Chapter 355: Xie Renyu, Acting Out Of Character

"First charge, Participation in the organization of a criminal syndicate. The Police Department has confirmed that since the year 2510, Li Xiaofei has been a member of the notorious gang, the Cloudy Sky Gang..."

"Second charge, Murder. Evidence shows that since 2510, Li Xiaofei has killed, seriously injured, or permanently disabled more than 1,000 people. In just the past six months, over 500 innocent civilians from legitimate organizations such as the Dragon Claw Gang and Tianyu Palace have fallen victim to his slaughter..."

The judge’s voice boomed with conviction, his tone powerful and impassioned as it echoed through the livestream.

Shen Yan, who was usually lively and energetic during his broadcasts, was uncharacteristically silent today. His assistant, Little You, known for her black stockings and sharp attitude, clenched her small fists tightly. Her face betrayed the kind of anger one might have when someone takes their favorite food.

They had been forced to go live. As staunch supporters of Li Xiaofei, and as the official streamers of Red Flag High School, Shen Yan was the most loyal of all Li Xiaofei’s fans in the streaming world. But they had been forced by higher-ups to participate in broadcasting the entire trial.

Shen Yan’s stream, Little White Dragon in the Waves, was the home base for Fist People and Baba, the most die-hard fans of Li Xiaofei. Many of the viewers had been avid supporters of Li Xiaofei since the early rounds of the tournaments. At this moment, the livestream had over half a million viewers. This number was a third higher than Shen Yan’s usual broadcast attendance.

Li Xiaofei deserves death.

Demand harsh punishment for this criminal.

Kill him, kill this gang member.

The screen was flooded with a relentless barrage of hostility.

Shen Yan grimly watched for a moment before he couldn’t hold back anymore. "Little You, ban all these trolls stirring up trouble—permanently."

"Got it," Little You responded, pumping her small, pink fists with determination.

She had been itching to act for a while now. The extra viewers flooding the stream were clearly hired trolls who were deliberately stirring up chaos. The same phrases were repeated over and over in the chat, making it obvious to anyone with half a brain what was going on.

It wasn’t enough for them to frame Li Xiaofei; they wanted to destroy his reputation and turn this city's former hero into a pariah.

"Eighth charge, Oppressing men, abusing women, with countless innocent females dead at his hands. Evidence shows that Li Xiaofei constructed an SM room at the Cloudy Sky Gang’s headquarters to torture and humiliate women. The basement was filled with the remains of his victims..."

The judge’s voice rang out once more. People were watching this trial from countless rooms, plazas, streets, offices, and factories all across Liuhe Base City, anywhere with a screen or projection capabilities. The judge’s voice was clear and echoed in every space.

In addition to the live footage from the trial, disturbing videos were played, meant to showcase evidence of Li Xiaofei’s heinous crimes. People watched in silence. Their eyes were fixed on the screen, where the boy dressed in prison clothes sat in the defendant’s chair.

The boy was no stranger to them. He had been the brightest public figure in the city for the past six months. Some had first heard of him through the high school tournaments. Others knew him from the government’s commendation ceremonies.

Many had seen him fighting on the star beast battlefield. In particular, the image of him single-handedly taking down the bull demon had been broadcast countless times, edited and re-aired by both the military and the government.

Almost every citizen of Liuhe Base City knew this boy. He had once been the pride of the city; the darling of countless citizens. But now, he had fallen from the clouds into the dust.

People remained silent, their gazes distant and confused, as they listened to the charges being read during the broadcast.

But the boy stood silently, his expression calm, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Even when the ten charges were fully read out, Li Xiaofei hadn’t uttered a single word.

"All charges have been read." The judge announced, taking a deep breath. "Li Xiaofei, you now have the opportunity to defend yourself. Be aware, every word you say will be submitted as court evidence. Alternatively, you can choose to have an official lawyer represent you."

