Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 589 - 582: Old Huo is Panicked, New Clue After 12 Years?

Chapter 589: Chapter 582: Old Huo is Panicked, New Clue After 12 Years?

I must say, the coordination between the prosecutor and the investigation department was indeed remarkable.

The duet between Zhu Yuansi and Officer Huo successfully swayed the court’s sentiment in their favor.

The jury and the audience in the hearing room, over half of them began to have second thoughts, leaning towards the prosecution.

Even the remaining half seemed to be on the fence, their state becoming indecisive.

It was clear that if the prosecution could present a strong charge or evidence, these people would also immediately tilt towards the prosecution.

So, it goes to show that the jury are always fence-sitters, no matter the circumstances.

Zhang Wei’s gaze swept over the jury, and among the 12 members, at least 7 to 8 were now supportive of the prosecution.

Fortunately, his preferred juror, the engineer, still appeared contemplative, oblivious to the collaboration between Officer Huo and Zhu Yuansi.

Obviously, he was more in favor of Zhang Wei’s reasonable doubts!

Seeing this, Zhang Wei felt relieved.

Brother, as long as you don’t betray me, it’s all good!

"Judge Bao, we are finished questioning Officer Huo on our side!"

Finally, the collaboration between Zhu Yuansi and Officer Huo came to an end, and the prosecution concluded their questioning.

"Lawyer Zhang!"

"Alright, Judge Bao, we’re ready!"

Zhang Wei straightened his collar and walked to the stand calmly.

"Hello, Old Huo!"

"Huh?"

Officer Huo was somewhat surprised, and a bit speechless.

Who the hell calls me Old Huo, are we familiar with each other?

Even Prosecutor Zhu said she’s used to calling Officer Huo and couldn’t change it in an instant, so why can’t you follow her lead?

You’re just a twenty-something youngster, also calling me Old Huo, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?

"Old Huo, what’s wrong, don’t you like me calling you that?"

"Not at all, not at all, it’s just a bit unfamiliar to hear, since you, Lawyer Zhang, are so young, and I’ve already retired..."

His inner monologue said, you’re a junior, change your way of addressing me quick!

Officer Huo spoke, his eyes carrying a serious warning.

"Old Huo, it’s fine, I don’t mind. Calling you this makes us feel closer and the atmosphere more relaxed," Zhang Wei reassured.

Fuck, is it your ears that are deaf, or am I not clear enough? You really know how to push your luck, trying to cozy up to me?

However, Officer Huo clearly had no answer to Zhang Wei’s thick-skinned approach and could only force a smile: "As long as you’re happy..."

"Alright, Old Huo, let’s not obsess over this and start the cross-examination!"

Zhang Wei waved his hand again, presenting a demeanor of an elder lecturing a younger, suggesting not to mind those formalities.

Which again made Officer Huo roll his eyes.

Today I, Old Huo, witnessed what it means to be overly presumptuous, this lawyer from Dongfang Capital really has a thick face!

"Old Huo, let’s start by talking about the case. 12 years ago, you identified my client through fingerprints on the murder weapon, right?"

"Yes, there were fingerprints on the murder weapon, if it wasn’t him who’s the murderer, then who is?"

"But I’m still puzzled, how can someone be so foolish as to abandon the murder weapon near the crime scene?"

"What’s so surprising about that? First-time murderers do even more ridiculous things!"

Officer Huo looked as if he had seen it all before and even cited an example: "I remember one case where a husband strangled his wife and then lived with the body for half a month. When we caught him, he actually thought his wife was still alive!"

"There’s another case; an employee killed his boss during overtime, went to work as usual the next day, greeted the corpse in the boss’s office, and when we arrested him, he said he was just joking with his boss the night before!"

Officer Huo said, laughing at his own examples.

After all, the murderers in these cases had committed acts that were utterly mind-boggling.

"Old Huo, you really are a veteran officer, encountering so many bizarre cases!"

"Certainly, I’ve been on the job for 40 years; I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice!"

