Hearing Under the Lights

First a young girl in the back, then the father beside her, then a wave of applause that broke loose all at once, like thunder finally arriving after a summer of waiting. The developers immediately asked for a pause, claiming the room was "too emotionally heated." But this time, no one let the usual "let's talk another day" sweep them aside. The neighbors passed up the documents in their hands, opened photos on their phones, and laid piece after piece of evidence on the table. Xu Zhixia stood beside the screen and saw sweat gather on Liang Wenhai's forehead. He seemed about to speak, but in the end all he did was lower his head and avoid everyone's eyes.