Chapter 8

The young woman brushed the hair from her forehead and continued in a calm tone, "Hello, Ye Feng. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Qin Yan, Qin as in Qin Shi Huang, and Yan as in a smile. I am a lawyer at Zhicheng Law Firm in Mingzhu City, and I am also the owner of the firm. I have been entrusted to handle your case. I came to see you today to get a preliminary understanding of the situation."

Ye Feng asked, "Was it my coworker who asked you to come?"

Qin Yan nodded and said, "Yes, yesterday over twenty migrant workers went to my firm and collectively requested to see me. One of them even knelt down in front of everyone. I was very moved and curious, so I agreed to their request and took on this case. The client is named Liu Tiezhu, and the person they entrusted is you. They gave me a brief overview of your situation, but they don't know the specific details."

Hearing Qin Yan's words, Ye Feng was deeply moved. He knew he owed Tiezhu and his coworkers a great favor, and he was determined to repay it someday. He believed he would have the chance to do so.

Qin Yan pointed to the middle-aged man behind her and continued, "Ye Feng, this is my assistant, Wang Dong. He is also a lawyer and will be responsible for taking notes. You can trust him."

Ye Feng looked at Wang Dong and saw that he had taken out a pen and notebook, as well as a voice recorder.

"Ye Feng, from the police station, I have learned that the investigation and evidence collection for your case are complete, and the police have already filed a public prosecution against you. That's why I can meet with you alone. After this meeting, the police may transfer you to a detention center soon. Within a month, or at most one and a half months, your case will go to trial. The most important thing for me today is to hear a detailed account of the entire incident, the more detailed, the better. I need all the details to help me defend you in court."

Qin Yan's words didn't really register with Ye Feng. What he most wanted to know was how long the entire process—from the filing of the lawsuit, to the trial, to the final verdict—would take. Ye Feng knew nothing about this, which was the only reason he had asked Tiezhu to help him hire a lawyer. He needed to know how long the process would take. If it was long enough, that would be best. If it was quick, he would need the lawyer to help him delay it. So he asked Qin Yan urgently, "Lawyer Qin, I just want to ask you, how long will it take for my case to reach a final verdict under normal procedures?"

Qin Yan frowned, clearly not expecting Ye Feng to ask such a question, but she answered professionally, "At this stage, the evidence in your case is very strong. I'm also puzzled by how quickly the police filed the public prosecution against you, which is somewhat disadvantageous for you. However, if you appeal after the court's decision, the case will be reviewed by a higher court, which will take much longer."

Ye Feng knew the police had filed the public prosecution so quickly because Liu Yong wanted to get him convicted and sentenced as soon as possible.

At this point, Ye Feng interrupted again, "If I am sentenced to death in the final trial, will it be executed immediately?"

Qin Yan smiled and said, "Of course not. Executing a death sentence is a very serious matter. Even after a final death sentence, the execution still needs to be approved by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court usually issues a notice to execute the death sentence immediately, signed by the President of the Supreme Court, and sent to the original high court or intermediate court, which then executes it within seven days. If it is not executed within seven days, a new death warrant must be issued. In short, the process is very rigorous."

Hearing Qin Yan's explanation, Ye Feng felt much more at ease. What he needed most was time, and knowing from a professional lawyer that the process would take a long time was very reassuring for him.

Ye Feng even thought that if he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have needed to ask Tiezhu to help hire a lawyer; he could have just asked Tiezhu to consult one. However, since Qin Yan was already there, he didn't want to back out.

Qin Yan then asked Ye Feng detailed questions about the entire case, and Ye Feng cooperated fully, telling the truth. He explained how he met Liu Meimei, how he fell in love with her, and the details of how Liu Meimei and Liu Yong conspired to frame him, including the arrogant words Liu Yong used when framing him. Ye Feng told Qin Yan everything.

Although Ye Feng already had his own plan to clear his name, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to expose Liu Meimei and Liu Yong's true nature through another channel.

After listening to Ye Feng's account, Qin Yan's expression was very serious. After a while, she asked, "Ye Feng, as your defense lawyer, trust is the foundation. From a professional standpoint, I believe everything you have told me. This is the basic duty and integrity of a lawyer. However, I must tell you that your account is completely opposite to the police's investigation records and evidence, and it even involves police misconduct, which is a very serious matter. Do you understand?"

Ye Feng nodded and said, "I understand. I am very grateful that you agreed to be my lawyer. However, I have a request that you might not be able to accept. I asked you to be my lawyer for one reason: to help me delay the trial as long as possible. You might not understand this, but it is my only request. To be honest, I told you the truth about the case not because I hope you can clear my name, but because I want this truth to be known by more than just me."

Qin Yan's face turned a bit sour. Ye Feng could sense that his words had upset her. If he were a lawyer, he would also be unhappy to hear such words from his client. Trust is a two-way street, and his words clearly made Qin Yan feel that he didn't trust her.

Qin Yan was silent for a long time before she said, "Ye Feng, I understand your feelings. Anyone in your situation would react similarly, feeling fear, tension, and anxiety. Many people might not handle it as well as you. However, I still hope you can maintain a clear and rational mind. Before the final verdict, there is still hope. With my efforts, you might get a reduced sentence. Based on the details you provided, there is at least one point in your favor. The police can destroy evidence related to themselves, but they cannot destroy evidence related to you. This is one of the most important evidence chains. According to what you said, you were called to the villa by Liu Meimei in the middle of the night. There are surveillance videos and phone records. I will also request a detailed forensic report to compare with the time of the victim's death, which might provide evidence in your favor."

Ye Feng thought about it and found Qin Yan's words reasonable. It took him over twenty minutes to walk from the workers' shed to Liu Meimei's house, and it would also take time to commit the murder. However, the villa owner had already died before he arrived. If the forensic doctor could provide a genuine autopsy report, Qin Yan might indeed find evidence in his favor.

However, Ye Feng was also concerned. If Qin Yan could think of this, Liu Yong could too. If Liu Yong used his connections and power to bribe the forensic doctor and alter the report, the evidence in his favor might be destroyed before Qin Yan could verify it.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Ye Feng still believed that he could not rely on anyone and should not have any illusions about the so-called fairness of society. He could only rely on himself.

However, he couldn't say anything about Qin Yan's serious and professional attitude. He could only nod, indicating his willingness to cooperate with Qin Yan in the investigation and to express and state the relevant points during the first trial.

Qin Yan was more satisfied with Ye Feng's attitude this time. She smiled and said, "Ye Feng, I will start preparing immediately. I will conduct a detailed investigation of everyone involved in the case. You don't need to worry too much. I will meet with you again before the trial and hope to bring you some good news."

Ye Feng didn't say much, just smiled, and got up to leave. As he walked to the door, he suddenly felt an impulse and turned back to Qin Yan, saying, "Lawyer Qin, do you believe in cause and effect, and do you believe that heaven has eyes? If I tell you that perhaps one day Liu Yong and Liu Meimei will turn themselves in and admit that they are the real culprits, would you believe it?"

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

Ye Feng had expected this response from Qin Yan. He didn't want to say anything more and bowed to her respectfully before turning and walking out.