Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 133 - 132: Trading, Striving for First Place? (4 more)

Chapter 133: Chapter 132: Trading, Striving for First Place? (4 more)

(This afternoon, Author Germ has to go out for a meal, it’s already been 4 days in a row, and my stomach is about to expand by a whole size~ Dear readers, here comes the 4th update)

...

Friday, morning.

Procuratorate Headquarters, 2nd floor tea room.

Zhang Wei, with a gloomy look on his face, watched the two girls in front of him, who seemed equally frustrated as they looked back at him.

"I mean, does it have to be such a coincidence that every case I take is with you two?"

"Who should I ask if you ask me? We Ying Ying are even more frustrated here. Every case we handle is either thankless or troublesome, and somehow, it always ends up being you as the defense attorney?"

Xiao Baihe crossed her arms and looked at Zhang Wei with an equally speechless expression.

Sitting obediently by her side was, of course, her little sidekick, Tan Yingying.

That’s right!

The prosecutor in charge of the Cao Mu murder case was once again Tan Yingying.

Tan Yingying was one of those transferred from the Light Crime Division to the Serious Crime Division after the New Year at the Procuratorate Headquarters.

To the Serious Crime Division Office, she was definitely a newcomer.

So, the trickier cases, the thankless ones, were all thrown out by the "seniors" in the office for her to handle.

Take the current case of Cao Mu’s murder for example, where the murderer was a ten-year-old boy, a juvenile offender.

Even if you prosecute this case, you probably won’t be able to sentence him to many years, and prosecuting a child doesn’t sound good either.

Thus, naturally, the case fell onto Tan Yingying’s shoulders.

If it had been another defense attorney, Tan Yingying could have met alone to negotiate the terms.

But when she learned that the defense attorney was Zhang Wei, things were different.

She had no choice but to drag Xiao Baihe with her to the "usual place" to meet Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, "Fine then, it doesn’t matter to me who I’m up against."

"But for this case, we really shouldn’t need to make a fuss and go to trial, right?"

"What do you mean?" Xiao Baihe’s slender eyebrows arched.

"Exactly what it sounds like, I’m here to discuss having you withdraw the charges."

"Ha, withdrawing again?"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Xiao Baihe felt annoyed, "Do you think the Procuratorate Headquarters is a restaurant where you can cancel orders as easily as dishes you’ve ordered?"

"No, it’s just that I feel if you prosecute this case, it won’t be good for you, for me, or for everyone involved."

Zhang Wei appealed to emotions and reason alike: "Firstly, my client is a single mother, at least now she is a single mother since her ex-husband just died yesterday."

"Secondly, the defendant in this case is a 10-year-old boy who killed his father to protect his mother. In my eyes, that makes him a very filial son."

"Lastly, if we truly go to court, I will use self-defense as the basis for my argument. The only eye-witness in this case is the child’s mother. Just consider her testimony. Even if I warn the opposition to tell the truth and inform them of the consequences of perjury, there’s no guarantee that this mother won’t say some ’well-thought-out’ words for the sake of her child."

"What’s more, the only person who survived the scene is her. Unless Cao Mu could come back to life, no one will be able to refute her testimony!"

"All in all, the situation seems overwhelmingly unfavorable for the Procuratorate Headquarters, so I request that you withdraw the charges. It seems to me to be the choice that best serves everyone’s interests."

Having finished his argument, Zhang Wei looked at Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying.

"Sister Baihe, I think it would be good to withdraw the charges too, Zhang Wei seems to be making sense."

Tan Yingying seemed somewhat convinced and tugged at Xiao Baihe’s sleeve.

"No, we can’t compromise on this case; it’s a juvenile offender, he killed his father!"

Xiao Baihe showed her stern side.

"Zhang Wei, you’re right about one thing!"

"What’s that?"

"The child is a ’very filial son’, but we won’t just let a murderer go free like this!"

"But you have no witnesses?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands as if to say, are you really thinking of taking this to court?

"We have the victim’s lawyer."

"I spoke with him last night, and he supports self-defense. He also told me something. The victim had a record of beating someone before his death. If you decide to go to court, I will request that that victim be a witness for the defense!"

After hearing what Zhang Wei said, Xiao Baihe’s sharpness faltered a bit.

But she quickly found a reason and challenged him, "You met him in private, who knows if you’re in collusion?"

