Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 148 - 147: Zhang Wei Talks Tough, Who Will Teach Whom a Lesson?

Chapter 148: Chapter 147: Zhang Wei Talks Tough, Who Will Teach Whom a Lesson?

In Professor Mo Mingchuan’s office.

Since the testimony transcript couldn’t be completed, Mo Mingchuan had no choice but to return to his own office.

There was a knock on the door, and Lin Yumeng arrived.

"Professor, can we talk?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Mo Mingchuan smiled.

"Of course, please come in!"

For his former student, Professor Mo still afforded considerable preferential treatment, after all, she was almost like one of his own.

However, when the door opened, Mo Mingchuan’s smile suddenly disappeared.

Because Lin Yumeng didn’t come alone.

"Who are you?" looking at the person standing next to Lin Yumeng, Mo Mingchuan narrowed his eyes.

"Professor Mo, I’ve long admired your reputation. My name is Zhang Wei, and I am Xiao Meng’s current mentor!"

The self-introduction of the newcomer made Mo Mingchuan understand.

So you are Lin Yumeng’s mentor, the one she always mentions and praises as being very capable.

Mo Mingchuan’s attitude towards Zhang Wei was much colder, he didn’t even shake the hand that Zhang extended to him.

What a joke, who does he, Mo Mingchuan, think he is!

This Zhang Wei is just a greenhorn who has just graduated from law school, and he entered the firm at the same time as Lin Yumeng, merely an intern.

Such nobodies, they deserve to shake hands with Mo Mingchuan?

Seriously ridiculous, they’re getting above themselves!

Although the name Zhang Wei seemed familiar to Mo Mingchuan, as if he’d heard it somewhere before, he immediately shook his head.

It must be a coincidence, this kid isn’t worth his attention no matter how you look at it. The name he had heard before must belong to someone with the same name.

"Now that Professor Mo is here, then it’s perfect, we can have a talk!"

Seeing the refusal to shake hands, Zhang Wei didn’t get angry. He simply found a place to sit down.

He patted the sofa, gesturing for Lin Yumeng to sit beside him.

The two took their seats, and Zhang Wei took a deep breath.

"It’s a pity there’s no coffee, I must say the coffee brewed by your company’s reception is not bad, I knew at once it’s high-end stuff!"

"Oh, speaking of high-end products, your office has a nice aroma too, eh, Professor Mo? You must have enjoyed quite a few of these cigars here, right?"

Zhang Wei dramatically stood up and took a big whiff.

Hiss~

Huff~

"A whiff of cigar, has the smell of the furniture changed?"

"However, I must say that to ordinary people, your company’s cigars are absolute luxury goods. Our client, He Qingnian and his spouse, their home was ruined due to your products, I hope you’re aware of this!"

"Home ruined?"

Mo Mingchuan laughed, "Lawyer Zhang, is it? Do you smoke?"

"I don’t!"

"It’s rare to find a man who doesn’t smoke. However, I want to say that whether it’s tobacco or cigars, these are not addictive drugs. Everyone has the right to choose to smoke or not to smoke. Harper Cigar’s products are clearly priced, and when Fan Xueqin chose to buy them, she must have been aware of the consequences. Yet she still made that decision. Are you going to sue the manufacturer for a deceased person’s irrational consumption?"

"You want to sue them because their store prices are too high, leading to the death of the buyer, do you want to sue them for not putting a label on their product saying ’This product is expensive, please buy with caution’, or are you going to sue companies that produce kitchen knives because there are people killed by kitchen knives every year..."

Listening to Mo Mingchuan’s mockery, Zhang Wei’s expression remained unchanged.

"As expected of Professor Mo, you are quite skilled at deflecting the issue!"

Even then, he started clapping in front of Mo Mingchuan and Lin Yumeng.

Clap~Clap~Clap~

Amidst the crisp clapping, Zhang Wei wore a full smile.

But anyone could tell that his smile was laden with sarcasm.

"Lawyer Zhang, you didn’t come all the way here just to mock me, did you?" Mo Mingchuan was irritated, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Oh, right, we should talk about the matter at hand!"

Zhang Wei also expressed agreement, nodding his head, "Let’s start with the deal you proposed earlier..."

