America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 275 Sentencing

"But it's still better than taking drugs and smoking opium, right? Doing some moderate exercise is good for your physical and mental health," the Beggar Clan disciple explained. "If you stick to exercising, the injected drugs will be excreted through sweat gland secretion, and you definitely won't have so many thoughts about them."

It seems that the Beggars' Sect disciples have also learned new knowledge from Dr. Jerry during this period.

The leader was very pleased.

"You don't mind?" Zhang Ailun turned back to Maggie, his expression strange. "Do you need me to help you get your girlfriend in too?"

When you come out, you'll probably find yourself on the African savanna, all lush and green.

"I trust Manny. As long as I know she loves me, that's enough. Anyway, she's slept with plenty of other men before." Magee said nonchalantly. For a man to get by, he'd have to wear a green hat a little.

Zhang Ailun gave a thumbs up. He fastened his seatbelt, let the Beggar Clan disciple drive to the Southern Court, and also looked at the truck driver who looked sorrowful and remained silent.

"And what's wrong with you? You don't seem too happy."

"Sir, do you think I can be happy?" the truck driver said helplessly. "I was completely dragged into this by them. I'll testify in court for you; I shouldn't go to jail, right?"

"No. I can assure you that the responsibility lies with Azure Company and these individuals. You will only need to pay a fine at most," Zhang Ailun said.

The truck driver's face fell. "I only make $4000 a month, I have no savings, and I don't own a car or a house. How much of a fine do I have to pay?"

"I'll pay the fine for you; all you need to do is appear in court to testify," Zhang Ailun said. "I can even let you continue working in the outsourced fleet, with the same job duties, and put you in charge of the management."

"Really?"

"I've never broken my promises," Zhang Ailun reassured him, which gave the truck driver confidence.

Soon, the Beggars' Sect disciples drove to the courthouse and parked in a nearby parking lot. Zhang Ailun got out of the car and led a few people to the entrance. Dave was chatting with his lawyer colleagues, and they split into two groups.

Dave was the defense attorney in charge of gathering evidence for Azure Company. Azure Company's legal team was also forced into the role, but they knew there was basically no hope, given that the evidence was conclusive and the other side consisted of their own people.

The lawyer in the Southern Court was the plaintiff's lawyer representing Parker Corporation in the lawsuit. Dave had already talked to his colleagues, and the money was all in their pockets. They were all ready to launch a heavy attack on Blue Company! Then he would go home after get off work and buy the gifts he had already picked out.

Zhang Ailun also saw Officer Miguel and other senior officers chatting outside the courthouse, who were also responsible for maintaining order.

Oh, now he should be called Sheriff Miguel!

To rise rapidly in rank.

The court also notified the victim's family to attend the hearing. The victim's family had already received compensation from Parker and had even spent a considerable amount of money. Unexpectedly, the court issued a new notice stating that the murderer was someone else, but the amount of compensation already paid would not be recovered. They breathed a sigh of relief and agreed to attend the hearing as victims.

Several bank executives also came. They were also bewildered by the court's notice. They had just sent a debt collection reminder to Parker Company, and the next second the court informed them that the case had changed and they needed to come to court to observe the hearing and provide some evidence.

Afterwards, it was even necessary to transfer the debt, with Parker Company being exempted from liability and seeking to recover the debt from Blue Ocean Company.

This is ridiculous! How can the creditor keep changing their mind? But in order to get the money, the bank manager had no choice but to rush over to participate in this case hearing.

"Hello, Sheriff Miguel." Zhang Ailun and his men approached and waved in greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Kim." Sheriff Miguel also stepped forward warmly to shake hands and offer his sincere greetings.

A person should be viewed with new eyes after three days' absence. The last time he met the leader, it was to cooperate in capturing a wanted criminal with a bounty on his head. The leader provided the clues and accompanied him throughout the entire process. Now, he has transformed into a billionaire capitalist, and even promoted and raised him. He's practically his benefactor!

Accompanied by a lawyer from the Southern District Court, Zhang Ailun led his group into the courthouse.

The victim's family and bank employees were seated in the public gallery, while the Magee gang, along with the truck driver, were presented as witnesses and evidence, and the murderer was handcuffed with silver bracelets, given new clothes, and relegated to the sidelines.

Zhang Ailun sat in the plaintiff's seat, accompanied by staff and lawyers, and was served a cup of hot coffee.

As the Chief Justice and the jury judges took their seats and tapped on the table, the courtroom fell silent. The Chief Justice then announced, "Please welcome the defense attorneys and the defendant's team to the courtroom."

The owner of Azure Company looked utterly hopeless, his mind a complete mess, and he sat in the defendant's seat with his legal team and board members in a daze.

