Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 105 - 104: Zhang Wei’s Closing Arguments, With the Other’s Way

Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Zhang Wei’s Closing Arguments, With the Other’s Way

(Today is the last day of the meeting, there’s a lot of work to do, and I have to write a report, it’s very annoying! So today there really is only one update, Author Germ doesn’t have a single drop left~)

...

Zhang Wei had no idea that he had shattered his friends’ worldviews.

As he watched Tian Lixiong face the prosecution’s cross-examination with pessimism yet responding fluently, the curve of his lips became increasingly pronounced.

"The prosecution has no more questions for the defendant!"

Chai Ping, after all, failed to break through Tian Lixiong’s psychological defenses.

He asked many questions, but Tian Lixiong’s pessimism fended them all off.

Chai Ping, by now, was cursing inside his head.

Fuck love at first sight!

Fuck mutual adoration!

You dare to be any more fake!

If it weren’t for the integrity required of a public prosecutor, he would have roared in court.

However, the judge wouldn’t care about his inner turmoil and instead declared, "Since both the prosecution and defense have concluded their cross-examination, we’ll begin the closing arguments in 5 minutes. As the party making the claims, prosecution, please prepare first!"

Chai Ping, helpless, shot Zhang Wei a fierce glance before quickly exiting the courtroom.

Seeing how eager he looked, he probably went to the preparation room to draft his statement.

Zhang Wei, meanwhile, gave Tian Lixiong a reassuring look and then sat quietly in the defense area, waiting.

For closing statements, he had long had a draft in his mind.

And through the court session, he had revised and polished it multiple times in his heart, ensuring it would be at its best.

In Tian Lixiong’s eyes, Zhang Wei at this moment exuded confidence from head to toe, which only made his own pessimism stand out more.

The two of them, one brimming with confidence and the other radiating negative energy, made for a stark contrast when seated together.

The entire courtroom waited quietly.

Although there were not many people in the courtroom, everyone started to anticipate the final moment.

The 5 minutes passed quickly.

Chai Ping returned and, under everyone’s gaze, stood up and walked to the center of the courtroom.

He took a deep breath, fastened the button of his suit, and then slowed his tone.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what did you witness today?"

He approached the jury and answered his own question:

"Didn’t you see a lady from a ’special’ service quoting an exhibitionist man a price of 300? A few minutes later, they were found naked together, caught in the act by the Martial Association Field Staff. What does this imply—I think it goes without saying, right?"

Chai Ping pointed at Tian Lixiong at the defendant’s bench, his tone harsh and expression stern as he said, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I would like you to think for a moment. Don’t ask what Dragon Country can do for you but what you can do for Dragon Country. With such facts laid out, do you still wish to let the defendant off the hook?"

After speaking, he returned to his seat at the prosecution’s bench, thus concluding his closing argument.

The jurors were slightly moved, looking at Tian Lixiong and then at Chai Ping, pondering the implications of the closing statement.

"Defense attorney?"

The judge then looked at Zhang Wei, signaling him to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, hello, I am the defense attorney, and I’m pleased to have met you in this trial!"

Zhang Wei said with a smile as he approached the jury, then his expression turned solemn and his tone shifted:

"But I can stand here and tell you that there’s no evidence of money being paid in this case, and the alleged 300-dollar transaction mentioned by the prosecution also needs to be questioned. Miss Wu’s chance encounter with Mr. Tian leading to them walking into the alley together, does that necessarily mean they were engaged in illegal prostitution activities?"

"Regarding this matter, I will not voice a subjective opinion, but I would like you to consider this—couldn’t the two of them have experienced love at first sight?"

Zhang Wei said, and then he smiled again, "Of course, I know this sounds foolish, but I want to tell you that in this case, no one can prove that my client had a criminal intent!"

"Mr. Tian thought Miss Wu liked him as well, which is why he pulled her into the alley. Do you think he’s foolish?"

"Anyway, I think he’s foolish, and you probably do as well, right?"

Zhang Wei said, looking at the jury.

