Chapter 122: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

James Family Illegally Detains Dozens of Scientists

M Team and James Family Illegally Steal Others’ Research Results

The day after the M team’s “Realistic Pet” experienced another product malfunction, legal personnel from the International Court arrived at the technology competition with subpoenas, instantly pushing these two headlines to the forefront of international news.

Unsurprisingly, as the entire world was closely watching the technology competition, these two news items caused a massive uproar. Everyone who saw the news couldn’t help but be shocked, with the first thought being: How is this even possible?

It wasn’t that people had so much faith in the James family or the M team, but rather that these allegations were too unbelievable. Whether it was the illegal detention of dozens of scientists or the illegal theft of others’ research results, these were heinous crimes that were utterly unforgivable. Once exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yet, no matter how incredulous people felt, the fact that subpoenas and legal personnel were present from the International Court meant this was no joke.

That very day, international live streams and forums buzzed with discussions:

“Is this real? Detaining scientists and stealing research results? I feel like I’m dreaming…”

“I don’t know if it’s true, but this is definitely serious. When the International Court’s legal personnel show up with subpoenas, you know it’s not a laughing matter.”

“I just checked the latest news—apparently, 58 countries jointly submitted this case to the International Court. The scientists who were detained mostly came from these countries, with the highest numbers being from Huaguo, N country, and L country…”

“Wow, that many? Has the James family gone insane? They’re just a financial conglomerate; how could they have that much power?”

“You must be out of the loop—believe it or not, the James family really does have that kind of influence. As far as I know, they’re one of the largest financial conglomerates in Europe, completely independent of national control…”

The discussion among netizens was intense.

While most ordinary people might not be familiar with the James family, some did know about them. After some explanations, people quickly began to understand just how powerful the James family was. Given this context, the sudden news wasn’t quite as unbelievable.

Moreover, the idea of stealing research from Huaguo shocked people even more. After all, before this technology competition, Huaguo’s technological level was quite apparent to everyone.

Given Huaguo’s previous technological standing, why would the James family and the M team even bother with Huaguo? Isn’t Europe, with its leading technology, good enough? What about all those scientists the James family supposedly detained? Did they achieve nothing, that they still needed to resort to theft?

Yet the facts were what they were:

“Huaguo’s previous technological prowess might not have been prominent, but that doesn’t mean Huaguo was truly behind. Remember, Huaguo has one of the largest populations in the world. With such a massive population base, imagine how many talented individuals they must have. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to catch up from such a backward and impoverished state in just a few decades…”

“Huaguo has an old saying, ‘pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.’ Everyone probably knows how weak Huaguo was in the early days after its founding. At that time, many countries imposed technological blockades on Huaguo, which was also plagued by internal turmoil, natural disasters, and other crises. Even if they had something good, they wouldn’t dare to reveal it.

It’s said that the research results suspected of being stolen this time came from a scientific family in Huaguo. You know Fang Ziyang and Tang Xun, right? The two brothers are descendants of that scientific family…

I’ve heard that the M team’s products in this technology competition kept malfunctioning because the data they stole wasn’t complete…

If you carefully compare the products of the M team and the Huaguo team in this competition, don’t you see a lot of similarities? I had already been suspecting that the lead researchers of the two teams might share the same lineage.

If all this is true, it’s terrifying. When is the public trial going to be held? I’m taking a day off to watch the live stream on that day!”

Driven by the curiosity and the deliberate efforts of numerous netizens from around the world, the incidents of the “James family illegally detaining dozens of scientists” and “the M team and the James family illegally stealing others’ research results” quickly spiraled out of control.

Moore was caught completely off guard by the situation.

As a result, the technology competition had to be halted.

What was originally a technology competition that had the world’s attention suddenly shifted focus, with the entire world now fixated on an international court trial.

People couldn’t focus on the competition anymore until the case was resolved.

Especially since the case involved the research results presented in the technology competition.

In the end, under immense global pressure, the technology competition was paused, and the trial was quickly organized.

–

Fang Ziyang wasn’t surprised by this outcome at all.

Because everything was orchestrated by him; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.

When he initially cooperated with the authorities, their ultimate goal was never really to win the technology competition.

Although the championship was important, the main purpose of participating was to showcase their country’s technological prowess to the world, to use the platform to build the nation’s image. The championship title would just be the icing on the cake.

