The villain daughter did all kinds of things

In this situation, a public trial for old Langdon is what everyone is eagerly anticipating.

Special procedures were followed, and the federal court expedited all processes, holding a public trial for Langdon on the third day after the old man's experimental facility had been inspected and cleared.

The trial took place at the federal courthouse in the federal capital, Sphinx-Melson, which is also the largest federal courthouse in terms of building area, capable of accommodating more than 600 people in attendance.

Reporters from various media outlets had booked their seats in the gallery well in advance. Some reporters even got into a fight in the street over the chance to attend the hearing, tearing each other's dresses and stockings.

Even those who couldn't get a chance to attend the hearing remained enthusiastic, crowding the area around the courthouse on the day of the open trial to watch the live broadcast projected directly above the court.

Inside the courtroom, in addition to journalists from across the federal government, were the families and friends of the plaintiff and defendant.

Although many magic-repelling cubs died at the hands of old man Langdon, these cubs were mostly marginalized and neglected. No one was willing to claim their bodies, nor was anyone willing to appear in court as a victim's family member.

On the other hand, Langdon's entourage was quite impressive.

After all, Langdon's investors are mostly big tycoons, and many old guys are counting on Langdon's technology to keep them going.

The same was true for the Melson family. After Emery took the initiative to take on all aspects of the family's mission regarding old man Langdon, several great-grandfather-generation relatives kept nagging her through magical communication, telling her that she should try to protect old man Langdon, or at least get her hands on the technological achievements.

Several other old men from other families shared the same idea, so Amelie met quite a few familiar faces in the family and friends section of old Langdon's place today.

Stella Morgan, her roommate and best friend from her college days; Brut Vance, with whom she has a deep business partnership; and Ark Lowside and Kerry Parker, a couple from Lowside Magic Academy, among others.

There was also a short-haired, black-stockinged mature woman with glasses, whom Amelie wasn't very familiar with, but she had heard of her a long time ago.

Debbie Slater, a direct descendant of the top conglomerate Slater family, currently serves as the head of research at Slater Pharmaceuticals.

These are roughly the top families in the Allen Federation. There are some other financial groups that are also quite powerful, but they are significantly weaker than these ones and are no longer in the same circle as Amelie and the others. Those people also want to squeeze into this circle.

Members of large conglomerates never come alone to public trials; almost everyone is accompanied by at least one bodyguard, with chubby Brut Vance bringing four.

Emery didn't bring her personal bodyguards today, but instead brought Marcy and Sulina.

Marcy was still dressed as a maid, serving as an elegant vase alongside Emerald.

Today, instead of wearing her usual pretty dresses, Sulina dressed up as Amelie's secretary in an office lady uniform, carrying a document and wearing black-rimmed glasses, making her almost unrecognizable to Starling.

There was no other way; now Sulina was likely being targeted by the old hag president of the Arts Association, and the only way to be safe was to stay by Amelie's side. So Amelie arranged another secretary position for her, the kind of secretary who didn't have to do any work.

After sitting in the defendant's family and friends section and chatting with a few acquaintances for a while, Amelie saw that the prosecutors had also arrived, led by a spirited-looking Miss Mengmeng.

Upon seeing Emery sitting in the defendant's family and friends section, Mengmeng paused for a moment, then strode over aggressively amidst the gossipy gazes of many, placing her hands on the table, the headlights practically shoving into Emery's face:

"What are you doing here? You know perfectly well how depraved that old bastard is, yet you're still here supporting him?"

"Oh dear, I can't help it... it's a task assigned by my family..."

Emerald first offered a somewhat aggrieved explanation before laughing:

"Don't worry, Mengmeng, I'm just here to make a show of things. I promise I won't offer Old Langdon any help. I'm also here to watch you steal the spotlight!"

"Pshaw, I'm not doing this to show off, I'm doing this to seek justice for the victims!"

Mengmeng gave a soft hum, and seeing that the onlookers' eyes were becoming increasingly gossipy and ambiguous, she stopped chatting with Amelie and went to her assigned spot to make her final preparations.

The defendant, Langdon, did not enter the courtroom until two minutes before the trial began.

He looked to be in good spirits, without a trace of regret or frustration, and didn't seem like someone who had come here to be tried at all. He walked into the courtroom with his head held high.

This scene, witnessed by Mengmeng, made her clench her teeth again.

Finally, the court hearing officially began.

Due to the special nature of the case, there were no parties involved or third-party witnesses to recount the events of the case during this trial, and the proceedings went directly into the mutual defense between the plaintiff and the defendant.

The plaintiff is the prosecutor. Unlike Earth, where Amelie lived in her previous life, the Allen Federation does not have a dedicated prosecutor's office. In all public prosecution cases involving criminal offenses, the prosecutor is generally the person in charge of the case.

The case of the abduction and murder of magic-repelling cubs has been handled by Mengmeng, a purple-star investigator, for years. Although she was defeated and captured during the final infiltration, her contribution to solving the case was still indispensable, and she is now well-deserved to serve as the representative of the prosecution.

