How terrible can being educated be?

Eight years ago, a junior student killed a co-worker on a construction site. Before the murder, he called the police and surrendered himself.

After the murder, he came to me for defense. I thought he came to me because he was poor and had no other choice. Unexpectedly, I was just a stepping stone to his ultimate goal.

Killing the coworkers is to lead to a deeper story…

1

Eight years ago, I had just graduated from law school and this was the first criminal case I handled.

This is a murder case involving migrant workers.

The incident occurred on August 14, 2014, at the construction site dormitory 201.

The murderer first called the police at three o’clock in the afternoon, informing them of the time and place of the murder, and hoped that the police would set out now to capture him.

During the period, the police tried to dissuade the murderer, but the murderer just had a brief communication with the police and hung up the phone.

At the same time the phone call was hung up, the murderer found a rope, passed it through the iron hook on the top of the dormitory where the electric fan was hung, and then tied a noose at one end of the rope.

While the victim was still sleeping, the murderer gently placed the knot around the victim’s head.

Then stand at a distance, gather your strength, and pull the rope down in a tug-of-war posture.

The lasso was tightened, strangling the victim’s neck, dragging him off the bed and hanging him high in the air.

Generally speaking, it takes five minutes to hang a person. During the hanging period, the victim will struggle in pain, convulse, his eyeballs will be congested, and his trachea will be closed, so he will keep scratching his neck and trying to breathe.

Within these five minutes, if the murderer had a change of heart for a moment and stopped, the victim would not have died.

But the murderer was determined to take the victim’s life.

So after five minutes, the victim stopped struggling.

Two minutes later, at 3:18 pm, the police arrived. When they pushed open the door, they saw a middle-aged man hanging in the middle of the room.

The murderer sat on the lower bunk and tied the rope to the railing of the double bed.

The police arrested the murderer on the spot.

Afterwards, the police asked the murderer why he killed people, and the murderer’s answer was unexpected.

It turned out that the two of them just held a grudge against each other because they had pushed and shoved each other while working on weekdays.

…

I just said that this criminal case was filed against my junior.

This junior student is not the victim in this case, he is the murderer.

My junior classmate is called Zhang He. I met him in the basketball club. He took advantage of his junior year summer vacation to work at a construction site to earn a living, but he actually killed someone at the construction site.

It was five days after the incident that he remembered to look for me.

The reason was that the legal aid lawyer assigned to him by the court did not want to help him with the lawsuit and had privately declined several times.

Zhang He was worried that if this lawyer were to help him with the lawsuit, the lawyer might refuse to defend him in court.

In order to reduce his sentence, he needed a reliable lawyer, so he thought of me.

There is another reason besides this.

Zhang He’s parents are both deceased, his family is poor and cannot afford a lawyer.

I didn’t know why I accepted his commission at the time. It might be because of our college friendship, or it might be because I didn’t believe he would kill anyone. Anyway, I accepted it without thinking clearly.

But when I actually took over the case, I realized what a wrong decision it was.

…

In the legal profession, there is actually a concept called winning rate, so many lawyers will choose to take cases that they are sure to win. I guess Zhang He’s legal aid lawyer is such a person.

The reason why he wanted to reject Zhang He was probably because there was almost no room for defense in this case and it was a completely ironclad case.

The crime scene is complete.

The murder weapon was present.

The suspect pleaded guilty.

There are both witnesses and evidence.

This is a case that is almost set in stone, and no matter which lawyer takes over, there will be no good outcome.

What’s more, I am a new lawyer and this is my first time handling a criminal case.

…

I spent three days studying the case file and putting together a defense as best I could.

Afterwards, I applied for a meeting with the detention center.

When I met Zhang He in the meeting room, this was the first thing I told him.

“You will at least be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

Zhang He’s reaction at that time was surprise.

“How can it be life imprisonment? I turned myself in, so I should be given a light sentence.”

He called the police after all this trouble just to get a lighter sentence. This behavior was somewhat ignorant of the law, so I educated him.

“Surrendering means turning yourself in after committing a crime. If you took the initiative to inform the police before committing the crime, it is considered an act of knowingly committing a crime, which is aggravated.”

He probably felt regretful, or maybe unwilling.

“But I…”

In order to make him face the reality, I told him.

“It takes about five minutes to hang a person. During these five minutes, you will be subjected to intense moral torture. If you let go during these five minutes, the victim can survive. But you didn’t let go. You are determined to kill the victim. Life imprisonment is the best fate.”

“Life imprisonment… Am I going to be in prison for the rest of my life?”

“If you behave well during your sentence, your sentence can be commuted to a fixed-term prison sentence.”

Zhang He turned his head to look at me.

“If I behave well, when can I be released from prison?”

“If it’s quick, you can be released from prison after serving thirteen years.”

After hearing my answer, he lowered his head as if he had given up struggling and spoke to me in a pleading tone.

“Thank you for your help, Senior.”

I looked down at the back of his head, and I really couldn’t understand it at that time.

How could this big boy, who came from a poor family and was a well-behaved boy at school, kill someone just because of a push?

2

I raised my doubts to Zhang He.

“You really killed someone just because of a shove?”

His answer surprised me a little.

“He cursed my mother.”

Insulting the mother is something that any man with blood in his veins cannot tolerate. The most he could do is punch the man, or even pin him to the ground and beat him if that doesn’t work. However, Zhang He killed the man.

It seems strange, but it is actually understandable.

Zhang He’s parents worked in a mine two years ago. Later, the mine collapsed and both of them were buried inside. Zhang He lost both his parents overnight, leaving only an elder brother at home.

From then on, he was very resistant to people making jokes about his parents in front of him, and he couldn’t even stand hearing national swear words. If he heard it, he would inevitably have a fight.

Therefore, I did not delve into this reason, but only carefully confirmed with him whether there were any errors in the transcript files provided by the procuratorate.

After getting Zhang He’s reply that “no problem”, I asked him whether the police used torture or fatigue when recording the testimony.

Zhang He replied

“No.”

His response undoubtedly further undermined my confidence.

I argued for Zhang He’s sentence reduction, but I saw no hope of it at the moment, so I could only speak to Zhang He as planned.

“I plan to ask your classmates to testify that you have a difficult family life and are a decent person. This may help you get your sentence reduced.”

Zhang He nodded.

Finally, I took out the autopsy report of the victim, Sun Hua, and handed it to Zhang He, saying:

“Sun Hua’s skeleton and muscles were severely strained, he had joint tendonitis, and gastric ulcers. Pathological examination revealed that he had respiratory cancer lesions, which were already in the middle to late stages.”

I handed the autopsy report to Zhang He, as if hoping to condemn him and awaken his conscience.

“The migrant worker at the construction site, if you don’t hang him, he won’t have much time left.”

That’s all I have to say.

Zhang He seemed to have really heard it, he lowered his head and remained silent.

…

The first trial began on August 26.

I invited Zhang He’s classmates, a few teachers who were willing to appear in court, the owner of the store where Zhang He worked part-time while studying at school, and some of his co-workers at the construction site.

I originally wanted to invite Zhang He’s brother, but I couldn’t contact him no matter what. After trying several times, I had to give up.

My defense strategy this time is to strive for a reduction in Zhang He’s sentence by citing his daily behavior and his voluntary surrender.

The prosecutor had a complete chain of evidence. He invited the construction site project manager Zhou Qian, some workers, and the wife and daughter of the victim Sun Hua.

During this trial, the prosecutor requested the court to sentence Zhang He to death.

I am in favor of a fifteen-year prison sentence.

…

The specific trial process is quite complicated, so I will only mention a few points.

My main point is that Sun Hua repeatedly provoked Zhang He. Sun Hua was somewhat negligent in this case. In addition, Zhang He had a good attitude towards admitting his guilt. I hope the court will give him a light sentence at its discretion.

These words aroused dissatisfaction from Sun Hua’s wife. She hugged her daughter and pointed at me and Zhang He and cursed us.

