Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 120 - 119 What Animal Do You Like?

Chapter 120: Chapter 119 What Animal Do You Like?

Dongfang Capital, City Court.

In the courthouse parking lot, someone struggled to find a parking space.

Tie Ruyun hurriedly got out of the car, carrying a briefcase, and rushed towards the courtroom.

"If I had known, I wouldn’t have driven here, why is it so congested!"

Although he had a deep understanding of the traffic in Dongfang Capital,

he hadn’t expected that a journey of just over ten minutes would be delayed this long.

By the time Tie Ruyun found the trial venue and made his way to the observer’s seat, the pretrial had already begun.

Fortunately, Bai Ruoyun had saved him a seat, and luckily today was just a pretrial, not the actual trial date, so the courtroom wasn’t filled to capacity yet.

Once Tie Ruyun sat down, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Manager Bai, what’s the situation now?"

He asked in a hurry.

"The pretrial has just started, both the prosecution and defense have declared their trial positions, and the juror candidates have entered the room. Next, Xiao Zhang should be going up to question and select the jurors, right?"

Although Bai Ruoyun usually dealt with juvenile courts, she was well aware of the criminal court procedures.

Zhang Wei was just getting ready to go up and ask the questions.

"Oh, that’s good, I haven’t arrived too late..."

Tie Ruyun patted his chest, took out a thermos from his briefcase, and prepared to drink some water.

Having hurried, he was actually quite thirsty.

While Tie Ruyun was drinking water, Zhang Wei began to question.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, hello, I am the defense attorney representing the defendant Zhuo Xiaoting. Now, I need to ask you all a question, and I hope you can answer me honestly."

"Ahem, I would like to ask whether any of you have watched some ’paid content’ during your teenage years or even after becoming adults, some stuff that might easily be censored?"

Splutter—

From the observer’s seat, Tie Ruyun predictably spat out his water.

"Ahem, what kind of question is this kid asking? Is that something you can ask during a pretrial?"

On the bench, Judge Wang was taking notes with his head down, but when he heard Zhang Wei’s question, he instinctively raised his head.

He looked left and right to make sure no one was watching him before turning his gaze toward the jurors’ seats.

He saw Zhang Wei, after posing the question, smiling at the jury.

The jurors looked at each other, some of the older male jurors starting to avert their eyes as well.

This question was truly embarrassing to answer~

Zhang Wei approached a female juror and asked with a smile, "Sister, why do you have such a stern face upon hearing my question?"

"Hmph, your question is too vulgar!" the female juror responded with disdain.

"Oh, vulgar?"

Zhang Wei picked up the juror application form and quickly found the woman’s information.

"High school language teacher, homeroom teacher, candidate for excellent homeroom teacher for three years..."

Quickly scanning the information, Zhang Wei understood.

"Judge Wang, the defense thanks the witness for her answer and requests her to leave the seat, please!"

Judge Wang nodded, gestured to the witness with his eyes, and the witness stood up and left her seat.

Afterward, Zhang Wei’s gaze swept over the remaining jurors.

Seeing his look, most of the male jurors shifted their eyes away, not daring to make eye contact with Zhang Wei.

Several female jurors, with anger and embarrassment on their faces, also had similar reactions.

"Let’s not dwell on the previous question. I’m about to ask the second one, please listen carefully!"

Hearing Zhang Wei say this, the jurors breathed a sigh of relief.

They were afraid Zhang Wei would point to them, and they would be forced to answer the question about whether they had watched any censored content - how awkward would that be?

Meanwhile, in the observer’s seats.

Some people were perplexed by Zhang Wei’s approach.

"That’s strange, Xiao Zhang’s questioning was going well, why didn’t he continue?"

Bai Ruoyun looked at Zhang Wei but consulted with Tie Ruyun beside her.

She had also realized that Zhang Wei’s first question was indeed very purposeful and targeted, not only eliminating a conservative juror but also gauging the other jurors’ tolerance for obscene material.

If it were her, she would certainly have continued pressing the issue, aiming to dismiss all jurors with relatively conservative mindsets.

