Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 148 - 144: Courtroom Shock, Noda’s Betrayal, Evil Cannot Overcome Righteousness (Seeking Monthly Votes! Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Chapter 148: Chapter 144: Courtroom Shock, Noda’s Betrayal, Evil Cannot Overcome Righteousness (Seeking Monthly Votes! Seeking Monthly Votes!)

The trial began, and everything proceeded according to the established process.

Prosecutor Suzuki Junko read Nakamura Shinichi’s closing report on behalf of the prosecution and, citing a prior criminal record, requested that the court impose a heavy sentence on Noda.

"Defendant, do you admit to the charges brought against you by the prosecution?" Judgment Chief coldly asked, looking at Noda.

Suzuki Junko looked at him and gave him an affirming, encouraging nod, signaling him to speak boldly.

Finally, it was about to happen!

Asano Hirofumi could barely contain his excitement, his fists clenched so tight that sweat was seeping out of his palms.

Noda first glanced at Suzuki Junko and Asano Hirofumi, then his gaze fell on Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Aoyama Xiu Xin was close to him, and at that moment was lounging with one leg crossed over the other, a slight smile on his lips, his hands interlocked, and his right hand slowly touching the watch on his wrist.

Noda recognized that watch.

It was the only one his parents had bought when they got married and had worn for several decades.

His parents had raised him for many years, and the shameful things he had done had already disgraced them. Was he really going to ignore their wellbeing just for his own freedom?

He had not brought them any glory, only endless trouble. Was he now going to take their lives away as well? No, he couldn’t do that!

Someone like him dying wouldn’t be a loss, would it?

"Bang!" One of the judges impatiently knocked his gavel, reminding him, "Defendant Noda!"

"I... I have something to say!" Noda shouted in agony, tears streaming down his face. At the same time, he lifted his shirt to reveal scars all over his body and roared, "I was subjected to torture and forced confession!"

Boom!

The courtroom instantly erupted into an uproar.

The reporters who had rushed to the scene had thought it was just an ordinary murder case, but they hadn’t expected such a twist. They hurriedly began taking excited photographs.

"Look at these fresh wounds, it’s hard to imagine how much he must have suffered."

"Idiot! Even a suspect has human rights! Who beat him like this!"

"We must expose this, and hold those responsible accountable..."

The onlookers were filled with indignant fury, their anger unstoppable.

Everything was going as expected. Asano Hirofumi and Suzuki Junko’s faces turned red with excitement, and after exchanging a glance, they both looked at Aoyama Xiu Xin very tacitly.

They saw Aoyama Xiu Xin’s smile had stiffened, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Asano Hirofumi felt an instant surge of satisfaction.

Aoyama Xiu Xin, you’re done for!

Wait for the justice to judge you!

"The local prosecution took me away, and Suzuki Junko and Asano Hirofumi tortured me in every possible way, threatening and bribing me to recant my testimony in court, to say that I confessed to a crime I didn’t commit under police torture!"

"The police didn’t torture me; their investigation was based on facts. I indeed committed murder in a desperate situation. Police Chief Aoyama Xiu Xin and Detective Nakamura Shinichi who were in charge of my case are good people. They have always tried to help me reduce my sentence. I can’t let them down!"

Noda said with tears streaming down his face, filled with sorrow and rage.

Suzuki Junko and Asano Hirofumi’s smiles instantly froze, and they looked at Noda with shock and disbelief. Their minds were buzzing.

What’s going on?

What on earth is happening? What nonsense are you talking about?

"This is outrageous! Outrageous!" Aoyama Xiu Xin slammed the desk, rising in fury, and said breathlessly, "It’s horrific! The scars on his body are horrific! I can’t imagine what he must’ve gone through in the Prosecutor’s office! Prosecutor Suzuki, why would you do this? Are you worthy of the badge on your chest!"

Many reporters recognized Aoyama Xiu Xin and were initially surprised to see him at the trial. But after hearing what Noda said about Aoyama Xiu Xin’s desire to help him, they were no longer surprised. It further confirmed Police Chief Aoyama’s kindness.

He took time out of his busy schedule to attend a criminal’s trial. So it was only natural for such a kind man to be outraged after seeing a prisoner who was tortured.

"No! I didn’t! I didn’t!" Suzuki Junko shook her head frantically. Faced with the cold eyes and accusations all around, she became somewhat unhinged, completely at a loss, and pointed at Aoyama Xiu Xin and yelled, "It’s you! You must have bribed Noda to frame me, it must be you!"

Aoyama Xiu Xin stared at her coldly, with a disdainful expression that said he didn’t care to argue, "Please continue to slander."

"Police Chief Aoyama, I once overheard her talking to Asano Hirofumi. She wanted to use me to set you up because she wanted to clear a path for her deputy, Asano Hirofumi," Noda shouted to Aoyama Xiu Xin.

At this moment, his heart was full of guilt. He knew he had let down Suzuki Junko and Asano Hirofumi, who truly wanted to help him, but he had no other choice for the sake of his family.

After listening, Aoyama Xiu Xin laughed angrily, "So it’s all about helping your bedroom deputy climb the ranks, so recklessly that you trample over human lives and play with the law. You consider yourself worthy of being a prosecutor? You are a disgrace to Japan’s judicial sphere!"

The female prosecutor torturing a criminal to frame her police boyfriend’s superior, in order to help her boyfriend’s promotion—gossip value instantly maxed out, and the reporters on site almost went crazy.

