Jeri Hogarth was a rookie lawyer, not a sociologist. With her limited perspective, she couldn't possibly see that the country was rapidly entering an era of population aging, nor had she paid much attention to the issue before. But she was highly educated. Once she dug deeper, her awareness sharpened—if the pension problem truly exploded, it would inevitably become a massive social issue.
That would draw everyone's attention, from the judge on the bench to the janitors in the courthouse. No one was indifferent to their own pension. The more attention the case attracted, the more famous she would become. Winning or losing wasn't even the key point anymore—of course, winning would still be ideal.
When she finished speaking, the judge and clerks showed no obvious reaction, but the jurors—ordinary citizens—were clearly moved.
Then it was the defense attorney's turn. His response was textbook-perfect: everything required "further review," everything needed "more time," firmly denying all accusations and insisting their side was entirely in the right.
Following procedure, Jeri questioned the defendant's representative. The answers were airtight—obviously rehearsed.
"Be careful. Answer as cautiously as you can," she whispered to Bella as the defense attorney prepared to question the plaintiff's representative.
To be honest, Jeri herself wasn't confident. Bella was too young, and she herself was too inexperienced. If this were an ordinary company, the case would be extremely difficult to win.
But this was Stark Industries—a multinational giant. Their legal department had hundreds of lawyers handling lawsuits worldwide. Some of the law professors Jeri admired even worked for Stark as legal consultants. They knew the laws of multiple countries inside out—turning black into white was routine for them. Their combat power was on a completely different level.
As for Bella's ability to withstand pressure… Jeri had no confidence at all. All they could do now was wait for the opponent to make a move.
The defense attorney—tall, thin, sharp-featured, impeccably dressed—had the classic look of a white-collar elite.
He had handled countless similar cases. A pair like Bella and Hogarth barely qualified as opponents. A few simple verbal traps would be enough to finish them.
He straightened his cufflinks, stood up, and walked toward the plaintiff.
"I have a few questions for the plaintiff's representative. You—"
He looked up… and met a pair of dazzling, radiant eyes.
So many emotions churned within those eyes that he couldn't even untangle them. For a split second, he genuinely felt as though he were looking at God. Everything seemed sacred. With such righteous eyes fixed on him… how could he possibly fabricate accusations?
The words lodged in his throat. After a long moment of stammering, even the bearded judge looked confused.
He finally blurted out, "Y-you… you weren't lying, right?"
Bella answered frankly, "I didn't lie."
The judge nearly threw his gavel.
What the hell?! Even a three-year-old wouldn't answer a question like that so honestly!
The jury was stunned. A defense attorney this sincere was truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
The lawyer realized he had asked something idiotic and desperately tried to regain his composure.
He clearly had a whole arsenal of questions prepared, yet his mouth betrayed him again.
"Your age?"
"Seventeen."
"Oh… so young. Youth is wonderful…" He coughed. "A-and you didn't receive any payment for filing this complaint, correct?"
"Of course not. I didn't take a single cent. I'm doing this out of public interest."
"That's… wonderful. Truly wonderful… A-and no one manipulated or instigated you, right?"
Bella stood upright and righteous. "Absolutely not."
This line of questioning left the judge and clerks completely dumbfounded. In all their years working in court, they had never seen such a harmonious exchange between opposing sides.
What was this? A triumph of the rule of law? The shining light of humanity?
Meanwhile, the defendant's representative was utterly stunned.
Where was the planned smear campaign? Where were the questions about bribery, corruption, and backroom deals? Where was the attempt to paint the plaintiff as morally compromised?
This was not how you cross-examined an opposing witness!
Unable to hold it in, he stood up and shouted, "Your Honor, I object!"
The judge wiped cold sweat from his forehead. Thank goodness someone objected—otherwise he was about to throw the defense attorney out himself.
What kind of questions were those? "Have you eaten?" "Do you enjoy school?" "What college are you planning to attend?" These were not courtroom questions!
The old judge had seen many things in his long career. Today was strange, but still within his ability to interpret. He glanced at Bella and then at Jeri.
Bella's eyes gleamed with inexplicable brilliance—the unmistakable look of a pure, righteous soul.
Then he looked at Jeri. She wasn't unattractive, but her sharp eyebrows and stubborn mouth radiated aggressiveness—the type who would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.
The judge reached his conclusion: this young lawyer must have found some dirt on the defense attorney. That was the only explanation for his behavior.
Whether the defense attorney embarrassed himself or got fired wasn't the judge's concern. His duty was to maintain order.
"Bang! Bang!" He struck the gavel and ordered the defense attorney back to his seat.
The man returned mechanically, then froze.
Dear God… what was I doing? Where am I? Who am I?!
He subconsciously looked at Bella again. His expression shifted—confusion, hesitation, joy—before finally turning into that of a lovesick puppy, all within three seconds.
Bella looked away, and he reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
"Sigh…" He let out a heartfelt sigh, earning a murderous glare from the defendant.
Whose side are you even on?!
The defendant—a middle-aged assistant manager from Stark Industries' Phoenix branch—was furious. He immediately concluded that his lawyer must have been threatened. Courtroom intimidation wasn't uncommon. Today wasn't even the first time—and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Clutching his chest dramatically, he stood up on shaky legs.
"Your Honor… I… I'm unwell. If we don't adjourn today… I'll die!"
The judge happily played along. Gavel down.
"Court adjourned!"
Outside the courtroom, Jeri couldn't contain her curiosity.
"How did you do that?" Then, almost as if answering herself, she lowered her voice.
"Don't tell me… you found dirt on the defense attorney? Is that why he behaved so out of character?"