Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 146 - 145: Showing Weakness to the Enemy? The Identity of the Opposing Lawyer

Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Showing Weakness to the Enemy? The Identity of the Opposing Lawyer

Criminal Division, office.

"I’m really curious, why did Old Master He sue Harper Cigar, and why were his two sons so agitated about it?"

"Yeah, I’m puzzled too. It clearly has nothing to do with them, yet they acted as if we had to sign it? And they even cursed, pointing at me while cursing, which made me so mad!"

The contract was signed, and He Qingnian also went home, but his question left his colleagues in the criminal division baffled.

Tie Ruyun and Lin Yumeng were both pondering over the recent events. Why were He Wen and He Wu so agitated over He Qingnian’s case?

"It’s quite simple—they’ve taken benefits from Harper Cigar!"

Zhang Wei had anticipated this and spoke calmly, "He Wen’s company, a small trading business, is one of the many distributors of Harper Cigar."

"If I were Harper Cigar, I could easily use a little scheme to entice He Wen to speak on my behalf. After all, they don’t believe they can win the case, they just need He Wen to persuade He Qingnian, which is just a matter of talking, and in return, he would get tangible benefits. Why wouldn’t they do it?"

"As for He Wu, it’s even simpler. Having no steady job and just loafing around, just promise him a decent job and he can also be persuaded. Harper Cigar, being such a large multinational company, definitely has positions for relations, putting these people in an easy-going department is no problem at all!"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s explanation, Tie Ruyun and Lin Yumeng exchanged glances.

Turns out there was such a trick behind it all, the case hasn’t even gone to court, yet the two sons have already turned to the opponent?

"Zhang Wei, how do you know so much, did you investigate the two of them?"

"Old Tie, I was planning to ask you to investigate, but since you couldn’t even get an investigator, I had to do it myself."

"But why didn’t you expose them just now?"

"Expose them, why should I expose them?"

Zhang Wei looked at Tie Ruyun and thought to himself that Old Tie was still too naive.

"If I had exposed them just now, at most He Qingnian would have lectured his sons, what’s the use of that? Could the old man kill his sons with scolding? Of course not."

"But by deliberately not revealing it, when the trial comes and I make his two sons witnesses, using this evidence to prove that Harper Cigar bribed He Wen and He Wu behind the scenes, wouldn’t the influence on the trial be even better?"

"This...Have you thought that far ahead?"

Even though Tie Ruyun didn’t admit it aloud, inside he was impressed.

If this information had come out earlier, Harper Cigar would have known in advance, but if hidden, it becomes a card up our sleeve.

Zhang Wei’s deep contemplation had left Tie Ruyun silent.

Look at him, then look at myself, and I even consider myself a leader...

No, wait, this kid never really treated me as a leader!

Thinking of Zhang Wei’s attitude, Tie Ruyun felt a headache coming on again.

Zhang Wei didn’t care what his leader was thinking, but turned and beckoned to Lin Yumeng.

"Xiao Meng, you’ve grown up, it’s time to go out on your own. Arrange a meeting with Harper Cigar and see when we can take the client to their company for a talk."

"Ah, we’re going to negotiate!" Lin Yumeng was bewildered.

Listening to Zhang Wei, it seemed he intended for her to represent the client and sit down to negotiate with the company.

Although Lin Yumeng was surprised that Zhang Wei would entrust the negotiation to her, she was more afraid.

Why does my first negotiation have to be with a big company?

Lin Yumeng moved behind Zhang Wei, quickly massaging his back, "Master, actually, I think being your apprentice is pretty good, about this negotiation thing..."

"No, you have to go yourself this time!"

But Zhang Wei was very firm, outright rejecting it.

"Hurry up, set the time. The client probably hasn’t gone far, give him a call right now, maybe you can negotiate this afternoon!"

Under Zhang Wei’s watchful eye, Lin Yumeng reluctantly made a phone call to He Qingnian, asking him to wait and not rush back to the west of the city right away.

Then she called Harper Cigar Company, and after a long wait on hold, the receptionist finally answered the phone.

"Mm-hmm, okay, this afternoon, right? I’ll be there!"

In the end, the time was set, Lin Yumeng also arranged a time with He Qingnian, they would go in the afternoon.

