In a breakfast shop, Guding had just taken the first bite of the fried bun he had just bought when he heard the voice of the Sea Emperor.
"I just intercepted information from the prison. That guy Preston claims to have evidence that you helped the interstellar pirate Cain escape from the Sea Blue Star Prison. He just applied for an arrest warrant from the Federal Court, and the police are already on their way."
"Are you sure all the evidence has been destroyed?" Guding raised an eyebrow, showing no signs of panic, and stuffed the remaining half of the fried bun into his mouth.
"Destroyed completely, you can rest assured on that," the Sea Emperor replied with certainty. "I suspect the so-called evidence they refer to might be the two escapees you saw when Cain left. According to the prison's database, there are currently three fugitives on the run, and those two aren't among them; they should have been captured again. They might count as witnesses, but according to Federation Law, having only witnesses is insufficient. That guy has a ninety-three percent probability of trying to con you into pleading guilty. After all, common people suddenly being sent directly to the Federation Court and informed that there is evidence proving their crime—many choose to confess to reduce their punishment, and that's a common tactic in their line of work."
"I see," Guding said unhurriedly as he picked up a second fried bun.
After spending a few minutes stuffing the remaining fried buns from the plate into his stomach, Guding went to the counter to settle the bill, silently complaining that today's buns were a bit overcooked and harder than usual.
The apartment Guding lived in was left to him by his adoptive dad and happened to be across the street from the breakfast shop. This house had nothing special, just an ordinary residence. Back in his room, he turned on the TV and waited patiently. It wasn't long before the sound of police sirens came closer.
Several police cars sped into the neighborhood and stopped outside Guding's apartment. A group of well-trained, fully armed officers got out of the cars, with their target clearly being Guding's residence.
"They're here," the Sea Emperor reminded.
"I know," Guding said as he too heard the urgent knocking at the door.
Opening the door, Guding's sight fell on the leading officer. "Who are you looking for?"
"Are you Guding?" The lead officer seemed surprised by Guding's young age, but juvenile offenders weren't new to him, so his initial doubt quickly dissipated.
"Yes, I'm Guding," Guding naturally knew the purpose of this police visit.
"Come with us!" The lead officer gestured, and the group of armed officers immediately surrounded Guding, pointing their guns at him to prevent any sudden moves.
Guding spread his hands to indicate he posed no threat. "I request to see the arrest warrant."
The lead officer frowned slightly, as this reaction was unexpected. He lowered his head and sent the electronic version of the arrest warrant to Guding's public email address via his wristwatch.
The so-called arrest warrant was essentially an electronic document stamped with the Federation Court's seal, detailing the suspect's information and usually listing evidence of the crime.
Guding wanted to see this to understand what the Federal Court currently knew. A quick glance showed the evidence section marked "Not Yet Submitted," and the applicant's name was a familiar one—Preston.
"So this guy did come to Sea Blue Star," Guding raised his eyebrows slightly, extending his hands readily. "Alright, I'll go with you."
As per the norm, to prevent escape, suspects were restrained with magnetic handcuffs. Seeing Guding so cooperative surprised the police officers slightly.
The lead officer didn't make it difficult for Guding. Usually, the hands would be cuffed behind one's back to restrict movement, enhancing restraint. But the officer only cuffed Guding's hands in front, possibly considering Guding's young age and low threat level and partly because he was being cooperative.
Guding was placed into the lead officer's car, head bowed.
Inside the car, a faint woody fragrance lingered; although Guding didn't know what brand of perfume it was, it surely wasn't cheap. The interior was quite clean, with even spotless windows, indicating the owner cared about quality of life. The only ornament was a 3D photo frame featuring a man holding a little girl.
Seeing this, Guding raised an eyebrow, making an initial judgment about the personal life of this officer. "Divorced? Widow? Or is the child adopted?"
Having known Reid for many years, Guding was somewhat influenced by his bad habit of deducing, allowing him to notice details more than ordinary people and make his own judgments.
About twenty minutes later, the car transporting Guding arrived at the Federation Court.
Like a severe offender, Guding was escorted into the Federation Court by a group of fully armed police.
Not many people were present for the hearing; the jury consisted of only eight individuals, all looking half-awake, as if they were there to make up numbers.
The plaintiff's lawyer was a middle-aged man with a stern face, dressed in a black suit and a blue plain tie. Upon seeing Guding arrive, he only slightly raised his head before returning his gaze to his paperwork, his expression seemingly not relaxed.
As for Preston, he had not yet arrived. Guding guessed he was deliberately putting on airs, planning to arrive last.
Guding also noticed that as the defendant this time, no defense attorney had been appointed for him. He immediately asked, "Your Honor, may I appoint a defense lawyer for myself?"
The opposing lawyer immediately spoke, "The trial is about to start. If your lawyer can arrive before the case concludes, we do not object."
The judge glanced at that lawyer, a trace of dissatisfaction flashing through his eyes, and then slowly explained, "Yes, you can. Originally, an assistance lawyer should have been appointed for you, but after asking more than ten lawyers, they're all busy with other cases."
"I just found out Preston sent this judge a threatening letter twenty minutes ago, forbidding him from notifying any assistance lawyer, otherwise threatening to extend his son's sentence by twenty years in prison," the Sea Emperor's voice suddenly came through.
"It doesn't matter, I know a lawyer; we can proceed with the trial as scheduled. I'll have him arrive as soon as possible," Guding nodded toward the judge.
"Then contact him yourself, the trial hasn't started yet anyway," was the only suggestion the judge could provide.
Guding found Reid's name on his communicator and dialed it.
"Hello, what's up so early?" Reid sounded visibly sleepy, his voice tinted with a lazy tone. "Don't tell me you're standing at my door right now with a box of buns..."
"I remember you took the bar exam a few times. Did you get the certificate?" Guding's words gave the judge pause, and a clear disdain flashed across Preston's lawyer's face.
"What do you mean by 'took a few times'? Do you even know how many levels are there for a lawyer's certificate?" Reid retorted instantly, as if Guding implied he had failed several times. Exercising his talent to speak incessantly, he explained, "From lowest to highest, lawyer certificates are classified into intern lawyer, beginner lawyer, intermediate lawyer, and advanced lawyer..."
"Hey, I'm only asking if you have a certificate, no need for all that extra talk," Guding interrupted Reid, knowing if he didn't, the other might talk all the way until the trial started.
"Why are you asking this?" Reid couldn't help but question.
"I'm at the Federation Court, accused of releasing a wanted criminal."
"Today isn't April Fool's Day, is it?" Reid turned around to double-check the calendar.
"If you have a certificate, come quickly. If not, find a lawyer you know and get here fast; the trial begins at nine sharp," Guding assumed Reid did have a law certificate.
"Oh, I'll be there right away, let me have breakfast first. Don't worry, I'm the only advanced lawyer on Sea Blue Star; I won't let anything happen to you," Reid said before hanging up.
(Just realized today is April 1st, happy April Fool's Day to all~)