A total of 56 defendants, including Branden, Merinda, Pockmark (the group master), Wangle, Jessica, Leon (the abbot of the GY Temple) and Nikhil, were charged with 12 crimes under the Criminal Trial Division of the City Y Intermediate People's Court.
In the large courtroom, 56 defendants stood in a row, with 112 bailiffs behind them.
In the solemn courtroom, the public prosecutor stood up and read, "In 1998, the defendant Brandan privately asked Leon for help to look for a girl. In the following months, Merinda, Leon, and his brother Nikhil started human trafficking. Brandan, Merinda, Leon, and Nikhil were the organizers and leaders..."
"The crime of abducting and trafficking in women and children in accordance with Article 240 of the Criminal Law ... if the circumstances are serious, the death penalty shall be imposed and property confiscated: (1) the leading members of the group abducting and trafficking in women and children; (2) abducting and trafficking in three or more women and children; (3) adultery of abducted and trafficked women; (4) luring or forcing a woman who has been abducted and trafficked into prostitution or selling the woman who has been abducted and trafficked to another person to force her into prostitution; (5) abducting a woman or child by violence, coercion or anesthesia for the purpose of trafficking; (6) causing serious injury, death or other serious consequences to the abducted and trafficked women, children or their relatives; (7) selling women and children abroad. Trafficking in women and children is one of the acts of abduction, kidnapping, bribery, trafficking, transportation, transit of women and children for th
e purpose of trafficking... "
"All the crimes mentioned in Article 240 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China shall be punished: more than 1,000 cases of illegal trafficking, more than 1,000 cases of illegal detention, 1,000 cases of illegal trafficking, two cases of illegal possession of firearms, one case of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition endangering public security, 16 cases of illegal extortion, illegal..."
Ferne lowered his head and typed, "They will surely receive the death penalty."
Noah replied quickly, "Listen carefully."
"Why should I do that? I only need to listen to the results. I won't take the lawyer exam. To be honest, I should record it for Jaquan. Instead of being a lawyer, he should shift his career and become a perky judge." Ferne typed quirkily.
Suddenly Ferne heard a gentle sniff from the front. He looked up and saw Irene. She and her mother were dressed in black. They were dignified. However, when hearing the evidence, they burst into tears. Maybe because they couldn't believe it, or maybe they could not accept it.
Ferne looked down and continued to text Noah, "Irene and her mother are crying on each other's shoulders."
There was no reply.
Ferne saw that the buttons of a lady's underwear were crooked. He resisted the attempt to laugh and typed,
"A lady's underwear buttons are crooked. I guess they were tied by a man."
Noah: "Can't you listen carefully?"
Ferne: "No."
Noah replied: "Do you wanna get beaten?"
Ferne: "Come and whip me!"
Noah said nothing.
Ferne sent a defiant emoticon: A man with a long face was picking his nose cheekily and saying 'Come and beat me'.
Noah: "How do you know that they were tied by a man? Do you have the same experience?"
Ferne didn't know what to say.
Ferne blushed and hurriedly replied, "I have never tied buttons for a woman. Believe me."
Noah: "I don't buy it."
Ferne didn't know what to say.
Everyone in the courtroom stood up. Ferne hurriedly stood up as well. The judge said, "A total of 56 people, including defendant Brandan, Merinda, Leon, and Nikhil, are convicted! Now, the court announces that a total of 6 people, including defendants Brandan, Merinda, Leon, and Nikhil, are sentenced to a two-year reprieve, and the remaining fifty defendants, such as Wangle, are sentenced to fifty years' imprisonment..."
Ferne was stunned. Then, a loud noise came from the courtroom. Apparently, the victims were not satisfied with the verdict. The judge knocked on his hammer and said, "Court closed."
The crowd dispersed, but many people were still looking at the defendants in the middle of the courtroom.
Branden turned around. Irene and her mother glanced at them, with calmness as if they had known the result.
How could this be!
Ferne's phone trembled. It was Noah.
"Why didn't you reply to me? Is the result out?"
Ferne stood there, overwhelmed by coldness. Randy and other police officers greeted him. Some people were greeting each other. Some were talking. Some were leaving. Some were waving. Faces flashed in front of Ferne, and Noah's face suddenly appeared. Noah looked up at the sky, yearning and longing for justice. Then his eyes were suddenly darkened with disappointment. He turned around, leaving behind a lonely figure.
Vincent and the entire city police department had tried hard, so that the court could expedite the decision and accept the case in public, skipping the first and the second trial. But how could the result be like this?
Ferne really didn't know how to reply to this message.
Thinking for a long time, he called Jaquan to ask if there was a remedy.
But Jaquan said, "Vincent called me a few days ago. Didn't he tell you?"
"What do you mean?"
"It wasn't for me but for Deon. I just passed on the messages." Jaquan continued, "Vincent wanted Deon to exert pressure on the police by his underworld power, just like Emma's case. So Deon called the police. This result should be the result after the fight."
The result after the fight?
Damn it! Ferne flew into a rage.
"But don't worry. Since Vincent interfered, they will receive more punishment. Just wait and see." Jaquan said.
Ferne wasn't as optimistic as Jaquan. He wished he could chop the bad guys up and feed the dogs.
Shortly after Ferne hung up the phone, Noah called. Ferne hurriedly said in a high pitch, "Guess what the result is? If you are correct, there will be a reward!"
Noah took a heavy breath, "Death penalty?"
"You are right! We are getting drunk tonight!" Ferne pretended to be excited and asked, "What kind of wine do you want? I'll go to the hotel and get it for you. Do you still remember that you took a bottle of Screaming Eagle and peed on it?"
Noah said, "Cheval Blanc."
"What?" Ferne was stunned.
"The wine I peed on was Cheval Blanc," Noah said.
"Oh! I make a mistake." Ferne smiled embarrassedly," Alright. I'll bring both Cheval Blanc and Screaming Eagle! Wait for me at home! "
Hanging up the phone, Ferne let out a long sigh of relief.
But Noah called Joe, "What is the result of the trial?"
Joe didn't know how to say.
'Why didn't you ask Ferne?'
Joe was very nervous, but he still said, "Death penalty."