Facing Zhang Wei, Officer Huo once again assumed a senior’s posture, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

"Speaking of which, Old Huo, since you’ve caught the murderer, that is, my client, 12 years ago, did he confess to you guys?"

"This..."

The question caused Officer Huo’s face to subtly change.

"Hmm?" Zhang Wei blinked.

"In fact, despite compelling evidence, the defendant continues to deny it!"

"That is to say, my client has never admitted to being the murderer?"

"Yes!"

"And yet you firmly believe he is the murderer?"

"Of course. There’s a motive for murder, a weapon with fingerprints; if he’s not the murderer, then who is?"

Officer Huo said this, his face adopting an expression as if to say "Are you talking nonsense?"

Zhang Wei, also looking at him, couldn’t help but ask, "So according to you, once you determined the murderer to be my client, you disregarded any other possibility, even if the real culprit could be someone else?"

"Evidence. If there is indeed another real culprit, it’s all about evidence. Speculation without evidence is nothing but hooliganism!"

Officer Huo didn’t fall for Zhang Wei’s trap and countered again.

"Indeed, it’s important to consider evidence, but I believe the evidence you investigation department collected to arrest my client is likewise insufficient!"

Zhang Wei stated, pointing at Guan Yuhong and questioned Officer Huo, "Old Huo, I’d like to ask, since you claim my client is the murderer, does it mean he was the one who assembled the murder weapon?"

"Naturally!"

"Then where, may I ask, did he assemble it?"

This question plunged Officer Huo into brief contemplation.

"At home, or maybe at his convenience store, anyway, assembling a black umbrella doesn’t require any precision tools, does it?"

"Is that so? It doesn’t require precision tools?"

Zhang Wei revealed a cold smile and then gestured to Zhao Xiaoxiao at the witness stand.

Images appeared on the projection screen.

"Come now, Old Huo, please take a look at the screen, the dismantling diagram of the murder weapon!"

Under Zhang Wei’s direction, Zhao Xiaoxiao started playing a PPT.

This time, it displayed the disassembled representation of the black umbrella weapon.

Underneath the black umbrella was a complex assembly of precision parts, with at least hundreds of gears, as well as intricate tiny screws and the chamber mechanism for ejecting the steel needles, etc.

All of these were not something an average person could assemble by hand; they obviously required a professional workbench.

"Old Huo, although I know you are not from a machining factory, I’d like to ask, do you think an ordinary person could make such an umbrella just with their hands?"

"That’s hard to say..." Officer Huo’s tone was also somewhat unconfident.

"The fact is, to make such an umbrella, one needs at least a workbench of this size!"

Under Zhang Wei’s explanation, the image on the projection screen changed to display a workbench filled with various precision parts and tools.

On the workbench was also an assembly stand, a machining cutter, and other equipment.

"This workbench was made by my client’s son, Mr. Guan Ping. He used many of the devices shown in the image to make the black umbrella."

Zhang Wei pointed at the workbench on the screen, asking Officer Huo, "So, Old Huo, I’d like to inquire, did you find a workbench like this in my client’s home or convenience store 12 years ago?"

Officer Huo fell into a brief silence and turned to look at the workbench on the projection screen again.

Twelve years ago, they had searched Guan Yuhong’s rented house and his convenience store.

But neither in the convenience store nor in the rented house did they find such a workbench.

"Perhaps the defendant cleared the workbench after the crime?"

"But I have here a report from your initial investigation on my client, questioning the surrounding neighbors. None of them saw my client doing anything out of the ordinary, right? If you were to clear out such a large workbench, surely the neighbors would have heard something, right?"

"This..."

Officer Huo was rendered speechless by Zhang Wei’s questions.

"So, the truth is, my client didn’t even have the conditions to make the murder weapon, while the possibility that the real culprit is someone else is even greater, isn’t it?"

"Your hypothesis requires evidence to back it up!"

"Evidence, who says I don’t have it?"

Zhang Wei let out a cold laugh and gestured to Zhao Xiaoxiao again.

The latter operated the laptop once more, and the image on the projection screen changed again.

