Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 165 - 163: Drafting the Contract, Opponent is the City’s Top Lawyer?

Chapter 165: Chapter 163: Drafting the Contract, Opponent is the City’s Top Lawyer?

The next day, in the morning.

Zhang Wei gradually woke up.

A hint of crisp fragrance flowed into his nostrils, the scent of a woman’s body.

Zhang Wei reached out his hand, but unfortunately grasped at nothing.

Jessica was already up.

Thinking of last night, Zhang Wei sighed and quickly got out of bed.

Last night, to alleviate the awkwardness, he spent the whole evening looking at case files.

By the wee hours, as sleepiness surged, and he could no longer resist the urge to sleep, Jessica was already fast asleep.

As a result, he had to lie down by the bed as quietly as possible, then facing away from the person beside him, he finally dozed off in a daze.

Although the two of them did share a bed for the night, nothing happened.

Zhang Wei was very restrained, not daring to turn around all night for fear of losing control...

Fortunately, his willpower paid off.

When Zhang Wei went downstairs, he saw Jessica, dressed in home clothes and wearing an apron, preparing breakfast in the kitchen like a dutiful wife.

"Scrambled eggs?"

Looking at Jessica holding a whisk and stirring non-stop, Zhang Wei sniffed the aroma wafting from the kitchen and smiled slightly.

"Yes, I can’t make any complicated breakfasts, and I don’t have your chef skills, Zhang. Still, I can manage a simple meal. Go to the backyard and freshen up. I’ve prepared a toothbrush for you; it’s on the table."

"Okay, thank you!"

Zhang Wei picked up the toothbrush from the table and headed straight for the backyard.

There was a well in the backyard, and he drew a bucket of water to start brushing his teeth and washing up.

Finally, he splashed his face with water, and under the stimulation of the ice-cold well water, his spirit was instantly rejuvenated.

By the time he returned to the kitchen, Su Mei and Susan were also up.

They were surprised by Jessica’s diligence, and the way they looked at Zhang Wei and Jessica also changed slightly.

"How did you two sleep last night? Wasn’t the bed a bit cramped?"

"Uh..."

At Su Mei’s question, both Zhang Wei and Jessica felt a bit embarrassed.

The bed was indeed cramped. With a one-and-a-half-meter-wide bed, it was inevitable for two people to have a lot of physical contact.

Although Zhang Wei had tried his best to stay calm, the soft sensations his body felt made him quite uncomfortable.

If it weren’t for the overwhelming tiredness at the end, beating his will to stay awake, he reckoned he wouldn’t have been able to sleep all night.

"Last night, we slept pretty well..."

Jessica whispered in reply and then quickly served the prepared breakfast, changing the subject, "Aunt Mei, Susan, and Zhang, come and taste the breakfast I made."

The morning was pleasantly spent over breakfast.

Then it was time for business.

"Mom, I’m taking Zhang Wei with me to my office to get some documents. Remember to come over later to sign the contract!"

"Oh, okay, I’ll contact Qiangzi and the others in a bit. You guys go ahead!"

Susan informed Su Mei and left with Zhang Wei and the others.

Her office was also in town, not far from the town’s activity room, right at the crossroads in the center of town, next door to the town’s market.

Tonghu Town wasn’t big, but it was the trade center for several nearby villages, so it was quite bustling early in the morning, with some villagers bringing vegetables they had grown to sell here.

Susan’s community office was actually just a few dozen square meters.

Inside were two office desks, one empty, the other with a computer and some scattered documents on it. This must be Susan’s spot.

"Originally, our community office had two lawyers stationed here. Lawyer Huang is also from Tonghu Town, but he has not been in good health these past few years and finally decided to retire. A few days ago, he packed up and went to the city to find his son. Now, it’s just me responsible for everything here."

Susan explained, went to her desk, and began to sort the documents.

Jessica hurriedly went to help, while Zhang Wei walked around the office, noticing many piled-up files.

The content was varied but consisted of many trivial matters and feedback letters from nearby villagers.

A community office lawyer basically serves as a public defense attorney, providing legal assistance to the townspeople and nearby villagers, with a salary almost entirely dependent on funding from the financial bureau.

However, unlike the public defense attorney Zhang Wei had once served as, who dealt with criminal cases, a community office lawyer deals with many civil disputes, such as marital issues, debt evasion, inheritance issues, and the like.