"Xiao Baihe, are you being silly? Cao Mu was killed last night, and I had to be there. Lawyer Yang, as Cao Mu’s attorney, would definitely have to be there too. We just happened to run into each other, and we went for a drink and chatted for a bit, is that so strange?"

"This..." Xiao Baihe found herself without a retort.

After all, the case hadn’t been filed last night, and Zhang Wei’s meeting with Lawyer Yang wasn’t considered private.

"Xiao Baihe, let’s not forget, the victim Cao Mu had a history of harassing his ex-wife, as well as records of illegal entry, all of which are unfavorable to you."

"Plus the harassment messages on record during the divorce proceedings, I believe among the 12 jurors, not to say how many will sympathize with the son, but I can assure you they definitely won’t like the victim!"

"Xiao Baihe, now the choice is in your hands. As a rational person, I believe you’ll make the most advantageous decision for yourself, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Baihe finally showed a slight change in demeanor.

Although she was an ace prosecutor, she was also clear about the nature of this case.

It could be said that the situation now was overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the prosecution.

If Zhang Wei were to defend, then the son would be a brave young man who stepped forward to protect his mother.

Even if he killed his own father, this father had mental issues anyway, making him a dangerous person.

"But I’m still not pleased. Every time you, Zhang Wei, come to the Procuratorate Headquarters, a few words from you and we drop the case, does Xiao Baihe have no dignity?"

"But you aren’t the public prosecutor for this case, are you?"

After saying that, Zhang Wei looked at Tan Yingying.

Tan Yingying was somewhat tempted, "Sister Baihe, actually, I think..."

"No way, Yingying’s reputation is my reputation!"

Xiao Baihe still insisted, after all, although Tan Yingying had made a merit last time, if she lost to Zhang Wei again this time, she might be demoted back to the light crime division.

She didn’t want to lose this little follower.

Seeing Xiao Baihe’s response, Zhang Wei was also frustrated.

Was this woman really not planning to compromise, or was she just stubbornly holding on to maintain face?

Zhang Wei sighed, but quickly made a judgment.

Xiao Baihe was doing this to maintain her and Tan Yingying’s reputation.

However, he also had a way, though he never wanted to use that favor, now he had no choice.

"Alright then, since that’s the case, I will give you a way out."

Zhang Wei tapped his finger on the table twice, gesturing for Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying to look over.

He held up a finger, "The Ying Qingli case, you guys were about to lose, but I gave you a chance to withdraw, saving you from embarrassment. Doesn’t that count as a favor?"

"That case..." Xiao Baihe immediately wanted to retort.

But Zhang Wei gestured with his hand to stop her, "And what about Wang Tianmeng afterwards? His gang involved in organized crime, wasn’t it me who pulled the strings, provided key information that allowed you to bring him to justice?"

At this, Xiao Baihe fell silent.

After all, what he was saying was the truth. Without Zhang Wei’s help, they couldn’t have taken down Wang Tianmeng and his gang altogether.

"And then there’s Ge Qingxiong, a wanted felon with blood on his hands. Wasn’t it me who personally went to Wang Tianmeng’s criminal haunt to find that person for you?"

"Adding all these up, don’t they count as a significant contribution? As the prosecutors handling the cases, you must have been commended, right?"

Hearing Zhang Wei put it this way, Xiao Baihe felt somewhat embarrassed.

Tan Yingying also lowered her head.

Clearly, in the cases of Wang Tianmeng and Ge Qingxiong, both of them had indeed received commendations.

"So here’s the deal, Xiao Baihe, and Tan Yingying, consider my case today as repaying a favor to you. Wang Tianmeng and Ge Qingxiong count as one favor, so treat it like you’re repaying me once."

"Sister Baihe, Zhang Wei seems to be right, we really don’t need to prosecute that kid, do we?"

Tan Yingying was swayed once again. Zhang Wei had brought up the favor, and she also felt it was reasonable.

Xiao Baihe took a deep breath, exhaled, and finally changed her stance.

"This case, having read the investigation report and since you, Zhang Wei, have repeatedly requested it, let’s close the case on self-defense grounds, for your benefit, mine, and everyone’s."

"Thank you, Prosecutor Xiao, for your understanding. I need to go and discuss arrangements for what happens next and find a place for regular psychological counseling for that kid. I’ll leave you to your work!"

