Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The judge clasped his hands together on the desk and nodded expressionlessly at Gu Nianzhi. “Plaintiff, state your reasoning.” This was a courtroom, and there were laws to be followed, so regardless if she agreed or disagreed, there needed to be logic in her words.
Gu Nianzhi nodded with a smile, then she turned around to look in Jin Wanyi and Gu Yanran’s direction. She said cheerfully, “These two seem to be greatly anticipating my questioning. Could you two have deliberately submitted a fake inventory and are awaiting my questioning?” And then I’ll smash through each one by one, Gu Nianzhi thought. She wasn’t the type to be led by the nose.
“Objection. The plaintiff is using speculation to substitute for truth and defame my client.” Jin Wanyi immediately rebuked Gu Nianzhi.
The judge looked down to glance at the inventory of the Gu family’s assets submitted by Gu Yanran. He gave it some thought but finally said to Gu Nianzhi, “Plaintiff, please pay attention to your verbiage.”
“I understand, Your Honor.” Gu Nianzhi looked in the judge’s direction and bowed, then stared at Jin Wanyi and Gu Yanran. Composing her expression, she grew much more serious. “Before I state my reasoning, I want to ask Lawyer Jin if you’ve ever told your client that fraud is an illegal offense. Lawyer Jin, are you aware that assisting your client with perjury is also a felony for you?”
“What do you mean?” Jin Wanyi’s face suddenly fell. “Gu Nianzhi, this is an estate feud and economic case, not a criminal case. Why are you spouting nonsense about fraud and perjury?!”
“Is that not the case? Gu Nianzhi walked toward Jin Wanyi and Gu Yanran. Her tall, slim figure now stood before them. Her aura was dominating and very oppressive. “Lawyer Jin, you should educate your client about the law and tell her what fraud is. According to our nation’s laws, the action of fraud is considered to be employing methods of using fictional facts or concealing the truth in order to illegally possess something and defraud a typically large amount of public or private property. The most serious sentence is life imprisonment. This charge is completely applicable to your client, Gu Yanran.”
Gu Yanran’s face suddenly turned ashen, and her lips quivered fiercely. However, because she had gotten into more trouble from running her mouth yesterday, she still had a shred of reason left and did not reply to Gu Nianzhi.
Jin Wanyi gave Gu Yanran a look of comfort to reassure her before finally replying to Gu Nianzhi slowly, “Gu Nianzhi, you are outright threatening my client in court. I can apply to the court for an injunction to forbid you from defending yourself.”
Gu Nianzhi laughed out loud, then opened the file she held in Jin Wanyi’s direction. “Lawyer Jin, almost every country’s laws have the same stipulations. Everyone has the natural right to represent themselves in a lawsuit, and this right even overrides a lawyer’s right to represent. As long as I am in a normal state of mind and able to completely bear legal responsibility, then the court may not deprive me of my right to represent myself in court. Lawyer Jin, the principle of law is a very excellent course. If you’ve forgotten it, then you can take advantage of your annual credit requirements for continuing education to take this course again.”
Jin Wanyi sneered at Gu Nianzhi, refusing to lose to her aura one bit. “Gu Nianzhi, you’re still the same way and haven’t improved at all. This is a personal attack in court. You think this can help you win the case?”
“Lawyer Jin, you haven’t improved much, either. Firstly, personal attacks are not defined in the legal sense. Secondly, the definition of personal attacks encompasses an attack on another’s body, so there is no legal basis to your accusation. First of all, I didn’t break the law. Secondly, I didn’t attack your body. So you accusing me of a personal attack is a type of defamation in itself. There is no legal definition for personal attacks, yet there is one for defamation.” Gu Nianzhi calmly flipped open her file. “But today is not the time to be discussing these problems. If Lawyer Jin wants to engage in a battle of tongues with me, you will be waiting in line well into next year.” Gu Nianzhi seemed to be speaking about an obvious thing, like how the rain falls from the sky, and the wind blows through the trees. She didn’t show a hint of self-satisfaction or joy.
However, what Jin Wanyi hated more than anything was Gu Nianzhi’s lack of regard for anyone else. When she acted this way in court, it made it seem like the truth and law were on her side, so it made others want to scream at her.
Gu Nianzhi stared pointedly at Gu Yanran and said calmly, “Now let’s go back to the fraud. Gu Yanran, your lawyer didn’t educate you about law, so I’ll do it in her place this one time today. I will first declare that I don’t charge for educating people on law because I am a good citizen of the nation.”
“Objection! The topic raised by the plaintiff has nothing to do with the case.” Jin Wanyi had no choice when she saw that Gu Nianzhi was drifting farther and farther from the topic, so she couldn’t be led by the nose anymore.
