Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 172 - 170: Sudden Situation! Zhao Qingyan’s Doubts

Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Sudden Situation! Zhao Qingyan’s Doubts

Su Mei didn’t hate Haofangzi Group!

Even more so, she actually wanted to forgive them, to understand them!

This statement not only surprised Su Bancheng but also made the entire court feel puzzled.

The factory of Haofangzi Group was responsible for the death of your husband!

The environmental pollution they caused gave you cancer, leaving you with not much time to live.

With a family member dead and your own life shortly coming to an end, you still choose to forgive others?

Su Mei’s testimony was indeed too incredible.

Didn’t you see Su Bancheng was totally flustered, his old face utterly unable to hide his shock?

If it weren’t for 40 years of litigation experience telling him not to lose composure, he would have cursed in court.

Your story is just ridiculous!

Ridiculously absurd!

But was Su Mei really making up stories?

"Aunt Mei is truly a teacher, her ability to tell stories to children is first-class!"

From the plaintiff’s bench, Zhang Wei watched the "genuinely emotional" Su Mei and secretly praised her in his mind.

What he needed was impactful testimony!

Otherwise, how could he catch Su Bancheng off guard?

This tremendously impactful statement indeed had the effect he needed.

In the courtroom, Susan was the first to recover.

After all, she was facing her own mother, whom she had grown up listening to stories from, so she was used to it.

"Thank you, Ms. Su Mei, for your explanation; your generosity impresses even me!"

This time Susan was speaking the truth—she didn’t expect Su Mei would actually forgive Haofangzi Group.

Then, as if struck by a thought, she turned to look at the plaintiff’s bench, towards Zhang Wei’s direction.

She saw Zhang Wei opening his mouth and mouthing a few letters.

"D, O, G..."

"D, O, G?"

Susan was momentarily perplexed before realizing that the word ’dog’ was what these letters spelled out!

She immediately caught on, turned to Su Mei, and winked while mouthing the same lip shape.

"Dog?"

In Su Mei’s mind, the story Zhang Wei told her during the recess immediately flashed through.

"When the court resumes, watch for my cue to tell this story; listen well..."

These were Zhang Wei’s final instructions, and Su Mei had listened to them all.

She nodded at Susan, who immediately understood.

"Ms. Su Mei, I believe many people in the courtroom are puzzled by your statement. Is there anything else you would like to explain to us?"

"Of course!"

The mother and daughter coordinated seamlessly, and then Susan stepped back a few paces, giving the "stage" back to Su Mei.

On the witness stand, Su Mei took a deep breath, organized her thoughts for a moment, and then continued.

"Do you know, when Susan was little, my husband bought a small dog for the family, a common mutt. Though it looked dirty, Susan and I both loved it, and we made it a member of our family."

"The mutt grew under our care, and one day it suddenly ran out and bit a neighbor’s child!"

"At that moment, I panicked, but I knew one thing: my dog had done something wrong, and I needed to take responsibility!"

"I apologized to the bitten boy, and to his mother."

"I asked the boy what I could do for him. Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I find you a doctor? I’ll take care of the medical bills... That was my attitude at the time!"

Su Mei said this, and privately shook her head as if mocking herself, "But a principle that even I understand, my good neighbors don’t know, Haofangzi Group doesn’t know."

"I believe that some people in their upper management might not have known that toxic substances from the factory seeped into the water, or may have been unaware of the environmental pollution issue, but their actions baffle me."

Su Mei looked at Su Bancheng, at President Wu beside him, and at the representatives of Haofangzi Group in the front row of the audience.

"Their behavior is like warning others, even though your child has been bitten, even though there are bite marks on your child’s foot, you can’t prove those bite marks came from my dog, you can’t prove that dog is mine..."

This vivid analogy finally made some people understand.

On the jury bench, many changed their view of the defendant’s side.

They naturally understood Su Mei’s metaphor.

Haofangzi Group was like a good neighbor who, when their factory made a mistake, hurried to distance themselves and even denied responsibility.

Rather than proactively admitting fault and taking responsibility.

This evasive posture is truly hard for one to like.

It must be said, the story is vivid and graphic.