“My husband was a living person! He was such a good person! He never quarreled with anyone! You killed him and insulted his innocence! You are not human! You are not human!”

I was under a lot of psychological pressure at the time and could only ignore Sun Hua’s wife’s roar.

Zhang He lowered his head and kept saying sorry.

Later, Sun Hua’s wife lost control of her emotions and fainted in the witness stand.

Watching Sun Hua’s wife being carried out of the court, her daughter ran after her, crying and calling for her mother.

For the first time, a conflict arose in my heart between “professional ethics” and “human morality”.

…

Later, the prosecutor kept focusing on the fact that Zhang He had called in advance to inform about the murder, and that Zhang He had not stopped the persecution within five minutes of Sun Hua being hung up, as the main points of the accusation.

Zhang He’s behavior was described as a knowing and willful act that was premeditated and intended to reduce his sentence.

This statement made by the prosecutor left the deepest impression on me.

“Everyone has hatred in their hearts. If everyone has hatred like Zhang He, then the law is just empty words and morality is just a mask to cover up shame. Zhang He’s behavior is just to vent his hatred and has nothing to do with his reputation as a human being.”

With just this one sentence, the prosecutor completely denied the direction of my defense.

After that, I argued my case, but still failed to change the outcome of the trial.

Finally, the judge sentenced Zhang He to death.

3

After the old judge announced the verdict, Zhang He was carried away from the scene by prison guards.

He didn’t struggle violently, but just stared in my direction with a pair of empty eyes until he disappeared through the door.

And I was at a loss where to go.

…

In the afternoon I went to the detention center to find Zhang He.

I sat opposite him without saying a word.

My feelings at that time were quite complicated. Not only was I his lawyer, but I was also his senior.

Imagine that your college acquaintance becomes a murderer. How would you face him?

On the one hand, I felt sorry for him, but on the other hand, I thought there must be something hateful about pitiful people. And yet, I thought I was not capable enough to get a reduction in his sentence.

Anyway, neither of us spoke. After five minutes of stalemate, Zhang He finally spoke.

“I do not accept the death penalty and I will appeal.”

“In death penalty cases, there is a right to appeal, and the court will definitely accept the case, but you have to think about the reasons for the appeal. If you don’t have a suitable reason, the original sentence will most likely be upheld.”

I have seen many cases in which the purpose of appeals in death penalty cases is not to change the verdict, but to allow the prisoner to live a few more months during the appeal period.

Who knew that Zhang He suddenly became manic. He pounded the table, then buried his head in it and kept rubbing his hair.

“I cannot accept the death penalty. If I die, I will have nothing. I cannot die.”

yes……

When you die, you have nothing.

But Sun Hua also died, and his family was left with nothing.

I only thought this in my mind and didn’t say it out loud.

If nothing unexpected happened, Zhang He was sentenced to death.

Now, as Zhang He’s lawyer, the most important thing I should do is to contact Zhang He’s family.

“Do you have a way to contact your brother? He should know about such a big thing.”

Zhang He suddenly grabbed my hand and took a deep breath.

“Don’t look for my brother. Don’t let him know.”

“But he has a right to know.”

“Please.”

“…”

He looked at me very strangely at the time, and I didn’t understand it until the day the case was over.

At this time, I just thought that Zhang He didn’t want his only relative to know that he had become a murderer.

So I relented.

“All right.”

“Senior, is it possible to change the death penalty sentence if there is new evidence?”

“As long as the evidence is reasonable and legal.”

Zhang He sat back in his chair, as if he had hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and slammed the table, as if he had made up his mind.

“Senior, I want to change my statement!”

4

“Retract your confession?”

Thinking back to the ironclad chain of evidence and confessions in this case, I really didn’t understand why Zhang He changed his confession, so I reminded him.

“Zhang He, your interrogation records are all on video record. There was no torture or fatigue in the interrogation process. The chain of evidence points to you. Don’t lie just to appeal.”

Zhang He nodded.

“Senior, I cannot accept the death penalty because it was not me who wanted to kill Sun Hua, it was Zhou Qian who wanted to kill Sun Hua.”

“Zhou Qian? I remember this name.”

Just as I was about to think about it, Zhang He revealed the man’s identity.

“Project manager at the construction site.”

I was stunned as soon as I said this.

He stretched out his hand and gestured for a long time before he could sort out his thoughts.

“Zhou Qian, project manager, prosecutor’s witness?”

“Um.”

I put the messy words in my mind together into one sentence.

“Hiring a killer?”

I saw Zhang He looking straight at me and nodding.

“He gave me 1.2 million and asked me to kill Sun Hua.”

“Why are you saying this now?”

“One million and two hundred thousand. As long as I can get out of prison, I can get one million and two hundred thousand. That’s why I turned myself in and cooperated with the police in making a statement, hoping to get a lighter sentence. As long as I can survive the days in prison, I can get one million and two hundred thousand as soon as I get out of prison. But now I have been sentenced to death. I have no chance of getting this money. So I might as well save my life.”

I see. I think I understand the logic behind this.

“No wonder you gave in when you heard you could be released in as little as thirteen years.”

Wait…

That’s not right.

Sun Hua was just an migrant worker and Zhou Qian was a project manager. If he hated Sun Hua, he could have just used his authority to drive Sun Hua away. Why kill someone?

I asked my doubts and got this answer from Zhang He.

“I don’t know the specific reason, I just guessed a little bit, Sun Hua probably knows some secret of the manager, and he seems to have threatened the manager with this secret many times.”

After hearing this explanation, I sat back in my chair, frowned, and covered my eyes. This case didn’t seem as simple as it seemed.

I thought about it carefully again and felt that something was wrong, so I asked.

“That’s a construction site. Zhou Qian could easily kill Sun Hua by using a construction accident. Why would he look for you?”

The answer he gave me was also very true.

“The manager said that if Sun Hua died on the project, the project would have to be suspended for rectification, which would affect the progress. It’s a real estate construction site, and once it’s suspended, it will…”

He didn’t finish his words and just stopped at the point.

If the problem is interpreted according to this logic.

That makes perfect sense.

Sun Hua repeatedly used secrets to blackmail Zhou Qian, who could not bear it any longer and therefore hired someone to kill him.

Because Zhang He had not yet entered society, he was instigated by Zhou Qian and committed murder.

Zhang He knew that he could not escape the punishment of the law, so he planned to surrender himself to get a reduced sentence so that he could be released from prison as soon as possible and get the huge sum of money.

I didn’t mention this in my confession because of money.

But now he changed his confession because he was sentenced to death and he won’t get any money.

If this is used as an appeal point, it can prove Zhou Qian’s crime of hiring a killer to commit murder.

Perhaps Zhang He’s sentence can be reduced to…fifteen years in prison.

5

I submitted Zhang He’s confession to the court. According to the procedure, this case needs to be submitted back to the public security organs for retrial.

Afterwards, the criminal police came to the detention center to interrogate Zhang He. I was sitting on Zhang He’s left at that time.

The focus of their questions at the time was on evidence.

The police need evidence to prove that Zhou Qian hired someone to commit murder. Zhang He’s confession can be regarded as a witness, but physical evidence is still needed to form a complete chain of evidence.

After questioning, it was discovered that Zhang He had no evidence to prove Zhou Qian’s crime.

This is how Zhou Qian contacted Zhang He.

While Zhang He was working at the construction site, he pulled Zhang He aside, mentioned the matter to him, and verbally promised to give him cash.

At the construction site, the only monitoring camera was on the tower crane, so the situation became as follows.

One has no contact via text messages, calls, or social media.

2. There is no retained contract document.

3. There are no surveillance records.

The police and I looked at each other, both feeling a headache.

We all agreed that Zhang He had too little social experience and that a mere verbal promise could have instigated him to kill someone.

For now, the police can only start with Zhou Qian and see if they can make any progress.

…

During the time when the police are investigating Zhou Qian, I can’t sit idle.

