Chapter 253

There were rumors that Zhao Jianlong's arrest was because he offended Zhou Andong, the factory director of Jiangzhou Winery, but no one could confirm the truth of this rumor.

At this time, on such an occasion, Yang Jinqiao's kneeling, plus her words, indirectly confirmed the truth of the rumor.

Many victims' families came over one after another to thank him, and some even burst into tears. No one could understand how they had lived their lives for so many years.

It wasn't that they hadn't looked for help, or hadn't made a scene, but the retaliatory strikes from Zhao Jianlong really made them call to heaven without response and call to earth without help.

Even a few months ago, some police officers clearly told them that they were investigating Zhao Jianlong, but they didn't dare to come out to testify.

It wasn't until the news of Zhao Jianlong's arrest spread that they felt the shadow hanging over their heads had dissipated, and only then did they have the courage to stand up and point out Zhao Jianlong.

Zhou Andong looked at these people surrounding him, feeling a bitter laugh in his heart. He could feel that these people were genuinely thanking him.

But he could also feel how cold the gaze from Zhao Jianlong's wife was. And the families of Zhao Jianlong's accomplices, he estimated, also wished they could kill him.

"Alright, alright, I have received everyone's gratitude. The trial is about to start, hurry back to your seats and sit down."

Everyone returned to their seats amidst thousands of thanks. Zhou Andong also sat down, looked up, and saw Zhao Jianlong's wife still staring at him.

Zhou Andong bared his teeth and smiled, raising his hand and waving it.

Zhao Jianlong's wife's eyes froze, and she turned her head back.

"Dongzi, the one who passed by just now, was that Yuping?" Zhou Xiurong held it in for a long time and finally asked.

Eldest Aunt, Old Aunt, Old Uncle, Old Aunt-in-law, and Grandpa and Grandma all looked at Zhou Andong, because Jiang Yuping's changes were a bit big, and they really didn't pay attention.

Zhou Andong nodded: "She went abroad before the year ended. I don't know why she ran back suddenly."

No one asked, and no one specifically looked for which one was Jiang Yuping. Not just Zhou Andong, to them, Jiang Yuping had also become the past.

Especially since Jiang Yuping had been a Zhou family daughter-in-law for three or four years, yet hadn't done as well as Jian Qiu had in more than half a year. As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison. Jian Qiu had captured the hearts of the whole family in more than half a year, while Jiang Yuping was the exact opposite, never looking down on the Zhou family.

Zhou Xiaode and Zhao Guifen ran in noisily with the packed dishes, looked at Zhou Andong, and turned to sit on the other side.

The afternoon trial started on time at 1:30 and ended at 4:30, a full three hours.

The public prosecution opinion stated: The black-evil nature organization headed by Zhao Jianlong and Huo Xing (at large) had entrenched itself in Jiangzhou for more than ten years.

Large in number, with clear organizational leaders, fixed backbone members, clear division of labor, and clear hierarchy, it is one of the major black-evil criminal organizations investigated in recent years.

For a long time, they had been doing evil, wantonly implementing illegal and criminal activities, forming psychological deterrence to local masses by violent means, using violent threats, harming nine fresh lives, and causing dozens of once-happy families to fall into disaster.

What is even more heartbreaking is that these victims' families clearly knew who the murderer was, but could only swallow their anger, not dare to report the case or appeal, for fear that disaster would fall upon their homes again.

The organization also suppressed competitors, monopolized underground casinos such as gambling game halls in Jiangzhou, and through the entertainment industries they controlled such as nightclubs, hair salons, and karaoke halls, they were involved in prostitution, gambling, and drugs...

In March of this year, the black-evil gang headed by Zhao Jianlong manufactured and sold fake goods, using industrial alcohol to manufacture fake liquor, causing a particularly serious harmful consequence of seven deaths, twelve serious injuries, and nineteen minor injuries.

The clerk shouted: "Everyone stand up!"

The presiding judge held the verdict and said: "The judgment is as follows: Defendant Zhao Jianlong, guilty of organizing and leading a black-evil nature organization, guilty of rape, guilty of intentional homicide, guilty of selling toxic food... sentenced to death, deprived of political rights for life."

Originally, Zhao Jianlong was still holding on, but hearing he was sentenced to death, his legs softened immediately, and tears flowed down his face.

Zhou Anbin was so scared his face turned pale, his legs couldn't stop shaking. If it weren't for the bailiffs supporting him, he would have collapsed on the ground.

Next, Pan Xing and Hao Yongsheng were sentenced to death with a reprieve, and more than thirty people including Er Fei, Langtou, and Dachong were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from three to twenty years.

Zhou Andong supported the old lady. When the name Zhou Anbin was finally read, he could feel that the old lady was very nervous.

No matter what Zhou Anbin was like, he was her own grandson after all. Now it was truly a matter of life and death.

"Defendant Zhou Anbin, guilty of manufacturing toxic food, sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, deprived of political rights for three years."

Zhou Andong smiled. If this were more than ten years later, such a big case involving so many people, it would be impossible to finish the trial without ten days or half a month.

But in this era, it was strict, fast, and severe, finishing in one day. This seems simply incredible from the perspective of later generations.

"Whoosh!"

Zhou Andong could clearly hear the sound of Eldest Aunt, Old Aunt, and Old Uncle exhaling a long breath.

"I want to appeal!" Zhao Jianlong proposed an appeal in court.

Hearing the appeal, Zhao Guifen suddenly shouted: "I also want to appeal."

Zhou Andong patted his head and said with suppressed anger: "More than enough to fail, less than enough to succeed. I won't care about Zhou Anbin's life or death anymore, find whoever you want." After saying this, he turned and left.

Hearing Zhao Guifen shout to appeal, no one felt it was wrong, instead feeling that they could appeal. What if he could be sentenced to a few years less? But now seeing Zhou Andong lose his temper, they suddenly realized that this matter wasn't as simple as they thought.

The old man's brows furrowed, and he followed Zhou Andong out, followed closely by the old lady, Zhou Xiufang, Zhou Xiurong, Zhou Xiaoli, and Yang Xiujie, who walked out quickly.

Gu Bing gave a cold sneer, looked at Zhao Guifen, and shook his head slightly; "Ignorance is truly fearless."

As soon as the old man came out, he saw Zhou Andong standing at the gate smoking with a gloomy face.

"Dongzi, what exactly is going on!"

At this time, the old lady, Eldest Aunt, Old Aunt, and Old Uncle and Old Aunt-in-law also came out.

Finally, Gu Bing came out from inside and stood beside Zhou Andong, took out a cigarette and lit it: "This big aunt and big uncle of yours..."

Saying this, he shook his head slightly, "Better not care about them. If you don't let them appeal, they will definitely hate you. When they appeal and the final result is even more serious than the first-instance verdict, I estimate they will hate you even more. Why look for this trouble."

Zhou Andong looked at the old man: "Zuo Peiming, you know him, right?"

The old man nodded: "I know!"

Zhou Andong said: "I have a very good relationship with him, so whether in the evidence-gathering stage or the evidence provided to the prosecution, it was all favorable to Zhou Anbin. But if they appeal to the Provincial High Court, given the influence and viciousness of the fake liquor case, the possibility of a retrial is very high."

At this time, Gu Bing took over the conversation: "However, it's not a sentence reduction, but a sentence increase. Life imprisonment or death with a reprieve are all possible."