Chapter 123: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

This trial was one for which China, along with the other 57 countries that had lost scientists, had thoroughly prepared.

The charges being brought against the James family were twofold: illegal imprisonment of scientific scholars and illegal theft of others’ research findings. Because the first charge had a broader impact and more severe consequences, the trial began with the “illegal imprisonment of scientific scholars.”

“…According to the records, a total of 78 victims testified. The earliest victims to be deprived of their freedom were 16 scientific scholars from countries P, U, and T. Of these, 9 were killed due to their resistance and refusal to cooperate, and their bodies were discarded into the Morros Sea, making them unrecoverable. Subsequently, another 5 researchers were killed, leaving 64 survivors…”

“Among these, the bodies of 14 individuals could not be retrieved, but relevant evidence can be found in the laboratory’s personnel movement records… Additionally, some surveillance footage from the laboratory fully documents the confinement of these 78 scholars on Black Shark Island in the Morros…”

“To coerce the victims into working for them, the James family subjected most of the victims’ families to long-term surveillance and threats…”

“In summary, this was a premeditated, purposeful, and heinous crime. The accused, the James family, severely violated the life safety and freedom of 78 victims and their families. Given that all 78 victims were renowned professors in the scientific community, many of whom had made significant contributions to scientific advancement, the James family has also violated Article 167 of the International Scientific Scholars Protection Act…”

“…Therefore, we hereby submit this lawsuit to the International Court of Justice, requesting that the court handle this case with impartiality and justice, and impose the appropriate penalties according to the law.”

As the representative spoke, they also submitted a thick dossier of victim information. These documents detailed each scientist’s original identity, the circumstances of their disappearance, the treatment and coercion they endured after their abduction, and other pertinent details.

Each file, taken individually, was shocking. Together, the dozens of files painted a picture of the James family that could only be described as “inhuman.”

The James family had long been a merchant family that profited from wars, and they embodied the cutthroat pursuit of profit to its fullest extent. Even within the business world, the James family did not have a favorable reputation. However, the family’s growth had made it so powerful that its exact financial resources were difficult to estimate, and their influence had seeped into government officials across many nations. In many capitalist countries, it’s a well-known but unspoken rule that financial oligarchs often control the government.

Thus, dismantling the James family would require a concerted effort from a majority of the world’s governments; any isolated attempt would be futile.

However, the exposure of the James family’s illegal imprisonment of scientific scholars provided an opportunity for these nations to unite in a collective effort. Even with the James family’s backing from several major powers, it wouldn’t be easy for those powers to shield them under such intense global scrutiny and the combined efforts of so many governments.

Moreover, whether these people will even choose to protect the James family is an interesting question in itself.

After all, the James family has always been arrogant, never taking anyone seriously. To them, those politicians who appear powerful in public are nothing but puppets and lackeys.

When a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push.

At this moment, it’s the perfect opportunity to kick them while they’re down. With the fall of the James family, their remaining assets and wealth are nothing but tantalizing pieces of meat for the taking.

The prosecution representative presented all the evidence.

Although the viewers in the livestream couldn’t see the evidence, the victims’ interviews and personal testimonies had already spread across various national networks.

As the trial unfolded, the emotions of netizens from different countries ran high:

“They must be severely punished! This is solid evidence! Professor Abbes from our country was one of the victims. We all thought he died in a tragic accident while traveling. The entire nation mourned. Who would have thought it was because of this? If we hadn’t lost Professor Abbes, our OLIH project wouldn’t have been delayed for so long…”

“And Mr. Loris from our country—he was once considered a beacon of hope for our nation, but his life was wasted just like that…”

“And Professor Cheng Jun from our country! Back then, our country was so poor and underdeveloped. We were counting on these professors to lead our progress. But before they could even shine, they were taken by this James family…”

“They say the Orpheus Group belongs to the James family. No wonder the Orpheus Group has developed so rapidly, with its technological products far ahead of competitors. They’ve been capturing the top talents from various countries to do research. With such a formidable team, how could they not be ahead?”

“This is terrifying. How enormous and insane is the James family that they completely disregard the authority of nations?”

“Many financial oligarchs are like this. The power of some European financial families is even greater than that of small countries. That’s just how it is in capitalist regions…”

“When there’s over 300% profit to be made, people will ignore all laws and obstacles to pursue it.”

Netizens continued to discuss and analyze the situation. Many of the comments, though blunt, struck at the heart of the matter: it all boiled down to the lure of profit.

However, no matter how powerful the James family is, once they’ve enraged the masses, the consequences will be dire.

Especially when it comes to the illegal detention of scientists—this is crossing a major line. Even the most arrogant of superpowers wouldn’t dare go too far. They might issue threats, but always within certain limits, relying more on incentives than force. If people were casually abducted, the entire world would descend into chaos, and who among the scientific community would dare to step into the spotlight?

Knowledge is the foundation of human progress.

While the importance of scholars might not have been as recognized in the past during feudal times, in the modern era, everyone understands their significance. Regardless of the circumstances, all nations have adopted a tacit understanding to respect and protect scholars.

Scholars hold a special status in the world because they carry the hope of human advancement.

The James family has gone too far this time—what they’ve done is utterly ruthless. If they are not eradicated as a warning to others, it could set a precedent, leading to a catastrophe for humanity worldwide.

But the James family isn’t going to admit guilt so easily.

Knowing the severity of their actions, they naturally prepared thoroughly for the fallout.

“This is all slander. Our family members did nothing of the sort!”

In the international court, the James family denied all charges. Their lawyers promptly presented various pieces of exculpatory evidence they had long prepared.