In criminal cases, if a letter of forgiveness can be obtained from the victim’s family, it can be of great help in sentencing.

So I went to the police station’s guesthouse to find Sun Hua’s wife.

She was an uneducated country woman. While her daughter was studying English, she could only sit there and worry.

After I explained my purpose, she hesitated at first, then did not know whether to laugh or cry, covered her face and lowered her head in silence for a few seconds, and then finally exploded.

I saw her grabbing the glass from the guesthouse, her hand hanging in the air, hesitating for a few seconds, and then dropping it.

He shouted excitedly while smashing the cup.

“Aaaaaah!”

I was quite scared at the time and was a little flustered. I picked up the briefcase and used it to block in front of myself, fearing that she would suddenly attack me.

After the screaming ended, she didn’t hit me, but burst into tears.

“My child just lost his father! You want me to write a letter of forgiveness now? I don’t even know how I’m going to live in the future, and you want me to forgive the devil who killed my husband! Impossible!”

This is indeed unreasonable.

If this were a TV show, I’d probably be the villain.

And he’s that kind of poor villain.

He hopes to get the forgiveness of Sun Hua’s wife, but he is unable to give her any compensation.

I kind of despise myself.

But as Zhang He’s lawyer, there are some things I have to do.

“I’m sorry about Sun Hua’s incident, but as you can see, Sun Hua’s repeated bullying of Zhang He during his time at the construction site was indeed the trigger for this case. If you don’t forgive him, he will most likely be sentenced to death. He is only twenty years old.”

I could feel that Sun Hua’s wife was trying her best to control her emotions. She stood up, picked up my briefcase and walked out the door.

“I don’t forgive him. He made my child fatherless, so I want him to pay with his life! Get out now and don’t come looking for me in the future. I can’t write a letter of forgiveness.”

I wanted to argue with her again, and then I saw her pick up a glass and pretend to hit me.

I ran away immediately.

6

As a lawyer, I would not visit Sun Hua’s wife only once.

I went there at least seven times for the book of forgiveness.

But she never saw me again after that.

On the other hand, the police’s investigation into project manager Zhou Qian also yielded results.

…

Zhou Qian, project manager of the new town construction site.

He is not a member of a criminal gang and has no criminal record. He is just a salaried worker who earns 6,500 yuan a month.

The car, house and account balance under his name together are less than two million. In terms of savings alone, he only has 200,000. He doesn’t look like someone who can boast about 1.2 million.

Whether through surveillance or communication, there was no obvious connection between the two of them.

Later, the police interrogated Zhou Qian alone, and Zhou Qian looked even more confused.

He said frankly that he was just an employee and did not have such deep hatred against anyone.

Even if it’s true, and it’s reached the point of hiring someone to kill someone, then he should have offered a price he could afford, one million and two hundred thousand. If he really had one million and two hundred thousand, why would he still be working?

He also asked the police, didn’t he say Sun Hua used secrets to blackmail him? Then where was the money?

Zhou Qian only gets that much salary a month, and it’s all deposited into his salary card. Every payment is recorded. If he can’t stand Sun Hua’s threats, he has to produce evidence of the threats.

The police also fell silent after hearing this.

That is indeed the case.

Based on all the above information, there is no evidence to prove that Zhou Qian was involved in the murder.

So after the nine-day investigation, the police chose to close the case.

It is not even our turn to appeal, the court has already taken the initiative to initiate the second instance.

…

September 5, 2014.

Second trial.

Zhang He’s classmates and some reporters were sitting scattered in the gallery.

Because the case involved “hiring a killer,” the reporters were exceptionally quiet, as if this would be tomorrow’s front-page headline.

Compared with the first round of trials, in this round of trials, the prosecutor raised some additional issues in addition to the original statement of the case.

This included Zhang He’s accusation that Zhou Qian had hired someone to commit murder.

In response to this accusation, the prosecutor’s statement was as follows.

“We have conducted a systematic investigation into the defendant’s allegation that Zhou Qian hired a killer to kill someone.”

“After investigation, there is no evidence to prove that Zhou Qian and Zhang He had ever traded in human lives, nor is there any evidence to prove that Zhou Qian and Sun Hua had any personal grudges. Based on the principle of presumption of innocence, it is impossible to convict Zhou Qian.”

“Therefore, the prosecutor’s opinion remains unchanged and I request the court to uphold the original verdict.”

As soon as these words were spoken, reporters and classmates in the audience booed.

The reporters booed because the murder-for-hire segment they were looking forward to was gone, which meant their front-page headlines were gone.

The students booed because they did not believe the police’s investigation results. Zhou Qian was the project manager of the construction site. He must be rich and powerful. The police must be protecting Zhou Qian.

The court fell silent as the judge dropped the hammer and shouted “Silence” several times.

…

The prosecutor had just finished his statement when I saw Zhang He shouting excitedly.

“Everything I said is true! Zhou Qian hired someone to kill someone, and he said he would give me 1.2 million! It’s all true!”

Although I also feel that Zhou Qian spent money to get the connections, as a lawyer, the law is my belief and I can only insist on my demands.

By chance, I caught a glimpse of Zhou Qian sitting in the witness stand, looking at Zhang He and me with a rather intriguing expression.

I can’t really describe that expression.

It’s like saying.

It’s like “What can you do to me?”

I was so angry that I was shaking on the spot.

Can this guy, who hired someone to kill someone, escape legal punishment by relying on the fact that he didn’t leave any evidence?

…

The outcome of this case was not unexpected.

There is no proof that Zhou Qian hired someone to commit murder.

Nor has a letter of forgiveness been obtained from the victim’s family.

Therefore, the second trial upheld the original verdict.

It’s still the death penalty.

7

This time I went to the detention center to find Zhang He. Compared with the previous two times, Zhang He looked much more haggard.

From his clenched fists, I knew that he still did not obey the verdict.

However, now that things have come to this, it no longer matters whether one obeys the verdict or not.

Of course, he can choose to continue to appeal, but the probability is that the same result will occur.

The only turning point at the moment is to obtain the forgiveness of the victim’s family as soon as possible to help Zhang He get a reduced sentence.

…

I was just about to speak when Zhang He spoke first.

“It’s not that there is no evidence.”

His voice was so quiet that I thought I had misheard.

“What did you say?”

Zhang He suddenly looked up at me as if he had made up his mind.

“I have evidence!”

I immediately opened the notebook and prepared to take notes.

“What evidence?”

Zhang He glanced at the gate, then took my pen and started writing as he spoke.

“Senior, this is my cloud disk account and password. When you get out, find a place to log in. There is a video in it, and that is the evidence.”

Documents? Evidence?

“What’s that video?”

“These are Sun Hua’s last words before he died.”

I originally wanted to ask clearly here, but Zhang He refused to mention it again and kept talking to me instead.

“Senior, after watching that video, I am too embarrassed to see you.”

I didn’t understand at the time what kind of video content could have caused Zhang He to react in this way.

How could this be Sun Hua’s last words?

According to the crime process of this case, Zhang He put a rope around Sun Hua’s neck while he was sleeping and then hanged him to death.

There shouldn’t be a chance to say last words during this process, right?

With this doubt, I left the detention center and quickly returned home.

He entered his account and password and logged into Zhang He’s cloud disk account.

The first video that appeared read:

“The Secret of Zhou Qian”

Is this the reason why Sun Hua wants to kill Zhou Qian?

Could it be that before hanging Sun Hua, Zhang He forced Zhou Qian’s secret out of him?

…

If this is true, then the situation is even more serious.

…

I felt a chill on my back.

I suddenly felt nervous.

…

I clicked on the video and stared at the screen.

I originally thought that the video might be a video of Zhang He hanging Sun Hua.

But when the video was opened, the picture showed Sun Hua sitting in front of the screen, constantly adjusting the angle of the video.

His background is that dormitory 201.

…

“Sun Hua! The video he recorded?”

This is indeed something I didn’t expect.

