Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 37 Court Four
Gu Yansheng looked around the room and exchanged glances with the French consul, receiving a sincere and earnest nod of approval from the consul. "Well said."

Smith stood up suddenly, “This lawyer still hasn’t explained it clearly!

Why were these Japanese soldiers able to take the initiative to arrest people when the police station was not under attack? Isn't this a reflection of their independent law enforcement power?
Even if it's only temporary! You mentioned auxiliary law enforcement power! That can only be auxiliary!
If the French take action, the Japanese can take action. If the French don’t take action, why should the Japanese take action!
What authority do they have to arrest people directly without going through the French!

The only explanation is that they already have independent law enforcement powers!

Otherwise, the French police should have arrested them as well! But the fact is that they didn’t! Everyone in the world knows it! "

Gu Yansheng didn't even look at him, but looked at the audience and raised a finger.

“The most basic principle!
The transfer of law enforcement power requires a formal treaty between the two governments, but France and Japan have never signed such an agreement. As a local administrative body, the Municipal Council actually has no right to cede sovereignty.

He doesn't even have the power to make decisions, how can he give up sovereignty?!"

"Not necessarily!"

Smith said loudly with a cold face: "Officially, there is no announcement of the signing of the agreement, but no one can say for sure whether it has happened privately!
History has long proved that the French are not a tough nut to crack!

As early as last year during the Shanghai War, the French Concession, fearing a Japanese invasion, allowed Japanese soldiers to pass through the French Concession to pursue Chinese soldiers! Is there an agreement?!

Oh, there was a cry from below.

"You'd better produce some evidence!" Gu Yansheng's voice suddenly drowned out the others: "Defendant's lawyer, watch your words, or you might end up in court again for defamation, and then you won't be in the lawyer's seat, but the defendant's seat!
Your Honor, I ask the defendant's lawyer to retract what he said and apologize sincerely. This matter has nothing to do with this case!"

"This is an explanation of the old behavior of the French in the French Concession! This is a reflection of what is happening now! However, I withdraw this statement, Mr. Consul, I apologize!" Smith said in a deep voice.

The impact has already been caused, but this is how it is played in court; this is the tactic.

The judge couldn't say anything, so he coughed and cleared his throat. "Defendant's lawyer, I warn you again, be careful with your words, or I will punish you."

"Yes, Your Honor, I will pay attention to this." Smith calmed down and bowed to the French Consul Richard: "Apologize again."

Sit down leisurely.

Richard looked extremely ugly. His scars were exposed in such an occasion, and he hated Smith to the core. The impact had already been caused, how could he recover?

He looked at Gu Yansheng. This was his only hope.

Gu Yansheng stood in front of the stage, facing this unexpected attack, his mind racing with ideas. To satisfy the client's wishes, he absolutely could not just win the case, but had to get rid of the stain as well.

Otherwise, the ending will never be perfect, and it will also affect his next plans.

"As a lawyer, I really hope you can stand on the side of fairness."

Gu Yansheng looked at Smith and said this, then looked at the judge, then looked at everyone and said, "Everyone knows that this war, which lasted for several months, has resulted in countless casualties on both sides.

As other neutral powers in Shanghai, Britain, the United States, and France, which had autonomous areas in the concessions, had to be involved in the war at some point.

Either to deliver supplies or to protect civilians.

The defendant's lawyer tried to use some past events to prove whether the French Concession today is neutral. I have just arrived in Shanghai and am not clear about past events.

But there are some things I know very well!
That is the Chinese population living in the French Concession, the British and American Concessions now! That is much more than before the war! Even several times more!
Who is sheltering this?”

Gu Yansheng looked at the people present and pointed his finger to the sky, "I want everyone to remember! If France stood on the side of Japan! Then these Chinese in the French Concession should be arrested and killed at will! And during the war from last year to the beginning of this year, they should not! It is impossible for them to get the opportunity to enter the French Concession!
Compared with the groundless speculation raised by the defendant's lawyer, the data on the Chinese population currently living in the French Concession, and even in the British and American Concessions, is the solid evidence!

That is the evidence that proves the safety of the concession!

