pjbooks Chapter 21: Why is it him again?!
Chapter 21: Why is it him again?!
"Hey, Zhang, aren't you going to take a nap?"
In the office of the Public Prosecution Section of the Tongcheng City People's Procuratorate, Zhang Jian looked up from his computer screen at the gloating head peeking out from the doorway.
"You left early," Zhang Jian said irritably.
"Hey, my case was settled last week. I pleaded guilty and accepted the punishment. The court hearing only lasted twenty minutes."
Old Li from the same department strolled in carrying a thermos, adding the aroma of goji berries and red dates to the room.
"Unlike some people, who gave the entire nation a public lesson on Article 16 of the Criminal Law."
Zhang Jian's expression instantly fell.
Seeing this, Old Li's smile widened, and he pulled up a chair and sat down, ready to listen attentively:
"Don't be like that. Losing to that unscrupulous lawyer isn't shameful. Didn't you see what people online are saying? 'A mudslide in the legal profession,' hahaha!"
"Are you here to comfort me or to deliver a fatal blow?"
"Of course, it's to finish them off."
Old Li took a sip of goji berry water, his tone full of the wisdom of someone who's been through it all, "By the way, the court is holding a summary meeting on the Zhou Hai case tomorrow. How are you planning to write your self-criticism report?"
Zhang Jian leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling for a long time, and then spoke:
Write it however you would normally write it.
"Oh? Aren't you going to nitpick about the program?"
"Well, they have to leave me with problems in the program first."
Zhang Jian patted his head, indicating a headache.
"The exchange of evidence, the retrieval of surveillance footage, and the provision of simulation recordings were all done according to the rules. I tried to find fault, but after going through the materials for a long time, I couldn't find anything to criticize."
Old Li raised an eyebrow.
Zhang Jian continued, "Don't let his seemingly unserious demeanor in court fool you; his case preparation is more meticulous than many of the senior prosecutors in the court. He follows every procedure without fail and submits every required document."
"So you're really convinced?"
"Screw you."
Zhang Jian rarely swore, but he immediately lost his temper.
"Brother Li, you've been in the prosecutor's office for over a decade longer than me. Tell me, if Zhou Hai's case had happened twenty years ago, would he have been acquitted?"
Old Li thought for a moment, then shook his head: "It's difficult. Back then, courts valued the outcome more. If someone died, someone had to be held responsible. Even if they didn't give you a prison sentence, they'd give you a suspended sentence, leaving you with a criminal record for life."
"But things are different now."
Zhang Jian sighed and picked up the conversation.
"Wu Liang made a particularly apt statement in court: 'Abstract obligations versus concrete foresight; the law requires the latter.' I've been thinking about this since yesterday, and the more I think about it, the less I can refute it."
Old Li's smile faded: "So you think this verdict is correct?"
"From a legal perspective, that's correct."
Zhang Jian nodded helplessly.
"My problem is that I presupposed Zhou Hai's guilt from the very beginning. My instinctive reaction is that you ran over the person, you were driving the car, how could you not be guilty?"
He paused for a long time.
"But the law really shouldn't be like that. If you can foresee it, that's called negligence. If you foresee it and still do it, that's called intent. But if you couldn't foresee it, then it's definitely an accident."
"An accident is not a crime."
"Since you've thought it through so clearly, why are you still worried about the self-criticism report?" Old Li said with a smile.
Zhang Jian remained silent for a long time before whispering:
"Because I'm reflecting on whether I've become too accustomed to the presumption of guilt."
"Well, that's too much of an exaggeration."
Old Li waved his hand to comfort Zhang Jian.
"You're a prosecutor; your duty is to represent the state in prosecuting crimes. If you're constantly thinking about the defendant's innocence, that's dereliction of duty."
"But the prerequisite for prosecuting a crime is that it really is a crime."
Old Li put down his thermos and looked at him seriously: "Xiao Zhang, do you know how many years it's been since our court has had a prosecutor as meticulous as you? These days, everyone has mountains of cases and wants to be prosecuted and sentenced on the same day. It's already quite remarkable that you're here so determined to stick to a case that has already been decided."