Seeing some nod their heads, he continued, "Mr. Tian is a bit abnormal, he doesn’t need me to point that out. Every time he finds himself facing a question that’s out of line, he thinks about letting his little brother out for some sun; is that normal? Of course, it’s not normal, is it?"

Zhang Wei, just like Chai Ping, began to ask and answer his own questions on the spot.

"But what I need to clarify is, they!"

He pointed at Chai Ping, pointed at the prosecution’s bench, and emphasized, "They have no basic evidence, no records of financial transactions, no video of my client actually committing a crime, no eyewitness testimony, nothing!"

"I could end my closing statement now, and you would only be able to make a not-guilty verdict based on the current situation..."

Zhang Wei placed his hands on the jury bench and looked directly at one of the jurors, "But here, I want to say a few more words, I hope you listen carefully, I want to talk about Mr. Tian Lixiong."

His gaze met each of the six jurors in turn and, seeing that their attention was on him, he began.

"Look at him, look at the defendant sitting there, my client Mr. Tian Lixiong!"

Under Zhang Wei’s guidance, all six jurors looked towards the defendant’s dock.

Tian Lixiong sat there motionless, his expression defeated, looking like a soulless puppet.

"You see, my client, the party involved in this case, Mr. Tian, what does he look like?"

"A fat man, 300 pounds, unkempt, lacking self-confidence in everything, always looking downcast no matter who he’s dealing with—that’s the kind of person he is. What kind of woman would fancy him?"

In the jury, someone subconsciously shook their head.

Zhang Wei smiled inwardly, this was exactly the effect he wanted.

"So, he could only pay for special services, why?"

"Because as I said before, practically no women would fancy him. Especially here in Dongfang Capital, a society awash with material desires, filled with money-worship and restlessness. No woman would waste time to discover what a man who can’t even meet the basic standards of appearance is really like on the inside. So, no one would realize that a 300-pound fat man could actually have a beautiful soul, yearning for free love, longing for a woman’s affection—nobody would do that. Even if there were, they would have to encounter him by chance in a city of 25 million people in Dongfang Capital—consider how slim that probability is; you can calculate it for yourselves."

"And because of this, when the field staff from the Martial Association discovered such a man entering an alley with a street-walking lady, they instinctively thought nothing good would come out of those two being together. So, they apprehended my client without giving any thought to the possibility of free love I just mentioned—the possibility that Miss Wu and Mr. Tian fell in love in that brief moment."

"It was just so sudden, like a shooting star crossed the sky... they fell in love!"

Zhang Wei said this, pausing for a moment to let the jurors digest the possibility.

Then, seeing the timing was about right, he continued to add, "I think you need to see the evidence, after all, times have changed, and our world is becoming more tolerant, more diverse, and more free."

"In our Dragon Country, on this land, we have become not to judge by appearance as we did in the past."

"Even if you are only 1.4 meters tall, you can marry a wife beautiful as flowers—of course, it’s best if your surname isn’t Wu, and your wife’s surname isn’t Pan!"

With that, some started to laugh.

What do we have here, borrowing from an allusion, eh?

The previously solemn atmosphere was shattered by this joke.

Zhang Wei also laughed and, pointing at Tian Lixiong, nodded toward the jury, "Even if you’re a 300-pound fat man, you have the right to free love, don’t you?"

"So back to the case, you’ll find that the investigation department actually has no evidence to prove Mr. Tian had criminal intent, and the prosecutor is unable to prove the basic elements of crime. My client was arrested simply because he fell in love with a woman he shouldn’t have—nothing more."

"We are now in an inclusive society, an international society where everything is possible, even love like that of Mr. Tian Lixiong—a love he yearns for but can’t obtain—isn’t it?"

Zhang Wei looked at the jury and smiled, "Welcome to Dongfang Capital, welcome to Dragon Country. This is such a beautiful city, such a wonderful country!"

"The prosecution mentioned earlier, ’What can you do for Dragon Country?’ Now, I also want to ask all the jurors, ’What can you do for such a beautiful city as Dongfang Capital, for such a wonderful country as Dragon Country?’"

Having said this, Zhang Wei looked at the jury bench for a moment and then walked back to the defense’s bench with a smile.

