Chapter 204: Old Friends at 50% Off, Monica: I'm Most Afraid of Sudden Silence
Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to say.
Jane instantly understood that Chuck was right; this trip had indeed had the effect of a trial rehearsal!
"Look! The Ugly Naked Guy is at it again!"
At the crucial moment, Phoebe, as always, sprang into action, pointing dramatically at the building across the street.
Monica's apartment living room had a floor-to-ceiling window, allowing a view of the building across the street, where lived the notorious Ugly Naked Guy known to everyone for his antics.
In the past, whenever someone shouted that the Ugly Naked Guy had a new performance, everyone would rush over to watch, displaying expressions ranging from bewildered to utterly astonished.
But at this moment, no one moved; everyone looked at Phoebe, whose expression was overly exaggerated.
"I'm a beautiful girl, not the Ugly Naked Guy! Don't look at me!"
Phoebe, exposed, wasn't embarrassed. She smoothed her hair, laughing nonchalantly.
"Okay, this isn't awkward at all."
Chandler's usual sarcastic remarks were inevitable.
"What's going on here?"
Ross couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by bringing her here?"
"Don't get excited."
Chandler quickly put his arm around his good friend and teased, "This has nothing to do with you. Chuck didn't bring more beauties to make you jealous, so don't overthink it."
"..."
Ross's face flushed red and then darkened. He pushed aside his former good friend, who was deliberately bringing up the most awkward topic, and said angrily, "Of course I know this has nothing to do with me... I'm asking this as Monica's older brother, Ross Geller!"
That's right!
He was completely angry from the perspective of Monica's older brother, and there was absolutely no trace of envy or jealousy from a man's perspective about Chuck having one stunning woman after another by his side!
He wasn't that kind of person!
Everyone followed Ross's gaze to Chuck.
"Jane, you answer."
Chuck said calmly.
"..."
Jane was speechless, inwardly screaming, "What right do I have to answer? As your detective assistant or one of your long-term experimental collaborators?"
"OMG."
Even Rachel, who loved gossip the most, couldn't help but cover her mouth and exclaim in a low voice, "What's going on?"
Not knowing the full story, she really couldn't understand this situation.
Okay.
Even Chandler, who knew the full story, was still a little confused by the current situation.
"Everyone relax, this is for love and peace, justice and righteousness."
Chandler couldn't stand the atmosphere and couldn't help but joke, "Okay, I can't keep this up anymore, here's what happened..."
He briefly explained the situation, but didn't discuss the details of the case, because the case wasn't over yet, and he had signed a confidentiality agreement and couldn't reveal the details to outsiders.
"Oh, I see."
Phoebe and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. Although the reason was outrageous, it was still a reason, and to some extent, it was a reason that stood on moral high ground.
"That's it?"
Ross said, his face darkening. "Why can't you just rehearse normally? Why do you have to do it this way? I think you have ulterior motives!"
"Ulterior motives for what?"
Chuck asked, looking at him.
"..."
Ross was speechless for a moment.
He couldn't very well say in public that Chuck had ulterior motives and was trying to use this as an excuse to test some twisted fantasy.
It wasn't just because one of them was his sister Monica, but because he had learned his lesson the hard way. He knew that if he said it, he would definitely be accused of 'you see what you want to see,' and then Chuck's twisted thoughts would be pinned on him, making him feel incredibly frustrated.
After Chuck's actions several times, he, a perfectly respectable professor, was portrayed as a perverted creep, the kind who corrupts young minds, even though he was just reading comic books or watching movies.
He absolutely refused to admit that he had ever had the twisted thoughts he now suspected Chuck of. Even when his ex-wife Carol left him for his female gym partner Susan, he never had the thought of 'not getting angry, not breaking them up, but just wanting to join in'!
Yes, absolutely not!
"Are you implying I have ulterior motives and want the '50% off on old friends' deal?"
Ross couldn't bring himself to say it, but Chuck could. He bluntly stated Ross's thoughts.
Everyone was stunned.
He said it!
Good Lord!
He actually said it outright!
Jane's mind went blank. Even though she had intimate experimental exchanges with Chuck, was one of his long-term strategic partners, and because Chuck was her savior, she had a great deal of tolerance and acceptance towards him, even going so far as to self-destructively try to eliminate her rivals, she was still stunned to hear Chuck say such things so frankly.
