Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 111 - 110: Zhang Wei Wants to Tell the Truth, But Someone Isn’t Listening

Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Zhang Wei Wants to Tell the Truth, But Someone Isn’t Listening

Wednesday.

p.m.

City Court, small courtroom.

Following Li Yueqin’s litigation yesterday, it was now Jin Mingming’s turn.

As a member of the criminal group, although Jin Mingming’s attitude was poor, Zhang Wei and others still showed up to support him.

Li Yueqin also learned from Lin Yumeng, taking notes diligently from the bench with her little notebook.

Especially during the opening statements, she meticulously recorded every word of the prosecution’s speeches and the witness’s testimony.

Seeing Li Yueqin so earnest, Tie Ruyun beside her was quite pleased.

Then, he looked over to the next seat and saw Zhang Wei already bored and yawning.

"This Jin Mingming’s performance is even worse than Li Yueqin’s!"

Zhang Wei sighed, even though he really wanted to sleep, he still forced himself to stay awake.

Jin Mingming not only performed poorly in court but also hadn’t done as much homework as Li Yueqin.

After the prosecution asked the witness to state the defendant’s crime, Zhang Wei could see the shock on Jin Mingming’s face, as if he had no concept of these statements.

In the following cross-examination, with the defense presenting their arguments, Jin Mingming completely fell apart.

He was rebutted by the prosecutor until he stammered, unable to speak clearly.

"Looking at it this way, Li Yueqin’s performance isn’t bad at all!" Zhang Wei remarked upon seeing Jin Mingming’s anxious expression in court.

Without comparison, there’s no harm felt—at least Li Yueqin was able to speak when she was on the stand, while Jin Mingming didn’t even dare to speak, so poor was his performance.

Jin Mingming looked towards Tie Ruyun in the bench with a pleading gaze, but the latter just shook his head.

Before the trial, Jin Mingming had strongly requested that Tie Ruyun be his attorney for the session, but Old Tie had refused.

"Li Yueqin dared to go to trial on her own, why are you, a man, so timid?"

"You all must go to court alone this time. Only if you get through this challenge, even if you lose the case, it will still be a huge step forward for you!"

"You don’t need to worry about the client for now. I’ve looked at the cases, and at most, they’re looking at a few years of imprisonment, and all of them have dirty backgrounds. Going to jail is practically doing them a favor, so you shouldn’t feel any psychological burden!"

Those were Tie Ruyun’s exact words when he refused.

Although Zhang Wei had some doubts about the last point.

Because Lin Yumeng’s client, Ying Qingli, was likely wronged.

However, all this was irrelevant to the current trial. Zhang Wei had also reviewed Jin Mingming’s case, and his client was a rapist with a history of molestation.

As expected, at six o’clock in the afternoon, the accelerated trial concluded with a verdict.

"...After deliberation by the jury, the defendant is found guilty of forced indecency and sentenced to 25 months of fixed-term imprisonment, with no parole for 15 months!"

Hearing this outcome, Zhang Wei was not at all surprised.

Likewise, Tie Ruyun felt the same.

"The prosecution provided a lot of evidence; we almost had no chance of winning!"

Tie Ruyun analyzed and immediately went to comfort Jin Mingming.

Unfortunately, the latter was not at all grateful and looked very upset after losing the case.

He glanced at Zhang Wei and his group and left the courtroom visibly annoyed.

Zhang Wei didn’t care one bit about Jin Mingming’s attitude.

"Xiao Meng, do you feel any pressure?" He was naturally concerned about his own little apprentice.

"Master, I’m under so much pressure!" she said, looking frightened.

"Alright, then on Thursday, I’ll simulate it for you again, so come Friday morning’s trial, let’s make sure you know what’s going on!"

"Okay, thank you, Master!"

Seeing Zhang Wei decided to conduct another day of mock trial for her, Lin Yumeng was very moved.

The members of the criminal group returned to the law firm and each finished their workday.

Then, throughout Thursday, Zhang Wei helped Lin Yumeng with mock trials, asking many tricky questions and playing the role of the prosecutor in court to put pressure on her.

Lin Yumeng, although she appeared a bit simple-minded, was certainly not stupid; otherwise, she would not have graduated successfully from the Jinnan University Faculty of Law and joined Jincheng Law Firm.

The girl had a good attitude, was diligent and eager to learn. She took careful notes of Zhang Wei’s questions and even reviewed them after returning home.

Zhang Wei was very satisfied with his little apprentice’s effort and looked forward to Friday’s trial.

After work, Zhang Wei returned to Lin Mansion and immediately upon entering, he saw Zhao Xiaoxiao.

"Here, this is the background check you asked me to do!"

The girl, it turned out, was waiting for Zhang Wei.

"Thanks, my sweet daughter, you really are daddy’s little treasure!"

