??47: Chapter 47: Twin Brothers, Tang Chunfeng Innocent!
47: Chapter 47: Twin Brothers, Tang Chunfeng Innocent!
(Here it cos, here cos the third chapter for today.
Author Germ has broken his own oath again and provided an extra chapter for everyone.
Who can bla him for his soft heart, unable to resist the readers’ clamor for updates… P.S.: This ti is really “no next ti”!)
…
Who on earth is this person?
Why does he look exactly like Tang Chunfeng?
Is it really him?
These questions lingered in the minds of everyone present.
Guo Wufeng and Zhao Chunlai on the hearing bench could no longer sit still.
They instinctively stood up.
Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying beside them also stood up, and even the lawyers and journalists in the back did the sa.
In the courtroom.
Prosecutor Wang Can was also restless, staring at the photograph and watching the expressions change on the face of the man in the photo.
A voice inside him told him that this photograph was faked, that Zhang Wei had used PS technology to fabricate it, whether it be the first photograph or the second, they were both of Tang Chunfeng himself.
It was all fake, forged evidence created by the defense to exonerate the accused!
But this was a courtroom, a sacred and just courtroom!
Yet another voice in Wang Can’s mind told him that the photograph was not fake, but real.
If Zhang Wei dared to use a forged photograph to confuse the court here, he must be audacious beyond asure, practically having a death wish!
On the judge’s bench, the ergence of the photograph also caught the judge by surprise.
At this mont, Calm Bro was no longer calm, and he had a premonition that a major earthquake was about to occur.
On the jurors’ bench.
The attention of all 12 jurors was deeply captured by the photograph; they wanted to see what exactly Zhang Wei would say after presenting the photograph.
And just as all eyes in the room were focused on Zhang Wei, he finally took action.
“Are you all wondering why this person looks so similar to the defendant, Tang Chunfeng, yet gives off a completely different vibe?”
“You must all want to know who he is, right?”
As Zhang Wei spoke, a thought flashed through the minds of everyone present: Isn’t that stating the obvious!
“Since you all want to know, I will tell you.
This person is nad Hou Zhi, and he has a long list of cris recorded in the Martial Association’s criminal database!”
Zhang Wei said, switching to another photograph.
This ti it was still the man nad Hou Zhi, but he was wearing prison garb, a mugshot as it were.
“Hou Zhi is a habitual offender with no fewer than 25 criminal charges on his arrest record in the Martial Association, involving theft, robbery, intimidation, assault, and verbal abuse, among other offenses.”
Zhang Wei pointed at the photo on the projection screen and said with a laugh, “Although it’s rather unethical to speak ill of soone behind their back, I can say that this Hou Zhi is nothing but trash!”
After saying that, he seed to rember sothing and quickly switched to a third photograph.
This ti it was Hou Zhi wearing casual clothes, being released from prison.
“Take a look at the date stamp on the photo.
It was taken in March this year.
Hou Zhi completed his sentence earlier this year and left the prison where he had been for four years.
He ca to Dongfang Capital.
Guess what he did in Dongfang Capital?”
“As a thief, a habitual offender, a forr prisoner with a long list of cris, what do you think Hou Zhi would do?
Of course, he would fall back into his old ways!”
Zhang Wei took down the photograph and replaced it with a list on the projector.
“This list, which I submitted yesterday, contains nas of people who had grudges against the victim, Chen Mou.
It includes Chen Mou’s business rivals, local ruffians near Chen Mou’s workplace, and those who had fallen out with Chen Mou over an uneven distribution of spoils.”
“Please, take a look at this na, does it seem familiar?”
As Zhang Wei spoke, he took out a red pen and circled a na in the last column.
Everyone looked at the circled na, their pupils contracted slightly.
Because that na was none other than Hou Zhi!
“Ladies and gentlen, since the beginning of this trial, I’ve had a persistent question: why would my client want to kill Chen Mou?
He didn’t even know the victim, so he truly had no motive to do so.”
“But what if the one who killed Chen Mou wasn’t my client but soone with a long history of criminal behavior, soone who had reason to hold a grudge against him, such as this Hou Zhi?
He had a poor relationship with Chen Mou, so he certainly had a stronger motive than my client!”
“But how do you explain the DNA!”
From the prosecution’s side, Wang Can stood up, his complexion pale and his voice weak as he asked.
