Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 132 - 131: Cao Mu Died? Who Bears the Responsibility (3rd Update)

Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Cao Mu Died? Who Bears the Responsibility (3rd Update)

It was nearing the end of the workday when Zhang Wei finally returned to the law firm.

Since Tie Ruyun had already received a WeChat message, he didn’t ask much about Zhang Wei’s whereabouts.

"Did the judge issue the restraining order?"

"No."

"Did the ex-husband go to our client’s house last night?"

"Not only did he go, but he also pulled a knife. Fortunately, no one was injured!"

Although Zhang Wei said this, he still felt uncomfortable inside.

The judge was adamant about not issuing the restraining order and there was nothing Lawyer Zhang could do about it.

Yang Huihui applied for a restraining order for fear that her ex-husband would harm her, but without her having been injured, the judge couldn’t sign the restraining order.

This put them in a vicious cycle, with no solution in sight.

"How have you two been these days? Is the legal aid society doing alright?"

Zhang Wei had left the previous afternoon, and he was busy with Yang Huihui’s affairs all day Thursday, so for two days Old Tie, the junior apprentice Li Yueqin, and the three of them manned the reception.

With Tian Bin possibly sabotaging from within, the workload of the criminal division must not have been easy.

"We’re doing okay~" the junior apprentice Lin Yumeng’s eyes flickered, but she signaled for Zhang Wei to be at ease.

"Haha, have you forgotten that I have the ability to see through the lies of the accused?"

Zhang Wei joked, immediately silencing Lin Yumeng.

Li Yueqin and Tie Ruyun also stiffened, seemingly caught out by Zhang Wei’s guess.

"Did Tian Bin give you guys more tasks?"

"Master, Tian Bin is awful. Not only does he make us help the civil division, but he also orders us around, even making the team leader do tasks like driving people. It’s too bullying!"

Lin Yumeng finally decided not to hold back and spilled all about Tian Bin oppressing their criminal division.

Ever since Zhang Wei had outsmarted Tian Bin, he held a grudge and looked for opportunities for revenge.

On the day Zhang Wei accepted Yang Huihui’s commission, he could feel Tian Bin’s retaliation starting.

That day, many people came to the criminal division’s reception. Actually, the criminal division was quite busy.

But the most outrageous was today; Tian Bin, assuming the role of person-in-charge, was directing the criminal division’s work.

As for the tasks, naturally, they were varied and left them exhausted.

"I remember participating in the Public Welfare Association was not originally our criminal division’s responsibility, right?"

"But these are all arrangements made by leadership, right?"

"But if we have cases to handle, we can’t neglect our clients’ interests because of public welfare activities, can we?"

"Cases?"

Tie Ruyun and the others exchanged looks.

"You mean, you want to..."

"Correct, we can schedule the cases against the insurance company and the cigar company!"

"But both cases are tricky. Are you sure you want to handle both at once?"

"No need, one by one. Let’s start with the insurance company. Tomorrow, go and meet with the insurance company’s representative to see what’s going on with the case," Zhang Wei said as he glanced at Tie Ruyun, Li Yueqin, and Lin Yumeng.

"Li Yueqin, you will temporarily be the lead on this case. I’ll have the junior apprentice assist you, and Old Tie will be responsible for driving, so all three of you will have tasks and won’t need to participate in any legal aid activities!"

"Hey, hey, hey, Zhang Wei, I’m a leader, and you’re assigning me to just driving?"

Upon hearing Tie Ruyun’s protest, Zhang Wei just smiled slightly.

"Let me ask you three, who among you has handled medical or insurance disputes before?"

"Uh..."

Li Yueqin and Lin Yumeng glanced at each other, and Old Tie fell silent as well.

None of them had ever handled cases like that, not even having much chance to come into contact with them.

"So, you see, it doesn’t really matter who takes it on. In the end, won’t I have to step in?"

"But didn’t you also just graduate? Are you experienced in dealing with insurance disputes?"

"Actually, I know a little bit about everything..."

Though Zhang Wei said this somewhat modestly, in Tie Ruyun’s eyes, there was nothing modest about his attitude.

"In a nutshell, we’ve set our task - after Sister Cuilan checks the attendance later, we’ll all have our duties. If Tian Bin comes looking for you tomorrow, just slap the company rules and regulations in his face!"

