Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 109 - 108 Wu Yong’s Reminder, Everyone Must Go to Court

Chapter 109: Chapter 108 Wu Yong’s Reminder, Everyone Must Go to Court

Although the process was somewhat terrifying, Zhang Wei and Lin Yumeng managed to come out in the end.

Zhang Wei was quite calm, but his little apprentice was so scared that her legs had gone soft.

Zhang Wei noticed that Lin Yumeng had tugged at his clothes several times, which showed just how frightened she was.

"Xiao Meng, you need to learn to adapt. We are criminal defense lawyers, after all; the kind of people we will encounter the most are exactly like them."

"Master, I’m still scared..."

She had never come across such people before in her life, and she thought she might have died just then.

"Stay calm, we came out, didn’t we? And remember, we have the backing of the Dongfang Capital Lawyers Association and Jincheng Law Firm!"

Zhang Wei said reassuringly, and then his face showed a trace of confusion.

"Xiao Meng, did Wang Tianmeng ever ask us whether Ying Qingli was innocent?"

"It seems... no, he didn’t!"

Lin Yumeng recalled the event and shook her head.

"That’s not right. As Ying Qingli’s boss, he didn’t even ask a single question about the case. Does that make sense?"

It obviously didn’t make any sense at all!

Zhang Wei began to ponder what exactly was wrong with Wang Tianmeng, or why, as Ying Qingli’s boss, he seemed so indifferent to his subordinate.

As the two walked, they returned to Old Tie’s location.

"Old Tie, what’s wrong with you? Your face looks off."

Zhang Wei noticed that Old Tie was looking around, as if not waiting for them.

"You didn’t actually call, did you..."

"Yes, I did call just now. I heard those gangsters’ voices and worried something might happen to you, so I really made the call."

Zhang Wei was taken aback upon hearing Old Tie’s reply.

A call for this? They were just a bunch of hoodlums, what was there to be scared of?

You’re Old Tie, the head of the criminal division. How can you be so timid?

"And then?"

"Then the call connected almost instantly. Before I could speak, they just told me to wait right there, and that was it..."

"What’s going on?"

This time it was Zhang Wei’s turn to be confused.

Old Tie hadn’t said anything, yet Captain Wu’s side could already "psychically sense" their location?

Beep beep...

Zhang Wei’s phone rang at this moment.

He hastily took out his phone, and it turned out to be a message from Xia Qianyue via WeChat.

[Xia Qianyue: Meet in a private room on the second floor of Jiangnan Noodle House at the intersection east of this street!]

[Xia Qianyue: Don’t reply, hurry over right now!]

The messages were back-to-back, and the tone was very assertive—they clearly weren’t sent by Xia Qianyue herself.

"Old Tie, let’s go. To the noodle house at the eastern intersection, we’re meeting with the major-case squad!"

Zhang Wei had already guessed that it must have been Captain Wu messaging, and Xia Qianyue was probably with the team, too.

Old Tie, although curious, could only agree and drove them to the destination.

Jiangnan Noodle House was a chain of Southern-style noodle shops, with dozens of branches in Dongfang Capital.

This particular outlet was one of three in Chengnan District, but because of its location, the business wasn’t very good.

Now, nearing evening, only a third of the seats in the ground-floor dining hall were filled; upstairs was almost completely empty.

When Zhang Wei and his party arrived at the noodle house and got to the second-floor private room, they saw Captain Wu, Old Xing, and Xia Qianyue seated inside, eating noodles.

"Slurp—"

"Ah, that’s the taste, I’ve been eating noodles from Jiangnan Noodle House for over a decade, and the flavor has never changed!"

After Old Xing slurped a mouthful of noodles, he reveled in the taste.

"Ahem!" Zhang Wei coughed at the doorway of the private room to alert the three inside of their arrival.

"Zhang Wei, you’re here!" Xia Qianyue was the first to stand up and greet Zhang Wei.

"Come on, that lad, take a seat. Want some noodles?"

"Ahem, Captain Wu, no need!"

Seeing Captain Wu, Zhang Wei hurriedly declined.

After he, together with Old Tie and Lin Yumeng, sat down, he continued, "Captain Wu, what did you want to see me for?"

Captain Wu and his companions finally finished their noodles, and after wiping the grease from the corners of his mouth, he quickly asked:

"Why did you go looking for Wang Tianmeng?"

