Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 102 - 101: Swapping Cases, All Minor Troubles

Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Swapping Cases, All Minor Troubles

Another day arrived.

"I hope there’s a case today. It wouldn’t be in vain that I acted like a young person and got spirited for a moment yesterday!"

Zhang Wei looked at himself in the mirror, carefully adjusted his collar and tie, and after confirming everything was correct, he set off to work.

Once again, he arrived at the law firm very early, and he found that Bai Meiqi’s office light was already on.

"Wow, did she pull an all-nighter without ever leaving the office?"

Looking at the person inside the office, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but admire, "Are you living in the law firm now?"

Working like this, how do you expect others to keep up?

He shook his head and headed straight to the Criminal Division’s office.

After a short wait, Tie Ruyun and Tie Cuilan arrived.

"You sharp kid, coming in so early every day. Are you really gunning for Employee of the Year, or Best Newcomer?"

Tie Ruyun couldn’t hold it in anymore and teased Zhang Wei as soon as he arrived.

"I’m used to thinking at my desk, especially today when there might be a case coming!"

Zhang Wei just smiled slightly, looking at him.

"You rascal, I haven’t agreed to anything yet!"

"Old Tie, you need to work on your expression a bit more, some things are written all over your face!"

"What things?"

Tie Ruyun subconsciously touched his face.

"For instance, you still haven’t found a girlfriend, have you?"

Zhang Wei chuckled smugly, striking a critical hit.

"Ah, that..."

At these words, Tie Ruyun’s fingers twitched, and he almost couldn’t resist the urge to strangle Zhang Wei on the spot.

"You’re not that old, nor do you look handsome. Could it be that you have a girlfriend?"

"Hmph..."

Facing Tie Ruyun’s retort, Zhang Wei just smirked.

This disdainful demeanor was like that of a playboy standing beside a virgin; the difference in their understanding of romantic relationships was like night and day.

In his heart, Zhang Wei looked down on Tie Ruyun.

I’ve already been through two marriages, how could you, a mere novice, compare with me?

Perhaps reading the look in Zhang Wei’s eyes, Tie Ruyun felt a wave of malice engulfing him from all around the world.

In this day and age, is it so despicable to be a bachelor?

"I’m here, I’m here~"

Fortunately, Lin Yumeng arrived, her cheerful presence diffusing someone’s awkwardness.

"So early?" Seeing the bubbly girl rush into the office, Zhang Wei was astounded.

In his mind, a rich young lady like Lin Yumeng wouldn’t be an early riser, especially one who had just graduated from college and was likely clinging to her college habits.

College students, you know the drill!

If you’re not studying for grad school, every day is like a holiday—when is there ever a morning?

"My mom had an early mahjong game today, so I asked her to wake me up yesterday!"

Lin Yumeng, however, looked as if life couldn’t get any drearier; playing mahjong early in the morning was typical only of her mother.

"That’s how all the rich ladies are!"

Zhang Wei showed understanding and consoled her, then returned to his seat.

It’s fine to tease Old Tie, but in front of colleagues, it was still necessary to give leaders some face.

Soon, Li Yueqin arrived too.

Having had dinner together the previous day, she nodded slightly towards Zhang Wei and Lin Yumeng as a greeting.

And just a few minutes before work started, Jin Mingming cut it close and arrived just in time.

Zhang Wei had noticed something about this guy; his heart didn’t seem to be in the Criminal Division.

"All four of you, come here!"

But seeing that everyone had arrived, Old Tie didn’t bother with anything else and waved Zhang Wei and the others over.

"Although Zhang Wei’s words were a bit brash yesterday, it’s normal for young people to be spirited. Also, I think what he said makes sense, about learning case handling and such—it should be based on reality. No matter how many times you study theory, it’s not as good as participating in a case just once, so I’ve decided..."

His words once again raised the anticipation of Zhang Wei and the others.

"...to assign you a case!"

This time, Tie Ruyun didn’t disappoint Zhang Wei.

The case had finally arrived!

As he spoke, he saw Tie Cuilan hand four folders over to him.

"I have four cases here, all public interest cases, and all assigned to our criminal division. Each of you will take one, understand!"

Tie Ruyun said and distributed the cases to the four of them, one folder each, with all the details of the cases inside.

"Let me see, what kind of client do we have this time!"

