CH 76

“A witness?” Ji Yao was puzzled and pointed at himself, asking, “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Jiang Heng smiled and said, “Actually, there’s been a development in Zhou Fang’s case, so I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to testify in court.”

As Ji Yao listened, he became more confused. Based on his previous understanding, Zhou Fang’s case was completely different from Liu Qiang’s. She had tampered with Li Wen’s car on the day of the accident, intending to cause a fatal crash, rather than just delaying medical treatment. Logically, they shouldn’t need a doctor as a witness in this case.

But Jiang Heng was a person who kept his professional and personal matters separate. Unless it was necessary, he wouldn’t go through the trouble just to involve Ji Yao in the proceedings.

Seeing Ji Yao’s confusion, Jiang Heng released his hold on Ji Yao’s waist slightly and reached for a document on the coffee table.

“The fact is that Zhou Fang tampered with the brakes on Li Wen’s car, making it a clear-cut case of attempted murder,” Jiang Heng explained. “But someone suggested that she apply for a third-party inspection agency to conduct a thorough examination of the car involved in the incident.”

Jiang Heng had initially investigated Zhou Fang’s case, and he was well aware of the crucial elements of the case. It had initially seemed like an open-and-shut case with a solid chain of evidence. Besides Liu Qiang and Zhou Fang, the mechanic who had been an accomplice had also been successfully apprehended and brought to justice. They even obtained chat records proving Zhou Fang’s involvement. It appeared that justice was within reach for Li Linghua. However, the problem arose with the results of the final inspection report.

While it was true that Zhou Fang had tampered with the car Li Wen was driving at the time of the accident, the inspection report showed that Li Wen hadn’t applied the brakes at all when the accident occurred.

In other words, the root cause of Li Wen’s accident wasn’t the tampered brakes but rather Li Wen’s own poor driving skills, which led to the accident and ultimately his fatal injuries.

As a result, the case had become much more complex. Li Linghua had fainted upon hearing the news, unable to accept that “attempted murder” had been reduced to “attempted harm.”

“…Impressive,” Ji Yao took a deep breath and said, “So, it’s gone from a potential life sentence to three years. Who came up with this idea? That’s quite cunning.”

“Who else could it be?” Jiang Heng sighed in resignation. “A lawyer.”

“But didn’t she use the money she got from Liu Qiang to hire a hitman?” Ji Yao asked. “Where would she get the funds to hire such a skilled lawyer?”

“She got legal aid,” Jiang Heng explained. “It’s a highly experienced attorney, and I’ve dealt with them before.”

“What’s the point of me testifying then?” Ji Yao still didn’t understand “To prove that Li Wen was indeed injured due to the car accident…? It seems meaningless.”

“The surgical consent form,” Jiang Heng said. “Do you remember it?”

Of course, Ji Yao remembered. That form had nearly cost him dearly, and if Jiang Heng hadn’t skillfully handled the situation, Ji Yao would have faced disciplinary action and significant financial penalties due to “procedural irregularities.”

“I remember,” Ji Yao said. “Are you saying… she intentionally signed that form, indicating malicious intent?”

“Yes,” Jiang Heng confirmed. “We obtained her chat records with Liu Qiang, which clearly show that she was aware of Li Wen’s HIV status. 

“So, we plan to approach the case from this angle.” Jiang Heng said. “Li Linghua knows she wronged you before, so she hasn’t dared to approach you directly. She asked me to sound you out first.”

“Of course,” Jiang Heng added. “Testifying isn’t mandatory, and you have the freedom to decide.”

“Freedom to decide?” Ji Yao raised an eyebrow. “If I’m this important in this case, can Li Linghua agree to give up this lead?”

“As the defense attorney, I also hope you’ll lend a hand,” Jiang Heng said. “However, you still have your own freedom to choose. If you really don’t want to, it’s okay.”

Ji Yao knelt on one knee on the sofa, looking down at Jiang Heng for a moment, seemingly weighing his options.

Jiang Heng blinked innocently and earnestly at him. They stared at each other for a while, but in the end, Ji Yao couldn’t contain his laughter.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Ji Yao said. “But I need to inform our hospital director first.”

“Okay,” Jiang Heng seemed to have expected this response. He smiled and pushed his luck, asking, “Do you still resent her for falsely accusing you before?”

“She was also deceived,” Ji Yao said.

There was a time when Ji Yao had resented Li Linghua for pushing him into a corner. Back then, he had felt a chill in his heart, and even seeing Jiang Heng had seemed like encountering an enemy who couldn’t tell right from wrong. But as time passed, Ji Yao gradually realized that Li Linghua had also been deceived just like him, and that sense of enmity disappeared.

