Chapter 393: The First Trial Ends, the Mutation Begins

"Pops, why are you here?"

Yan Jing looked at Papa Rat, who was sitting seven or eight seats away. He darted over to his side and smiled.

"Just here to see what kind of ungrateful stunts you're capable of."

Papa Rat jumped directly onto Yan Jing's shoulder, his expression calm.

"Ungrateful?" Yan Jing gasped. "Nonsense! Absolute nonsense, Father!"

"Silence!"

On the high bench, the judge banged his wooden gavel.

The originally tense atmosphere in the courtroom had been completely ruined by their exchange.

"Nonsense," Yan Jing repeated, lowering his voice.

Papa Rat gave a rare roll of his eyes. "What exactly is Mr. Luo trying to do, putting a brat like you in this position?"

"It wasn't Mr. Luo's idea."

Yan Jing puffed out his chest. "Zeng Qing and I discussed it and made the call."

"Heh, your wings have grown strong. You won't even give your old man the bottom line anymore," Papa Rat sneered.

But Yan Jing kept his smile. He lowered his head slightly, letting his gaze fall to the floor with perfect naturalness. "It's true."

Papa Rat sighed. "Fine. That's just how the world is, anyway."

"How is it?"

Yan Jing smiled, looking at Papa Rat.

"A son will eventually raise his blade against his father."

Papa Rat raised a hand. Yan Jing pulled a cigarette from the rat's pocket, placed it between his fingers, took out a lighter, and lit it.

"Whether the final outcome is burying the hatchet or never crossing paths again."

Papa Rat exhaled a mouthful of white smoke, then grabbed the smoke with his fingers and stuffed it into his pocket—smoking wasn't allowed in the courtroom.

"This process might take an instant, a few minutes, half a year, or decades. But regardless, only after it's over can a father and son truly be considered to have reached the next stage of their lives."

Yan Jing listened quietly, just as he had during the dozen or so days he had stayed at Papa Rat's house, before asking, "So what is the next stage?"

"I don't know."

Papa Rat spoke plainly, "Because I haven't reached that next stage yet."

"Then what is my next stage?" Yan Jing asked.

"I don't know that either," Papa Rat said mildly. "I haven't experienced it."

His downward gaze was like flowing water.

Papa Rat didn't have a father; he was an orphan.

Strictly speaking, he had no experience as a father—he didn't even have experience as a child.

"Alright, let's get back to this case."

Yan Jing lifted his head and looked forward.

By now, the bought-off witness had begun reading his statement. Though he stuttered and stumbled, his meaning was at least clear:

He had personally seen several people in the Anthill conspiring to extort a massive sum of money from Nuochen Biotech.

He had even brought an audio recording.

In the gallery, the few people implicated turned deathly pale upon hearing this, while the rest wore expressions of utter disbelief.

With so many Anthill residents, naturally some would hope to profit from the situation, but no one expected their words to be recorded by the patrol officer.

"Who do you think will win?"

Yan Jing looked at the increasingly disadvantaged Crocodile, his voice calm.

The moment he spoke, a rolled-up newspaper smacked him on the top of his head.

Meeting Yan Jing's slightly startled gaze, Papa Rat said blandly, "How many times have I told you? Don't fixate on winning or losing."

"If you're always keeping track of things like that, it means you haven't stepped off the chessboard yet."

"Only the players obsess over victories and defeats on the board, over how many pieces they've captured or how many rounds they've won. But the people outside the board will always earn more than the players themselves."

"You should be asking me if I think I can earn more from this."

"Then can you earn—"

Smack. Another rolled-up newspaper came down. Papa Rat remained expressionless. "How many times have I told you? Never let your opponent lead you by the nose."

Rubbing his twice-smacked head, Yan Jing suddenly burst into laughter.

Extreme speechlessness often induced the urge to laugh, but his laughter was genuinely joyous.

"Alright, Pops. You're right."

Yan Jing reached out, carefully cupping Papa Rat from his shoulder and placing him onto the seat, before saying, "Now is the time the son raises his blade against the father."

"Get ready for it, Pops."

"Mm." Papa Rat sat in the chair, his face placid.

Yan Jing returned to Zeng Qing's side.

"Is that your father?" Zeng Qing asked, confused. "Is he the backer behind Assemblyman Crocodile?"

"I'm not sure," Yan Jing smiled. "But it's time to hit them with the hard stuff."

"Starting now?"

Zeng Qing blinked, then nodded. "It should be about time."

She coughed softly twice, shooting a glance at their lawyer.

Catching the signal, the lawyer immediately looked toward the judge and spoke, "Your Honor, I would like to ask the plaintiff's representative a few questions."

"Allowed."

The judge nodded.

With that, the lawyer turned to the otter across the room and asked, "Mr. Wen, I want to ask you: are you absolutely certain that our pollution caused your daughter's hospitalization?"

