145 Doub (2/2)

”Xiao Luo is using threats and intimidation. That's illegal, you know,” Ge Zhongtian pointed out, furrowing his brow.

Chu Yunxiong shook his head in disapproval. ”Oh, listen to you, you're just too inflexible. Sometimes, to achieve a certain objective, you need to take these kinds of extreme measures. Look, even though they're not in the clear yet, there have already been some subtle shifts in their favor.”

”I don't think that Luo's Workshop will emerge victorious,” Ge Zhongtian said seriously. ”I've crossed swords with Fu Heyu before. He's very good with words, and his ability to turn the truth on its head is something I can't match. Now that Luo's Workshop doesn't even have a proper lawyer, they will lose this lawsuit.”

Chu Yunxiong was all smiles as he picked up his cup of hot tea and took a sip, saying, ”Okay, aren't you just feeling upset because Luo didn't ask you to represent Luo's Workshop as their lawyer?”

With his inner thoughts thus exposed, Ge Zhongtian's elderly face flushed red. He had been doing his homework for this case, waiting for Xiao Luo to ask him to jump on board. After all, Chu Yunxiong regarded this young man highly, so he'd also wanted to lend a helping hand. Moreover, he had something of a personal grudge against Fu Heyu, so the stars were aligned for him, and he just needed an invitation to participate. In the end, however, he had not been invited, so it stood to reason that he was depressed.

”Let's just watch the proceedings here from the sidelines!” Chu Yunxiong sighed deeply as he put down his teacup.

...

Just then, Xiao Luo was sitting in a café not too far from the courthouse. He had ordered a coffee, opened up his laptop, and pulled up the TV stations' website, where the public trial was broadcasting. He wore a slim-fitting casual suit in white and was sitting up straight in his chair. A headset dangled around his neck, connecting him to Zhang Dashan in real-time.

”Officer Gu, is it okay for you to watch me like this?” He adjusted the video quality and the volume of his headset, then lifted his head to look at the woman seated opposite him.

The woman had a head of short, black, and lustrous hair that was neatly styled. Her features were elegant. Her eyes were slightly lidded, and her eyelashes were slender. When she was not blinking, she almost looked like a painting of a beauty stirring.

The woman was Gu Qianlin!

She was not wearing her police uniform and was dressed in a plain white top and tight black jeans. She wore a pendant around her neck, and her delicate collarbones were clearly visible. However, that was all that could be seen, as the top she had on was conservative and prevented anyone who wanted to see more skin from doing so.

She began to question him, ”Xiao Luo, answer me honestly. Where were you on the twelfth night of this month from 10 o'clock to midnight? And what were you doing during that time?”

The twelfth just happened to be the day of the bloody incident at the Jiangcheng docks, now referred to as the ”Nine One Two” incident. Having checked the Skynet surveillance system, she had discovered a very suspicious figure in the surveillance area more than two hundred yards away from the docks. However, she had been unable to distinguish any facial features. The image was too blurry.

She had suddenly been reminded of the suspicious figure she'd seen in the footage when she bumped into Xiao Luo earlier that day. Whether because of the figure's height or build, something about it seemed to correspond very well with Xiao Luo. Furthermore, Xiao Luo was armed with powerful abilities, so she seriously suspected that the figure in the footage was Xiao Luo himself. In other words, the calm and calculated killing machine from that night could very well be sitting right in front of her eyes.

”The twelfth was a pretty long time ago now. I need to think about it.” Xiao Luo shut his eyes and thought for a moment, then answered earnestly and assuredly, ”I was at home sleeping!”

”Who can verify your alibi?”

”I'm single, and though I have a friend who lives with me, I think on that particular day he stayed out all night drinking at the bar, so I don't think anyone can prove I was there,” Xiao Luo said, shaking his head.

Gu Qianlin was feeling a little exasperated. She did not believe what Xiao Luo said, but she could not detect any clues from his micro-expressions to suggest that he was lying. She was unable to determine whether the figure from that day had indeed been Xiao Luo.

”I still have things to do, so you can do as you please, Officer Gu!”

Xiao Luo smiled a little as he said this. Then, he put on his headset. The public trial had officially begun.