Having obtained the outcome he wanted, Zhang Wei didn’t linger and left promptly.

After confirming Zhang Wei had left, Tan Yingying finally spoke up, "Sister Baihe, why didn’t we tell him that we didn’t really want to prosecute that kid either?"

"Yingying, this is just negotiating tactics. If we didn’t hold out a bit, how could we get leverage over him? Didn’t you see that this time he brought out the Wang Tianmeng case favor? If we had simply compromised, wouldn’t he have gotten away without giving anything?"

"But what if he doesn’t use his connections? What if he insists on going to court with us, aren’t we going to lose again?"

"Ying Ying, I know what you’re worried about. Although I have to admit, that guy’s court presence is strong, didn’t we make the right bet this time?"

"But why do I feel like Zhang Wei doesn’t care much about connections?"

Tan Yingying muttered weakly, but Xiao Baihe had already stood up, preparing to return to the neighboring office.

...

Procuratorate Headquarters.

At the entrance.

"Xiao Baihe, do you really need me to give you a way out? To be honest, I never intended to use that favor!"

Zhang Wei also felt somewhat helpless. The favor from the Wang Tianmeng case, he genuinely didn’t care about it at all.

He had even figured out why Xiao Baihe was so persistent; wasn’t it just for the sake of her pride, hoping to get something out of it?

Ha, women!

In the end, Zhang Wei had no choice but to take advantage of the connection he never cared about.

With that, Xiao Baihe’s debt of gratitude was repaid, and his case was successfully dismissed, a happy outcome for all involved.

"Let’s go, report to our client. This good news is so important to them right now, I must tell them in person."

minutes later, Martial Association Headquarters.

"Thank you so much, Lawyer Zhang. To be honest, without your help, I really don’t know how I could have endured..."

Yang Huihui clutched Zhang Wei’s hand, her emotions were truly intense.

When Zhang Wei told them that the Procuratorate Headquarters was preparing to dismiss the case, she genuinely cried.

The mental stress she had been under these past few days was immense. First, she had to be careful around Cao Mu, then after Cao Mu died, she still had to worry and fear for her son.

But now, her son’s prosecution was withdrawn, and Cao Mu would no longer be able to bother the mother and son.

What could be more exciting for her than these developments?

"I understand how you feel. A wonderful life is waiting for you. But don’t forget to take your son to see a psychologist. The Martial Association will also conduct regular checks. You know what the consequences will be if you violate the agreement, right?"

"Lawyer Zhang, please rest assured, I promise I will personally take him to the doctor, we won’t miss a single visit!"

Yang Huihui naturally made promise after promise.

Compared to her son going to prison, visiting a psychologist periodically was already the best possible outcome.

"Come on, Little Zhen, quickly thank Lawyer Zhang. He’s our great benefactor!"

"Thank you, Lawyer Zhang!"

"You’re welcome. This is what I should do as a lawyer. Now, you should leave. In these past few days, your son should catch up on his school work!"

"Thank you for your concern, Lawyer Zhang. We’ll be leaving now, goodbye!"

Yang Huihui led Cao Zhenzhen away, and they quickly left the Martial Association.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei went into martial training and chatted with the Serious Crime Division for a while, also taking the opportunity to check on Xia Qianyue.

Unfortunately, the Serious Crime Division was very busy, and Silly was taken by Wu Yong on a mission, allowing the two only a brief moment of warmth.

This left Zhang Wei feeling somewhat helpless, secretly thinking that Wu Yong didn’t understand the situation.

Wu Yong was also feeling aggrieved; it wasn’t that he wanted to disturb the couple, but there was a serious case that couldn’t be ignored.

...

Jincheng Law Firm.

By the time Zhang Wei returned to the law firm, it was almost time to finish work.

"What’s wrong with you all, why do you all look so down?"

As soon as he returned, he noticed that the atmosphere in the office was a bit off.

Tie Ruyun was already quite gloomy, frowning all day, and it was only recently, after Zhang Wei and the others joined the criminal division, that his expression started to vary slightly.

But now, it wasn’t just Tie Ruyun; Li Yueqin and Lin Yumeng also seemed to be afflicted.

Both women were slumped over their desks, like two injured little animals, drooping their heads, listless and dejected.

"Zhang Wei, how did your case go?" When Zhang Wei returned, Tie Ruyun immediately asked.

