Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 164 - 162: Clients with Different Intentions, What to Do About Overnight?

Chapter 164: Chapter 162: Clients with Different Intentions, What to Do About Overnight?

(Yesterday, the review stabbed me in the back, letting me know one thing: I cannot describe anything below the neck, not even the slightest bit, which is really annoying! I originally wanted to write some ambiguous scenes, but the review wouldn’t allow it, Author Germ emmm...)

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Tonghu Town.

Community center, activity room.

"Teacher Su is here!"

"Hello, Teacher Su!"

"Teacher Su Mei, you’ve arrived!"

When Su Mei entered the activity room, everyone inside became enthusiastic.

There were already three or four families in the activity room, each with at least three or four members, including men, women, children, and elders.

Su Mei taught in Tonghu Town and was the only foreign language teacher at the school, so she had a pretty good reputation among the locals.

At least when Zhang Wei and Jessica walked into the activity room, they could see many people nodding at Su Mei with a friendly attitude.

"Come, let me introduce you. You might remember her, Jessica, who lived at my home for a while. And this gentleman by her side is Lawyer Zhang from Dongfang Capital, who my daughter has sought to help us out!"

"Zhang Wei, Jessica, come meet my neighbors; they are..."

Su Mei began to introduce everyone, presenting Zhang Wei and Jessica to the several families, and also introduced the families to Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei naturally nodded to the people in the activity room.

However, his attitude was polite, but the attitudes of the several families in the room varied.

The men swept their gaze over him and then all turned their attention to Jessica.

The women did the same, their glance sweeping over Zhang Wei, perhaps lingering a bit longer, but then also turning to Jessica.

The men looked at Jessica with amazement and bewilderment, while the women looked at her with astonishment and caution.

"Hello uncles and aunties, I am Jessica. I was also here in Tonghu Town a few years ago; perhaps some of you still remember me..."

Jessica didn’t mind these reactions and smiled warmly at the crowd, greeting them very politely.

"Hello, hello!"

"Who would have thought that the little girl from Su Mei’s house has grown up so much!"

"Not at all, you were very pretty back then, who would’ve thought it’s only been a few years..."

"You can tell she’s someone who’s fought in the big city, completely different from the girls in our town..."

"Wife, why are you pinching me!"

Most of the people greeting Jessica were men, whose enthusiasm caused their wives to be quietly displeased, with some even using a sneaky trick when others weren’t paying attention.

While those with wives could be kept in check, it was different for those without wives.

Among these families, there were a few young men, all staring at Jessica with wide eyes, unblinkingly focused on her.

They all lived in the small town and had never seen a blonde beauty like Jessica before; their eyes were almost popping out.

"Lawyer Zhang, Jessica, please take a seat!"

Su Mei hurriedly called out for them to be seated.

Although Jessica didn’t mind the crowd, or rather the men’s gaze, she still extended her hand to hold onto Zhang Wei’s arm and joined the others in seating.

Zhang Wei felt the warmth from his arm and was slightly taken aback before he came to terms with it.

After all, it wasn’t the first time that Jessica had used him as a shield.

However, their small movement did not escape Su Mei’s notice.

There obviously had to be a reason for a top lawyer from Dongfang Capital to come to a small place like Tonghu Town, and to help them with their lawsuit without a fee.

She smiled subtly and couldn’t help but nod at Jessica and Zhang Wei.

All was understood without being spoken...

"Hey hey hey, Aunt Su, what’s with that look? Why does it feel weird?"

Zhang Wei noticed Su Mei’s gaze, but as the look had no hostility, he could only nod back in response.

Everyone seated themselves.

Before long, the last two families also arrived one after the other.

"Hello, Teacher Su!"

The two families were also polite to Su Mei, greeting her upon their arrival.

"Su Mei, where is the big-shot lawyer from Dongfang Capital?"

Among one of the families, a man with a pale complexion asked anxiously.

Zhang Wei noticed that this man did not greet Su Mei, and his attitude toward Su Mei was not friendly.

"Qiangzi, this is the guy, I’ll introduce him to you. His name is Zhang Wei, a top lawyer from Dongfang Capital!"

"Him, a young whippersnapper, a top lawyer?"

