Chapter 28 - The Trial
[DAY 7]
In a four corner room, a woman was sitting in a small bed. She was hugging her knees and her hair was disheveled. But she was not crying anymore.
In her mind, her grandmother was her first concern.
'Is she OK?
'Is she's not in pain?
'Is she awake already? Is she looking for me?'
"I'll definitely get you out.."
The voice of a young girl echoed in her mind.
She was very nervous for today. But she believed with Bivia and Huo Dian help she would get out of here. Besides, that girl promised...how that girl would do that she did not know...but she couldn't help to believe.
Cling Clang
She looked up and see a guard opening the door.
"Ms. Xiao Mei, I'll escort you out for your trial." The guard said.
Xiao Mei gulped and stand up. With a cuff in her hand she followed the guard .
___________
After the ride to the court, she was led to a big door.
Four guards surrounded her. The one in front opened the door, and flash of lights greeted her. She could not help but closed her eyes.
The guard behind her pushed her forward, opening her eyes Xiao Mei was shocked.
'There's so many people....and cameras....'
As the trial was announced to publicize today, many media want to cover the trial . The SHM, the root of all, was on the back corner of the room.
Xiao Mei was led to the chair of defensive team. In that area she saw her best friend, Bivia Chang. Lawyer Chang smiled at her, reassuring her. On the opposite side, in the prosecutor's area, she saw Huo Dian. Huo Dian also saw her, and nod. She sat on her chair and Lawyer Chang hold her hand.
"Don't worry Mei, we will get you out." Lawyer Chang whisper to her.
"E-en." There's a lump in her throat. Her hands were sweaty. She looked at the witnessed area of the trial. Most people were reporters. Her eyes then traveled at the back seat. In the farthest corner, Xiao Mei saw a girl wearing a cap and a jacket. Even it was afar away she had an inkling that the girl was the one who promised her to help her. Lawyer Chang saw her gaze.
"That's Xiong Zhi. Don't worry, we will win this."
The judges entered the room. After a while, they announced that the trial would began.
The prosecutor stand up for the opening statement.
Huo Dian stated the crime that Xiao Mei committed and its punishment once she was proven guilty. Then Lawyer Chang also stand up for opening statement and told them that the defendant denied the accusations.
Next, Presentment of Cases followed.
Prosecutor Huo Dian stand up and opened the projector, a picture of doc.u.ment appeared. He told them that this doc.u.ment was signed by the CEO's assistant, Xiao Mei, who were the only one who received the diamonds that they ordered. He then called the witness : one of the CJ's manager who was handling the shipments of diamonds they received.
Huo Dian began to ask questions.
"Are you the one who handed the ordered diamonds to Ms. Xiao Mei?"
"E-en"
"Before you handed it to her, did you touch any of the boxes?"
"N-no. It was sealed. The only one who can transfer them was Ms. Xiao only."
" Did you see it for yourself that Ms. Xiao received the diamonds personally?"
"En."
"When she entered the storage room, is she alone?"
"En"
"Does anyone beside Ms. Xiao handle the diamonds to the storage?"
"No. It was only Ms. Xiao Mei, no one else."
"That's all, Judges."
Then Lawyer Chang stand to begun cross examination.
"You said, you are the one that receive the shipments of diamonds, right ? And saw personally that Ms.Xiao was the one who transferred it?"
"En"
"Whenever Ms. Xiao came to you for the transfer, did she bring anything with her?"
The witness was silence for a moment. He looked at the audience area, from where the CEO and board of directors was sitting.
"N-no."
"Not even a bag or a handkerchief?"
The witness think carefully.
"Nothing." He answered truthfully .
"Did you personally send her towards the storage area?"
"Yes "
"Did you also wait for her to come out?"
"Yes."
"When you wait outside, how long does it takes for Xiao Mei to transfer it?"
"A-about two minutes."
"When she comes out did she had anything with her?"
The witness looked at the audience area again, then peeked at Xiao Mei at the side.
He gritted his teeth, and answered the truth.
"N-no. She was bare handed."
"That's all, judges, thank you."
Whispers ,murmurs, and sounds of typing keyboards echoed through the court.
It was then the turn of Xiao Mei to testify to the case. She sat in the middle chair and Huo Dian began to question her.
"How long do you work for CJ's?"
"Almost 1 and a half." Xiao Mei clearly answered.
"For all the transactions of receiving the diamonds, transferring them, you handle them alone since the time you work for CJ's?"
"Yes."
"You are an assistant. Is it a part of your work?"
"As an assistant, no. But I cannot disobey my boss."
"Your boss? CEO Long? Is he the one who ordered you to handle the receiving and transferring personally?"
"Yes."
CEO Long stand up from the audience.
What this prosecutor doing?! He is supposed to corner her!
"So its not your doing to handle that role?"
"No."
Whispers, murmurs and typing once again echoed through the court.
Huo Dian get a box from his table and presented it to the jury and judges. He then click for the next slide. A video and a picture of transaction appeared. He clicked to play the video.
The video contained the CCTV camera where Xiao Mei personally delivered the order to the staff, and the staff gave it to the customer.
Huo Dian said,
"This video tell us that only Xiao Mei get the order and personally handed it to the staff. The staff with cameras on her gave it to the customer. So the shifting of diamond can only be done in the hands of Xiao Mei."
CEO Long who stand up began to sit .
'Hmphhh...so he was only preparing for that...'
