Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 106 - 105: Gaining a Little Apprentice, Back to the Procuratorate Headquarters

Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Gaining a Little Apprentice, Back to the Procuratorate Headquarters

(I was thinking of slacking off for another day over the weekend, but the thought of warm and friendly readers possibly wanting to send some local specialties to Author Germ made me come to a sudden realization—I have to work overtime on the weekend to update the novel for my dear readers~)

(PS: Seeing how diligent Author Germ is, dear readers, don’t be stingy with your monthly votes, please vote, add to your favorites, and subscribe~)

...

Friday afternoon.

Zhang Wei had learned what it meant to be busy doing nothing.

Li Yueqin and Lin Yumeng were both preparing for their cases, one flipping through various documents and reviewing the public evidence, while the other stared blankly at a pile of files.

And Jin Mingming was even more outrageous, pestering Tie Ruyun with questions, basically asking every few minutes, "Team leader, how should I handle this?"

It was their first case; everyone was nervous, and Zhang Wei understood that.

He had been incredibly nervous for his first case too, even staying up alone until two or three in the morning, just to practice for the questioning during the trial.

Of course, he still lost in the end, defeated by an experienced prosecutor.

And the feeling of failure made him very upset.

It was since that first case that he vowed to never lose again; he must give it his all to win!

And now, how long had it been since his last defeat?

years, 30 years?

"Zhang Wei, I have a question..."

Interrupting Zhang Wei’s thoughts was the timid voice of Lin Yumeng.

"Why don’t you go ask Old Tie, he..."

Zhang Wei was about to respond when he saw Old Tie being kept busy by Li Yueqin and Jin Mingming, clearly unable to get away.

He then looked at Lin Yumeng, who looked pitiful, wanting to go to Tie Ruyun for help but not daring to interrupt.

"Fine, I’ll help you!"

Zhang Wei sighed helplessly; who could resist helping others?

Definitely not because she was a cute girl that he softened, he just liked to help people!

"Go on, what’s your question? Is it about the case, or something else?"

"It’s about the case!"

Lin Yumeng spread out a bunch of files and said confusedly, "I’ve just taken over a case, but I have no idea what to do?"

"Then start with the basics. A good lawyer needs to meet the client as soon as they take on the case."

"But that’s the detention center, I’m a bit scared..."

Lin Yumeng instinctively felt afraid when she heard that she had to meet the client.

As she spoke, she cast a pleading look towards Zhang Wei.

"I know what you’re thinking. I’ve just won a case and am idle anyway, but technically Old Tie is your team leader..."

Zhang Wei looked again at Tie Ruyun, who was entangled by Li Yueqin and Jin Mingming.

"Forget it, I’ll accompany you for a visit!"

Zhang Wei reluctantly indicated for Lin Yumeng to pick up her files.

It looked like he was going to be escorting the cute girl to the detention center today.

"Mhm, okay!"

With Zhang Wei accompanying her, Lin Yumeng felt less scared and began to pack up the files.

"Old Tie, Sister Cuilan, I’m going with Xiao Meng to the detention center to see the client; you guys keep up the good work!"

"Alright, I’ll log your attendance!" Tie Cuilan answered and got to work.

Tie Ruyun turned to look back, wanting to say something but hesitating.

He naturally wouldn’t feel at ease with Lin Yumeng meeting the client alone.

But with Zhang Wei accompanying her, it was different. Seeing how this young man had won the case, it was clear he was a veteran.

Although a recent law graduate could not possibly be a veteran, Tie Ruyun felt unusually reassured about Zhang Wei accompanying Lin Yumeng.

Now, he was more worried about Li Yueqin and Jin Mingming. If they went to the court in their current state, they were likely to lose.

...

The detention center.

Zhang Wei had been here once on Wednesday and now, on Friday, he was back again.

He and Lin Yumeng stood at the entrance, not having gone in yet.

"Xiao Meng, when we see the client, do you want to ask the questions, or should I?"

"Maybe you should do it..."

Lin Yumeng was still a bit scared, standing timidly by Zhang Wei’s side, slightly behind him.

"Alright, but that way, you’re going to end up as my apprentice, right?"

"That’s great, Master!"

Lin Yumeng wasn’t afraid of Zhang Wei at all, and once Zhang Wei referred to her as his disciple, she immediately started calling him Master.

The title from Meng Meizi made Zhang Wei feel somewhat comforted inside.

"Alright then, from now on you’re my little apprentice!"

"Okay, Master!"

Seeing Zhang Wei say this, Lin Yumeng, of course, agreed, nodding her head like a bobblehead.

