Hong Kong variety show: Starting from Cold War 1994

Chapter 31: Prematurely confessing and trying to drag Guohua down with her!

Feng Yingju adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "Mr. Gan, as your lawyer, I feel it's necessary to remind you that, based on the evidence currently held by the police:

You were carrying a loaded firearm, openly expressed your intent to kill in public, and actually carried out a violent attack, causing multiple injuries. In court, the judge will consider several aggravating factors when sentencing, including premeditation, the severity of the offense, and the fact that it occurred in a public place.

Fung Ying-kui opened the legal texts he carried with him, pointed to one of them, and translated it for Gandhi: "According to Section 60 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, intent to murder is punishable by life imprisonment."

Gandhi's face turned pale instantly.

Feng Yingju waved his hand, reassuringly saying, "This is only the maximum penalty; it's rarely used in actual sentencing, but..."

Gandhi's complexion had just improved when he heard "but," and his heart felt like it was being clenched again.

"According to the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, which was officially promulgated on October 21, 1994, you are a key member of the triad, and with charges such as illegal possession of firearms, I estimate that a prison sentence of eighteen to twenty-two years is highly probable."

After listening to Feng Yingju's professional analysis, Gandhi suddenly felt that he had lost all hope in life—he was already over fifty years old, what was the difference between this sentence and life imprisonment?

Feng Yingju had seen this kind of expression many times in his years of practice. He coughed lightly and said, "So I suggest you plead guilty. According to relevant laws, the court can reduce your sentence if the defendant pleads guilty and cooperates with the investigation."

"How long will it take?"

"At most, the sentence can be reduced by one-third."

Gandhi closed his eyes and silently calculated. Even if he deducted one-third, the minimum imprisonment would still be more than twelve years. After he was released from prison, would his gang still recognize him as their leader?

No, we can't just go in like that.

"Attorney Feng," Gandhi opened his eyes, a ruthless glint in them, "What if I drag others down with me?"

Feng Yingju's eyes lit up: "You mean, you want to become a prosecution witness?"

Gandhi, as if grasping at a straw, exclaimed, "Yes! I testify against Guohua! He's involved in everything—gambling, prostitution, drugs—I have evidence! And..."

……

At the same time, Shen Shaofeng was sitting in the monitoring room behind the interrogation room, observing Feng Yingju's conversation with Gandhi through one-way glass.

Although he couldn't hear the specific content of their conversation, Shen Shaofeng could roughly estimate it based on the duration of the conversation and the expressions and reactions of both parties.

At that moment, the door to the monitoring room was pushed open, and Peng Yingqi walked in carrying a bag.

"Head, iced lemon tea, fresh egg tarts."

"Thanks."

Shen Shaofeng took a sip of the iced lemon tea. The sweetness of the black tea, the sourness of the lemon, combined with the refreshing taste of the ice cubes, was simply amazing!

Peng Yingqi sipped another cup of milk tea, watched for a while, and couldn't help but ask, "Boss, why does Gandhi's expression get worse and worse as he talks to the lawyer?"

Shen Shaofeng leaned back in his chair with ease, his legs propped up on the table where the recording equipment was placed.

"Because I had already blocked all the points that the defense lawyer could use in advance."

Peng Yingqi looked at him with a half-understanding expression: "Oh, no wonder you went through so many steps when you captured Gandhi."

"Don't find it troublesome. Things are different now. From now on, all procedures in our police force will become more and more standardized..."

Shen Shaofeng was in a good mood. While eating egg tarts, he used the Gandhi case as an example to give Peng Yingqi some extra help.

Peng Yingqi became more and more excited as she listened, and quickly took out her notebook to write it down word for word.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Shen Shaofeng put his feet down.

He Guozheng walked in, carrying a folder and flipping through it while looking down.

"Shaofeng...wow, your friend is hiding and eating egg tarts!"

Without any hesitation, he snatched an egg tart and started taking a big bite: "Freshly baked, perfect!"

"Uh, Inspector Ho, there's no need to be in such a hurry. The boss invited the entire B team; everyone got a share. Didn't you see?"

Peng Yingqi gave an awkward but polite smile.

"Oh, I didn't go back to B1-1. I came to find you right after I finished interrogating Wu Zhaonan."

He Guozheng wiped his mouth. "According to his confession, he took money from Gandhi to help him deal with Guohua's men. The forensic team has already found the embezzled funds in a van..."

"But at least this guy was smart enough not to kill. If he's judged for assault in a fight, he'll probably only be in jail for a year or two..."

Shen Shaofeng nodded, not paying much attention to Jiaqiange's matter.

Even if he gets to eat meat, he should leave some credit for his brothers. After all, he's a well-known triad member, which is considered a good resume within the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau.

"OK, I understand. Go back and report to Sister Bi. Everyone has a lot to do tonight."

"Who says otherwise? Gandhi's gang of thugs are still in jail. I'm off to do some work."

He Guozheng waved and left the monitoring room.

……

Fifteen minutes later, seeing Feng Yingju stand up and organize the documents, Shen Shaofeng also took Peng Yingqi out, circled around, and returned to the interrogation room door.

Fung Ying-kui stood ramrod straight and said solemnly, "Sir Shen, after discussions with my client and in accordance with the principle of respecting his wishes, I, on behalf of my client, plead guilty to two charges: illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder."

As soon as he finished speaking, a system notification appeared in Shen Shaofeng's mind:

[The host has successfully arrested a serious criminal suspect for the first time and formed a perfect chain of evidence, unlocking the achievement "Forensic Hero"]

[Reward: Expert-level Proficiency in Criminal Law]

Shen Shaofeng nodded and adopted an official tone: "Very good, Attorney Feng. On behalf of the police, I thank you for saving taxpayers' valuable legal resources."

Seeing that Shen Shaofeng did not shake hands with him, Feng Yingju smiled and said, "My client, after careful consideration, is willing to cooperate with the police. He hopes to discuss with the police the possibility of 'becoming a prosecution witness and providing clues about other serious crimes'."

Shen Shaofeng had anticipated this: "I presume Attorney Feng has already mentioned to your client that he needs to provide sufficiently strong evidence before we can submit an application to the Department of Justice?"

"Of course, it's my duty."

"There's no time to lose, Attorney Feng, please."

……

Back in the interrogation room, the situation for both the interrogator and the interrogated had changed dramatically.

The presiding judge, Shen Shaofeng, and the recorder, Peng Yingqi, were naturally confident; while Gandhi, sitting across from the interrogation table, looked dejected, as if he had aged ten years, even with Feng Yingju sitting beside him.

"Mr. Gan, the audio and video recording equipment is now officially operational. Attorney Feng has just confessed to the police on your behalf to two charges: illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder. Did he explain to you in detail the possible penalties for these two charges? Do you have any objections?"

Gandhi answered honestly, "Attorney Feng has already explained to me that the maximum penalty is life imprisonment. I have no objection, and I plead guilty."

Then, he eagerly shouted, "Sir Shen, I want to do good deeds! I want to report Guohua, Blackie, and the others..."