Furthermore, although it was disrespectful to the deceased, Ji Yao sometimes wondered if this case hadn’t brought him and Jiang Heng back together. If they hadn’t developed a deeper connection, if Ji Yao hadn’t demanded answers from Jiang Heng due to his doubts, maybe Jiang Heng wouldn’t have impulsively left the bait for him to pursue him and fight for him, and Ji Yao wouldn’t have taken the bait, slowly making his way back to Jiang Heng and erasing the mistakes of the past.

In that case, their encounter at the bar and the hospital might have been their final connection, without the case they probably would have avoided each other, eventually drifting apart in the vast city, They would share the same sky above them but never cross paths again.

After they got back together, Ji Yao sometimes thought about this possibility and couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear and relief.

“Besides, what would you do if I refused?” Ji Yao asked.

“Me?” Jiang Heng thought for a moment and said, “I would have to find other ways and evidence. We can’t just drop the lawsuit.”

“Well then,” Ji Yao slipped down from Jiang Heng and mumbled, “You’re always running around, working tirelessly, and it’s at my expense.”

Ji Yao raised an eyebrow and teasingly flicked Jiang Heng’s chin.

“You see,” Ji Yao said, “how important connections are. They can save you from a lot of trouble.”

“You’re right,” Jiang Heng chuckled, playing along. “you’ve become my connection twice now.”

“Twice?” Ji Yao paused, looking puzzled. “When was the other time?”

There was the time at the hospital, Jiang Heng thought.

But he clearly didn’t intend to reveal that to Ji Yao so easily, so he smiled and kissed Ji Yao before walking into the bedroom with the documents, leaving Ji Yao with a mysterious silhouette.

Ji Yao: “…”

Jiang Heng enjoyed teasing Ji Yao with these little mysteries, and Ji Yao, curious yet helpless, couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “This scoundrel.”

He should be made to work overtime, Ji Yao thought, so he wouldn’t have time for these little amusements all day long.

However, despite his inner complaints, the next morning Ji Yao still went to see Director Hao to explain the situation.

The case involving Zhou Fang had received negative media attention, and while Ji Yao didn’t follow it closely, he had received occasional local news updates. Especially after the trial date had been set, the case had made headlines again, bringing back the public’s attention.

Since this case involved the hospital, Ji Yao didn’t want to make a decision on his own. He decided to inform Director Hao first.

“Are you sure you want to get involved again?” Director Hao furrowed his brow and said, “You’ve just managed to extricate yourself from this matter. If you inadvertently get involved again, it might not be worth the trouble.”

“I know,” Ji Yao replied. “But the medical malpractice case is already resolved, and I’m just going to testify as a witness.”

“You’re still young and might not fully understand these matters,” Director Hao took off his reading glasses and earnestly advised, “Your case has been settled, but if someone with ill intentions decides to dig into this matter, anything can happen in the court of public opinion. Your reputation might suffer, so you need to think it over carefully.”

Ji Yao had considered this issue, but he felt that since Jiang Heng had asked him to testify, he should be fully prepared for it. He didn’t think that Jiang Heng would push him into a difficult situation knowing the risks.

“I’ve thought it through,” Ji Yao said, “as long as it doesn’t harm the hospital’s reputation.”

Seeing that Ji Yao had made up his mind, Director Hao hesitated for a moment but didn’t give him a definite answer. Instead, he said, “I’ll talk to the hospital director. Please wait here for a moment.”

Ji Yao knew that this matter was of great importance and could potentially lead to public questioning of the hospital. He nodded to indicate that he understood.

Director Hao poured him a glass of water and then left the office to discuss the situation with the hospital director.

After half an hour, Director Hao returned and nodded as soon as he entered the room. “The hospital director has agreed.”

“Really?” Ji Yao’s eyes lit up, and he stood up from the sofa, saying, “Please thank the hospital director for me.”

“The hospital director said that doctors treat patients to save lives, and testifying in a serious case is also a way to seek justice for someone,” Director Hao said, looking worried. “But you need to be careful and not say anything that could cause trouble for yourself.”

“I understand,” Ji Yao said. “You can rest assured.”

Ji Yao had been to court once before, so he initially didn’t think much of it. He thought that he would just tell the truth during the trial, and there was nothing to fear. However, on the day of the trial, he realized that the older generation had a saying, “Old ginger is hotter than young ginger,” meaning that experienced people were often wise. Director Hao’s concerns were not without reason.

Zhou Fang’s case was different from Ji Yao’s previous case. In principle, she could be charged with attempted murder, so the trial was held in a higher court from the beginning.

The trial was scheduled for 9:00 AM, and Ji Yao went to the courthouse with Jiang Heng. He was shocked by the media presence at the courthouse entrance.