"Yo, little lawyer, back again, I see! How come there’s two of you today?"

The gatekeeper noticed Zhang Wei returning and quickly asked.

"Uncle, I brought my apprentice today!"

Zhang Wei chuckled and greeted the gatekeeper with Lin Yumeng in tow.

"You even brought a girl, but this isn’t a place you young folks should come to often!"

The gatekeeper joked with a smile and let them through.

Zhang Wei was naturally very familiar with the detention center.

He even knew exactly who would be on duty at which spot.

After they had registered at the front desk, they waited in the meeting room.

Soon, a bald man covered in tattoos and with a fierce look on his face was escorted in by the duty staff.

"So scary!"

Seeing the new arrival, Lin Yumeng was so frightened she almost covered her eyes.

That’s because the man was exactly the kind of "bad guy" her teachers had warned her about when she was a child.

But in Zhang Wei’s eyes, this person wasn’t much of a concern; at least his tattoos looked fierce, but they didn’t have any taste.

He surmised that although the guy was involved with some unsavory crowds, his status must not be very high.

"Hello, are you Mr. Ying Qingli?" he greeted the man with a smile.

"Are you the lawyers assigned to me?"

Seeing Zhang Wei and his companion, Ying Qingli seemed unsurprised.

He knew that the defense lawyers provided by the public welfare organization were usually either fresh law school graduates or small-time lawyers who didn’t look particularly capable.

Zhang Wei saw that his composed demeanor seemed to make a good impression on Ying Qingli.

Usually, a little lawyer would tremble at the sight of oneself.

"We are defense lawyers arranged for you by the Lawyer’s Association. Your case falls under public welfare, so we won’t charge you any legal fees. But don’t worry, as part of our duty as lawyers, we’ll still provide you with the best legal advice. Now, let us find out about the details of your arrest!"

After sitting down, Ying Qingli began to tell his story.

He was arrested on a Monday night at 10:14 while he was on his way out for a late-night snack. Halfway there, he was grabbed by people from the Martial Association.

As for the reason for his arrest, it was utterly baffling to him because he just happened to be near a robbery, and besides him, there were no other suspects in the vicinity.

So, with his fearsome appearance, he became the prime suspect and was immediately taken into custody by an officer from the Martial Association, ending up in detention.

Though he claimed his innocence, the Martial Association’s investigators didn’t find any other suspects nearby.

And, as luck would have it, the robbery victim identified him, saying the robber she saw was indeed Ying Qingli. With this accusation, he had no way to defend himself.

"You mean, you didn’t rob the victim, but they identified you anyway?"

"Right, I don’t know why, just because I don’t look like a nice person?"

Ying Qingli looked frustrated. He used to be involved with the wrong crowds and had some criminal records, but that was all in the past.

He had long since "turned over a new leaf."

"Would you mind if I ask what your current job is?"

"I work as a driver for my former boss; he started a finance company, and I’m in charge of chauffeuring him personally."

"Now that’s strange!"

Zhang Wei elbowed Lin Yumeng, who was next to him; she immediately understood and took out a document.

"You say you’re working as a driver at your ex-boss’s company, so why does it say here that you’re unemployed?"

Zhang Wei had already perused this document before and remembered its contents.

"Our boss’s company isn’t officially registered; the financial business he does..."

"Is high-interest lending, right?"

Seeing Ying Qingli struggling to explain, Zhang Wei guessed the answer.

Involvement with the underworld in finance, what else could it be but high-interest lending!

"Yes..."

Since Zhang Wei had laid it out plainly, Ying Qingli had no choice but to concede.

"Well, I must say, you’re still considered a good person?" Zhang Wei muttered to himself internally.

"You’re a driver for a high-interest loan company; you’re not clean to begin with!"

Zhang Wei gave Lin Yumeng a meaningful look; this case was very difficult.

Unfortunately, his little apprentice couldn’t understand and thought Zhang Wei wanted the files again, so she picked up the file bag.

Zhang Wei quickly pressed the file bag down and then turned to Ying Qingli.

"So because your boss himself is tainted, he didn’t arrange a lawyer for you and let you seek help from a legal aid organization?"

"Lawyer, but I am innocent, right?"

"I know, but whether you’re innocent or not is for the jury to decide. And your criminal record, as well as the kind of work you do, are all negative factors for you..."

Zhang Wei didn’t continue, but his meaning was clear, telling the other party not to hold out too much hope.

"Right, let me ask you, do you live alone?"

"Yes, I’ve always hung out with Big Brother and never had the chance to meet women. Even when I couldn’t take it anymore, I would just go to prostitutes."

