...

Before ten o'clock.

The prosecutor, carrying a series of informant materials, entered the courtroom.

Zhou Quanmin, the Judgment Chief of the Jincheng Second Criminal Court, took his seat along with the other six members of the collegial panel.

The court clerk first stood up and counted the number of people present, confirming the attendance of the plaintiff, defendant, lawyers, witnesses, and others.

BANG—

Zhou Quanmin struck the gavel. In the solemn echo, he began, "Today, the Jincheng Second Criminal Court will conduct a public trial on the case initiated by the prosecutor involving Song Yun's suspected crimes of illegal business operations and illegal hunting and killing of precious and endangered wildlife."

"I, Zhou Quanmin, will serve as the Judgment Chief, accompanied by two other judges and four jurors, forming a collegial panel to hear this case."

"Now, I declare court officially in session!"

After speaking, he looked towards the various areas below the bench, paying particular attention to the spectator seats. The seats were filled with white-haired elders, mostly in their seventies and eighties. The average age in the spectator seats, once around thirty, had been skyrocketing recently.

And Qin Mu… was sitting in the middle seat. As the only young person in the spectator seats, he was particularly conspicuous. It was hard not to notice him.

Five minutes later, the reading of court rules was completed.

Zhou Quanmin took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Prosecutor, please read the indictment and state the reasons for the prosecution and the summary of events."

On the plaintiff's side, the prosecutor immediately stood up and declared, "We accuse Song Yun of illegally selling Fei's parakeets. This constitutes the crimes of illegal business operations, and illegal hunting and killing of precious and endangered wildlife. We legally request a sentence of 12 years of imprisonment and a fine of 60,000 yuan."

Subsequently, he solemnly read the summary of events: "On the 11th of this month, public security organs received a tip-off regarding the illegal sale of endangered wildlife at a farmstay in Songjia Village, Jin City."

"The relevant departments attached great importance to this matter and carried out a lawful investigation, including checks, examinations, evidence collection, and interrogations."

"After several days of investigation, the criminal activities of the suspect, Song Yun, were confirmed. On the 11th of this month, he indeed illegally sold Fei's parakeets at his own farmstay."

"It is reported that Fei's parakeet is listed in the 'Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.' It belongs to the national second-class protected animals and is listed as an endangered species."

"His unlawful breeding and sale of these parakeets constitute an especially serious crime..."

The prosecutor's accusation was powerful and resounding, echoing throughout the courtroom.

Listening, the defendant, Song Yun, grew increasingly nervous.

"Defendant, do you have any objections to the criminal acts charged by the prosecutor?" After the indictment was read, Zhou Quanmin also looked towards Song Yun.

He had presided over hundreds of criminal cases. Most people at this stage would admit guilt and accept punishment to strive for a lenient sentence.

However…

"I... I have objections!" Song Yun blurted out, his jaw tight as he refused to plead guilty.

"I did indeed commit the actions described, but keeping parakeets is just a personal hobby for me. I never thought of profiteering, and I believe I am innocent!"

"I implore the Judgment Chief and the collegial panel to verify carefully and clear my name!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire courtroom fell into a brief silence.

This scene... even the prosecutor had not anticipated it.

Zhou Quanmin, as well as the other two judges and four jurors, all showed a hint of surprise.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Zhou Quanmin took a deep breath and nodded solemnly, "In that case, this trial will focus on determining guilt."

There's always a core focus in court trials. These points of focus are generally the areas of dispute between the two parties. Only by identifying these points can the details of the case be thoroughly clarified.

"Next, we will proceed to the evidence presentation and cross-examination stage."

Subsequently, Zhou Quanmin continued to preside over the trial, moving to the next stage.

The prosecutor came forward, presenting evidentiary materials to the collegial panel. These materials included data on the eighteen parakeets Song Yun kept, as well as the official report on the investigation procedure, and so on, all serving to corroborate that the parakeets indeed belonged to Song Yun and that he had committed the crime of selling them publicly.

...

「At the same time.」

In Yangcheng, at a certain law firm, Yan Wenxia was staring intently at her computer screen, watching closely. The screen displayed a live stream of a criminal trial from a courtroom broadcasting website.

She was Wang Dachui's girlfriend and was particularly concerned about this parakeet case.

I hope it doesn't end too disastrously. Looking at Wang Dachui in the defendant's seat, she couldn't help but murmur.

Ever since the trial had begun, Wang Dachui's attention seemed to wander frequently. He kept his head down, as if looking at the papers in his hand. It was clear he lacked confidence.

As his girlfriend, she was very aware of Wang Dachui's capabilities. He was competent in civil matters, but in criminal defense, he was far less skilled.

For this case... she really did not hold much hope. That's why she had said that if Wang Dachui won the case, she would marry him.

And on the live stream, the prosecutor quickly finished presenting the evidentiary materials.

Judge Zhou Quanmin spoke in a deep voice, "To the defense, do you have any objections to or questions about the evidence presented by the prosecutor?"

As she suspected, Wang Dachui seemed completely out of sync with the proceedings, merely offering a few brief remarks. He didn't raise any substantial challenges.

Yan Wenxia furrowed her brows and couldn't help but criticize, How can you argue for innocence without challenging the evidence?

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