This mont, simply standing up, required imnse effort.
But Zhang Wei had anticipated this question long ago, and even if Wang Can had not asked, he was ready to offer an explanation.
“It’s simple because Hou Zhi and Tang Chunfeng are twin brothers!”
Zhang Wei said, as he took out a record and walked towards the judge’s bench.
“Your Honor, the defense requests to submit evidence.
This is an adoption record from 35 years ago from Baiyun Orphanage in Jinnan City, which docunts the adoption of my client Tang Chunfeng by the Tang family.”
Zhang Wei also handed a copy of the record to Wang Can.
“In the record, I have already marked that my client Tang Chunfeng, this na is not his original na.
His forr na was Hou Qing, and it is recorded that he has a twin brother nad Hou Zhi!”
After submitting the evidence, he looked at Wang Can and smiled, “Let
educate so of the laypeople here.
The DNA between identical twins is 100% identical!”
“So that’s why, when the DNA match was detected, the Martial Association database matched my client Tang Chunfeng, because he and the other suspect Hou Zhi share the sa DNA!”
Hearing this, the truth beca crystal clear!
The question of whether Tang Chunfeng had committed murder or not was on the verge of being answered.
However, Zhang Wei was not yet ready to conclude.
He needed soone in the courtroom to say it out loud.
“Little friend, I must ask you another question here, and I hope you can tell uncle truthfully.
You don’t have to be afraid, this is a safe place, and outside, there are uncles from the Martial Association who will ensure your safety.”
Zhang Wei approached Chen Xiaoyu and guided him not to be afraid.
“Now tell us, tell everyone what you felt when you first saw that uncle in the defendant’s seat?”
Zhang Wei pointed at Tang Chunfeng and asked.
“I…” Chen Xiaoyu struggled to articulate, after all, he was just an 8-year-old child.
“Do you think he makes you afraid?” Zhang Wei asked with a smile, leading the boy.
Chen Xiaoyu shook his head: “Not afraid, this uncle has done nothing to scare .”
“Good,” Zhang Wei nodded, then took out a photo of Hou Zhi, “What about this man?”
“I’m scared, still scared, he’s so fierce, it was him who killed my daddy!”
Chen Xiaoyu hurriedly covered his eyes, unwilling to look at Hou Zhi’s photo.
Zhang Wei quickly put down the photo and then asked, “Little friend, please tell uncle, do you think the bad man in this photo and the uncle sitting in front of you are the sa person?”
Chen Xiaoyu lifted his head, glanced at Zhang Wei, and then at Tang Chunfeng.
“No…
they’re not the sa person…”
Hearing this response, Zhang Wei smiled.
Similarly, many in the courtroom also showed signs of realization.
“Thank you for your cooperation.
I have no further questions for you, you can go back, brave little friend!”
Chen Xiaoyu left.
Before leaving, he looked back at the courtroom, then under the protection of Martial Association officers, he left.
As the witness left the stand, his words left everyone in deep thought.
“Your Honor, the defense has concluded presenting evidence, and we will not submit any further evidence!”
Zhang Wei announced the end of presenting evidence, and the judge nodded.
“In that case, we shall proceed to the closing argunts, everyone prepare.”
A few minutes later, Zhang Wei began his closing argunt.
Under the watchful eye of the entire courtroom, he walked to the front of the jury box.
“I believe you all have witnessed this trial, and I am very grateful to the mbers of the jury for staying with
through this and enduring the tedious proceedings, thank you all.”
Zhang Wei said so, his tone shifting, “After giving thanks, what I’m about to say next might not be so polite!”
As these words were spoken, soone in the audience could no longer sit still.
Sitting beside Xiao Baihe, Tan Yingying trembled with fear, and the psychological shadows attacked her once again.
“Ying Ying, don’t be afraid.
The one who’s going to suffer this ti isn’t you, it’s that idiot Wang Can!” Xiao Baihe quickly said to comfort her, but she too felt an unpleasant taste in her heart.
This damned Zhang Wei, he had won again.
Damn it, he had fooled them once more!
Guo Wufeng and Zhao Chunming sitting beside her both felt their hearts “thud” in unison.
Because of Zhang Wei’s closing statent, they estimated it would surely target the Procuratorate Headquarters!
The lawyers, the dia, and the bystanders in the hearing all lifted their heads to look over, wanting to see what Zhang Wei would say next in his closing statents.