The man known as Qiangzi, named Wang Qiang, looked at Zhang Wei with eyes full of suspicion and mistrust.

He always felt that this Zhang Wei didn’t seem like a top lawyer.

Because he was too young, he plainly lacked experience.

In fact, it was not surprising for him to think this, as the other families also had strong doubts about Zhang Wei’s background.

A lawyer, after all, trades on age, the more mature you are, the more convincing you can be.

A young lawyer gives off a sense of distrust, while an older-looking lawyer can make people feel slightly more at ease.

Zhang Wei was the former.

His appearance and age, obviously, could not win the crowd.

Not only the man known as Qiangzi, but also his family members, as well as the other families in the activity room, were all very doubtful of Zhang Wei’s capabilities.

Zhang Wei didn’t bother explaining, he just sat down with Jessica.

Dealing with a bunch of people who didn’t trust him, no matter how he explained, would all seem like excuses in their eyes, and he had no time to waste fretting over this.

Wasn’t it better to sit with the great beauty beside him, Jessica, who was soft and fragrant, much better than these strangers in front of him?

Everyone took their seats.

Now, including Su Mei’s family, all six families were present.

In each of these six families, there was an elder who was seriously ill and not long for this world.

They were all clients looking to make a claim against the local large enterprise, Haofangzi Group.

After some chit-chat and mutual greetings, Su Mei finally got to business.

"Lawyer Zhang, please tell everyone what plan you have next?"

After all, none of those present were lawyers, and it was ultimately an opportunity for Su Mei to let Zhang Wei speak.

Under the somewhat distrusting gazes of the other five families, Zhang Wei could only slowly stand up.

"I believe that we should negotiate with Haofangzi Group. In this type of compensation case, the company should also offer a settlement. If everyone is satisfied with that condition, then there’s no need for us to take this to court."

"Hmph, I thought a top lawyer from Dongfang Capital would have some unique approach, but it turns out to be just this!"

Right after Zhang Wei gave his opinion, an inharmonious voice immediately sounded.

"Qiangzi, you..." Su Mei felt helpless; the person who had spoken was him again.

Qiangzi’s real name was Wang Qiang, called Qiangzi because they were all decades-long neighbors, hence the familiar nicknames.

"Su Mei, I’m just giving you face; any fool would let this kid be our lawyer!"

Wang Qiang was anything but polite, stopping just short of pointing at Zhang Wei’s nose and cursing.

"Neighbors, we’ve been neighbors for decades now, and all facing this situation. I’m not afraid to tell you, I don’t have many years left, so there’s nothing I’m afraid of, including offending people!"

"Haofangzi Group has caused us so much suffering, we must show them some color. Talking settlement with those crooked businessmen is a fool’s dream!"

Wang Qiang’s words not only failed to draw dissatisfaction from the others, but quite a few were in support.

Zhang Wei saw that, aside from Su Mei, people from the other families were involuntarily nodding their heads.

It seems they were not in favor of a settlement; they all wanted to teach the other party a lesson.

"So you’re not planning to settle, but are determined to seek justice in court?"

"Hmph, isn’t that obvious!"

Wang Qiang huffed coldly, his face full of disdain for Zhang Wei, "In my opinion, any lawyer in Jinying City can win this case, why bother going all the way to Dongfang Capital to find one!"

This last statement was clearly meant to leave no face for Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei felt angered and was about to say something, but his hand was grabbed by Jessica.

Her pair of blue eyes signaled to Zhang Wei, indicating that he should keep calm for now.

Taking the opportunity, Su Mei also stood up, "We’ve all tried finding local lawyers, haven’t we? When they hear the opponent is Haofangzi Group, how many are willing to help us?"

"The lawyers willing to fight for us either want to charge us a lot of legal fees, or they’re eyeing the settlement money, which one of them is sincerely willing to take our case to court?"

"And this Mr. Zhang, he doesn’t want money?"

Wang Qiang huffed again, hinting at Zhang Wei’s purpose.

"Don’t worry about Lawyer Zhang’s fees," reassured Su Mei.

Finally, Su Mei repeatedly assured everyone that the fees for Lawyer Zhang would be handled by her family, which slightly put the other households at ease.