Although the prosecution’s evidence was substantial, the James family had anticipated the exposure and taken measures to shield themselves. All the suspects involved appeared on the surface to have no direct connection to the James family.

As such, they could argue that this was all a baseless accusation. Without the most direct evidence, there was no way to convict them.

As for the repercussions of this confrontation, the James family was confident that their years of accumulated power would help them weather the storm.

Thus, the James family remained very calm.

Fortunately, the alliance pushing the lawsuit had anticipated this scenario and had also prepared accordingly.

The prosecution representative calmly glanced at the defiant members of the James family and then addressed the judge:

“The James family is not entirely wrong in their claim. The evidence we have presented so far and the suspects involved do indeed appear, on the surface, to be unrelated to the James family. However… we have one more piece of testimony.”

As he spoke, someone next to the prosecution representative stepped out, and soon a young man with a gentle demeanor and handsome Chinese features was brought into the courtroom.

This person was none other than Shi Liangchen!

The rest of the James family showed little reaction upon seeing Shi Liangchen because they had no idea who he was. When Moore had initially recruited Shi Liangchen and discovered his extraordinary scientific talent, he sought to tightly control such a valuable asset to solidify his position as the family’s heir. As a result, no one in the James family, except for Moore’s close confidants, knew of Shi Liangchen’s existence.

At this moment, only Moore’s expression changed drastically.

“Moore, who is he?”

The other members of the James family, noticing Moore’s sudden change in demeanor, sensed something was wrong and anxiously asked in low voices. The family’s laboratory was under Moore’s management, so seeing his reaction, they began to worry—could something have gone wrong in the lab?

And indeed, their fears were not unfounded.

Moore, hearing their questions, dared not respond. No matter how confident and self-assured he usually was, he now found himself overwhelmed with anxiety, unable to meet the gazes of the other family members. His hands clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his flesh as sweat beaded on his forehead. His bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Shi Liangchen.

Shi Liangchen knew many of Moore’s secrets, and he was involved in the disappearance of those professors from the laboratory. Moer could barely fathom what Shi Liangchen might reveal.

And Shi Liangchen did not disappoint.

After being questioned by the judge, Shi Liangchen immediately produced a USB drive, his expression a mix of despair and sorrow.

“…At the time, I only wanted to take my sister abroad for treatment. To cover her medical expenses, I attempted to sell my software programs to Orpheus Corporation. However, under the threats from Mr. Moore, I was forced to work for them…”

“After entering the laboratory, I learned that many people had died before me. Fearing I might meet the same fate—silently and without a trace—I secretly made a lot of preparations.”

“This USB drive contains video footage from the time I entered the laboratory until I was rescued, including evidence of every project I participated in and all the James family members I came into contact with… There’s also another video…”

At this point, tears began to stream down Shi Liangchen’s face, his reddened eyes filled with grief.

“One of the videos was captured by a camera I left on my sister. My sister wasn’t able to be saved. These people, to force me out and exact revenge, heartlessly tortured my sister to death…”

As a victim, Shi Liangchen’s sorrowful and angry recounting of the James family’s crimes struck deeper than any piece of evidence.

Especially when the video of Moore venting his rage on Shi Meijing, torturing her to death, was revealed during the court proceedings, it caused an uproar both in the courtroom and online.

Although public opinion cannot directly determine legal guilt, it can undoubtedly influence a judge’s decision.

If the aim was to strike a blow, it had to be done thoroughly, leaving the James family no room for recovery. Stirring up international political outrage and global public anger were two entirely different matters.

In the previous life, the James family had also been brought to trial, but the outcome had been far less satisfactory.

Even though most people could see that the James family had indeed engaged in numerous illegal activities, the lack of direct evidence and the family’s surface-level “charitable” acts had ultimately shielded them.

Lastly, with the help of Yan Tong, who was at the peak of his influence on the international stage at the time, the James family successfully evaded conviction. The general public knew too little and couldn’t fully grasp the true significance of illegally imprisoning scientific researchers, nor did they understand the true, vile nature of the James family.

But if there were a more straightforward video…

Since the direct evidence against the James family from before could no longer be found, it was time to create new evidence.

Shi Liangchen locked eyes with Moore, who was fuming with rage, and his mind flashed back to everything from his previous life. He could have escaped with Ziyang, but it was his so-called good sister who tipped them off. It was Moore’s ruthless actions that led to all the tragedies that followed.

He would never forget the regret he felt at the moment of his death;
He could never erase the despair of seeing the news of Ziyang’s death;
His greatest regret over two lifetimes was treating Shi Meijing as his real sister.

These people had turned his life into a living hell, so they could all join him in the abyss!

“Moore, you will die a miserable death…”

Shi Liangchen stared at Moore, his eyes equally bloodshot, filled with deep, seething hatred. Even though he had seen Moore’s downfall in his previous life, that was due to someone else’s efforts. Now, he had finally exacted his own revenge!

The others had no idea what was going through Shi Liangchen’s mind. Seeing his expression, they assumed he was driven to hatred by the persecution he had endured. The rest of the James family members, realizing the weight of the evidence, looked grim.

That useless Moore—he had let a spy infiltrate and gather so much damning evidence!

Seeing no way to escape, someone in the James family quickly signaled the defense lawyer. The lawyer promptly stood up to argue, attempting to shift all the blame onto Moore, claiming that his actions were personal and did not represent the entire James family.

At this point, throwing Moore under the bus was the best option.

However, at that moment, the prosecution brought forward another witness.

Another witness? What other witness could there be?

The expressions of the James family members were beyond grim. After the unexpected testimony from Shi Liangchen, they could only imagine that Moore had more secrets hidden from them.

When Moore heard there was another witness, his face changed once again, as if he realized something terrible.

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