496 Emotionally Moved!
Before the explanation just now, Shen Ruojing had asked Chu Cichen to stay outside and bring in those willing to testify for Chu Cimo. Therefore, when she heard the words “I do”, she turned her head and saw that the fifth senior brother was bringing in four people.
The four people immediately spoke up.
“We can testify that the Rooftop Gentleman saved us!”
“My child was misdiagnosed by an unqualified doctor and missed the best treatment time. The subsequent costs would be over a million. When we sued the doctor, their private hospital denied it. Hence, Rooftop Gentleman helped us steal their drugs, and we only got the evidence after sending them to a testing agency…”
“…”
After several people recounted their situations, the eldest senior brother sneered. “Chu Cimo, you have committed 58 theft cases, perhaps only these four are good deeds done for the benefit of the people. Are there witnesses for the other cases? You think you have saved so many people, but your actions caused our Valor Gate disciples to be investigated. Also, where are the people you saved? Only a few have come… What does this mean? It means they don’t need you at all! It’s just your own self-righteousness!”
The second martial uncle also said, “Only a few people can’t prove that Chu Cimo’s theft was done for a good purpose.”
Shen Ruojing also frowned. Yesterday, she had personally found several victims, such as the woman who had been sexually harassed by her superior. She said that she was now happy and didn’t want to come forward and be criticized by others.
Many victims just wanted to forget the past after the case was over, so they wouldn’t come.
She looked at Chu Cimo.
Whether those people came or not, she had found a way to prove that Chu Cimo’s words were not false. She could retrieve those cases from the police station by asking Captain Cui for help.
But she still wanted those people to come… At least, let everyone present know that what Chu Cimo had done was meaningful!
In this world, there were always places that couldn’t be illuminated by light.
But now…
Shen Ruojing sighed and asked Chu Cimo, “Do you regret it?”
Chu Cimo looked at the four witnesses, his face showing bitterness. He then lowered his head.
Regret?
After becoming the Rooftop Gentleman, he was forced to leave to avoid affecting Valor Gate.
From then on, he could only be a useless rich kid who ate and drank without working.
But he never regretted it.
Chu Cimo looked at Shen Ruojing and shook his head.
The second martial uncle’s face turned pale. “You think you have helped so many people, but you have also brought inconvenience and harm to your fellow disciples. What about them? Do you still not regret it?!”
Chu Cimo. “No regrets!”
The entire courtyard of the punishment hall fell into an eerie silence.
Everyone’s heart was in conflict.
On one hand, they admired Chu Cimo’s behavior, but on the other hand, they thought that he was a fool. What was the point? He had done so much but was not remembered by anyone. In the end, when he needed help, only four people came…
This was like the story of helping an old man cross the street only to be scolded in the end. Nowadays, not many people dared to do good deeds…
Just as everyone was feeling uncertain, the fifth senior brother suddenly ran in again, panting with excitement. He exclaimed, “They’re here again, they’re here again…”
Shen Ruojing looked directly at him and asked, “How many people have come?”
The fifth senior brother pointed to the door and replied, “I don’t know…”
Along with his words, Chu Cichen strode in with three people behind him. The eldest senior brother sneered. “What’s the use of a few more people? There are 58 cases!”
But as soon as he finished speaking, four people walked in side by side, and the eldest senior brother frowned and stared at the entrance. Behind those four, there were three more, followed by another four more…
The gate of the punishment hall was a bit narrow, only allowing four people to walk side by side. But behind them, there was an endless stream of people coming in! Until the end, the yard was full of people, and more people continued to pour in…
The fifth senior brother pointed his finger to count. “37, 38, 39…”
The people who came in talked about their situation back then, queuing up in an orderly manner.
One of them said, “I was that celebrity. Thanks to Chu Cimo’s help in stealing the other party’s photos, I got my reputation back. In fact, when I became a celebrity, I had a lot of pressure. I had mild depression at that time because they used my fitting room photos to threaten me. I felt that there was no love in this world, and I wanted to kill myself. But I didn’t expect Chu Cimo to rush out and give me hope and courage to start a new life. Thank goodness there are people like him in this world…”
“I was one of the migrant workers back then…”
“I was the one who was sexually harassed back then. I didn’t want to come forward, but I thought about it all night. If it wasn’t for Chu Cimo back then, there wouldn’t be me today. So now, of course, I have to stand up and protect him… I’m sorry, I’m late.”
The yard became lively. Now, Chu Cimo looked at them, and his eyes gradually turned red. Every time someone explained what had happened back then, they would bow to him to express their gratitude, and Chu Cimo would return a fist salute.
After two or three hours, all the witnesses had spoken, and the disciples of Valor Gate verified that 57 people had come, involving 43 cases.
Shen Ruojing stepped forward and handed over all the evidence of the 58 cases to the disciples. Once they verified the evidence, she turned to her second senior brother and asked, “Second Senior Brother, now that it has been proven that Chu Cimo’s actions were reasonable, can we choose to handle this matter at our discretion?”
The second martial uncle didn’t say anything, so Shen Ruojing continued, “When there is a major dispute, we always vote on it. Now, those who agree to handle this matter at our discretion, please raise your hand.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand. The other disciples had tears in their eyes and raised their hands as well, with some even shouting, “Second Martial Uncle, our little junior brother helped so many people. Seeing that they are now happy, we feel that the inconvenience we faced back then was worth it!”
In the end, only the eldest senior brother and his lackeys were left. The eldest senior brother’s gaze was heavy and he glanced at his father. However, he saw that his father had also raised his hand.
The eldest senior brother was immediately angry, but he didn’t dare to speak up again as even Old Hong had raised his hand.
Old Hong slowly spoke, “Regardless of the circumstances, Chu Cimo violated the law on theft, and there is a loophole in the law. We will punish him with ten lashes. How about that?”
These ten lashes were just for show.
Chu Cimo’s eyes instantly turned red, and he immediately bowed to Old Hong. “Thank you, Master!”
And thus, the case was settled. Shen Ruojing looked at the disciples of Valor Gate and said slowly, “Chivalry and righteousness never go out of style, no matter what era we are in. However, in this era, we must be cautious and not cross the line.”
“Yes, we will remember the teachings of Junior Martial Uncle Shen!” The voices of the Valor Gate disciples echoed through the sky.
–
Outside of Valor Gate, a group of people was standing around trying to gather information. They were from the Bai family.
After being brought back by someone sent by the Bai family, Shen Wanying had been locked up in his room. Her personal butler then rushed into it and said, “Madam, the people sent by the Bai family to gather information about Valor Gate have returned!”
Shen Wanying sneered. “So what if they have returned? It’s nothing more than the Shen family offending another powerful force… I told you that Shen Ruojing is a disaster, and the Shen family will sooner or later be destroyed in her hands!”
However, just as she finished speaking, her butler’s face turned awkward.