Chapter Forty: Revelation

Chapter Forty: Revelation

During his ninth-grade year, Tang Yun went hiking with his mother. Along the way, they encountered a fortune teller. Despite her reservations, his mother reluctantly spent ten yuan for him to have his fortune read.

After examining his face and palm, the soothsayer claimed Tang Yun's destiny would intertwine with those from the underworld. He advised caution in all affairs. When Tang Yun inquired if he was destined to become an undercover narcotics officer, the mystic responded that the will of the heavens should remain undisclosed.

Tang Yun figured he'd wasted the ten yuan, having heard nothing but vague, unhelpful chatter.

However, years later, recalling that encounter, the fortune teller's words eerily rang true.

Wasn't he now serving those from the criminal realm, always treading carefully?

As he left, the sage had earnestly warned, "When you err, own up to it and seek amends. Even when mistakes are made under duress, don't regard them as justifiable, nor blame others. Otherwise, your conscience will fade, bringing misfortune. To ward off calamities, engage in good deeds and form righteous connections."

That evening, when Tang Yun began his livestream, he set the call-in consultation to be free of charge. He announced that he would provide pro bono legal advice on his platform. All previous and future profits would be donated to charitable organizations. Monthly donation statements would be posted on his Weibo for public scrutiny.

His actions were met with an outpouring of online approval. The audience flooded his stream with likes, generous virtual gifts, and the room's activity skyrocketed. The platform's algorithm favored him even more, directing countless new viewers to his livestream.

The viewer count shot up from 1,500 to an unprecedented 10,000. This surge left Tang Yun slightly flustered. He shifted from a relaxed posture to sitting up straight and even regretted not having dressed up a bit.

After ending a call-in segment, he rushed to his bedroom, changing his slightly juvenile pajamas for a dignified white shirt, paired with a deep navy tie with subtle patterns, making himself look presentable.

With so many eyes on him, he couldn't afford to tarnish his lawyer image.

Some of his long-time fans, however, weren't too pleased with his new look.

[Tang Lawyer, suddenly acting all formal on us? (doge)]

[Dressed so conservatively, how will you keep us engaged?]

[I might unfollow you for this.]

[Come on, my charming man! What's gotten into you? Can't you sense my fervent admiration?]

[I must say, this unexpected wardrobe change makes it seem like Mr. Tang transformed from a playboy to a classy lady.]

[So, are you dancing in a suit today?]

[Dancing in a suit? I'm here for it!]

[Word on the street is that Tang Yun is performing a strip dance tonight.]

Tang Yun laughed uncontrollably, his face almost going off the screen. After a while, he said, "Apologies, but I won't dance today. Instead, I'll answer some legal questions. There are too many viewers, and I don't want my colleagues, prosecutors, or judges to see this. It would be embarrassing. I'm a lawyer who values his reputation, and I'm still in my shorts, haven't had a chance to change."

The chat was flooded with "LOLs" and the viewer count kept rising. By past midnight, it astonishingly surpassed 35,000, ranking eighth in the entire platform's gift leaderboard.

However, eighty percent of the gifts came from the top donator. Tang Yun had never seen this user before, but they already had a loyal fan badge. Their username was "Puppies Have No Worries" with a Maine Coon cat avatar and no personal status updates, making it unclear if they were male or female.

At first, Tang Yun thought they wanted to voice chat since many were trying to connect, and perhaps they were using gifts to get his attention.

So Tang Yun asked if they had any questions.

The user then sent a message: [Not really, but I'd love to see the host dance in formal attire.]

Tang Yun was taken aback, thinking it must be a wealthy older woman who mistook him for a straight male.

Could he be someone swayed by money?

Indeed, he was.

Tang Yun decisively went to change into dress pants and, in front of over 30,000 viewers, danced to a boy band song he was proficient in.

[Who's dating such a man?!]

[Help! This is the first time I realized someone can be described as both handsome and cute simultaneously.]

[Just asking, is this a mandatory skill for lawyers? I've seen no fewer than three lawyers goofing off in live streams, one even showcased ventriloquism.]

[Graceful moves (serious face)]

[New fan here. Is this a victory dance for lawyers?]