"Objection!"

But just when Susan and Su Mei were ready to continue their coordination, Su Bancheng stood up.

He naturally saw Su Mei’s storytelling ability and also discerned the intent behind the story just told.

Whether Su Mei actually had a dog was no longer important, and they certainly couldn’t investigate such a matter.

"Your Honor, Lawyer Su still hasn’t stated his grounds for objection~"

Su Bancheng jumped up, and Zhang Wei, not to be outdone, immediately interrupted the other party’s spell-casting.

The judge, left with no choice, could only look at Su Bancheng with a look of grievance.

Although you are a senior in the legal field, could you please give me some face?

You can object, but at least give a reason.

This is the second time I’ve been caught on the back foot by the opposing lawyer.

I’m the judge, I have to save face too!

"Lawyer Su, you..."

"Mommy—"

The judge had just opened his mouth when a cry of alarm erupted from the courtroom.

It was Susan’s voice; she interrupted the judge.

"Aunt Mei!"

In the witness stand, Jessica also stood up.

Because sitting on the witness stand, Su Mei’s nostrils began to bleed.

"Oh no, Aunt Mei’s body can’t withstand the pressure of the trial!"

Zhang Wei reacted first, rushing to the witness stand, picked up Su Mei, and while yelling, dashed towards the door.

"Jessica, call an ambulance, quick!"

Suddenly, the entire courtroom descended into chaos.

The judge was about to bang the gavel to order, but seeing Su Mei’s condition, he could not bring himself to do it.

After all, human life is paramount, saving a life is urgent!

Zhang Wei carried Su Mei out of the courtroom, with Susan and Jessica quickly following behind.

The other families from Tonghu Town also rushed out one by one, followed by some media reporters, and the courtroom was suddenly half empty.

The judge, looking at the empty witness stand and plaintiff’s bench, felt helpless.

Bang, bang, bang!

He struck the gavel, quieted the room, and then publically announced.

"Considering the physical condition of the plaintiff’s witness, the court finds her unfit to participate in the subsequent cross-examination. As for her testimony given earlier..."

At this point, the judge hesitated, then looked at the media in the audience.

"Her previous testimony will be accurately recorded by the court reporter, all of which will be considered valid evidence!"

"Due to the special circumstances just now, the court declares a temporary adjournment. The next session will be set for next Monday at 9 a.m. The court is now dismissed!"

This was inevitable; with the plaintiff and witness gone, how could the trial continue?

Only an adjournment was possible; it was unavoidable.

As the media reporters left one after another, the courtroom began to empty.

The plaintiff’s side had already left, and the people in the defendant’s bench also began to stand up and leave.

However, Su Bancheng remained seated, his expression dark and terrifying.

He silently lamented the missed opportunity because next was his turn to cross-examine Su Mei. He was confident he could overwhelm her with countless questions, forcing her into an embarrassing retreat in front of the jury.

Once that happened, the plaintiff’s case presentation would inevitably have to end.

The next step would be their defense stage, where they could deploy dozens of expert witnesses and drown the jury with stacks of documents and reports, convincing them the factory had caused no pollution!

Unfortunately, all of this was now temporarily out of reach.

Due to Su Mei’s health condition, the trial had to be interrupted.

"That witness is indeed a powerful storyteller, but you only get one chance like that. Next, it’s my move. I will defeat you, this little devil from Dongfang Capital. The victory will be mine, Su Bancheng’s!"

Su Bancheng harrumphed, grasping his cane and, surrounded by his subordinates, left the courtroom.

...

Taoyuan District.

Public Hospital, intensive care unit.

"The patient’s condition is not optimistic. Although she is taking targeted drugs, the deterioration of her organs is irreversible. The only thing we can do is to use medication and treatment to suppress the spread of cancer cells..."

The doctor was explaining the situation to Susan and Zhang Wei, while Jessica sat in the accompanying seat, keeping watch over Su Mei.

Before long, Zhang Wei and another person also came to the bedside.

"Zhang Wei, I’m sorry, something went wrong during the testimony..."

Su Mei’s condition had improved slightly, and she apologized to Zhang Wei.

