March 10, 1988, was also an important day for Hong Han, the 14K gang leader who was serving his sentence in Hong Kong City.
At 11:10 in the morning, he sat in the complainant's seat at the Supreme Criminal Court of Hong Kong City, waiting for the final verdict to decide whether he would be freed or return to prison.
Before pronouncing the sentence, the British judge wearing a wig had a ghastly face.
He rolled up the sleeves of his black cassock, as if he wanted to severely punish the Hong Han standing in front of the judge's bench.
His expression showed coldness and ruthlessness in his majestic and arrogant look.
However, underneath all these superficial phenomena, Hong Han also felt that the court was playing tricks on people.
Because he knew that Axia would spend a lot of money to reverse the appeal this time.
He didn't know the exact number, but they were spending a lot of money to "salvage" him.
Not only did the lawyer hire the largest law firm in Hong Kong, but also the most famous team of lawyers, all British.
Axia even did the necessary "clearance and management" for some relevant personnel.
For example, the original witnesses, such as the jury...
The serious judge in front of him is the most important part.
So don't say that he was wronged in the first place. Even if he really did those things, it shouldn't matter.
The only thing he was worried about was that the British police boss who sent him in in the first place would not let him go, and might do something behind his back to stop him.
But at this last moment, Hong Han was really relieved.
Because both the lawyer and Axia who was observing had a calm attitude and firm eyes.
This confident posture speaks for itself.
Axia, in particular, not only showed excitement and anticipation while sitting in the audience, she even smiled a little proudly at him.
Thinking again, the South China Morning Post, an influential newspaper in Hong Kong, published an article this morning predicting that his appeal would be successful.
This made him put his heart completely in his stomach.
Sure enough, when the judge stood up and sternly criticized Hong Hanyi's criminal history in the first half of his life, openly defining him as "the most decadent element in Hong Kong society", he then looked down at a large number of appraisal reports submitted to the court by the lawyer.
and the testimony of new witnesses.
The judge frowned and shrugged, as if he had a belief that went against his original wishes. What is said below are all things that he had to say in line with legal fairness and against his personal wishes.
"... However, in view of the latest supplementary evidence seen by the court, it has been proved that there are major loopholes in the original evidence and testimony provided by the police officers. Since the Hong Kong City Police failed to produce further corresponding evidence, a complete chain of evidence could not be formed.
In view of the strictness of the law, I announce that the original verdict will be revoked due to insufficient evidence.
Hong Han, who was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling contraband in entertainment venues, was also acquitted. This verdict took effect in court. Since Hong Han had already been in prison for four years before, Hong Han also based his judgment on this.
To bring the Hong Kong police to court in the name of an unjust case to complain and claim compensation, an application needs to be submitted, which will be handled separately by the High Court."
As the judge struck the ground, both Hong Hanyi's legal team, Axia in the gallery, and Hong Hanyi's younger brothers all cheered and stood up.
Everyone was in high spirits and smiling.
And Hong Hanyi himself felt a heartfelt sense of joy, which surged from his heart to his throat and overflowed through the gaps between his clenched teeth, eager to express it to the outside world.
"I'm free! I'm free!"
He stretched out his hands, and the bailiff next to him unlocked the handcuffs. He almost walked towards Axia and hugged her.
"Congratulations, Mr. Hong!" The barristers from the legal team also came over to congratulate.
"Thank you. You guys are great."
"That's right, Mr. Hong..."
There were countless congratulatory voices around, and Hong Han extended his hand to respond to the kindness, but still did not let go of Axia at this time.
He was really excited and happy.
There was still a sixteen-year sentence, but it was just written off.
You know, although his treatment in prison is much higher than that of ordinary prisoners, the experience is equally unpleasant.
Especially since the British who captured him were given special care.
So inside, he often had disputes with the people who guarded him.
He knew clearly who was the benefactor who saved him from the fire and water.
At this time, freedom is no longer an abstract word for him, it has become tangible, real, and a kind of freedom.
Something to enjoy and feel.
Freedom means breathing fresh air, being undisturbed, not having to wait in line to eat, not having to listen to the bell all the time.
It means hot baths, soap, a luxurious and comfortable life. You no longer have to be constantly wary of someone poking you with a sharpened toothbrush. You no longer have to worry about a rope strangling your neck until midnight and killing you.
.
It means you have a name rather than a number.
It also means that he has regained status and respect in the world, and can feel proud and proud, making those rats who add insult to injury when you are in trouble frightened and unable to sleep.
The most important thing is that he is finally reunited with his own flesh and blood, his own daughter.