[I'm screen recording this to share in the South City Judges' group chat, they'll see you in a new light. (doge)]

[If I were a judge, I'd want to see Tang Yun dance to lift spirits before a hearing.]

After finishing his dance, Tang Yun read the comments and blurted out, "Who said they'd share this in the judges' group? You might as well end my misery right now."

"Usually, if I win a case, it's the opposing lawyer who dances. Winning lawyers don't dance."

[LOL, keep talking nonsense.]

[Such a drastic movement, and the pants didn't tear? That's quality for you.]

[Three, two, one, drop the link!]

Tang Yun prayed that there were no law enforcement officials among the viewers tonight. Otherwise, if someone played a clip of his dance in court in the future, he might just faint on the spot. So much for defense then.

The top donor, presumably a wealthy woman, seemed satisfied with his dance and sent more gifts. By 2 a.m., the number of viewers dwindled. Overwhelmed with fatigue, Tang Yun bid everyone goodbye.

Before sleeping, he set his alarm for 7 a.m., but didn’t wake up until past 9. He jolted awake in panic, but thankfully, Kuang Yanhe hadn't sent him any pressing messages on WeChat.

Tang Yun brought a few sets of clothes with him to Yanzhou.

Upon opening the hotel door, everything was untouched, just as he left it the previous morning.

He called out towards the upper floor, received no response, and realized Kuang Yanhe had already left.

He ordered a coffee, quickly unpacked his clothes and essentials, and settled into the bright living room to work.

Although the suite had a dedicated office and even a conference room, Tang Yun preferred sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows, relishing the warmth of the sunlight.

Regarding Zhang Yuwei's case, the police had just finished their investigation and passed it to the prosecutor's office.

Upon receiving notification, Tang Yun logged into the software. He was granted access to review all evidence submitted by the police.

Straining his eyes on the computer, he printed out all the case files and evidence. As he read, he circled key points with a red pen, summarizing them on draft paper, and then structured it all on a timeline.

Both Li Xiaobo and Zhang Yuwei stated in their testimonies that they met around 7 p.m. on the 11th, after Zhang Yuwei called Li Xiaobo.

In Zhang Yuwei's statement, she mentioned that she called to break up with Li Xiaobo and asked him to take back his Golden Retriever.

However, Li Xiaobo claimed the call was no different than usual. She asked him to bring half a watermelon, and later, a fruit knife, as hers had broken. He did as told.

The police questioned Zhang Yuwei again, and she denied asking for the knife, asserting that Li Xiaobo brought it on his own accord.

From Zhang Yuwei's perspective, when Li Xiaobo entered her place, he initially pleaded to get back together, promising her a villa and more time together. However, guilt-ridden for getting involved with a married man, Zhang Yuwei wanted to sever ties with him.

Li Xiaobo demanded she return the two million yuan. Zhang Yuwei retorted, "You can sue me. I'll pay whatever the court mandates. But if you escalate this, I'll make sure you're ruined."

Reading this, Tang Yun understood why Zhang Yuwei later took to social media to accuse Li Xiaobo. Because while Li Xiaobo didn’t value his marriage, he cared about his career and reputation.

However, from Li Xiaobo's perspective, the narrative changes. He claimed that upon entering, Zhang Yuwei eagerly kissed and hugged him, suggesting again that he should divorce his wife. (Zhang Yuwei had previously made similar requests, but Li Xiaobo always deflected with various excuses and changed the topic.)

Li Xiaobo had considered divorce, but it was a fleeting thought, which he dismissed after weighing the pros and cons.

Before getting married, Li Xiaobo promised his wife they'd never divorce and even signed a prenuptial agreement stating: if he ever initiated the divorce, all his assets would belong to his wife.

This clause was paramount.

Moreover, Li Xiaobo felt guilty towards his wife, as Dong Hui had given birth to two children for him.

He nonchalantly told Zhang Yuwei, "Give it some more time. Once the bonus from this project comes in, I'll buy you a villa. How about a vacation together after?"

There was a fleeting sense of disappointment in Zhang Yuwei's eyes, but they soon found themselves in a passionate embrace. In the bedroom, Li Xiaobo undressed, and Zhang Yuwei suggested he take a shower first, which he did.