"That wasn’t a deal. Actually, you might better understand it as a gift. After all, Xiao Lin and I have a teacher-student relationship. I’m giving her due consideration for her sake; you can consider it a ’gift’!"

When Mo Mingchuan said that, it actually made Zhang Wei laugh.

"Oh, a gift, a present, should we be deeply grateful to you?"

Mo Mingchuan ignored Zhang Wei’s mockery, calmly stating, "There’s no need for that. I think you just need to accept it."

"Accept it, you really love to joke, don’t you, Professor Mo!"

Zhang Wei’s smile vanished in an instant, and his tone shifted, "In my view, you’re just throwing us a bone, trying to make us wag our tails and beg for it. But you don’t realize that what we’re after isn’t a little bone but something bigger!"

"Like the steak on your plate, like the flesh on your body, or the juicy bite that’s about to reach your mouth, we intend to snatch a bite too!"

"Lawyer Zhang, what are you comparing yourself to?"

"I’m comparing myself to a wild beast because once the battle begins, we will fight like wild beasts, never resting until we achieve our goal!"

"Yes, well then I shall wait and see."

Mo Mingchuan couldn’t help but laugh again. Although the young man’s bold words were spirited, they had no power to harm him.

Zhang Wei also smiled faintly, all traces of his previous threat dissipating.

"Professor Mo, here I must criticize you. Using your position as a teacher to bully a former student, your actions are rather unbecoming."

"What a joke, an intern lawyer dares to say I lack standing?"

Mo Mingchuan’s expression turned serious as he coldly said, "Our Mingchuan Law Firm employs 360 practicing lawyers and has over 500 staff members. We are a first-class law firm in Dongfang Capital. I’m confident that we don’t fall short even compared to the top law firms."

"And you two, one of you is my former student, and the other is an intern lawyer from a second-rate college. Who gave you the audacity to posture in front of me!"

"Ah, can’t outtalk me so you’re pulling rank now?" Zhang Wei laughed out loud.

"Lawyer Zhang, you think just because you have Jincheng Law Firm backing you, you can stand against me? Although I’m not Lin Xiangtian, I, too, am aware of the costs of this litigation. Without at least one million in funds, there’s no way you can win!"

"Lin Xiangtian is a businessman, and his generosity in front of others is all for show. He’s only interested in things that benefit him, and this lawsuit is absolutely a thankless task!"

"Now, I want to ask you, do you really think you can win this lawsuit with just your own strength?"

"Professor Mo, who says we can’t win? Even without Jincheng’s support, we can still win!"

"Oh? Do you have some sort of secret weapon?"

"I don’t have that, but we can play dirty!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Mingchuan’s expression instantly turned rigid.

What kind of answer is that?

Play dirty, how do you intend to play dirty?

Zhang Wei then stood up, sneering, "Professor Mo, what do you think is the most challenging part of a lawsuit?"

"I can tell you definitively, it isn’t the funds prepared by both sides of the trial, nor the expert witnesses hired by you or us. The biggest challenge in a lawsuit is the jury—they sit there, observing both sides, making all sorts of guesses in their minds. They’re like wild beasts, sniffing the scent of your side and then ours, before making their judgement."

"Among us criminal defense lawyers, there’s a saying that the jury box holds twelve idiots. I believe civil courtrooms must have something similar, with just the number halved."

Mo Mingchuan scoffed, "You think by using various tactics, you can influence the thoughts of six idiots? That would be impossible unless they actually listened to you, in which case you’d already be an invincible top lawyer, wouldn’t you?"

Zhang Wei was undeterred, countering sarcastically, "As far as I know, among the famous lawyers in Dongfang Capital, your ranking, Mo Mingchuan, is hardly top. Your Mingchuan Law Firm also hasn’t reached the heights of the Top Ten Firms. So, in my view, you’re the one who’s unremarkable!"

"You’re calling me unremarkable!"

Zhang Wei’s words made Mo Mingchuan "whoosh" to his feet in a fury.

"See, just a few words from me and you take the bait. How can you be considered remarkable?"

Looking at Zhang Wei’s smiling face, murderous intent gradually surged in Mo’s eyes.

He gritted his molars, then finally sat back down.

Seeing his aim achieved, Zhang Wei dropped the teasing tone, adopting a serious one instead, "Professor Mo, the testimony record should still be incomplete from this morning, right? My apprentice will contact Mr. He later, and we’ll set a time this afternoon to finish up. How does that sound to you?"

