"Objection! This video was not included in the list of evidence provided by the prosecutor before the trial," Wang Li said.
The presiding judge hesitated. According to procedure, this was irregular - such evidence should be submitted at the next hearing. However, exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis. If the evidence had a crucial impact on the trial, he as the judge could use his discretion to make a ruling.
Nie Yan said, "Your Honor, this evidence will have a critical impact on the case. I only obtained it just before the trial, so I couldn't submit it in advance. Please consider allowing it."
The judge played the video in court.
In the video, Lin Qianjie forcibly restrained Lu Tian, who was struggling and repeatedly trying to resist without success, until Lin Qianjie finally had his way with her.
Though not high definition, the faces were clearly visible. This recording was enough to convict Lin Qianjie.
Seeing the video, Lawyer Wang frowned slightly. "Objection! Your Honor, I question the authenticity of this video and request a recess."
"The court will fully consider the defense counsel's opinion," said the judge. "We will now take a 30-minute recess before reconvening."
As soon as the recess began, Lin Qianjie berated his lawyer: "Is this how you handle things? Why do they have video footage? Why didn't you buy it off them? You're so incompetent - I'll never hire you again!"
"Shut up!" Lawyer Wang snapped impatiently. "Can't you keep your cool? I told you, we won't lose this case, period! If you don't want to go to jail, keep your mouth shut and don't say anything you shouldn't!"
Wang Li was furious at his client's idiocy. Committing a crime was bad enough, but how could he let someone record it on video?
Lin Qianjie laughed bitterly. "You're telling me to shut up? Get this straight - I'm the one paying you. How dare you yell at me?"
"Mr. Lin, you're not the one who hired me. Miss Jiang is," Lawyer Wang reminded him.
Lin Qianjie immediately backed down.
Lawyer Wang glanced at the smiling Nie Yan and Lu Tian, a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes. "Let them enjoy their moment. They won't be smiling for long."
He hadn't planned to be too harsh on Lu Tian before, but now they were asking for it.
Across the crowd, Fang Rui observed Lawyer Wang, noting the cold, snake-like gleam in his eyes.
This lawyer likely had more dirty tricks up his sleeve.
"Fang Rui, it's all thanks to you for telling me that security camera might have caught the incident. Otherwise, we'd have a hard time winning this case. I'll have to treat you to a nice dinner when it's over."
"I'm the one who found the camera," Mu Mian emphasized.
Nie Yan turned to Mu Mian. "Then I owe you a big meal, Dr. Mu."
"Great, I'll send you my list of dietary restrictions beforehand. I'm not a picky eater."
"..."
The 30 minutes passed quickly. Mu Mian went to the restroom, and when she returned, she noticed the woman who resembled her mother sitting in a corner.
After some consideration, Mu Mian walked over and sat down in the empty seat beside her.
Once all relevant parties had arrived, the court reconvened.
The technical experts had confirmed the video's authenticity. Its contents clearly showed that Lin Qianjie was indeed forcing himself on Lu Tian when the incident occurred.
At this point, Wang Li adjusted his glasses and said, "Your Honor, I request that a new witness be allowed to testify."
The judge felt a headache coming on. Why did everyone insist on presenting new evidence during the trial? Was it so difficult to give advance notice?
"Your Honor, this witness's testimony will also have a critical impact on the case," Wang Li said confidently.
After conferring with the other judges, the presiding judge granted Wang Li's request.
Lu Tian's mother walked gravely to the witness stand. She glanced at her daughter in the plaintiff's seat, a flicker of guilt passing through her aged eyes before she quickly looked away.
When Lu Tian saw her mother appear, it was as if she'd been struck. Why was her mother testifying as a witness for Lin Qianjie?
Nie Yan frowned. Why would Wang Li call Lu Tian's mother to testify? How could this help refute the rape charges against Lin Qianjie?
"Witness, please state your identity," the judge instructed.
"Wang Guixiang. I am Lu Tian's mother," she replied.
"Witness, do you understand your obligation to testify truthfully to this court? If you give false testimony or deliberately conceal facts, you will face legal consequences," the judge reminded her, following procedure.
"I understand. Lawyer Wang explained everything to me."
Wang Li turned to Wang Guixiang and began questioning: "Mrs. Wang, what is the relationship between your daughter Lu Tian and my client Lin Qianjie?"
"They were dating."
"Do you have any evidence to support this?"
"My daughter told me several times on the phone that she had a boyfriend. She said his name was Lin Qianjie, that his family was very wealthy, and that we'd soon be living a better life. Her father can confirm this as well."