Not long after the video started playing, Zhang He was seen coming in from the door and sitting next to Sun Hua.

Zhang He placed his mobile phone in front of the screen. If you look closely, you will find that Zhang He’s mobile phone is right on the call history page.

The first call record was the police call at 15:00 on August 10.

The time was displayed in the upper right corner of his phone.

It is 15:03.

That is what happened after he initially called the police.

…

The video continues to play.

Zhang He asked Sun Hua first.

“I just called the police. It’s not too late for you to regret it now.”

Sun Hua shook his head. In the video, he was smiling at the screen and speaking Yunnan Mandarin.

“I know Zhou Qian’s secret, so when Zhang He told me that Zhou Qian wanted to spend 1.2 million to kill me, I was not surprised at all. I have cancer and it will cost a lot of money to treat it. My child is only nine years old. If I go to treat the disease, my wife and child will be ruined.”

When Sun Hua said this, she started crying and choked up as she spoke.

“I don’t want to treat the disease. I also want to leave some money for my wife and children. So I made an agreement with Zhang He. I let him kill him, and after he gets the money, he has to give 600,000 to my wife.”

“Wife, don’t blame me. I’m sick. Cancer is expensive. I don’t dare to treat it. My treatment is a burden to you. You can take the money and remarry with the baby. 600,000 is the dowry.”

“Kid, you have to brush your teeth well and don’t be lazy when doing exercises at school. Health is so important. I don’t know if you will see it in the future.”

The video was blurry, but the bloodshot and tears in his eyes were clearly visible.

Zhang He reminded Sun Hua.

“Time is running out.”

Sun Hua controlled her emotions, wiped away her tears, nodded, and then faced the screen.

“Zhou Qian, it’s not that I can’t use your secret to threaten you for money, I’m just afraid that my wife and children will die if I take this money. But this money from Zhang He, you want to give it yourself, you just want my life, so I’ll give it to you!”

“I’m telling you, in order to prevent you from not paying Zhang He after I die, I’ve already told Zhang He your secret. After I die, you should pay the money and let go. Mo Zhen is pushing an honest man into a corner!”

“I’m warning you! This secret could cost you your life!”

After saying that, Sun Hua reached out and stopped the recording.

Total length: a little over two minutes.

In the last second before the video ends, the time displayed on the phone is.

15:06.

…

He actually asked someone to kill someone!

8

After watching the video, I felt cold all over and cold sweat soaked my back.

I never dreamed that Zhang He had discussed it with Sun Hua before killing him.

Sun Hua was willing to be killed in exchange for the 600,000!

…

If there was this video as evidence, Zhang He could have avoided the death penalty!

According to the law, commissioning someone to kill someone is considered a relatively minor act and is punishable by a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years.

Compared to the death penalty, this is the best outcome!

But right now, I am more concerned about something else than this.

…

I copied the video onto my phone, quickly took a taxi to the detention center, and met Zhang He again.

It was not difficult to see that Zhang He did not dare to face me at this time, but just asked me in a low voice.

“Senior, have you handed the evidence to the police?”

I shook my head and asked, “Why didn’t you bring out this evidence earlier?”

I thought he would give me some good reasons, but it turned out that I thought too highly of Zhang He.

He said: “At first I didn’t expect to be sentenced to death, so I confessed to Zhou Qian for hiring a killer in the hope of avoiding the death penalty, but who knew that the original sentence would be upheld.”

Then Zhang He lowered his head in shame and continued:

“I knew that after I gave Zhou Qian away, I would have torn my relationship with him, and the 1.2 million yuan would have nothing to do with me. But I was unwilling to accept that. I wanted to use this video to blackmail Zhou Qian after I was released from prison and get back the 1.2 million yuan that belonged to me. So during the second trial, I did not tell him about the video.”

When he finished speaking, I choked.

“you……”

I pointed at him, really pissed.

At that time, he was still thinking about money.

“Senior, I…”

“Shut up! Do you know you killed someone! You killed someone!”

I was really pissed off by Zhang He’s exploded worldview, so I yelled at him.

“You killed someone for money, and you still don’t repent! What will it take for you to realize your mistake?”

“Senior… I surrender myself.”

“You didn’t turn yourself in! You did it to reduce your sentence! Your original intention was never to accept the punishment! Even now you took out this video, it was to take revenge on Zhou Qian!”

I was a little out of control emotionally, this case had such a profound impact on me.

I really never thought that money could change a person so drastically.

Zhang He’s nose and eyes were red.

“Senior, I was wrong, but that was 1.2 million. I’ve never seen so much in my life…”

“Why don’t you understand?”

Zhang He was clearly apologizing to me, but the anger in my heart burned even more fiercely.

I was so angry that I kicked the chair so hard that it flew three or four meters away. The chair hit the wall and the noise alarmed the guards.

“What are you doing?”

After being scolded by the guard, I calmed down a little, and said while panting, “Sorry, I was a little emotional.”

The guard glanced at me, left a word and went out.

“This is a detention center, please be careful.”

I took a deep breath, walked to the wall, picked up the chair, and sat in front of Zhang He again.

“I will hand over the evidence to the procuratorate after I get out, and the case will definitely be reinvestigated, but this evidence is not enough. If you want to convict Zhou Qian, you have to tell me Sun Hua’s secret.”

Hearing this, Zhang He burst into tears expressionlessly.

Several tears dripped from the tip of her nose, and she spoke in an almost desperate tone.

“Senior.”

“Sun Hua didn’t tell me the secret in the end.”

…

9

I frowned.

You may not know how important this secret is now.

This is the only hope for Zhou Qian to be convicted.

But Zhang He told me that Sun Hua didn’t say it.

My emotions got out of control again.

“Why didn’t he tell you!”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s afraid that I’ll be in danger if I find out.”

“You guys are safe after recording this video? You are innocent but guilty of possessing a treasure! After Zhou Qian saw this video, he doesn’t care whether you really know it or not!”

“I…I didn’t think of that at the time.”

After hearing Zhang He’s answer, I was angry but had nothing to say.

Indeed, when recording this video, he was about to kill someone, so it was normal that he didn’t think too much.

But after I thought about it for a while, I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

…

At that time, I had just entered society, had no background, and did not dare to offend any powerful people, so I was very cautious in doing things.

But this case put my life in danger.

You may not understand, so let me explain it briefly.

Once this video is submitted as evidence, Zhou Qianhui still cannot be arrested due to insufficient evidence.

Zhang He will be given a lighter sentence and will be released after serving a few years in prison.

At this time, Zhou Qian would not relax outside, but would be vigilant day and night.

Because he was worried that Zhang He knew the secret, he was worried that Zhang He just didn’t want to tell it, he was worried that Zhang He wanted to blackmail him with this secret.

Therefore, he would count the days outside the prison and wait for Zhang He to be released.

Then he tried every means to kill Zhang He, just like he killed Sun Hua.

…

That’s not all.

I just said to Zhang He that the man is innocent but is guilty of possessing a treasure.

The same applies to me at this time.

As Zhang He’s lawyer, I am the person most likely to know the secret besides Zhang He.

Zhou Qian would even doubt me.

Sun Hua said in the video.

That is a secret that could cost Zhou Qian his life.

He won’t miss any opportunity.

…

Thinking of this, I got goosebumps all over my body.

Being suddenly caught up in such a storm, I felt a surge of fear.

Zhang He looked at me in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”

I turned to look at him and frowned: “Aren’t you afraid?”

“With this evidence, I don’t have to face the death penalty. What am I afraid of?”

“Aren’t you afraid that Zhou Qian will harm you?”

When asked this question, Zhang He was stunned at first, his facial expression twitched, and then stiffly turned into worry.

“Yes, Zhou Qian will harm me at this time.”

Zhang He’s reaction was like a thorn, which aroused my strong sense of discomfort.

Emotions exploded in my mind.

It’s not hatred, it’s not disgust, it’s doubt.

Ever since he entrusted me with this case, I felt like I was being dragged by something.