However, Su Mei did not reveal that Zhang Wei was helping for free; it seemed she thought that not charging would make others even more suspicious.

After all, there’s an old saying: nothing comes for free.

"Hmph, since you, Su Mei, have said so, I’ll give you some face, but let me make it clear, if you want to settle with those people, I won’t do it!"

Wang Qiang huffed again before finally sitting back down.

"Settlement is just a means to an end. If this matter can be resolved through settlement, there’s no need to take it to court."

Zhang Wei spoke up while standing, "Ladies and gentlemen, let me give you an example. If the settlement payment is 5 million per family, and it addresses the environmental pollution issue, whereas after going to court, the court awards you 2 million each, do you think it’s better to settle or continue with the litigation process?"

"This..."

Hearing Zhang Wei’s words, the other families started to show some interest.

Zhang Wei did have a point; who would choose 2 million in court over a settlement of 5 million?

The simple truth is, the more money, the better for everyone.

"Hmph, you’re quite capable, making them pay us 5 million each?" Even Wang Qiang’s attitude seemed to soften a bit.

"All I can say is, it’s negotiable, and whether they’ll compensate or not will come from negotiations!"

Zhang Wei naturally wouldn’t speak with too much certainty. As for the outcome of the negotiation, even he wasn’t sure at this point.

"Hmph, wasting time!" Wang Qiang scoffed coldly, but he didn’t continue with his mockery.

Afterward, several families gathered to discuss some matters and each expressed their opinions on the amount of compensation.

Zhang Wei was by Jessica’s side, acting as an observer, watching the six families express their views.

He noticed that among the six families, three had no strong opinions, two were more radical, with Wang Qiang’s family being the most so.

Zhang Wei’s attention was mostly on observing Wang Qiang’s family.

As for Wang Qiang, he had never given Zhang Wei any respect from the start to the end.

Wang Qiang had a son named Wang Xiaowei, a young man in his twenties. From the moment he entered the room, his eyes were blatantly fixed on Jessica and never strayed away.

This left Zhang Wei speechless: were you here to help your father with the lawsuit or to ogle the girl?

Your father’s suffering from a terminal illness; do you not even care about your own father?

No matter what Zhang Wei thought, Wang Xiaowei never diverted his gaze, even showing dissatisfaction when he saw Jessica clinging to Zhang Wei’s arm.

Finally, the discussions among the six families ended.

Wang Xiaowei whispered something to Wang Qiang’s ear.

"It’s getting late now; everyone should go back and rest. Tomorrow, Lawyer Zhang will represent us and negotiate with Haofangzi Group first..."

Su Mei said, preparing to leave with her daughter Susan’s support.

It was then that Wang Qiang suddenly approached.

"Su Mei, you really should have. After all, when that little girl returned, you didn’t bother to introduce us properly."

"Right, this is my son Xiaowei, and he’s about the same age as your two daughters. Why not let them get to know each other more?"

"My Xiaowei, well, he is quite an eligible bachelor. He’s reached the age to start thinking about settling down. Why don’t you let your daughter here, try things out with our Xiaowei?"

Wang Qiang said, his gaze fixed intently on Su Mei.

Wang Xiaowei did the same, barely glancing at Su Mei and instead staring directly at Jessica.

"This..." Faced with the old neighbor’s "excessive" request, Su Mei was at a loss for words.

"Sorry, Uncle Wang, I have a boyfriend!"

Jessica was more direct, not only clinging to Zhang Wei’s arm but even leaning half of her body against him.

With this move, she made her position clear, signifying to Wang Qiang and Wang Xiaowei that their infatuation was misguided.

Wang Qiang’s expression stiffened, and Wang Xiaowei looked at Zhang Wei with eyes full of resentment.

The father and son had nothing more to say and could only leave angrily.

"Why do I end up being the shield again?" Zhang Wei shook his head, somewhat helplessly.

"Sorry, Zhang Wei, for making you the object of someone’s hostility again!"

"Don’t mind it; actually, I quite enjoy it!"

Feeling the warmth of the person by his side, Zhang Wei certainly didn’t mind.

Su Mei also witnessed this scene and returned home with her daughter Susan’s help.