Lu Tian glared furiously at her mother, shouting hysterically, "I never said any of that! Why are you lying?! Mom, I'm your daughter - how can you slander me like this..."
"Plaintiff, please remain calm!" the judge interrupted Lu Tian's tearful outburst.
"Tian-tian, it's precisely because you're my daughter that I can't stand by and watch you make mistakes and falsely accuse others! We must live with a clear conscience and not do bad things!"
Lawyer Wang asked, "Mrs. Wang, based on your understanding of your daughter, why do you think she would falsely accuse my client?"
"Objection! Speculation!" Nie Yan interjected.
"Overruled. The witness may continue," said the judge.
"Tian-tian has mental health issues. Her moods are extremely unstable - she can be happy in the morning and throwing tantrums by afternoon. She's been seeing psychologists for years without improvement."
"Did the doctors diagnose her condition?"
"I believe it was schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. Tian-tian has frequently claimed men were raping her before.
Oh, it's our fault really. When Tian-tian was young, a relative of ours molested her. Since it was family, we didn't report it to the police. Tian-tian was severely traumatized - she almost committed suicide by eating rat poison. Luckily we discovered it in time.
We didn't know any better back then and didn't take her to see a psychologist. This is how she turned out as she grew up."
"Has she falsely accused others before?"
"In college, she had a boyfriend. The boy kissed her once, and she insisted on reporting him to the police for rape. Fortunately, we stopped her, or that poor boy's reputation would have been ruined."
Lu Tian shrieked in denial: "These are all lies! None of this ever happened. Mom, why are you making up these stories?"
Nie Yan challenged: "If you say Lu Tian reported it, where's the police report?"
"There isn't one - we stopped Tian-tian from filing the report. But you can contact that boy; I can give you his information."
Lu Tian's face changed slightly. In college, she had been sexually harassed by a male student, but he was never her boyfriend. How did her mother know about this?
Nie Yan realized the male student was likely someone who had pursued Lu Tian. After being rejected, he might have spread rumors about her being his girlfriend. And many people tend to believe such rumors.
Wang Li stared at Lu Tian, enunciating each word: "Miss Lu, are you also denying that you've seen psychologists?"
"I..." Lu Tian couldn't refute this point. She did have bipolar disorder and was indeed taking medication regularly.
"Your Honor, I request a psychiatric evaluation of the plaintiff. I suspect the plaintiff may have had an episode during intimate relations with my client, which could explain the resistance we saw in the security footage."
After conferring with the other judges, the presiding judge granted Wang Li's request.
"The court will fully consider the defense counsel's opinion," said the judge. "We will now adjourn and reconvene at a later date, which will be notified in writing."
As the trial concluded, Lu Tian collapsed in the plaintiff's seat, as if she had endured mental torture.
She had always known her parents favored boys over girls and that her mother didn't love her that much, but she had deluded herself into believing her mother cared for her at least a little.
Even on that day when her parents forced her to sign the settlement agreement, Lu Tian still held a glimmer of hope for them, defending them in her heart as simply being afraid of poverty, desperately in need of money.
But every word her mother just uttered in the courtroom felt like sharp swords, piercing Lu Tian to her core.
At this moment, she had only one thought: to die. Just die and leave this godforsaken world.
"Lu Tian, don't be afraid. You still have me," Nie Yan tightly embraced Lu Tian, her voice trembling. "It's okay. Even if your mother has betrayed you, you still have me. We can win this!"
Nie Yan was stunned by Wang Li's brutal attack. She hadn't expected Wang Li to approach the defense from this angle.
Now that Lu Tian had just endured so much, and given her existing emotional issues, if they were to conduct a psychiatric evaluation on her at this point, they would have no chance of winning.
More importantly, Lu Tian's mother's words were a fatal blow to Lu Tian!
Lu Tian was like a soulless puppet, allowing Nie Yan to hold her without any reaction. She felt utterly exhausted, lacking even the strength to blink.
Lin Qianjie strutted around like a victorious rooster, his face beaming with glee. He came over to observe Lu Tian's expression, leering at her with a lecherous grin.
"Tsk, tsk. I told you to settle with me quietly, but you wouldn't listen. Now it's too late. Let me tell you, you're going to lose this case for sure.
This is just the beginning. I'm going to have you locked up in a mental hospital. Haha! That way, no one will be able to rape you anymore. Though, looking as crazy as you do now, even if someone offered you for free, no one would touch you. They'd be afraid you'd go berserk and attack them!"
