Xie Sen asked Tuan Tuan to help find the Flying Eagle Beast and have it guard the area near the police station in case Maine had any accidents. Having arranged everything, he was still uneasy.
Two hours later, his communicator rang. Seeing the caller ID, he hesitated for a moment before quickly answering: "Maine, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Maine's voice was steady. "I'm in the interrogation room now, so the call time is limited. My application has been approved. Rilo's case will be heard publicly tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. You can watch it on the court's official channel."
"What?" Xie Sen was surprised. "You mean the trial will be broadcast live?"
"Yes, don't worry, I'll be fine," Maine reassured him, then asked, "Have you had dinner?"
Xie Sen had completely forgotten about the meat in the kitchen. Only when Maine mentioned it did he realize he was hungry. Not wanting Maine to worry, he said, "I've eaten."
Maine sensitively sensed his hesitation. His voice was low: "I'm sorry to have worried you. Go eat something, then get some rest." "My communication time is almost up."
Xie Sen immediately agreed, "Okay, you...no one bullied you, right?"
Maine chuckled, "No, who did you ask for help?"
Xie Sen breathed a sigh of relief, "I asked everyone who could help. By the way, the Flying Eagle is near the police station. If anything happens, send it a message!"
Maine's eyes warmed, "Yes, trust me, I'll be fine. Go eat something and get some rest."
The officers outside the interrogation room looked at his gentle, smiling expression and exchanged glances. He was too calm; he didn't seem like the murderer about to be publicly tried.
The next day, after getting up, Xie Sen first asked Sun Mao for leave. News of Maine's public trial had already spread online, and Sun Mao readily granted him leave, offering a few words of comfort.
Xie Sen thanked him, then made breakfast, trying his best to be in top form.
Before eight o'clock, he sat on the sofa and switched to the court's official website live broadcast channel. There were already more than 50,000 people in the live broadcast room.
He scrolled through the various analytical discussions on the live stream, switched to smart mode, and then checked the public trial information on the webpage. He quickly browsed through it, unable to help but worry for Maine.
The public trial on Brant Star was truly public; the entire process would be broadcast live without interruption. With a large audience witnessing it, the defendant had virtually no chance of pretense; any slip-up would be immediately noticed.
A public trial also meant that if the defendant was the murderer, his crimes would be exposed, subject to widespread condemnation and scorn. Generally, defendants rarely requested a public trial unless they were extremely confident of acquittal. This also indicated that the defendant had nothing to hide. After watching
, Xie Sen clenched his fists nervously. No one knew better than him that Maine was the murderer.
At eight o'clock sharp, the live stream immediately switched to the courtroom. Xie Sen looked at Maine standing in the defendant's seat, scrutinizing his expression. Confirming he was in good spirits, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Maine glanced around, accurately meeting the camera's gaze, and gave a very faint smile. His features were delicate, and his gentle smile instantly made him seem very approachable.
Xie Sen subconsciously smiled back, then pouted when he saw the infatuated comments on the screen. Maine was smiling at him!
The interrogation quickly reached a crucial point. The lawyer representing the Kex family played the surveillance video from the Golden Parking Lot. After playing it once, the camera paused on the moment Maine found the knife, circled it, and then pulled up a photo of Rilo when he was murdered, circling the murder weapon.
"Your Honor, this knife is custom-made. There's only one on Brant. Before Rilo was murdered, this knife was in Maine's possession. Maine is the murderer!"
Long Yu's lawyer, surnamed Yan, wore gold-rimmed glasses without lenses, which made him look very serious. He immediately retorted, "No, opposing counsel, your statement is too arbitrary. I would like to ask why the video footage is so unclear?"
The Kex family lawyer recounted the process of the surveillance being destroyed and then repaired, but omitted the part about Thor asking Meyer for help, only saying that it was evidence obtained by Meyer during Thor's interrogation. After explaining, he confidently said, "The defendant can apply for authentication."
Lawyer Yan said, "Since it is evidence obtained by Lieutenant General Kex himself, I do not doubt its authenticity. However, I have a question. You just said that the reason the surveillance was destroyed was because Soria and Rilo did not want the Kex family head to know that Maine was the Beast Master of the Flying Lion Beast, right?"
"Yes." This could not be hidden. Anyone who had seen the video could easily deduce this result.
Attorney Yan asked, "Then may I ask, why don't they want the head of the Kex family to know?"