Zhang Wei, standing in the court, felt the gazes from all around, but not an ounce of discomfort.
He took a deep breath and then slowly began to speak in an unpleasant tone:
“Do you know what I saw today?
I saw not one but two instances of dereliction of duty!”
As he spoke, he lifted two fingers and then raised one of them higher, “The first instance was Deputy Captain He Zong from the Martial Association Criminal Investigation Departnt, why didn’t he thoroughly investigate all suspects, and instead allowed my client to suffer an unjust accusation?”
“If he had only put in a little bit of effort, investigated a bit more, as an amateur like
would do, delved deeper into the social relations of the victim Chen Mou, and conducted on-site investigations at his workplace, he would have discovered the suspect Hou Zhi’s lead.
Then my client wouldn’t have had to endure this groundless accusation, right?”
Saying this, he raised his other finger and looked aningfully towards the prosecution bench.
“The second instance, even more disappointing to , was Prosecutor Wang Can from the Dongfang Capital Procuratorate Headquarters.
What exactly did he do?
Could it be that he only knows how to trip up the defense, focusing all his efforts on creating investigative obstacles for the opposition, yet completely disregarding the investigation of the actual truth?”
“Before him stands a wrongfully accused promising young man, my client Tang Chunfeng, who has repeatedly claid his innocence.
Yet, from start to finish, what has Prosecutor Wang Can said?
He calls him the murderer, the killer!
Even when the defense witness Huang Xiali vouched for my client’s character, he still upheld the notion that the defendant was guilty, ignoring factual evidence, branding him without any distinction of right and wrong, just so he could have an innocent man convicted.
What on earth drove him to beco a prosecutor?”
“Was it for so perverse sense of justice in his heart, or for so-called fairness that turns black and white upside down?”
At the prosecution bench, Wang Can’s face had turned utterly pale.
He had never imagined that Zhang Wei would dare to rip into him in his closing statent, leaving no stone unturned.
This was simply murder by words…
No.
One can’t say ripped, because these are all facts, and he doesn’t even have a way to refute them.
Now the fault was his, and he had to stand firm and take the hit!
While he was suffering imnse turmoil inside, Zhang Wei actually approached him and knocked on the table.
“Prosecutor Wang Can, I would like to ask you, constantly slandering my client’s innocence ti and again, what exactly is it for?
Is it for performance, for achievent, or to defeat
and reclaim the lost face of the Procuratorate Headquarters?”
“I…” Wang Can opened his mouth, unable to express his distress.
“You don’t need to answer this question because now is my ti for closing argunt.
Just sit down and listen!”
Zhang Wei sneered coldly and continued with words that cut deep, “In my view, the face of the Procuratorate Headquarters should be earned through their own efforts, not by relying on sches and trickery, acting slyly and deceitfully, such actions only serve to bring sha to the Procuratorate Headquarters.
What you, Wang Can, have done is a disgrace to the Procuratorate Headquarters!”
“It is because of your narrow-mindedness and your ignorant folly that you’ve made mistakes from the very beginning, yet you remain blissfully unaware!”
Zhang Wei beca more emotional as he spoke, his voice growing louder, “I am wondering if, without
today, my client would have to face what kind of tragedy.
Under the oppression of the Procuratorate Headquarters, would he really have to enter prison and suffer for 20, 30 years?”
“Furthermore, please consider this, if Tang Chunfeng were to be imprisoned for a trumped-up charge while the real criminal still road free, ridiculing the Procuratorate Headquarters as fools, deeming all the jurors as idiots, what would you feel in your hearts?
Could you ask yourselves, is this right, is this fair, does this represent justice?”
Zhang Wei’s gaze swept across the courtroom, many shook their heads, knowing this was clearly not right.
“My client is just an ordinary dentist, whose work mostly involves treating patients’ teeth.
The biggest mistake he may have made in his life was probably not finding a girlfriend, failing to give his adoptive mother, Madam Tang, the joy of holding a grandchild.
The most dangerous tools he’s likely co across might just be the dental scaler and the inverted cone bur used in the clinic.”
“Yet, such a man has been mistaken for a murderer.
The dia has sared his innocence in headlines, declaring him the perpetrator, the killer.
Does your conscience not ache?