"Perhaps this kid has his own plans; after all, the defense only has six opportunities to dismiss jurors, and he doesn’t plan to rely on just one question to screen jurors,"

Tie Ruyun explained, but he also found it a bit hard to believe.

He and Bai Ruoyun shared the same thought: this question was very targeted and could have been used to screen several jurors.

Yet, he only dismissed one, which is simply...

...cutting off his own escape route!

It wasn’t just them who thought this way; Zhao Chunming and others on the other side were of the same opinion.

"The first court questioning by Zhang Wei was not unexpected. The conviction in this trial is for the crime of profiting from the distribution of obscene materials. Offering jurors a bribe is a tactic many defense lawyers use, but this kid only dismissed one juror—a bit of a waste of an excellent opportunity!"

"Yes, if it were me, I’d have screened out at least three or four jurors! It seems this kid has run out of tricks!"

Zhao Chunming and Guo Wufeng were also whispering and discussing in low voices.

Even Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying from the prosecution felt the same way.

"Why is today’s questioning so normal?"

Xiao Baihe looked at the person asking the questions and felt something was off.

In the past hearings where she had been an observer, Zhang Wei’s questions were always wild and creative—why did today’s lack imagination?

"Sister Baihe, I think it’s quite normal?"

Tan Yingying replied softly.

"Normal is the problem!" Xiao Baihe frowned.

She thought to herself, could it be that today Zhang Wei felt the need to be more conservative? But if you really wanted to be cautious, you could have screened out more jurors with that question you just asked.

Why dismiss only one juror? What kind of plan is that?

In any case, the professionals in the courtroom all started to speculate what Zhang Wei’s actual intention was.

"Looking at the expressions on these people’s faces, I know what they’re guessing. They really think I plan to screen jurors with just the first question?"

"I wasn’t even planning to screen jurors with that first question. It was just that the expression of that woman was so serious that it would have been embarrassing not to dismiss her,"

"Actually, I just intended to inject a thought into the jury with the first question. Since everyone has been exposed to ’404 content’ before, they would naturally understand my client—that’s all there is to it."

At that moment, Zhang Wei scanned the entire courtroom, his inner thoughts jabbering away.

If these people could see through my thoughts, wouldn’t that mean I’ve regressed in my acumen?

The real questioning starts now!

"Ahem, jurors, please listen to the second question. Have you all watched the show "Animal World"?"

The jurors looked at each other, some nodding unconsciously.

This show, a documentary column about animals, had been broadcast on many educational channels.

Many had watched it as children, including members of the jury.

"Well then, since everyone has seen it to some extent, I would like to ask what animals you like. Do you prefer the wolf that excels in teamwork, the highly sociable meerkat, or perhaps the king of the prairie—the lion, the jungle’s overlord—the tiger, or the ancestor of primates—the monkey?"

Zhang Wei immediately threw out a string of questions, causing more confusion.

"Ah, this..."

At the audience seats, Tie Ruyun was indeed confused.

Clever boy, it’s a preliminary hearing and you’re actually discussing "Animal World" with the jurors—what is your purpose?

Do you not want to win the case?

Bai Ruoyun was also perplexed. This topic might come up in a juvenile court, but certainly not in criminal court.

Talking about animals was something they’d initiate when trying to converse with juvenile clients, who can be difficult to find common topics with.

But now you’re facing adults, and they’re jurors at that—do you think this is appropriate?

"Director Bai, I’ve attended Zhang Wei’s court sessions before, but this is my first time seeing him select jurors, and I had no idea he would squander the opportunity like this!"

Tie Ruyun hurriedly explained, not wanting to upset Bai Ruoyun or have the blame fall on him, which would be a situation he couldn’t cope with.

Over on the other side, the faces of those from the Procuratorate Headquarters began to look strange.

"I knew it!"

Zhao Chunming thought to himself with a furrowed brow.

He wasn’t wrong; Zhang Wei had posed yet another question with an unclear objective.

Even he couldn’t understand why this kid’s questions always stumped them.

He wasn’t even in the mood to discuss with Guo Wufeng at his side, who certainly looked just as bewildered.