"Lawyer Zhang, Jessica, are you staying over tonight?"

"Aunt Mei, we naturally will stay. I have a lot to discuss with you,"

"What about Lawyer Zhang?"

"I naturally have no objections; this case won’t be resolved quickly, and I will certainly be staying on," Zhang Wei had just agreed when he realized a problem.

Where was he to stay?

Tonghu Town was just a small place, with only a few hundred households, not even a hotel.

Su Mei’s home wasn’t large, probably not enough rooms either.

"Or, we could go back to Dongfang Capital..." Zhang Wei looked at Jessica.

"No need for such trouble!"

But Su Mei shook her head, looking at Jessica.

"Jessica, actually... there is another room on the second floor around the corner... cough cough..."

Su Mei coughed and, after catching her breath, said, "Ever since you left, that room has always been empty. I’ve kept it clean, just a quick tidy and it will be ready for someone to live in."

"It is... my room?"

Jessica understood; she had always lived in that room when she was there.

"Yeah, but well..."

Su Mei glanced at both Jessica and Zhang Wei, then said with a smile, "However, the house is only so big, so you two have to keep the noise down at night!"

Geez, who would’ve thought Su Mei, usually so serious, could suddenly crack such a flirtatious joke without even blushing.

Both Jessica and Zhang Wei were taken aback, then the former’s cheeks turned a deep red, while the latter scratched his head awkwardly.

"What’s the matter, aren’t you two boyfriend and girlfriend? Sharing a room shouldn’t be a problem, right?" Su Mei asked, looking at them puzzled.

"This... mainly, I don’t have a change of clothes, and if we were to stay for a few more days..."

"That’s not a problem, my husband still has some clothes left. Anyway, he’s been gone for so many years, and no one else wears them. I’ll go get them for you, you two can settle in today!" Su Mei said, and went to get clothes for Zhang Wei.

But there was only one room, probably with just one bed. How were the two of them going to spend the night?

"How about, I sleep on the sofa tonight..."

"That sofa was bought by Aunt Mei and Mr. Su when they got married, it’s already been over twenty years, and it’s about to fall apart just from sitting on it, definitely not suitable for you to sleep on overnight. Moreover, it’s only March, the temperature difference between day and night is significant. If you were to sleep outside, you could easily catch a cold," Jessica said, looking down slightly, "You are our representative lawyer, the upcoming negotiations and dealings all require your effort. If you fall sick, it wouldn’t be good for Aunt Mei and the others, so we can share a room tonight..."

The last sentence, she uttered in a voice as low as a mosquito’s buzz.

Clearly, the usually outgoing psychologist was also feeling a bit shy at this moment.

After all, sharing a room with a man, even though they pretended to be a couple in front of others, when it actually came down to it, it was a little bit... inevitable.

"Clothes are here!" Su Mei arrived with some clean clothes.

"Remember alright, sleep early at night, don’t ’work hard’ too late. You’re both young, you need to be disciplined..."

After handing the clothes to Zhang Wei, Su Mei winked at them both.

She wasn’t from Dragon Country and was quite open-minded about those kinds of things.

"By the way, Jessica, do you need to take a shower? I can boil water for you?"

"Thank you, Aunt Mei, but let me take care of boiling the water. You go rest, don’t worry about the room, Zhang Wei and I can handle it!" Jessica said, ushering Su Mei into her room.

After that, the two of them headed to the room around the corner on the second-floor hallway.

The room wasn’t big, just ten or so square meters, with a bed that was one and a half meters wide.

At the sight of the bed, Zhang Wei and Jessica exchanged glances.

This bed seemed a bit small, didn’t it? For two people to lie on it, wouldn’t it be a bit cramped?

"Don’t just stand there, help me make the bed..."

Jessica, with her head down, uttered somewhat shyly.

With no other choice, Zhang Wei picked up the bedding and started to make the bed.

This room might just be their abode for the next few days.

After a quick tidy up, the room was ready.

Now, the problem presented itself.

A lone man and woman, sharing a room.

And the person sharing a room with him was a blonde beauty, who excelled in both looks and figure; who could resist that, huh?

This night was likely to be very tough...