"I see, which means you live alone and there’s no one to provide you with an alibi for the time of the robbery."

Zhang Wei felt this was a thorny issue; the case would indeed be difficult to handle for Lin Yumeng.

Still, he, Zhang Wei, believed that there must be some clue to prove Ying Qingli’s innocence.

"So, what do you want for your defense, to plead innocent, or to plead guilty but seek a reduced sentence considering the facts?"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei didn’t let Ying Qingli answer right away but reminded him, "Let me tell you first, the testimony of the witnesses is very unfavorable for you, and your criminal record will also create a negative impression on the jury. If you opt for an innocence defense and lose, you may face more than 3 years for armed robbery, and if they dig into your record, the sentence could go up to 5 or even 10 years. Have you thought this through?"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Ying Qingli’s expression indeed changed.

"Then, Lawyer, if it’s a reduced sentence, how many years would I have to serve?"

"Do you have any relatives in Dongfang Capital?"

"No."

Ying Qingli shook his head, and Zhang Wei was helpless.

In Dongfang Capital, with no relatives and driving for a high-interest loan company, there was no reason for a reduced sentence.

Zhang Wei, having no choice since going through the client’s family angle was a dead end, decided to take another approach.

"Xiao Meng, I remember this case is being prosecuted by the Procuratorate Headquarters, right? Who is the chief prosecutor?"

"Oh, let me check, it’s a prosecutor from the Procuratorate Headquarters’ Major Crimes Department... named Tan Yingying..."

"What, Tan Yingying!"

Hearing this name, Zhang Wei was taken aback.

Tan Yingying was in the Minor Crimes Department, wasn’t she? How did she end up in Major Crimes?

She was transferred after the holidays too?

But hearing this name, Zhang Wei had some idea.

"Mr. Ying, in that case, I have thought of a compromise. Would you entrust us to handle your case fully?"

"Let me tell you beforehand, I will go to the Dongfang Capital Procuratorate Headquarters soon to meet with the chief prosecutor of this case and discuss the terms of a deal. Even though I believe you haven’t committed a crime, considering the risks of this case, how many years would you accept if you were to plead guilty?"

After explaining in earnest, Zhang Wei looked toward Ying Qingli.

The case could be fought, but sometimes it wasn’t necessary, depending mainly on how one assesses the risk.

The risk in Ying Qingli’s case was his criminal history, and he also couldn’t provide an alibi for himself. Any lawyer would normally advise their client to plead guilty, and Zhang Wei was no exception.

It’s like a multiple-choice question. Pleading guilty means a 100% chance of 3 years in prison. But opting for an innocence defense means a 90% chance of 5-10 years in prison and a 10% chance of acquittal.

This is about weighing Ying Qingli’s options.

"Lawyer, 3 years is too much. I’m almost 30, and if I go in again, the boss probably won’t want me!"

"What about 1-2 years, would you consider that?"

"1-2 years... I could consider 1 year, 2 years feels like too much, and I really am innocent!"

It had to be said, the suggestion of 1 year indeed swayed Ying Qingli somewhat.

"Okay, 1 year is your limit. If I can persuade the prosecution to reduce the sentence to 1 year, then we’ll plead guilty directly. But if I can’t convince them, then I’ll go ahead with an innocence defense for you. Does that sound good?"

Ying Qingli hesitated for a long time before finally nodding his head.

A few minutes later, at the detention center entrance.

"Master, you’re amazing, being able to bargain with such a bad person."

After they came out, Lin Yumeng was full of admiration for Zhang Wei.

"Xiao Meng, didn’t you realize? He’s not a bad person; he’s innocent. In his eyes, I only saw unwillingness about the trumped-up charges and regret about his past crimes, nothing more..."

Zhang Wei patiently continued to educate his young apprentice.

"Ah, he’s innocent?"

Lin Yumeng admitted that she hadn’t noticed at all.

"This is your first lesson: never judge a book by its cover. Do you think the Gray Wolf is the bad guy, and do you think all the sheep in the grasslands are good? Don’t look at things so one-sidedly."

"Oh, I understand now..."

The little apprentice nodded her head and hurriedly took out her notebook to take notes.

"Let’s go, we’re headed to Procuratorate Headquarters next to meet the prosecutor of this case, from our Serious Crimes Division, Prosecutor Tan Yingying!"

...

Dongfang Capital, Procuratorate Headquarters.

This was Zhang Wei’s first visit to the Procuratorate Headquarters since the new year began, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for his own case—it was for his apprentice, Lin Yumeng’s case.