His action also signaled the end of the closing argument.

The judge was stunned for a moment, before snapping back from Zhang Wei’s closing remarks.

"Ahem, the court will now adjourn temporarily. The jury, please rise and follow me to the deliberation room to discuss the verdict!"

The judge left with the six jurors, and the courtroom fell into silence.

From the gallery.

"How slick was that kid’s closing argument?"

Tie Ruyun was no longer commentating, but he was still inwardly excited.

Zhang Wei’s closing argument was impeccable, even turning the prosecution’s own closing argument against them—it could fully be described as using the enemy’s own strategy against them.

He was sure that if such a closing argument couldn’t influence the jury, then each of the six jurors had hearts of stone!

As for Li Yueqin and her companions next to him, possibly due to their low rank, they might not understand the power of Zhang Wei’s closing speech.

At this moment, Li Yueqin’s brain was out of commission, unable to even digest half of the trial’s content.

Lin Yumeng, on the other hand, kept murmuring softly, "Zhang Wei is so amazing", "Zhang Wei is really strong", "Even though I don’t understand, I am deeply shocked." and similar remarks.

As for Jin Mingming, he was bowing his head, apparently lost in thought.

The prosecution bench.

Chai Ping looked at Zhang Wei, completely unexpected that a rookie lawyer could deliver such an oppressive closing argument.

"What’s up with this guy, has he gone mad, or what? How can someone like that still be considered a rookie lawyer?"

He too was greatly shaken, his fingers tapping repeatedly on the table in front of him, only stopping when the pain in his fingertips brought him back to reality for a moment.

The defense bench.

"Lawyer Zhang, what’s the situation now?"

Tian Lixiong naturally didn’t understand the impact of Zhang Wei’s closing statement; he just knew they were entering the final stage and whether he could return home depended on the upcoming verdict.

"Now you can be at ease because, during the jury’s deliberation, they can’t see you. And when they do see you, it means the result is decided and won’t be changed!"

Zhang Wei just smiled and indicated to Tian Lixiong that there was no need to remain despondent.

Unfortunately, the man’s expression didn’t change; his performance was normal, as he was very negative by nature.

"I guess they won’t need 15 minutes of deliberation to come to a decision!"

Zhang Wei whispered, looking in the direction of the conference room.

In fact, it took less than 8 minutes for the door of the meeting room to open.

As the judges and the jury returned to their seats, the entire courtroom fell silent.

"Foreperson!"

After confirming that all was in order, the judge nodded toward the jury.

The foreperson stood up and announced in court:

"After deliberation by the jury, all the charges against the suspect Tian Lixiong, due to the lack of basic elements to prove criminality, are dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence. We declare all the charges against the defendant to be unsubstantiated!"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly, unsurprised by the outcome.

He was very composed!

"Awesome!"

Tian Lixiong, on the other hand, jumped up with a speed that didn’t match his 300-pound weight, feeling incredibly excited.

In the spectator bench.

"This kid, awesome!"

"Zhang Wei is amazing!"

"Exciting, a very exciting trial, although I don’t understand it, I’m deeply impressed..."

Tie Ruyun laughed, Lin Yumeng cheered, and Li Yueqin also seemed to be thinking something over.

Besides Jin Mingming, who seemed lost in thought, the criminal group was in good spirits, the cheerful atmosphere akin to having won the case themselves.

The only one who might not be happy on the scene was the prosecutor Chai Ping, who had lost the case and left with an unpleasant look on his face.

This prosecutor from the Central District Procuratorate’s Office, huffed angrily before storming out, looking rather disgruntled.

"Lawyer Zhang, thank you so much, I am so happy!"

Tian Lixiong came up to Zhang Wei, finally showing some change in his expression.

"Don’t rush, you’ll soon be unhappy!"

But Zhang Wei’s tone changed as he smiled at him.

"Lawyer Zhang, what do you mean?"

"It’s simple, the promise you made!"

"Your Honor, please wait a moment, I still need you to issue a compulsory order for me!"

Zhang Wei said, quickly calling the judge back.

The latter gave a start, thinking, the case is over, so why are you calling me back?