"Fine, let’s make it 2:30 this afternoon!"

Mo Mingchuan was surprised by Zhang Wei’s change of attitude but nodded in agreement after a moment’s thought.

"Then, see you this afternoon!"

Zhang Wei got up, ready to leave.

"Wait!"

But Mo Mingchuan suddenly called out to the two who were about to leave, his eyes shifting as if pondering something.

"Lawyer Zhang, I just looked at the time. I have a lunch seminar this afternoon, and I might not be able to make it on time. Let’s delay it by 30 minutes. I will contact Xiao Lin first. What do you think?"

"Hmm, no problem at all, whether it’s 2:30 or 3:00, I can make it!"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly, agreeing to Mo Mingchuan’s proposal.

He and Lin Yumeng then left the office.

Watching Zhang Wei leave, the smile on Mo Mingchuan’s face swiftly disappeared. He quickly started typing on the keyboard and searched "Zhang Wei" on the Baidu webpage.

An intern lawyer, daring to be so disrespectful in front of him, was utterly inconceivable.

But that is exactly what the other party did, showing no trace of respect for a senior in the industry. Such a person could not be just any ordinary individual.

"Weird, there’s not much information, only some trivial criminal cases... and some business cases, this must be another ’Zhang Wei’, and there are... cases involving insurance companies, what a mess..."

Unable to find much information about Zhang Wei online, Mo Mingchuan shut down his computer.

"Hmph, you’ll see what’s coming this afternoon, Zhang Wei, let me teach you a lesson!"

He scoffed, instructing the assistant outside to make him a cup of coffee.

...

Afternoon, 2:25.

He Qingnian and Lin Yumeng were waiting in the reception hall.

One was drinking tea, and the other was holding a coffee.

"Xiao Lin!" Not far away, Mo Mingchuan appeared and gestured to the two of them.

Lin Yumeng looked surprised and glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was still 5 minutes until 2:30.

"Professor, weren’t you supposed to go to a lunch seminar? What happened?"

"The lunch seminar ended early, so I have time now. Let’s hurry up and do the testimony recording!"

"But, my master..."

"Xiao Lin, don’t you have confidence in yourself? Plus, your client is waiting too. You wouldn’t want this old man to wait another 30 minutes, would you?"

"Well, okay..."

Lin Yumeng looked back at He Qingnian, then at the time, and helplessly nodded in agreement.

Mo Mingchuan revealed a smile as if his plot had succeeded. He quickly called the assistant and arranged for them to enter the conference room to continue the testimony recording from the morning.

minutes later.

The elevator in the reception hall opened, and Zhang Wei came out.

"Hmm, 2:30, right on time!"

He checked the time and sneered, heading directly to Harper Cigar Company.

"Sir, you don’t have an appointment!"

Seeing Zhang Wei head straight for the interior, the receptionist immediately tried to stop him.

"I’m sorry, I don’t drink coffee. I’m in a hurry to attend a testimony recording at 2:30 and am quite pressed for time, so please, don’t hinder me!"

"Sir, this is against the rules!"

"So Professor Mo’s actions conform to the rules? He shouldn’t have a lunch seminar this afternoon, otherwise why didn’t I find any information about it on Baidu?"

"This..."

"I am one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, here to participate in the testimony recording. If you impede me, I could consider that you are attempting to obstruct evidence collection. If I report this, all of you could be deemed as obstructing justice, and you’d be facing jail time!"

Zhang Wei snorted and issued his "threat."

The word "jail" carried significant weight, and indeed the receptionist dared not stop him.

Zhang Wei walked straight into the company and went straight to the conference room as if he knew the place well.

Bang!

He forcefully opened the meeting room door, and everyone inside turned to look.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s arrival, Mo Mingchuan’s face changed slightly, but he quickly put on a smile.

"Oh, Lawyer Zhang, how come you’re so early?"

"Professor Mo, this trick is so outdated, I stopped using it more than a decade ago!"

Zhang Wei joked as he walked straight up to the camera recording the testimonies.

"What are you doing?"

One of Professor Mo’s students tried to stop Zhang Wei.

"Move!" but he was pushed aside by Zhang Wei.

