Reservoir Dogs chapter 88
The Trial
Chen Jin’s case was about to go to trial, with Liang Hanqing as the presiding judge. The prosecution charged Jiang Wenhao with intentional homicide.
A prosecutor approached Xiao Zhou, wanting him to testify that Chen Jin had an altercation with Jiang Wenhao in the bar’s private room and was injured. It was then that Xiao Zhou learned Jiang Wenhao was the driver who hit and killed Chen Jin.
At the official court session, Xiao Zhou ran into Liang Hanqing outside the court.
Liang Hanqing, seeing him, gave a wry smile. “During the pre-trial meeting, the defense lawyer requested my withdrawal due to a private encounter with the prosecutor, so a different judge has been assigned.”
Xiao Zhou was surprised, “Encounter?”
Liang Hanqing explained, “It’s a bit odd. That day, I had dinner with some former colleagues from the judicial office. When we came out, I happened to run into Xiao Liu. We chatted for a bit, and someone took a photo. The background was in the restaurant, so it’s hard to explain. I had my colleague explain it, but the vice president was worried it might cause unnecessary controversy, so he asked me to avoid this case.”
Xiao Zhou frowned, “Do you think they’re intentionally trying to change the judge?”
Liang Hanqing nodded, “The current presiding judge’s personal style isn’t great.” He then looked at Xiao Zhou and said, “Actually, I didn’t expect you to agree to testify. Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Bother me about what?”
Liang Hanqing raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression becoming reserved, “Don’t you know?”
Xiao Zhou was a bit confused and didn’t understand what Liang Hanqing was talking about. Just as he was about to ask for clarification, Liang Hanqing’s colleague arrived, saying that the parties involved in a case had arrived and were waiting to mediate in the office. Liang Hanqing went over.
Since witnesses couldn’t attend the court trial, Xiao Zhou waited outside.
After some time, he was brought into the courtroom. The high door was solemn and imposing, with two tall court police standing on either side. The most prominent feature in the middle was a golden balance emblem on a red background, giving off an exceptionally stern and righteous atmosphere.
This reminded Xiao Zhou of his previous experiences, and returning to this place made him feel somewhat nervous.
He was taken to the front of the room, directly facing the high platform where the presiding judge sat, and sat beside Jiang Wenhao. Jiang Wenhao was wearing gray prison clothes, standing in a metal cage.
In the defense seat, he saw Jiang Chengyuan.
Jiang Chengyuan didn’t look his way, keeping his head down while flipping through the case files. He was dressed in a black robe and white scarf, sitting upright, his serious demeanor accentuated by his attire.
Xiao Zhou was shocked. He hadn’t expected Jiang Chengyuan to be Jiang Wenhao’s defense lawyer. Why had Jiang Chengyuan never mentioned this to him?
The presiding judge lightly tapped the gavel and repeated the question about verifying the witness’s identity. Xiao Zhou turned back stiffly, answering somewhat dazedly.
The judge nodded and emphasized the requirements for testifying, “… All testimony must be truthful and not fabricated, distorted, or concealed. Otherwise, the court will pursue criminal liability. Do you understand?”
Xiao Zhou nodded, “Understood.”
“Now you may recount your testimony.”
Xiao Zhou repeated what had happened that night.
The prosecutor further questioned Xiao Zhou’s testimony, pointing out that the witness confirmed Jiang Wenhao’s temper was violent, that on the evening of August 3rd at 9 PM, he had a dispute with Chen Jin at the bar, beat him, and threatened to teach him a lesson, leaving only when others intervened. In the following days, Jiang Wenhao frequently harassed Chen Jin at the bar. There was a past conflict between them, and on the evening of the 31st, Jiang Wenhao drove into Chen Jin, making it difficult to simply classify this as a traffic accident. Additionally, Chen Jin’s alpha had been beaten by unknown individuals a few days before, and he suspected Jiang Wenhao was responsible.
At this point, Jiang Chengyuan stood up and protested, arguing that the prosecution was making baseless assumptions.
The judge supported his protest.
Xiao Zhou glanced at him secretly, but Jiang Chengyuan avoided looking his way, as if deliberately avoiding him.
Next, the defense lawyer questioned the witness.
Jiang Chengyuan looked up, his first glance at Xiao Zhou since entering the courtroom, his gaze cold and devoid of warmth, as if looking at a stranger. “Witness, based on your testimony, when the deceased called you, what did he ask you to do?”
Xiao Zhou answered, “He said he had poured drinks on a customer’s clothes and needed compensation, so he asked me to bring money over.”
“But when you arrived, what did you see?”
Xiao Zhou said, “There were four people sitting in the private room, two standing. He was kneeling at Jiang Wenhao’s feet, his face swollen, and Jiang Wenhao was very angry, shouting.”
“Did Jiang Wenhao demand compensation for the clothes?”
