188: Chapter 189 I see you don't want your lawyer's license anymore.
"Three months! Three whole months!" Zhang Jianguo's voice rose sharply, filled with emotion. "He didn't take a single penny from me, and even used his own money to buy herbs and brew medicine for me! Later, when I could walk with a cane, I tried to give him a red envelope, but he refused everything, only saying, 'Old man, seeing you stand up is better than any amount of money you could give me!' How could such a good person be the 'quack who cheats people of their money and harms their lives' that you describe?!"
These words were like a thunderbolt, exploding violently within the courtroom!
Zhang Cheng could no longer sit still. He suddenly stood up from his chair and pointed at Zhang Jianguo, his voice cracking with panic: "Dad! What nonsense are you talking about! You were clearly... clearly cured in a big hospital! Get down from there! Stop talking such rubbish!"
While Zhang Cheng's roar was still echoing in the courtroom, Zhang Jianguo slowly raised his hand and pulled a silver recording pen from the inner pocket of his tunic suit—the body of the pen was covered in scratches, clearly having been used for many years.
Trembling, he handed the recording pen to the approaching bailiff, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip, his voice filled with bitter remorse: "This... this is what I recorded secretly. I knew he was working for the Wang family, and I knew he was going to frame Doctor Li. I tried to persuade him, but he wouldn't listen..."
The bailiff connected the recording pen to the courtroom's audio equipment. The moment the play button was pressed, after a slight static sound, Zhang Cheng's voice came out clearly—it was no longer the flustered voice from the trial, but one filled with an almost cruel calmness:
"Dad, I'm telling you for the last time, you are not allowed to go to the trial tomorrow! Whether Li Yong lives or dies has nothing to do with us. The Wang family gave me five hundred thousand; as long as I win this lawsuit, I can become a partner at the law firm!"
"You say he saved you? So what? These days, how much is a conscience worth? He's just an unlicensed barefoot doctor; even if he really gets sentenced, he deserves it!"
"I'm warning you, if you dare go to court to testify, or dare say a single word in favor of Li Yong, I will sever our father-son relationship! From now on, even if you die in your room, I won't come to see you once!"
"Also, the people from the Wang family said that if you don't behave, they have plenty of ways to make you 'obedient'—your leg just started walking again, don't end up lying back down!"
The recording wasn't long, only a little over three minutes, but it was like a poisoned blade stabbing deep into everyone's hearts. The courtroom instantly fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Then, a wave of fury suddenly erupted—
"You beast! Is that how a human speaks?!" An older woman in the gallery suddenly stood up and pointed at Zhang Cheng, cursing angrily, "Doctor Li saved your father's life, yet you're helping bad people harm him and even threatening your own father! Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?!"
"Revoke his lawyer license! This kind of scum doesn't deserve to be a lawyer!"
"So disgusting! For the sake of money, he doesn't even want his father anymore. That five hundred thousand from the Wang family must have been the price for selling yourself!"
The livestream comments completely exploded, with dense comments instantly covering the screen. The hashtags #ZhangChengWorseThanABeast and #ImmediatelyRevokeZhangChengsLawyerLicense shot to the top of the trending searches at lightning speed, with the word "Explosive" next to them being particularly eye-catching. Some netizens dug up Zhang Cheng's law firm information and personal resume, and even his past scandals of "helping people win lawsuits by forging evidence" were unearthed. The comment section was filled with calls to "report him to the Bar Association."
Zhang Cheng's face was as pale as paper. He slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the floor, muttering "It's not like this... they forced me...", but he no longer had his previous arrogance. He knew that once this recording was played, not only would he lose the lawsuit, but his career would be completely over.
Wang Jingdong seized the opportunity and immediately turned to the Presiding Judge, his voice powerful and resonant: "Presiding Judge! The defense requests to submit this recording as key evidence right now! This evidence clearly proves that the prosecution's lawyer, Zhang Cheng, in order to obtain improper benefits, instigated others to forge evidence, threatened his own witness (his father, Zhang Jianguo), and prevented the witness from appearing in court. His actions have seriously violated Article 40 of the 'Lawyer Law', which states that one 'must not intentionally provide false evidence or threaten or entice others to provide false evidence,' and he is also suspected of the 'crime of obstructing testimony'!"