"Then it’s settled, let’s have lunch, and you’ll accompany the client this afternoon!"

Zhang Wei said, picked up his lunchbox, and headed to the break room to fight for the microwave.

"Team leader~" Lin Yumeng quickly looked at Tie Ruyun with pleading eyes.

"Old Tie, don’t help out, let her go by herself!"

Zhang Wei suddenly peeked out from the doorway and warned Tie Ruyun, then glared at Li Yueqin who had just stood up.

"Xiao Meng, you heard what Zhang Wei said, he told you to go by yourself, I can’t interfere too much, after all, you all need to grow up!"

Lin Yumeng then turned her gaze to Li Yueqin.

"Uh, I need to go heat up my lunch, you guys keep chatting~"

Thinking about Zhang Wei’s warning look from before, Li Yueqin sternly rejected Lin Yumeng’s plea for help and rushed out of the office.

"Hey, your lunchbox!" Tie Ruyun quickly called out, as if saying, you can run off, but don’t forget your lunchbox.

Embarrassed, Li Yueqin had to come back, grabbed her lunchbox from the desk, and then took off.

Feeling helpless, Lin Yumeng could only sit back down at her desk, her eyes flashing with resentment.

If no one is going to help, then I’ll just do it myself, watch me show you what I’m capable of!

With that in mind, her face took on a teeth-gritting expression at lunch.

This left Li Yueqin and Zhang Wei, who were eating with her, somewhat in disbelief.

Since when did the criminal group’s darling sister become so fierce?

...

After lunch, there was a short break.

While Lin Yumeng napped, Tie Ruyun took Zhang Wei outside the office.

"You really trust Xiao Meng enough to let her negotiate alone? Can she handle it by herself against such a large-scale company? Their team of lawyers is no joke."

Sending a cute little sister to face a pack of ruthless wolves, you’re okay with that, Zhang Wei?

"Old Tie, what are you talking about, you should have confidence in Xiao Meng!"

Zhang Wei shook his head, then glanced at the office, "Of course, I don’t expect Xiao Meng to successfully negotiate!"

"Huh, then why did you just tell me to have confidence in her?"

Tie Ruyun was confused, what’s your point, Zhang Wei?

"Are you playing both sides here?"

"What’s wrong with being two-faced? Before he fell into disgrace, wasn’t he also a fine worker in the judicial system? I think I’m quite similar to him."

Geez, faced with Tie Ruyun’s sarcasm, Zhang Wei isn’t shamed but actually takes pride in it!

"Besides, I have an ulterior motive for sending Xiao Meng!"

"An ulterior motive?" Tie Ruyun eagerly leaned in closer.

"Although Xiao Meng has grown a lot, she’s still essentially a silly, cute little sister at heart. I’m sending her to face Harper Cigar’s team of lawyers—she’ll be scared, she’ll get stage fright, she might even cry, but that’s exactly the effect I want!"

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Wei raised a finger, smiling faintly, "The first step in negotiation, show the enemy weakness!"

"This meeting is just a trivial interaction. Letting the opponent think we’ve sent a rookie lawyer makes them believe the case isn’t important. They’ll let their guard down, and the next time we meet, we will catch them off guard!"

"Of course, this only works if the opponent isn’t strong enough," Zhang Wei said, while inwardly adding a note.

If the opponent were an experienced senior lawyer, they wouldn’t fall for such a trick.

With that, the conversation between Zhang Wei and Tie Ruyun concluded.

Around 2 PM, He Qingnian arrived.

Lin Yumeng immediately set off with He Qingnian, heading to the Harper Cigar Company’s office in Dragon Country.

...

Dongjiang Business District.

Inside a modern office building.

Lin Yumeng and He Qingnian rode the elevator up to the floor marked with Harper Cigar Company.

When the elevator doors opened, a lavish reception hall unfolded before them.

The floor of white marble, the brightly colored red carpet, the reception desk by the entrance, manned by two fair-skinned, beautiful greeters.

All these elements underscored one fact.

We at Harper Cigar aren’t short on cash!

"This is Dongjiang, probably the richest place in all of Dongfang Capital. Rent for this floor must be tens of millions a year?"