"We were there for his driver’s case, it’s a pro bono case!"

"Pro bono case, his driver?"

Wu Yong muttered to himself, looking towards Old Xing.

"Oh, yes, there’s a record of that. Wang Tianmeng’s driver seems to have been taken to the detention center, but he was caught by the field agents. I didn’t pay much attention at the time."

"So the driver needed a lawyer, and the aid organization assigned the case to you?"

Wu Yong looked at Zhang Wei, thinking to himself that this was too much of a coincidence. With so many public interest lawyers and legal clinics in Dongfang Capital, many people could have taken this case. How come it was exactly Zhang Wei who got it?

"And the two with you, are they also your colleagues?"

"Yes, let me introduce everyone. This is Old Tie, our criminal team’s leader, and this is my little apprentice Lin Yumeng!"

"As for these folks, they’re really something. They’re the elite of Major Crimes Unit 7: team leader Wu Yong, deputy leader Old Xing, and the future star of the team, Xia Qianyue!"

Zhang Wei first introduced his colleagues, then introduced Wu Yong and his team to the two.

"What an exaggeration, ’future star’!"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s introduction, Xia Qianyue’s face turned red.

This introduction is too over the top!

Tie Ruyun looked at Zhang Wei with surprise, not expecting that the young man could connect with the major crimes unit.

He quickly handed out his business card to Wu Yong and the others, making their acquaintance.

Now that the introductions were over, it was time to get down to business.

"Right, Captain Wu, is there any problem with my client, Ying Qingli?" Zhang Wei quickly asked.

"If your client is the driver, then there’s no problem. We’re not investigating him, but his boss!"

Wu Yong shook his head, reassuring Zhang Wei.

Their target wasn’t small fries like Ying Qingli but the big fish behind him.

"I see, I get it now!"

Since Wu Yong had said so, Zhang Wei understood their target was actually Wang Tianmeng.

"By the way, you met him just now, didn’t you?"

"Yes, I saw him, and he had two henchmen with him. They seemed quite troublesome!"

"Oh, which two henchmen? Tell us more!"

Wu Yong, intrigued by the information provided by Zhang Wei, became instantly interested.

"The first henchman was on lookout duty and probably a manager. He could intimidate a bunch of small-time hoods with just a few words. But he’s not the main concern, it’s the second guy. That fellow sure looks like a tough cookie who’s been in the streets, an experienced street fighter. I only took a few glances, but I could feel that he’s got blood on his hands..."

As Zhang Wei recounted the details, Wu Yong promptly signaled to Old Xing.

The latter took out his phone and started contacting someone from the investigation department’s information team.

No sooner had Zhang Wei finished talking, the information came through from the other end.

"The information department found out. It’s Wang Tianmeng’s former underling, Ge Qingxiong, who’s been involved in a lot of trouble and even a murder case a few years back. He escaped, but it seems he’s slipped back quietly and is still working for Wang Tianmeng!"

"No way, the person you met is that sinister!"

Hearing Old Xing’s report, Tie Ruyun got anxious.

He never expected that meeting a client’s boss would lead to crossing paths with such a dangerous individual.

Zhang Wei, on the other hand, didn’t seem worried at all and looked towards Wu Yong.

"Captain Wu, what do you guys plan to do about him? He’s a fugitive after all!"

"Not to worry, we can’t close in yet. That would be too obvious and might spook them."

Wu Yong waved it off, then reminded Zhang Wei, "Since your clients are the drivers, don’t get too involved with this case. It’s the major crime unit’s work!"

"Of course I understand. But even if it’s dangerous, I trust Silly will protect me!"

Zhang Wei winked at Xia Qianyue, grinning mischievously.

"Absolutely, with me here, no one will lay a finger on you!"

Xia Qianyue instantly patted her chest, but alas, it didn’t impress, failing to stir even a slight ripple.

Xia Hanhan, seeing everyone’s gaze turning to her, quickly lowered her head while giving Zhang Wei a somewhat grievous look.

"Sorry, Silly, I just wanted to compliment you, didn’t mean to make you reveal your weaknesses!"

Zhang Wei apologized inwardly, then exchanged a few words with Wu Yong before taking his leave.

"Let’s leave it at that for today. Since the major crimes unit told us Wang Tianmeng is dangerous, I guess we won’t be able to go through with him, and we can’t keep going after such dangerous people!"