So far, everything they had done had achieved the desired results.

But taking down the James family was his real goal, something the authorities were more than happy to see happen.

As long as the James family existed, Moore would remain a thorn in his side, and the grudges from the past life would never be resolved.

**

On the eve of the trial, Fang Yandong, Fang Qianhao, and Xie Wenxu were also brought out from prison.

They had all previously had access to the research data from the “golden finger” and were to testify in court.

Seeing them again after nearly two years, all three looked much more haggard, both in appearance and spirit. When Fang Yandong and Fang Qianhao looked at Fang Ziyang, their eyes still held resentment, but they no longer had the same air of superiority and control as before.

Especially Fang Yandong.

The once well-maintained, mature, and handsome man was now a shadow of his former self—his hair had turned gray, wrinkles were prominent, and he looked at least twenty years older than his peers, weathered and worn out.

They naturally hated Fang Ziyang. If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t have ended up in their current situation.

Fang Yandong deeply regretted not being more ruthless back then. When his youngest son was born, he should have strangled him to death instead of going through all that trouble! He should have realized that this son, with his blood running through his veins, was as fierce as a wolf. When it came to dealing with his own father, this son showed no mercy at all!

Despite his hatred, Fang Yandong knew that he no longer had the power to fight against his son. The victor writes history, and losing to his own son wasn’t something he found shameful. Now, more than Fang Ziyang, his greatest hatred was directed at Yan Tong! His youngest son was indeed ruthless and heartless, but the reason he and his eldest son fell so quickly and so miserably was entirely due to that vile person, Yan Tong.

If it weren’t for Yan Tong, it wouldn’t have been so easy for his youngest son to bring him down. And to make matters worse, his eldest son had been driven to the brink of madness by that wretch. Even if he were to be released from prison, his life would be ruined, and he would never be able to recover…

Fang Yandong and his son, both haggard and full of hatred, did not dare to speak up.

On the other hand, Xie Wenxu appeared much calmer. Of course, he also hated Yan Tong, but more than hatred, he now felt deep regret and pain. No one knew the torment he endured every day beneath his calm exterior.

Unlike Fang Yandong and his son, who were originally enemies of Fang Ziyang, Xie Wenxu had personally destroyed his own happiness, throwing away everything good he once had. Even though two years had passed and he had grown accustomed to the pain, when he saw Fang Ziyang again, Xie Wenxu couldn’t help but feel a lump in his throat. Seeing Fang Ziyang and Xie Zheng holding hands so intimately, countless thoughts raced through his mind. But in the end, all he could manage to say, with a choked voice, were three simple words.

“I’m sorry…”

Beyond these three words, he didn’t know what else to say. Should he say he regretted it? Should he say he now realized that the person he truly loved was still Fang Ziyang? Should he offer his blessings? He couldn’t bring himself to say any of it. All those words felt empty and powerless, only adding to the burden.

He didn’t even have the right to express regret. Even saying “I’m sorry” seemed hollow.

Their eyes met.

When Fang Ziyang saw the three of them in handcuffs, his expression didn’t change. There was no lingering resentment over the past, nor was there any satisfaction in seeing his enemies in a bad state. His demeanor was calm, and his gaze was steady, as if he were looking at three strangers.

The past was behind him, and he wouldn’t waste any more energy on people who didn’t deserve it. Dwelling on the past would only prevent him from moving forward.

He walked past them calmly, squeezing Xie Zheng’s hand firmly as he looked at Xie Zheng’s handsome profile. His heart was filled with peace and happiness, and a smile spread from the corners of his eyes.

He was about to experience true rebirth.

No matter how many nightmares he had endured, fate had always favored him. He was not someone who had been abandoned. Like everyone else, he could have the happiness that was within reach.

…

On November 28th, after less than a week of buildup, and with votes from people all over the world and the joint petition of 58 countries, the highly anticipated “James Family Case” finally went to trial at the International Court of Justice, broadcasted live to the world.

The court session began, with the judges, lawyers, and all parties involved, including the accused, the plaintiffs, all implicated parties, and witnesses, taking their seats.

The journalists were ready.

The live broadcast was ready.

After a simple yet solemn opening ceremony, the presiding judge announced the start of the trial.

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