He confidently led Lin Yumeng to the second floor of the Procuratorate Headquarters, right to the office door of the Serious Crimes Division.

"Zhang Wei, what brings you here!"

Just as Zhang Wei was about to enter, he heard a stern voice.

"Oh, it’s Xiao Baihe, hello!"

Hearing the voice, Zhang Wei immediately knew who it was.

Xiao Baihe, clad in her work attire with her hands on her hips, stared icily at Zhang Wei.

"You’ve really got some nerve, you scumbag. It’s only been a few days, and you’ve hooked up with someone new?"

When she saw the cute apprentice Lin Yumeng, she thought to herself he truly was a scumbag, and Xia Qianyue must have been blind to have fallen for him.

"Xiao Baihe, you can’t just slander someone’s reputation. This is my law firm’s junior apprentice."

Zhang Wei hastily defended himself, and then introduced them.

"Xiao Meng, this is Xiao Baihe, the ace of the Procuratorate Headquarters’ Serious Crimes Division."

"Xiao Baihe, this is my colleague Lin Yumeng from Jincheng Law Firm. She and I were recruited for the criminal division at the same time. Our team leader has been very busy, so I’m escorting her!"

After hearing his introduction, Lin Yumeng nodded and greeted Xiao Baihe, "Hello, my name is Lin Yumeng, the newcomer attorney to our firm’s criminal division. Please take good care of me!"

"You’ve joined the law firm?"

Xiao Baihe, however, ignored Lin Yumeng’s greeting, clearly seeing her as a complete newbie who knew nothing.

What interested her more was the fact that Zhang Wei had joined a law firm.

"Yes, the Litigation Department’s criminal division of Jincheng Law Firm, our team leader is Tie Ruyun."

"Jincheng Law Firm!"

Hearing that Zhang Wei had joined Jincheng, ranked first among the Top Ten Firms, even Xiao Baihe was somewhat surprised.

Handling Zhang Wei was troublesome enough, but if Jincheng backed him, the difficulty level would increase exponentially.

"Are you here for your own case?"

"You’ve misunderstood. I’m here for my apprentice today!"

Zhang Wei pushed Lin Yumeng forward and asked, "Is Prosecutor Tan Yingying in? We’ve come to see her."

"Another case with Ying Ying? Are you two star-crossed or something?"

Xiao Baihe was speechless. Tan Yingying had just been transferred to the Serious Crimes Division and had already run into Zhang Wei again. Was she incredibly unlucky or what?

"Ying Ying, someone’s looking for you!"

With no other choice, Xiao Baihe reluctantly went inside to relay the message for Zhang Wei.

Tan Yingying hurried out, but upon seeing Zhang Wei standing at the entrance, she let out a gasp and retreated back into the office.

The fear Zhang Wei had caused her in the past proved to be too much, after all.

A few minutes later, in the break room.

Zhang Wei, accompanied by Lin Yumeng, and Xiao Baihe, accompanied by Tan Yingying, sat across from each other at a four-person table.

Even though the prosecutor was Tan Yingying and the defense attorney was Lin Yumeng, the ones conversing were instead neither of them.

"Are you here regarding Ying Qingli’s case?"

"That’s right. You have only one witness, and the crime took place at night, so I can raise reasonable doubt."

"Are you kidding me? Ying Qingli has three prior offenses. The robbery took place in an underground parking lot with plenty of light, and I also have an eyewitness to testify!"

"But my client is innocent, you don’t seriously want me to fight hard, right?"

"What makes you think I’m afraid of you!"

Zhang Wei and Xiao Baihe sat across the small table from each other in a battle of wills, neither one yielding in stature.

Tan Yingying and Lin Yumeng watched the verbal sparring, at a loss for how to interject.

The situation felt like two teachers arguing over how to instruct their students, with the students only able to look on, not daring to utter a word.

Fortunately, Zhang Wei eventually restrained himself and presented his terms.

"Three years, two of which are suspended sentences. Our client will plead guilty. I’m offering these terms out of respect for you, Xiao Baihe!"

"A convicted armed robber only to serve one year in prison—you really have the audacity to demand that. And since when do I, Xiao Baihe, need Zhang Wei to give me face!"

"So, there’s nothing to discuss then. You do realize that if we win, he won’t have to spend a day in jail?"

"You have to win first for that to happen. We have the upper hand in this case!"

"The last prosecutor from the Procuratorate Headquarters to talk to me like this was Huang Fang, and before that was Wang Can!"

Hearing these two names, a fierce look flashed in Xiao Baihe’s eyes.

But Zhang Wei, undaunted by the intense gaze from the woman across from him, remained adamant.