The Mafia Empire

Ev though the outcome of this case wouldn\'t harm him directly, those powerful figures who could decide his future might not appreciate a young man who acted so recklessly.

Thankfully, this was only the second of three trials—there was still one more. He still had a chance!

After the second trial ded, Kevin smiled and extded his hand to Camille. He felt confidt, holding onto key evidce and witnesses. Regardless of whether Camille could find new evidce and witnesses to support his "mutual murder case" argumt, he would not be Kevin\'s match. After all, no evidce or witness could ever carry more authority than the killer himself.

Since victory was certain, why not display the cultured demeanor of an educated man?

Only the victor deserves a victor\'s smile!

Faced with Kevin\'s provocative gesture, Camille\'s face tighted, and his eyes flashed with anger. After a momt, he turned away and resumed his work, packing up the materials on the table. Finally, he gathered them up with force, slamming them onto the table with a loud bang.

Many of the spectators and jury members who had already left halfway turned a, curious. In their eyes, they saw Kevin, courteous and polite, ev extding a fridly hand to his "oppont." Meanwhile, Camille, the district attorney, appeared rude, ignoring Kevin\'s goodwill and instead creating a loud noise to express his dissatisfaction and hostility.

People oft like to side with the underdog challging the powerful. Kevin, represting the poor girl, Natasha, undoubtedly gained their sympathy. It was as if they had forgott that they once called Kevin the "Devil\'s Advocate." Now, they were more inclined to support Kevin against the rude district attorney.

This sce did not escape the judge\'s notice either. The judge smiled, shook his head, and left through a side passage. Based on his rich experice, he could already predict that during the final trial, Camille would lose, and lose badly.

This was not some mystical foresight but a judgmt based on experice. The more confidt someone was, the more polite they appeared, because they were certain of their victory. On the other hand, those who became flustered always ded up losing. Psychologically, Camille had already lost.

The judge had high hopes for Camille. He was young, ergetic, and had an insatiable desire to uncover the truth. More importantly, he was a man of justice. However, the momt Camille was chos as a candidate for the position of state prosecutor, he lost his balance.

He wanted to make a big splash and establish his dominance, but he had tripped up unexpectedly.

Kevin glanced at his right hand, shrugged, and th turned and walked briskly toward the door. Julian, who had be sitting siltly, now stood up and followed Kevin outside.

"I must congratulate you. It looks like you\'ve got this in the bag."

Kevin was pleased with Julian\'s complimt. This case would not only allow him to leave Camille far behind, but the ultimate victory would also add a bright feather to his cap. After all, not everyone could defeat a prosecutor wh starting from a disadvantaged position—of course, cheating didn\'t count.

He had paved the way for his future in the capital and earned a thousand dollar fee. There was nothing about this case that didn\'t satisfy him.

Kevin\'s joy was writt all over his face. "There\'s nothing really to be proud of, although I do feel proud..." He stopped, raised his arm, and adjusted his sleeve just ough to reveal his wristwatch. "I have a dinner later. Why don\'t you join me? I\'ll introduce you to two people."

As a seasoned lawyer, Kevin oft mingled with all sorts of people, from vagrants to city magnates. Any of them could provide valuable information or become pottial clits. Among his most frequt contacts were police officers and their chiefs.

In Ternell, you could offd anyone, but never the police chief.

According to imperial law, police had the right to briefly detain individuals they deemed suspicious. If they found ev a shred of evidce, they could apply for arrest and search warrants. Over the past decade, at least three magnates in Ternell had be ruined after offding the police chief.

However, this didn\'t mean the chief was a tyrant; he was smart ough to know that not every magnate was an easy target.

Kevin\'s invitation was timely. With things heating up outside, Julian naturally needed a powerful backer to shield him, and the police chief was one of the strongest supporters available.

The two of them got into Kevin\'s car. It was notable that despite Julian\'s rising fame in Ternell, he still didn\'t own a car—quite humble, indeed.

Lunch was at Ternell\'s finest restaurant, Jasmine\'s Iridesct Onyx River. Jasmine was the name of the restaurant\'s owner, a stunning woman in her thirties. Rumor had it she was the mayor\'s lover, with some colorful versions of the story fueling the imaginations of workers. No one dared to discuss it oply though, whether true or not, as it meant crossing powerful people.

The restaurant\'s real name, "Iridesct Onyx River." Located at the corner of Twelfth and Elevth streets in the city cter, across from Ternell\'s City Hall, the restaurant was quite prestigious. Unlike other restaurants, there was no public dining area here. From the momt they tered, staff guided Kevin and Julian into Private Room 9.

Some said this restaurant was a hotbed of shady dealings, while others claimed it was a breeding g for corruption. In any case, those who dined here were either chasing wealth through power or possessed vast fortunes and sought more influce.

Upon tering Private Room 9, the opult decor made one feel as though they had stepped into a palace. The dominant colors were crimson, gold, and iridesct , with every detail reflecting the designer\'s meticulous efforts.