That is the ironclad evidence formed by all Chinese communities living in the concession through their own choices!

The French Concession is safe!"

It was truly an ironclad fact, and the people in the audience, especially the foreigners, nodded frequently.

"Therefore, the groundless speculation made by the defendant's lawyer is completely meaningless. Using such statements as circumstantial evidence is simply ridiculous!"

After Gu Yansheng finished speaking, he lowered the volume and said, "I won't spread it anymore, because I think it's meaningless to discuss this issue, and it's a waste of everyone's time. This is not what this court wants to discuss." When Gu Yansheng turned around, he gave Richard a reassuring look.

What else could Richard say? He felt like crying. He felt like he was on a plane, being kicked into hell and then pulled up again.

Gu Yansheng, brother! Good brother!

"Let's get back to the question we were asking."

Gu Yansheng looked at the judge.

"Your Honor, the defendant's lawyer just spoke passionately and confessed that neither Japan nor France had publicly announced the signing of an agreement, and no one can confirm whether there was any private agreement. This means there is no evidence at all.

As I just said, the decision on the transfer of law enforcement authority did not lie within the French Concession, so it was impossible to transfer law enforcement authority.

On the contrary, not only did the French Concession not transfer law enforcement power to the Japanese authorities, but it was extremely restrained in the Japanese use of force in the French Concession.

In the face of diplomatic situations, additional personnel can be dispatched for protection, but they must not be equipped with guns.

This is not only to maintain the authority and dominant position of the French Concession, but also to maintain the long-term stability of the French Concession.

The Japanese also trusted the French Concession's ability to defend itself.

Therefore, after the restaurant incident, important figures were sent to the police station for temporary shelter, while their own people also maintained law and order in the surrounding area.

As for the Japanese security personnel arresting suspicious people in a desperate situation, this is just a very normal protective behavior.

Just imagine, if we were the security captain of this escort operation, we had just experienced an assassination attempt and were then escorting an important figure of our country back home to rest.

Then suspicious people were found near the residence, which means that there was suddenly a rumor that someone was going to assassinate someone. At this time, there were indeed an unusually large number of people near the residence. Would we make the same decision to arrest them in a hurry?
As a guard, at this time, ask yourself, are you not so concerned about the issue of whether or not to enforce the law?

Should we let the assassin kill him while we report to the French Concession, and then cooperate with the arrest after the report comes back?"

There were some laughs of approval from the audience.

"So, the so-called arrest that took place in the alley next to the police station without law enforcement authority was simply the guards' subconscious behavior.

It's a bit reckless, but it's human nature. We can't expect every soldier to be extremely smart, right?

As for whether the wrong person was arrested, can the case be handed over to the French police station nearby, which has the real law enforcement power, for verification?

As for the end of the matter, as far as I know, after the French investigation, they decided to release all those who were wrongly arrested, and they were all released the next day after the incident.

So from the beginning to the end, this case was just a very normal diplomatic incident. It was just a low-key browsing that accidentally caused a sensation in the city.

However, major newspapers are ignorant of the truth and have no factual basis, and they are fanning the flames based on the one-sided images they have seen.

Speculation and delusion have caused serious harm to my client.

This is an injury to the French Concession, and more importantly, it is an injury to a heart that has always worked diligently to maintain peace in the French Concession.

The French Concession, which has always adhered to its bottom line and protected so many people, has always been a peaceful and happy place in Shanghai.

I would like to ask everyone present here, the consul, the editor-in-chief, my journalist friends, and even the defendant's lawyer on the other side.

We all live in Shanghai. Even if you win this case today, you can cheer and continue to publicize it in the media. The French Concession did transfer law enforcement power to the Japanese Military Police Headquarters. You win!

Have you ever thought about what the consequences will be for a heart that has been broken by your groundless speculation?

Will your life in Shanghai be as comfortable as it is today?
Are the Chinese living in the French Concession really grateful to you?
Did you really win?"

With a bang, Gu Yansheng threw the newspaper on the table, shook his robe and sat down.

"Your Honor, I'm fine."

(End of this chapter)