After leaving the noodle house, Zhang Wei glanced at the time and decided to put off any further investigations.

After all, he had checked all the places that needed checking, and nothing was overlooked.

"Alright then, I’ll drive you guys back!"

Tie Ruyun said, ready to get in the car.

"Old Tie, you drive Xiao Meng back. I’ll just take the subway by myself!"

The thought of riding in a car made Zhang Wei somewhat apprehensive, and he hastily declined the offer of a ride from his superior.

"Oh, whatever you say."

Tie Ruyun also understood Zhang Wei, as it was already rush hour at this time.

Especially today being Saturday, the people going to the city center for dinner, and those who were tired from a whole day of fun returning home, almost all converged at this time. Who knew how long they might get stuck in traffic on their way back later on.

Tie Ruyun took Lin Yumeng home, while Zhang Wei went back to the law firm to pick up his lunch box first, then took the subway back to Lin Mansion by himself.

...

In the evening, at Lin Mansion.

Zhao Xiaoxiao had not come back, probably having dinner with Jessica. Zhang Wei didn’t mind either.

Since he had investigated all that could be done and had nothing to do tomorrow, Zhang Wei could only think about the fruits of his labor for the day.

The investigation yielded very little, at least based on the current clues, it was almost impossible to get Ying Qingli acquitted.

The only method was to attack the witness’s testimony during cross-examination in court, to make it lose its credibility.

Unfortunately, Xiao Baihe made a request that it wasn’t Zhang Wei who would do the cross-examination in court, but Lin Yumeng.

The young apprentice didn’t possess Zhang Wei’s skills and couldn’t crush the witness’s psychological defense in court, let alone break down a witness.

So, this plan was also vetoed.

"Could it be, am I going to lose 1,000 yuan to Xiao Baihe?"

"The key to this case is the person who committed the armed robbery. If it wasn’t Ying Qingli, then who could it be?"

Zhang Wei quickly flipped through the public records about the witness testimony, searching carefully.

"The witness mentioned ’tattoo’ and ’fierce’ among other words, why does this description sound so familiar?"

Zhang Wei looked at the public records, his face thoughtful.

"There’s one more thing, I not only need to investigate Ying Qingli, but I also need to investigate the witnesses!"

He thought to himself and glanced upstairs, silently lamenting the pity.

Zhao Xiaoxiao hadn’t returned yet, so he temporarily couldn’t get information about the witness.

Zhang Wei, seeing that the investigation couldn’t proceed, could only go back to his room to rest.

As he lay in bed, he was still thinking whether there were any clues that had been overlooked in the case.

While pondering, he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Sunday.

Zhang Wei got up early and then knocked on the door of the upstairs room.

"What is it, what is it, can’t you let people sleep well?"

Hearing the complaint from inside the room, Zhang Wei was pleased; Zhao Xiaoxiao had actually come back.

"Fine, second young mistress, but once you wake up, I need you to help me check on these people!"

"Which people?"

The door cracked open slightly, and a pale hand reached out, to which Zhang Wei quickly passed a sheet of paper.

"Hmph, we’ll talk after I wake up!"

The door closed swiftly, and naturally, Zhang Wei smiled and walked downstairs.

Because Zhao Xiaoxiao’s investigation would take time, Zhang Wei had no choice but to wait.

The weekend passed uneventfully.

...

Monday.

A new week began, and Zhang Wei, full of energy, arrived at the criminal department’s office.

As expected, he was the first one there.

However, to his surprise, the second person to arrive wasn’t Tie Ruyun, but Li Yueqin.

The latter had also come to the office very early, just minutes after Zhang Wei.

Moreover, Li Yueqin was holding several files and muttering something to herself.

"Has your court date been set?"

"Not yet, but I secretly asked my dad, and it seems like my case is the first on the docket for the criminal department."

"Oh, you mentioned before that your dad works in the courthouse."

Seeing how anxious Li Yueqin was, Zhang Wei remembered that her father was someone in the courthouse.

It seemed like Li Yueqin’s case was going to court.

For a newcomer who had never been to court before, the first trial was always the most stressful.

"By the way, did you find anything during the weekend overtime?"

Not knowing how to relieve her inner tension, Li Yueqin changed the subject.

"We didn’t find any clues, but we sure encountered plenty of danger!"

Zhang Wei smiled but didn’t say much more.