I glanced at the table and saw that there wasn't even a glass of ice water prepared; my mouth was parched.

"Regarding the case of Parker Corporation accusing Blue Ocean Corporation of unfair competition, hiring a murderer, and bribing a judge, my Judicial Yuan is in charge of hearing this case. The board of directors of Parker Corporation and its owner, Humbert Juan King, are the plaintiffs, and the board of directors of Blue Ocean Corporation and its owner, John Ford, are the defendants. Now, I would like to invite the prosecutor's lawyer to make his statement," the Supreme Court judge said expressionlessly.

"Your Honor, we have evidence to accuse Blue Ocean Company of malicious competition against Parker Company and of hiring a murderer. The incident began on March 27th when the former owner of Parker Company offended Blue Ocean Company over market competition. Blue Ocean Company's board members held a grudge and attempted to use unfair means to attack Parker Company's factory, causing serious losses. At 4 a.m., a fire broke out at the suburban site, resulting in the deaths of 12 innocent employees." The plaintiff's lawyer immediately presented the statement.

He stated, "Because Parker Corporation did not have sufficient evidence to prove that Blue Ocean Company engaged in unfair competition, under pressure from various parties and accusations from the families of the victims, it had no choice but to pay $760 million to each family of the deceased employees and a $300 million fine and deposit in order to continue operating, totaling $9420 million."

"Our Parker Corporation board of directors now possesses a complete chain of evidence and has located the tools used in the crime and the perpetrators. This proves that Blue Ocean Company employed the homeless Magee gang through street channels and then used truck driver Kidd to transport white phosphorus to the factory waste disposal site, causing the fire. We hereby file charges against Blue Ocean Company for malicious competition, hiring a murderer, bribing a judge, contempt of law, and attempting to evade legal sanctions! Our statement of the lawsuit is complete. Thank you, Your Honor." The plaintiff's lawyer finished speaking and sat down.

The Chief Justice nodded in satisfaction.

His expression darkened, and he looked at the owner and board members of the defendant, Azure Company. "Now, the defendant will make a statement. Do you have any doubts about the charges brought by the plaintiff? If so, please immediately present evidence to defend your position. If not, I will try Azure Company on charges of malicious competition, hiring a murderer, bribing a judge, and a series of other crimes. Azure Company will be required to compensate Parker Company for its asset losses, pay Parker Company $9420 million, and repay $2060 million in bank debts. The maximum sentence is 300 years in prison."

The owner of Azure Company trembled upon hearing this.

Looking at the evidence, the defense attorney hurriedly said, "Your Honor, we have concerns about a hired murder. Our company acknowledges selective competition, but we did not anticipate a death; it was an accident!"

"You believe you did not have the intention to hire a killer? That it was an accident?" the Grand Justice asked.

"That's right," the Azure Law Firm said, forcing a smile.

"Your Honor, I object."

Magee raised his hand and stood up, accusing the Blue Ocean Company's board of directors, saying, "They paid us $60,000 to engage in malicious competition against Parker Corporation. Knowing our staff were present, they insisted we transport lethal quantities of flammable and explosive materials into the sorting area, causing a chemical reaction between the materials and electronic waste, resulting in an explosion and fire. This behavior was clearly deliberate and showed utter disregard for human life. I plead guilty and admit my wrongdoing." "We did these things. We did intend to destroy the facilities and kill people, but the real masterminds were the Blue Ocean Company's board of directors and the company's boss! We were just doing our job for money. I am willing to bear legal responsibility and punishment, but I also hope to see the demons of Blue Ocean Company brought to justice!"

"I plead guilty."

"I also plead guilty."

The group all admitted their wrongdoing. "We engaged in malicious competition; we were paid to kill."

"I was used by them. But I also plead guilty and take responsibility for my mistakes," the truck driver said.

"..."

The owner of Azure Company turned green with rage.

You son of a bitch! What good will it do you to expose yourselves here? If I go in, won't you all have to go in too?

The judge tapped the table and nodded, saying, "The perpetrators and defendants have voluntarily admitted their wrongdoing and pleaded guilty to hiring a killer for malicious competition. The evidence is conclusive, and I declare them guilty! Furthermore, before I even started work, employees of Azure Company attempted to bribe me with $500,000 and an apartment in the city center. Such behavior is utter contempt of the law!! It's lawless!!"

"I hereby declare the board of directors and senior executives of Blue Ocean Company guilty and sentenced them to 300 years in prison, and the company's participants and senior executives to 180 years in prison, with bail set at $600 million to $1700 million each. They must also pay $9420 million in damages to Parker Corporation, pay $2060 million in bank debts on its behalf, and pay an additional $40 in emotional distress damages to each victim's family member, $20 in emotional distress damages to each member of Parker's board of directors and senior executives, $500 million in damages to the premises and facilities, and pay a $1500 million market fine as a deposit. The company is prohibited from going public and participating in any normal commercial transactions in any market for two years. If there are any doubts, they may appeal after paying the compensation and condolences to the victims' families."

