Instigator and Protector of Violence

"First, our side requests to re-verify the evidence."

After Ethan finished speaking, Bob took the stage again, presenting a peculiar request that puzzled everyone.

"Weren't we already verifying the evidence just now?" Joseph looked at the lawyer from this small place, frowning slightly.

He hadn't failed to investigate this person.

However, the information was scarce, with the only noteworthy event being that he turned the tables against all odds in the last Four Ships case.

He had looked at the trial records of that case, and Bob seemed to have said something strange then too.

But after all, that situation was different. That time, it was purely the Prohibition Bureau's incompetence, and the evidence was tampered with.

As for the evidence this time, he had thoroughly inspected and strictly supervised it, ensuring such mistakes would not happen.

Trying to repeat the same trick?

No chance.

"Some evidence hasn't been verified, such as the original remittance documents." Bob responded methodically.

Joseph paused slightly. Indeed, among the evidence just now, the original remittance documents hadn't been presented, as they weren't considered the core evidence, more like side corroboration.

However, since Bob brought it up, verifying them wouldn't hurt, because no matter what evidence, it was ultimately in their hands.

No matter what, there would be no mishaps.

"Why not start with that textile export contract worth over a million Golden Rye?" Ethan suggested, seemingly casually.

"Alright." Joseph happily agreed, with an expression that said he was curious to see what Ethan would do.

Obviously, in his view, Ethan's action was just a stalling tactic.

The majority of the audience thought the same, considering the evidence was irrefutable.

Only one person sensed something was off.

Marvin.

It was the same feeling as before.

Just like when Ethan asked everyone to drink that batch of private wine.

How similar...

"Thomas, let him give up." Joseph turned to look at Thomas with blue gloves.

Thomas nodded slightly, then quickly found the original document corresponding to the textile contract from a pile of files.

He faced the projection equipment and projected all the contents from the document.

"As everyone can see, the amount on this original document exactly matches the amount on the contract, which is..."

At this point, Thomas suddenly stopped, as if he'd seen something incomprehensible.

However, professional ethics and his earlier oath compelled him to continue reading.

"Two million Golden Rye."

Two million?

Hold on.

Everyone thought this was just a formality, but the number Thomas reported left them in a daze.

Wait a second, why is it two million and not thirteen million four hundred and fifty-seven thousand Golden Rye?

The contract's copy was still in everyone's hands.

What's going on?

Many people widened their eyes to look at the projected image, while others took out the original contract to compare.

Indeed, over a million and two million...

They don't match.

"Ah oh." Ethan couldn't help but sigh, then shook his head and said, "I'm amazed, Mr. Thomas, at your team's computation ability, accurately predicting our trade ceiling beforehand. Yes, it's two million. It's a pity you aren't in business, but... what's with that contract?"

In the beginning, when Thomas presented the contract, he indeed mentioned that if Ethan fudged the accounts, it would be at most two million.

Now, that statement seemed to have become the best corroboration for the original document.

Yes, indeed, the remittance was only two million.

Perfectly reasonable and legal.

Then that contract...

"Fake! You forged..." Joseph growled once more, then abruptly stopped because he realized the documents had always been in their possession.

It was absolutely impossible for Ethan to have forged them.

Then how could it be...

The crowd began to realize.

If there was no possibility of Ethan forging, then the only possibility was Joseph's forgery.

They forged the contract but were foolish enough not to forge the original remittance document?

"No rush, gentlemen. Why not continue verifying? Perhaps there'll be more surprises." Bob interjected at this moment, addressing Thomas.

Thomas maintained his composure, without a change in expression, and continued flipping through the contract, as if it was just his job.

The real unease was with Joseph, who seemed to want to raise his hand to stop Thomas.

But under countless gazes, he absolutely could not do that.

It's over.

That was the only thought in his mind.

This grand performance he meticulously designed to bring him fame across the Kingdom now seemed to have become his life's graveyard.

Today, not only were Wenster's reporters present, but also many from the surrounding cities, and more importantly, many reporters from the Royal Capital.

The events here would spread back to the Royal Capital at the fastest speed, then throughout the entire nation.