Zhang Wei opened the folder and quickly scanned the case details.

Who the defendant was, the reason for the prosecution, the case involved, the time and place, whether there were witness testimonies or evidence, whether the witness statements were credible, whether the evidence was complete, and so on...

He browsed through this information at high speed, and a clear timeline immediately formed in his mind, where all the case information converged.

Not only that, but he had already begun to simulate in his mind what reasons were needed to defend this case, whether a deal could be reached, or whether there were any points for a not guilty plea, and so on...

The others naturally didn’t know that Zhang Wei had already begun to "operate at high speed," even starting to simulate in his mind the arguments the prosecution might use during the trial.

Tie Ruyun watched Zhang Wei lost in thought without much concern.

He knew that Zhang Wei could fight a lawsuit and had the ability to complete litigation independently. He wasn’t worried about that.

What concerned him more were the other three. They had no experience participating in trials. Even Li Yueqin had only worked as a court clerk.

A court clerk didn’t need to face the judges and the aggressive opponents; they just had to record everything.

Indeed, Li Yueqin was somewhat nervous after receiving the case.

Of course, her mood was more one of excitement, as this might be her first case.

Her first case, her first victory. As the kickoff to her legal career, she decided to give it her all.

Li Yueqin started to look through the files and searched online for other records related to the case. She wanted to make all the necessary preparations for this case.

Next to her, Jin Mingming also began to flip through the files.

But a moment later, his brows furrowed.

Having not studied criminal law, he didn’t know what to do for a moment and could only look towards Tie Ruyun for guidance.

"Ah!"

But before Tie Ruyun could act, he was interrupted by Lin Yumeng’s scream.

Xiao Meng dropped the folder and then covered her face, bowing her head, mumbling to herself.

"I didn’t see anything, I didn’t see anything, I saw nothing..."

"What’s going on?"

Zhang Wei, who sat next to Lin Yumeng, was also startled by the scream and quickly asked.

Unfortunately, Lin Yumeng didn’t respond. Out of curiosity, he picked up the fallen folder from the ground and glanced inside.

"Wow, exposing his ’little brother’ in a public place, this guy is wild!"

Seeing one of the descriptions of the defendant, Zhang Wei almost couldn’t hold back a laugh.

What was key was that there was a black-and-white photo of the defendant exposed as evidence in the folder, and Xiao Meng obviously had seen this unsightly photo.

Fortunately, the photo in the file was in black and white, and the resolution was low after being printed.

Zhang Wei looked at Tie Ruyun with an admonishing gaze.

Look at the case you’ve given Xiao Meng. She’s a young girl, how can she handle this kind of thing?

"Ah, this..."

Neither Tie Ruyun nor Li Yueqin and Jin Mingming expected this case to end up with Lin Yumeng.

Tie Ruyun had just randomly drawn four public interest cases and was not yet familiar with the contents.

As for Li Yueqin and Jin Mingming, they were wondering, does such a person even need a defense? Just put him in jail directly!

"Xiao Meng, how about we switch cases?"

Zhang Wei, feeling helpless, suggested to Lin Yumeng.

"Really?"

Xiao Meng quickly separated her hands that were covering her face, with her big eyes blinking earnestly, a look of gratitude on her face.

"Of course. After all, these cases are all trivial to me, whichever one I handle doesn’t make much difference."

Zhang Wei said, passing his own folder and picking up Lin Yumeng’s folder.

"Hmph, don’t make it sound so easy. Every case requires full effort!"

Tie Ruyun did not object to their exchange of cases but did take issue with Zhang Wei’s attitude.

"Exactly, every case must be taken seriously!"

Li Yueqin on the side nodded in agreement, sharing some of the concerns about Zhang Wei’s attitude.

"You talk like you’re so amazing. Without knowing better, one might think you’re a senior lawyer, not an intern like us!"

Jin Mingming was even more sarcastic. After making that remark to Zhang Wei, he immediately approached Tie Ruyun.

"Team leader, how should we proceed with this case? Please give me some professional advice so I can serve the client better... After all, I’m not like some people who think this is just child’s play..."

It looked like he was using Zhang Wei to find a way to ask for Tie Ruyun’s guidance.

Regarding Jin Mingming’s attitude, Zhang Wei chuckled disdainfully in his heart before preparing to leave the office directly.

"Hey, where are you, kid, going?"

