Chapter 766 – Court Session

Under the public gaze, the trial opened. It was a beautiful day—neither too hot nor too cold. Hearing that the "Australians" were trying a case, villagers from miles around and off-duty workers and clerks flocked to the Commercial Hall. The ground floor housed the East Gate Market Summary Court, where the trial was to be held. The courtroom was small, renovated in modern style, with only sixty seats in the gallery. Li Mei had sent people to add benches in the aisles and rear corridor for extra seating.

Even so, the crowd swelled early. By eight o'clock in the morning, Mu Min estimated over a thousand people had gathered outside the Commercial Hall to listen, with more streaming in. The total crowd was expected to reach three thousand.

Only a handful secured seats; tickets were free upon request at the door but required identification and registration of names. To prevent unrest, Mu Min had ordered the East Gate Market Garrison Company and Battalion Headquarters onto alert. Police cancelled all leave and were fully mobilized. The department issued large quantities of pepper-spray grenades to the Garrison Company, while the General Bureau of Political Security deployed its entire field and support staff in plainclothes among the crowd.

An Emergency Response Headquarters was set up in a second-floor observation room of the East Gate Market Police Station. Chiefs of Judiciary, Police, and Political Security were all present, ready to handle any incident.

The trial hadn't started, but seeing the human tide gathering in the streets, a sense of unease spread among the elders in the command center. There seemed to be too many people! Crowds clogged East Gate Avenue in front of the Commercial Hall and Police Station; police had to intervene to maintain order.

Most elders in the command center had never seen such a scene; no longer could they lounge on rattan sofas debating whether the new marriage law should mandate monogamy, polygamy, or monogamy-with-concubinage. Li Mei was especially anxious, terrified a riot would smash up the market. It made the business elite's heart race—merchants feared nothing more than riots. The first victims were always the shops.

"Should we send in the Garrison Battalion? With this many people, will there be a stampede?"

"No need. The Garrison Battalion standing outside is enough," Mu Min said confidently. "Just standing there in crisp uniforms provides a huge deterrent. Relax—this scene is normal. No signs of losing control."

"With so many people and fewer than a hundred tickets, what about the rest?" Ma Jia worried.

"It's fine. Don't we have cable broadcasting? We'll broadcast it live."

To ensure as many people as possible could hear, Ding Ding had microphones installed in the courtroom, wired into the existing East Gate Market street broadcast system. Thus the entire trial could be heard even on the street. To help naturalized citizens understand the background, Zhang Yu was brought in to provide commentary.

Crowds were guided to loudspeakers throughout the streets. They could stand and listen. Those with a bit more money, according to their means, took seats in teahouses, restaurants, and snack shops, ordered a pot of tea, and listened in comfort. As for the masses sitting or standing in the streets, sidewalks, and open lots, peddlers were there to serve them.

"Cigarettes! Melon seeds! Dried sweet potatoes!"

"Soda! Kombucha!"

"Bopu dried octopus—one bite and you'll want another!"

"Small stools for rent! Listen to the trial in comfort!"

...

At the courtroom entrance, police checked tickets and identification, ensuring every seat was filled by the named ticketholder. Thirty minutes before the session, the gallery was packed, people sweating freely. Windows were fully open for ventilation and to keep people from smashing the glass by leaning on it. A row of police cadets from the Police Training Class stood shoulder-to-shoulder along the walls, eyeing the overflowing gallery.

Near nine o'clock, a policeman shouted: "Silence! Extinguish cigarettes! All rise!" Amid the scraping of stools, Presiding Judge Xu Ke walked in from a door behind the bench.

Xu Ke wore the newly tailored judicial robe: British style, pure black, with a seated Bi'an beast embroidered on the chest. On his head he wore a black Song-style long-winged official cap—a fusion of East and West, exuding majesty. The commoners were awestruck; some even went weak in the knees and knelt.

Xu Ke carried a massive, black-leather-bound codebook with "Law of Australian Song" stamped in gold, fully displaying the legal dignity he represented.

Solemnly, Xu Ke ascended to the high bench. Seeing everyone's eyes upon him, he felt a twinge of pride—being a judge felt good. Though the swaying of the strange long-winged cap took some getting used to. Xu Ke banged the gavel and intoned in a low, drawn-out voice: "The court is now in session!"

Next, the unlucky young man was led in by police and stood in the defendant's dock. Identification was verified per procedure. A buzz of discussion rose from the gallery. People were surprised the "adulterous pair" didn't appear together. And the crucial "cuckolded husband" was absent too. Many felt disappointed—adultery trials were traditionally entertainment for the masses. Now only the "adulterer" appeared.

According to procedure, the district prosecutor spoke first. An Xi stood up from the prosecution table, trembling slightly—probably from nervousness. Xu Ke knew An Xi's professional level was abysmal; he couldn't even recite basic statutes. Several Law Society members said he claimed a law degree, but he looked like a lazy adult-education law undergrad. If not for his devoted legwork for Ma Jia and significant contributions to the Law Society, they probably wouldn't have accepted him.

Though reading from a script, An Xi stumbled. He first outlined the case, including the fact of adultery, and submitted transcripts of all parties' confessions. The clerk read the transcripts aloud. The first was the suspect's own confession. Initially, people found the dry questioning boring, but hearing the detailed confession piqued their interest—privacy-invading details were always compelling. Finally, An Xi presented the confession of the "party concerned," admitting to sexual relations with the suspect.

Then he asked the suspect if he had any objection to the confession just read.

The suspect said no. The prosecution then called witnesses, including several Meiyang villagers and the woman's shop colleagues. They provided corroborating testimony.

"…That concludes my statement. Thank you, Your Honor." An Xi wiped sweat from his forehead. Though he had only read the prepared materials, he was a nervous wreck.

Xu Ke announced a recess—it was nearly noon. The gallery began to clear. Buzzing discussions filled the air; few discussed the case itself, but rather the process: the volume of confessions, testimonies, and evidence. It seemed far more civilized than the old yamen inquisitions—no fierce bailiffs, no stimulating torture scenes. Lacking these, it was a bit dull, but the detailed descriptions in the confessions gave the crowd a different kind of interest.

Li Mei had pre-arranged for the Cooperative Restaurant to sell boxed lunches around the Commercial Hall. They sold out quickly, earning a tidy profit. Surrounding eateries also did brisk business.

Court reconvened at noon. To the transmigrators, the old time-space's eleven-thirty to one o'clock lunch break was a waste of time. In their schedule, lunch ended at noon.

The case was technically over, but the defense process had to play out. This fascinated the listeners most: allowing someone to speak specifically to defend the criminal was unheard of. In the past, it was just a matter of whether the prisoner confessed. Everyone wanted to see what Australian defense meant.

Ji Xin's defense was a plea for leniency—since the suspect had confessed and the case was open-and-shut, there was no need for gimmicks.

He focused on the suspect's family circumstances, recounting their misfortunes—omitting the causes of the brothers' deaths to avoid bad press for industrialization. He called witnesses to attest that the suspect was historically "honest and dutiful" in the village, had never done anything unconscionable, let alone molested women. This incident, he argued, was an accidental slip caused by poverty, inability to afford a wife, and youth. He pointed out that the female party bore some responsibility for initiating the affair.

Ji Xin spoke gently and persuasively, his performance ten times better than An Xi's. The gallery clearly showed great sympathy for the suspect. Xu Ke thought: if this were a jury trial, that performance alone would sway them.

(End of Chapter)