Reservoir Dogs chapter 102

The Second Trial

Following his intuition, Jiang Chengyuan set aside Li Xin’s case and instead investigated an unresolved lawsuit from Wu Yichang’s lifetime, a contract fraud case involving the sale of a coal mine.

Jiang Chengyuan conducted a field investigation and discovered that after Wu Yichang’s death, the defendant, to avoid criminal prosecution, transferred the coal mine to Jiang Wenhao and others without taking a penny, thus concluding the case. It looked highly suspicious.

As he left the police station that initially investigated the case, Jiang Chengyuan received a call from an unknown number. He didn’t answer at first, but the phone rang persistently.

When he picked up, the caller immediately said, “Someone is following you.”

Jiang Chengyuan stopped abruptly. He had just exited the police station courtyard and was standing at the intersection. Looking around, he noticed a suspicious white van across the street. The windows were tightly covered, but he could feel someone watching. The voice on the phone continued, “Don’t alert them.”

Jiang Chengyuan averted his gaze and nonchalantly walked towards his car, “Who are you?”

The voice on the phone was distorted, hoarse as if the vocal cords were burnt, clearly not the person’s real voice.

“Don’t worry about who I am, just know I won’t harm you.”

Jiang Chengyuan asked, “How do you know someone’s following me? Can you see me?” He glanced around at the tall buildings, “Or are you watching me too?”

There was a burst of static on the phone, seemingly due to poor signal, before the voice said, “Yes.”

Jiang Chengyuan stopped, “Liang Hanqing, is that you?”

There was no response.

Jiang Chengyuan said, “Let’s meet. I have many questions for you.”

Liang Hanqing replied, “You’ve already guessed it.”

Jiang Chengyuan’s expression turned serious, “Our mentor didn’t die a natural death?”

“Yes.”

“Was it Jiang Wenhao?”

There was no response.

Jiang Chengyuan asked, “Did you cover up his crime? You handled our mentor’s affairs after his death. I checked the records, and your direct supervisor in the judicial office was closely connected to the Jiang family.”

After a pause, Liang Hanqing said, “You’re very perceptive.”

“Why?” Jiang Chengyuan’s voice grew cold, “What did you want from Jiang Wenhao?”

A hoarse laugh came from the other end, “Senior, be careful.” Then the call ended.

Jiang Chengyuan gripped his phone tightly, listening to the busy signal, his veins bulging with tension.

He got into his car, and as he drove away, he noticed in the rearview mirror that the white van had also started moving. He sneered and then sharply turned the steering wheel, making a sudden U-turn.

Xiao Zhou got into the car. After driving for a while, he looked into the rearview mirror, straightened his back, and said, “Someone’s following us.”

Jiang Chengyuan glanced up, frowning, “Just shook off one group and another shows up. What a nuisance. Ignore them.”

Xiao Zhou was worried, “Who are they? Why are they following you?”

“Probably afraid I’ll run away, just some pesky followers. Don’t worry about them.” Jiang Chengyuan’s attitude was indifferent, dismissing it as unimportant.

Xiao Zhou kept watching the trailing car, not relaxing his vigilance.

To ease Xiao Zhou’s tension, Jiang Chengyuan changed the subject, “The second trial is in three days. Are you going to attend?”

Xiao Zhou turned to look at him, “No, I don’t want to go.”

Jiang Chengyuan teased, “You know it’s still me handling it, right? You don’t care?”

Xiao Zhou averted his gaze, his expression turning cold, interrupting him harshly, “Don’t talk about it anymore.”

During Chen Jin’s case’s second trial, Xiao Zhou didn’t attend. While at work, he was frequently distracted, his mind filled with doubts.

After work, he bought a large portion of Japanese food and went to Jiang Chengyuan’s office, intending to treat everyone. However, he found the office atmosphere tense, the two bosses absent, and everyone else barely daring to breathe.

Sun Xu sat pale as a ghost, seeming lost. Xiao Zhou called him twice before he responded. Xiao Zhou asked where Jiang Chengyuan was, and after some hesitation, Sun Xu said with a mournful expression, “The boss was taken in for questioning.”

Only then did Xiao Zhou learn about what happened during the trial. Throughout the trial, Jiang Chengyuan was repeatedly defeated, while the prosecution was exceptionally strong, systematically refuting all the defenses Jiang Chengyuan had presented in the first trial, focusing on whether Jiang Wenhao acted intentionally and whether Chen Jin committed suicide.

During the trial, Chen Jin’s alpha, Zhang Chao, was summoned to testify. He confirmed that the hotel incident involving Chen Jin and Jiang Wenhao was a setup. Afterward, Jiang Wenhao confronted Zhang Chao, and upon learning the truth, he beat him up and threatened to teach Chen Jin a lesson.

A nurse from the hospital where Chen Jin’s grandmother was staying also testified. She stated that Chen Jin visited his grandmother two days before his death, paid a large hospital fee, and mentioned he wouldn’t be able to visit for the next couple of days but would come by afterward. With teary eyes, the nurse said Chen Jin was very filial and his greatest wish was to see his grandmother off on her final journey. She insisted he would never commit suicide.

A prison guard from the facility where Chen Jin was once held said Chen Jin had been desperate to get out of prison to take care of his grandmother. He would never allow her to experience the pain of losing him.

Regarding physical evidence, the inspection of the brake marks on the road revealed that the vehicle had been moved after the incident, with overlapping braking distances. The roadside guardrail was damaged before the incident, not after, indicating that Chen Jin and Jiang Wenhao likely argued in the car, causing it to crash into the guardrail. Afterward, Chen Jin tried to flee but was hit by Jiang Wenhao from behind, without emergency braking. Jiang Wenhao then forged the accident scene, creating brake marks from another direction and hitting the guardrail again to mislead the police.

