215 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

# Chapter 215: The Social Death of Yang Ming "Order in the court!" With these words from the judge, the spectators in the gallery gradually ceased their whispering and directed their attention toward Su Qi in the plaintiff's seat. At this moment, as if sensing the presence of the judges, Su Qi lifted the green hood from her head. Lawyer Lin Zi looked at Su Qi with interest. Her shoulder-length hair gave her a somewhat playful appearance. Perhaps due to nervousness, she unconsciously bit her lower lip, which caught Lin Zi's attention, making her lips appear more vibrant and rosy with the motion. Even Lin Zi, a rational lawyer, found herself involuntarily drawn in for that fleeting moment. Observing the unsuspecting Su Qi beside her, Lin Zi mused internally, no wonder An Ning always called her a captivating little fairy. Subtly shifting two inches closer, Lin Zi leaned slightly and whispered reassuringly into Su Qi's ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you." Hearing this, Su Qi felt somewhat more composed. Just then, the back door of the courtroom opened, and the accused, Yang Ming and his father, Yang Da Ming, clad in orange prison uniforms, were escorted by two officers to the defendant's seat. Yang Da Ming was momentarily stunned upon seeing Wang Da Hua. What was she doing here? Wasn't this just adding to the trouble? Wang Da Hua, however, gave him a reassuring look, which only made Yang Da Ming more anxious. He was well aware of his wife's nature—bold and somewhat domineering, yet lacking in foresight. Yang Da Ming didn't believe that opponents he couldn't handle could be defeated by his wife. But now, finally seated in the court, the evidence had already been submitted days ago, and there was no turning back. He glanced at the Gold-rimmed Glasses Man sitting beside him, seemingly placing his hopes on him. "All rise!" With the judge's announcement, everyone in the room stood up. The act of rising served to heighten the many scrutinizing gazes Su Qi felt, making her too apprehensive to turn her head. Even though Lin Zi had weathered many storms and was used to being the center of attention, today's onlookers' gazes were indeed slightly intense. The judge then briefly outlined the case, and with his command to sit, everyone resumed their seats. Once seated, Lawyer Lin, sitting beside Su Qi, turned on the microphone and began reading the prepared indictment: "On May 14, 2021, at 3 PM, at the eighth floor of the Su University teaching building, Yang Ming attempted to commit an act of coercion against my client. Though unsuccessful, it left my client with numerous abrasions. According to Article 236 of the law, Yang Ming's action can be defined as a severe offense." Hearing this, the spectators directed angry glares at Yang Ming. Acts of coercion against women have always been looked down upon by the public. Especially when the victim appears to be such a gentle and adorable girl—how much psychological harm must this have caused her? The eyes cast upon Su Qi grew increasingly sympathetic. Lawyer Lin continued, "On May 20, 2021, according to confessions from the apprehended gang led by 'Wang Biao,' Yang Da Ming spent 100,000 to hire this group to threaten my client and their friends and family, their behavior extremely vile. Following this, they also bribed 12 individuals in Su City, totaling over 5 million to erase evidence and surveillance recordings. By Criminal Law Article 391, this constitutes a serious offense." Lawyer Lin Zi's voice was clear and solemn, each word distinctly audible to everyone in the court. Upon hearing about Yang Da Ming's bribery of officials amounting to millions, everyone was astounded. "Given the severity of the offenses by Yang Ming and his father, they should be sentenced to ten years in prison," concluded Lawyer Lin Zi. Su Qi was taken aback by this declaration of ten years' imprisonment—was it really that severe? Unbeknownst to her, this was a negotiation tactic. Was the situation severe? Absolutely, but not to the extent that it warranted the maximum penalty. By setting the bar high, it makes any subsequent discussions more challenging, doesn't it? Besides, isn't it her duty to maximize her client's interests? The judge looked at the plaintiff's counsel, having finished, and addressed the defense, "Please present your evidence!" The Gold-rimmed Glasses Man adjusted his glasses, admittedly under considerable pressure. He knew his stance lacked merit, yet Wang Da Hua's compensation was too enticing. Feeling the heated animosity from the spectators behind him, he coughed lightly and said, "After investigation, we discovered the plaintiff is actually a manga artist and independently developed the game 'Blossoming Demon Seed.' She attended Su University disguised as a male for two years for material. According to my client's account, his actions were part of this material-gathering aspect, something both parties had agreed upon. Hence, this accusation was orchestrated by the plaintiff." Hearing his defense, those in the gallery cast skeptical glances at the uniformed Yang Ming—wasn't this an outright lie? If it were for acting purposes, why not involve her dormmates, who she saw daily? Yet despite knowing it was false, both sides' narratives were crucial in potentially reducing the severity of the charge. The lawyer continued, "Our investigation shows the plaintiff's game sold over 30,000 copies on an overseas platform named stmmm. Does the plaintiff admit this?" The Gold-rimmed Glasses Man looked toward Lin Zi at the plaintiff's bench after speaking. Lin Zi was aware of Su Qi's past and had done her research. She responded, "We believe debates should focus on the key points of the case. The defendant's diversionary topics are irrelevant to the main theme here, and we refuse to answer." Naturally, the Gold-rimmed Glasses Man didn't want to miss this opportunity, trying earnestly to link the game-making to the incident. Only by doing so could Yang Ming's sentence potentially be reduced. The two engaged in a detailed verbal exchange for ten minutes. Amidst their serious and articulate debate, Su Qi felt a bit dazed, entirely baffled by the intricacies of their words. Perhaps, she thought, this truly was the power of language. Ultimately, the judge ruled a connection between the two factors. Given Su Qi's history of cross-dressing for material, the defendant's claim held some plausibility. "Please respond, plaintiff," the judge directed Lawyer Lin Zi. Meeting the Gold-rimmed Glasses Man's gaze, Lin Zi calmly produced a USB and said, "We have the school's video from that day." The Gold-rimmed Glasses Man looked astonished at Wang Da Hua. She had repeatedly assured him that the school footage was destroyed. In truth, Wang Da Hua had destroyed the video, but the principal of Su University, Lin Xiang Dong, had already made a backup on his phone. He secretly handed it over to them two days ago. Soon, the day's footage was displayed on the projector. Seeing the shaky image of Su Qi tentatively supporting herself on the stairs, it was evident it wasn't some material-gathering ruse but outright violence. As the frame advanced, Yang Ming, initially quiet, began to struggle, prompting the officers beside him to restrain him immediately—he knew what the upcoming footage would reveal. Before he could shout, a police officer quickly muffled him with a piece of cloth. The scene then shifted to a medical room. On-screen, the defendant was depicted removing his only piece of dignity, poorly obscured by mosaic but still revealing the vague outline of an unfortunate detail. Defeated, Yang Ming knelt on the floor, feeling the sting of contemptuous stares and derisive gazes from around him. In a certain sense, he felt that he had already met his end. Even before technically serving any time, he experienced a social death.