"Get lost!"

Seeing Zhang Wei trying to gain an advantage with his words, Zhao Xiaoxiao immediately snapped back.

"I’m not helping you for nothing, you know. Tonight I want to eat hot pot lamb, and this weekend you have to help me clean my room!"

"Alright, whatever my sweet daughter says, I’ll do!"

Zhang Wei chuckled, agreeing to her demands.

In the evening, he specifically went to the commercial street to buy a charcoal hotpot and personally cooked lamb for Zhao Xiaoxiao to eat.

The second daughter ate with satisfaction, and Zhang Wei was also pleased.

In the evening, in Zhang Wei’s room.

He began to review the documents provided by Zhao Xiaoxiao, which included records regarding Wang Tianmeng and his subordinates, Ge Qingxiong, and Ying Qingli, as well as that proponent witness.

The documents and records included their financial transactions, travel logs, and even the property information under the names of Wang Tianmeng’s relatives and friends.

Zhang Wei flipped through the documents repeatedly, scrutinizing them over and over, his brows gradually furrowing.

He opened his laptop and created a new folder, placing all the backup files within it, then used a spreadsheet to create a mind map for step-by-step analysis.

And so, the night passed.

...

Friday.

The court date for Ying Qingli’s case.

Early in the morning, Lin Yumeng arrived at the courthouse door, and like Li Yueqin, she was incredibly nervous.

"What should we do, what should we do? The master hasn’t arrived yet!"

"I’m still a bit scared, the opponent isn’t just the Procuratorate’s Office, but the Procuratorate Headquarters."

"I’ve heard that those from the Procuratorate Headquarters are the types who eat people without spitting out the bones. Am I going to be devoured?"

Luckily, Zhang Wei had not arrived; if he had heard Lin Yumeng’s constant worry, he would probably have not been able to resist retorting.

That group of "people-eaters," he had already defeated three times!

Tie Ruyun and Li Yueqin stood by, accompanying Lin Yumeng.

Lin Yumeng, you should take a deep breath, it helps relieve nervousness. And don’t feel too burdened; I’ve reviewed your case as well. The witness testimony is very detrimental to your client, almost conclusive evidence of guilt, so it won’t be surprising if you lose,"

"Yeah, you’re actually doing pretty well. Unless you’re that guy Zhang Wei, for a first-time court appearance, it’s already a success if you manage to ask a question!"

Tie Ruyun and Li Yueqin both made appropriate remarks to comfort her.

For them, it would be a success as long as Lin Yumeng could smoothly ask questions, stand her ground till the end of the trial, and not lose her nerve.

"Old Tie, Xiao Li, why don’t you two have more confidence in my apprentice?"

It was at this moment that Zhang Wei arrived.

He had heard Tie Ruyun’s and Li Yueqin’s "comforting" words from afar.

But to Zhang Wei’s ears, those words sounded particularly grating.

"Master, you’re here!"

Seeing Zhang Wei appear, Lin Yumeng felt as though she had found her pillar of strength and immediately bounded over.

"Calm down, apprentice. How could I, as your master, not come to see your trial!"

In fact, aside from Jin Mingming, the "outsider," and Tie Cuilan, who had to stay at the office, everyone from the criminal division had also arrived today.

"Xiao Meng, this is for you!"

Zhang Wei handed a stack of papers to Lin Yumeng!

"What’s this?"

"This is what you might need during the trial later on. There’s still time now, so hurry up and take a look!"

Zhang Wei urged her and sent Lin Yumeng to the preparation room.

As for Ying Qingli’s case, he was there to handle it.

Lin Yumeng, with a face full of nervousness, ran into the courthouse, while Zhang Wei chatted with Tie Ruyun and others at the door, waiting for their client to arrive.

However, after waiting for a moment, the client hadn’t arrived, but the prosecutor had.

Tan Yingying, as Xiao Baihe’s protégée and having a "bet" on the line, also arrived together.

"Zhang Wei, you’re quite early."

Seeing Zhang Wei, Xiao Baihe came over to greet him, though her tone was cold.

"You’re not too slow yourself. Haven’t seen our Prosecutor Xiao in a few days, and she’s become prettier!"

Upon seeing Xiao Baihe, Zhang Wei couldn’t resist teasing her.

"Get lost, never serious with your words, and today is a court day!"

"It’s not our case today anyway, aren’t both our seats on the observer bench?"

Facing Xiao Baihe’s questioning, Zhang Wei just shrugged, wearing a quirky expression.

This guy, his skin is truly thick!

To Xiao Baihe, warding off Zhang Wei’s shamelessness was proving to be a hopeless endeavor.

"Fine, we’ll see how your apprentice does. Ying Ying will definitely crush her. Just hope she won’t end up crying when the time comes!"