After the court hearing began, Mengmeng didn't waste any time and went straight to the point, loudly proclaiming:

"Langdon! Do you plead guilty?"

"That depends on how you define the word 'crime'."

Langdon's tone was very gentle, sounding as if he were still chatting casually with a friend:

“If breaking federal law is a crime, then I am indeed unforgivable. But if doing something wrong is the only crime, then I am innocent.”

"Innocent? You really dare to say that, Langdon!"

Mengmeng clenched her fists, her anger intensifying.

"Then do you admit that you have killed at least 50,000 magic-repelling cubs in the past six years?"

"Hmm... your statement is actually not quite accurate."

Old Man Langdon chuckled softly:

"It is true that many magic-repelling cubs died in my laboratory, but I did not intend to kill them. On the contrary, I was trying to save and treat them, but the treatment failed and they all died in the end... So this cannot be considered murder, but rather medical malpractice."

"Medical malpractice? Ha, what a medical malpractice!"

Snapped!

Mengmeng couldn't contain her anger and slammed her hand on the table, startling the chief judge sitting at the highest position.

The judge had intended to reprimand Mengmeng, but before he could even think of it, he was glared at by Amelie and remained silent.

Meanwhile, Mengmeng continued to question old man Langdon:

"You mean to treat them by cutting open their bodies with a scalpel while they are still healthy, injecting them with all sorts of untested drugs, or even transplanting monster cores and internal organs into them?"

"Yes."

Old man Langdon nodded quite calmly:

"They are all magic rejecters. All healing methods that rely on magic are real murder to them. I can only try other methods to treat them. Although all treatments have failed so far, I have obtained valuable experimental data, and I will succeed eventually."

"Sophistry! Nonsense!"

Mengmeng was even angrier:

"Didn't you hear what I said before? They are all healthy! They don't need treatment! Forcing them to be treated with those cruel methods is murder!"

"No, they are not healthy."

Old Man Langdon's attitude gradually became serious:

"In this world where even the air we breathe is filled with magic, being unable to adapt to magic is definitely not healthy; in fact, it could be considered a very serious congenital disease! And my duty as a doctor is to treat diseases! So I don't think I did anything wrong; all my actions have been done with a clear conscience! Even if I were given another chance, I would still make the same choice!"

"That sounds nice! What a load of rubbish!"

Mengmeng stared intently at old man Langdon:

"If you truly want to cure diseases and save lives, why don't you experiment on your own body first? How can you prove that your motives are as noble as you claim, and that you're not using innocent people as experimental subjects for the sake of research results and the fame that those results might bring?"

"..."

To everyone's surprise except for Emery, old man Langdon suddenly laughed:

"How do you know I haven't experimented on myself? Do you know how my most advanced research achievement, the magical bionic organ, came about?"

"……What do you mean?"

Mengmeng was a little confused. How did this turn into a discussion about magical bionic organs?

Old Man Langdon didn't rush to speak. Instead, under the somewhat nervous gaze of the bailiffs, he slowly stood up and began to take off his shirt.

The bailiff frowned upon seeing this and wanted to speak up to stop him, but considering that the old man Langdon might be submitting evidence, he ultimately remained silent.

Soon, old man Langdon took off his shirt, revealing a strong physique that seemed far beyond his years, causing many women watching inside and outside the courtroom to swallow hard.

But that wasn't all. Under the astonished gazes of everyone except Emery, old man Langdon zipped up his upper body, revealing his body, which was now devoid of blood and filled with magical bionic organs made of metal and synthetic materials.

Chapter 207 Verbal Battle in Court

"You...what do you mean?"

Mengmeng was shocked, as were the onlookers inside and outside the courtroom. Even Emery finally showed a surprised expression.

Everyone knows that old man Langdon's greatest achievement is his magical bionic organs, and that many important figures have used this technology to prolong their lives. But no one really thought that old man Langdon would also use this technology to drastically modify himself... Looking at his current state of being cut open but without a drop of blood, it's likely that his entire body, except for his head, is made up of magical bionic organs.

"My meaning is very simple."

Old man Langdon laughed:

"The idea of ​​using magical devices to replace human organs was not my first thought, but everyone who had this idea before me failed. Even after I succeeded in my research, some people tried to imitate my work, but they were just copying without any skill.

"Why is that? The answer is actually quite simple. The first person to receive the magical bionic organ transplant was myself! Only when I was both a researcher and a test subject in the research could I better understand the shortcomings of the technology and the direction that needed improvement. Many things cannot be fully understood by just looking at data and listening to descriptions. Those subtle details that can only be understood intuitively are the key to my success."

"Hmm, perhaps I should tell you how I developed the magical bionic organ technology?"

"Please don't go off-topic! This trial is for your cruelty to innocent children..."

Mengmeng immediately tried to interrupt old man Langdon, but the judge, who had been relatively inconspicuous, finally took action this time.

Snapped!

