nothing shameful. As such, I couldn’t possibly promise her anything or make her do anything for me. We’re totally clear!”
“So, this is why you did not pursue a relationship with me? Just to clear yourself of suspicion when you accused me?” Chu Qin asked.
It was a sarcastic question.
She used to believe it was true that he had pity for her.
He did not want to taint her with the reputation of infidelity; she was even moved by this once.
She was truly foolish to believe in that.
From the very beginning, Ye Wenhan was using her. From when he needed her to secure a place in Commercial Management to when he used her to do his dirty deeds.
In the end, when his schemes were exposed, he only needed to reveal her crimes to clear himself.
How ridiculous.
Very ridiculous!
Chu Qin’s face twisted with rage.
Song Zhizhi looked at Chu Qin.
This woman had finally reaped what she sowed!
Of course, she would not sympathize with her enemy, even though she had once been in the same position, having given much to Ye Wenhan for nothing in return.
Fortunately, she was luckier.
She had a chance at a fresh start; as for Chu Qin, she wasn’t sure if she would be so lucky.
She then turned to Chu Qin and said bluntly, “Ye Wenhan is not as smart as you think. The only reason he did not get involved with you is because he physically couldn’t, not because he was deliberately avoiding it. Now, it serves as a mere excuse.”
With Song Zhizhi’s words, the entire courtroom was taken aback.
At that moment, Ye Wenhan’s face went pale.
He glared angrily at Song Zhizhi as his emotions reached a boiling point.
Song Zhizhi calmly returned his gaze, asking, “Isn’t that right, Mr Ye?”
Ye Wenhan tightly pursed his lips, offering no response.
Chu Qin looked at Ye Wenhan.
His silence was, in fact, a tacit acknowledgment.
She felt profoundly stupid.
It was true.
Ji Baijian had told her the truth last time, but she didn’t take it seriously
She had assumed Ji Baijian reminded her to gather evidence proving everything was orchestrated by Ye Wenhan, as if he had foreseen today’s situation and anticipated that Ye Wenhan would scapegoat her. Regrettably, she didn’t take Ji Baijian’s advice nor find evidence to confirm it.
Now in court, all her words were useless.
Ye Wenhan could insist that he had nothing to do with her, and she found no evidence to prove that everything she did was under Ye Wenhan’s command!
She glared at Ye Wenhan, at the man who had duped her!
At that moment, Ye Wenhan regained his composure, stating, “Your Honor, I’ve provided all the evidence I can. Please proceed with judging this case fairly and impartially in accordance with the laws of Yanshang Country.”
The presiding judge seemed to snap back to reality and hastily said, “Yes, thank you, Mr. Ye, for providing the evidence.”
Ye Wenhan gently nodded.
Then he left the stand.
He returned to the public seating area.
Qian Guanshu gave him a meaningful glance.
Ye Wenhan restrained himself, not uttering a word.
The thought of his physical condition being exposed by Song Zhizhi made him want to strangle her.
A secret he had kept for so long was suddenly exposed to the world!
If he had known it would turn out this way, he wouldn’t have given them 15 days to gather evidence due to Song Zhizhi’s threat. Without those 15 days, Song Zhizhi would have been convicted earlier, and he wouldn’t have been forced to this extent. Furthermore, if she was convicted, he wouldn’t need Chu Qin to find Li Sheng to testify against Song Zhizhi. Thus, the recording of Chu Qin and Li Sheng’s conversation wouldn’t have been handed to Ji Baijian.
The entire course of the case seemed to have been meticulously calculated by them, leading him step by step into their trap!
His face was sullen.
Currently, in the courtroom, the presiding judge addressed everyone, “Based on the open trial of this case, the evidence for the crime is clear. Does the defense have anything else to add?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“Does the prosecution have anything to add?”
“No.”
“Please be silent. The jury and I will discuss this case. The verdict will be announced immediately after the discussion.” The judge then stood up.
The jury also stood up and left.
With the judge gone, the atmosphere in the courtroom was noticeably less tense.
Wen Tian turned to Song Zhizhi, smiling, “Mr. Ji really is astute. Everything I said today was according to his instructions.”
Song Zhizhi’s eyes flickered as she looked up at Ji Baijian.
Ji Baijian was smiling at the corner of his mouth.
Song Zhizhi’s heart raced.
A mere glance, an expression, could make her heart flutter.
She diverted her gaze.
Feared a sudden impulse would have her running directly.
Thus she continued to wait, for probably around forty minutes.
The Judge and the jury returned to the courtroom.
The Judge stood, “Please rise!”
Everyone stood and instantly became incredibly solemn.