This time, what appeared was a precise workshop enclosed by glass, with a huge workbench filled with precision parts and machining equipment, and even a dedicated assembly station and tool walls, among others.

It was clear from a glance that this workbench belonged to a professional craftsman, with each tool neatly and systematically arranged. Even the screws were sorted in order by size – a delight for any Virgo.

"Do you have any recollection of this workbench, Old Huo?"

"No!"

Officer Huo shook his head as he looked at the workbench.

"How about these umbrellas, then?"

The scene switched again, and inside one of the tool boxes on the workbench, there were at least four umbrellas identical to the murder weapon.

"This, this is..."

"Old Huo, if I told you that this is truly the killer’s workshop, would you believe me?"

This time, not only was Officer Huo surprised, but so were Prosecutor Zhu Yuansi on the prosecution bench and even Judge Bao on the bench, each showing varying degrees of reaction.

The jury watched the photos on the screen, equally astonished.

"What is this place?"

Officer Huo voiced the question that was in everyone’s heart.

"Where this place is, I don’t need to answer that question. Someone can tell you!"

Zhang Wei said, looking towards the bench: "Judge Bao, we request to make a phone call to connect with colleagues from Longdu Investigation Department Serious Crime Team 1, who I believe are currently at the scene!"

"Lawyer Zhang, how do you know they are at the scene?"

"Because this is the place I reported to them this morning!"

Zhang Wei said with a slight smile, then glanced at the wall clock above, smiling again, "If the Longdu Investigation Department doesn’t work more slowly than Dongfang Capital, they should have been on the scene for almost 25 minutes by now, right?"

"Old Huo, I think it wouldn’t be bad for you to make the call, just dial the number of your junior colleague, I trust you have the number stored in your phone, right?" Zhang Wei said, walking up to Officer Huo and smiling once more.

"Judge Bao?" Old Huo looked towards the bench.

"Go ahead, go ahead!" Judge Bao waved his hand, indicating permission.

Officer Huo took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, senior, you have time to call me today?" A male voice came from the other end of the phone.

Officer Huo switched the phone to speaker mode, then smiled as he replied, "Xiao Guo, it’s nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you were leading a team out today?"

"Yes, someone reported a crime scene this morning that seemed to be related to a case from years ago, so we’re all at the scene now. You know, we’ve been here for almost 23 minutes, and we’ve indeed found quite a few things."

As soon as he said this, many people in the courtroom looked towards Zhang Wei.

Does the Dongfang Capital Investigation Department act this swiftly?

We from Longdu Investigation Department have only been at the scene for 23 minutes, could the Dongfang Capital Investigation Department arrive 2 minutes faster than us?

Officer Huo’s face also looked somewhat off, as he clearly didn’t want to admit that the Dongfang Capital Investigation Department could be faster than Longdu.

"Oh, by the way, senior, a lot of things here seem to be related to your case from 12 years ago. We found many black umbrella-shaped tools on site, and according to Old Wang from the forensics team, these tools are constructed exactly the same as the murder weapon in your case!"

"What, exactly the same?" Officer Huo was surprised.

He glanced at Zhang Wei, who was still smiling, as if he had anticipated this answer.

"Did Old Wang really say, exactly the same?"

"Yes, Old Wang said so. Many aspects of the design are almost identical, clearly the work of the same person. I remember in that case you worked on, Old Wang was the head of the forensics team. If he said they are exactly the same, there’s no mistake!"

Hearing the explanation on the phone, many in the courtroom displayed expressions of curiosity—who does this workshop belong to?

"Right, did you find a workshop on site?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any leads on the owner of this workshop?"

"Oh, we’ve looked into it. The factory where this workshop is located has long been abandoned, and later, the land was leased to a foreign woman. However, according to our investigation, this foreign woman has already died. But she has a brother who, I might add, has always been in Longdu, and it’s highly likely he rented this land using his sister’s name!"

"Then, this foreigner who leased the land, he is..."

"According to our investigation, his name is Lin Berte!"

Officer Huo showed no sign of surprise at this name, for he was unfamiliar with Lin Berte.