"Crying in their first trial, wasn’t that your little protégée?"

"You..."

Xiao Baihe was frustrated, and Tan Yingying by her side was speechless.

How did their verbal sparring turn to her?

"Hmmph, let’s wait and see!"

With no other recourse, Xiao Baihe could only leave a stern remark behind, then waved her hand, "Ying Ying, let’s go!"

Tan Yingying nodded to Zhang Wei and quickly followed Xiao Baihe, making a swift exit.

Watching Prosecutor Xiao Baihe escort Tan Yingying into the courthouse, Tie Ruyun and Li Yueqin approached.

"That person just now, that was Prosecutor Xiao Baihe from the Procuratorate Headquarters’ Major Crime Unit, right? She’s a top ace!"

After Tie Ruyun and the other person walked into the courthouse, he quickly asked a question.

"Yes, that’s Xiao Baihe. Old Tie, do you have any questions?"

"Why do you act as if you’re so familiar with her?"

"Of course, I’m familiar. I’ve dined and worked on cases with her. We’re teammates who have fought side by side!"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s explanation, Tie Ruyun’s lips twitched.

The way they just greeted each other didn’t look like that of good teammates, but more like sworn enemies.

However, he was more curious about how Zhang Wei got to know the ace from the Procuratorate Headquarters; they shouldn’t have crossed paths in court, right?

Even if they had, he’d never heard of a Procuratorate prosecutor becoming friends with a public prosecutor. Aren’t they supposed to make enemies in court cases most of the time?

"They’re finally here!"

It was at that moment that Zhang Wei saw the detention center’s escort vehicle arriving, and his client, Ying Qingli, was also there.

After nodding to Ying Qingli as a gesture, the group entered the city courthouse.

...

In the preparation room.

Everyone took their places.

"Before the trial begins, I need to ask you a few questions!"

"What questions?"

"They’re about your boss, Wang Tianmeng. Do you understand his business?"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s question, Ying Qingli paused, then shook his head.

"I don’t understand his business. I only know he would send those new guys out to do tasks, and it seems he was also expanding his network. But I didn’t have many chances to interact with those guys."

After explaining, he added, "I talked to Brother Meng about wanting to start a new life after my release from prison. He agreed not to involve me in his business, so I was just driving for him. I’m not familiar with his underlings. We would only nod and greet each other when we met."

"Okay, what about Ge Qingxiong? Do you know him?"

"Ge Qingxiong, didn’t he flee the country years ago? How do you know about him?"

"Would you be surprised if I said I’ve seen him around Wang Tianmeng?"

"Of course, I’m surprised, because I remember he had a murder case on his hands, and the Martial Association was still after him. He dared to come back?"

Zhang Wei observed the changes in Ying Qingli’s expression and carefully analyzed them. It seemed like Ying Qingli wasn’t lying.

So that meant Ying Qingli really didn’t know about Wang Tianmeng secretly arranging Ge Qingxiong’s return.

And as soon as Ying Qingli was detained, Ge Qingxiong boldly stayed by Wang Tianmeng’s side, which was also a very strange matter.

Wang Tianmeng’s disinterest and lack of care for his loyal driver was another puzzling point.

"Alright, I got it...!"

Zhang Wei nodded and, having no further instructions, ended the inquiry.

The time for the court session quickly approached.

The group left the preparation room and entered the small courtroom.

As soon as Zhang Wei entered the courtroom, he scanned the spectators’ seats and quickly spotted Prosecutor Xiao Baihe.

However, his gaze swept around the seats and quickly fixed on a young man with dyed red hair.

"That person, he must be one of Wang Tianmeng’s subordinates, right? I seem to have seen him before!"

When he went to meet Wang Tianmeng, that young man had made disrespectful comments toward Lin Yumeng; Zhang Wei remembered it clearly.

Moreover, the man’s bright red hair stood out boldly among the spectators, making him instantly recognizable.

Recording this in his mind, Zhang Wei decisively walked to the front row of the spectators’ seats and sat next to Prosecutor Xiao Baihe.

"Scumbag, keep your distance from me!" Prosecutor Xiao Baihe huffed when she saw Zhang Wei sit down, expressing her discontent.

"Prosecutor Xiao, we have a bet, remember? I’m afraid you’ll backtrack after the trial, so I’m here to keep an eye on you!"

"Hmph, I’m not like you, a scumbag full of lies!"

"How am I a scumbag?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, feeling wronged.

I’m such an honest and reliable person, a rarity these days, and you still misunderstand me.

However, he immediately changed the subject, "Prosecutor Xiao, you remember our deal before, right?"

"What, feeling you can’t win and want us to drop the case?"

"No, I think we need to discuss the terms of the deal again. This case is very complicated, it even involves investigation by the Major Case Unit..."

"Not interested!"