Seeing this, Tie Ruyun hurriedly called out to Zhang Wei.

"I’m planning to visit the client, isn’t it better to understand the case details and hear his account in person?"

"You can go out, but could you first let Sister Cuilan know, you need to report to her to be considered present for today’s attendance!"

"Oh, I almost forgot about that!"

It was then that Zhang Wei remembered he was no longer a "free agent" but a wage earner bound by the law firm’s rules, required to complete daily attendance records.

"Sister Cuilan, I’m going to the detention center to meet with a client; do you need to record this case?"

"Yes, cases handled by a lawyer need to be registered in the system!"

Tie Cuilan took the folder from Zhang Wei and began to enter it into the system.

"Right, let me tell you all something, although the firm doesn’t charge clients for handling public welfare cases, it does provide us with subsidies, and the fees after winning are quite substantial, so you guys should work hard for your salaries!"

Tie Ruyun quickly interjected, explaining the salary rules.

Generally, law firms handle public welfare cases with financial support from Dongfang Capital, amounting to a few hundred yuan per case.

But Jincheng is different; if you win the case, there are internal rewards, and the fees exceed a thousand yuan.

Of course, the precondition is a victory; if it’s a defeat, then the fees are much lower.

A few hundred yuan for a case goes to the firm, which takes its cut before you get your share, which is just a few tens of yuan.

It’s said that within Jincheng Law Firm, even for formal lawyers, the billing hours and charges for victories and defeats differ.

Jincheng treats lawyers who win very well, but it’s quite cruel to those who lose!

This is the principle of survival of the fittest.

Soon, Tie Cuilan had entered Zhang Wei’s task, and he now had a case to work on.

"You all come here too; I’ve just opened the case system, and I’ll register all your cases!"

Tie Cuilan continued speaking to Li Yueqin and the other two, signaling them to come and register as well.

"In that case, everyone, I’ll be leaving first!"

Zhang Wei waved to Lin Yumeng and Li Yueqin, nodded to Tie Ruyun, and then left the office.

Watching Zhang Wei’s retreating figure walk away briskly, Tie Ruyun turned and warned Li Yueqin and the others:

"Don’t you guys take him as an example. Remember to update me on the progress of your cases; I’ll be watching over them!"

"We understand!"

Li Yueqin nodded naturally, Jin Mingming was overjoyed, while Lin Yumeng was somewhat confused.

...

Dongfang Capital, the detention center.

Zhang Wei was already familiar with this place and even greeted the guard before entering.

"Young lawyer, got another case, huh? What big case is it this time?"

"Old man, it’s not any big case this time, just a prostitution case!"

"A prostitution case?"

The gatekeeper looked at Zhang Wei questioningly.

But Zhang Wei didn’t care about what the gatekeeper thought. After notifying the inside, he went straight to the meeting room to wait.

Soon, a fat man weighing at least 300 pounds, escorted by detention center staff, walked in dejectedly.

He was balding with a spiritless demeanor, his eyes listless, and his expression was one of complete despondence.

"May I ask if you are Tian Lixiong, Mr. Tian?" Seeing the man, Zhang Wei tentatively asked.

The name sounded powerful, but he seemed neither powerful-looking nor spirited.

Tian Lixiong lazily lifted his eyelids, glanced at Zhang Wei, and then let them fall again.

He slumped down in front of Zhang Wei, and after the staff left the meeting room, he finally spoke.

"What’s this, I asked for a lawyer, not a student..."

"Mr. Tian, I am a lawyer, and I’ve already graduated. Although my license is still in transit, it will arrive soon!"

Zhang Wei naturally detected a lack of trust from his client and smiled as he explained.

"In transit?"

Tian Lixiong glanced at Zhang Wei and then, looking down, he started to sigh, "Great, does that mean I’m definitely going to jail?"

"But you were indeed caught for solicitation, and besides, you have three records of indecent exposure in public and a history of harassment complaints against you..."

"That was all beyond my control. With that woman too, it was the same. I hadn’t even started when I was caught by the people from Martial Association!" Tian Lixiong argued defensively, insisting on his innocence.

"What else did you intend to do, get caught ’in the act’?"

Zhang Wei was speechless; although all clients tell their lawyers that they are innocent as the first thing, those like Tian Lixiong, who blatantly lied, were still few and far between.