Xiao Zhou shook his head, “No.”
“So he lied to you, right?”
Xiao Zhou hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Jiang Chengyuan asked, “Then why do you think he lied to you?”
Xiao Zhou stared at him, “He later said he was very scared and could only think of me.”
“So he could have told the truth. Why did he lie to you?”
Xiao Zhou took a deep breath, “Because he was afraid that if he told the truth, I wouldn’t go.”
“You just said that besides Chen Jin, there were six other people in the private room. What were their genders?”
Xiao Zhou’s pupils constricted slightly, “Four Alphas, two Betas.”
Jiang Chengyuan asked, “And what about you and Chen Jin?”
Xiao Zhou said, “I don’t think that’s relevant to the case.”
Jiang Chengyuan said to the judge, “My question is very important to the case.”
The judge nodded, allowing Xiao Zhou to answer.
Xiao Zhou took a deep breath, “Omega.”
“So whether it’s you or the deceased, both would be powerless and in danger when facing four Alphas. Why did he still ask you to go?”
Xiao Zhou remained silent.
Jiang Chengyuan continued, “Can I interpret this as him wanting to use you to ensure his own safety? Because the deceased believed those people just wanted an Omega to amuse themselves? So the deceased was willing to sacrifice someone who truly cared about him to save himself?”
Xiao Zhou’s face changed, “That’s not the case!”
Jiang Chengyuan noticed his reaction and frowned but continued, “Someone who lies and puts their friend in danger isn’t a weak, innocent victim.”
The judge tapped the gavel and warned the defense, “Please focus your questions on the facts of the case.”
Jiang Chengyuan apologized to the presiding judge and clarified that this conclusion was closely related to the facts of the case. He continued, “This is the Alpha profile matched with the deceased Chen Jin, an inferior alpha with disabilities, alcoholism, and poverty. In contrast, the defendant Jiang Wenhao is young and handsome, the son of a billionaire. The prosecutor mentioned that the defendant later harassed the deceased at a bar, but in fact, when the defendant went to the bar again, the deceased continuously harassed him. They even maintained a physical relationship for a period. This is the hotel room record from the week before the incident. Therefore, the prosecutor’s claim that the defendant had a motive for murder due to a bar dispute is not valid.”
Xiao Zhou sat stiffly, his back covered in cold sweat.
Jiang Chengyuan then turned to him again, “If I remember correctly, Mr. Xiao, you mentioned that the deceased had purchased insurance before his death, with you as the beneficiary, correct?”
Xiao Zhou suddenly turned his head to look at him. This matter had never been mentioned to the police and was only discussed privately with Jiang Chengyuan.
Seeing that Xiao Zhou did not respond, Jiang Chengyuan repeated the question sternly, “Please answer the question.”
Xiao Zhou could only nod, “Yes.”
“He also mentioned that if he died unexpectedly, he hoped you would take care of his grandmother, didn’t he?”
Xiao Zhou stared at him but kept his mouth tightly shut.
Jiang Chengyuan, looking quite serious and detached, repeated the question and said, “Please be aware, you just swore an oath in court.”
Xiao Zhou nodded slowly, and then hurriedly tried to explain, “But that’s just because…”
Jiang Chengyuan interrupted him, “Just answer the question.” He then addressed the presiding judge, “The deceased’s life before death was not good. He had a seriously ill grandmother, a huge debt to the hospital, and an alpha with bad habits who often abused him. Because he was a parolee with a criminal record, he couldn’t find a decent job and could only work at a bar, relying on selling his body to make a living. In this environment, he was often harassed and drunk, even taken out by customers. His alpha only cared about making money from him and had suggested on more than one occasion that he engage in prostitution. He lived in a state of high pressure and misery.”
“Until he met the defendant, who significantly improved his material conditions. He proposed being with the defendant multiple times but was rejected. Later, the defendant proposed to cut off contact, which the deceased did not agree to and reacted very emotionally, even threatening to kill himself.”
“On August 31, 2021, at around 2 a.m., the defendant drove a green Jeep from the southeast corner of the intersection of Weimen Road and Xinyuan Street in Linhai City. Due to a visibility issue, he accidentally hit the deceased who had rushed out from Xinyuan Street. The road’s surveillance was damaged, so no footage was available. However, this road was not the deceased’s usual route home but was a necessary path for the defendant returning from his regular entertainment venue.”
“A week before the incident, the deceased invested heavily in personal insurance. Considering the deceased’s living and mental state before death, I have reasonable grounds to suspect that the deceased, having lost the will to live, deliberately disguised his suicide as murder to seek revenge and extort the defendant.”
There was a stir in the audience, and the judge had to bang the gavel several times and ask the court police to maintain order.
…
After the questioning ended, Xiao Zhou was taken away from the courtroom and did not hear the subsequent trial.
