Insights Chapter 145: The Hammer Falls

Chapter 145: The Hammer Falls

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Late at night, on the rooftop of the Penang Century Hotel. Gu Yanchen ended the call on his earpiece and could see every move of Zhen Jiaxu on the top floor of the Penang Building through his sniper scope. As Zhen Jiaxu took a step forward, Gu Yanchen pulled the trigger, firing a shot as a warning.

He deliberately aimed the bullet to land at Zhen Jiaxu’s feet, as a warning shot. Zhen Jiaxu halted his steps, looking up at the helicopter hovering nearby and then at Gu Yanchen in the distance. He clenched his teeth. He felt trapped in an invisible net, making it hard to breathe, heart racing.

Was he really going to surrender? Unwilling, truly unwilling. He had come this far, and the helicopter that could help him escape was right in front of him. Zhen Jiaxu’s eyes glinted with determination as he suddenly ran towards the direction of the helicopter. He was gambling, betting that Gu Yanchen wouldn’t shoot him on the spot, betting that he could miraculously escape unharmed.

The warning was ineffective; Gu Yanchen aimed his gun again. Zhen Jiaxu reacted swiftly, but a shot rang out. A bullet hit Zhen Jiaxu’s left leg accurately.

Blood spurted out, Zhen Jiaxu stumbled, falling directly onto the rooftop. Just when Gu Yanchen thought he had given up, Zhen Jiaxu staggered to his feet again, struggling to stand despite the pain, dragging his injured leg, step by step. He was only a dozen meters away from the helicopter, which usually would take just a few seconds to reach. Staying here meant death, going there meant life!

Gu Yanchen frowned; this old man was indeed stubborn in the wrong place. He aimed his gun again. Gu Yanchen’s hundred-meter sniper shot had an error margin of no more than a centimeter. At this distance and angle, it was the perfect sniping position, illuminated by the lights on the top floor of the Penang Building.

Through the darkness, the bullet struck Zhen Jiaxu’s right leg this time, blood splattering. Zhen Jiaxu fell forward, screaming in agony. Both legs pierced by bullets, Zhen Jiaxu finally collapsed onto the ground, but he refused to give up. With his hands dragging his body, he crawled forward, leaving two bloody trails on the ground. He waved desperately at the helicopter, “Help me… help!”

The pilot was a foreigner, flying the helicopter to earn money and never expected to witness a police arrest. Naturally, he didn’t dare to confront the sniper and pretended not to see.

Zhen Jiaxu’s heart sank.

At this moment, Gu Yanchen saw a team of people reaching the rooftop. Shen Junci, accompanied by several detectives, had arrived after inputting the password.

Gu Yanchen finally relaxed, holstering his gun and turning to descend to the rooftop, ready to meet them. Tonight’s arrest mission was successfully completed, everything was set in stone.

On the rooftop, Zhen Jiaxu had lost a lot of blood, but he kept crawling forward stubbornly. The gunfire seemed to have finally ceased, and he saw a glimmer of hope. His legs throbbed with intense pain, making it difficult for him to move. If only someone could lend him a hand.

Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared in front of Zhen Jiaxu. He thought it was a staff member from the helicopter and reached out, wanting to grab that person.

“Save me, please, I beg you. Pull me to the helicopter, I’m willing to pay any amount, my house, car, money, even this building, it’s all yours.” Zhen Jiaxu was desperate, kneeling on the ground, continuously kowtowing to the person in front of him.

A cold voice came from above, “Zhen Jiaxu, you can’t escape.”

These words were like a heavy blow, shattering his illusion.

Zhen Jiaxu paused for a second, struggling to prop himself up and looked up. By the light on the rooftop, Zhen Jiaxu saw a handsome young man standing in front of him. He recognized him, it was the medical examiner from the Special Criminal Division.

Shen Junci finally stood here, facing the enemy who killed his father, who tried to kill him. With both legs incapacitated, covered in blood, crawling on the ground, and just now desperately begging, Zhen Jiaxu was already in dire straits. And it wasn’t enough; he was going to face trial as well.

A hint of satisfaction rose in Shen Junci’s heart. Shen Junci was not alone; several detectives also approached, their guns aimed at Zhen Jiaxu lying on the ground.