"I really am innocent..."

"But I think your little brother wouldn’t agree, right? It wouldn’t want to come out to bask in the sun without any reason, would it?"

"That was..."

"Stop!"

Seeing Tian Lixiong still wanted to argue, Zhang Wei cut him off directly.

"Firstly, I must explain to you that I am the lawyer assigned by the legal aid institution, which has commissioned our firm, and I have been arranged to come here to defend you!"

"Secondly, just as you said, I am a student, or rather, I was a student last year. My abilities are limited; I don’t have the skills to defend someone who is indeed guilty as innocent."

"Thirdly, I advise you to just admit it. It’s better for you, for me, for everyone, and it can save time. Soliciting prostitution is not a crime in itself, and you were only attempting to solicit, not succeeding. Even if we add exposure in a public place, the usual lenient punishment would be at most detention of 5-15 days, or at most 30 days, and they would just reprimand you verbally, right?"

Finally, Zhang Wei began to persuade him earnestly.

But Tian Lixiong shook his head, "No, I don’t want to stay here for one more day!"

"Lawyer, you know how hard it is here, right? The people in the detention center look down on me; they think I’m a waste. They mock me every day, calling me a fat pig. I really don’t want to stay here anymore!"

It was clear that Tian Lixiong wasn’t joking; the immense pressure he faced here was probably the reason for his listlessness.

Zhang Wei narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at him.

"Then I want to ask you, if you could really get out right now, would you continue to expose yourself in public?"

"That..."

Tian Lixiong lowered his head, not daring to look at Zhang Wei.

But Zhang Wei wasn’t planning to stop and continued to press on, "Client, please answer my question, because this is crucial. It will affect my trust in your character!"

Tian Lixiong reluctantly raised his head to defend himself, "But I just can’t control it; my little brother just wants to come out and bask in the sun..."

"Then I’m out of suggestions. If you can’t guarantee that yourself, why should I help you?"

Zhang Wei shook his head, directly rejecting such an "unreasonable" request.

Upon hearing this, Tian Lixiong’s spirit collapsed by more than half, and he almost slumped down completely.

"So, I have to go back and be called a fat pig and a waste every day?"

"You could report to the staff on duty at the detention center..."

"Lawyer, who would listen to a person convicted of soliciting prostitution?"

Steeled, Tian Lixiong directly contradicted Zhang Wei.

But this sentence made Zhang Wei slightly pause.

He felt a tug at his heart.

"Who would listen to a poor student?"

He recalled a scene where the original owner was coerced by Zheng Qian and Yuan Dong to admit he broke the teacup.

At that moment, he had asked himself that question too, in self-mockery and self-derision.

Who would believe the words of the weak?

Of course, no one!

"Alright, I can defend you!"

"Huh?"

When Zhang Wei suddenly changed his mind, even Tian Lixiong didn’t expect it and nearly froze.

Why had the lawyer suddenly changed his mind?

"However, I am not going to let you go without punishment. Even if you leave the detention center, you will need to undergo psychological counseling and regularly visit the health clinic for check-ups. I believe that your behavior of exposing yourself must change; that is my requirement!"

Zhang Wei said, looking towards Tian Lixiong, "Can you do that?"

"I can, of course I can. As long as I can get out, I’m willing to do anything!"

Seeing that Tian Lixiong agreed, Zhang Wei then continued,

"Your wish is not to stay in the detention center. So the only way is to go through ’summary proceedings’!"

Tian Lixiong was slightly startled, "What are summary proceedings?"

"A small courtroom with six people, no evidence demonstration, the judge picks a date, and the trial can be held on the same day, finishing the fastest also on the same day!"

Zhang Wei glanced at Tian Lixiong, then checked the time on his phone, "Today is Wednesday. With a bit of luck, the trial could be held tomorrow or the day after. You might even spend the weekend at home!"

"Really? Lawyer, can I get out this week?"

"I can’t give you any guarantees. But I’ll say there’s a chance. However, even if you can get out, you will have to sign a treatment agreement!"

"I understand, thank you, lawyer!"

Seeing Zhang Wei full of confidence, Tian Lixiong also became excited.

And Zhang Wei immediately started inquiring about all the details of Tian Lixiong’s arrest.

With any case, even a minor one, he tackled it meticulously and with his full effort!

That was the ethic of Lawyer Zhang!