"The perpetrators, Magee and the truck driver Kidd, voluntarily admitted their wrongdoing. Magee was sentenced to 40 years in prison with bail set at $100 million. Kidd was suspected of knowing about the crime but was not prosecuted; he was detained for 7 days and fined $5."

The Supreme Court immediately sentenced Blue Ocean Company to death, barring it from market operations for two years, requiring it to pay at least $1.5 million in fines and bail, and a personal prison sentence of 300 years. Bail was set at a minimum of $600 million and a maximum of $1700 million, with no guarantee of release.

It caused them to bleed heavily.

That's terrible!! Absolutely awful!

After this incident, any sensible person would know that the shareholders are in a state of turmoil and want to pack up and run away.

"I appeal! I object to the sentence imposed by the judge!" The owner of Azure Company's vision went black and his face turned pale. He hurriedly got up and filed an appeal.

"No shouting in court!"

The Chief Justice rebuked, "Based on the evidence against you, the court will make a reasonable judgment. You may gather evidence to challenge and defend your sentences, but the charges of hiring a murderer, malicious competition, and bribing a judge are inviolable. Now, I declare the trial of the Azure Company case closed. Court adjourned!"

He tapped on the table, got up, turned around, and left.

The victim's family members were also moved to tears. They never expected that just by attending the hearing, they would receive an additional $40 in compensation. They felt like the government had been incredibly kind!

He immediately started cursing at the people from Azure Company.

If it weren't for the police officers standing by, they would have all wanted to go up to Peng Peng and punch him a couple of times.

Magee and his gang also breathed a sigh of relief. Twelve lives lost, and only a 40-year sentence—that was already quite lenient.

If you behave well in prison and go through several appeals for sentence reduction, you can be released in a few years.

The boss of Azure Company sat on the sidelines, trembling. The legal team next to him was also helpless. The perpetrators had confessed, and when they tried to bribe the judge, they were dragged out and brutally beaten.

What other options are there?

Dave reassured him, "It's okay, I'll gather evidence for you outside and try my best to get a reduced sentence. The bail might not even be that high."

The owner of Azure Company was moved to tears.

There are still more good people than bad in the world!

Look, even though they're free, they're more reliable than those lawyers who charge fees!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ailun's expression turned strange, and he glanced at the owner of Azure with pity.

It's over. It's really over now.

The owner of Azure Company has been detained in prison, and members of the board of directors have also been detained for suspected illegal operations. Their personal assets have also been temporarily frozen, and they are unlikely to be released anytime soon.

Regarding the fines and compensation, the court notified Blue Ocean's finance department to pay Parker $9460 million plus $500 million for site and facility damages, totaling $9960 million.

Soon the lawyer came over with the list and forms and handed them to Zhang Ailun. "Mr. Jin, this is the damage caused by Blue Ocean Company to Parker Company. Once you have confirmed that it is accurate, you can sign it. In addition, there is also compensation for mental distress caused to the senior management of Parker Company, $20 per person."

"$20 per person?" Zhang Ailun's eyes lit up.

The lawyer immediately understood what he was thinking and said tactfully, "Of the senior executives at Parker Corporation, excluding those who have been dismissed or resigned, there should only be seven left."

"But I've recently recruited seven or eight more people, so now we have at least 15 people in the pipeline for senior management positions," Zhang Ailun immediately explained. "Mr. Lawyer, besides Attorney Dave and Congressman Jackson, our Hamburger Foundation is currently short a few legal advisors. Would you be interested in coming here part-time?"

"Of course I'm interested!" The lawyer beamed, then cleared his throat. "That's right, after verification, there are indeed 15 senior executives at your Parker Company. In this case, in addition to paying you $99.6 million in compensation, Azure Company will also need to pay an additional $200,000 each to the 16 senior executives and board members, including you, for a total of $3.2 million in emotional distress damages."

Zhang Ailun signed the document without hesitation and also wrote down the list of Beggar Clan disciples, totaling fifteen people.

This is a good deal for those old employees of Reco, since they were taken along too. Now that the leader has fired them afterward, they can't say that the leader has turned his back on them, can they?

It's not too outrageous, otherwise, a company with hundreds of senior executives would be too absurd and fake. No one has paid taxes, and even if other departments come to verify, the court can't cover it up.

Knowing when to stop is enough.

Winning the lawsuit directly netted them a profit of one hundred million US dollars!

(End of this chapter)