Lu Ying stepped forward, searched Zhen Jiaxu, handcuffed him from behind, “Zhen Jiaxu, you’re under arrest.”

Then Lu Ying started to arrange for an ambulance and vehicles for the arrest.

Looking at Shen Junci standing in the center of the group, Zhen Jiaxu suddenly remembered what Mu Yuwei said when they reviewed everything together, “Since that medical examiner surnamed Shen came down from the Provincial Bureau and established the Special Criminal Division, one thing after another has happened…”

At that time, he didn’t think much, just thought it was all coincidence. He even thought Mu Yuwei was overly suspicious. But later, he gradually realized that many of the police’s actions and plans were aimed at Hetu Trading Association. Besides Gu Yanchen, who was in the forefront, it seemed that there were others behind the scenes.

Now, this young man stood in front of him, looking down at him coldly, and Zhen Jiaxu suddenly understood. He gritted his teeth and said to Shen Junci, “It’s you! All of this is because of you…”

The person in front of him was the opponent he had never been able to defeat. If someone had told him half a year ago that a medical examiner, a small team, could bring down the entire Hetu Trading Association, Zhen Jiaxu would have thought it was absurd, a futile attempt, a fantasy. After all, it was something even the former City Bureau Chief couldn’t achieve.

But now, the building had collapsed, he had suffered a comprehensive defeat, and his death was imminent.

Zhen Jiaxu didn’t believe that the person in front of him was just an ordinary medical examiner. He asked tremblingly, “Who are you?! What are you? Why can you… Was it you who attracted the Supervision Team?”

Shen Junci asked, “Do you remember killing someone named Lin Luo?”

Lin Luo? Zhen Jiaxu paused. He seemed to have an impression, but for a moment, he couldn’t recall who that person was. He had killed too many people. Was the person in front of him seeking revenge for Lin Luo?

“Who I am doesn’t matter,” Shen Junci looked at the miserable Zhen Jiaxu, “but I’ll give you this: ‘Blood debt must be repaid with blood, evil will be met with retribution.’ Your fate today is well deserved.”

During this time, Gu Yanchen also descended from the opposite building and arrived at the rooftop. He stood beside Shen Junci. The ambulance arrived, and Zhen Jiaxu was lifted up by the detectives and transported downstairs on a stretcher. Ding Yueyan was also sent to the hospital for treatment. The hearse took away Mu Yuwei’s corpse.

At midnight, the chaotic day officially came to an end. 

After four months of intensive pre-trial investigation, the trial of Zhen Jiaxu’s case began before the New Year. In the afternoon, Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci arrived early at the courtroom. The courtroom was solemn, with the national emblem hanging high, exuding an aura of sanctity.

Shen Junci appeared as an expert witness today, dressed in a medical examiner uniform, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking solemn.

Gu Yanchen asked him, “Nervous?”

Shen Junci shook his head, “Not really.” He wasn’t nervous, but rather excited.

The evidence had long been submitted to the prosecutor, and he was looking forward to Zhen Jiaxu’s reaction when he heard those ironclad proofs. They finally saw Zhen Jiaxu, who had been absent for many days.

After the trial began, Zhen Jiaxu, wearing a prisoner’s vest and shackles on his hands and feet, limped into the courtroom escorted by bailiffs. He seemed to have aged several years, thin and with all-white hair. Even at this moment, he was still stubbornly resisting.

Zhen Jiaxu’s lawyer was a well-known criminal defense lawyer in the country. Faced with the evidence and accusations presented by the prosecutor, he launched a fierce defense, eloquent as ever. This case was committed by Han Qingyi, not my client. My client had no knowledge of these events. The video quality near the mine was damaged, and some words are unclear. This can only prove that my client was present at the scene at the time, not that he was the mastermind behind everything. The accusations against my client require concrete evidence and a complete chain of evidence. There is not enough evidence to prove that my client killed Yu Chang’en and his wife.”

Listening to these words, Gu Yanchen frowned slightly. Zhen Jiaxu’s crimes had spanned several years, involving many people, and much of the evidence had been destroyed by the cleaner, and witnesses had been silenced. Although the police had made efforts to search for evidence, there were not many that could form a complete chain.