Faced with the lawyer's questioning, the otter appeared rather nervous. He kept his head down, not daring to meet the lawyer's eyes, his paws tightly gripping the fabric of his dress pants.

"Your Honor, our representative is in a state of mental distress. I request permission to answer on his behalf."

Seeing this, Crocodile immediately spoke up.

"Overruled."

Ignoring the furious glares of the crowd, the judge looked at the otter. "Plaintiff, please answer the question directly."

In the gallery, the crowd grew anxious.

It was a very simple question. To the uneducated masses, this seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to strike back.

Crocodile knew this was merely a routine line of questioning. Even if the otter confirmed it, the lack of prior logical closure meant it wouldn't have much effect. But if the otter said he wasn't certain, things would get interesting.

This trial would likely end in a finalized verdict right then and there, leaving them without even the chance for a second trial.

"Old Yang! Say it, tell them your daughter's hospitalization is their fault!"

"Yeah, say it, Old Yang! Your daughter is still waiting for you in the hospital!"

"Old Yang! Say it, just say it!!! Say it now!!!!"

Some in the crowd were already seeing red, roaring with a palpable need to vent their fury.

But the otter remained silent. He kept his head down, his entire body trembling. Minute by minute slowly ticked by until tears leaked from his eyes. He raised his head and opened his mouth. "I—I—"

Whimpers filled his mouth. He looked so thoroughly agonized and despairing that many of the roaring voices in the gallery fell silent.

A thought they dared not examine too closely unconsciously surfaced in everyone's minds.

Think about it: a man whose wife had run off with someone else, whose daughter was lying in a hospital bed—if someone were to shove a massive sum of money at him right now, paired with a tiny bit of intimidation...

"My—my daughter—"

The otter's eyes brimmed with tears. "My daughter got sick on her own. It has nothing to do with Nuochen Biotech."

A betrayal right in the middle of court!!!

It actually happened!!!

Nuochen Biotech's lawyer wore a smug smile, while the crowd in the gallery looked completely devastated.

Crocodile let out a faint, heavy sigh.

In the corner, Tianxuan wore a smile.

Papa Rat's face was calm.

Yan Jing and Zeng Qing were also watching the scene unfold. Yan Jing's eyes flickered, while Zeng Qing's gaze was complicated.

"If you weren't the executive director right now, how would things have turned out?"

Yan Jing asked softly.

"—" Zeng Qing was speechless, biting her lower lip.

She knew Yan Jing had specifically demanded her presence at the trial just so she could witness this.

"This world is straying further and further from the path of the so-called Heavenly Kingdom."

Yan Jing said, "The most terrifying part is that it shows absolutely no sign of stopping its freefall."

"My Pops told me that when everything has gone entirely to hell, you shouldn't hold out hope for a hero to suddenly step up, turn the tide, and lift everyone from the gutter to the peak. Instead, you have to start by just making things trend upward."

"That is what I want to do."

Up at his desk, Crocodile took a deep breath and spoke, "Your Honor, I suspect our representative has been bribed or threatened by the opposing party."

"Objection! Your Honor, the opposition is blatantly slandering us. This is defamation against Nuochen Biotech! It is a violation of our reputational rights!"

Nuochen Biotech's lawyer immediately fired back.

Unexpectedly, in the very next second, Crocodile pulled up two videos from the Information Component on his wrist.

He clicked on the first one. It clearly showed a man conversing with Officer Liu, the patrol officer currently standing on Nuochen Biotech's side.

The man first pulled out a knife and gestured twice near Officer Liu's abdomen, after which the two of them initiated a transfer and docking of their Information Components.

"Objection! Your Honor, the authenticity of this video must be investigated! That man has absolutely no connection to Nuochen Biotech. Furthermore, the docking of Information Components could simply be a normal exchange of contacts. There is no evidence whatsoever to prove that the scene depicts the threats or bribery the opposition claims!"

His guard now fully raised, the lawyer hired by Nuochen Biotech demonstrated his excellent professional caliber with a rapid response.

Of course, anyone could see that there was something shady going on.

At this very moment, the patrol officer standing on Nuochen Biotech's side as a witness was shaking like a leaf, completely unable to hide the terror in his eyes.

The judge's gaze turned gloomy before he stated, "The contents of this video will require further investigation."

This was already the best approach he could come up with.

This Crocodile was far too cunning; he had prepared for his own witness's betrayal right from the start.

Not discouraged by the first piece of evidence failing to land an immediate blow, Crocodile spoke up again. "Your Honor, I have a second video. This video contains audio and the footage is crystal clear. It is more than enough to prove that the opposing party carried out illegal operations against our representative."

The moment he said this, Nuochen Biotech's lawyer grew frantic. "Your Honor, I question the admissibility of this video!"

At the same time, he cast desperate glances toward Zeng Qing in the gallery.