Anger?
Shame?
Turning away?
None of these normal reactions came to mind; her mind was completely blank, and she had no idea how to react.
"It looks like it's going to rain. I need to go back and bring in the laundry. Goodbye."
Chandler couldn't stand the overly awkward atmosphere any longer. He stood up, gave a perfunctory excuse, and walked out.
"My Bob might be hungry, I need to go back and feed him,"
Phoebe said, getting up as well.
Bob was a rat that often roamed her apartment, and she had named him Bob. Ever since Monica and Chuck became close, Phoebe hadn't dared mention Bob again to avoid being kicked out of their social circle by Monica.
The fact that she was even mentioning this showed just how much she wanted to leave.
"Me too!"
Rachel, her jaw dropping in surprise, also stood up. Having been a pampered rich girl since childhood and just coasting through life, she lacked quick thinking skills. Wanting to leave as well, she just blurted out without thinking.
Whether it was going back to collect the laundry or feeding the rat, she hadn't done either thing, but at this moment, she just wanted to echo, 'Me too.'
As Phoebe and Rachel left, they pulled Ross, whose face was ashen and who seemed about to explode, along with them towards the door.
Chandler reached the door, opened it, and waited for the three of them. His comedic side kicked in again, and he chuckled at Chuck, "For love and peace, justice and righteousness, you'll have to work a little harder..."
Before he could finish, Phoebe and Rachel covered his mouth and shoved him out.
"How dare you!!!"
Only after the door closed did Ross's furious roar, trembling with rage, echo from Chandler's apartment across the hall.
"Would you like something to drink?"
Compared to the others, Monica was much calmer, asking Jane, who stood there blankly, with a composed expression.
"No, thank you."
Jane gradually regained her focus, subconsciously shaking her head, thinking strangely, "Not drinking anything when you're out—Chuck's good habit is definitely necessary."
Monica's calmness made her wary.
"Don't worry, I understand."
Monica smiled, "It's all for the case."
"Heh,"
Jane chuckled awkwardly.
She was completely convinced; Chuck's move had given her a much clearer understanding of the extreme embarrassment of courtroom proceedings.
Before this, she truly couldn't have imagined such an awkward situation.
Chuck calmly observed everything, his gaze mostly fixed on Monica, but the image of Paige's knowing smile flashed through his mind.
He had already told Paige to stop hypnotizing Monica, trusting her to make the right choice. However, Monica's current behavior demonstrated just how powerful Paige's talent was. Even after the hypnosis ended, some previously planted psychological suggestions had already taken root.
Otherwise, Monica wouldn't be reacting so strangely; it was too abnormal.
It wasn't noticeable under normal circumstances, but once the stimulation was too great, the psychological suggestions Paige had implanted began to take over and dominate Monica's behavior, making her appear completely abnormal... After all, Paige herself was abnormal by ordinary standards.
"What do you need me to do?"
Monica smiled 'naturally': "Anything that's useful to Chuck, I'll do."
"..."
Jane had no idea what Monica had been through. Facing Monica like this, she became even more wary, and a little afraid.
What did the other party want?
What did she mean by 'anything that's useful to Chuck, I'll do'?
Was she trying to lower her standards endlessly to force her out?
Thinking of this, she got a little angry again. She hated people who played dirty mind games!
"Are you sure?"
Jane couldn't help but challenge her, her anger rising.
Outside the door.
Two gossipy girls, Phoebe and Rachel, were eavesdropping at the door. After going next door to calm down Ross, they had overcome their initial shock and their boundless curiosity had returned, so unsurprisingly, they came over to eavesdrop.
"Oh God, Monica, are you serious?"
Suddenly, Jane's panicked voice came out, and then the door was opened. The two girls were caught off guard and fell to the ground. Jane, with her graceful figure, hurriedly covered her face and ran out.
"What happened?"
They scrambled to their feet, anxiously wondering what had happened, only to find Monica standing there with a broad smile, while Jane was nowhere to be seen.
"You won?"
The two best friends, confused, paused for a moment before excitedly exclaiming their guess.
"This isn't a competition, there's no winner or loser."