As a lawyer, you should always be ahead when participating in a case.

But at this moment I feel like I am walking towards a lighthouse in the fog.

…

I grabbed my things and left the meeting room.

I did not hand over the video as evidence to the police, but returned home alone.

I locked the door, drew the curtains, made my room completely closed and dark, curled up on the bed, and recalled every detail of the case.

…

Think about it carefully.

This case was originally a simple and ironclad one.

Why has it become so confusing?

From intentional homicide, to hiring someone to kill, to commissioning someone to kill.

I never seem to come across the truth.

It’s like the truth is being hidden.

…

If we carefully analyze the details of the past period of time.

You will find that all uncertainties come from Zhang He.

It was his phone call that made the case ironclad.

It was he who dragged Zhou Qian into the matter after he changed his confession.

It was he who produced new evidence that brought another turn to the case.

…

I always feel that Zhang He is lying to me.

10

Get out now.

There’s still time.

As long as I get out now.

The secret that went into the coffin with Sun Hua has nothing to do with me.

I don’t have to worry about Zhou Qian targeting me.

I began to think about stopping defending Zhang He.

…

After leaving home, I went to the court first, intending to unilaterally suspend the defense on the grounds that Zhang He had concealed evidence many times.

Before deciding to suspend my defense, I asked the court out of curiosity.

“If I suspend my defense, will the court continue to provide legal aid to Zhang He?”

But the answer from the court staff gave me the chills.

…

“Since Zhang He has already refused legal aid once, whether he needs legal aid this time depends on Zhang He’s own wishes.”

This answer was completely different from what Zhang He told me, so I asked.

“Are you sure that Zhang He himself refused legal aid once? Didn’t the aid lawyer negotiate with Zhang He to terminate it?”

“That’s what it says.”

I felt something was wrong, so I asked, “Can you tell me who that lawyer is? I have something to ask him.”

“It’s lawyer Xu Min from Zhongzheng Law Firm.”

…

I went to Zhongzheng Law Firm and found lawyer Xu Min under the guidance of the front desk.

“Hello, Lawyer Xu, I am Zhang He’s defense lawyer, and I have something to ask you.”

Lawyer Xu Min looked at me, shook hands with me symbolically, and asked me to take a seat.

“Hello, please take a seat.”

Lawyer Xu Min asked me as soon as I sat down.

“What do you want from me?”

I explained my purpose briefly.

“Let me ask you a question. In the Zhang He case, did you negotiate with Zhang He and then refuse to defend him? Or did Zhang He unilaterally refuse your defense?”

Lawyer Xu Min looked at me and didn’t hide anything.

“It was Zhang He who unilaterally refused my defense.”

It was Zhang He who refused!

But when Zhang He asked me to defend him, he clearly said that the legal aid lawyer negotiated with him several times before Zhang He refused to defend him.

Just in case, I confirmed with Lawyer Xu Min again.

“Zhang He told me that you refused because you had special circumstances and were unable to provide a defense to Zhang He.”

Lawyer Xu Min shook his head.

“No way. I only went there once, and he told me to get lost and said he didn’t need legal aid.”

“Can you take responsibility for what you said?”

As soon as I said this, I realized that it was wrong, so I apologized quickly.

“I’m sorry, Lawyer Xu, I’m so offensive.”

Lawyer Xu Min waved his hand and said.

“I can take responsibility for every word of our conversation today.”

I stood up and bowed to Lawyer Xu Min.

“Thank you very much for your willingness to answer.”

After saying that, I left Zhongzheng Law Firm.

…

On the way back, I turned the whole incident over in my mind.

Zhou Qian hired someone to kill someone in order to conceal a secret.

Zhang He agreed to kill Sun Hua for money.

Sun Hua volunteered to be killed by Zhang He for money.

The logic here makes sense.

But why did Zhang He refuse legal aid and insist on hiring me as his lawyer?

…

In order to solve the confusion in my heart.

I decided to go to the detention center and ask Zhang He directly about the truth.

I have not formally resigned as defense attorney, so I can still meet Zhang He in this capacity.

When Zhang He saw me, he asked excitedly, “Senior, have you given the video to the police?”

I shook my head. “No.”

He was a little disappointed: “Why not give it?”

I said, “I have met with lawyer Xu Min.”

“…”

Zhang He stopped talking.

His eyes were glancing to the left, as if he was thinking.

“Don’t make it up. It wasn’t that the legal aid lawyer negotiated with you many times. It was you who took the initiative to refuse legal aid.”

Zhang He has already started to sweat coldly, and his reaction undoubtedly proves my guess.

Perhaps he had struggled long enough, Zhang He sighed, as if giving up, and said, “Senior, I admit that I was lying to you.”

“What are you hiding?”

I’ve never been so eager to know the truth about something.

Zhang He’s eyes became more determined.

“Senior, I want to terminate my contract with you.”

“?”

I was full of confusion.

Zhang He, however, had a serious expression on his face.

“You are not my lawyer anymore. You have no right to ask me these questions.”

After saying that, Zhang He stood up and asked the guard to take him away.

I want to stop it.

Zhang He looked at me and said with a helpless expression.

“If you want to know the truth, come and watch the trial.”

After saying that, he pushed me aside and left the meeting room.

…

11

Zhang He fired me on his own initiative. He must be hiding something.

Could it be the secret that Sun Hua mentioned?

I don’t know, I can only go to the third trial as scheduled.

Hope to find the answer there.

…

September 17, 2014.

During the third trial, I sat in the gallery. Unlike the previous two times, the gallery was already full of people, 70% of whom were reporters.

At this time, the defense lawyer sitting in the seat was a new lawyer whom I had never seen before.

That is to say, after Zhang He dismissed me, he accepted a newly assigned lawyer, but this lawyer just sat aside and didn’t seem to have any intention of defending me.

The prosecutor made a new statement this time and the appeal also changed.

This time, he asked the court to sentence Zhang He to a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years on the less serious charge of intentional homicide.

…

There are many changes in this trial.

Sun Hua’s wife burst into tears after watching the video and took out her anger on Zhou Qian, who was also sitting in the witness stand.

Zhou Qian was already sweating profusely at this moment, but even so, his face was still full of confusion.

Of course, this video can only prove that Zhang He and Sun Hua have a trust relationship, and it cannot really convict Zhou Qian. Therefore, Zhou Qian is still invited in as a witness for questioning.

Having said that, the reporters in the gallery had already started writing.

Yes, such a public trial of a strange case with many twists and turns will undoubtedly make the front page of the newspaper.

I even thought of a title for them.

“The migrant workers volunteered to be killed, the college students were just accomplices, and the project manager was the mastermind behind the scenes”

…

The judge finally asked Zhang He a question.

“Defendant, what secret did Sun Hua tell you in the video?”

I put all my attention on Zhang He.

Because Zhang He said before that Sun Hua didn’t tell him.

But this time Zhang He’s answer was completely different.

“He said Zhou Qian killed a migrant worker on the construction site!”

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the audience and reporters quickly recorded every word Zhang He said.

Zhou Qian immediately stood up and yelled, “You are slandering me!”

The judge banged the gavel.

“Silence! Silence! Defendant, explain the situation clearly.”

Zhang He nodded.

“After the Spring Festival this year, migrant workers returned to the construction site to participate in the construction. During the period, the road was slippery due to rain. When the worker was inserting the foundation steel bars, he accidentally slipped and fell into the foundation steel bars of the sales office, which was not yet completed at the time. The steel bars pierced his body.”

“Zhou Qian sent people to pour cement into the foundation because there were not many people on site at the time and he did not want to delay the construction period, and for other reasons including compensation afterwards, and buried the workers alive in the foundation!”

“This is the secret Sun Hua told me!”

After listening to what Zhang He said.

Everyone was in shock again, except for me who frowned.

Why didn’t Zhang He tell me this secret at the time? Why did he have to reveal it in court?