The Kex family lawyer immediately understood his intention and was about to change the subject when Attorney Yan spoke rapidly, "It's because the Kex family, or rather all families, have an inherently extraordinary status as S-rank beast lords, and the Kex family is even more so. They're worried that if the head of the Kex family finds out, Maine will receive more attention," he asked with a smile, "Is that right?"
The Kex family lawyer's jaw tightened: "Perhaps, perhaps not. They're not here, so we can't be sure of their thoughts. What we can be sure of is that Maine has a murder weapon."
Attorney Yan said, "No, he doesn't. He denied it to me, and I believe him. After all, he has no motive to kill. He wants attention, and all he needs to do is reveal his identity. Rilo isn't an obstacle for him; he has no reason to do that."
Shesen looked at Maine in surprise
. Maine stood quietly with his eyes lowered, like a delicate statue, his expression completely unchanged. "He does. Rilo and he have a deep grudge. He hates Rilo, and it's entirely possible that he would kill Rilo!" The Kex family lawyer emphasized.
Attorney Yan: "According to the police investigation, he didn't have an opportunity to commit the crime."
The Kex family lawyer said confidently, clearly having prepared thoroughly beforehand: "The premise that he didn't have an opportunity to commit the crime is that everything he said is true, and that he didn't prepare in advance. If he had prepared his prey in advance, there would have been plenty of time."
Attorney Yan frowned: "This is just speculation. Can you provide any traces he left to prove that he made preparations?"
"He's cunning; he didn't leave any traces."
Attorney Yan scoffed: "This is an unfair speculation that reverses the line of reasoning, and it has no legal basis. Forgive my bluntness, but you're extremely unprofessional."
"Even if there's a lack of sufficient evidence regarding the timing, the motive and the murder weapon are undeniable, Your Honor. This is evidence of multiple conflicts between Rilo and Maine, as well as evidence related to the murder weapon." The Kex family lawyer presented the evidence to the judge.
The judge reviewed the evidence, while Xie Sen's gaze swept over the comments section.
"I thought he was innocent. Maine's calm reaction is nothing like a murderer!"
"Yeah, if he really is the murderer, he's terrifying. He's only just come of age. Unless he's born cold-blooded, how could he remain unmoved?"
Xie Sen frowned, looking at Maine standing with his head down. A sentence from the book suddenly flashed through his mind: "He was born in darkness, grew up in a world without light, and was destined to destroy this world."
He silently cursed: Trash author!
If he had just met Maine and knew he was the murderer, seeing his reaction in court, he would definitely have thought this person was terrifying. But now, he only felt heartache. He knew that Maine's reaction was caused by his tragic experiences.
Maine was not a born destroyer, nor was he cold-blooded. When they first met, Maine even took him, a classmate he didn't know well, home!
When Maine learned he was being monitored by Sokto, even though he suspected Sokto, he couldn't help but want to believe that Maine was actually kinder than many others.
After reviewing the evidence, the judge looked at Maine: "Defendant, do you have anything else to say?"
Maine raised his head, his face expressionless, his voice flat: "If they didn't welcome me, why did they bring me back in the first place? Was it because they didn't have a son?"
His eyes were unfocused, not looking at anyone, but everyone knew who he was talking about. His flatness, coupled with his words, carried a strange sense of desolation.
He spoke these words as if to himself, turning his gaze to the judge: "Before Rilo died, his knife wasn't on me," he continued before the judge could ask, "The surveillance footage was incomplete. Before I boarded the shuttle, I threw the knife back. I didn't like him, I didn't want his things. I picked up the knife only to prevent him from attacking me with it."
"Nonsense, this is the complete surveillance footage!" the Kex family lawyer immediately retorted.
Maine ignored him, still looking at the judge: "I request a comparison of the missing surveillance footage from the gold medal team with the footage provided by the other side. I am certain that the footage provided by the other side is shorter, and the part where I threw the knife was cut out."
The comparison results came out quickly, and the judge said, "It is indeed shorter."
Xie Sen looked at Maine's calm expression, completely bewildered as to how he knew the footage was shorter, and was only filled with shock.
Someone said something to the Kex family lawyer, who shouted, "He's lying! It's just that some data was lost during the reconstruction, which caused the shorter footage!"
Maine looked at him, a mocking smile on his lips: "I have no connection with the Kex family anymore, so why won't they let me go? I don't want to push things too far, but they insist on pushing me further? Are they only happy when I'm sentenced?"