Piece by piece, the evidence was presented, many of which were denied or questioned by the defense lawyer.

Then, Huo Lei stepped onto the stand to testify against Zhen Jiaxu. She provided some new evidence, “I once recorded a conversation between Zhen Jiaxu and Mu Yuwei plotting to poison Lin Xianglan, the former director of Penang City Bureau. They poisoned Lin Xianglan, then bribed the forensic personnel to disguise his death as natural.”

Huo Lei had been cautious and recorded the conversation for self-protection. Now, she played the audio recording in court.

“Even if he’s the City Bureau Director, if he gets in our way, he can’t stay.”

“For poison, it’s best if it’s the kind that’s hard to detect in an autopsy.”

“Just recently, you should hurry up and make arrangements.”

In the recording, Zhen Jiaxu calmly discussed cruel deeds.

After hearing this shocking conversation, the people in the courtroom couldn’t help but whisper.

“How is that possible? If it’s true, it’s too audacious, isn’t it?”

“I always thought the Director of the City Bureau died suddenly, turns out Director Lin didn’t die of natural causes.”

The judge pounded the gavel, signaling for silence in the courtroom. “Does the prosecution have evidence to prove that Lin Xianglan was poisoned to death?”

“We have physical evidence to prove this point,” the prosecutor stood up and said, “For this trial, we have invited Shen Junci, the medical examiner of Penang City Bureau, as an expert witness. Please testify truthfully in court, carefully read the affidavit, and sign it.”

After signing, Shen Junci stood at the witness stand. He completed the procedure and presented the final evidence, “This is a sample of liver tissue taken from Lin Xianglan’s corpse at the time, preserved in anhydrous alcohol…”

Seeing this evidence, the lawyer’s face changed. Lin Xianglan had been dead for many years. How could such a thing be preserved?

Sitting in the dock, Zhen Jiaxu suddenly became excited, “No! It’s impossible to have evidence left. Those are fake evidence!”

He remembered that Lin Luo was Lin Xianglan’s son. Because of a liver sample sent for examination, he had set up a trap with Mu Yuwei and killed Lin Luo. Back then, they searched the Lin family, Lin Luo’s school, and investigated all the places Lin Luo had been to, but they couldn’t find the remaining liver tissue. He couldn’t believe that Lin Luo, from back then, could still hide this thing somewhere.

The judge hammered the gavel, reminding him to be quiet. Some attentive people could tell that Zhen Jiaxu was feeling guilty; he had indirectly admitted his own guilt. Standing straight-backed, Shen Junci continued calmly, “Back then, Lin Luo put this liver tissue and the reference solution into a sealed specimen box, hidden in Lin Xianglan’s ashes urn.”

Hearing Shen Junci’s words, Zhen Jiaxu turned pale. They had indeed not thought to search Lin Xianglan’s urn.

Shen Junci raised his eyebrows, looking at his adversary, savoring his defeated expression.

This was the secret that Lin Luo had kept even after being threatened by Mu Yuwei until he was severely injured. Back then, when he came out of the crematorium, he only took the materials that needed to be examined and carefully buried the rest inside the ashes. The urn had been buried in the storage place under Lin Xianglan’s tombstone. The most hidden and safest place is often where people can see, but never think of.

Recently, Shen Junci and Gu Yanchen went to Lin Xianglan’s grave and retrieved it once again. Although it had been many years, the liver tissue inside was well-preserved. They had it retested and examined by a professional institution.

These crucial pieces of evidence had been hidden for years and were finally used today, becoming arrows shot at the enemy, vindicating Lin Xianglan’s innocence.

“This DNA test report can prove that the liver tissue indeed belongs to Lin Xianglan. This is the relevant test result, which can prove that Lin Xianglan died of aconitine poisoning. Combined with the evidence and testimony provided by the witness Huo Lei, it can be proved that the defendant Zhen Jiaxu was the mastermind behind the murder of Lin Xianglan.” Then, Shen Junci analyzed the test report and autopsy records, answering various questions posed by the lawyers, prosecutors, and judges, explaining Lin Xianglan’s true cause of death from a professional perspective, and reconstructing the process of the murder.