As soon as this doubt arose, Zhou Qian in the audience suddenly stood up with a look of panic on his face and pointed at Zhang He and cursed.

“You’re talking nonsense! The sales office was built last year! How could they bury people in the foundation at the beginning of this year!”

Zhang He looked at Zhou Qian calmly and said:

“Then I remembered it wrongly. Anyway, someone died and was buried at the construction site!”

After hearing this answer, Zhou Qian suddenly became incoherent. He tried to refute several times, but could only utter some vulgar and dirty words.

Seeing this, the reporters started writing again.

Zhang He looked in my direction silently.

The truth seemed to be revealed in his eyes.

Zhang He looked at the judge again and said:

“This secret is not difficult to verify. We only need to conduct a thorough search within the construction site. As long as we find a body, we can confirm my testimony and prove the relationship between me, Sun Hua, and Zhou Qian!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qian pointed at Zhang He and cursed:

“I understand! I understand everything! You wait here for me!”

Everyone was still confused, but they saw Zhou Qian jump out of the witness stand and rush towards the defendant’s seat.

Several policemen were quick to step forward and grab Zhou Qian, pinning him to the ground.

There really was something wrong with Zhou Qian! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have committed such a crime in court.

But I don’t quite understand what Zhou Qian meant by what he said just now.

What is…

I understand. I understand everything.

You’re fucking waiting here for me!

What did Zhou Qian understand?

…

No verdict was announced at the end of the trial.

Zhou Qian was detained.

The procuratorate will re-investigate and collect evidence against Zhou Qian.

They will go to the construction site to investigate if the body is really found.

Zhou Qian will be convicted.

…

After the trial, I asked the detention center to let me see Zhang He, but Zhang He refused.

I am no longer Zhang He’s defense lawyer.

If you want to know the truth now, you can only wait patiently.

12

September 27, 2014.

The fourth trial was held.

On the way here, I noticed a large group of reporters gathered outside the court. One reporter recognized me and wanted to stop me.

“Look! It’s Zhang He’s lawyer! We are interviewing him now!”

After saying that, a large group of reporters with microphones ran towards me.

I was so shy at that time that I ran into the court.

Now I think about it, I should have accepted the interview seriously, otherwise I would not be just a mediocre lawyer now.

Think about it from another perspective. The fact that so many media outlets are paying attention to this case is enough to show how bizarre this case is.

Almost everyone wants to know the final outcome of this case.

…

When I entered the courtroom, the trial had already begun and I found a seat in the corner and sat down.

Then I noticed that there were two people in the dock.

One is Zhang He and the other is Zhou Qian.

This means that after a large-scale investigation, the deceased person mentioned by Zhang He has been found.

The testimonies of Zhang He and Sun Hua successfully brought Zhou Qian to court.

I noticed that Zhou Qian seemed to have lost all hope, and the way he looked at Zhang He changed.

It’s hard to describe that look, it’s like…

In the Cthulhu mythology, ordinary people see the fear of unspeakable things.

What was it about Zhang He that he couldn’t understand, to the point of fear?

…

Now is the stage when the prosecutor reads the indictment, and everyone’s eyes are on the prosecutor.

The prosecutor had just stood up and was about to read the indictment.

Zhang He made a move that no one expected.

He suddenly opened his mouth and spoke to the judge.

“I want to retract my confession. I didn’t kill anyone.”

…

When these words were spoken, the judge and jury hearing the case were shocked.

Because Zhang He’s testimony has changed three times, the first two times he just presented new evidence, but this time, Zhang He actually changed his testimony in court.

He said he didn’t kill anyone.

As his former lawyer, even I was confused by him, but when I thought back to the previous doubts, I seemed to be relieved.

This is not the first time he has changed his testimony.

The judge asked Zhang He.

“Do you have any evidence?”

Hearing the word “evidence”, Zhang He smiled self-deprecatingly and muttered something.

I was sitting in a position where I could see his mouth shape clearly.

I read it out loud and found that it was these six words.

“Evidence. More evidence.”

I didn’t understand the meaning of these six words yet, but soon, he made me understand.

Zhang He just said to the judge.

“I have Sun Hua’s cloud disk account and password. Please log in to the cloud disk now. There is evidence that I did not kill anyone.”

The court quickly logged into the account and sent the video evidence to the judge and prosecutor for review.

I have no idea what the content of the video was. I only saw that after watching the video, the old judge hurriedly took off his glasses, covered his eyes, and turned his head away sadly.

For an old judge like him, what kind of scene could make him react like this?

Looking at the prosecutor standing aside, his expression was solemn the whole time he was watching the video, and there was a rare look of confusion on that upright face.

They looked at each other after watching the video evidence.

Finally, the old judge announced.

“The court is adjourned for twenty minutes. We need to discuss this evidence with the prosecutor.”

…

Everyone in the audience, including me, looked confused.

What kind of evidence could make the old judge react like that after reading it? He even had to adjourn the court to discuss the evidence with the prosecutor?

I subconsciously looked in Zhang He’s direction, and Zhang He happened to be looking at me as well.

He had an expression that said, “It’s almost over,” which made me even more anxious.

…

It has been almost two months since I accepted this case. I have waited for two months, but the next twenty minutes seem so long.

Twenty minutes later, the court reopened.

The old judge and the others returned to the courtroom. They sat back in their respective seats and looked at Zhang He, asking:

“Defendant, do you have any other evidence?”

Zhang He looked at the old judge and shook his head.

“there is none left.”

The old judge put on his reading glasses, trying to see Zhang He’s face clearly, and asked:

“I want to know why you did all this.”

This is exactly what I wanted to ask. I stared at Zhang He.

He was now looking at the judge sincerely, bowing deeply to him, and then saying:

“Please allow me to tell a story.”

The old judge nodded.

“allow.”

…

13

The following content is Zhang He’s own narration.

…

My parents were miners. They both died in a landslide accident a few years ago.

But the compensation from the coal mine was delayed. In order to support my college education, Zhang Ping, my brother, started working in other places.

Because Zhang Ping had no education and his family was heavily in debt at the time, he chose to work on a construction site.

With this job, Zhang Ping earned my tuition, living expenses, and paid off part of my debt.

At the end of the year, Zhang Ping and I reunited in my hometown to celebrate the New Year. He only stayed until the seventh day of the New Year, then left me some money and went to the construction site.

Before leaving, Zhang Ping said that he had finished his work at the previous construction site and was going to work at the next one. He said that this construction site paid a good salary and he could earn more money.

Who knew that this farewell would become forever.

After that, I returned to school to study. From the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester, I couldn’t contact Zhang Ping for nearly half a year.

At first I thought he just lost his phone, but then the number showed that it was in arrears, and later it became an invalid number, so I felt something was wrong.

I also tried to find him while I was in school, but I didn’t know which construction site he was at. I could only wait until school was on vacation. I started from scratch and found the construction site that Zhang Ping had last visited, but I found that Zhang Ping was not there.

In order not to alert the enemy, I entered the construction site under the pretext of working as a summer intern and searched while working.

I asked around at the construction site, but no one knew Zhang Ping.

I sneaked into the office and tried to check the contract.

It was discovered that almost all the workers hired on this construction site were illegal immigrants. There were more than 70 workers on the site, but only 20 of them had contracts. The remaining 50 or so were all illegal workers without labor contracts.

Just when I thought Zhang Ping was not at the construction site, I met Sun Hua.

I saw Zhang Ping’s clothes on Sun Hua. I remember that dress clearly. It was originally a long-sleeved shirt, but the sleeves were burned when I was warming myself by the fire, so Zhang Ping simply cut off the sleeves on both sides and made it into a T-shirt.

You probably won’t find another piece of clothing like this.

So I pulled Sun Hua aside and asked him where the clothes came from.

Sun Hua looked at me at that time and just said that the owner of the clothes left on his own and left the clothes in the dormitory.

I thought about it for a long time and always felt that something was wrong, so I kept asking Sun Hua.