"This isn't about being pedantic," Zhang Jian corrected him. "I dissected all of Wu Liang's defense logic in court, and to be honest, I learned a lot."
"What did you learn?"
"The law is not meant to comfort families or quell public opinion. The law is the law."
As soon as he finished speaking, an email popped up on his computer; it was a newly assigned case from the case management center.
Zhang Jian turned his gaze over.
Ni Dayong, male, 49 years old, is suspected of intentional homicide. The facts are clear, the chain of evidence is complete, and the suspect has confessed to the crime.
Zhang Jian didn't pay much attention; he figured he could just follow the procedures for this kind of case and didn't need to put too much effort into it.
But when his gaze swept downwards, he fell silent.
Old Li came over to take a look and almost couldn't help but laugh.
In the section for defense counsel information, a familiar name was prominently displayed.
Wu Liang, Yuanda Law Firm.
"Why is it him again?!"
……
The Third People's Hospital of Tongcheng City, Mental Health Center.
Wu Liang took the pass given to him by the bailiff and entered the inpatient department, where he found Director Ma, Ni Dayong's attending physician, in the duty room.
"Ni Dayong, male, 49 years old, has been preliminarily diagnosed with paranoid delusional disorder, accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder."
Director Ma handed Wu Liang a summary of the medical record: "Upon admission, he was extremely agitated and exhibited clear paranoia and aggressive tendencies."
"And now?"
"After medication intervention, the mental symptoms have been relieved, and the patient is able to have basic conversations. However, the conversations should not be too long; I personally recommend keeping them under twenty minutes."
Director Ma looked up at Wu Liang and asked, "Are you his lawyer?"
Wu Liang nodded: "Yes, that's right."
Director Ma didn't say much, signed the visitation form, and had the nurse take him there.
Ni Dayong was placed in a single hospital room. The door was locked, there were no windows, but the lighting was soft.
At this moment, Ni Dayong sat quietly without moving, his back against the headboard and his hands outside the blanket.
Hearing the door open, he slowly raised his head, looking much better than when Wu Liang last saw him.
"Attorney Wu," Ni Dayong spoke first.
Wu Liang sat down on the edge of the bed, not rushing to talk about the entrustment agreement or the progress of the case, but simply asking, "How are you feeling?"
"It's fine. I can eat and sleep well."
Wu Liang nodded and pulled a document from his bag; it was an agency agreement.
Ni Dayong glanced at the agreement but did not reach out to take it.
"Attorney Wu, I appreciate your kindness. But there's no need to trouble yourself with this case anymore. I committed the murder, so I'll admit it. Hiring a lawyer won't do any good."
Wu Liang was not surprised by Ni Dayong's reaction. He slapped the agreement on the bedside table and spoke leisurely.
Ni Xiang is about to enter her senior year of high school.
Ni Dayong was taken aback and looked up at him.
"The teacher said her grades were good enough for a top university. But lately, the girl has been going to the hospital after school. Even if she can't see you, she'll sit in the corridor for half an hour until the nurses can't stand it anymore and persuade her to go home."
Wu Liang spoke in a neutral tone.
"She asks me every day when Dad will come home, because Mom misses him so much."
Ni Dayong's breathing became erratic.
"And your wife."
Wu Liang turned his gaze to Ni Dayong's face.
"Although you may not want to admit it, many things leave traces once they are done. Don't expect to get away with it."
"Now, only I can help you."
Before Ni Dayong could answer, Wu Liang stood up, placed a pen next to the entrustment agreement, and walked directly to the door.
"Your daughter's birthday is next month, right? Are you planning to let her spend her coming-of-age ceremony alone?"
The doorknob was pressed down, and the sound of the door lock popping open was exceptionally crisp.
Wu Liang walked towards the door without hesitation, silently counting in his mind.
Three, two, one...
The moment I stepped out the door, I heard the expected hoarse male voice behind me.
"Attorney Wu..."