The judge nodded repeatedly after hearing it. These pieces of evidence were like iron nails, nailing Zhen Jiaxu to the cross of judgment. With physical evidence, witness testimony, and a complete chain of evidence, the evidence was conclusive and no longer deniable.

Looking at Shen Junci on the witness stand, Zhen Jiaxu sighed heavily, closed his eyes, and realized in his heart that his fate was sealed, and he might never have a chance to turn the tide again. From then on, Zhen Jiaxu’s lawyer also lost his composure and began to retreat step by step.

Until the final confession stage. The judge asked Zhen Jiaxu about each crime he had committed, and Zhen Jiaxu completely abandoned any denial, “Defendant Zhen Jiaxu, do you admit to instigating Mu Yuwei to murder Lin Xianglan and his son Lin Luo?”

Zhen Jiaxu remained silent for a moment, his eyes dull, “I admit.”

“Do you admit to threatening Ding Yueran to plan and cause the deaths of several people including Lan Baochang and others, and injuring many others?”

“I admit.”

“Do you admit to operating an illegal mine and ordering the mine to be sealed after the mine accident on July 22nd, causing the deaths of multiple miners? And killing journalist Yu Chang’en and his wife?”

“I admit.”

“Do you admit to participating in the abduction of several women thirty years ago…”

“I admit.”

“Do you admit to conspiring with accomplices to murder several people in the mine over forty years ago…”

…

The way of heaven is cyclical, good and evil will be repaid. All the crimes committed by Zhen Jiaxu will be settled. After a solemn and solemn court trial, the judge finally announced the verdict after a short break.

Zhen Jiaxu stood with his head bowed on the defendant’s stand, swaying as if he might faint at any moment.

“The People’s Court, after trial and investigation, has found the defendant Zhen Jiaxu guilty of multiple charges. The Penang Intermediate People’s Court in the first instance found the defendant Zhen Jiaxu guilty of intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal mining, hiring a hitman, illegal business operation… The defendant Zhen Jiaxu’s crimes are heinous, with serious consequences. He is sentenced to death according to law, deprived of political rights for life, and all personal property confiscated.”

The truth of each case was revealed, and the relatives of the victims in the gallery wept, finally seeing the justice of the law.

This was the final trial and verdict in this series of cases. Prior to this, Shen Qiancheng, Gao Shixuan, Jiang Song, He Wenlin, Feng Ping, and others had already been sentenced. Except for those who showed meritorious service like Huo Lei, Ding Yueran, and Yan Chi, who received lighter sentences, others were severely punished.

Watching this scene unfold, Shen Junci’s expression gradually relaxed. He finally avenged himself with his own hands. Gu Yanchen relaxed his furrowed brow; Yu Shen clenched his hands, tears in his eyes; Secretary Cui sitting in the gallery smiled with relief.

Outside the court, in the City Bureau command room, those who followed this case through a live broadcast on the big screen witnessed this exciting scene. Director Ding led the applause, and applause resounded continuously. Everyone was overwhelmed with excitement, tears of joy filling their eyes.

The gavel fell, and the dust settled. Such a judgment declared the final victory of justice. To this day, if those deceased knew under the ground, they could also find peace. The dark cloud that had hung over Penang for years finally dispersed.

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci walked out of the courthouse. Although the weather outside was cold, it was filled with the atmosphere of the upcoming festival. The sun was shining brightly, and the days were peaceful. People walked on the streets, parents with their children, couples holding hands, many with smiles on their faces.

Gu Yanchen said, “It’s all over.”

Shen Junci, beside him, felt relieved, nodding, “Yes, it’s all over.” He turned to the man beside him, “Gu Yanchen, thank you.”

The person in front of him was the star in his life. Justice once again defeated evil. They had experienced a difficult battle and finally waited for the ultimate victory. Like walking through a long winter together, they were about to welcome a new spring.

Gu Yanchen held Shen Junci’s hand and kissed the back of it. “From now on, I want to stand by your side for the rest of my life.”

They could finally enjoy the most beautiful, sincere, and honest love.

Zhen Jiaxu chose not to appeal. After the case was reviewed by the High Court, the death penalty was executed according to law. From that day on, Hetu Trading Association ceased to exist in Penang and became history.