After repeated questioning, Sun Hua finally gave in. He asked about my relationship with Zhang Ping, and I told him that we were brothers.

Then Sun Hua told me what he knew with a worried look on his face.

…

It was the ninth day of the first lunar month, and the workers on the construction site were returning to work one after another. My brother left his hometown on the seventh day, and should have arrived at the construction site on the eighth day.

There were not many people on the construction site at that time, but in order to quickly build the model room, the superiors asked the workers who had already returned to work to start the work.

So the few workers who had arrived at the construction site were forced to go out and build the building.

Sun Hua returned to the construction site in the early morning of the tenth day of the first lunar month. When he returned to the dormitory, he saw that two of his roommates had already returned.

The two workers were covered in mud, sitting on stools, with new cigarette butts all over the ground around their feet.

So Sun Hua asked them.

“What’s wrong?”

One of the workers took a deep puff of his cigarette and said something solemnly in the smoke.

“The snow hasn’t melted yet, the ground is too slippery…”

The next day, all the workers were transferred to other construction sites, but Sun Hua was not transferred because he arrived in the early morning.

The transferred worker took Zhang Ping’s luggage with him before leaving, saying that Zhang Ping would also be transferred and should take his luggage with him.

But when those people took away the luggage, they forgot about the clothes that Zhang Ping had hung on the balcony.

Seeing that no one wanted those clothes, Sun Hua took them and wore them himself.

…

These are what Sun Hua told me.

Taking all these factors into consideration, Sun Hua and I both felt that something was wrong.

Sun Hua smoked a cigarette and said to me:

“Your brother might have died on the construction site.”

I counter:

“There has to be news about his death at the construction site.”

Sun Hua said:

“The construction site is a mess. There are a lot of illegal workers here who don’t even have contracts. It’s common for people to be buried on the spot after they die. Besides, if this matter gets reported to the higher-ups, the construction site will have to stop work and rectify the situation. Not only will the construction period be delayed, but the workers’ families will also have to pay a large sum of money. The construction site will definitely not agree to this. It’s better to give a sum of money to each of the people who know the truth and let the matter go.”

I was persuaded by Sun Hua.

I wanted to contact those workers, but Sun Hua said that they were also illegal workers and had no way to contact each other.

I want to go to the construction site to ask for an explanation, but this is a construction site. If they can kill Zhang Ping without leaking any information, will I also be killed if I go to ask?

After thinking it over, I went to the police station.

14

I took Sun Hua to the police station and told them our guess.

But the police who received us at that time said.

Without a labor contract, it cannot be proved that Zhang Ping works here; even if it can be proved, it can only prove that he once worked here.

According to Sun Hua’s description, Zhang Ping might have gone to a new construction site with those workers.

Our descriptions are all speculations. There is no substantial evidence to prove that Zhang Ping is dead. At most, they will go to the construction site to understand the situation. If there is no substantial evidence to prove that Zhang Ping died at the construction site, the police cannot order the construction site to stop work and search the construction site.

After many communications, the police finally gave me the same conclusion.

At most, we reported Zhang Ping as missing, but we could not confirm that he had been killed.

I went to several police stations and only got this answer every time.

Without evidence and based only on conjecture, it can only be considered as lost contact.

…

But this trip to the police station was not without results.

The police department has a system for tracking ID cards.

The registration and use of identity cards will be entered into the police system.

It can be shown that Zhang Ping’s ID card has not been used in the past six months.

But even so, there is no way to prove that Zhang Ping is dead.

…

I had no choice but to go to newspapers and radio and television stations, hoping that the newspapers could report the incident for me. I contacted several reporters at the same time, but in the end I only got this conclusion.

They told me that I only had suspicions but no evidence, and that they could not take the risk with their credibility.

…

I thought, why not use new media to make my voice heard?

So I opened Weibo, edited a long string of text and posted it.

As a result, the content was deleted fifteen seconds after it was posted because it did not comply with community standards.

I modified the content and posted it again, but this time it was deleted in less than fifteen seconds.

From now on, no matter how many times you send it, it will be deleted within fifteen seconds.

In the end the account was blocked.

…

In the past twenty-one years, I have never felt that it is so difficult for a living person to speak out.

…

If Zhang Ping just went to another construction site, how could he have been in arrears with his cell phone bill for half a year without renewing it?

If Zhang Ping just went to another construction site, why did other workers have to pick up his luggage?

If Zhang Ping just went to another construction site, how come he hadn’t used his ID card even once in half a year?

…

There is a high possibility that my brother is buried beneath this construction site, but I have no evidence.

So no one can help me investigate.

My only request is to find my brother. Even if he is dead, it would be nice to find his remains and bury them with my parents…

Isn’t something like this okay?

…

Standing in the sun, I felt like I was living in a vacuum.

I was clearly shouting, but my voice had nowhere to go.

…

15

Afterwards, I continued to work at the construction site, intending to find other evidence while working.

We worked until August but still couldn’t find any clues.

At this time, Sun Hua suddenly found me.

He asked me.

“How much will you pay me if I help you find your brother?”

As soon as he asked this question, I fell silent.

My parents died and I haven’t even received their pension yet. Now Zhang Ping has lost contact, and I really don’t have much money.

“I don’t have much money…”

Sun Hua waved his hand and said:

“I now believe that Zhang Ping is buried somewhere on this construction site. If I help you find him, once the police get involved, can they compensate you with a lot of money?”

“I don’t know how much I can compensate…”

“I’ve calculated it for you. The one-time compensation is 800,000, and the subsequent compensation is 400,000, a total of 1.2 million. For someone like your brother who might have been murdered, you can get even more.”

I don’t understand.

“What’s the meaning?”

Sun Hua gave me a test report, and in the diagnosis column, it clearly stated: mid-to-late stage lung cancer.

Sun Hua continued.

“I smoke too much. This disease is really fatal. The doctor said that it would cost at least one million to cure this disease. When I heard the one million, I immediately stopped the treatment. Now I just want to make some money for my wife and children before I die.”

I frowned.

“You want to…”

“I’ll help you find your brother, and when the time comes, give half of your brother’s pension to my wife and children.”

“I’m still not sure if my brother is really buried at the construction site.”

Sun Hua shook his hands and was about to take out a cigarette to light it, but then he remembered that he had lung cancer and threw the cigarette away.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re not sure. I was planning to fall off the scaffolding and die in a few days, but when I think of your brother’s situation, I feel that if I die, the construction site may not compensate my wife and children. Maybe they will bury me too, and then my wife and children won’t even be able to get my body.”

“and you……”

“Isn’t it because this matter hasn’t become a big deal, so no one cares about your brother?”

“Um.”

“I’ll help you.”

“How can you help me?”

“How about I get hit and killed in this construction site, and then you bury me and say that I died in this construction site. There will always be evidence, and the police will find your brother if they investigate, right?”

“If I really do this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave the gate of this construction site.”

“That’s right. This damn construction site is shady as hell. I tell you, we have to make a big fuss about this. The connections behind this construction site are very strong. Sometimes big things can be turned into small things. If you want to get involved, you have to get the project manager. He is the boss on the construction site. There is no way he doesn’t know where your brother went.”

What Sun Hua said makes sense.

There is no way the project manager didn’t know where my brother was.

But he would never say it now.

I took a deep breath.

“Let me think about it.”

…

In fact, there is only one ultimate goal, which is to let the police investigate this construction site.

I just needed to create a reason for the police.

I thought about it over and over again.

We need to make this incident a big deal without attracting the attention of the people behind the construction site; we need to prevent the construction site from reacting in time, and we also need to find a way to involve the project manager.

After thinking about it, there is only one answer.

“Human life.”

16

So Sun Hua and I planned for nearly ten days.

From the way of death to the process, we rehearsed no less than ten times.

Sun Hua’s death attracted the attention of the police.

Through the retraction of the confession in the first trial, the project manager Zhou Qian was brought in.

The retraction of his confession during the second trial prompted the police to begin investigating Zhou Qian.