The Kex family lawyer's face turned ugly. Maine's words were clearly pointed and deliberately provoking him. He was shocked; was this really someone who had just come of age? His lips moved as if he were about to say something, but Maine suddenly raised his voice: "Your Honor, I want to sue Myr Keith!"
This statement stunned everyone present and the viewers watching the live broadcast. He actually wanted to sue Lieutenant General Keith? The defendant suing the plaintiff?
Maine continued, "It seems he's not going to let me off the hook. Even if it's perjury, he'll still make trouble for me. I..."
"Nonsense! This isn't perjury! What kind of status does Lieutenant General Keith have? Why would he bother with you?" Keith's lawyer rebuked.
Maine ignored him, looking at the judge: "Before Meyer Kex accused me, he threatened me with surveillance footage, trying to extract benefits from me. I refused. He deliberately manipulated the footage to achieve his goal."
The judge hesitated, discussing with the jury for a moment before asking, "What's the evidence?"
Maine activated his bracelet, and after a short while, Meyer's voice came through: "...But he's lucky to have you as his boyfriend. If you agree to my demands, I can let him go."
Shesen's voice: "What are your demands?"
Meyer: "Make Kummer and the Giant Lion form a bond. I know you can do it..."
The conversation stopped at the point where Meyer proposed using drugs to force a bond, which Shesen refused.
Maine turned off the bracelet, lowering his eyes to hide the mockery in them, but then, thinking of Shesen watching the live stream, a deep unease welled up in his eyes. Would Shesen be afraid of him, knowing he had a recording device in his house?
"My God, this is terrifying! Even if he's an illegitimate child, he's still my own son!"
"It's chilling. I even felt sorry for Soria because of his situation. Birds of a feather flock together." "Poor
Maine. He doesn't seem to be planning to produce the recording. Was he forced into this?"
"I'm curious, how did he get the recording?"
The jury exchanged bewildered glances. No one had expected things to turn out this way. The evidence Lieutenant General Keith presented was actually used for blackmail and to extract benefits.
The father and son, Kex, who were watching the surveillance footage, both looked extremely grim. Han Zheng slammed his hand on the table: "You've really disappointed me! Look at the stupid thing you've done!"
Meyer glared at Maine, his eyes red-rimmed, as if he wanted to pounce on him: "Soria was right, he is a demon! I should never have let him be born!"
Han Zheng scolded: "Useless! Regret is a coward's act. The most important thing now is how to solve this problem," he said, rubbing his nose heavily, "You even brought up the demand for a forced contract, and you even mentioned medicine. Not to mention Maine, that madman Mu Lin will definitely not let you off the hook."
Meyer asked: "What should we do?" His face instantly changed... Looking grim, Han Zheng exclaimed, "No wonder Maine requested a public trial; he planned this all along!"
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "Main is so young, yet he has such a mindset. If he were on the same side as the Kex family, with him around, the Kex family would only grow stronger. It's all my fault for trusting Sokto so easily; otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this."
As he spoke, he stared at the screen and said in a deep voice, "Main has evidence. So many people have seen it. There's no way to clear your name. The drugs related to the forced contract—you need to immediately notify someone to dispose of them. Find a scapegoat. Don't let anyone know it's related to the Kex family. Remember, you bought these on the black market on a whim."
Meyer opened his bracelet to send a message and make arrangements.
In the courtroom, the atmosphere became extremely tense. The judge and jury discussed the matter for a long time and finally decided to try each case separately. Maine's lawsuit against Meyer would be filed separately, while the case of Rilo's murder would continue to be heard.
The Kex family's lawyer was sweating profusely, his momentum weakened considerably. Attorney Yan spoke quickly and decisively, re-analyzing the motive, timing, and tools used in the crime.
Countless people had conflicts with Rilo, and Maine had had little contact with Rilo after leaving the Kex family. His motives were not solid, and the timing was based on a possible act from a guilty perspective. Without evidence, it lacked any weight, and the evidence proving the murder weapon was produced for blackmail and was even less convincing.
"Your Honor, my client is innocent!" he shouted.
Xie Sen glanced at the comments: "He's definitely innocent. I said from the beginning, if he were really the murderer, how could he be so calm?"
"Yeah, being blackmailed and framed by his father, Maine is so pitiful!"
"The Kex family is really something else. They ignore their illegitimate son, and they keep causing trouble. If they weren't capable, they would have been tortured to death long ago!"
