Chapter 232: Framing

The instant these banners were unfurled, the courtroom suddenly fell into a complete silence.

Zhao Yi did not utter a sound. The other residents from District Three beside him also remained silent, simply holding up the banners quietly, their expressions firm and unyielding.

“What are you doing?” An enforcer, seeing this, subtly changed his expression and hurried forward. “You are disrupting courtroom order! Put these things away at once!”

“We are merely holding banners; we haven't made any noise or disturbed anyone. This does not constitute disrupting courtroom order,” Boss Xu stated defiantly.

“You...” The enforcer's expression shifted repeatedly, but after a long hesitation, he still made no move.

It was evident that the District Three residents had done their homework before coming. The scene Chen Ling had imagined—of them disrupting the court to defend Han Meng—did not materialize. Instead, they exploited a loophole in the Aurora City Tribunal's rules. Seeing this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Meng, in the defendant's dock, seemed to hear the commotion. He turned his head to look, and seeing the familiar faces in the spectator area, he froze in place.

Gu Yuan glanced at the banners, a faint smile flickering in his eyes, and continued in a deep voice:

“Defendant Han Meng, former Chief Enforcer of District Three, is charged with disobeying enforcement orders and unauthorized conflict with three enforcers on December 13, New Calendar Year 379, leading to the city gate being left unguarded. The trial will now commence with two charges: ‘Disobeying Orders’ and ‘Dereliction of Duty’...”

Gu Yuan's voice was unhurried, giving a sense of unwavering stability. Halfway through listening, a look of surprise flashed in Chen Ling's eyes.

“Hmm...” Wen Shilin also whispered, a little surprised. “This case statement... is quite interesting. Could it be that someone high up among the enforcers is deliberately protecting Han Meng? For such a huge incident, only these two charges were ultimately brought.”

Wen Shilin thought the same as Chen Ling. Although what Gu Yuan stated was factual, much more had happened at the time. Matters such as Han Meng openly questioning Aurora City and opening the gates for Chen Ling and his group were deliberately omitted. In the end, only the charges of ‘Disobeying Orders’ and ‘Dereliction of Duty’ remained—charges that could be interpreted as either major or minor.

The District Three residents also vaguely sensed something, but were unsure. Only Boss Xu watched Gu Yuan on the judge's bench, deep in thought.

“It seems Han Meng is safe this time,” Wen Shilin couldn't help but exclaim. “Based on the current charges, even if he's convicted, it wouldn't be more than seven or eight years at most. That's already the best possible outcome.”

As Gu Yuan's voice faded, his gaze swept across the room, landing on the position of Han Meng's defense lawyer.

“Defense, do you have any objection to these charges?”

The defense lawyer stood up. He casually glanced at the jury to his side and the media reporters in the spectator area. Faint glints of light flickered in his eyes.

“I object.” It was not the defense lawyer who spoke these words, but the prosecutor seated beside Gu Yuan. As soon as the words left his mouth, they immediately drew everyone's attention.

Gu Yuan frowned, narrowing his eyes as he turned to look at the prosecutor. His expression was somewhat grim.

“Oh? What is your objection?”

“During my investigation of the defendant, I discovered further details that contradict the current case statement. Your Honor, I request permission to present them.”

The moment this statement was made, the reporters in the spectator area opposite uniformly pulled out their pens and notebooks, diligently recording. Concurrently, countless camera lenses aimed at Judge Gu Yuan, seemingly awaiting his reply.

Gu Yuan sensed the shift in the courtroom's atmosphere. His gaze turned incredibly cold as he stared at the prosecutor beside him, a faint wisp of murderous intent emanating from him.

After a long silence, he finally uttered a single word, coldly:

“Read it.”

“Han Meng, an enforcer of District Three, during his tenure managing District Three, abused his official power to coerce and exploit its residents, led a group of enforcers in forcibly collecting protection money, and even colluded with criminal organizations from District Two, secretly engaging in organ trafficking, drug trafficking, and weapon trafficking...”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the spectator area changed. They stared at the prosecutor in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

“Damn it, what nonsense are you spouting?!”

“Exactly! Officer Han Meng collecting protection money? Engaging in organ trafficking?? Are you kidding??”

“Whose accusation is this? It's clearly a frame-up!!!”

The District Three residents were all enraged. One by one, they stood up and began cursing the prosecutor, pointing at his nose. Their voices instantly drowned out and interrupted the prosecutor's statement.

Zhao Yi also widened his eyes, preparing to say something, but Chen Ling, beside him, pressed him back into his seat with one hand.

“Don't move,” Chen Ling said in a low voice.

No sooner had Chen Ling finished speaking than several enforcers, as if prepared, came to that side of the spectator area. They said coldly, “You are openly disrupting courtroom order. Your spectator privileges have been revoked... Those who were just cursing, please come with us.”

Without waiting for them to resist, the enforcers swarmed forward, forcibly escorting them out of the spectator area. In an instant, the number of people on that side decreased by nearly two-thirds.

Watching his companions being forcibly taken away, Zhao Yi's eyes practically blazed with fury. At the same time, Boss Xu's hushed voice came from behind him:

“They are doing this on purpose... Xiao Yi, this is a courtroom. We absolutely cannot act impulsively, understand?”

Zhao Yi took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress his anger. “But... this is simply a frame-up!”

“What’s false is false. Only by staying here can we become human witnesses when necessary. I see now that the power within this Tribunal... is not as simple as it seems.” Boss Xu looked towards the judge's bench, his eyes slightly narrowed.

On the judge's bench.

Gu Yuan stared at the interrupted prosecutor. “Prosecutor, why did you not submit these charges before the trial began?”

“Time was pressing, and I only learned of these matters moments ago.”

“And now you come forward with these accusations, do you have any evidence?”

“Yes,” the prosecutor nodded. “Regarding organ trafficking, we possess detailed transaction records from the underground ruins of the Stellar Merchant Guild. They clearly document the entire process of Han Meng organizing the plunder of organs and their sale and purchase within the city. As for the forced collection of protection money, we also have a witness...”

“Call witness Old Ding.”

As the prosecutor finished speaking, two enforcers escorted an old man out from the side. The moment they saw the man, Zhao Yi and others in the spectator area stared with incredulity.

“Old Ding?? Why is he here...?” Xu Chongguo murmured to himself.

Zhao Yi seemed to realize something, and a chilling murderous intent flickered in his eyes. “That damned traitor...”

Old Ding's head was bowed low. His narrow eyes slyly swept over Han Meng and the spectator area, but he dared not meet their gaze. Only after reaching the witness stand did he raise his head to look at the many enforcers on the judge's bench.

He took a deep breath, and spoke with conviction:

“I can testify that every word of the esteemed prosecutor's statement is true!”