Under the prosecutor’s relentless attack, Jiang Chengyuan seemed to have lost his usual sharpness, unable to effectively counter the prosecution’s evidence. He only managed to question some minor details without undermining the prosecution’s case, appearing to dodge the main points.

Throughout the trial, Jiang Chengyuan’s performance was dismal, and the situation heavily favored the prosecution, a stark contrast to the first trial.

As expected, during the final statements, Jiang Wenhao lost control in court, pointing at Jiang Chengyuan and cursing him for being ungrateful and betraying him after taking a lot of money from his family. Jiang Wenhao’s outburst included shaking the railing and attempting to attack Jiang Chengyuan, leading the judge to order the bailiffs to restrain him.

Once restrained, Jiang Wenhao suddenly shouted that Jiang Chengyuan had instructed him on what to say after the incident and had evidence to prove it. He claimed Jiang Chengyuan had coached him on fabricating testimonies and bribing the judge in the first trial.

The recording of this conversation was played in court, along with substantial transfer records from the Jiang family to Jiang Chengyuan, causing a stir in the courtroom.

Jiang Chengyuan remained calm, emphasizing that he knew nothing of Jiang Wenhao’s claims and was also a victim because Jiang Wenhao hadn’t been truthful with him. His defense was based solely on the facts as he understood them. He requested the police to examine Jiang Wenhao’s phone to verify the authenticity of the recording.

Data recovery showed Jiang Wenhao’s phone had made two calls after the incident, one to Jiang Heng and another to an unidentified number. Jiang Chengyuan’s phone records, however, did not include any private conversations with Jiang Wenhao. The recording alone couldn’t definitively prove Jiang Chengyuan’s involvement.

Regarding the substantial transfers, Jiang Chengyuan argued it was a market transaction since he was employed by the Jiang family, and the bribery allegation required further investigation.

Jiang Wenhao was shocked by the examination results and collapsed weakly in the defendant’s seat.

The judge did not delve into the issue further. After confirming the defendant had no additional statements, the panel deliberated and pronounced Jiang Wenhao guilty of intentional homicide.

After the trial, as Jiang Chengyuan stood up, two police officers approached him for further investigation. His colleague, Sun Xu, was shocked, but Jiang Chengyuan remained calm, seemingly anticipating this outcome. He instructed Sun Xu to return to the office and have Lin Shen find him.

Before Sun Xu reached the office, news of the trial had spread. The famous criminal defense lawyer not only lost the case but was also backstabbed by his client and taken away in court, creating a sensation in the legal community. The news reached media circles, and messages flooded in from attendees, seeking more details.

Lin Shen rushed over after hearing from Sun Xu. Meanwhile, Sun Xu was surrounded by people asking him to recount the events.

By the time Xiao Zhou heard the story for the fourth time, Sun Xu had simplified many details, leaving only the shocking highlights, which still stunned listeners.

“Do you think Jiang Wenhao was telling the truth?” Sun Xu asked Xiao Zhou after recounting the events.

Xiao Zhou hesitated before shaking his head, “I don’t know.”

Sun Xu sighed, “I don’t think so. If it were true, how could the boss be so tongue-tied in court, lose so miserably, and then so smoothly refute Jiang Wenhao’s claims afterward? But the boss did seem a bit off this time, maybe he underestimated the situation and got deceived by Jiang Wenhao, not preparing adequately.”

Xiao Zhou lowered his eyes, knowing that Sun Xu was definitely wrong.

“Is he going to be okay?” He didn’t realize his voice was trembling.

“He should be fine. There’s no evidence, and since Lawyer Lin is with him, he should be back soon.”

Just as Sun Xu said, once Lin Shen intervened, Jiang Chengyuan was soon released.

“How do you feel?” Lin Shen handed over the seized phone and coat.

Jiang Chengyuan twisted his wrist, which had been cuffed for a while, red marks already showing on his pale skin. “The chair was a bit hard; it was quite uncomfortable.”

Lin Shen couldn’t help but smile. “Who asked you that? I asked if you’re confident.”

Jiang Chengyuan put on his coat and adjusted it. “I should be fine; I won’t cause you any trouble.”

Lin Shen accompanied him outside. “So, was that what you talked about that day?”

Jiang Chengyuan smirked, “He’s quite interesting. He really thought he could threaten me.”

Lin Shen suddenly stopped. “Was it worth it?”

“Was what worth it?”

“Why didn’t you continue?”

Jiang Chengyuan paused, then said softly, “If I did, someone would be very upset.”

Lin Shen’s expression grew serious. “You’ve completely offended the Jiang family.”

As they stepped out of the police station, Jiang Chengyuan tilted his head, squinting at the bright sun. “You know? If there’s someone you don’t want to see sad in this world, it actually feels quite nice.”

As they descended the stairs and left the courtyard, Jiang Chengyuan stopped at the street.

Following Jiang Chengyuan’s gaze, Lin Shen saw a young man leaning against a car, waiting. Tall and slender, with very fair skin, his eyebrows and eyes clean and pleasing to the eye. The sunlight filtering through the leaves fell on him, and he looked as quiet and simple as a spring in a desolate mountain.

“Lin Shen,” Jiang Chengyuan suddenly turned to Lin Shen, “I want to ask you for a favor.”

Lin Shen was a bit surprised; he never thought he would hear the word “favor” from Jiang Chengyuan.