Monica showed no pride, only a smile as she said, "Chuck, let's go."
"Where to?"
Phoebe and Rachel asked instinctively.
"To help."
Monica's left lip curled up in a half-smile.
Rachel and Phoebe felt Monica was acting strangely, but couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong, and both looked at Chuck.
Chuck was silent for a moment, then nodded and stood up.
A few days later.
Outside the New Jersey courthouse.
"Good morning."
Captain Randy Disher stood at the entrance, smiling as he greeted the approaching Chuck and his companions. "How have you been these past few days?"
"Oh, it's been tough, but doubly enjoyable,"
Chandler said with a straight face.
Jane glared at him but didn't dare take the bait. She looked at the bald man in a suit standing on the steps: "And who is this?"
"Oh, let me introduce you."
Captain Randy Disher smiled and introduced them: "This is District Attorney Charles Frederick, senior prosecutor. Charlie, this is Dr. Chuck Wolfe, and his two assistants, Jane Banner and Chandler Bing."
"Hello."
The bald prosecutor's face was serious, with no interest in small talk. He looked around at everyone: "Are you ready? Have you done your homework?"
"Charlie, relax."
Captain Randy Disher smiled reassuringly: "They're all professionals. Dr. Wolfe goes without saying, Jane is also an FBI agent, and Chandler is so witty, he could win over the jury even without any preparation."
"Thank you."
Chandler was pleased with Captain Randy Disher's praise.
"I'm just stating facts."
Captain Randy Disher bumped fists with Chandler, looking like they were good buddies.
"Oh, my God."
The bald prosecutor sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I'm actually most worried about you, Randy!"
"Me?"
Randy Disher was taken aback, then said with dissatisfaction, "I've testified in court a hundred or two hundred times, and you're worried about me? I can do it with my eyes closed!"
"...I'm just double-checking."
The bald prosecutor looked at Captain Randy Disher's bandaged hands, his lips twitching. He couldn't help but be concerned about Randy's unreliability, which hadn't changed much even after testifying hundreds of times. He had actually witnessed Randy dozing off with his eyes closed twice during his testimony, explaining afterward that he had gone to a rock concert the night before. Faced with such a perpetually adolescent Randy, he couldn't say much and could only look at Chuck and say, "Have you all reviewed the grand jury transcript and follow-up report?"
"Yes."
Chuck and the others nodded.
"No one is allowed to doze off today."
The bald prosecutor, his eyes fixed on Captain Randy Disher, emphasized, "Harrison Powell is a shark, you can't be too careful! Don't elaborate! If you don't remember, just say you don't remember!"
"Evan Gold is guilty, Chuck can prove it!"
Jane was somewhat displeased with the bald prosecutor's excessive caution. "He can always prove himself right—"
she said, her tone turning sarcastic at the end.
"Simpson was guilty too."
The bald prosecutor, unaware of Jane's current state of mind, looked at her seriously.
Jane was speechless.
The O.J. Simpson murder case was one of the most sensational cases in America ten years ago, and its influence hadn't diminished much even now; everyone knew about it.
In 1994, American football star O.J. Simpson allegedly stabbed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman to death. Due to several major errors by the police and prosecution, strong evidence failed to secure a conviction, leading to his acquittal. This became the most notorious example of "reasonable doubt" in American legal history.
Its enduring influence stemmed from the heinous nature of the case. Everyone believed Simpson was the killer, yet he was acquitted—a controversial example of procedural justice overriding substantive justice.
This case also made everyone understand that over 70% of spousal murders are committed by husbands. This percentage didn't decrease as it became common knowledge; instead, it increased.
Because after everyone learned about this, American husbands who genuinely wanted to kill their wives also understood a basic principle: if the plan was good enough, they could kill, and afterwards, they could not only hope to receive a large life insurance payout for their wives, but even if discovered, there was a high probability of acquittal or a reduced sentence.
Take, for example, San Francisco detective Monk, who worked with Captain Randy Disher. Over 50% of the cases he handled were cases of spousal murder. Having a detective whose unwavering love for his deceased wife could move even the most ordinary people, solve cases mostly involving spousal murder is a blatant display of dark irony.
(End of Chapter)
[+100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (40+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01