174: The reason for the old classmate

Xu Lang remained curled up in the corner, his body trembling uncontrollably, his mouth beginning to emit fragmented, chaotic syllables.

"...The law... useless... can't punish... he clearly... those girls... evidence, the chain of evidence has gaps... they... they exploited the loopholes..."

His eyes were fixed, staring into the Void Realm, as if reliving a certain scene, "...not intentional... I really didn't mean to... but he threatened... he said he knew where my parents live... said my sister..."

His voice suddenly rose sharply, then quickly fell again, turning into a painful sob: "...bottle... no, it was an iron pipe... right beside me... I... I didn't see clearly... blood... so much blood... he stopped moving... I called him... he didn't respond..."

Shen Mingyuan did not interrupt him, merely listening quietly to these fragments, as if hearing a chaotic nightmare monologue. The warm water he had handed to Xu Lang remained untouched.

Only when Xu Lang's ramblings gradually weakened due to exhaustion, leaving only heavy panting, did Shen Mingyuan speak again, his voice low and steady, carrying an undeniable guiding force.

"Xu Lang." He called his old classmate's name, waiting for the other's scattered gaze to focus slightly, "Look at me. What happened has already happened.

What you need to do now is to explain things clearly, from beginning to end, clearly and thoroughly. There's only me here, no one else. Take your time."

Perhaps Shen Mingyuan's calm attitude had a soothing effect, or perhaps he had finally found someone to confide in, someone he subconsciously trusted, Xu Lang's violently heaving chest gradually calmed somewhat.

He raised his head, the madness and fear in his eyes replaced by a deeper exhaustion mixed with regret, lingering fear, and despair.

He wiped his face vigorously, picked up the long-cold cup of water, and gulped it down in one go, as if trying to extinguish the fire in his throat.

The cold liquid seemed to bring back a trace of clarity. He put down the cup, clenched his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white, and began a fragmented but much clearer narrative than before.

[Xu Lang's Testimony]

It all started with a case he took on. The clients were the families of several young women who had gone missing domestically and were eventually rescued. The investigation ultimately pointed to a man named Sun Qian. This man was said to be a key figure in a transnational human trafficking ring in the region, ruthless and cunning. Xu Lang, as the victims' families' attorney, invested a great deal of effort.

However, gathering evidence was exceptionally difficult. Key witnesses were either too threatened to speak or had disappeared; some evidence, involving overseas elements, was hard to obtain legally.

Despite Xu Lang's utmost efforts, and even though several of Sun Qian's subordinates had previously been convicted on lesser charges, the core accusations against Sun Qian himself ultimately failed to convict him in court due to "insufficient evidence."

Watching Sun Qian leave the courtroom with a mocking, contemptuous smile, Xu Lang felt not only defeat but also a sense of powerlessness and anger in the face of a vast shadow.

The nightmare did not end. A few days after the verdict, Xu Lang received an anonymous call.

The caller was none other than Sun Qian. On the phone, Sun Qian, in that tone of having everything under control, "thanked" Attorney Xu for "proving" his "innocence," then abruptly changed the subject, listing in detail the exact address of Xu Lang's parents in their hometown, the school and daily routine of his sister who had just started university... He "reminded" Xu Lang that some people, some things, were not for him to touch, and he'd better "learn to shut up," and "wished" his family continued safety.

Xu Lang angrily reported it to the police, but the other party used an untraceable number, and the verbal threats were sufficiently "indirect," so the police could only file a report and advise him to strengthen his precautions. This torment—knowing the other was a heinous criminal but being helpless due to legal limitations, while constantly worrying about his family's safety—almost drove Xu Lang to the brink.

The final straw that broke the camel's back happened three days ago. Sun Qian contacted him again, arranging to meet "alone" at an abandoned Logistics Warehouse in the suburbs of Nandu City to "clear up the misunderstanding."

Sun Qian's tone carried a condescending, almost charitable, and non-negotiable air.

Perhaps because his previous easy acquittal had made him overconfident, or perhaps he was certain that a "civilized" lawyer like Xu Lang wouldn't dare or be able to do anything to him, Sun Qian chose to go alone, fitting his usual arrogant, hands-on style of toying with his prey.

Xu Lang knew it was dangerous, but extreme anger, deep worry for his family, and long-suppressed despair drove him to go. He didn't tell anyone, going alone, perhaps still harboring a sliver of delusion—to warn the other face-to-face or seize new evidence of direct threats.

The warehouse was empty, with only dim light and piles of discarded crates. Sun Qian was indeed there, and alone. He was dressed impeccably, starkly out of place in the dilapidated surroundings, wearing that detestable, all-knowing smile.

Without preamble, Sun Qian strolled up to him, looking at him with the gaze of someone assessing a loser, and said leisurely, "Attorney Xu, the trial's over, and I'm out. What does that mean? It means even heaven thinks I'm innocent. What was the point of all your effort?"

He took a step closer, lowering his voice but making it clearer and more venomous, "What I said on the phone last time was sincerely for your own good. You're a smart man; you should know that crossing certain lines can be fatal.

Not just you, but your country parents and your pretty sister... their safety now depends entirely on your next thought."

Extreme fear instantly transformed into rage! The long-standing pressure, sense of defeat, anxiety for his family's safety, and the sight of that arrogant, ugly, remorseless face completely shattered Xu Lang's rationality and restraint as a lawyer.

He glimpsed a section of rusty hollow iron pipe scattered near an abandoned machine at his feet, acted on impulse, bent down to grab it, and before Sun Qian's mocking smile could fade, swung it with all his might, aiming straight for Sun Qian's head!

"Thud!"

A dull thud. Sun Qian fell to the ground, dark red blood instantly gushing from his temple.

Xu Lang was stunned too, watching Sun Qian moaning and writhing on the ground, trying to get up, seeing the blood gushing from his head, only one thought echoing madly in his mind: "Can't let him get up! Can't give him a chance to harm my family! This demon, the law can't punish him, and he's still threatening my whole family!"

Fear, anger, and the extreme impulse to protect his family mixed together, completely dominating him. He screamed, no longer the refined lawyer but like a cornered animal, raising the iron pipe again, striking Sun Qian's head, shoulders, back... wildly and violently! Once, twice, three times... until Sun Qian stopped moving completely, leaving only his heavy panting and the clatter of the iron pipe hitting the ground in the warehouse.

He had killed someone. He, a lawyer, had killed someone, killed a villain the law couldn't punish.

Overwhelming panic instantly engulfed him. Without a moment's hesitation, he scrambled to his feet, stumbled out of the warehouse, jumped into his car, and drove aimlessly at high speed. He didn't know where to go, just wanting to get as far away from Nandu City, that warehouse, and that corpse as possible.

In his panic, almost by instinct, he drove toward a familiar place with someone he could trust—the city where Shen Mingyuan was.

He drove in a daze the whole way, only realizing he had arrived when his car was almost out of gas.

He didn't dare stay in a hotel, didn't dare contact anyone, curled up in his car all night, the immense fear and cold reality nearly breaking him. At dawn, the only place he could think of was Shen Mingyuan's.

After finishing his account, Xu Lang seemed drained of all strength, collapsing onto the sofa.