Upon his return, Zhang Yuwei became intimate with him. At the climax, she whispered to him to finish inside, reassuring him that her period had just ended, so it was safe.

This was unusual for Zhang Yuwei, as she always insisted on using protection in the past—she had dreams of becoming a star and occasionally took on acting gigs, so she wasn't eager to become pregnant.

In the heat of the moment, Li Xiaobo didn't give it much thought. During their intimacy, he used some bondage toys and even choked Zhang Yuwei aggressively.

From Zhang Yuwei's account, the entire act was forced upon her: bondage, assault, threats. She claimed that Li Xiaobo deliberately finished inside her as a form of humiliation. Fearing pregnancy, she took emergency contraception that night.

She had just finished her period half a month ago, the most fertile time. There's no way she would have allowed Li Xiaobo to finish inside.

After Zhang Yuwei reported the incident, she underwent a medical examination. The results showed semen residue in her body, DNA traces from Li Xiaobo inside her mouth, signs of bondage on her body, and even knife-inflicted skin wounds.

Zhang Yuwei stated that Li Xiaobo threatened her with a knife, forcing her to open her mouth, and in the heat of the moment, accidentally cut her.

Both parties had conflicting stories yet had their explanations. Another confounding Rashomon-like situation.

However, the evidence seemed to be in Zhang Yuwei's favor, especially since only Li Xiaobo's and the fruit seller's fingerprints were on the knife. Additionally, Zhang Yuwei had momentarily cried out for help during the incident.

A neighbor living a floor below testified that she heard a commotion and a woman screaming for help on the evening of the 11th. However, it lasted only briefly, so she didn't think much of it.

Li Xiaobo had no reasonable explanation for this and remained steadfast that their intimacy was consensual and at no point did he threaten her, nor did he hear any cries for help.

Yet, after going through the evidence twice, Tang Yun couldn't find the alleged intimate recording Zhang Yuwei mentioned.

There were only two possibilities: either Li Xiaobo had deleted the video afterward or he had never recorded in the first place.

Which seems more likely?

For a moment, Tang Yun was stumped. Annoyed, he ruffled his hair, gulped down half a cup of iced coffee, and began pacing around the living room deep in thought.

Eventually, he sat back down and began arranging the evidence provided by the police based on its persuasive power on a draft paper:

Sample #9 — Semen: Confirming a sexual encounter.

#9 Strangulation marks, knife wounds.

#9 Scratch marks on Li Xiaobo (identified as evidence of Zhang Yuwei's resistance).

#9 Distress calls.

#9 On the day they had intercourse, Zhang Yuwei was close to her ovulation day. There's a record of her purchasing contraceptive pills from a pharmacy.

Had his role not been Li Xiaobo's defense attorney at this moment, he would have wholly believed Zhang Yuwei. Her testimony was consistent without noticeable discrepancies, and he deeply sympathized with her ordeal.

Having taken on this representation, he must align with Li Xiaobo, and believe in Li Xiaobo's innocence until a court verdict is delivered.

This unwavering stance was, in reality, a stark contradiction to his own conscience. As he meticulously sought for flaws in the testimony, it felt like he was inflicting pain upon an innocent woman. The internal conflict was intense.

Tang Yun had a habit. Whenever he felt stuck with a case, he would meticulously go through the witness statements from beginning to end. He'd role-play the situation, recreating the scene of the incident, seeking a breakthrough.

For only by immersing oneself into the character could one genuinely understand the person's mindset and identify any inconsistencies.

It's akin to how an actor must thoroughly familiarize themselves with the script before diving into a role.

Hence, just as Kuang Yanhe wrapped up his work in the bedroom and opened the door, he could hear voices conversing downstairs.

I promised to give it to you, so I'll definitely do it. When did I deceive you? We'll go see the house together on the weekend

It was Attorney Tang's voice.

House hunting? What house? Who is Tang Yun planning to live with next?

Kuang Yanhe was puzzled. He peered down, trying to get a glimpse of the living room from above the railing.

Attorney Tang was leaning provocatively over the couch, her backside raised enticingly. In a sultry voice, she said, "My period just ended; it's safe. You can finish inside."

Kuang Yanhe: "..."