Then Zhang Wei grabbed the camera, paused the recording, and took out the memory card.

Mo Mingchuan saw what Zhang Wei did and was inexplicably irritated, "Lawyer Zhang, we are in the process of taking testimony. Are you trying to sabotage the recording site?"

"Professor Mo, the agreed time for the testimony session was 2:30 PM, which you postponed by 30 minutes under the pretext of attending a luncheon meeting. Hence, the stipulated time is 3 PM, which is mutually agreed upon by both the defense and the prosecution. In my view, any recording before 3 PM, I can treat as illegal recording!"

"But your side’s Xiao Lin has already agreed to the recording now!"

"She agreed, do you have a recording of it? Who can prove she agreed voluntarily and was not coerced by you?"

Zhang Wei winked at Mo Mingchuan, sporting a strange expression.

"This..." Mo Mingchuan was slightly startled, totally unprepared for Zhang Wei’s response.

Of course, there was no recording.

"You don’t have a recording, on the contrary, I have one!"

Zhang Wei then took out his phone and started playing the recording.

"Alright, then let’s do it at 2:30 PM."

"Lawyer Zhang, I have looked at my schedule, I have a luncheon meeting this afternoon..."

"We probably won’t have enough time. Let’s postpone it by 30 minutes. I’ll contact Xiao Lin first, and see what you think..."

As the recording played, Mo Mingchuan’s face started to look unpleasant.

"I have this bad habit. For some reason, my phone’s recording button tends to stay on, leading to my phone often running out of battery..."

"Ah, when will I ever manage to break this habit!"

Zhang Wei seemed to be ranting, but he made himself comfortable and sat down, gesturing to an assistant.

"Please make me a cup of coffee, thank you. Since Professor Mo mentioned starting at 3 PM, let’s wait here until 3 PM. Not a minute less, not a minute more, we’ll start taking the testimony precisely on time!"

Zhang Wei emphasized the word "on time" and then looked at Mo Mingchuan with a teasing expression.

"By the way, the content on this memory card is all illegally recorded, so it must be destroyed. Please prepare another memory card for us. I believe such a large company wouldn’t be without an extra memory card, right?"

He lightly shook the memory card in his hand, then directed one of Mo Mingchuan’s students to get to work.

"Teacher, he..."

"Go prepare it!"

The student could barely restrain himself, but Mo Mingchuan stopped him.

In that moment, he finally realized how difficult Zhang Wei was to deal with.

He had thought to teach the other party a lesson, but his plan had been anticipated by Zhang Wei.

Now it was Zhang Wei giving Mo Mingchuan’s side a lesson.

Meanwhile, Lin Yumeng was astonished; why did her master know in advance about Professor Mo’s early moves?

But as Zhang Wei said, such a trick was a minor one that he had stopped using over a decade ago.

And Lin Yumeng’s companion He Qingnian, seeing Zhang Wei boldly sitting down and sternly reprimanding Mo Mingchuan, felt an inexplicable surge of excitement and relief.

Admittedly, it was satisfying to see the representatives of a big company being put in their place, especially seeing his nemesis with a taut face, which lifted his mood tremendously.

minutes passed, with Zhang Wei leisurely drinking his coffee and Mo Mingchuan watching coldly.

When the time came, both parties began the testimony session.

This time, because he saw Zhang Wei stand up for him earlier, He Qingnian no longer lost control and cooperated smoothly with the recording session.

After the session was done, the two sides went their separate ways.

At the entrance of Harper Cigar Company, He Qingnian rarely showed a smile.

"Lawyer Zhang, your performance back there was just amazing. Even though you didn’t curse them out, their faces looked as sour as if they had been!"

"This old man really doesn’t cut it. Directly cursing them out is useless; these people’s skins are too thick. But you, you were something else."

Listening to He Qingnian’s praise, Zhang Wei just shook his head lightly, "Old Master He shouldn’t be too optimistic yet. The trial has just begun. Let’s wait until the end of tomorrow’s preliminary hearing."

"Yes, we still have a tough battle ahead of us!"

Overwhelmed by the thought, He Qingnian then bid farewell to Zhang Wei and went home to rest.

Zhang Wei and Lin Yumeng also returned to the law firm together to report their success to Tie Ruyun.