These tasks were neither difficult nor interesting, and if not handled well, they could easily lead to disdain.

If Susan hadn’t grown up here, an average lawyer really wouldn’t have the patience to stay in a town of just a few hundred households.

"Hello, Teacher Su!"

"Miss Su Mei, are you busy?"

Before long, a series of greeting sounds came from outside the office, and Zhang Wei knew that Su Mei had arrived.

Su Mei was quite popular in the town, and many people greeted her.

Su Mei arrived, bringing the other five families with her.

Of course, this included Wang Qiang, who was hostile towards Zhang Wei.

However, this time, it was the five victims who came, not their families.

Everyone entered the office, and Susan quickly borrowed some plastic chairs from the neighboring restaurant for them to sit on.

Next was the issue of the representation contract.

"How should we sign this contract, and about this lawyer’s fee, you’ll need to clarify that for us. We don’t want to end up spending all our energy and money only to get no benefits, not to mention having to pay a lot of unjustified money!"

It was Wang Qiang again, looking at Zhang Wei with ill intent, as if the words "I don’t trust you and don’t want to pay legal fees" were written all over his face.

"This..."

Mother and daughter, Su Mei and Susan, were both a bit helpless—you’re being too impolite, Wang Qiang; at least give Lawyer Zhang some face.

"Lawyer Zhang told me that he..."

"We can sign a contingency fee agreement, and I’ll only collect my lawyer’s fee if we get the compensation!"

Susan was just about to explain, but Zhang Wei directly interrupted her.

As for Wang Qiang and the others who didn’t trust him, Zhang Wei wouldn’t be so polite.

He held up a finger and emphasized, "If I can’t help you get the compensation, or if the amount isn’t satisfactory to you, then I won’t charge a penny for my fee."

"But if I do help you get a satisfactory compensation, not only will I collect a fee, but it won’t be cheap either!"

"Hmph, you want to charge us before the job is done?"

"Do you expect me to bargain with you after the job is done? I don’t have the time or energy for that," Zhang Wei pushed back against Wang Qiang’s sarcasm without giving an inch.

After all, whether or not to take up this group’s lawsuit was up to him; he could just go back to Dongfang Capital if it came down to it.

If not for Jessica’s sake, he wouldn’t have come to Tonghu Town to put up with this in the first place.

"I need to make one thing clear; although there are six families here, it makes no difference to me, whether it’s five or six. If your Wang family doesn’t want to hire me as your lawyer, then I’ll represent the other five and you can find your own lawyer and sue Haofangzi Group yourself!"

"I came to Tonghu Town to give Aunt Su Mei face, not you, Wang Qiang. Back in Dongfang Capital, I secured compensation of 27 million for someone and made 3 million in just one month of fees. Do you think I care about your opinions?"

Zhang Wei spoke with confidence.

million in compensation, he had secured that figure from Mo Mingchuan for Lin Yumeng.

An original claim of 15 million had been negotiated down to 5 million, saving the client 10 million, which became a part of his performance, earning him a commission of 3 million.

Now, why should I, Zhang Wei, bother with just a little lawyer’s fee here in Tonghu Town, taking flak from you people?

I could simply go back where there are plenty of clients willing to pay promptly.

As expected, once Zhang Wei mentioned the 27 million in compensation and the monthly lawyer’s fee of 3 million, many in the office were shocked.

Even mother and daughter, Susan and Su Mei, were left with their mouths agape in astonishment.

Susan, who made just a few thousand a month, and Su Mei, who had been teaching all her life, earning from a few hundred to a few thousand, had never imagined Zhang Wei could earn 3 million in lawyer’s fees in a month.

That amount of money was astronomical to them.

Only Jessica remained composed, as her consultation fees were not low to begin with, and her clients included senior lawyers and famous entrepreneurs, so her reaction was exceptionally calm.

Seeing that the figures he called out had awed everyone, including Wang Qiang, Zhang Wei then continued, "Good, let’s now talk about the contract. I hope everyone can express their opinions so I can understand your goals better."

Zhang Wei began to clarify the situation to everyone.

The amount of compensation was also gradually established through the discussions of the group.

In the end, the contract was finalized by Susan, and the amount of the claim was quickly agreed upon.

"Finally, let me clarify that if the compensation is below 1 million, we won’t receive a cent; otherwise, we’ll take 15%. If the amount exceeds 3 million, we’ll take 30% for the lawyer’s fee, and if it exceeds 5 million, we’ll take 50% of the fee!"

