Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 158 - 157: Counterattack, the Person I Summoned!

Chapter 158: Chapter 157: Counterattack, the Person I Summoned!

Noon, the criminal division office.

"Old Tie, that sister you invited, let her practice her acting skills some more..."

"Do you think the problem in this trial lies with the witness?"

"You’ve noticed it too?"

"Nonsense, if I couldn’t see it, then I wouldn’t be your leader!"

Zhang Wei and Tie Ruyun were eating while having a brief exchange.

"Yeah, Master, I’ve seen it too~"

On the side, Lin Yumeng spoke while deftly taking a meatball from Zhang Wei’s lunchbox and popping it into her mouth.

This prompted Li Yueqin to quickly cover her own lunchbox, fearful of falling prey to Lin Yumeng’s stealthy hands.

Seeing Li Yueqin’s subconscious action, Lin Yumeng wore a look of grievance.

Zhang Wei watched his little apprentice nonchalantly stealing his meat dish and smiled knowingly.

With a girl as adorable as this, a bump on the head would probably make her "yng yng yng" cry for a long time, wouldn’t it?

"You have time to smile, but are there any more witnesses in the afternoon?"

"The list is all out!"

"Then aren’t you screwed..."

Tie Ruyun shook his head, but then he quickly caught on, "Wait, what do you mean the list is out, what are you implying?"

Zhang Wei’s lips curled into a cold smile: "It’s quite simple, there’s a bunch of witnesses off the list that I can grab, so I’ve decided to hit them hard!"

His expression made Tie Ruyun, Li Yueqin, and Lin Yumeng exchange glances, each feeling a shiver.

Was Zhang Wei about to get tough?

Lunch ended and they rested briefly.

p.m.

The mock courtroom reopened.

As everyone took their seats, Judge Mi settled into the judge’s bench.

He nodded towards Lin Yufeng in the defendant’s bench but didn’t spare Zhang Wei in the plaintiff’s bench a single glance.

Backstage, the staff from Super Energy Drink Company also took their seats.

"This morning’s trial went excellently for Young Master Lin, not only neutralizing the plaintiff’s attack but turning the tables on them!"

"Indeed, to be able to win over the opponent’s expert witness is truly one of Young Master Lin’s real skills. Now, the situation is extremely favorable for us."

"I’ve already inquired on the other side. The plaintiff’s witness list includes just two people, the deceased’s family and the expert witness. The plaintiff’s opening statements have ended this morning, and now it’s Young Master Lin’s turn to weave his narrative."

"I believe once Young Master Lin steps in, the result of this trial will be announced!"

Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou were naturally present beside him, acting as commentators for the trial.

They lavished high praise on Lin Yufeng.

But these were facts, only stated in an exaggerated tone by them.

So Director Zheng and others, upon hearing this, nodded repeatedly, their faces showing smiles.

This round seemed to be in the bag!

Director Zheng and the others were pleased to hear it, and Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou were equally happy to tell it, with everything progressing in a good direction.

In the hall.

Compared to the morning, the afternoon audience had increased significantly.

Especially in the corner, where the criminal division sat, besides Lin Yumeng, Li Yueqin, and Tie Ruyun, there were two additional people.

"Cousin, it’s rare for you to come to a mock trial, isn’t it?"

"Isn’t it because Little Lawyer Zhang is the plaintiff? There wasn’t much going on in the family law department this afternoon, so I came to watch. By the way, what’s the situation? Which side do you think has the advantage?"

"I was busy with a case this morning and didn’t attend, but I heard from others in the litigation department that Young Master Lin dominated Zhang Wei in the morning session, even the expert witness’s testimony was in favor of the defendant!"

"So it looks like the situation is very unfavorable for Little Zhang?"

"That’s not necessarily the case. We just wait and see..."

Bai Meiqi and Bai Ruoyun sat next to Tie Ruyun, which put a lot of pressure on the three from the criminal division.

After all, sitting next to the ace of the law firm, they all dared not cheer loudly for Zhang Wei.

In the courtroom.

Once the mock trial regained its solemnity, it was for the judge to begin.

"Ahem, the court announces that the opening statements from this morning have concluded. Since the plaintiff has no other witnesses, it’s now the defendant’s turn..."

"Hold on!"

Just as Judge Mi was about to announce that Lin Yufeng should prepare for the trial defense, Zhang Wei stood up, interrupting him.