"The prosecution has withdrawn the case, they don’t intend to charge my client’s son."

"Well, that’s good news!"

Upon hearing this good news, Tie Ruyun’s expression lightened up a bit.

"Withdraw the case, Zhang Wei, you’ve won again. I’ll register it right away."

Upon hearing this, Tie Cuilan immediately recorded Zhang Wei’s attendance and the details of the case.

"My case is over, and the outcome is happy for all, but what’s going on with you guys?"

Zhang Wei looked at Tie Ruyun and the other two, his expression becoming utterly bizarre.

"Master, maybe we shouldn’t take cases from the insurance company anymore. The plaintiff is in a really sad state, and taking this case... it just doesn’t sit right with our conscience..."

Lin Yumeng pouted, expressing her discontent.

"What about you, Old Tie, Xiao Li?"

Zhang Wei turned to the other two.

Tie Ruyun turned away, and Li Yueqin also shook her head.

Their intention was clear; they all felt it wasn’t right to take the case.

"Is it that bad?"

Seeing this, Zhang Wei could only sigh.

Indeed, he couldn’t trust these fellows, and here he had been, harboring a sliver of faith in Tie Ruyun and his companions!

"It seems when it comes down to it, the only person you can trust is yourself!"

He griped, picked up the folder on Lin Yumeng’s desk, and started flipping through it.

A few minutes later, he had skimmed through the documents and gained some understanding of the case.

"Wow, late-stage cancer, urgently needs a liver transplant, the plaintiff only has a few months left to live, could it get any more tragic!"

After seeing some information about the plaintiff, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but click his tongue in wonder.

This case was tricky; the mere sight of the plaintiff taking a seat in the witness stand would probably soften the hearts of all 12 jurors.

Plus, the defendant was an insurance company, infamous for denying claims left and right.

Moreover, it’s likely that all 12 jurors had at some point been pestered by the insurance company’s telemarketing calls, leaving them with a poor impression of the defendant.

This case, even if Jincheng’s big boss himself came, would probably be hopeless...

After putting down the folder, Zhang Wei thought for a moment, and a plan began to form in his mind.

"Xiao Li, when you contacted the person in charge at the insurance company, what did they say?"

"They said they could meet us this weekend, but I think, maybe we shouldn’t meet them at all?"

"How can we not, when we’ve already agreed to see them? Wouldn’t that be breaking a promise? Do you want to be known as someone who doesn’t keep their word?"

"But this case..."

"Did they mention the attorney fees?"

"Yes, they said if we win the case, they’ll sign a long-term contract with our law firm, and for this particular lawsuit, they’ll pay us an additional 500,000 in attorney fees if we win."

"Well, there you go!"

Zhang Wei closed the folder and patted it in his hand, ensuring that the three members of the criminal group could hear it.

"Everyone, what’s our target for this month? Is it to maintain the status quo and continue to be at the bottom of the seven litigation groups?"

"Old Tie, Xiao Li, Xiao Meng, our goal this month is to outdo Tian Bin’s Group 2 and aim for performance rankings that surpass the other groups in commercial and civil litigation, striving to be number one in the litigation department!"

"Ah, did we ever say we were aiming to be number one in the litigation department?" Hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Tie Ruyun muttered to himself.

"Old Tie, don’t interrupt me!"

Zhang Wei gave him a look, then raised his arm and proclaimed, "All in all, we must complete this mission!"

"But you don’t have a legal practice certificate, are we still going to take a commercial litigation case?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot about that. I should hurry the Lawyer’s Association to send the certificate a bit faster!"

Thanks to Tie Ruyun’s reminder, Zhang Wei remembered this matter.

Apart from him, Lin Yumeng and Li Yueqin also quickly turned on their computers to log in and check the Lawyer’s Association website.

Because they remembered that the practice certificates had apparently been issued and were supposed to be mailed to them soon.

"Old Tie, if you guys don’t come tomorrow, then I’ll go meet with the insurance company’s representative by myself. Once the practice certificate arrives, I’ll act as the attorney myself!"

"Come on, if you’re meeting with the client tomorrow, we’ll definitely accompany you. Even if we don’t want to take the case, we should still show up to support you, right?"

"Alright then, if you want to come along tomorrow, we’ll all go together!"

And so, the plan for the criminal group was set—they would go to the insurance company to accept the commission the next day.