"A police investigation revealed that during their employment, the two men had repeatedly stolen and replaced car parts by exploiting maintenance access. These were serious offenses constituting theft under criminal law."

"Their actions were particularly egregious, and the total value of the stolen parts reached 280,000 yuan..."

"We request the court to sentence Niu Huan for theft to ten years' fixed-term imprisonment; sentence Chang Yingcai for theft to six years' fixed-term imprisonment; and sentence Xiang Wanbin for the crimes of concealing and hiding criminal proceeds and the gains derived from them, to one year and six months' fixed-term imprisonment."

These sentences were based on the total value of the stolen goods and were not deliberately exaggerated.

And after the prosecutor finished speaking...

In the audience gallery, whispers gradually began to ripple through.

"Criminal trials are genuinely thrilling! Starting off with ten years—so much more interesting than civil cases!"

"I didn't expect it to actually be ten years. It seems these two weren't holding back over the years."

"With 280,000 yuan worth of parts, more than ten car owners must have been scammed. And what if there were safety hazards...?"

"I don't get it. Why does Xiang Wanbin only get a year and a half?"

"..."

Zhang Qingyuan and the others grew animated, beginning to discuss the case among themselves.

Generally, the parts aren't expensive—sometimes just tens of yuan, other times hundreds or even thousands.

Parts worth 280,000 yuan definitely amounted to several hundred individual items. No small number of car owners had been scammed.

From the witness stand, Qin Mu was also slightly surprised when he heard the sum of 280,000.

The amount might not seem large, but when considering individual spare parts, it was absolutely shocking!

This 'feat' was accomplished by Niu Huan and Chang Yingcai alone. If you factored in other dealerships and repair shops... the number of scammed car owners was truly astronomical.

The problem was, many of these car owners... still had no idea.

Since they weren't professional drivers and lacked deep automotive knowledge, it was difficult for them to realize their parts had been replaced.

This was one of the reasons for the exorbitant profits in this industry.

A ten-year sentence... I wonder how Zhang Wei will mount a defense...

Qin Mu took a deep breath. He was quite looking forward to seeing it.

He looked towards Zhang Wei, and Niu Huan and the others in the defendants' dock.

BANG!

The sharp sound of the gavel echoed in the solemn courtroom.

After the prosecutor finished presenting the indictment and the prosecution's requested sentences, Zhou Quanmin turned to Niu Huan and the other defendants in the dock and said, "Defendants Niu Huan, Chang Yingcai, and Xiang Wanbin, you will now respond to the prosecution's arguments."

This part of the trial was for clarifying the main issues and points of contention. The defendants were permitted to speak freely and raise any questions or objections.

In the defendants' dock, Zhang Wei looked at Niu Huan and the other two, reassuring them, "Don't be nervous. Just stick to what we discussed."

It's natural to be nervous during one's first court appearance.

However, when he finished speaking, he saw that Niu Huan wasn't paying him any attention at all.

Instead, Niu Huan was staring fixedly at Xiang Wanbin. Ever since the trial began and they had come face to face, Niu Huan had been glaring at him.

Niu Huan's expression was grim, and he seemed to be in an odd state.

"Niu Huan? This is your opportunity to respond to the charges. You may speak now," Zhang Wei's heart lurched, but he still prompted Niu Huan.

Yet... Niu Huan remained silent.

He appeared completely uninterested in answering the Judgment Chief's questions.

"Defendants Niu Huan, Chang Yingcai, and Xiang Wanbin, you will respond in order!"

In the courtroom, noticing the silence, Zhou Quanmin reiterated from the bench.

"Brother Niu... the judge is calling you," Xiang Wanbin whispered, his skin crawling under Niu Huan's unwavering stare.

"Yeah, Brother Niu, the judge is speaking to you," Chang Yingcai added, also urging him, his expression tight with anxiety.

He'd heard that failing to cooperate with court proceedings could lead to severe consequences.

"Niu Huan?" Zhang Wei swallowed and gently nudged Niu Huan, a sudden pang of regret striking him.

He... perhaps he shouldn't have revealed that Niu Huan was being cuckolded.

Being a cuckold for a lifetime... sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Before the trial, he had specifically checked Niu Huan's emotional state, which had seemed relatively stable.

But who could have predicted... Scarcely had the trial begun when Niu Huan started glaring at Xiang Wanbin, his expression dark, his eyes practically murderous.

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