Autumn reluctantly agreed to Jason’s proposal for a Saturday get-together with a forced smile, despite
her reluctance. “Sure, Saturday it is.”
And just like that, ns were made.
No sooner had Jason left than Estre noted Autumn’s discontent. “I’ve told you before not to make
promises you can’t keep. Now you’ve gotten yourself into a pickle.”
Over the past few weeks, each time Jason dropped them off, Estre never invited him inside, despite
his inquiries about when he mighte in for a visit. Estre always deftly changed the subject. It
wasn’t the right time.
But this time, Autumn had done the inviting herself, and Estre felt it wasn’t her ce toment.
She didn’t make the invitation anyway.
Hearing Estre’s words, Autumn sulked, “How was I to know Jason would be so presumptuous?”
Estre replied matter-of-factly, “He’s never been one for pleasantries.” With that, Estre retreated to
her bedroom.
Not long ago, her father had suggested that Isaac should start sleeping in his own room to foster
independence and give Estre a break. Estre couldn’t bear the separation, so mother and son
continued to share a room. Upon entering, Estre found the nanny had already bathed Isaac and
tucked him into bed.
The nanny whispered with a smile, “Miss, little saac is such an angel. Slept through his bath just like
you used to.”
“Thanks, Judy,” Estre said, approaching the crib and gently stroking Isaac’s peaceful
face.
After a brief chat with Judy, Estre took her own shower and finished up some work before finally
settling into therge bed next to Isaac’s.
Come Friday, the day of the third hearing for the Glimmering Lake case, Estre woke up early, had
breakfast with Isaac, and then drove to the courthouse. Upon her arrival, Jason was already there.
The roadblock incident involving Estre and Keegan, along with the rming number of Glimmering
Lake vigers falling ill, had captured public interest, drawing a sizable crowd of onlookers to the
courtroom.
As Estre stepped out of her car, Jason approached her, tucking away a stray lock of her hair and
straightening her coat’s cor. “Just do your best and don’t stress,” he encouraged.
Estre appreciated his acknowledgment of her hard work. After a brief exchange with
Jason, Estre entered the courthouse.
Some Glimmering Lake vigers had arrived, and seeing them, Estre’s mind shiftedpletely to
her work, pushing thoughts of Jason aside.
The hearingmenced shortly after, with the judge and ChemiSphere’s attorneys taking their ces.
The vigers seethed with anger at the sight of ChemiSphere’s
representatives, especially after thepany’s attempts to pacify them with offers ofpensation.
The judge called the session to order and turned to Estre, inquiring about new evidence. Estre
stood up from her position representing the intiffs, “Your Honor, in addition to more medical reports
of poisoning among the vigers, we’ve secured new evidence from a ChemiSphere employee.”
The opposing counsel nched at the mention of an employee’s testimony, cursing the failed attempt
to silence the workers.
With furrowed brows, the judge prompted Estre to present the new evidence, leaving the opposing
counsel no choice but to listen.
Estre calmlyid out her case, “The new evidence reveals that although ChemiSphere purchased
wastewater treatment equipment, it was merely outdated machinery discarded by anotherpany.”
“Leaving aside the efficiency of this machine in treating sewage for now, from these testimonies and
data, it is clear that ChemiSphere has not used or operated the machine for sewage treatment since its
purchase. The high operational costs meant that Chemisphere only acquired this outdated device as a
facade forpliance.”
The opposing counsel rose to rebut, “Your Honor, while it’s true that the equipment was acquired from
anotherpany, it’s not the obsolete product the intiff suggests.”
“This wastewater treatment device, purchased from a sisterpany within our conglomerate, is
nearly new and fully meets national emission standards. It has been operational since acquisition, and
we wee any inspection by the court.”
Estre countered, “ChemiSphere was established a decade ago, but this wastewater processor is a
20-year-old model, long outdated by current standards. As for your im of its near-new condition, one
must question whether it was ever properly utilized by its previous owner, or was it merely a showpiece
like at ChemiSphere?”
The opposing counsel’s face darkened, “Ms. Estre, your assumptions are baseless and nderous
towards otherpanies.”
Estre responded, “Let’s not specte on the history of the equipment. Surely, counsel, you’re well
aware of the operational costs and consumption of using such a machine.”
Estre rifled through her briefcase and pulled out a set of graphs and charts, which illustrated the
power consumption history of ChemiSphere. With the confidence of a
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seasoned attorney, she addressed the presiding judge, “Your Honor, ording to our extensive
research, it’s evident that ChemiSphere’s power usage doesn’t evene close to half of what’s
typical for factories of its size and industry.”
“The energy consumption data for ChemiSphere simply cannot support the operation of that
wastewater processor, let alone the entire factory’s activities, as well as the processor itself. If there’s
any doubt about this assertion, we couldpare it with the recent energy figures from Big Breeze’s
new wastewater treatment facility.”
As it turned out, the machine in question was a relic from years past-an antiquated behemoth that was
not only costly to run but also incrediblyplex. Because of this, ChemiSphere never once put it to
use.
Estre noticed the opposing counsel’s expression sour and continued her assault, “Your Honor,
beyond these findings, we also discovered that after we initiated thewsuit against ChemiSphere, they
swiftly and surreptitiously filled their wastewater discharge channels with concrete grout, hastily
constructing an alternate channel. This new channel supposedly leads from the treatment nt, but
whether the water it processes meets regtory standards remains to be seen.”