So when Hong Hanyi walked out of the court surrounded by Axia and his team of lawyers and faced reporters from all walks of life crowded at the entrance of the court, he smiled all over his face and stretched out two fingers toward countless TV lenses and cameras.
Make the "V" sign for victory.
A very famous photo was taken, which appeared in the newspaper of the day.
He didn't even think that his photo would play a certain role in the Hong Kong movie.
In fact, it was because the judge's final performance in the courtroom was so flawless.
After the verdict was announced, Hong Hanyi's joy and happiness were obvious compared to the police agent and legal representative who looked downcast, with cold eyes and disdainful expressions.
So even if Hong Hanyi himself was really unjustly imprisoned, he was indeed avenged.
However, his restoration of freedom today was still interpreted by many media as a failure of justice.
His joy is the elation and arrogance of successfully escaping legal sanctions and toying with the law.
As a result, this incident not only became a landmark judicial incident, but also featured similar scenes in many Hong Kong police and gangster films since then.
That is, the bad guy was caught, but could not be convicted, and was finally acquitted.
After being released, the bad guys continue to mock the police for being incompetent, the judiciary as nonsense, and the news and public opinion as playthings to be exploited.
But this doesn't matter to Hong Han. He doesn't care what others think. He only cares about everything he has again and wants to leave here as soon as possible to see his daughter.
What's more, after suddenly gaining freedom, he was still a little uncomfortable with the outside environment.
When I got into the car that picked me up, I saw the tall buildings, colorful streets and flowery streets of Hong Kong City. My eyes were almost exhausted for a moment. I felt sincerely, "Hong Kong City seems to have not changed, but it seems to have changed. It is so prosperous."
It's a hundred times better than what I remember."
Axia naturally understands his mood, "Brother Teddy, you have endured hardship here. When you get home soon, you will first set up a brazier and use grapefruit leaves to get rid of bad luck, then take a bath, and we will take you to eat well.
A meal. Ah, by the way, Xiaozhizhi wants you to take her to the movies. She has been very happy these past two days and is looking forward to your coming home today..."
Hong Hanyi was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear, but he was even more moved by this and couldn't help but hold Axia's hand.
"Axia. Thank you so much for your hard work. I didn't expect that you were so capable, you could actually get me out of it so quickly, and you also took good care of Xiao Zhizhi and my brothers outside..."
Xiaozhizhi is Hong Hanyi’s nickname for his daughter.
He doesn't attach much importance to money or girlfriends, but his daughter is his heart and brotherly loyalty is something he can't let go of.
These words are 100% sincere.
The happy Axia shook her head and was about to say a few polite words.
But before she could say anything, Shengzi, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, chimed in and took the initiative to take credit for her.
"Brother Teddy, what you said is so right. Sister Xia is really capable. Ever since something happened to you, our original territory has been divided up by those same disciples. Even my hometown in To Kwa Wan can't
Keep it. Those unloyal guys said they were helping with the hosting, but in fact they were
It annexed us. Most of our people have no backbone and are willing to change their families. But those who don't want to be others' guard dogs have no choice but to run away in order to prevent others from seeking revenge. A few of us are lucky enough to follow Sister Xia all the time.
When I arrived in Tokyo, Japan, not only
I didn't suffer much, but lived quite comfortably. I had wine and meat every day, and I could play Pachinko and have a sauna. The economy in Tokyo, Japan, was extremely prosperous. Sister Kasumi first opened a store in Ginza in Tokyo.
It was a very profitable nightclub, and then he used the money he earned to open a nightclub.
Parking company. The parking fees in Tokyo are sky-high. Our brothers are being treated badly just for collecting rent every day. Boss, I am not praising Sister Xia. This is the first time I know that you can make money so easily by doing a good job.
We were still more comfortable when we opened an underground bank..."
These words were far beyond Hong Hanyi's imagination.
After all, he had no way of knowing the details of Axia's situation outside.
Although I knew that Axia was living a good life, otherwise she wouldn't have the financial resources to save her, but after all, I didn't have time to inquire in detail.
He was just wishful thinking that Axia must still be working in a sideline business outside.
Now he found out that Axia could actually make a fortune by doing good things, which completely shocked him.
"Axia, is what A Sheng said true? I didn't expect you to be so capable. It seems that you are really wronged by staying with me and helping the club. You are obviously a business genius. If I had known, you shouldn't have just
If I want you to go to college, I should send you to study in Australia. Oh my, what a waste of talent..."
Now Axia's face was really getting hot when she was praised so much that she quickly explained.
"Brother Teddy, don't listen to Ah Sheng's nonsense. If he knows anything, he will brag for me."
"boast?"
Hong Han also looked at Shengzi's innocent and stunned look and couldn't help but laugh.