"Your Honor, I need you to sign a medical agreement. Although Mr. Tian Lixiong has been acquitted, his behavior was indeed influenced by psychological factors. I made an agreement with him that, once he is released from the detention center, he must go to a health clinic for treatment. I hope you could sign a compulsory order requiring him to go and make a change!"

"Oh, I see, then I’ll sign!"

The judge nodded after listening. Lawyers like Zhang Wei, who wholeheartedly serve their clients, were indeed few and far between.

minutes later, outside the city courthouse.

A few members of the criminal division gathered together again.

"Zhang Wei, what’s with your client, why did they leave with a long face even though they won the case?"

"It’s simple. I had the judge sign a compulsory order requiring him to undergo three months of inpatient treatment at a health clinic and to receive psychological counseling and testing."

"Are you saying that you avoided up to 30 days of detention for him, but then sent him to the health clinic for 90 days of closed treatment?"

Tie Ruyun looked at Zhang Wei, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with melancholy.

Good grief, did you really help your client, or did you actually harm them?

They only needed to stay in detention for 15-30 days, but now they have to spend 90 days at the health clinic.

"Of course, it’s a good thing. My client wanted to get out of detention, and didn’t I make it happen?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands with a look of confusion.

The client’s request—hadn’t he fulfilled it completely? Was there a problem with that?

Tie Ruyun was somewhat speechless, unable to think of a response to that question.

If you had really done a good job, would your client have left looking so downcast?

What exactly did you do, don’t you have any clue in your mind...

"By the way, my case is over; how about yours?"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly, quickly changing the subject.

To him, it was just a small case won—a trivial matter, nothing significant.

Now, it was Li Yueqin and the others’ turn.

"Er..."

Caught off guard by Zhang Wei’s question, Li Yueqin and the other two fell silent.

Li Yueqin looked tense, Lin Yumeng kept her head down, and Jin Mingming even hid behind Tie Ruyun, not daring to make eye contact with Zhang Wei.

It couldn’t be helped; someone who wins a case is the ’boss’.

And now they were all like ’children’!

Seeing the three newbies stumped by Zhang Wei’s question, Tie Ruyun quickly adopted the air of a leader.

"Cough cough, since Zhang Wei has set a good precedent, you all need to work hard too!"

"Let’s head back for now, since your trials aren’t starting until next week anyway!"

Tie Ruyun led the group of five back to the office, and Zhang Wei also caught sight of Tie Ruyun’s car, a black sedan.

It had to be said that Tie Ruyun and Luo Feixiang were indeed friends, as even their cars were similarly practical—within the hundred-thousand prices range, perfect for the petty bourgeoisie.

However, Zhang Wei had a question. Tie Ruyun, as a junior executive and head of the criminal division at one of the Top Ten Firms, should have a decent salary. He should be driving a car that’s a bit more upscale.

Li Qinghe, a partner at Qingmu, bought a car worth over five hundred thousand for her daughter, Li Feifei.

As the head of the criminal division at Jincheng, the leading firm among the Top Ten Firms, Old Tie’s car seemed somewhat undervalued.

Of course, Zhang Wei wouldn’t show his thoughts openly but pondered internally that Old Tie must not have a great standing within Jincheng.

Enduring the traffic congestion, Zhang Wei and the group finally returned to the criminal division’s office at midday.

"How did it go? You all look happy. Did Zhang Wei win?"

Tie Cuilan was waiting there and guessed the outcome of the trial from Tie Ruyun’s expression.

"Of course, this guy’s trial skill is nothing to sneeze at. He almost completely dominated the Procuratorate’s Office in court; they’re in different leagues!"

Tie Ruyun was naturally happy about winning a case for his division and took the opportunity to praise Zhang Wei a few times.

"That’s good. I’ll clock you all in. Zhang Wei won, so there will be a bonus next month!"

Tie Cuilan began to work on the system, tapping away at the keyboard with swift keystrokes.

Zhang Wei returned to his seat with a calm demeanor.

He glanced at the time, his thoughts, in fact, more concerned with the upcoming lunch.