Normally, if a witness posed any risk of unforeseen complications, Nuochen Biotech would have long since sent someone to beat them to death and be done with it. However, first, this matter had blown up to massive proportions; if the witness died, it would cost a fortune to suppress the fallout.

Second, many people harbored long-standing grievances against Nuochen Biotech, and one or two rival corporate giants were actively interfering, trying to use this scandal to tank Nuochen's stock price.

Third, an assemblyman from the Heavenly Kingdom was involved.

Yet, faced with her lawyer's pleading gaze, Zeng Qing chose to ignore him.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Crocodile clicked to play the video.

The otter's face turned deathly pale.

He recalled how Crocodile had visited the victims' families in the Anthill every single day recently, always seeking him out for meals afterward. The hidden camera or listening device must have been planted then.

But the contact who had approached him had clearly checked his body and told him there were no cameras.

He couldn't figure it out. He only knew that he was utterly finished. Regardless of whether they won the lawsuit or not, committing perjury meant he and his daughter were effectively done for. Sweating profusely, he simply closed his eyes in resignation.

But to everyone's absolute shock, when Crocodile hit play, not a single sound came out.

Just like the first video, there were only visuals.

Now it was Crocodile's turn to be stunned.

He had specifically double-checked it before coming here, and it definitely had audio.

"Your Honor, I request permission to change playback devices!"

"Objection! Your Honor, I petition for a second trial! I also request verification of the provided evidence's authenticity!"

The opposing lawyer was ecstatic. He never imagined his opponent would make such an amateur mistake.

"Objection! Your Honor, I inspected it before arriving. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the video, it—"

"Overruled. Court is temporarily adjourned! The court will need to deliberate on how to proceed."

Crocodile clenched his fists.

Just a little bit more!!!

Just a tiny bit more!!!!

If only the video's audio had played, then even if the opposition pulled strings to get the evidence dismissed, he could have still relied on the courtroom recording to petition for prosecutorial intervention. Then he could have forced the other side to negotiate, securing as much compensation as possible for the victims!!

But—but how could—

A flash of dejection crossed his eyes. He absolutely never anticipated such a development.

This time, it wasn't just Crocodile; even Papa Rat, sitting in his chair, found it somewhat hard to believe.

He had just carefully scanned his surroundings but found nothing.

He had seen that video before, too, and he was certain it had audio. Yet now, the sound seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Unconsciously, he glanced toward Yan Jing and Zeng Qing in the corner.

But a moment later, he retracted his gaze.

In his view, his son didn't have that kind of ability yet.

So who exactly was it—

Within the courtroom right now, the absolute calmest person was undoubtedly Tianxuan in the corner. She simply treated it all as a good show.

Whether they won or lost the first trial, from her perspective, it made little difference.

If the Anthill lost miserably, she would leak some evidence to allow the court proceedings to drag on to a second trial. If Nuochen Biotech lost (though highly unlikely), she was certain they would find a way to stall into a second trial regardless.

And the window of time between the first and second trials was when she would truly deploy her killing move.

Soon, the judges concluded their deliberation.

They announced that, due to the complexity of the case, the second trial would commence in three days.

Tianxuan smiled faintly, stood up, and was the first to walk out the door.

Everything was under control.

Before leaving, Papa Rat came over to Yan Jing, wearing an indescribable smile. "Is this your blade, kid?"

"This is just the scabbard, Pops."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Good." Papa Rat nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing what your blades actually look like."

The crowd gradually dispersed. Finally, aside from the judges above, only Yan Jing, Zeng Qing, and Crocodile remained in the courtroom.

Crocodile lingered at the front of the court for a long time. At last, he packed his things and passed by Yan Jing and Zeng Qing.

"A spectacular trial, Mr. Crocodile."

Yan Jing grinned broadly. "I am Papa Rat's son, his favorite one. My name is Mao Si. It's a pleasure to meet you."

It took Crocodile a moment to process this. He stared blankly for a good while before reaching out a hand to Yan Jing. "Hello, Mao Si. Good lad."

"And the lady beside you... she must be the executive director of Nuochen Biotech, right?"

"Hello."

Currently equipped with a Disguise Module, Zeng Qing didn't deny it.

"It wasn't exactly a good trial."

Crocodile shook his head. "Compared to the past, I really am getting old. It's been too long since I worked this trade. Thank you for today."

He expressed his gratitude to Zeng Qing and Yan Jing, having seen through the opposition holding back.

Although he didn't know their reasons, he was willing to show respect for their actions.

"No need for thanks, Mr. Crocodile. I'm not nearly as kind-hearted as you think. I'm a bad guy."

Yan Jing smiled.

At this very moment.

In a place no one noticed.

A spore-like substance began to grow and sprout from the factories where Yan Jing had spread his contamination, drifting off into the distance.

Many Anthill residents came into contact with the spores entirely unawares, swiftly completing the parasitization process. Then, the parasitism began to spread outward, creeping beyond the bounds of the Anthill.

The true Mutation had begun.