The small wooden mallet slammed on the table, interrupting Mengmeng's interruption. The judge looked at Mengmeng with a very serious expression:

“Investigator Bell, you are knowledgeable about the law and should know that the law grants every defendant the opportunity to speak freely in court. Please do not interrupt Mr. Langdon.”

"...Tsk, okay."

Langdon's slightly mocking gaze annoyed Mengmeng, but since the judge had spoken, she could only shut up and listen attentively.

Old Man Langdon nodded to the judge in approval and continued his story:

"I've said it before, I'm not really interested in other technologies, including magical bionic organs. My only ideal is to enable those who are magic-resistant to adapt to magic so they don't have to suffer like they do now. It's one thing that their living conditions are difficult, but it's another that a minor illness that would be fatal to a normal person could be fatal to them, which is something I, as a doctor, cannot tolerate."

"So for most of my life, I've been researching this. It's just a pity that I wasn't famous back then and received limited funding, so I never achieved anything."

"Fortunately, luck finally smiled on me. More than ten years ago, I received an investment from the Merson family, which finally gave me ample research resources to conduct my research properly."

"Of course, the Melson family sells magical artifacts. They have absolutely no interest in saving magic rejecters. I was able to get their investment entirely by bluffing. I lied to them that I could create a magical puppet soldier with independent combat capabilities, and they believed me. It's ridiculous."

At this point, old man Langdon deliberately glanced in Emerald's direction, not hiding the mockery in his eyes.

Amelie immediately returned the look with annoyance, her golden eyes shining brightly, a magic capable of instantly destroying the entire courtroom swirling in them, causing many in the audience to hold their breath in suspense.

Fortunately, the angry young lady seemed to have controlled herself, only staring at old man Langdon with a murderous gaze, without actually making a move.

This appears to be a classic break between investors and investees, sparking a fierce debate.

Only the two people involved knew that they were acting, and they even communicated instantly with subtle glances.

This was all pre-arranged. Old Man Langdon would take the blame for everything, so the worse his relationship with Emerald seemed, the more innocent Emerald would appear... At least now, Mengmeng's gaze towards Emerald was noticeably gentler.

"In short, after receiving funding from Merson, I began my research."

After a brief interlude, old Langdon continued his narration:

"Although I really want to use all the research resources to study what I want to study, I have to comply with Merson's requirements, even if it's just for show... After all, he's a big spender, the kind of big spender who's stupid and rich."

"So, I took on the tasks assigned to me by Melson during the day, while I secretly conducted my own research at night."

"I thought that this way I could both avoid breaking the contract and pursue my own ideals, but I soon realized that I was a bit naive."

"You can't deny getting old... Back then, I was only in my 50s, but if I didn't sleep for three or four days in a row, I would feel extremely tired, my attention would drop, and I would have difficulty concentrating. My research efficiency would plummet."

"Although this is a problem that can be solved by sleeping and resting, I finally found an opportunity to realize my ideals, so I don't have time to waste on resting... So I started using various drugs or potions to keep myself energetic, and also used magic to replenish my physical strength, so that I could continue to do research without sleep."

"I thought that would solve the problem, but it didn't last long... In just over a year, my body couldn't take it anymore."

"The side effects of long-term use of drugs and potions have caused my internal organs to fail severely, to the point that even high-level healing magic cannot cure. It's like how even the most powerful healing magic cannot stop a person from dying naturally when their lifespan is exhausted."

“If things continue like that, I will die, and even if I immediately take the healthiest approach to recuperate and receive treatment, it will be too late.”

"But I didn't despair because of this. Perhaps it's because I've been working with Melson for so long that my thinking has been influenced by him—any problem can be solved with a magical device. If there isn't a magical device that can solve the problem, then create one."

"What if the internal organs are failing and about to stop working? Then we can create a magical device with the same function and transplant it into the body to replace those organs."

"And so, in order to save my own life, I created the first magical bionic organ through trial and error."

"Back then, the technology for magical bionic organs was not as advanced as it is now. The various discomforts caused by rejection reactions alone could make people suffer unbearably."

"At the most difficult time, I was in so much pain that I couldn't move. I could only use magic puppetry to control my body like I was controlling a puppet so I could continue my research."

"Fortunately, I am indeed a genius... Haha, relying on the most genuine feelings I gained by using myself as a test subject, I continuously improved the magical bionic organ technology until the technology was as mature as you see today... My magical bionic organs can not only perfectly replace real organs, but can even make people healthier and stronger."

"As for what happened next, everyone probably knows. I became famous because of the magical bionic organ technology and became one of the most famous doctors in the entire Federation. I also received a lot of investment from many people besides Merson."

"The Lohid family hopes that I can develop an internal magical circuit that can replace the human body's magical meridians, just like how magical bionic organs replace real organs, in order to greatly improve the quality and quantity of Federation magicians. They gave me a lot of money for this."

“Slat Pharmaceuticals also recognized my research talent and hoped that I could help them develop so-called human immortality technology. They also invested a lot of money in me.”

"The Vance Group wasn't very interested in my technology, but they valued my reputation and wanted to use it to build more large hospitals across the Federation. They also gave me a lot of money."