"Remember, it’s per household, and you have to secure that amount for each of us!" Wang Qiang once again made his presence felt.

When it came to money, his stance was clear: every penny had to be counted.

"Your request is fine, but I’d like to add a supplementary clause as well," if you decide to give up midway through, I won’t charge you any attorney fees and I won’t ask for a penalty for breach of contract. But if we win the case in the end, don’t expect to receive a single cent of the compensation!"

After explaining, Zhang Wei added a supplementary clause to the contract.

None of the families had any objections, and Wang Qiang hesitated for a moment but did not raise any opposition.

In the end, everyone reached a consensus, and Zhang Wei had Susan sign the contract.

With the contract signing complete, it was a full power of attorney agreement, which was Zhang Wei’s request to avoid many hassles.

After sending off the group, Su Mei and Susan returned to the office.

"Lawyer Zhang, why are you transferring the attorney fees to my daughter’s account?"

"Because attorneys get a commission, we can only take 30% of the total amount. I don’t want to do it under the name of Jincheng, and since the case is originally Susan’s responsibility, it’s reasonable to transfer the fees to her account!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei looked at Susan, "Right, you will be the chief attorney for this case, and I will assist you. How does that sound?"

"Me?" Susan pointed at herself, looking baffled.

She was eager to go to court, but the pressure of such an important case was immense.

"If I were the chief attorney, Jincheng would be notified that I took the case, and we wouldn’t be able to handle the attorney fees that way. So I can only act as a consultant, but rest assured, I will give you advice when necessary!"

Zhang Wei instructed Susan to take care of the contract and then began planning for the afternoon.

Now that the contract issue was settled, the next step was to feel out the opponent’s intentions.

"Let’s go to Haofangzi Group, it’s time to gauge the enemy’s details!"

...

Jinying City, Taoyuan District.

Even though the source of the environmental pollution was at the furniture factories near Tonghu Town,

Zhang Wei knew that trying to negotiate with the factory manager there would be fruitless and may even result in a cold reception.

Even if they did find the factory manager, after a round of wrangling, they could easily be dismissed with a statement like "I’m not the decision maker, this has to be decided by headquarters."

Therefore, Zhang Wei decided to skip the intermediaries and go straight to those in charge.

Haofangzi Group, headquarters building.

When Zhang Wei arrived at the reception of the headquarters building with Jessica and Susan, stating their purpose, they were arranged to wait in the lobby.

Then 30 minutes passed.

"How long do we have to wait?" Susan checked her watch several times, looking helpless.

Jessica took out her phone and was chatting with someone, smiling occasionally.

Zhang Wei also sat calmly, waving his hand as if he had expected this, "Big corporations are like that. Knowing we’re here with bad intentions, they’ll definitely leave us hanging to dampen our spirit!

If you think a bunch of capitalists will treat enemies with warm smiles and serve fine wine and tea, then you’re seriously mistaken."

Another half-hour passed before the receptionist finally notified Zhang Wei and his party.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, the president has finished up with his affairs, and Lawyer Su is also available. I’ll lead you up now!"

Zhang Wei and his group followed the receptionist to the elevator and headed directly for a high-floor meeting room.

"Lawyer Su?" Zhang Wei looked at Susan.

Well, the opposing counsel turns out to be one of your own?

"There are many people surnamed Su in Jinying City, I’m not sure..." Susan shook her head.

"Lawyer Su, of course, is Lawyer Su Bancheng. He is Haofangzi Group’s specially appointed legal consultant, ranked the number one lawyer in Jinying City!"

Fortunately, while taking the elevator, the receptionist clarified it for Zhang Wei and the others.

"Su Bancheng, I didn’t expect it to be him!"

Zhang Wei had heard this name even in Dongfang Capital.

The law firm where Su Bancheng worked was ranked number one in Jinying City and had over a thousand employees. Even in Dongfang Capital, that was considered a top law firm.

Su Bancheng was the most senior attorney in Jinying City, the Chairman of the Lawyers’ Association, with over 40 years of practice in both practical and theoretical law, a senior to people like Zhang Wei.

As expected, hearing that the opponent was Su Bancheng made Susan panic, her legs becoming wobbly.

In the end, it was Jessica who was quick to support her.

Her reaction also brought a mocking glint to the receptionist’s eyes.