The trial lasted a long time. Sitting on a plastic chair outside the court, he heard many voices of dispute and protest as the door opened. In conversations with several angry prosecutors who walked out quickly, Xiao Zhou learned that Jiang Wenhao had escaped criminal prosecution and only faced civil liability. The prosecutors indicated they would continue to appeal.
After everyone had left, Jiang Chengyuan came out and immediately saw Xiao Zhou waiting at the door. He took a few steps forward and stood in front of him, “Aren’t you going back?”
A shadow fell over them. Xiao Zhou looked up, Jiang Chengyuan’s face obscured in the darkness. Xiao Zhou looked at him and asked, “Is it because I told you about the insurance that you came up with this defense?”
“I could have found out even without you telling me,” Jiang Chengyuan said, “Insurance purchases are recorded.”
“Why did you take Jiang Wenhao’s case?”
Jiang Chengyuan replied, “We had a previous working relationship, and the price was right.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“We never discuss my work.”
“I mean, why did you ask me things in court?” Xiao Zhou stared at him, words coming out through clenched teeth.
Jiang Chengyuan paused. He was accustomed to placing cases above everything else and said after a moment, “This approach will be more effective.”
Xiao Zhou’s shoulders trembled with force, and he clenched his fists tightly, “But you knew it wasn’t true.”
“Chen Jin is dead. No one knows what he was thinking.”
“Can you convince yourself with such words?” Xiao Zhou’s voice grew agitated, blood rushing to his head, his eyes turning red with anger. “My friend is dead, and you want me to use my words to exonerate a murderer? Chen Jin wouldn’t have wanted to commit suicide. I knew him; you are lying, fabricating facts! Jiang Wenhao killed him!”
“How do you know who killed him?” Jiang Chengyuan said sharply. “Currently, the facts are disputed. The basis for judgment is evidence. I only establish facts based on what I’ve seen, make suggestions, and leave it to the judge to decide how to believe and apply the law. What have I deceived you about? Did he not buy insurance or did he not intentionally invite you to the bar? When have I ever harmed you?” His voice was harsh, his attitude firm, and his presence overwhelming.
After these words were spoken, there was no more sound between the two. The air seemed to freeze. Xiao Zhou kept his eyes wide open, refusing to blink, his eye sockets gradually reddening, as red as a drop of blood oozing from a pierced heart.
Jiang Chengyuan looked at him for a while, and for the first time, he made a concession, his brows relaxing and his expression softening as he reached out to take Xiao Zhou’s hand. “Alright, it was my fault for not informing you in advance. I promise it won’t happen again, I’m sorry.”
Xiao Zhou felt alternating waves of cold and heat. When Jiang Chengyuan touched him, he flinched away as if avoiding a snake or scorpion, taking a step back.
But as soon as he did that, he quickly looked up at Jiang Chengyuan’s face, as if afraid of making him angry. He was so well tamed that rejecting Jiang Chengyuan was more painful than rejecting himself.
The hand that was pushed away felt like a slap in the face, and Jiang Chengyuan’s expression instantly darkened.
He had anticipated that Xiao Zhou would be unhappy about this, but he hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. It was foreseeable that, given Xiao Zhou’s personality, he would not tolerate being manipulated in such a seemingly ambiguous situation. He felt that being induced to testify was a betrayal, an accomplice, a hurt. He would be gnawed by guilt and find no way to make amends.
Jiang Chengyuan slowly withdrew his hand. He should have anticipated this before coming up with the plan. Hadn’t Xiao Zhou already been pushed into the position of a victim? He had taken over his body and love, and now he wanted to take over his sense of morality and right and wrong, to occupy his world and dominate his spirit. So it was expected that Xiao Zhou would definitely struggle; it was the remaining self clinging on.
Jiang Chengyuan sighed lightly and took a step back. “So what do you want?”
Xiao Zhou slowly straightened up, moving his eyes and avoiding Jiang Chengyuan’s gaze to look at the spiraling stairs and the red badge nearby. “I need to calm down. Alone.” After a pause, he weakly added, “Do you know? Chen Jin has helped me many times. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it out while inside, and I might have been exposed at the casino. But now you are forcing me to make a choice in this way.”
Jiang Chengyuan lowered his eyes, feeling a sudden sense of frustration and suffocation.
When he was about to leave, Xiao Zhou asked him, “Will you be the one handling the second trial as well?”
Jiang Chengyuan’s steps faltered slightly. “If nothing goes wrong, yes.”
Xiao Zhou said, “Can I not appear in court?”
Jiang Chengyuan was silent for a moment before saying, “You’ve already given your statement. You’re not a key witness, so you won’t be required to appear in court.”
Author’s note:
Happy Qixi Festival!! The courtroom process here differs from reality. To streamline the plot, I combined witness questioning and statements. I’m not a law expert; most of my knowledge comes from videos and research. Some cases are adapted from real ones. Please bear with any inaccuracies.