The Judge announced, “After our deliberations, we believe this case, after a court investigation and representations in court, has clear facts and sufficient evidence. The defendant Chu Qin admitted his crimes on court, including intentional entrapment and causing economic loss to the state. However, the defendant Song Zhizhi did not commit a crime. Based on Chu Qin’s crime facts, the crime’s nature, the details and the degree of harm to society and country, in accordance with the articles fifty-eight, sixty-nine one hundred and thirty of “Yanshang Country Criminal Law”, and the articles sixty-five and seventy-two the “Yanshang Country Economic Crime Law”, the verdict is as follows:
1, Defendant Song Zhizhi did not commit any offense, thus released innocent;
2, The suspect Chu Qin committed intentional entrapment, state economic loss, damaging the state’s reputation, sentenced to ten years, fifteen years, fifteen years of imprisonment. The total sentence is forty years, decided to carry out fixed-term imprisonment for forty years;
3, The suspect Li Sheng committed perjury, sentenced to one year and three months of imprisonment;
4, The suspect Liang Ping committed intentional injury and perjury, sentenced to five years four months of imprisonment;
5, Other case-related personnel Zhang Xiang, Zhu Jiang committed perjury, were given a warning based on the situation, and put into detention for fifteen days.
This is the judgment of the Jin City District Court, if you disagree, you can appeal within fifteen days after receiving the judgment.
Adjourned!”
The Judge concluded his declaration.
The court seemed suddenly silent for several seconds.
Just as the Judge was about to leave.
Li Sheng suddenly broke down, shouting, “Why do I get a sentence, why am I sentenced, I was also forced, I disagree, I want to appeal, I disagree…” Li Sheng was heartbroken.
Chu Qin, on the other hand, was very calm.
He calmly watched Li Sheng, who looked as if she had gone mad.
“Your Honor, please have a retrial. It’s all Chu Qin’s fault. Why should I be implicated? I disagree! Your Honor, I disagree!”
“I have just announced, if you disagree, you can appeal within fifteen days after receiving the judgment!”
“No…”
The Judge turned and sauntered off.
Li Sheng broke down even more. At this moment, the judicial police had approached her to escort her away.
“Don’t touch me, ah, don’t touch me, don’t touch me, I didn’t sin, I didn’t sin, ah…” That moment she completely lost her mind and was forcibly taken away by the judicial police.
Zhang He watched as Li Sheng was led away from her side.
More like, was forcefully dragged away.
Her heartbeat accelerated, she was completely stunned.
She slightly shifted her gaze.
At that moment, she saw Song Zhizhi, who seemed to give her a passing glance.
She was about to kneel right then and there.
The next second, she watched as Song Zhizhi suddenly walked past her.
Song Zhizhi left the courtroom.
Today, the sun was just right.
She looked at the sun and the sunlight as it poured onto the court’s high stairs.
A slight smile tugged at her lips.
For at this moment, she saw Ji Baijian, who was more dazzling than the sun.
He stood tall at not a far distance from her.
With his back to the sun, his shadow reflecting on her face, she felt that Ji Baijian at that instance was an angel, surrounded tightly by the sun, radiating a rainbow of light as he welcomed her.
Her throat quivered slightly.
She looked at Ji Baijian.
Ji Baijian was also looking at her.
Ji Baijian extended his hand.
His arm was long and so were his fingers.
He said, “Come here.”
His voice… warm and magnetic.
Song Zhizhi approached him.
Her fair finger rested in his palm.
Ji Baijian clutched her hand tightly in the center of his palm.
That moment, Song Zhizhi could very clearly feel Ji Baijian’s feelings towards her. No physical embrace or vocal reassurances were needed, the power and warmth in his palm, and his slightly quivering body, told her how terrified he was of losing her.
The emotional surge in her heart started to expand.
She thanked heaven for giving her a second chance at life, and for leading her to him…
“Song Zhizhi.” The intimate moment was interrupted by an irritating voice.
Song Zhizhi and Ji Baijian turned simultaneously, facing Ye Wenhan.
Ye Wenhan and Qian Guanshu were standing not far away.
Ye Wenhan grimly stated, “You were lucky this time. Next time you won’t have such good fortune!”
A smile played at the corner of Song Zhizhi’s mouth.
A smile that made Ye Wenhan’s hair stand on end.
“I should remind you of that. Had it not been for Chu Qin’s loyalty to you, you wouldn’t have been so lucky!”
Ye Wenhan’s face changed, he turned away with Qian Guanshu and threw over his shoulder, “Let’s wait and see!”
“Mr. Ye.” Song Zhizhi suddenly called out to him, “You should be more concerned about your personal problem. Wouldn’t it make for a good laugh in Yanshang Country if news that the grand chief of Commercial Management is infertile were to get out?”
Her voice was loud.
Everyone around heard it.
Including the reporters who were waiting at a distance.
Ye Wenhan clenched his fists in rage.
He swore to crush Song Zhizhi!