“…Why are there so many people?” Ji Yao exclaimed. “Are all these people going to enter and film inside?”

There was a gathering of media outlets at the courthouse entrance, with around ten cameras present. Ji Yao squinted and noticed that apart from local stations, there were several influential online media outlets.

Before this, Ji Yao had only known that the case had a negative impact, but he hadn’t expected it to escalate to this extent. He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

“They won’t all go inside,” Jiang Heng said. “Only two official media outlets will enter to film. There won’t be any media present during the trial, but the proceedings will be broadcast live.”

Ji Yao let out a soft sigh and furrowed his brow. His gaze involuntarily drifted outside.

“Why hasn’t it died down?” Ji Yao muttered. “It’s been months.”

The severity of the case and the ethical concerns, combined with the high public opinion of this case, have ignited the fire,” Jiang Heng explained. “That’s why it has attracted so much attention.”

“This case has dragged on for months,” Ji Yao said with a sigh.

“Indeed, and it’s a complex case,” Jiang Heng added.

Ji Yao and Jiang Heng continued their conversation as they entered the courthouse, and they were soon settled in their respective places.

Witnesses were not allowed in the courtroom before they testified, so Ji Yao waited in a nearby lounge, expecting to be called in at any moment.

It was a dull job, and cases involving loss of life were often intricate and tedious. Ji Yao initially tried to sit still and wait patiently, but after a while, he got bored and pulled out his phone to play a game.

As for the other witnesses, Ji Yao didn’t know who they were. However, after a couple of hours, they were called in one by one and didn’t return. Ji Yao became anxious and couldn’t help but lean against the door frame to look inside.

Unfortunately, the courtroom door was tightly closed, and he couldn’t hear anything from inside.

It wasn’t until more than an hour later that Ji Yao received a notification to testify. He seemed to be Jiang Heng’s last “trump card,” and as he pushed open the door to enter the courtroom, the atmosphere inside was already tense.

Jiang Heng wore silver half-frame glasses, and his collar was slightly open, tightened by his tie, giving him a neat appearance in his well-fitted suit.

On a sheet of paper in front of him, there were densely written notes. Li Linghua sat in the spectator seats, already crying and leaning on a young woman for support as she struggled to catch her breath.

Zhou Fang stood at the defendant’s seat, eyes downcast, not saying a word, and she didn’t even look at Ji Yao. Instead, it was the defense lawyer who raised his head briefly to examine Ji Yao, and then smiled politely.

Ji Yao quickly scanned the room, his heart pounding.

“Witness number five,” the prosecutor said, “on the day of the victim’s car accident, he was brought to your hospital for treatment. During the treatment process, did the defendant sign a surgical consent form, yes or no?”

“Yes,” Ji Yao cleared his throat and replied, “It was her.”

“Did she exhibit any behavior to voluntarily disclose her identity or inform of the victim’s medical condition during that time?” the prosecutor asked.

“No,” Ji Yao answered firmly. “She didn’t say anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“yes.”

“The testimonies of witness number five and witness number four corroborate each other, which lends credibility to their accounts,” the prosecutor concluded. “Therefore, we do not accept the defendant’s defense claims.”

“We object,” the defense lawyer quickly responded. “The defendant does not possess in-depth medical knowledge, and there may have been an honest mistake regarding the consequences of the treatment process. Additionally, based on the lack of brake usage evidence on the vehicle, it can be inferred that the car accident was not directly related to my client.”

“The car accident is not related,” Jiang Heng said, “but not offering assistance when one sees a life-threatening situation is also an issue.”

Jiang Heng raised his hand to signal and continued, “Based on the chat records between witness number four and the defendant, it is clear that the defendant already knew in advance that the victim was going to participate in a racing event that day and was at the scene when witness number four was talking to the victim. Given the practical possibility of fulfilling the notification obligation, the defendant neglected to warn the victim of the risks involved in racing, and allowed the victim to engage in racing activities despite knowing what would happen. This, in itself, constitutes a failure to provide a warning when there was a practical obligation to do so, directly resulting in the victim being placed in a dangerous situation.”

On the opposite side, Ji Yao noticed the defense attorney furrowing his brow slightly and quickly flipping through the pages of the documents in his hand.

“Furthermore,” Jiang Heng continued, “after the accident, the defendant did not inform the medical staff of the victim’s pathological risks, which is another form of inaction. In the absence of fulfilling the obligation to inform, the victim’s death occurred due to medication errors and the worsening of the victim’s condition, making it evident that the defendant’s inaction is directly related to the victim’s cause of death.”

“Based on the above points,” Jiang Heng concluded, “we request that the defendant be convicted of intentional manslaughter through inaction.”