That was a white-haired elderly man.
Dressed in an exquisite suit, his steps were unsteady yet he maintained a certain dignity.
"Defendant Zhou Yueshan, former chairman of Jiang City Chamber of Commerce."
The presiding judge's voice was grave: "After investigation, you have been providing financial shelter to Du Shanhe for a long period and using the chamber's network to assist the Transcendence Society in infiltrating various industry institutions. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Zhou Yueshan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "Defense? No, I simply did what needed to be done."
The gallery erupted in uproar.
"Du Shanhe's industries have driven Jiang City's economy."
Zhou Yueshan continued, as if delivering a business speech: "Employment rates, tax revenue, urban construction... all these bear his contributions. As for those so-called Mist Incidents, they're merely unavoidable... costs during development."
The presiding judge slammed the table: "That's nearly one hundred thousand human lives!"
Zhou Yueshan remained expressionless: "Without Mr. Du's industrial support, Jiang City's infrastructure projects would have been delayed by at least three years."
Qin Bai sneered from the gallery: "So you think GDP bought with ordinary people's lives is something to be proud of?"
Zhou Yueshan finally looked at Qin Bai, at this "culprit" who had brought him here.
Then he turned to the presiding judge with the composure of someone long accustomed to power.
"Your Honor, everyone."
Zhou Yueshan spoke slowly: "Before you pass judgment on me, perhaps you should hear some data about this city.
Over the past decade.
Jiang City's population has grown by 20%, but employment opportunities have only increased by 5%.
Housing prices have risen by 43%, while average wages have only increased by 12%!"
This city's resources have long been stretched beyond capacity!
The gallery began to stir.
Some people muttered curses under their breath, while others fell into deep thought.
"How many college graduates can't find jobs each year? How many migrant workers break their backs on construction sites yet can't afford a roof over their heads?"
Zhou Yueshan's voice gradually rose: "Vicious competition makes everyone live like animals! And Mr. Du's industries—"
The presiding judge sharply interrupted: "Du Shanhe's industries are murder!"
"No, this is natural selection."
Zhou Yueshan smiled, looking around: "Everyone here is part of the elite, but have any of you considered what kind of people mostly die in the mist?"
He answered his own question: "They're homeless from the slums, low-end laborers from factories, terminally ill patients who can't afford medical treatment...
Because the more high-end the workplace, the more elite gathering places, the stronger the security, the more awakeners there are.
Aberrants won't risk so much danger to bring mist to such places.
After all, when the mist ends, they also need to hide where they are and escape.
So mist generally doesn't descend in commercial districts, unless aberrants specifically want to kill certain people, but such cases are rare.
Therefore, what the Mist Incidents eliminate are precisely the burdens this city should have eliminated anyway."
The gallery completely exploded.
A woman screamed and rushed forward: "My husband was a sanitation worker! He worked diligently for twenty years! How dare you call him a burden?!"
Zhou Yueshan remained expressionless: "May I ask, how much taxpayer money would be needed to fund your husband's pension?"
Qin Bai's eyes turned icy as he stood up: "So you believe the solution to social problems is murder?"
"This isn't a solution, it's a result."
Zhou Yueshan shook his head: "I simply see reality clearly. In fact, over the past six months, Jiang City's unemployment rate has dropped by 2.3%, average rent has fallen by 7%... and this is just six months!
Given time, Jiang City's economy will advance with each passing day!
Mr. Du's group has made indelible contributions to Jiang City's economic development.
Moreover, it has eliminated the burdens on Jiang City's society. With these people gone, resources can be better distributed among you.
I can say that your current better living conditions are inextricably linked to Mr. Du.
You're all beneficiaries like me, yet now you turn around to judge me? Hahahaha... how ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"
Su Zhan sat stunned in the observation gallery.
What kind of statement was this?
Outrageous argument!
When resources become scarce to a certain critical point, human lives actually become calculable variables.
This kind of rhetoric was downright anti-human!
How dare he say such things... does he value his life at all?
As Su Zhan thought this, he immediately realized something the next moment.
Zhou Yueshan had already calmly accepted his fate, accepted his death.
Holding no expectations whatsoever.
That's why he could, that's why he dared to make such statements publicly.
"Enough!"
The presiding judge heavily struck the gavel: "What do you take the blood and tears behind these numbers for!?"
Zhou Yueshan put away his smile and said coldly: "I call it... social metabolism."
The entire courtroom's anger intensified.
Curses filled the air without end.
After a moment.
Zhou Yueshan slightly nodded: "Of course, saying these things in court isn't quite appropriate. I apologize."
But this apology contained not the slightest hint of remorse.
"This is sophistry! You're only doing this for the shares Du Shanhe gave you, for the money he distributed to you!"
The presiding judge said: "And you still show no repentance."
"Repent for what? Hahahaha..."
Zhou Yueshan laughed, laughing wildly and unrestrainedly.
Seeing this, the crowd's curses actually died down.
They looked at him one by one with confusion, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve.
After a long while.
Zhou Yueshan finally reined in his laughter, raised his head, and said calmly: "This world has always been about the strong preying on the weak, only..."
He looked down at his handcuffs: "This time I was outmaneuvered."
The presiding judge finally pronounced the verdict: "Guilty as charged, sentenced to death. Execution to be carried out immediately in three days."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yueshan's expression didn't change at all, as if he had long accepted this fact.
Su Zhan stared at Zhou Yueshan in the defendant's dock.
Previous defendants had either made excuses or begged for mercy through tears.
But Zhou Yueshan showed no anger, no fear, not even the slightest guilt.
Like a chess player who lost the game, calmly sweeping the pieces from the board and calmly accepting defeat.
He wouldn't collapse after his crimes were exposed, wouldn't repent at the judgment seat.
Sobs rose and fell in the gallery.
Those were the cries of the victims' families.
Zhou Yueshan only slightly frowned, as if these cries were merely noise interfering with his thoughts.
Perhaps for Zhou Yueshan, this trial was just the final chapter of winners becoming kings and losers becoming bandits.
His moral compass had long been rewritten.
What he truly regretted was never the blood on his hands, but that he had actually made a mistake that landed him in the defendant's dock.
Su Zhan thought of a very appropriate example.
If you bring a phone to school and get caught, you don't regret bringing the phone, only that you didn't hide it well.
There's a saying widely circulated online.
Confessions contain no repentance, only the calm acceptance of gambling and losing.
...
When leaving the Tribunal, the sunset dyed the corridor blood-red.
Qin Bai stood at the boundary between light and shadow, saying calmly: "Finished watching? We can return to the academy in three days."
"Why three days later?"
Su Zhan asked.
"Because in three days, all those just tried will be executed."
Qin Bai's eyes held a trace of pleasure: "I need to see these people die with my own eyes before I can feel at ease."
Su Zhan somewhat understood this feeling.
This was true.
When Doberman was previously sentenced to death, he hadn't completely set his mind at ease either.
Only when he saw that guillotine suddenly drop and sever Doberman's head did he truly feel at ease.