"Your Honor, the plaintiff has not finished making opening statements. How could you declare it on my behalf?"

"What, you have another witness?"

Judge Mi was taken aback, looking at Zhang Wei with incredulity.

I’m not seeing things, am I? You only had two witnesses, right? Weren’t they both already cross-examined?

You still want to make a statement in court; where did you find another witness?

And even if you did find a witness, aren’t you supposed to show us the witness list in advance? What you’re doing isn’t following the rules!

"Kid, what do you mean? Your witness list should only have two people, right? Where did you get a new witness from?"

"Your Honor, as for the witness, I actually have one!"

After verifying that Zhang Wei’s response was calm and didn’t seem to be joking, Judge Mi resigned himself to the situation.

"Lawyer Zhang, and Young Master Lin... Lawyer Lin, both of you come closer."

Zhang Wei and Lin Yufeng approached Mi Haiyang to discuss.

"Zhang Wei, you’re a newcomer, don’t you know the rules? Your witness list was supposed to be..."

"Judge Mi, you are from the former Southern High Court, and you must have seen quite a few trials. You know that in actual trials, either the prosecution or the defense often employ unexpected tactics, right?"

"That’s true, but today is..."

"Judge Mi, it’s the client who requires the most authentic trial, and even if I don’t use this technique, what if the plaintiff does so in court?"

Zhang Wei interrupted Mi Haiyang and turned directly to Lin Yufeng, "Young Master Lin, if you feel unprepared, then I won’t call the witness to the stand. How about that?"

"Hmph, you dare to say that? I, Lin Yufeng, am not afraid of a rookie like you!"

Although he was clear that Zhang Wei was using reverse psychology, Lin Yufeng certainly wasn’t going to show fear.

"Judge Mi, our side allows it!"

"Alright then, Young Master Lin, I understand..."

Since Lin Yufeng had no objections, he, as the judge, naturally wouldn’t object either.

"The court announces that the plaintiff may call one more witness to testify!"

Zhang Wei’s move caused quite a murmur among the audience.

The plaintiff had another witness? Who could it be?

Was it another expert witness or another family member of the deceased?

Adding another witness now, isn’t it a bit late? Who can you call to change the course of the battle?

Under the gaze of everyone present, Zhang Wei walked to the center of the courtroom.

"The witness we wish to call is the Operations Supervisor of Super Energy Drink Company, and I would like him to testify in court!"

Upon this declaration, the entire room was stunned.

The audience was left in shock.

Judge Mi Haiyang and the defendant Lin Yufeng, everyone’s expressions changed.

The only ones not as affected were the jurors, as they didn’t know what this witness represented.

Backstage.

As Zhang Wei announced the identity of the witness he was calling, all eyes, including Director Zheng’s, turned to the bewildered Operations Supervisor standing behind him.

"President, I... I don’t know anything... I came here with you... I’m just a spectator..."

He was bewildered himself as to how he could be called by the plaintiff.

"This..."

Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou looked at each other, puzzled.

They had never expected Zhang Wei to make such a move, to actually summon someone from the opposing side.

"Hello, hello, backstage, can you hear me?"

It was at this moment that the previously silent host finally spoke up.

"Backstage, can you come in, please? Is the Operations Supervisor present? The plaintiff side is summoning you as a witness. Can you come to the witness stand?"

Hearing the host’s words, the Operations Supervisor looked at Director Zheng, who in turn looked at Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou.

"Director Zheng, in a real court, the plaintiff indeed may summon personnel from your company; at that time, they won’t be notified by a host, but by a court subpoena."

"Understood!"

Having said this, Director Zheng then gestured for the Operations Supervisor to go out.

Before long, the witness took a seat at the witness stand in full view of the audience.

"Hello, may I ask your surname?"

"It’s Sun, no need for formality."

"Supervisor Sun, you are the Operations Supervisor at Super Energy Drink Company, correct?"

"Yes... that’s correct!"

Supervisor Sun was still a bit uneasy under everyone’s scrutiny, obviously uncomfortable.

Zhang Wei smiled at him, "Supervisor Sun, since you’re the head of the operations department, I assume you must be a professional when it comes to online marketing, correct?"

"More or less..."

"Great, your company launched a drink called [Absolute Zero] early last year, you remember it, don’t you?"

"Of course, it was our main product last year, the operations department definitely knows about it!"

"Very good!"