He bagan to calm down thinking the prosecutor and the lawyer was on his side. While the chief in the other seat wanted to faint. Why these two people here?! Where are the people he assigned?!
Huo Dian presented more evidences against Xiao Mei, such as her schedule that she was often gone in breaks and were in storage room instead, personally handling all transactions for Sale and her signatures to all receiving orders.
Hearing this, Xiao Mei was raging inside. All of those were not part of her work. But her boss always commanded her to do it personally saying she is the only one who could be trusted. Xiao Mei felt a bitter taste in her heart. Those things that Huo Dian mentioned were all her hard work. She did not even have a break because she had to check and check the diamonds that was received. Now, all her hard work was paid by betrayal.
After Huo Dian finished, he sat back in his seat.
It was the turn of Lawyer Chang to defend Xiao Mei.
She inserted a USB and a file appeared.
Seeing the file, CEO Long's eyes got wide.
It was the first transaction that SHM posted in the internet days ago.
"Hey, isn't that the first file that SHM posted? It was proven fake right? Why the lawyer presented it to the case?"
"I think...the file that SHM listed was true, if it is not, why the lawyer used it?"
Loud whispers, flashes of cameras, and typing keyboard crowded the room.
Lawyer Chang's goal was to tell to the people that the file SHM posted was true. But since it was irrelevant to Xiao Mei for this trial today, she made this chance to not be wasted but to get a glimpse for the people that CJ's was conning them.
She even emphasize.
"As you see in this file, this transaction was signed by the CEO himself and board of directors. It means they approved of this transaction? and let Ms. Xiao handle the receiving and transferring. "
She then click a next slide. It contained a video.
The video was then played : Ms. Xiao Mei appeared with the manager .? They got the boxes and Xiao Mei entered alone in the storage room with the boxes. Lawyer Chang then paused the video.
"As you can see, Ms. Xiao Mei did not bring anything with her and when she leave she did not also bring out anything. Besides, the time only consumed two minutes. So how can she switch the diamonds without something on her and with little time. Not mentioning, opening a packet, switching it, sealing it again in precised manner."
Then she clicked the next slide. The bank account of Xiao Mei appeared. Lawyer Chang just repeated what SHM said. She then presented other evidences that proved Xiao Mei's innocence such as the videos through her breaks, the money that she had and spent since she work at CJ's. Etc.
Then Lawyer Chang gave out a box. She gave it to the jury, judges and finally called a jewelry expert to stand as a witness.
The court was silent as the expert studied the necklace with diamond in his hand.
"This. ..outrageous.... It is fake."
Murmurs erupted through the court.
"Judges, juries, and audience, this diamond in my hand was released two years ago. It came from CJ's in their promo Sale. So this Fake diamond, Is it also switched by Ms.Xiao who was currently studying at college that time?"
Then she clicked the next slide.
It was an article that SHM posted two days ago. She encircled the points that SHM said : 175/85, the miracle 90 diamonds etc.
CEO Long who was listening could not hold it anymore. He shouted.
"Brazen! Its irrelevant to the case! That's all fake! Judges! Prosecutor, you need to stop her! She's ruining CJ's!"
But no one listened to him. It just made the reporters? around him to become excited. They clicked their cameras to him and type more.
CEO Long looked around, then his infuriated gaze fixed at the chief .
'Didn't you say they are on my side?!!'
He wanted to shout this at the chief. The chief just turned away from him. Even him did not know about this!
Lawyer Chang did not stop and just ignored CEO Long. She then bring out a file and let the jury, judges and reporters saw it clearly.
Seeing the papers in Lawyer Chang's hands CEO Long gape in shock.
'H-how....did she get that!'
Lawyer Chang called another witness. It was the representative of GXX company who deliver diamonds to CJ's.
The witness sat at the chair.
Lawyer Chang began questioning.
" How long does GXX company been in contract to CJ's?"
" 55 years."
"This diamond-" Lawyer Chang pointed at the diamond in the box.
"-is proven fake, it is from CJ's two years ago, and as CJ's contractor , it is logically from you. Do you deny this?"
"Yes. We never delivered fake ones. "
The representative looked at CEO Long. The GXX company did not have a choice. Their reputation would be destroyed if they did not participate in this trial. This fake diamond would be pointed at them. They had to clear their name even they had to let go CJ's.
"This transaction in my hand, is it the transaction you did?" Lawyer Chang said while pointing at the paper that CJ's released.
The representative looked at CEO long menacingly.
'Don't blame us , since you also used our company, risking us,? for making that lie.'
"No."
Gasped, whisper-yell, flashes of cameras, typings of keyboard exploded in the court. Even the judges and juries showed a disbelief expression.
If the other party said its fake, then the CJ's was really doomed! That was a big crime!
"Is the one in my left hand was your true copy of transaction?" Lawyer Chang was not yet finished. The left one was the file that SHM posted.
"Yes."
The noise had not yet quieted down. When a bomb was thrown to them.
"Oh my gosh!"
"Then what SHM said is true! CJ's is really deceiving us! Selling to us the fake!"
"I even wear this bracelet that worth a three months salary for me, don't tell me it is fake! "
"I need reimburs.e.m.e.nt!"
"Me too!"
Angry shouts directed towards CEO Long.
CEO Long was staring wide eyed at the paper in Lawyer Chang's hand .
'Why....Did they said...they don't have time to investigate it? Why.....we're doomed...'
Then he fainted.