However, Prosecutor Zhu Yuansi on the prosecution bench was stunned, his pupils even contracted sharply.

"Lin Berte, how could it be him, he’s supposed to be dead..."

Zhu Yuansi looked at Zhang Wei, then turned his gaze to Guan Ping in the front row of the viewing gallery.

She remembered that Lin Berte’s death seemed somehow connected to Guan Ping.

Of course, with Zhang Wei’s help, Guan Ping had already cleared himself of the suspicion of murdering Lin Berte.

However, there was no doubt that Lin Berte had met with foul play, and the Investigation Department was currently looking for evidence related to Lin Berte’s death.

"Senior, do you know? According to Old Wang’s analysis, Lin Berte seemed to be a professional killer. In this studio, many murder tools were found, all of which were extremely sophisticated at first glance."

"Speaking of which, I have a guess, Senior, please don’t mind me for saying this—I just had this thought. What if the real culprit behind that case 12 years ago wasn’t Guan Yuhong, but Lin Berte?"

Over the phone, the junior from the Serious Crime Team conveyed his speculation clearly to everyone listening.

Officer Huo had been speechless for quite a while.

He had never imagined that, 12 years after the case had been closed, new clues would emerge today.

years later, had the real culprit surfaced?

Wrong, just as the real culprit had surfaced, he had sunk back down again.

Because he was already dead!

Officer Huo had been speechless for quite a while, and Zhu Yuansi, too, was caught in shock, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

The witness stand and the jury were all exchanging glances, obviously trying to digest this explosive information.

The courtroom fell into a brief uproar.

"Senior, Senior, how come you..."

On the phone, the junior, not hearing Officer Huo speak for quite some time, hurriedly asked a few questions.

"Oh, that, Xiao Guo, I was just asking casually. I didn’t expect you to actually find such significant evidence. Keep up the good work on your investigation. I have to attend to something else now."

"Got it, Senior. If that’s all we’ve found so far at the scene, but if Old Wang comes up with new leads, I’ll contact you right away, alright?"

Finally, Officer Huo hung up the phone, but the look of shock had not yet left his face.

"Old Huo, you heard everything your junior said, right?"

Officer Huo was left speechless; after all, he had put the call on speaker—how could he not hear everything clearly?

But he didn’t want to answer that question.

"If I told you that the person who killed Sun Mou many years ago was actually someone else, would you be surprised?"

Officer Huo glanced at Zhang Wei, then sighed deeply.

If it had been before today, he would have scoffed at such an idea.

But after that phone call and the confirmation from his junior, he began to admit there might be something to the idea.

"The truth is that Lin Berte, a professional gang killer, was the one who murdered Sun Mou many years ago, not my client, Guan Yuhong."

"What about the motive then?"

"I’ve told you, Lin Berte was a gang killer. Does this kind of professional hitman still need a motive for killing?"

Upon hearing this, Officer Huo fell silent at once.

Indeed, does a hitman need a motive to kill?

As long as the price is right, they’d take down even the mightiest of figures!

"But who is the person behind the scenes, and why did they frame Guan Yuhong?"

"It must be because of a conflict of interests. Also, Old Huo, could it be that you’ve unconsciously come to agree with my view?"

"Ah, this..."

Officer Huo looked astonished; he seemed indeed to have unwittingly agreed with Zhang Wei’s idea that someone had framed Guan Yuhong.

"You all saw, didn’t you? In front of these numerous clues and pieces of evidence, even Old Huo, the retired senior investigator, seems convinced that my client isn’t the murderer!"

Zhang Wei emphasized once again to the jury, asking them to take note of Old Huo’s reaction.

The senior investigator has spotted the issue, do you understand now? My client is not the murderer!

Quite a few members of the jury nodded, seemingly getting the point.

"I know everyone is also concerned about another question: if my client has been wrongfully accused, then who is the mastermind behind it all, right?"

Many people in the court nodded.

"The identity of the real culprit could be revealed by just summoning one key witness!"

Zhang Wei said, looking towards Zhu Yuansi, his eyes fiercely gesturing.

So, who exactly is this key witness?