Hiring a lawyer is typically meant to get a reduced sentence.

But Niu Huan, on the other hand... had demanded a *longer* sentence!

...

In the gallery.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others were also watching, eyes wide and faces full of shock.

"What a fierce man! I've seen so many criminal trials, and he's the first one to actively ask for a harsher penalty!"

"He must feel he has nothing left to live for, considering his best friend got together with his wife."

"No matter what, I respect him for being a real man!"

"Today's trial was worth attending. It got so exciting right from the start."

"..."

Everyone was whispering in low voices.

Such plot twists... they hadn't seen in a long time.

They had seen many who pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency.

But to plead guilty and ask the court for a harsher sentence...

That was a first.

Every move Niu Huan made was beyond their expectations.

This was a man... whom, even with their seventy or eighty years of life experience, they couldn't see through.

And at the witness stand.

Qin Mu was also staring unwaveringly at Niu Huan, who was making his defense, sighing inwardly.

This sudden turn of events...

Disrupted everyone's rhythm.

He hadn't expected it.

The public prosecutor hadn't expected it.

Probably Zhou Quanmin and the Collegial Panel hadn't expected it either.

Niu Huan was not playing by the book at all.

THUD—

The entire courtroom went silent for a few seconds.

Zhou Quanmin, slightly shocked, took a deep breath and said sternly, "The Collegial Panel will adjudicate according to the law. You cannot decide on your punishment as you please. Do you have anything else to say regarding the charges brought by the public prosecutor?"

From Niu Huan's defense... he hadn't summarized any key points of contention in the case.

Without key points of contention, the trial could not proceed.

He surely couldn't state that the key point of contention in this case was whether the defendant should receive a *heavier* sentence, could he? The public prosecutor is asking for ten years of fixed-term imprisonment, but the defendant is demanding more than ten years. How am I supposed to write the report after this trial?

"I only have one request: increase my sentence. The ten years proposed by the public prosecutor... is absolutely unreasonable!"

Yet Niu Huan shook his head and insisted.

Zhou Quanmin's mouth twitched.

After a moment of thought, he skipped over Niu Huan and looked towards Chang Yingcai.

He asked, "Do you have any objections to the charges brought by the public prosecutor?"

When Chang Yingcai heard his name called, his survival instinct kicked in instantly.

He hurriedly said, "I do, I have major objections!"

Following that, he picked up the defense statement prepared by Zhang Wei and recited it.

In this defense statement... the focus of the case shifted from theft to embezzlement. Niu Huan's earlier outburst had almost scared him stiff. He was an accessory! Their fates were tied; if Niu Huan gave up, he'd get a longer sentence too! He absolutely couldn't accept that!

Five minutes later, he finished reading the defense, stuttering nervously.

Zhou Quanmin nodded and continued, looking towards the third defendant, Xiang Wanbin.

He asked sternly, "Do you have any objections to the charges brought by the public prosecutor?"

Xiang Wanbin swallowed hard.

He quickly said, "I have no objections. In this case, I was primarily responsible for disposing of the stolen goods and never took part in the theft. There's also the fact that I surrendered myself, so I earnestly request the court for a lighter sentence."

The theft itself wasn't directly related to me. My crime... it's different from Niu Huan's and Chang Yingcai's. It's concealing and camouflaging criminal proceeds. As long as I confess honestly and cooperate... I have a good chance of getting it down to a year and a half.

Zhang Wei had explained this in detail to him before the trial.

THUD—

In the courtroom, after questioning all three defendants one by one, Zhou Quanmin concluded seriously, "Since that is the case, the focal point of contention in this case rests on whether the defendants' actions constitute theft or embezzlement. The next part of the trial will revolve around this point. We now move to the evidence presentation and cross-examination phase."

From the defendants' side of the courtroom, Zhang Wei, hearing this summary, felt some of his tension ease.

He let out a long breath.

Thank goodness! Although Niu Huan had given up, Chang Yingcai's will to survive is astonishing. He actually managed to turn things around, giving me a chance to work. Otherwise, I'd truly be at my wit's end. I've thoroughly researched the evidence for this cross-examination phase. It's solid; there's nothing to question. The debate phase... that's my main battlefield!

"Please present the evidence, Public Prosecutor."

Judgment Chief Zhou Quanmin looked towards the two public prosecutors and spoke sternly.

One of the public prosecutors immediately took out a thick stack of documents and stated in court, "These documents, provided by the 4S shop, list the vehicles that Niu Huan and Chang Yingcai had serviced over the past two years. Our investigations revealed that over these two years, the two defendants stole and replaced parts from a total of 48 vehicles. In the disposal of the stolen goods, Xiang Wanbin…"

Before everyone in the courtroom and the live broadcast audience, the public prosecutor presented all the evidence, piece by piece.

Information on all 48 vehicles was presented before the Collegial Panel.

The total value of the stolen parts...

Reached a staggering 280,000 yuan!

The chain of evidence was clear and explicit, from the car owners to the disposal of the stolen goods, further supported by the testimony of Qin Mu and other car owners.

It was no overstatement to say the evidence was ironclad.

Twenty minutes later.

Zhou Quanmin and the other members of the Collegial Panel carefully examined the corresponding evidence.

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