He will be utterly ruined.

The rising star in the army, the outstanding scion of the Evans Clan, he will no longer have any chance to compete with his brother, who has already risen to the rank of Senior Executive Officer at the Kingdom Ministry of Industry.

The best future he can hope for is to be an idle wastrel like his useless brother, Frank.

As Thomas recounted steadily, more inconsistencies in the data appeared, and the substantial evidence Joseph had provided earlier was severely suspected of data falsification.

The crowd was already in turmoil, with many people forcefully throwing their copies on the ground, feeling greatly deceived.

In an instant.

Joseph felt his blood rushing to his head. He couldn't accept such failure. He gloomily growled at Thomas: "Thomas, is there really no problem? Can't you see the problem? Are those documents all real?!"

His words sounded like he was just being unreasonable.

Clearly, it was evidence he had provided himself, yet he questioned the reviewer: Can't you tell real from fake?

It was simply absurd.

But only those familiar with the True Name World would know he was asking Thomas to use the power of his True Name to verify authenticity.

As a core member of Blue Glove in the Kingdom Treasury, Thomas was certainly not an ordinary person.

He was the holder of the True Name Apostle of Transdimensional who could compute things unimaginable to ordinary people based on numbers and could also judge the authenticity of some contracts based on numbers and data.

Joseph was desperate; he was even planning to expose the secret of the True Name in public.

But Thomas's response was... a shake of his head.

A silent shake of his head.

Shaking his head indicated that he had already attempted using his True Name power.

It was real.

Thus, he could not say it was fake.

Because he had taken an oath before starting.

The oath was true and binding because it was concluded with the highest contractual laws.

Lying would lead to death.

But how could it be possible?

Joseph still couldn't understand.

The entire course of events kept flashing through his mind.

Ethan absolutely couldn't have had any opportunity to touch those documents and materials. He had been monitoring Ethan nonstop during these days.

Ethan hadn't been anywhere.

The people he sent out hadn't achieved anything.

The most important thing, how could it be possible to create real fake accounts and fake documents that even Thomas couldn't determine?

The clouds had already covered most of the sunlight, casting a shadow over Joseph's face.

He was utterly defeated.

The crowd had moved from initial unrest to complete uproar.

Someone was already shouting for Joseph to give everyone an explanation.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Joseph, you liar!"

"So it was you who falsely accused Ethan!"

"I knew it, how could Ethan commit a crime! Despicable Royal Capital people!"

People felt a sudden realization, alongside extreme anger from being deceived.

If it weren't for the enforcers and soldiers from the Kingdom Statistical Bureau keeping them back, some would have already rushed onto the trial platform.

"Tell me, Ethan, tell me, how did you do it."

Joseph turned off the loudspeaker, whispering furiously at Ethan.

Ethan also turned off his loudspeaker, then dusted his clothes, as if Joseph's spittle had splattered on him, and said, "Grace, keep your grace, Joseph. You're a nobleman, the journalists are watching."

Strictly speaking, Joseph was indeed a noble, as every generation of the Evans Clan's leader had the right to inherit the title of Count Evans.

"Bastard!" Joseph charged out in rage, jumping over two long tables to grab Ethan's collar.

"Was it Virel, or that Jackson fellow, Pupol?"

"You overthink, Virel did nothing. I just asked him to... send a telegram."

Ethan finished speaking and laughed.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Joseph was in complete chaos. He couldn't understand, truly couldn't understand.

And amidst his frenzied questioning, the camera had already captured everything.

Meanwhile.

Royal Capital.

In the Jackson family's living room.

Virel finished the last sip of milk-added black tea, still unaccustomed to this Royal Capital way of drinking. He stood up and tried to say politely: "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Jackson."

"You're welcome, but Ethan, is everything really okay?" Jackson still looked puzzled.

Virel glanced at the clock; it was already past two in the afternoon.

"Master said it would end at two, so it will end."

He always trusted the master.

As for his purpose for coming to the Royal Capital, it was indeed just to send a telegram.

The Jackson family had an expensive telegraph line connected to the Old Continent.

He sent a telegram to Palon in the distant Old Continent.