"It's a pity... I didn't get to see Zhang Wei's defense strategy for this case."

Qin Mu shook his head, expressing his feelings with a sigh. Zhang Wei's mitigation arguments in criminal cases were always extremely precise. But this time, the three defendants quarreled among themselves, and his defense strategy never came into play. After Niu Huan testified in court about other criminal acts, the evidence for the case had to be recollected. The public prosecution also needed to adjust their litigation requests, and a period of investigation was required before the trial could proceed.

In his spare time, he opened up Little Station and glanced at his own account. The number of followers on his account had reached four million, and more and more people across the internet were sharing his videos. Most people gave credit to the source when reposting. Regarding that, he didn't pursue it too much. The wider his videos spread, the more legal knowledge and advocacy skills he could disseminate, enabling more people who suffered rights infringements to no longer swallow their grievances. For example, the initial fundraising fraud and this recent incident of automotive parts replacement are things that happen frequently in life. He wasn't the only one whose interests suffered, but many people don't know how to assert their rights or how to tackle such issues. If everyone knew they could fight against the swapping of car parts with theft charges, then those repair shops and 4S stores wouldn't dare to do such things!

He put down his phone. I'll make another video once the verdict is out, Qin Mu mused.

「Four days later.」

Qin Mu once again received a notice to attend the court as a witness on time. The police had completed their investigation of the new criminal acts confessed by Niu Huan and had verified every detail, now possessing a complete chain of evidence. Zhang Qingyuan and others were overjoyed upon hearing this news. Without being asked, they enthusiastically went to the court to observe the trial. For a case like this, the defendants' family members in the audience barely exceeded ten people, so the spectator seats in the courtroom were practically filled by them.

Qin Mu sat in the witness stand, observing the entire trial proceedings. The prosecutor restated the case and the litigation request. This time, he directly moved up the sentencing range for all three defendants, requesting a twelve-year fixed-term imprisonment for Niu Huan, ten years for Chang Yingcai, and six years and six months for Xiang Wanbin. Upon hearing this litigation request, Niu Huan obviously showed a look of joy, while Chang Yingcai and Xiang Wanbin appeared visibly distressed.

Afterward, the trial went into the cross-examination and evidence presentation phase, with neither side having any objections. During the debate phase, Zhang Wei seemed to abandon Niu Huan. He went all out in defending Chang Yingcai, attributing the roles of principal offender, instigator, executor, and coercer entirely to Niu Huan. Judgment Chief Zhou Quanmin repeatedly asked Niu Huan whether this was true, and Niu Huan admitted to the accusations without denial.

Ultimately, Zhang Wei argued that Chang Yingcai was an accessory, a first-time offender, had profited little, and had acted under coercion. He contended that the theft Chang Yingcai committed should not be considered an "especially serious circumstance" but rather a "serious circumstance." He requested the court to classify it accordingly, meaning the sentencing range should also shift from more than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment to less than ten years. As for Xiang Wanbin, Zhang Wei fulfilled his professional duties to the utmost, striving to use the fact of voluntary surrender to argue for a lighter sentence.

The case was tried for a total of six hours. At five o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Quanmin, on behalf of the collegial panel, delivered the final judgment: "After two continuous court sessions, we now pronounce the verdict on the theft case involving the swapping of parts.

"The judgment is as follows:

"The defendant Niu Huan, while serving as the repair department manager at the 4S store, took advantage of his position to swap parts in the cars of 61 owners, accumulating a value of 410,000 yuan, an especially serious circumstance, violating Article 264 of the Criminal Law. Niu Huan is now sentenced for theft to thirteen years of fixed-term imprisonment, with the recovery of illegal gains and a fine of 20,000 yuan.

"The defendant Chang Yingcai, while serving as the team leader of the repair department at the 4S store, colluded with Niu Huan in the illegal theft and replacement of car parts, with both men agreeing on a 70-30 profit split, profiteering substantially, constituting a serious circumstance, violating Article 264 of the Criminal Law. Chang Yingcai is now sentenced for theft to eight years of fixed-term imprisonment, with the recovery of illegal gains and a fine of 15,000 yuan.

"The defendant Xiang Wanbin, operating a repair shop, used his sales channel to assist Niu Huan in selling illegally obtained parts, accumulating a large value of 410,000 yuan, an especially serious circumstance, violating Article 312 of the Criminal Law. Xiang Wanbin is now sentenced for concealing and disguising proceeds of crime to six years of fixed-term imprisonment, with the recovery of illegal gains and a fine of 15,000 yuan.

"Within fifteen days from the date this judgment becomes effective, if you are not satisfied with this judgment, you have the right to request a retrial from this court or appeal to the higher court."

The solemn proclamation echoed through the courtroom. This case, which had been tried twice, finally came to a close. In the courtroom, every party had a different expression.

On the defendant's bench, Niu Huan wore a relieved expression, readily accepting the verdict. Chang Yingcai gazed at Niu Huan with a complicated look on his face, unsure of what to say. Because of Niu Huan, his sentence had been greatly increased. Yet it was also Niu Huan who had voluntarily accepted the responsibility of being the instigator in court, thereby mitigating Chang Yingcai's own criminal actions. Xiang Wanbin, on the other hand, wore a look of gloom, trembling with rage, his face distorted.

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