He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute: "I hereby report Zhang Cheng to the Jiangcheng Bar Association and the Judicial Administrative Departments! I request the court to launch an investigation into him according to the law, immediately terminate his defense qualification for this trial, and hold him criminally responsible! Such a person with corrupt character who tramples on the dignity of the law is not fit to hold a lawyer's license, let alone stand in a courtroom!"
The Presiding Judge took the recording pen and the transcript handed over by the bailiff. After carefully reviewing them and whispering with the other judges, he struck the gavel, his voice majestic: "After court verification, the recording evidence submitted by the defense is authentic and valid. The prosecution's lawyer, Zhang Cheng, is under heavy suspicion of 'threatening a witness and instigating the forgery of evidence.' It is hereby announced: First, Zhang Cheng's defense qualification for this trial is terminated, and he is to be taken from the courtroom by bailiffs for further investigation; second, the relevant clues of this case will be transferred to the Judicial Administrative Departments and the Bar Association for processing according to laws and regulations; third, the prosecution must appoint a new defense lawyer within one hour after the recess. If they are unable to do so, this case will be adjourned."
The bailiffs immediately stepped forward and lifted the slumped Zhang Cheng. Zhang Cheng struggled to resist but was firmly held down by the shoulders. He could only roar in vain: "No! I was forced by the Wang family! Wang Tianhua made me do it! You can't revoke my license!"
His roars grew more distant, finally disappearing outside the courtroom doors. At the prosecution's table, only the ashen-faced Chen Mo and the flustered Zhou Ming remained. Chen Mo clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white—he never expected that his carefully planned "perfect chain of evidence" would be completely disrupted by a "pig teammate" like Zhang Cheng in such a "self-exposing" manner!
Zhang Cheng's downfall not only deprived the prosecution of an important defense force but also brought the suspicion of the "Wang family's coercion and bribery of a lawyer" to the surface. The image of the "righteous prosecution" they had built previously collapsed in an instant.
Zhou Ming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and leaned into Chen Mo's ear, his voice trembling: "Lawyer Chen, what do we do now? Zhang Cheng has been arrested. Will our evidence... be uncovered? Should we contact the Chairman and have him send someone else?"
"Shut up!" Chen Mo scolded in a low voice, his eyes filled with cold fury. "Contacting Wang Tianhua now will only make things worse! Go back to the company immediately and destroy all documents and chat records related to 'forging evidence,' especially the correspondence with Zhang Cheng! Remember, do it cleanly, don't leave any traces!"
Zhou Ming didn't dare ask more and hurriedly stood up, almost fleeing the courtroom. Chen Mo sat alone at the prosecution's table, his gaze sweeping gloomily over the defense's table—Wang Jingdong was talking in low tones with the evidence expert, a hint of a victorious smile on his lips; Zhang Fan sat in the gallery, looking at him with a calm expression, as if he had already anticipated all of this.
The Presiding Judge glanced at the time and struck the gavel: "A one-hour recess is now declared! The prosecution must determine a new defense lawyer before the recess ends, and the defense should prepare for the subsequent cross-examination. Recess!"
The gavel fell, and the crowd in the courtroom gradually dispersed, though they were still buzzing with discussion. Zhang Jianguo was surrounded by villagers; some offered water, others comfort, but he only gazed in the direction Li Yong had been taken, muttering, "Doctor Li, I'm sorry. It's my fault for not raising my son well and making you suffer..."
Wang Jingdong walked over to Zhang Fan, his tone carrying a hint of relief: "President Zhang, the first move was played correctly! With Zhang Cheng's fall, a gap has been torn in the prosecution's defense. Next, it's the turn of that 'fake patient' and Chen Mo."
Zhang Fan nodded, but his gaze remained on Chen Mo's departing back: "Chen Mo won't go down that easily. He's someone sent by the Tianming Group; he definitely still has cards up his sleeve. In the next hour, he will find a way to patch the holes. We must speed up and get Liu Ming's testimony ready—as long as Liu Ming appears in court, he can directly expose the connection between Wang Tianhua and the Tianming Group. That will be the true decisive blow."