Has your sense of right and wrong not reminded you that if Tang Chunfeng is not the murderer, there will be a price to pay for your actions?”
“I believe you all should have the answer in your hearts now?”
Zhang Wei paused here and then continued, “In this case, I have only seen dereliction of duty from the Martial Association Investigation Departnt and ignorance from the Procuratorate Headquarters.”
“Who has made the mistake?”
“It was Deputy Captain He Zong who was negligent in the investigation, it was Prosecutor Wang Can who misjudged people, it was the remorseless and rife with evil Hou Zhi, the true criminal.
And their mistakes have made my client out to be a killer, a man pointed at by thousands.
Is this really fair?”
“What wrong has my client done?
If there is only one mistake, it’s that he and his twin brother are identical twins, their DNA is a 100% match.
But think about it, is this sothing he could control?
Is it really fair to bla the heavens, to bla their parents for giving birth to them?”
“So I beg of you, mbers of the jury, please think carefully.
Why should my client pay for soone else’s errors?
Why should he suffer this unjust accusation because of others’ mistakes?”
“Please, touch your own conscience.
Tell
loudly, is my client really innocent or not!”
Zhang Wei touched his own chest and nodded to each mber of the jury.
“That concludes my closing statent!”
…
In the eting room.
“Lawyer Zhang, what happens next?”
In the eting room, the Tang family trio were all sowhat agitated, with Tang Chunfeng even crying.
Because Zhang Wei’s closing speech had really been powerful, attacking the Procuratorate Headquarters and the Martial Association Investigation Departnt in court like that, was sothing most people simply could not do.
“I think in a few minutes, the jury will co up with a verdict, given that the truth of the matter has now beco very clear.”
Zhang Wei said this as he looked towards the door, just in ti to see Xia Qianyue burst in excitedly.
“Zhang Wei, great news!
Captain Wu Yong and his team have caught Hou Zhi, the real suspect has been apprehended!”
“Hou Zhi?” Hearing this news, Zhang Wei was not surprised at all.
Though Dongfang Capital was large, it was the age of high technology, and for the serious cri squad to catch soone was a simple matter.
“Lawyer Zhang, is that Hou Zhi really my brother?” Tang Chunfeng suddenly asked.
And upon hearing this, Tang’s Mother looked worried.
Zhang Wei saw sothing.
He looked at Tang Chunfeng and shook his head, “No, he is not your brother.
He is just soone you will never cross paths with.
Those by your side, your brother and your mother, they are your family!”
“Doctor Tang, you only need to focus on the present, why should you care about the past?”
Hearing this, both Tang’s Mother and Tang Chunde gave Zhang Wei grateful looks.
“Ladies and gentlen, the jury has reached a verdict!”
At the entrance, the Court Guard arrived as well.
“Let’s go, Doctor Tang, your new life starts now!”
Zhang Wei patted Tang Chunfeng’s shoulder and led him back inside the courtroom.
In the courtroom, there was complete silence.
The foreman of the jury stood up and announced, “Here, I announce in the na of the foreman of the jury, regarding the murder charge against Tang Chunfeng in the case of Chen Mou…
not proven!”
Upon hearing this verdict, Zhang Wei remained calm, while the Tang family trio, overwheld with joy, burst into tears and hugged each other tightly.
“Thank you, Lawyer Zhang, it’s thanks to you that I was acquitted.
Thank you so much!”
“It’s not just
you should be thanking, but also Huang Xiali, for the great sacrifices she made for you.
You need to treat her well!”
Zhang Wei smiled and nodded towards a girl in the audience, giving Tang Chunfeng a aningful look.
“I definitely will!”
Tang Chunfeng nodded, thanked Zhang Wei with his family, and then walked toward Huang Xiali.
At that mont, his face was beaming with a child-like smile.
“Wait a mont!”
Just then, the judge from the bench also ca down and called out to Tang Chunfeng.
Many nearby turned their attention to see what the judge would say.
“Mr.
Tang Chunfeng, on behalf of our judicial system, I would like to offer you a sincere apology.
Because of so people’s eagerness for quick success in our ranks, you suffered an injustice.
I apologize to you on their behalf!”
As he bowed to apologize, this scene was witnessed by those with certain interests.
As to whom the judge was referring to, many in attendance already had an answer in mind.
This move, ah, this was the judge’s devastating blow, a strike that would wound beyond just the flesh!
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