Prosecutor Xiao Baihe cut off Zhang Wei’s explanation and even looked down on him in her heart.

So you have no other way out, resorting to bringing up the Major Case Unit? Are you going to call Xia Qianyue over to help you lie later?

"Really, I can ask Xia Hanhan to explain it to you in person!"

"Hmph, get lost. Go stand elsewhere and don’t disturb me during the trial!"

Prosecutor Xiao Baihe thought to herself, I knew it, who else but that simple-minded girl would you call upon because she’s easily deceived?

Prosecutor Xiao Baihe had already pegged Zhang Wei as an unscrupulous lawyer who would even use a fool to his advantage, so she wouldn’t believe another word he said!

Seeing Xiao Baihe adopting an "I’m not listening, I’m not listening" posture, Zhang Wei had no other choice but to extinguish the thought of continuing to disturb her.

Their gazes both shifted toward the courtroom, where the trial finally began.

"All rise, please welcome..."

The judge entered the scene, with both the prosecution and defense taking their places.

For the prosecution, Tan Yingying; for the defense, Lin Yumeng; the defendant, Ying Qingli.

"The prosecution may now present its case!"

Following the judge’s announcement, Tan Yingying summoned the first witness to the stand.

And this first witness was the victim of the armed robbery.

"May I ask the witness, what happened to you in the underground parking garage near Chengnan District on Monday evening?"

"I was robbed by someone!"

The witness said, their gaze turning to the defendant’s seat.

"Do you recognize that person?"

"I didn’t recognize him, but I see him now."

"Could you please identify who it is?"

The witness nodded and pointed at Ying Qingli in the defense’s seat.

"Thank you for your testimony. Please have the court clerk record it accurately - the witness has identified the defendant, Ying Qingli, as the armed robber!" Tan Yingying said this, nodding in thanks.

"Witness, could you now tell everyone what happened that day!"

"Alright, that day, I had just parked my car in the underground garage, and before I could react, I was being held up. Actually, I don’t know where he came from; he just burst out and pressed a knife against my throat, he..."

The witness spoke, all the while glancing at Ying Qingli, a look of fear in their expression.

The jurors also saw this scene, looking at Ying Qingli with eyes of suspicion.

This suspect was probably the real deal!

The case presentation continued for five or six minutes, during which the witness drank water several times to ease their nerves.

"Thank you for your statement, we have no further questions!"

Tan Yingying took a deep breath and, suppressing her nerves, walked back to the prosecutor’s bench.

Next, it was Lin Yumeng’s time to question.

She looked around; seeing the judge look at her, she realized it was her turn to stand.

Lin Yumeng had just stepped out from the defense’s seat when she suddenly seemed to remember something, quickly returned, and picked up a piece of paper from the table.

"Err, witness, may I ask why you went to the parking garage that day?"

"Huh?"

The witness seemed baffled by the question.

Yet Lin Yumeng, looking at the piece of paper, continued, "Please tell us why you went to that underground parking garage. We have investigated your background and found that you are a freight driver. The freight company that employs you is over 10 kilometers away from the parking garage. Your company’s main business is in other places, isn’t it? You shouldn’t have any business in the city, right?"

"Objection, this question is irrelevant to the case at hand!!"

Tan Yingying immediately stood up in protest.

Lin Yumeng, startled, was momentarily stunned, but remembering Zhang Wei’s reminder, she quickly regained her composure.

She opened the piece of paper, quoting it, "Ah, err, my master said..."

Quickly realizing something was amiss, she hurriedly corrected herself, "Oh, wrong, I meant to say..."

"I believe this question is of significant relevance to the case because theoretically, the defendant would not be present at the crime scene. Therefore, the defense is curious why he would deviate from his usual patterns and go to a place he had never been before, and then coincidentally encounter a robbery?"

"This..."

This question seemed to catch even the judge on the bench by surprise.

Although what this young lady said was somewhat strange, upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.

"The prosecution’s objection is overruled; the court is also curious about this matter. Witness, please answer!"

Since the judge had spoken, Tan Yingying could do nothing but sit down, resigned.

Seeing the judge looking at him, the witness had no choice but to answer:

"Someone called me and told me to go there!"

Lin Yumeng quickly flipped over the note and pressed on, "Do you know who that person was?"

"I don’t know!"

"You don’t recognize the caller?"

"I don’t!"

Lin Yumeng turned another page of the note.

"So, a stranger calls you out of the blue, tells you to go to an unfamiliar place without stating the reason, and you just went without any suspicion?"

Feeling the pressure, the witness quickly swallowed and nodded, "Yes!"

At this, even the judge furrowed their brows.

This answer seemed somewhat unreasonable!

Similarly, Xiao Baihe in the witness stand also furrowed her brows.

For the first time, she felt that the witness might be hiding something.