Some people questioned: "I feel that Maine's reaction is too calm. Even if he was wronged, he would be scared. It's terrifying to think about."
However, most people tended to believe that Maine was innocent. Later, even some people who liked his looks appeared: "Such a handsome person, he looks like a good person. How could he commit a crime? He's definitely innocent."
Xie Sen thought to himself, being good-looking has its advantages.
At this moment, the judge announced that Maine was innocent and released in court. Xie Sen suddenly stood up from the sofa. Tuan Tuan, who had been standing on his shoulder, was startled: "Chirp!" It flew to the side and looked at Xie Sen.
Xie Sen hurriedly said, "I'm sorry," his eyes shining, "Main is alright, I'll go to the courthouse to pick him up."
Before he even reached the door, he received a message from Main: "Wait for me to come back."
He stopped, sat back down on the sofa. The trial was over, the courtroom livestream had ended, he turned off his bracelet, and stared at the door. A short while later, there was movement at the door. Xie Sen quickly got up and ran towards the door. Main pushed open the door, closed it behind him, took a step forward, and reached out to hug Xie Sen tightly.
"I'm sorry, I made you worry."
Xie Sen shook his head. He knew that with Meyer there yesterday, Maine couldn't possibly explain things clearly to him, but he still had many questions. He patted Maine's arm: "Go take a shower first, then we can talk."
Maine looked down at him, nervously gripping Xie Sen's hand: "Don't be angry with me. I put the recorder in the apartment not to monitor you, I…"
Xie Sen led him inside: "Take a shower first, then we can talk. Have you had breakfast?"
Hearing his concerned words, Maine secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he wasn't angry: "Yes, I'll be done soon."
Maine quickly finished showering, sat down next to Xie Sen, and hugged him: "Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."
"How do you know the surveillance footage is a bit short? How did you get the recording?"
Maine rubbed his chin against Xie Sen's head: "There's a recorder in the apartment, I put it there before… just like when I turn on the lights at night. It makes me feel safe, and I know if anyone has entered the apartment."
"After we got together, I was planning to remove it, but that day, when I listened to the recording, I heard your voice, and I hesitated, ultimately not removing it. When you're home and I'm not, I like to hear your voice."
At this point, Maine unconsciously pulled him closer: "Yesterday, I hadn't been out long when I heard Kex's voice and immediately turned around. I heard your conversation. When he was playing the surveillance footage, I noticed that the sound was blurry in some places, and the progress was faster than it actually was. I guess some data was lost during the repair."
"To make sure my guess was right, after I went inside, I had General Keith play the recording again. After watching it carefully, I confirmed this and came up with this plan, specifically requesting a public trial."
Shesen pursed his lips, then suddenly thought of something and looked up at Maine: "If you had played the recording for Lieutenant General Keith back then, you could have reached an agreement to exchange evidence. He would have definitely agreed for the sake of his reputation, and you wouldn't have been arrested."
Maine was silent. Shesen gritted his teeth: "You thought of that too, didn't you? But you realized that this was a good opportunity to deal with him, so you didn't do it, right?"
Maine nodded: "Yes." Xie Sen was angry. He hurriedly said, "I can make sure I'm alright. If I can't, I won't take the risk."
Xie Sen glared at him: "How can you make sure? A public trial in front of so many people, how can you make sure you won't give yourself away? The Kess family has a lot of influence in the military, how can you make sure they won't make trouble after you're arrested?"
He got even angrier as he spoke, punching Maine's shoulder: "You want revenge? Fine, but how can you put yourself in danger? Are you trying to make me angry? You clearly..."
Before he could finish speaking, Maine kissed him. Maine's kiss was urgent and deep. He frowned and tried to push it away, but Maine entangled
him, and they became a tangled mess. After a while, Maine finally let go of him. He was panting heavily, kicked Maine with his foot, and moved to the side. Seeing Maine reach out to grab him, he immediately summoned a watermelon vine to bind Maine.
"Were you even listening to me? Stop touching me!" Xie Sen sat down opposite him and said irritably.
Mei frowned at the vines in Xie Sen's hand, knowing he was truly angry. She didn't dare struggle, her burning gaze falling on Xie Sen. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't control myself," she said, her eyes darkening and her voice deepening. "The way you're angry because you're worried about me makes me deeply feel how much you care about me. Realizing this, I couldn't resist touching you, possessing you!"