Li Xiaofei turned his head toward the audience, locking eyes with Su Yuncao.

The true mastermind behind it all, the most powerful person in the room, was not seated with the three city leaders seated at the front; Xie Renyu, Wu Fohai, or Mai Zixiong. Instead, Su Yuncao sat among the ordinary crowd.

As Li Xiaofei looked at him, Su Yuncao gave him a look of false sympathy and regret, like a kind elder showing pity for a wayward lamb. Li Xiaofei smirked and raised his middle finger.

Then he spoke. "I request a fifteen minute recess."

According to the laws of Great Xia, this was a fundamental right of any defendant. The elderly judge hesitated for a moment, instinctively glancing at Su Yuncao in the audience.

After receiving an unspoken signal, the judge shook his head and denied the request. "Given the severity of your crimes, you are not entitled to such a privilege."

Li Xiaofei’s expression darkened. This recess was a crucial part of his plan.

He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, City Leader Xie Renyu suddenly interjected, "Your Honor, as far as I’m aware, no matter the crime, every defendant has the right to request a recess. Denying that is a violation of Great Xia law."

The judge was momentarily stunned. Su Yuncao, seated in the crowd, showed a flicker of surprise.

Why is Xie Renyu, who has always followed my lead, suddenly speaking in defense of Li Xiaofei?

"City Leader Xie, I believe you’re mistaken," said Commander Mai Zixiong, stepping in. "Most prisoners, yes, are granted such rights. But someone like Li Xiaofei, whose crimes are heinous and monstrous, deserves no such privilege. Every second of delay is a disgrace to the laws of Great Xia. I believe the judge’s decision is correct."

Inspector Wu Fohai nodded in agreement. "General Mai has a valid point."

Most people expected Xie Renyu to back down. But instead, he spoke up again, more firmly this time. "The courtroom is a place for law, not a place to argue right or wrong."

His words hung in the air, challenging the others in a way no one expected.

The elderly judge took a deep breath.

As a seasoned bureaucrat, he quickly realized something was amiss. He turned to the crowd with a smile and said, "Since there seems to be significant disagreement among the three of you, perhaps we should ask for some guidance from Master Su. After all, he is currently the chief advisor to the Xiajing Legal Aid Foundation."

The camera zoomed in on Su Yuncao.

Smiling calmly, Su Yuncao replied, "In cases of such heinous crimes that deeply affect the lives of all citizens, I believe it might be more valuable to listen to the voices of the people, as they are the direct victims."

"Indeed, there has been precedence for such an approach." The judge's eyes lit up with approval.

He addressed the crowd, but was quickly overwhelmed.

"Scum like this doesn’t deserve any leniency!"

"If I were the judge, I’d sentence this trash to death right now!"

"Kill him! This bastard doesn’t deserve to live!"

"This criminal deserves no human rights."

"Recess? He can go eat shit! Deny this filth any mercy!"

Several furious voices shouted from the crowd. Some were eager to see Li Xiaofei torn apart. Looking closer, it became clear that the ringleaders were none other than Du Longshan and his sons from the Du family.

Xie Renyu remained calm and said, "These individuals do not represent the entire citizenry of Liuhe. Let’s show the input of citizens across the city. Display the feeds from the various livestreams and let’s hear what the public truly has to say."

Immediately, the courtroom’s projection screens switched to show an official livestream. The focus was on the live comments.

Su Yuncao maintained a faint smile, confident that this was Xie Renyu’s way of subtly cooperating with him. Based on past experience, especially after the recent barrage of online propaganda and the so-called "evidence" presented earlier in the trial, Li Xiaofei’s reputation should have been thoroughly destroyed by now.

The manipulated masses would undoubtedly be baying for Li Xiaofei’s blood.

But the next moment, when the live comments from the official stream came into full view, Su Yuncao’s expression froze. A wave of astonishment rippled through the courtroom. Even Du Longshan and the others, who had been the loudest, stood frozen in place.