"Yeah, yeah, Master’s right. Once we take on a case, we won’t have to do the grunt work anymore!"

Of course, Lin Yumeng was the happiest to hear that she wouldn’t have to participate in the legal aid society or do grunt work.

Soon, it was time to get off work.

Everyone dispersed.

...

That night.

o’clock sharp.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...

Zhang Wei had just fallen asleep when the ringing of the phone woke him up.

The caller was Xia Qianyue, which surprised Zhang Wei.

"Hello, Simple-minded, what’s going on?"

"Zhang Wei, something big has happened, don’t sleep, get up quickly..."

On the other end of the phone, Xia Qianyue’s anxious voice came through.

As the other party explained the situation, Zhang Wei’s face became incredibly astonished.

"Cao Mu... is dead, and the killer is his son?"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wei’s expression was exceptionally vivid.

It turned out that last night, Cao Mu had gone to Yang Huihui’s apartment again, and the person Zhang Wei had asked Xia Qianyue to arrange had only just been put in place.

Whatever happened inside the apartment was unclear to the field agents, but by the time the agent arrived at the scene, Cao Mu was already breathless.

Apart from Cao Mu, there were only his ex-wife Yang Huihui and his son at the scene, the ex-wife was panic-stricken, but the son was holding the crossbow that Cao Mu used for hunting.

The killer of Cao Mu was indeed the bolt shot from the crossbow in his son’s hand.

And thus, Cao Mu’s life came to an end...

Chengnan District, Yang Huihui’s apartment.

When Zhang Wei arrived, it was already the early hours of Friday.

The apartment, at that moment, had already been sealed off by the Martial Association.

Since it was a murder case, it even alarmed the major crime unit.

There, at the entrance of the apartment, Zhang Wei saw Old Xing, who was yawning.

"Excuse me, I’m Yang Huihui’s lawyer!"

Although he didn’t have a practicing certificate, Zhang Wei decided it was time to show his face.

"Old Xing, it’s me, Zhang Wei. Is Simple-minded inside?"

"Wow, what brings you here, kid? That woman inside is your client?"

Old Xing knew that Zhang Wei had joined a law firm, but Zhang Wei likely hadn’t received his practicing certificate yet.

"Let him in, he’s the attorney for the client."

Zhang Wei was one of their own, after all, so Old Xing gestured and the field agent blocking Zhang Wei let him through.

"Xia Xia is inside, checking the scene with the captain. But honestly, there isn’t much to investigate in this case — the killer and the weapon are both in the house. I can only say that this case is an accident. Who could have imagined that a father would be sent off by his own son?"

"Yeah, an accident!"

As Zhang Wei said the words "an accident," his face looked very unpleasant.

Because this tragedy was entirely avoidable.

He entered the apartment and quickly saw the body on the ground - Cao Mu.

"Mo Yuzhu, you’re here too?"

The one responsible for examining the body was Xia Qianyue’s good friend, Mo Yuzhu.

"Hehe, everyone in the office had gone home, and I was the only one on duty. I sadly got called out by the major crime unit."

Mo Yuzhu did not turn around but muttered in a grumbling tone, "I think this is workplace exploitation. Why does an intern have to be on duty longer than their permanent staff? I was looking forward to going home and watching dramas!"

"You better not stay up late; any more and you’ll really turn into a national treasure!"

Looking at Mo Yuzhu’s messy black hair, the dark circles under her eyes, and her utterly pale complexion.

Zhang Wei was genuinely worried that one day, this woman might lie down at her desk and be processed as a corpse by her colleagues.

"Zhang Wei, you’re here!" On the other side, Xia Qianyue also saw Zhang Wei and hurriedly called out to him.

She was comforting Yang Huihui when Zhang Wei naturally hurried over as well.

"Lawyer Zhang, you’ve finally arrived. What will happen to my son?"

As soon as Zhang Wei arrived, Yang Huihui became agitated and hastily inquired about her son.

"Simple-minded person, where’s Xiaoxiao?"

Xiaoxiao was naturally Cao Mu’s son, whose full name was Cao Xiaoxiao.