"No way? I know Asheng's character. He has always been an 'old lady'. He may speak exaggeratedly, but he has never talked nonsense. He is good at cutting people, but not at bragging. I can tell you today.
I must be talking so much because I really admire you. Don’t be humble. Frankly speaking, your ability to lead them to do good things has proven your achievements. Even I admire you..."
Shengzi laughed now, but Axia couldn't bear it anymore and quickly told the truth.
"Brother Teddy, you don't know something. Although I am doing a good job in Tokyo now, it is not my own ability. I have the help of noble people."
"Noble?"
"Yes. It's Mr. Ning who was introduced to us by Mr. Zeng, who was a tie maker in the mainland capital. Do you still remember what happened a few months before your accident?"
"Ah, I remember that a very young and handsome young man wanted to exchange Japanese yen to open a restaurant in Tokyo. In mainland China, he had to exchange a lot of money. Oh? Did you meet him in Japan later?
"
"Yeah. He opened a very successful restaurant, a very high-end Chinese restaurant, and made a lot of money. He also gave me good advice and a lot of help. I am where I am today thanks to his help. In fact, we are now in
All the industries in Tokyo are jointly managed with him. Otherwise, I won’t be able to raise enough money to come to Hong Kong to litigate for you."
The more Axia talked, the more excited she became. That look of genuine admiration reminded Hong Han of the way she looked at him when he first met Axia.
"And the most powerful thing about him, you know what it is? It's his grasp of timing. Brother Teddy, I came to Hong Kong to save you this time. It was he who reminded me and told me that everyone had just experienced the stock market crash.
When money is needed most. People who have lost money in the stock market need money and are eager to make up their losses. People who have not lost money also need money to increase their positions. Will
You want to make a fortune. So now is the time when money has the greatest power. As long as you have enough money for appeal, there is a high probability that the case will be reversed for you. As expected, money can make all the difference, and he was right.
We spent 70 million Hong Kong dollars this time, not to mention asking some witnesses to retract their confessions, we even bribed the judge."
"What? Seventy million Hong Kong dollars!" After hearing the specific figure, even Hong Han was not calm now, "You actually spent so much money to save me!"
No wonder he was surprised, after all, he didn't leave that much to A'xia at the beginning. If converted into US dollars, it would be almost 10 million US dollars.
To average out his sentence, which is basically equivalent to a one-year sentence, it would cost $500,000 to purchase.
"Brother Teddy, don't worry. Our current parking lot company has more than 2 billion yen in monthly fees alone. Although we have to pay bank loan interest, the remaining money is enough to fight this for you.
There’s a lawsuit.”
"That's right, Brother Teddy, your time in a year is so precious. It can't be measured with this little money. As long as we can get you out early, we are willing to spend several times more money."
Although both Axia and Shengzi said this, it shows that they are currently wealthy.
But Hong Han still felt that this favor was too great, especially the help given to Mr. Ning, which he had to keep in mind.
Although he didn't have a close friendship with this person, he was considered a good person if he could avoid getting into trouble when meeting Axia.
Unexpectedly, he helped Axia achieve his career, and what he did for him was enough to be called a "benefactor".
No matter what, since he has received favor from others, he must go to Tokyo once.
Besides, if Axia still admires this person so much, then he must thank him in person. This is basic etiquette.
However, of course, all this must be done after he has settled the affairs in Hong Kong City, so he is not in a hurry to do it right away.
Thinking of this, he said, "Axia, in this case, when you go back, you can contact Mr. Ning for me first and express your gratitude for me. I, Hong Han, am also very grateful for his help. I will always remember this kindness.
.But I have some things that need to be dealt with in Hong Kong City. If it is convenient, I hope to thank him in person and meet him in a month."
Axia immediately understood what he said, but she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Brother Teddy, can you please stop being sidetracked? In fact, we can go ashore. It took a lot of effort for you to come out, and it took a lot of effort for Xiaozhizhi to see you again..."
However, Hong Han is also a man with a backbone. Although it hurts, she will not easily persuade him to do something he is determined to do.
"Axia, we are Jianghu people, so we must repay kindness with kindness and revenge with hatred. Although I can't provoke the British guy who sent me in here now, but those "comrades" who have divided our territory, I
You have to pay a good visit and be fair, right? Otherwise, how can I still do things here? Who will give me anything?
I don't want to lose face. But don't worry, I don't want to make the same mistake again. I won't make a big fuss about the matter here in Hong Kong City. As long as we get back what belongs to us, I will go to Tokyo with you and visit this person who made me sit ten hours less.
Mr. Ning, who has been in prison for several years. I want to thank him in person, and I also want to ask him for advice on how to behave righteously..."