Chapter 196: Presiding Judge: Do you know what you are saying!?

The plaintiff’s demands were within his expectations. Given the defendant’s blatant fault, Wang Cheng would have been confused if she *wasn’t* being asked to leave with nothing.

‘Admittedly, forcing someone to leave with nothing is a difficult ruling to make.’

But no matter.

Presiding Judge Wang Cheng turned his head to look at Sun Li at the defense counsel’s table.

The defense had been very confident when the hearing began. Based on past experience, Wang Cheng figured she must have found some angle to rebut the plaintiff’s claims.

If so, that would leave some leeway for the verdict.

At this thought, a hint of emotion flickered across Presiding Judge Wang Cheng’s face. He looked toward the defense counsel’s table and spoke:

“Counsel for the defense, do you have any objection to these claims?”

“Objection! We object!”

At the defense counsel’s table, Sun Li could no longer hold back. She stared at Xu De, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.

‘Leave with nothing?’

‘But we’re the women here!’

‘Demanding that the wife leave with nothing in a civil case? How is that possible?’

‘What was this equivalent to?’

‘It was like…’

‘…demanding a murderer be acquitted in a criminal trial!’

‘Are they insane, or do they just completely lack any legal common sense?’

“Your Honor, the plaintiff’s demands are completely outrageous! This isn’t about dividing marital assets at all!”

“First, on the night of January 8th, my client was at the Home Like a Hotel, but she was not committing adultery. She was meeting with a colleague from the same educational institution. They were simply staying in the same hotel, they did not…”

As soon as she started speaking, the three people on the bench froze.

At the plaintiff’s table, the two lawyers said nothing. They just watched her state her objection, faint smiles on their faces.

Wang Cheng hesitated, giving her a look of disbelief.

Seeing that she was about to continue, Judge Wang Cheng simply couldn’t take it anymore and cut in:

“Counsel for the defense, do you have any idea what you’re saying!?”

‘The police already shoved the evidence right in their faces!’

‘How on earth could she still be saying this?’

Being interrupted like that, Sun Li was clearly displeased. She looked at Wang Cheng and said:

“Your Honor!”

“According to Article 1084 of the Civil Code.”

“Divorce does not terminate the parent-child relationship. The child in this case is four years old, which is over the age of two. However, in practical application, this should be treated as if the child were two, and the court should rule in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the minor.”

“Therefore, custody of the child should be awarded to the defendant.”

“As such, the other party…”

‘The child?’

‘Custody?’

‘She’s talking about asset division? And she still wants the kid?!’

On the bench, the three of them were dumbfounded. Presiding Judge Wang Cheng was stunned speechless. He had been expecting her to say something impressive… but how could she open her mouth and spout this nonsense?

‘Seriously…’

‘Do you have any idea what you’re saying!?’

At the plaintiff’s table, Xu De and Lin Yue were still just smiling and watching, showing no sign of raising an objection.

“We believe,”

At the defense counsel’s table, Sun Li continued her statement.

“that the marital assets should be divided with seventy percent going to the wife to support her daily life and the raising of the child. The remaining thirty percent should be given to…”

At this point, Presiding Judge Wang Cheng truly couldn’t take it anymore. Staring at her in utter shock, he interjected:

“Counsel for the defense, do you have any idea what you’re saying!?”

Being interrupted again and again, Sun Li’s brow furrowed. Anger stewed in her heart. ‘All men are the same,’ she thought, but she still had to take a deep breath and suppress her emotions in the face of “authority.”

She said, keeping her voice low:

“I know what I’m saying!”

The corner of Presiding Judge Wang Cheng’s eye twitched. He couldn’t help but ask:

“Are you sure?”

“You *really* know!?”

…

…

PS: I got flagged by the censors, so I have to slow down the pacing and spread out the plot points to see if I can avoid it in the future.

A lot of the citations and sharp analyses of the trial from the last few chapters have also lost a lot of detail.

I have no choice.

It’s ridiculous.