Zhang Wei said as he returned to his seat and took out a can of blue-packaged drink from his briefcase.

"Now, could you tell me why your company decided to name this drink ’Absolute Zero’?"

"Because it’s a sugar-free beverage, marketed as a low-calorie energy drink."

"Oh, sugar-free, low energy, huh~"

Zhang Wei nodded, then took out a projector remote and pressed a button.

Screenshots of several web pages appeared on the projection screen.

"Supervisor Sun, you should be familiar with these websites, shouldn’t you?"

"Uh, a few of them look familiar; I must have heard of them..."

"Just heard of them?"

Zhang Wei widened his eyes, exhibiting an incredulous expression.

"Uh, I occasionally visit these websites because during that time, our company’s main product could potentially appeal to the audience of these sites, so we..."

"Thank you for your honesty, Supervisor Sun, but you have yet to tell the whole truth!"

Zhang Wei smiled again, but swiftly changed his tone, "Supervisor Sun, may I ask if you are familiar with the term ’Internet Navy’?"

"Ah, that..."

As soon as this term was mentioned, Supervisor Sun’s complexion changed.

The hearing panel and the jury exchanged glances.

This term was something they had heard or come across quite often.

It was the internet era now, and all sorts of people were online, especially those infamous as the Internet Navy.

"Supervisor Sun, you haven’t answered my question yet. Are you familiar with the Internet Navy?"

"I suppose, rather familiar, but they are legal, please understand this!"

"Of course, I understand, thank you for emphasizing that."

Seeing Supervisor Sun had responded, Zhang Wei didn’t delay and pressed the button again.

The webpage on the projection screen was enlarged, displaying many comments.

"Let’s take a look at a comment from this website. Please look at the screen."

"Oh my gosh, I lost 15 kilograms in a month, all thanks to ’Absolute Zero’. I absolutely love this drink!"

Zhang Wei read the comment aloud with a smile and said, "The comment was from a user ID called [Fairy who wants to slim down]. Do you know this person?"

"This..." Supervisor Sun lowered his head, seeming uncertain how to respond.

"Supervisor Sun, let’s not beat around the bush. I will ask you directly: is this ID [Fairy who wants to slim down] actually an employee of your company’s operations department? Does your operations department act as an Internet Navy, posting promotional messages on various fitness and weight loss websites and forums to promote your company’s products?"

Supervisor Sun’s face instantly fell, and he looked in the direction of the backstage.

Zhang Wei walked straight up to him and questioned firmly, "Supervisor Sun, please answer yes or no!"

"I must remind you that you are sitting in the witness stand. Is this question really so difficult to answer?"

"Actually, they are freelancers hired by us, not employees of our company. You could think of them as temporary workers..."

Under Zhang Wei’s pressure, Supervisor Sun finally confessed.

Backstage.

"Damn, why did he spill everything!"

As Supervisor Sun revealed information about the Internet Navy, Director Zheng’s face also changed.

The other executives beside him exchanged worried looks.

What’s going on with you, Old Sun? Why so loose-lipped? Just casually leaking the company’s marketing strategies?

And wasn’t today a mock trial?

Where on earth did the witness stand come from? This is supposed to be a broadcast studio!

Director Zheng was upset, and his subordinates naturally shared his displeasure.

Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou, seeing Director Zheng’s worsening expression, also felt equally displeased.

Hall.

"Supervisor Sun, we won’t discuss how many temporary workers your company has hired, since that number would be hard to track. But, let me ask you about this one person, the user ID [Fairy who wants to slim down]. Are you aware of how many messages they’ve posted online?"

"I’m not sure. After we hire them, their promotional targets span over hundreds of websites; I can’t possibly count each one."

"Then let me tell you. This ID has posted a total of 754 messages across hundreds of similar websites. Assuming 50 cents per message, you would pay them 377 yuan for a day’s work. They promoted your company continuously for 3 months and posted a total of 60,000 messages, so your company paid them a promotional fee of 30,000 yuan. That is quite a hefty salary; I’m even considering becoming an Internet Navy member myself!"

Zhang Wei’s jest elicited laughter from some members of the jury.

However, others were pondering that the job of the Internet Navy seemed to bring in money quite quickly.

In the witness stand, after hesitating for a moment, Supervisor Sun still tried to defend himself: "As I said, he was a temporary worker; I’m not aware of his specific tasks."

"Alright, then let’s get back to the point!"