"Pretty much, though I’m not really sure..."

Lin Yumeng scratched her little head, looking puzzled.

"By the way, why didn’t Lawyer Zhang come? I’d feel more at ease with him here..."

He Qingnian looked at the confused girl in front of him and sighed again.

"My master said that I should come alone this time, he said everyone needs to grow, but when I asked for his help, he didn’t want to..."

Lin Yumeng spoke, her face emanating a look of irritation, and then she led He Qingnian to the reception desk.

The receptionist greeted them with a smile, but informed the two that the leadership was in a meeting and they might have to wait.

Exactly how long they would have to wait, she did not know.

"Before coming here, I asked Master," he said. "He told me that the first tactic of big companies is to make us sit and wait," he said. Anyway, the excuses are always the same, either they are in a meeting or they are busy. It’s all tactics!"

Lin Yumeng remembered Zhang Wei’s instructions before she left and now flipped open her notebook to start pondering them.

The first one, and Zhang Wei had guessed it right.

"Master also said that the reception areas of big companies usually offer drinks, and we should help ourselves without being shy," he said, "since who knows how long we might have to wait."

Lin Yumeng set down her notebook and then called the receptionist over.

"Hello, sister, I would like a cup of coffee with extra sugar, thank you!"

The receptionist was somewhat frustrated, as most people who waited here were there for business and wouldn’t trouble them.

Unexpectedly, the young lady who came in today was so forthright.

"Then I’ll have a cup of tea, a little warmer, thank you!" He Qingnian, inspired by Lin Yumeng, also made a request.

The receptionist, having no choice, went to prepare the tea and coffee.

After a while, the drinks were delivered, and Lin Yumeng and He Qingnian began to drink at the reception.

minutes passed...

minutes passed...

minutes...

minutes...

Closing in on an hour, Lin Yumeng and He Qingnian had already changed their drinks five times.

"Do these two people think our company is a self-service drink shop?"

"I’ve been a receptionist here for so long, and I’ve never seen anyone as relaxed as they are. Aren’t they here to talk business with our company?"

"That girl seems to be a lawyer; I saw it on the visitor record."

"A lawyer? Could she be a disciple of Professor Mo?"

"Not sure..."

In the midst of an hour’s wait, finally, an assistant of a higher rank came out from Harper Cigar Company.

"Are the two of you Mr. He Qingnian and his commissioned lawyer?"

"Yes, we are!"

"Please, our company representative has finished the meeting."

The assistant extended an invitation, and only then did Lin Yumeng and He Qingnian breathe a sigh of relief. After waiting for an hour, they could finally go in.

Guided by the female assistant, they walked in a spacious and bright corridor, flanked by business figures in suits and leather shoes.

The atmosphere was solemn, with a touch of gloom.

"Lin Yumeng!"

Suddenly, a voice sounded.

Out of one of the offices emerged a man dressed in a grey and white striped suit.

He appeared to be around 50, wore silver-framed glasses, stood tall with a strong presence, holding a book in his hand, exuding a scholarly air.

"Professor Mo!" Seeing the person, Lin Yumeng exclaimed in surprise.

The man in front of her was none other than Mo Mingchuan, her mentor at the law school of Jinnan University.

"Oh, look at you, that naive little girl from back then has now grown up!"

Mo Mingchuan looked at Lin Yumeng in front of him in amazement, approached with a smile, and greeted her.

"Professor, you’re looking very energetic, too!"

"Haha, you’re still as sweet-talking as you were in school!"

Mo Mingchuan laughed heartily, seeming quite pleased with Lin Yumeng’s compliment.

"By the way, Professor, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, don’t you know? Our Mingchuan Law Firm is the consulting legal team for Harper Cigar."

Upon hearing the other party’s words, both Lin Yumeng and He Qingnian felt a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.

Mo Mingchuan was actually the special consulting lawyer for Harper Cigar, and his firm represented Harper Cigar!

"In fact, I do feel quite gratified," he said. "After all, it is a rare opportunity to cross paths in court with one’s own student."

Mo Mingchuan was still smiling, but the smile carried an unusual sense of meaning.

"Well then, let’s get started, please come to my office!"