Indeed, he was not wrong—after Zhang Wei’s question, Guo Wufeng indeed was bewildered.

This kid must be joking—does he really think a court hearing is a place for chit-chat, talking about animals?

"Why aren’t you discussing what you ate today or where you plan to go on holiday?"

On the prosecution’s side, there was also a look of utter confusion.

"Ying Ying, did you guys guess any intentions behind his question?"

"Sister Baihe, if you can’t guess, why would you expect me to be able to?"

Faced with Xiao Baihe’s question, Tan Yingying just gave up.

Xiao Baihe felt helpless inside, as there was nothing she could do if Tan Yingying wasn’t willing to exert herself.

Nevertheless, she was still pondering what intention could be behind discussing animals.

"Hehe, you guys can’t guess this time, can you?"

Zhang Wei once again took in everyone’s expressions, this was his true question.

"Sir, what animal do you like? From those I mentioned just now, is there one you like?"

"Yeah, I love lions, the king of beasts, the lord of the savannah!"

Hearing this man’s response, Zhang Wei smiled slightly, "But did you know that actually, male lions generally do not hunt, it’s the lionesses that find food for the males."

"This, I really didn’t know..."

Seeing the man sit down with a complicated expression, Zhang Wei didn’t give him a chance.

"Judge Wang, the defense thanks this juror for his answer and requests that he be dismissed from the panel!"

After that, the questioning continued.

"Ma’am, I noticed you’re wearing a wedding ring, but I’d still like to ask the same question, what animal do you like?"

"Of course, I love meerkats. Their social structure within their groups is really good. I’ve watched several episodes about meerkats with my children."

"Hmm, thank you for your answer!"

Zhang Wei smiled and nodded, then turned to the judge.

"Judge Wang, the defense accepts this juror."

Next, Zhang Wei moved on to the remaining jurors.

"I love tigers, they are strong enough!"

"I love wolf packs, the wolf culture has always been the style of my company!"

"I love whales, they are big, strong, and also aesthetically pleasing!"

"I love..."

As Zhang Wei asked his questions, the jurors also answered quickly, as this question did not involve sensitive content and there was nothing to hide, so they all responded eagerly.

Based on the answers, Zhang Wei dismissed some jurors who liked lions, tigers, and other animals.

The jurors he dismissed mostly liked solitary animals, and he chose to keep those who preferred social animals.

"Alright, the jury panel is confirmed, let’s see the time..."

Judge Wang flipped to the schedule, then banged the gavel to declare, "Today is Wednesday, the trial is tentatively set for Friday!"

The pre-trial ended, and the court adjourned.

As the courtroom disbanded, Zhang Wei also returned to the defense bench.

"Master, your questioning just now, why was it all about the animal world?"

"Little apprentice, you’re not at the level to understand these issues yet. But do you really want to know?"

Zhang Wei brushed off the question, but seeing Lin Yumeng staring at him eagerly, he quickly changed his tune.

"Yes, yes..."

"Alright then, actually..."

Zhang Wei beckoned with his finger, explaining to Lin Yumeng and Li Yueqin, who was also leaning in: "Those who like social animals indicate that jurors place more emphasis on family, while those who like loners tend to be more self-centered. Do you still remember my trial strategy?"

After giving it some thought, Lin Yumeng responded, "Oh, I remember, it’s about family."

"Exactly, that’s right."

Zhang Wei spread his hands, that was the reason for his questioning.

"Zhang Wei!"

As Zhang Wei finished explaining, Xiao Baihe from the prosecution side approached.

"I won’t go easy on you in the trial on Friday!"

"That’s great, I haven’t crossed swords with the Procuratorate Headquarters for a long time, and my opponent is the ace prosecutor, Simple-minded’s good friend, I couldn’t ask for more!"

"Hmph, you’re only cocky now. Let’s see how you cry after our statement at the trial on Friday!"

Xiao Baihe huffed and left the scene with Tan Yingying.

"Let’s go too!"

Zhang Wei signaled his apprentice to take Zhuo Xiaoting with them and meet up with Bai Ruoyun and Tie Ruyun.

