Chapter 8 Case Information Exchange

  The woman pushed back the hair in front of her forehead and continued to speak in a calm tone: "Hello Ye Feng, let me introduce myself first. My name is Qin Yan, with 'Qin' being the same as that of Qin Shi Huang, and 'Yan' meaning a smile. I am a lawyer at Mingzhu City's Zhicheng Law Firm, and also the boss of this law firm. I have been entrusted by someone to take charge of your case, and today I came to see you just to get a preliminary understanding of the situation."

  "Is it my colleague who entrusted you to come?"

  Qin Yan nodded and said, "Yes, yesterday more than 20 migrant workers came to my office, collectively asking to see me. One of the migrant worker brothers even knelt down in front of me, I was shocked and curious at the time, so I agreed to their request and accepted this case. The client's name is Liu Tiezhu, and the entrusted object is you. They briefly told me about your situation, but they are not clear about the specific circumstances."

  After hearing Qin Yan's words, Ye Feng was deeply moved. He knew that he owed Zhu Zi and his fellow workers a favor, and this kindness, he would definitely return in the future, and also believed that he would have the opportunity to do so.

  Qin Yan pointed to the middle-aged man behind her and continued: "Ye Feng, he is my assistant, Wang Dong, who is also a lawyer. He came with me this time mainly to take notes. You can trust him."

  Ye Feng looked at Wang Dong and saw that he had taken out a pen and notebook, and also brought out a recorder.

  "Yefeng, I've already learned from the police station that your case has been investigated and evidence has been collected. The police have now filed a lawsuit against you, which is why I can meet with you alone. After this meeting, the police may soon transfer you to a detention center. Within a month, at most one and a half months, your case will go to trial. Today, I came mainly to listen to you describe in detail the entire process of the case from start to finish. The more detailed, the better. It's best if you can clarify all the details, as this will be beneficial for me to defend you in court."

  Yefeng didn't pay much attention to Qin Yan's words. What Yefeng most urgently wanted to know now was how long it would take for his case to be resolved, from the lawsuit, trial, and final verdict. Yefeng knew nothing about this process, which is why he asked Zhu to help him find a lawyer. Yefeng needed to know how long this process would take. If it took a long time, that would be best; if it was quick, then he would need the lawyer's help to delay it. So he hastily asked Qin Yan a question: "Lawyer Qin, I just want to ask you one thing: according to normal procedure, how long will it take for my case to announce its final result?"

  Qin Yan furrowed her brow, clearly not expecting Ye Feng to ask such a question suddenly. However, she still replied professionally: "At this stage, your case has sufficient evidence, and I'm also puzzled that the police's prosecution process was so fast, which is somewhat unfavorable to you. However, after the court trial yields a result, if you file an appeal, the case will be handed over to the higher court for retrial, which will take longer."

  Ye Feng knew that the reason why the police prosecuted him so quickly was because Liu Yong couldn't wait to convict and sentence him.

  At this time, Ye Feng interjected and asked: "If the final judgment sentences me to death, will it be carried out immediately?"

  Qin Yan smiled and said, "Of course, it's not possible to execute immediately. Executing the death penalty is a very serious matter. Even after being sentenced to death in the final trial, the execution of the death penalty still needs to be approved by the Supreme Court. Generally, the Supreme Court issues a notice to execute the death penalty immediately, signed by the President of the Supreme Court, and sent to the original high court or intermediate court, which must be executed within 7 days. If it is not completed within 7 days, the death warrant needs to be re-issued. In short, this process is very rigorous."

  When Qin Yan said this, Ye Feng's heart suddenly felt greatly relieved. What he needed most now was time. Being able to learn from Qin Yan, a professional lawyer, that this process would take a very long time, Ye Feng thought this was the most advantageous for him.

  Ye Feng even had an idea, if he had known earlier, he actually didn't need to let Zhu Zong hire a lawyer at all, just letting Zhu Zong consult for him would be enough. However, since Qin Yan had already arrived, he couldn't bear to back down now.

  Qin Yan then asked Ye Feng to detail the entire process of his case, and Ye Feng cooperated fully, recounting how he got to know Liu Mei, how he secretly fell in love with her and developed feelings for her. He also recounted every detail of how Liu Mei and Liu Yong colluded to frame him, including the vicious words Liu Yong used when framing Ye Feng.