"What is all that paperwork you’re holding?"

"These are the questions I thought of over the weekend. I’m going to meet with the client in a while to confirm all these questions and make sure nothing is missed."

Zhang Wei looked at the documents in Li Yueqin’s hands; there must have been hundreds of questions.

He felt sympathy for the client, guessing they would be numbed by Li Yueqin’s questioning.

As they were talking, Tie Ruyun and Tie Cuilan also arrived.

Then came Lin Yumeng, followed by Jin Mingming, who arrived just in time.

The criminal team was all there.

"Today, the court should notify us of the trial dates. You all need to remember your own dates. Once the times are confirmed, organize your work accordingly. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Seeing that the three team members all responded, Tie Ruyun nodded his head.

Of course, he still needed to worry about them.

He also glanced at Zhang Wei, feeling a pang of emotion inside.

If only all his team members were like Zhang Wei, his life would be much easier.

Ding-a-ling~

At 9:10 a.m., the office landline rang.

Tie Cuilan hurried to answer, and the hearts of Li Yueqin, Lin Yumeng, and Jin Mingming all tightened up as well.

"Yes, this is the criminal group from Jincheng Law Firm. Oh, it’s the court office, right. Yes, I understand. Please, go on..."

Tie Cuilan quickly noted down some information and then hung up the phone.

"Li Yueqin’s case will be heard on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., Jin Mingming’s case on Wednesday at 2 p.m., and Lin Yumeng’s case on Friday at 9 a.m. All hearings will be in the small courtroom of the municipal court, and the jury has already been finalized. The procedure will be expedited..."

Upon hearing the confirmation of the trial dates and case details, the atmosphere in the office immediately tensed up.

Zhang Wei, on the other hand, was indifferent. The only downside to expedited procedures was that one couldn’t screen jurors; the panel was set directly.

Besides, there were no major or serious crimes, so expedited procedures could be considered a conservation of judicial resources.

"What do I do, what do I do, my trial is starting tomorrow!"

Hearing the specific time, Li Yueqin was the first to become anxious.

"Old Tie!" Zhang Wei motioned with his lips. Although Tie Ruyun was not pleased with Zhang Wei’s attitude, he still had to go over and comfort her.

Zhang Wei himself had to comfort his own apprentice, who, though not as nervous as Li Yueqin, was still looking quite pale at the moment.

As for Jin Mingming...

Sorry, not familiar!

"Looks like it’s going to be busy tomorrow!"

Zhang Wei remarked, feeling that as a member of the same group and facing their first trial, he had to go and support them.

He just hoped that his teammates wouldn’t acquire any psychological trauma from their first court appearance.

After all, in criminal cases, they were up against Procuratorate’s Office prosecutors.

The most problematic of these was Lin Yumeng’s case since her opponent came from the Procuratorate Headquarters.

Although in Zhang Wei’s eyes, Tan Yingying posed no threat, there was still Xiao Baihe lurking in the background.

The criminal group remained tense, but after an hour, Li Yueqin knew she had to start getting busy.

With the trial coming up the next day, she convinced Tie Ruyun to take her to the detention center to question the client.

Jin Mingming took advantage of the absence of the leader, and sneaked out during lunch.

When Zhang Wei saw Jin Mingming leaving the office, he exchanged a look with a few members of the other litigation groups.

He knew the latter was probably going to consult with some under-the-table contacts for strategies.

But for a criminal case, seeking advice from the commercial group made little sense, didn’t it?

Why would one specialize in certain types of law and why were there separate criminal, civil, and commercial groups in firms if not because specialization matters?

If you don’t seek help from Old Tie but instead go to another group, isn’t that uncomfortable for you?

And if the leader finds out, might he think you don’t trust him?

But none of this concerned Zhang Wei; he was waiting for his second girl’s news.

Lin Yumeng’s case would be tough to advance without information from his second girl.

Zhang Wei didn’t waste any time, though. He spent the whole day training Lin Yumeng in cross-examination techniques.

After all, she would be the one interrogating witnesses in court, so his apprentice had to learn some questioning techniques to ensure she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage against Tan Yingying.

While Zhang Wei didn’t teach Lin Yumeng everything he knew, he did share several courtroom skills.

His apprentice, of course, vigorously nodded her head, feverishly taking notes in her notebook.

And so, Monday passed with Zhang Wei’s teachings.