Intimidated by the name of great Lawyer Su before the battle even began, you want to fight against our company? That’s laughable!

After a short walk, they arrived at the meeting room.

"President, Lawyer Su, they’ve arrived!"

After the receptionist announced their arrival, she opened the door to the meeting room for Zhang Wei and his two companions.

As they walked into the meeting room, a series of sharp glances swept over them, exerting a piercing pressure akin to a thousand arrows shooting through one’s heart.

Susan’s legs were not very steady, but Zhang Wei entered the meeting room with an unperturbed expression on his face.

Jessica also helped Susan and followed them in.

Inside the meeting room.

Zhang Wei’s gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the person seated to the right in the center.

"So this is Lawyer Su, full of presence, experienced, and still quite composed. Barely fits the title of ’great lawyer’!"

This was the first time Zhang Wei had given such high praise to someone, and this person was indeed worthy of it.

Because this was Su Bancheng.

Although he was already 65 years old, his vigor was still abundant, with eyes sharp as an eagle, his gaze like a poisoned dagger, seemingly intent on piercing through Zhang Wei’s chest.

"Lawyer Su, there’s no need to scrutinize us like that, your look feels like you’re about to kill someone!"

Zhang Wei ignored the other’s sharp gaze, found a seat opposite Su Bancheng, and sat down. Jessica and Susan quickly followed suit.

Su Bancheng was somewhat surprised to see Zhang Wei calmly take a seat.

This young man in front of him looked quite young, yet he could behave so calmly and collectedly in his presence, surely he was no ordinary person.

"Oh, I haven’t seen you before, you’re not a lawyer from our city, are you?"

"Correct, I’m from the east!"

"The east, Dongfang Capital?"

"Dongfang Capital, Lawyer Zhang Wei from Jincheng Law Firm’s Criminal Division!"

Hearing Zhang Wei introducing himself, Su Bancheng was slightly taken aback.

Jincheng Law Firm, but what’s this Criminal Division about?

Their case should be a civil lawsuit, right? How did it get connected to the Criminal Division?

Su Bancheng had fought countless legal battles in his lifetime but still could not understand the significance of Zhang Wei, a criminal lawyer, appearing here.

"Rest assured, Lawyer Su, I’m just a consultant for this case. This is your real opponent!"

Saying this, Zhang Wei hurriedly introduced Susan, who was beside him.

"Lawyer Su... hello, my name is Susan, my last name is also Su, I..."

Poor Susan, she couldn’t even speak properly in front of Su Bancheng.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but step in, as his teammate was not being very helpful.

"Haha, nice to meet you, Lawyer Su. We are representatives from Tonghu Town. We’ve come today to discuss with your esteemed company the issue of environmental pollution caused by the factory you’ve established in Tonghu Town."

Upon hearing this, Su Bancheng and the president beside him exchanged glances.

The president did not speak, but instead, one of his subordinates suddenly stood up.

"Our factory has an internal safety monitoring and pollution response department. The standards we follow are the highest set by the environmental agency. I can tell you emphatically that our factory will not cause any pollution. Your allegations are completely unfounded and troublesome!"

Zhang Wei saw the other party’s aggression and simply smiled lightly.

"Standards are one thing, implementation is another. Even if, as you claim, the standards are strictly enforced, with a factory of such size, it’s hard to ensure that there won’t be oversights, rule violations, or uncontrollable leaks. Discovering a problem is one thing, but causing pollution is another matter entirely."

"According to my knowledge, Haofangzi Group has 7 processing plants in Jinying City. All of you are top executives of the headquarters. Surely, you can’t inspect the plants daily. What if there really are oversights? Do you dare guarantee that all processing plants are problem-free?"

"This..."

Zhang Wei’s counterquestion left the subordinate at a loss for words.

"So, are you very confident that you can win?"

Finally, the president who had been silent until now spoke up, albeit with a hint of arrogance in his tone.

Zhang Wei was still smiling, "Today, we came with sincerity. I believe Haofangzi Group would not want the issue of pollution in Tonghu Town to become widely known, would they?"

The words were polite, but there was a subtle threat inherent in the statement.

The president’s pupils constricted slightly, and Su Bancheng, who was beside him, narrowed his eyes further.

He realized that this young man in front of him indeed had some skills.

At the very least, the ability and composure he demonstrated in conversation were not something an ordinary person could possess.