  Although Ye Feng had already thought of a way to clear his own name, he would not let go of the opportunity to expose Liu Mei and Liu Yong's true faces through another channel.

  Qin Yan looked very serious after listening to Ye Feng's account, and it wasn't until a while later that she asked: "Ye Feng, as your defense attorney, I have to base our relationship on trust. From my professional perspective, I believe everything you've told me is true, which is also the basic duty and integrity of an attorney. However, I must inform you that what you said completely contradicts the police investigation records and evidence, and even implicates the police in illegal activities, which is extremely serious. Do you understand?"

  Ye Feng nodded and said, "I understand. I'm grateful that you can agree to be my lawyer, but now I want to ask you something that you might not accept. My purpose in asking you to be my lawyer is only one thing - I hope you can help me drag out the time and make the trial progress as slowly as possible. You may not understand what I'm saying, but this is my only requirement. To be honest, I'll tell you the truth about the case, not because I want you to turn the case around for me, but just because I don't want this truth to be known only by me."

  Qin Yan's face turned somewhat unsightly, and Ye Feng could feel that his previous words had made Qin Yan a bit unhappy. Putting himself in her shoes, if he were the lawyer and heard his client say something like this, he would also be very displeased. Trust was mutual, and his words obviously made Qin Yan think that he didn't trust her.

  Qin Yan was stunned for a long time before speaking up, "Ye Feng, I actually understand your feelings. Anyone in your situation would have the same reaction, feeling terrified, tense, and having wild thoughts. Many people wouldn't even be as calm as you are. However, I still hope you can maintain a clear head. Before the case has a final result, there is still hope for you. At least with my efforts, it's possible that your sentence will be reduced. Based on what you previously described about the case, there is at least one point in your favor. The police officer may have destroyed the surveillance footage related to him, but he absolutely cannot destroy the surveillance footage related to you. This is one of the most important pieces of evidence for the police. According to what you said, you were called by Liu Meimei to go to the villa at midnight, and there are surveillance videos and phone records. Additionally, I will request that the forensic doctor provide a detailed forensic report, comparing it with the time of death of the deceased, perhaps we can find evidence in your favor."

  Ye Feng thought for a moment and felt that Qin Yan's words were not unreasonable. It would take him more than 20 minutes to walk from the workshop to Liu Mei's house, and committing murder would also require time. However, in fact, the owner of the villa had already died before he went to the villa. If the forensic doctor could provide a true autopsy report, perhaps Qin Yan could really help him find evidence that was favorable to him.

  However, Ye Feng also had some worries. If Qin Yan could think of it, then Liu Yong could also think of it. If Liu Yong used his connections and power to bribe the forensic doctor and tamper with the forensic report, then the evidence that was beneficial to him might be completely destroyed before Qin Yan went to look for it.

  So after deep thought and consideration, Ye Feng still felt that he could rely on no one, nor could he have any illusions about the so-called justice of this society; he could only rely on himself.

  However, towards Qin Yan's serious and professional attitude, Ye Feng couldn't say anything, so he could only nod his head to show his willingness to cooperate with Qin Yan in the investigation and express this point at the first trial.

  This time, Qin Yan was more satisfied with Ye Feng's attitude, smiled and said: "Ye Feng, then I will start preparing, I will conduct a detailed investigation on all the people involved in the case, you don't have to think too much, before the trial, I will meet with you again, hoping that by then I can bring you good news."

  Ye Feng didn't say yes or no, he just smiled and stood up to leave. As he reached the door, a sudden impulse rose in his heart, and he turned back to Qin Yan, saying: "Attorney Qin, do you believe in cause and effect, do you believe that heaven has eyes? If I said that maybe one day Liu Yong and Liu Meimei will voluntarily surrender and confess that they are the real murderers, would you believe it?"

  Qin Yan smiled wryly and said: "Ye Feng, I want to tell you that I believe good people will be rewarded and bad people will be punished, but I believe in the law and evidence even more."

  Yefeng had expected Qin Yan's response and didn't want to say anything else, so he bowed solemnly to her and turned around to leave.