Zhang Wei once more took out an "Absolute Zero" beverage, holding it in his hand: "Since your company’s flagship product is supposed to induce weight loss and slimming effects, is it possible that Feng Xinxue’s body changes were all because of this product?"

At these words, the jury had an epiphany.

Yes, since your company’s product has slimming effects, was the deceased drinking this particular one? Is that why she was so thin?

"Objection, the attorney is leading the witness into speculation!"

Seeing Zhang Wei’s question change the direction of the court, Lin Yufeng immediately stood up to object.

"Objection has..."

"Your Honor, I have no further questions!"

Just as Judge Mi was about to speak, Zhang Wei preemptively ended his questioning.

After all, he had achieved his goal, and now it was up to Lin Yufeng to cross-examine his own people if he wished.

Naturally, Lin Yufeng wouldn’t cross-examine his own, especially since Supervisor Sun was still confused by Zhang Wei’s questioning and hadn’t snapped back to reality yet.

He gave the judge a meaningful glance, and the latter immediately understood.

"Court is adjourned for 15 minutes. Host, the floor is yours!"

After Judge Mi finished speaking, he hurriedly got up and left.

Zhang Wei watched Lin Yufeng anxiously reach out to the judge for help and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

The prosecution and defense left, the judge exited the stage, and the host stepped up.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the judge has announced a recess, which gives me the perfect opportunity to ask about your stance on this case."

"I want to know, are you currently siding with the plaintiff or the defendant? Those who support the deceased girl’s side, the plaintiffs, please raise your hand!"

Following the host’s question, out of the twelve jurors, ten raised their hands.

The host’s face changed slightly, as this result was very different from what was expected.

"So, may I ask, if you were to make a decision now, what do you think would be an appropriate amount of compensation?"

"I think 5 million!"

"5 million is too little, it should be 10 million!"

"I feel that even 20 million is not too much, the girl was only 16 years old!"

"So by that logic, 30 million isn’t too much either?"

"I think..."

"I..."

The jurors each expressed their opinions, and the host’s face grew more and more displeased.

If it weren’t for his professional composure to keep a smile on his face...

Backstage.

Director Zheng’s face was as black as a pot.

"Gentlemen, are these Young Master Lin’s tactics?"

He pointed to the jury on the screen, questioning the two people in front of him.

"Director Zheng, that was the plaintiff’s statement, which is why the jury is leaning toward the plaintiff. It’s all within expectations."

"Yes, Director Zheng, after our side presents, the situation will change!"

Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou hurriedly explained, but Director Zheng shook his head.

"The situation will change? They want me to pay 20 million, 30 million, while the actual plaintiff’s attorney, I mean the real plaintiff’s attorney, is only asking for 15 million!"

"Actually, I suspect you are deliberately acting, wanting me to agree to a settlement with the other side sooner so that you won’t have to go to court, right?"

Hearing Director Zheng’s words, Shen Zhengyi and Ren Xingzhou didn’t even know how to respond.

In their hearts, they were screaming injustice because the courtroom display was indeed Lin Yufeng’s true capability, with no fake performances at all.

In fact, they hadn’t foreseen Zhang Wei pulling such a move, pushing Lin Yufeng into such a dire situation.

Regrettably, all this couldn’t be said.

Otherwise, Director Zheng would definitely not sign with Lin Yufeng.

After all, if you’re getting beaten like this in a simulated trial, who knows how bad it’ll be in a real courtroom? I might as well have our company’s legal department head represent us, at least that way I’d have less to worry about.

Lin Yufeng, of course, didn’t know that he had already lost his stature in the client’s eyes.

He was now sitting in the corner of the lobby’s rest area, watching Zhang Wei with a gloomy expression.

Zhang Wei, on the other hand, felt his gaze and responded with a smile.

"Fuck!" Seeing that smile, Lin Yufeng cursed softly.

In the observers’ area, many people also didn’t expect the trial to take such a turn.

"See, cousin, I told you to wait and see, Zhang Wei certainly didn’t disappoint me."

"Too bad, in doing so, isn’t he offending Young Master Lin?"

"Offend him then, it’s just the right occasion to see how Zhang Wei will handle this!"

Bai Meiqi also started chatting with Bai Ruoyun.

As for their colleagues from the criminal division beside them, they were all visibly excited.

Because of Zhang Wei’s unexpected move, their side now had the upper hand.