“The concrete used to seal the old discharge channel has been analyzed, and the report confirms it’s
fresh grout, poured in thest two months. Excluding the sealed segment, the pollution levels in the
essible parts of the channel are consistent with one another. “We can now state with certainty that
for the past decade, ChemiSphere has been discharging untreated wastewater directly into Glimmering
Lake, leading to varying degrees of fluoride poisoning among the residents and rendering countless
acres of farnd and the water supply utterly unusable.
“Your Honor, these are photographs documenting ChemiSphere’s workers filling in the discharge
channel overnight. There are even vigers who’ve been hospitalized due to severe poisoning. We
implore the court to deliver justice for the people of Glimmering
Lake.”
As the judge took the new evidence from Estre, a murmur arose from the gallery. A viger stood up,
his voice breaking through the courtroom’s tense silence, “I was one of the workers ChemiSphere hired
to plug the old channel and dig the new one. I can attest that everything being said here is the truth.”
“I can also confirm that the machines at Chem Sphere were never operational.”
Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
Estre had made countless trips to Glimmering Lake, and she had even taken the initiative to ensure
the vigers had ess to clean water and food. Her dedication andpassion had won over the
hearts of themunity, and those who were once hesitant now stood ready to bear witness.
The judge, listening to the vigers’ testimony, struck his gavel, bringing a semnce of order, “Please,
everyone remain calm. We will call upon witnesses as necessary.” With the
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judge’s words, a hush fell over the crowd.
After reviewing Estre’s additional evidence, the judge and the jury conferred briefly before delivering
the verdict, “Pursuant to Article 338 of our Penal Code, ChemiSphere is found guilty of environmental
contamination. Given the severity of the offense, including the loss of fertilend and the pollution of a
vital waterway, we hereby sentence the legal representative of ChemiSphere, Jace, to 10 years of
imprisonment. Additionally, Jace is to cover medical expenses of 600,000 yuan per viger severely
afflicted by the contamination, with additionalpensation of 60,000 yuan per viger affected by
fluoride poisoning, amounting to a total of 46.82 million yuan.”
Hearing the sentence and the staggering fines, Jace’s legs buckled beneath him. He turned to his
lawyer in a panic, “Say something! Aren’t you supposed to be the best? How could you let us lose to
this young woman? I can’t go to jail. I have a family to take care
of!”
The vigers of Glimmering Lake, who filled the gallery, voiced their indignation, “Your family’s lives
matter, but what about ours? Don’t we count for anything?”
Jace, too distraught to register their anger, clung to hiswyer, “Do something! What good is hiring you
if you can’t fix this?”
The attorney first stared at Estre for a while and then turned to Jace, saying, “Jace, I’ve done my
best.” Despite his best efforts, the attorney had to admit defeat. The misdeeds of the past could not be
erased, and ChemiSphere’s actions had left far too telling a trail.
After the judge dered the case closed, noting Estre’s further requests, he advised, “Counsel for
the intiff, regarding the quality inspection of ChemiSphere’s discharges and other rted issues, you
may file a separate case for investigation.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Estre replied.
The trial hade to an end, and Glimmering Lake had won. As the courtroom emptied, the vigers
surrounded Estre, shaking her hand and offering heartfelt thanks, “Ms. Estre, we can’t thank you
enough.”
Estre, returning their handshakes with a warm smile, reassured them, “It’s all part of the job. Now
that the case is over, the water utility will soon extend new pipelines to your vige, addressing the
drinking water crisis.”
“As for thend, the authorities will conduct tests to determine which areas can still be cultivated. Rest
assured, every issue will be addressed. Concerning employment, I’ve already discussed with the local
leaders setting up some workshops in the area to help
with livelihoods.”
Having been proactive in addressing the vigers’ post-trial concerns, it was no surprise that Estre
had lost a few pounds from the stress and hard work.
“Ms. Estre, you’ve been our guardian angel, the savior of our children,” said a group of
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women, attempting to kneel in gratitude.
Estre quickly steadied them, “Please, don’t do that. If you keep this up, I’ll be too embarrassed to
ever visit Glimmering Lake again.”
“Ms. Estre,” the first viger who had dared toe forward clutched her hand, tears streaming
down her face. She had seen firsthand all that Estre had done for them, and the weight of their
collective gratitude was palpable.
Estre soothed everyone present with a gentle smile, “I can’t take credit for all this. It’s the robust
framework of ourws and the soundness of our policies that deserve the praise. I’m just a bit luckier
than others, having had the chance to learn about these matters. So, in truth, I’m just leveraging that
fortune to act as a conduit between you all and thews and policies of our country, ensuring everyone
knows that each citizen is equal and protected under thew.”
Her humility didn’t go unnoticed. A young juror, gathering his papers to leave, whispered, “Miss Estre
sure is a ss act, as sweet-tempered as theye.”
The judge, moved by the scene, expressed a wish aloud, “If only there were morewyers like her.”
In the back of the spectator seats, Jason watched Estre being surrounded by a throng of grateful
vigers. He didn’t approach to interrupt; he simply admired her from a distance, his Estre who
sparked with an inner light.
This was his Estre, the one he took immense pride in, and the one he held up with the highest
esteem.
Jason’s gaze didn’t waver from Estre, his eyes gleaming with admiration and affection. Suddenly,
Grayson appeared beside him, a smirk ying on his lips. “Such an amazing Estre,” he teased, “Got
any regrets about not cherishing her when you had the chance?”
Jason replied with unwavering confidence, “She’s mine, always has been, always will be.”
Hearing this, Grayson’s smile grew wider.