Everyone successively took their seats in Mo Mingchuan’s office.

Lin Yumeng sat together with He Qingnian, while opposite them were Mo Mingchuan and two company representatives from Harper Cigar Company.

Both were in their forties, one male and one female, both with poker faces, expressionless, and silent.

Under the pressure of the opponent’s aura, He Qingnian was doing somewhat better, having already experienced much in his life.

Lin Yumeng, however, was a bit unsettled, partly because the opposing party turned out to be a professor from her own university, and partly because this was her first negotiation.

"Xiao Lin, don’t be nervous. I believe you’ve come here today just to probe our thoughts, right?"

Mo Mingchuan smiled at Lin Yumeng and then looked towards He Qingnian, "Mr. He, let’s briefly exchange ideas then, as we both dislike this matter getting too stiff, which wouldn’t be good for either side!"

"Hmph!" The latter just snorted in response.

Facing the representatives of Harper Cigar Company, He Qingnian naturally wasn’t too polite.

"Then let’s begin."

Mo Mingchuan took out a notebook, pulled a fountain pen from his pocket, and then asked, "Mr. He, your wife was a user of our company’s products, right? How long did she use them?"

"Starting from when she picked up the habit of smoking cigars at thirty, right up until she died of lung cancer and heart disease, she never stopped using your company’s products!"

"How long precisely did she smoke cigars, and does her family have a history of cancer or heart disease?"

"What’s the point of these questions? All I know is she’s dead, and it was your company’s products that killed her!"

Seeing He Qingnian raise his voice suddenly, Mo Mingchuan just smiled.

"Mr. He, I understand your feelings; losing a wife is truly unbearable. I too have a wife, and I love her dearly. But you must also be aware that a subjective judgment alone cannot convince others to believe you. Moreover, there are various factors contributing to your wife’s death, and I believe the impact of our company’s products on your wife wasn’t as significant as you imagine."

"You’re talking nonsense!"

"Xiao Lin, help me persuade your client. If we cannot sit down and negotiate calmly, how will we proceed with ’taking testimony’ if the case actually goes to trial?"

Seeing He Qingnian about to retort, Mo Mingchuan quickly looked toward Lin Yumeng.

"Old Master He, please calm down a bit. We are just here to negotiate today..."

"Hmph, I can’t calm down, especially after seeing their attitude, it’s even less likely I’ll sit down with them and negotiate calmly!"

He Qingnian snorted coldly and immediately got up to leave the office.

By his demeanor, it appeared he intended to go back.

"This..."

Lin Yumeng had not expected her first negotiation to end prematurely with the client storming out.

"Sorry, Professor Mo, I need to chase after the client. Let’s talk another time!"

Lin Yumeng hurriedly followed, while the amiable smile on Mo Mingchuan’s face gradually turned into a sneer.

At the elevator entrance.

"We can’t negotiate today, Xiao Lin. I want to go home. You should just head back to the law firm!"

He Qingnian was relatively polite to Lin Yumeng but had no desire to stay any longer.

The elevator opened, and he was about to enter.

"Xiao Lin!"

Just as Lin Yumeng was also about to step into the elevator, she heard someone call her from behind.

The voice belonged to Professor Mo.

"I’m leaving first!" He Qingnian closed the elevator doors and left alone.

"Xiao Lin, your client has left. How about we have a chat?"

Mo Mingchuan walked into the reception area and gestured invitingly with his hand.

With no other option, Lin Yumeng sat down with Mo Mingchuan, facing each other once again.

"Xiao Lin, you’re a student I hold in high esteem, so I wanted to ask, are you the lead lawyer on this case, or did the lead lawyer send you here?"

"Professor, I am the lead lawyer. Although my mentor is teaching me litigation techniques, he made it clear that this case is my responsibility!"

"Oh, your mentor explicitly put you in charge of this case?"

Mo Mingchuan almost couldn’t help but laugh, maintaining composure only due to his good upbringing.

Lin Yumeng in charge of this case, a fresh graduate as his opponent?

Although Lin Yumeng’s grades were indeed good, they had nothing to do with the complexity of this case.

"I will be rooting for you. Now, let’s get back to the case itself..."