The Unexpected Twist

On May 28, 2013, the Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court held its first hearing for the case of Zhang Chao, who was accused of murdering Jiang Yang.

This trial attracted widespread attention, as the case was brimming with the key ingredient for sensational news coverage: "controversy."

The initial incident of the subway corpse disposal had shocked the entire nation. Numerous photos taken by onlookers flooded the internet, including one where Zhang Chao was wielding a ping pong paddle, which quickly became a popular meme. The infamous "Are you scared?" rap song went viral, and for days, the story dominated media headlines, even forcing celebrities to release statements sidestepping the chaos.

After the police issued a public statement, the controversy sparked another round of discussions. "Have you ever lent money to a friend who didn't pay it back?" "Would you lend money to a friend who asked to gamble?" Almost everyone has encountered the unpleasant situation of being asked for money, a scenario that sticks in one's memory like few others. Public opinion surged, and the debate went on endlessly.

The victim, Jiang Yang, had a notorious reputation—he was involved in bribery, gambling, and prostitution, and had even served time in prison. His ex-wife, when interviewed by the media, refused to speak in his defense, which led to widespread sympathy for Zhang Chao. Many believed his crime was a spur-of-the-moment act and that he should be given a lenient sentence.

When the court announced the date of the trial, the case quickly regained momentum in the media, and many websites published special reports. Journalists from all over the country flocked to apply for seats, creating a scene reminiscent of a high-profile celebrity scandal.

Beyond the public fascination, the case also drew the attention of legal professionals across the country, largely due to the high-profile defense team that Zhang Chao had hired.

Zhang Chao himself was a criminal defense lawyer, well-known in Hangzhou's legal circles. Many people initially thought he would defend himself, but his family eventually hired two top criminal defense lawyers. One was Professor Shen, a retired law expert in his sixties who had mentored Zhang during his doctoral studies. Shen was a member of the committee that drafted the "Criminal Law Amendment" of the National People's Congress. The other lawyer was Li, a highly respected criminal defense attorney known as the "King of Criminal Defense" in Zhejiang, and also a protégé of Professor Shen.

Both of these prestigious lawyers had been inactive in court for some time, but this time they made a rare public appearance to defend Zhang Chao. Their presence was a significant event in the legal community, with many legal professionals seeking to observe their defense strategies.

The case itself seemed straightforward, without any sensitive private matters involved. The court, having consulted both Zhang Chao and Jiang Yang's family members, decided to make the trial public. The court even arranged a large courtroom to accommodate the overwhelming number of onlookers.

Before the hearing, the prosecution and defense exchanged evidence. The court held three mock sessions, and Zhang Chao had raised no objections.

As the trial began, the prosecutor quickly read the charges and presented evidence, asking the defendant whether he had any objections. Everyone was expecting Zhang Chao to accept the charges, as the facts seemed clear-cut. The focus was expected to be on the defense's argument regarding Zhang's subjective intent, whether he had intentionally killed Jiang or if it was manslaughter.

But then, unexpectedly, Zhang Chao cleared his throat, calmly put on a pair of glasses he had only recently requested from the detention center, adjusted his yellow prison uniform, and straightened his back. He then slowly spoke up, "I have serious disagreements with the charges brought by the prosecution."

The courtroom fell silent. His two high-profile lawyers exchanged a glance but assumed that he was about to address the prosecution's argument about his intent to kill, though his choice of words seemed strange.

"Please, the defendant may speak," the judge prompted.

Zhang Chao lowered his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He briefly touched his forehead before slowly lifting his gaze. His eyes scanned the audience, and after a moment of silence, he began speaking: "Today, as I stand here, I am scared, but more than that, I am confused. I don't understand why I am here being judged, because I never killed anyone."

His face showed an expression of innocence, more convincing than even the most unjustly accused. The courtroom was left stunned. The judge's gavel hovered mid-air.

"What... you didn't kill anyone?" The prosecutor, still processing the surprise, was caught off guard. He had dealt with countless cases of intentional homicide, but never had he encountered a defendant who agreed with most of the evidence, only to suddenly deny the charges in full during the trial.

Professor Shen quickly whispered, "What are you doing? The evidence is irrefutable. Denying it now will only worsen your situation. We agreed on a strategy—you can only argue the subjective aspect of the crime. Li and I will help you!"

Zhang Chao whispered back, "Sorry, but I have to say the truth now, or it'll be too late."

Disregarding his lawyers' advice, he looked around the room full of reporters and legal professionals. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly raised his voice, filling the courtroom: "I am innocent! The autopsy report claims I killed Jiang Yang between 8 and 12 pm on March 1, but the truth is, I was flying to Beijing at noon on March 1, and I didn't return to Hangzhou until March 2. During the time of the murder, I was in Beijing, and I have the plane tickets, surveillance footage, and hotel records to prove it. During the short time I was alone, there's no way I could have killed Jiang and returned to Beijing. Jiang was strangled in Hangzhou, and I was in Beijing the whole day—how could I have committed the murder? The reason I signed a confession was due to immense pressure, but I am innocent! I trust the law, and I believe it will clear my name! I demand to see the relevant evidence!"

He gazed steadily at the audience, his chest puffed with defiance, not a hint of fear in his eyes.

That evening, the most shocking news story erupted online. The man who had been caught red-handed in the subway, confessed on TV, and whose crime seemed indisputable, now claimed he had never committed the murder. His bold statements unraveled the prosecution's entire case, and the court was forced to halt the proceedings, citing "unclear facts."

What was once a clear-cut case had now become a tangled mystery.

Afterward, his high-profile defense lawyers spoke to the media, revealing that Zhang Chao had never disclosed this information to them beforehand. However, they confirmed that Zhang Chao had solid evidence to support his alibi for the day of the murder. As for his claim of being under pressure during the police interrogation, they refrained from commenting further.

The media picked up on Zhang Chao's statement that he had been coerced into confessing, and speculations about possible police torture began circulating. Just months earlier, the Zhejiang High Court had exonerated an infamous case involving false confessions under duress.

Legal scholars and government officials were quick to call for a thorough investigation into the case and the actions of the officers involved.

The provincial and municipal prosecutors and police departments were furious. They demanded a full review of the case, questioning how the police had failed to check Zhang Chao's flight and hotel records. The investigation was now in the hands of a special task force composed of top officials from multiple agencies, led by Zhao Tiemin, the chief of Hangzhou's criminal investigation unit.