The court session was on Friday, which could be said to be a very unfavorable arrangement; they would have to carefully discuss their strategy soon.

...

Jincheng Law Firm.

Criminal Division Office.

Zhang Wei began assigning tasks.

"Xiao Meng, you and Xiao Li go get the public evidence and have it all posted on the noticeboard by tomorrow."

"Okay, Master!"

Li Yueqin and Lin Yumeng, upon receiving their orders, hurried to the Martial Association Investigation Department.

Zhang Wei then walked over to the noticeboard and began writing.

"This case has no so-called time of crime and no truth hidden behind the appearances, so there’s no need to investigate the scene."

"The stolen goods and illicit money were all collected on the scene, and I won’t doubt the Investigation Department’s search efforts. Hence, we can only respond to each move according to the existing clues."

As he spoke, he picked up the witness list that was already posted on the noticeboard and scrutinized it.

"The one in charge of this search operation was Captain Liu of the Major Crime Unit 3!"

Seeing the first witness, Zhang Wei frowned, "I remember he’s that He Zong’s direct superior, but I also remember He Zong has already been transferred out."

"Old Tie, you’re also a veteran here in our criminal division. How much do you know about Captain Liu?"

"Now you remember I’m a veteran, huh?"

When Zhang Wei turned to him, Tie Ruyun replied in annoyance but still answered honestly:

"Captain Liu is formidable. He has abundant experience, is calm and composed, and does not lose patience over trivial matters—you won’t easily find an opportunity to take advantage of him!"

"With such a veteran officer who seemingly has no weaknesses, have you thought of any questions to ask him?"

Tie Ruyun said this and looked at Zhang Wei.

Honestly, he had seen this young man’s cross-examinations and closing arguments, and had to admit they were both very impressive.

But the level of that court hearing and today’s could not be compared. What was that hearing? Defending an exhibitionist—there could hardly be any intellectual substance to that.

And the person you’re going to cross-examine this time is an officer with over thirty years of criminal investigation experience. The opponent’s questioning skills might even exceed yours.

Zhang Wei thought for a moment, "I plan to start with some gentle questions, to probe his foundation first?"

"Gentle questions?" Tie Ruyun was somewhat puzzled.

"Although I know that cross-examining a well-regarded officer could leave a bad impression on the jury, if you only ask basic questions, it won’t be enough to gain sufficient support for our client, let alone achieve an acquittal!"

"Old Tie, I’m asking gentle questions only to probe the other side. If Captain Liu truly has no weakness and is unassailable, then naturally I won’t ask more. But if he does have a weakness, then don’t blame me!"

"What are you planning to do?"

"What else can I do during a court examination? If I find a weakness in the opposing side’s witness, then naturally I will..."

Zhang Wei paused, then changed his tone: "...grill him mercilessly!"

"Come off it. Don’t get yourself in trouble. Captain Liu has over thirty years of experience; do you really think he can’t handle you, a youngster?"

"Old Tie, you have so little confidence in me? You think I can’t handle a veteran officer in court?"

"Yes, you can’t."

Tie Ruyun was quite blunt and not optimistic about Zhang Wei’s chances.

"Sigh, and to think you’re my boss. It seems our camaraderie has come to an end..."

"You rascal, since when have you ever considered me your boss?"

These words from Zhang Wei left Tie Ruyun both annoyed and amused; this youngster always overstepped his bounds, where was his authority as a leader?

"Master, we’re back~"

At the office door, Lin Yumeng and Li Yueqin had returned.

"So soon?"

Zhang Wei was slightly surprised; their trip was quicker than expected.

"No, it’s because the Procuratorate Headquarters sent over all these public evidence documents. Prosecutor Tan Yingying at the door also reminded us that all these documents should be handed over to you, Master!"

"Tan Yingying sent these files, so it seems to be Xiao Baihe’s intention."

Hearing his apprentices say this, Zhang Wei seemed to realize something.

Tan Yingying definitely wouldn’t dare to meet me, so her coming to Jincheng must have been under Xiao Baihe’s orders.

What exactly is Xiao Baihe thinking about this case?