"The murderer is being questioned by the captain right now, he’s in the room!" Xia Qianyue pointed to the room.

Zhang Wei looked at Yang Huihui with a helpless expression, "This is difficult, my client is you, not your son, and in the current situation, I think it’s clear to everyone."

"Simple-minded person, may I have a few words alone with my client?"

Xia Qianyue opened her mouth but ultimately stepped back.

"Ms. Yang, listen, you and your son will be taken to the Martial Association Headquarters. Before I arrive, don’t say anything, even if someone asks if you want water, don’t answer. Do you understand?"

"Also, it’s really late today. If you and your son can rest after getting to the Martial Association Headquarters, then get a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, neither you nor your son will be in any condition to answer questions. I will explain the situation to Captain Wu as well."

"Lastly, I want to tell you that your son is not the murderer. He most likely acted only to protect you, but I need to listen to your son’s explanation before I can make any judgments."

Zhang Wei held Yang Huihui’s hand with a solemn face.

"Now, go to your son. Although the Martial Association’s work is routine questioning, you also have the right to refuse to answer questions until tomorrow when you’re in a better mental state, and we will take care of this matter."

Yang Huihui nodded her head and hurriedly went to find her son in the room.

Zhang Wei then went to Cao Mu’s body and inquired about Mo Yuzhu’s situation.

"A sword through the throat, the crossbow bolt shot through the throat. Blood blocked the airway, leading to suffocation and death."

When Mo Yuzhu entered her work mode, she became like a machine, speaking without any hint of emotion.

"Make way, make way, I am the lawyer of the deceased Cao Mu!"

Suddenly, another person arrived at the door.

Zhang Wei was familiar with this person, as it was none other than the lawyer who had faced off against him in court today, the representative lawyer of the deceased Cao Mu.

When he produced his practice certificate and was allowed on the scene, he saw the body of Cao Mu and Zhang Wei standing beside him.

"This could have been avoided. Why didn’t you tell the judge about the mental state of your client?" Zhang Wei asked coldly.

"I..."

"Now that the tragedy has occurred, there’s no point in us staying here!"

Zhang Wei, regardless of the other person, said a word to Xia Qianyue at the door and left the apartment alone.

"Lawyer Zhang, wait a moment!"

When Zhang Wei got downstairs, he found that the other lawyer had also followed him out.

"Lawyer Zhang, it’s late. How about we find a place for a drink?"

Hearing the proposal, Zhang Wei didn’t object.

However, upon reaching a nearby bar, Zhang Wei only ordered a glass of orange juice, to the other man’s surprise.

What kind of lawyer goes to a bar and doesn’t drink? Aren’t you under a lot of work pressure?

"What should I call you?"

"My last name is Yang!"

"Lawyer Yang, you should be aware of the situation by now. I won’t claim to have no responsibility, but I believe the greatest responsibility lies with you. You concealed Cao Mu’s mental state from the court. As I said at the beginning, he was a danger!"

"Lawyer Zhang is right. I do think I made a mistake, and I bear a significant responsibility for my client’s death!" Lawyer Yang took a sip of his drink and exhaled deeply with a look of dejection.

"I’ve reflected on this, and if I hadn’t objected, maybe after the restraining order was issued, he wouldn’t have been able to get close to Yang Huihui, and today’s incident wouldn’t have happened."

"You can’t guarantee that. In my view, even with a restraining order, you should be aware of Cao Mu’s character. Was he the kind of person to consider a restraining order?"

"This..."

Lawyer Yang took another sip of his drink, unable to guarantee that point.

"Now what we need to consider is not a person who is dead, but those who are still alive!"

Zhang Wei said, gesturing towards the apartment building outside the bar.

"Now, we should care about Cao Xiaoxiao, and Yang Huihui, the deceased’s ex-wife. Aren’t they the ones we should be concerned about?"

"The prosecution may charge Cao Xiaoxiao with manslaughter. Then I will defend him on the grounds of self-defense, and Cao Xiaoxiao might be sent to a juvenile detention center."

"If the procuratorate works efficiently, they might ask you about Cao Mu’s temperament and other matters tomorrow..."

Zhang Wei couldn’t continue his words. Although the case had not been filed yet, Zhang Wei could meet with Lawyer Yang.