"I want to sue them for torture! I want to sue them for beating me!" Noda loudly proclaimed his cooperation.

"Enough! You bastard! What nonsense are you spouting!" Asano Hirofumi cursed angrily, his eyes red as he charged at Noda, who had stabbed him in the back.

However, he was firmly restrained by two court officers standing behind Noda, only managing to struggle furiously, impotently enraged.

"Let go of me! Let go, let go of me!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The Judgment Chief came to his senses and hammered down repeatedly, loudly declaring, "Due to an emergency, the trial is temporarily suspended, court adjourned."

As her words ended, she glanced at Aoyama Xiu Xin before leaving, with the other staff members following suit.

The journalists suddenly surged forward, swarming around Aoyama Xiu Xin, Asano Hirofumi, and Suzuki Junko.

"Prosecutor Suzuki, what do you have to say about Noda’s allegations?"

"Prosecutor Suzuki, did you ever anticipate the defendant Noda having a change of conscience and turning against you?"

The reporters’ questions were all aimed at probing their conscience.

Suzuki Junko felt as though she was a fragile boat in the midst of a tempest, battered by the storm from all directions, teetering on the edge, ready to capsize at any moment.

"It’s not like that, not at all, I didn’t coerce a confession through torture, I didn’t frame anyone, I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not like that, not..."

Faced with the barrage of questions from journalists, Suzuki Junko collapsed on the spot, her face streaming with tears as she loudly defended herself.

"Junko! Junko! Let’s go." Asano Hirofumi stepped forward to shield her and forcefully made his way out, while reaching out to push away the cameras, "Get out of the way! All of you, get lost, stop filming! Stop filming! Get out!"

Aoyama Xiu Xin sneered internally. That’s right, the more enraged they became, the more they lost their composure, and the more excited the reporters got.

The female prosecutor, for the sake of her lover’s future, forced a confession out of the criminal and framed her lover’s superior; while the male police officer assaulted journalists to protect the female prosecutor.

Tsk tsk tsk, tomorrow’s headlines were going to be interesting.

"Police Chief Aoyama, what do you think?"

"Do you have something you’d like to say to the cameras?"

"Police Chief Aoyama, please, say a few words..."

With the Judgment Chief leaving the room and the defendant taken away, and with Asano Hirofumi and Suzuki Junko refusing interviews, the reporters shifted their entire focus to Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Coincidentally, Aoyama Xiu Xin had a lot he wanted to say.

"Firstly, I feel deep sorrow for Noda’s experience, he is a criminal, but also a human being! Every person has rights, and human rights are inviolable and sacred!"

"Secondly, I am furious, furious that such scum exists within Japan’s Judicial Sphere! How could such a beautiful woman be so venomous? I even hope this was her first time doing something like this."

"Lastly, I urge a thorough investigation and strict accountability. This is not just about getting justice for Noda but about being accountable to the nation. If today it’s Noda, who will it be tomorrow?"

"Thank you all. I’m a bit overwhelmed right now, that’s all I have to say. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave."

After bowing, Aoyama Xiu Xin walked out expressionlessly with a composed face, forcefully making his way through the crowd using his impressive physical capabilities.

Stepping out of the courthouse and standing on the steps, he took a long breath and his face broke into a relaxed smile.

Then he picked up his phone and called Asai Youki.

"Uncle, I’d like you to arrange a meeting for me with Vice Minister Suzuki of the Tokyo District Court. Hmm, I have something I want to talk to him about. You don’t need to be involved, hi, hi!"

Disciplining Suzuki Junko was a necessity.

However, it still had to be within limits; he believed Vice Minister Suzuki would forgive him on account of the Asakai family.

After all, it all started because his daughter struck him first, and his counterstrike was perfectly reasonable.

Of course, his belief that Suzuki would be reasonable was not because he was in the right, but because he too had strong backing—only then Suzuki would be ’reasonable.’

After all, who would bother being reasonable with someone of lower status? They could just be crushed with ease.

............

"How did this happen, how could this be."

In the car, Suzuki Junko’s face was streaked with tears; she had not foreseen events unfolding like this.

"Junko, don’t be sad. It’s all because Aoyama Xiu Xin is too cunning, no wonder that bastard showed up today," Asano Hirofumi said through clenched teeth.

Suzuki Junko was still distraught, and after a pause, she pressed her lips together and said, "Brother Hongwen, not only did I fail to help you, but I also ended up causing you harm."

"You did all you could," Asano Hirofumi said, touching her head and trying to appear nonchalant. "Besides, I never really cared whether I remained a police officer or not. I didn’t want to deal with those corrupt officials in the first place."

Suzuki Junko knew him well enough to realize that was just his way of comforting her. Becoming a police officer had been Brother Hongwen’s dream since he was a child; how could he really not care?

But it was precisely because of this that she felt even more guilty.

"Ring-a-ling! Ring-a-ling!"

A sudden ringing of the phone broke the silence.

Suzuki Junko wiped her tears and hesitated before answering, "Mosi... Dad, hi!"

After hanging up, she looked at Asano Hirofumi with a hoarse voice, "My father wants to see me."

"I’ll go with you. It was me who caused this trouble," Asano Hirofumi offered sincerely.

But Suzuki Junko disagreed because she knew her father might become violent in his anger, "No, I’ll go myself. Wait until he’s calmed down before you visit."

"Junko..." Asano Hirofumi was deeply moved.

Suzuki Junko managed a strained smile.