But before the judge could speak, Gu Nianzhi immediately said, “Your Honor, I will prove that my topic has a significant relationship with this case.”
Gu Yanran was completely livid, and even the tips of her ears turned red. What was Gu Nianzhi trying to prove?! Could she be proving that Gu Yanran had committed fraud?! Gu Yanran instantly stood up.
Jin Wanyi quickly stopped her. “Miss Gu, please stay calm. I know what I’m doing.” She hinted that she already had taken countermeasures, so Gu Yanran finally sat down again.
Gu Nianzhi was somewhat regretful that Gu Yanran didn’t lose it in court. It looked like she had rather good control over her temper this time. Gu Nianzhi knocked on the table indifferently and said, “Gu Yanran, fraud is considered to be employing methods of using fictional facts or concealing the truth in order to illegally possess something and defraud a typically large amount of public or private property. In regards to your case, you employed the methods of using fictional facts or concealing the truth with the intention of illegally possessing the Gu fortune. The amount of private assets you defrauded is so incredible that your crime is especially heinous. So if you insist on concealing the truth and refusing to hand over the complete inventory of assets, then I can guarantee your sentence will be the most severe degree—life imprisonment.”
“You are defaming me!” Gu Yanran was finally enraged, her large chest heaving with emotion.
Jin Wanyi quickly interrupted Gu Yanran from saying anything more and scrambled to say to Gu Nianzhi first, “Gu Nianzhi, you must have evidence for the things you say in court. How can you say that my client used fictional facts and concealed the truth? She was always Gu’s biological daughter, so what do you mean she illegally possessed the Gu fortune?”
Gu Nianzhi hummed for a long beat and spread her palms. “Fine, I didn’t speak succinctly enough. Gu Yanran must have had the intention of illegally possessing ‘my portion’ of the Gu fortune. You can’t deny this, right? We are standing here today for this lawsuit because of the portion of the Gu fortune that belongs to me.”
In the moment, Jin Wanyi was stunned speechless by Gu Nianzhi. It was true that they were here for this estate feud case due to Gu Nianzhi’s appeal for the Gu fortune.
“See here, Gu Yanran, even your lawyer can’t say anything to that, so it’s obvious I am not wrong. Think about it carefully. I’ll give you five minutes to consider re-submitting an inventory of the Gu family’s assets.” Gu Nianzhi slapped a piece of white paper on the desk in front of Gu Yanran. She then turned to look at Jin Wanyi. “Lawyer Jin, let’s discuss the crime of perjury. According to our nation’s laws, concealing important details and evidence of crimes or assisting in perjury during legal proceedings can result in being sentenced to three to seven years of incarceration in serious cases. Judicial staff who commit perjury will be sentenced more severely.” Gu Nianzhi placed much emphasis on the last sentence. “Lawyer Jin, did you think this through? If you insist that that inventory is accurate, then you are very likely to be suspected of perjury. Also, why haven’t you signed your name on this inventory of assets? Only Gu Yanran signed it?”
Biting her lip, Jin Wanyi quickly considered it and avoided the sensitive topic of the signature. She continued to refute Gu Nianzhi. “Gu Nianzhi, according to our nation’s laws, if testimony or other evidence is inaccurate without being intentionally forged, then it is not considered perjury. As far as I’m concerned, I had no intention to induce or assist in the fabrication of evidence. So even if there is falsehood in the evidence, I would not be considered involved in perjury.”
Gu Nianzhi was a bit surprised. Jin Wanyi had actually improved and could even argue back with her… But she didn’t display this notion or continue questioning Jin Wanyi about why she hadn’t signed it. This was considered letting her off the hook. Eyes flashing quickly, Gu Nianzhi asked again, “Really? But you need to clearly think about this. Whether or not it was intentionally fabricated is ultimately determined by the court. It’s not as if you can get away from being charged by just saying you ‘didn’t mean to.’” In court, one needed to have a tangible chain of evidence to prove mistakes were not intentional.
Jin Wanyi fell into silence once again. Gu Nianzhi had beat her to the punch and forced a serious charge over her head to first make them doubt themselves. That way, Gu Nianzhi could easily continue her next round of attacks.
“Your Honor, I said that the defendant, Gu Yanran, may be suspected of fraud, and the defendant’s lawyer, Jin Wanyi, may be suspected of perjury, because I have another version of the inventory of the Gu fortune here.” At that moment, Gu Nianzhi submitted the inventory of the Gu fortune she had received from Ye Xuan to the court staff to present to the judge.