After the third trial, he retracted his confession, allowing the police to investigate the construction site.

The case that is now being tried in court is the result of the plan that Sun Hua and I had.

Why did I surrender myself before committing the crime, why did I change my confession repeatedly, why did I always present new evidence, and why did I involve Zhou Qian.

Your Honor, this is the truth.

…

After Zhang He finished his story, the scene fell into deathly silence.

If I were to say who was the most shocked at the scene, it would be me.

As Zhang He’s defense lawyer, I didn’t realize until this moment that what Zhang He was carrying was so dangerous and so serious.

All my previous doubts were answered at this moment.

There is no doubt that Zhang He has achieved his goal.

Through step-by-step guidance, he successfully allowed the police to enter the construction site to investigate and successfully found the body of his brother.

Now that Zhou Qian is standing in the dock, it is proof of Zhang He’s success.

…

No wonder Zhou Qian looked at Zhang He with fear in his eyes.

Zhang He had calculated everything, and as the implementer of this plan, it can be said that he had no deviation.

Even I am part of his plan.

But I’m not afraid of him, I just feel sorry.

I’m sorry I didn’t understand you before.

…

The judge and the jury looked at each other, and they also looked at the prosecutor.

At this time, the prosecutor sat silently in his seat, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Even the most noisy media reporters put down their pens and fell into deep thought.

Everyone was looking at Zhang He, and they suddenly realized how special Zhang He’s situation was.

I finally understood what he said at that time.

“Evidence. More evidence.”

…

Wasn’t it the so-called evidence that forced Zhang He to take this path?

Because there was no evidence, the police could not help Zhang He.

Because there was no evidence, the media could not help Zhang He.

Because there was no evidence, Zhang He was like living in a vacuum.

…

I have always believed that evidence is the most important thing in the administration of law.

It still seems to be the case today.

But Zhang He’s story undoubtedly speaks to me.

Evidence is not the only one.

Zhang He’s suspicion was reasonable. If someone had been willing to help Zhang He confirm his suspicion at that time, he would never have reached this point.

…

The judge shook his head slowly at first, then faster and faster.

“Sad! This is the tragedy of society!”

“The police did nothing wrong, the media did nothing wrong, and the operators did nothing wrong. They did everything right, but you have nowhere to seek redress when they did nothing wrong.”

At this time, the prosecutor stood up and said to Zhang He.

“During the third trial, you said that the man was buried in the foundation of the sales office. I knew you wanted to use this sentence to guide the police to open a case for investigation. You succeeded. The police found your brother within the construction site. He was not buried in the cement foundation of the sales office. He was buried in the foundation of the first phase of the building. Zhou Qian has confessed.”

After hearing this, Zhang He burst into tears.

He knelt on the ground as if relieved, as if the torment that had lasted for more than forty days was finally coming to an end.

But the trial is not over yet, there is a more important part.

That was the verdict on Zhang He.

Even if Zhang He’s purpose was to find his brother, and even if Sun Hua and Zhang He had agreed in advance to entrust the murder to someone else, it was still illegal.

What everyone is most concerned about now is undoubtedly the judge’s final judgment on Zhang He.

17

The old judge slowly put on his glasses, stood up and said.

“The latest evidence just provided by the defendant has been authenticated.”

“The evidence is a five-minute video that was filmed at 15:06, which is one minute after the first video evidence ended.”

“In the video, Sun Hua turned on the video recording, then stepped on a stool and hanged himself. During the process of hanging, Zhang He did not come forward to stop or persuade him, but this behavior is not illegal.”

“From this video, we can judge that Sun Hua’s death was an act of suicide.”

“But considering the plan between Zhang He and Sun Hua, it had a certain impact on Sun Hua’s death.”

“At the same time, through the defendant’s confession just now, we can know that Zhou Qian did not commit murder in this case. Everything was framed by the defendant. Now Zhou Qian is found not guilty, but because Zhou Qian is involved in other cases, he will not be released for the time being. He needs to wait for the trial of another case.”

“The verdict is now rendered on the defendant Zhang He.”

“The defendant Zhang He is sentenced to two years in prison.”

…

Two years!

This is the best result!

Everyone in the gallery cheered, and this time, the judge did not bring down the gavel to keep everyone quiet, but acquiesced to everyone’s cheering.

The judge sighed, walked from the podium to Zhang He, and said to Zhang He.

“While I understand that you really have nowhere to speak out, this approach is not recommended.”

Zhang He nodded.

“I know my behavior is the same as a robber robbing a bank to pay for my daughter’s medical treatment. Although it deserves sympathy, it is still illegal. I sincerely hope that no one in this society will take this helpless path again.”

…

Afterwards, Zhang He took the initiative to ask to see me.

I went to the detention center and it was the same as the first time I saw him.

Through the glass, he spoke to me, wearing clothes with vertical white stripes.

“Senior, I’m sorry for getting you involved.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you.”

After saying that, I asked again.

“But I have a question for you.”

“Um?”

“When you applied for legal aid, you clearly invited lawyer Xu Min. Why did you refuse?”

As soon as this question was asked, Zhang He looked apologetic.

He scratched his cheek and said:

“The time Lawyer Xu Min came to see me, he gave me a very good defense plan. According to his plan, I might not be sentenced to death, but my plan must ensure that I will be sentenced to death in both the first and second trials, so…”

He didn’t finish his words, but I understood.

This truth makes me want to cry but have no tears.

What he meant was that my level was not good enough.

If I were to defend him, he would be guaranteed the death penalty.

After getting this answer, all the confusion in my heart was resolved.

I don’t know why, but I only feel guilty towards Zhang He.

…

18

Let’s talk about the follow-up.

At first Zhou Qian refused to confess, but after his lawyer and relatives and friends visited him, he finally confessed.

According to his confession, Zhang Ping went to the construction site half a year ago. He was responsible for inserting steel bars into the foundation. However, the snow melted into the ground, making it muddy. Zhang Ping fell into the steel bars, which pierced his abdominal cavity and left lung on the spot. He was definitely dead.

They were just about to pour cement, and Zhou Qian was worried that once Zhang Ping’s situation was exposed, the construction site would not only have to face compensation, but also construction rectification. Most importantly, if someone died during the construction of this property, the house price would fall by 10% or 20% when the property was officially sold in the future. Wouldn’t the loss be more than tens of millions?

After much hesitation, he started pouring cement into the foundation.

Afterwards, Zhou Qian gave 10,000 yuan to each of the workers present that day and sent them to other construction sites.

In this way, the body was destroyed and there was no one to testify, so the case should have been sealed forever.

But he never dreamed that Zhang He would actually dig out the case bit by bit.

In the end, Zhou Qian was sentenced to death and fined 150,000 yuan.

The construction site compensated Zhang He 1.45 million yuan, plus Zhou Qian’s compensation, totaling 1.6 million yuan.

Zhang He fulfilled his promise and gave half of the money, or 800,000 yuan, to Sun Hua’s wife.

…

This case taught me a lot.

Although so many years have passed, I am still shocked when I think about it.

Although I am not a big lawyer nowadays, I can be considered a quasi-first-line lawyer.

While writing this story, I reviewed the entire case.

I suddenly thought of a suspicious point.

The project manager is responsible for the project progress, or to put it bluntly, he is in charge of building the house.

They only care about whether the house is built well or not, and whether the house can be sold or not has nothing to do with them.

But wasn’t the reason Zhou Qian buried Zhang Ping alive because he was worried that house prices would fall?

Even if he was really worried about a drop in housing prices, he was just an employee earning a fixed salary of 6,500 yuan a month.

How much compensation this construction site has to pay, does it really have anything to do with him?

If I were the project manager, the amount of money the property lost would not affect my salary at all.

Looking back, Zhou Qian initially refused to plead guilty.

But later his lawyer brought his relatives and friends to see him, and he pleaded guilty.

…

Thinking of this, I don’t know why, I just feel creepy.