But once the prosecution filed the case, Lawyer Yang would become a witness for the prosecution, making it impossible for him as the defense attorney to meet with the other side in private.

"Honestly, I support self-defense because I know Cao Mu’s temper. He may appear obsequious when doing sales outside, but deep down, he is an extremist,"

"Lawyer Zhang, you might not know why Cao Mu and Yang Huihui got divorced, do you?"

Upon hearing Lawyer Yang say this, Zhang Wei harbored doubts.

"Oh, from what you’re implying, Cao Mu didn’t become mentally unstable because of the divorce?"

"No, he has shown similar symptoms for several years. Once, he even beat up a customer because the customer wanted to return a product. In the end, I had to step in to smooth things over."

"I see. You just tell the prosecutor the truth when the time comes."

"Yes, I definitely will. This whole matter is my fault, I bear great responsibility!"

Finally, Lawyer Yang drained the glass of wine in one gulp.

Zhang Wei then patted his shoulder and left.

...

Friday morning.

Martial Association Headquarters, Serious Crimes Interrogation Room.

Zhang Wei and Yang Huihui met again.

"He came again in the evening, and he said that no matter what the court says, nothing could stop him!"

"After he entered the room, he started smashing things... I was panicked, really scared..."

"And then, I saw his neck, there was a spray of blood... like it burst open, blood splattering everywhere... and then I turned around, and I saw my son, it was him... it was Xiaozhen, he used that crossbow... wuu wuu wuu..."

Yang Huihui sobbed, breaking down in tears by the end.

Having not slept well the entire night, she was still not emotionally stable, something Zhang Wei naturally noticed.

"Ms. Yang, listen to me!"

Zhang Wei hurriedly comforted her, then pointed outside, "Listen, your son is sleeping right now, but I am clear about the situation. My defense argument is self-defense!"

"Now, I want to clarify something, did your ex-husband Cao Mu ever say he wanted to kill you?"

"I can’t remember clearly, but I remember that as soon as he entered, he started yelling and cursing a lot, I..."

"Ms. Yang, listen carefully to what I’m saying, pay attention to every word,"

Zhang Wei stood up from his seat across from her, walked to her front, and slowly spoke in a measured tone, "Although I didn’t witness what happened at the scene of the incident, I will tell you what might happen next."

"If your son is charged with murder, then he’s in trouble!"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Yang Huihui became agitated, "My son is only ten years old, how can they charge him with murder!"

"Ms. Yang, listen to me, please don’t get agitated for now!"

Zhang Wei hurriedly consoled her, calming her emotions with his steady words.

Once Yang Huihui calmed down again, he continued, "If your son’s actions were in self-defense, then he will be fine. If he was defending someone else, like protecting you, his mother, then he will also be fine."

"But you need to understand, whether it’s defending himself or others, the premise is that your son believed that your ex-husband Cao Mu would harm you, harm himself, harm any one of you!"

"As I said before, I didn’t witness what happened at the scene, so I need to ask you, what exactly did Cao Mu say after entering the apartment?"

"Because only you and your son heard his words, and your son, being so young, can’t fully remember the situation at the time, making you, the only surviving adult at the scene, the witness responsible for the statement of events, do you understand?"

"Now, can you understand the importance of this matter, can you remember clearly any threats your ex-husband Cao Mu said to you?"

Seeing Zhang Wei’s grave expression, Yang Huihui fought back the urge to cry and nodded.

"Yes, I can remember some... he, he said he was going to kill me... he also said he would kill my whole family..."

Zhang Wei also nodded solemnly at this response.

He wasn’t certain if the answer was true, but he also didn’t need to be, because no one could ascertain its veracity.

The neighbors of Yang Huihui’s apartment, the Martial Association, had all been questioned as a matter of routine, but no one had heard the specific circumstances at the site.

So, whether Yang Huihui’s testimony was true or not was something only she could judge.

"Alright, Ms. Yang, I will now contact the Procuratorate. When you go out, accompany your son, he must be feeling very lost and needs his mother by his side!"

"Thank you, Lawyer Zhang, I’ll go now ..."

As he watched Yang Huihui leave, Zhang Wei was not in a good mood.

Because in this case, there were no real winners.

All the participants present were actually losers!