Xie Sen's heart skipped a beat. He slightly averted his gaze from Mei's, calming himself before looking at her again, his expression serious. "Promise me, this is the last time. You're not allowed to put yourself in danger for revenge."
Mei looked at him with a mixture of affection and helplessness. "I promise you, but I swear, I've really thought this through. With you here, I won't put myself in danger."
Xie Sen snorted softly. Influenced by modern films, many people arrested didn't even make it to trial. He still felt it was quite dangerous.
Mei hesitated for a moment, then voiced her question: "You're not angry that I installed a recording device in the living room?" She had expected this to anger Xie Sen.
Xie Sen didn't think much of it: "Didn't you say this is your habit? It doesn't matter. Anyway, it's just the two of us living in the apartment, so it's basically just our voices. In case there's a thief, it might be useful. And it came in handy this time, didn't it?"
Maine looked at his fair face and thought, how could he be so kind? A smile appeared in his eyes, and he raised his hands: "Let me go, I want to hug you."
Xie Sen glared at him: "What are you thinking about all day? It's still morning." Even so, he still called the watermelon vine back. He glanced at the time; it was only ten o'clock. He got up and yawned: "I'm going to take a nap. I didn't sleep well last night."
Maine hugged him tenderly: "I'll sleep with you." Seeing Xie Sen glare at him, he smiled, "I promise I won't do anything."
The two slept until noon, ate lunch together, and sat side by side watching the news.
Shortly after Maine's public trial, a large number of posts condemning Meyer and about Mu Lin appeared on forums and online communities.
Mu Lin sued Meyer for harming contracted beasts and obtaining prohibited drugs, and also posted a public message righteously condemning Meyer.
The post received many comments from Mu Lin's fans, such as "So cool!" "Awesome!" "Dean Mu is still Dean Mu!"
The latest trending news concerns Meyer: he is under investigation by a military court, his duties have been transferred, and he has been suspended from his posts pending investigation.
Shesen was somewhat surprised by the result. Maine scoffed, "He exposed such a huge flaw; how could the other powerful families let such a good opportunity pass?"
The phrase "strike while the iron is hot" suddenly popped into Shesen's mind, and he couldn't help but laugh. Maine said, "He brought this on himself. The Kess family values power and lineage above all else; this time he can truly taste the bitterness of falling from grace."
Shesen suddenly thought, "Why did he marry Soria in the first place?"
"Meyer wasn't a lieutenant general then, while Soria's father was the most prominent lieutenant general at the time. However, he died in battle two years after Soria's marriage, and the entire family never recovered. Sokto was still the most successful."
Shesen suddenly understood. He turned off the news and asked, "I'm going to the Gold Medal later; what about you?"
"I'm going to see Uncle Long to thank him in person, and I also need to continue practicing flying the spaceship."
The story of Meyer Kess had become a hot topic, and the Kess family had fallen silent. Maine spent his days designing software and learning to fly spaceships, only being summoned to court once to present evidence.
Xie Sen continued his work-and-vacation routine, checking on his contracted beasts every noon; life went exceptionally smoothly.
Half a month later, preparations for the trip to the small planet were complete, and they were ready to depart at any time.
This time, the destination was far, requiring at least eight days round trip, and what they would encounter upon arrival was uncertain, meaning they would be away from Brant Star for a considerable period.
Xie Sen requested a long leave in advance from Sun Mao, who had already prepared for his departure. Seeing it was just a leave request, Sun Mao readily approved it and offered to take good care of the contracted beasts.
Xie Sen thanked him and then went to Districts Four and Five, informing the contracted beasts of his impending departure. The beasts expressed their reluctance to see him go.
The black giant leopard beast said, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the livestream. Just come back before your new residence is built."
Xie Sen mentally estimated that it was the 5th now, and the journey would take eight days. If the green planet wasn't their destination, it would take even longer. Finding and retrieving the energy after arrival would also take time. Therefore, the chances of returning before the 20th were slim.
He shared this result, and the contracted beasts reacted exceptionally strongly. The giant tiger beast roared, "I want to go to the new place as soon as possible!"
The other contracted beasts echoed, "Me too!"
Xie Sen knew they had been looking forward to it for a long time, but he really couldn't be sure when they would return, which
put him in a difficult position. The black giant leopard beast walked up to him, its large black head looking down at him, raising its black paw: "Take me to the new place. Once it's built, I'll take them there to live. You just need to order our meals."
The contracted beasts immediately agreed: "Yes, that's what we'll do!"