"Aunt Mei, although it’s somewhat unethical for me to say this, your condition actually helped me. The moment you had a nosebleed actually increased my side’s chances of winning!"

"If I’m not mistaken, many on the jury, having heard your story and seen your condition, will feel sympathy for you. It’s just unfortunate that for the upcoming court sessions, you probably won’t be able to attend..."

Zhang Wei, although helpless, didn’t press Su Mei.

After all, she was an elder and her health was important.

He would not, in the interest of garnering sympathy from the jury, make Su Mei attend court while ill. That would be too inhumane.

"Is it a pity? Actually, I could still hold on a bit longer..."

"Aunt Mei, you can’t joke with your life. As a former doctor, I won’t allow you to do this, and your body can’t support it!"

Jessica quickly intervened, being a doctor herself, she could naturally tell the seriousness of Su Mei’s condition.

Su Mei’s illness was severe, and even with the persistent use of targeted drugs, it could only be suppressed, not cured.

To completely remove the cancerous tissue, one would need to replace the diseased organ.

"Jessica, perhaps we should contact Uncle Zhao!"

In the end, it was Zhang Wei who spoke up.

Concerning Su Mei’s situation, the only solution Zhang Wei could think of involved Zhao Qingyan and Blacksmith Technology.

In the previous Chengyi Insurance case, Yao Liting urgently needed a liver, and in the end, it was Zhao Qingyan who stepped in and provided an opportunity to resolve the issue.

The situation with Su Mei was similar; suitable organs were hard to come by, but Blacksmith Technology had many artificial organs available that could be used as replacements.

"Right, we also have Mr. Zhao’s support!"

It was then that Jessica remembered the resources Zhao Qingyan had.

"I’ll make the call!"

Zhang Wei signaled Jessica to keep watching over Su Mei while he stepped out of the ward and dialed Zhao Qingyan’s number.

A moment later, the call connected.

"Hello, Zhang, how come you have time to call Uncle Zhao?"

"Uncle Zhao, I wanted to ask about that project you mentioned last time. Are there any spots left?"

"The one with Yao Liting?"

"Yes, this time Jessica and I came to Tonghu Town in Jinying City because her relative has cancer due to certain reasons and urgently needs to replace a diseased organ..."

Zhang Wei explained Su Mei’s situation over the phone.

Although Zhao Qingyan had mentioned that it was a confidential project, Zhang Wei didn’t reveal too much to Jessica, only mentioning that Zhao Qingyan had a solution.

On the other end, Zhao Qingyan had also listened to Zhang Wei’s description and showed a hint of confusion.

"You mean, the processing plant under Haofangzi Group uses trichloroethylene as a combustion aid, and this has contaminated the water sources near Tonghu Town?"

"Yes, Uncle Zhao, that’s the case I’m assisting with right now. Why do you sound so shocked?"

"That’s strange. I’ve discussed several projects with President Wu. Most of our office furniture at Blacksmith Technology is purchased from their enterprise, many of which are specially customized. We’ve also helped them develop systems for processing and for subsequent pollution detection. There shouldn’t be any issues, ideally?"

"Uncle Zhao, do you have a cooperation with Haofangzi Group?"

"Of course, they are the largest furniture manufacturer and wholesaler in Jinying City. It’s not surprising that they work with Blacksmith Technology, right?"

After a pause, Zhao Qingyan suddenly asked from the other end of the phone: "Zhang, are you sure the source of the pollution is the processing plant in Tonghu Town?"

"Absolutely, I even went there to see for myself once. Their discharge pipes are very close to the water source of Tonghu Town..."

"Then I understand. There must be a problem with someone under President Wu. It’s highly likely that he himself is unaware. I can help with this!"

"Uncle Zhao, I’m not contacting you about the case. Actually, I’m quite confident of getting a settlement, and the court’s current trend is leaning towards us too. I’m contacting you for Jessica’s relative’s issue..."

"How about this, I’ll come over tomorrow. Send me your location!"

After speaking, Zhao Qingyan hung up the call without giving Zhang Wei a chance to ask further.

"This..."

Zhang Wei was baffled.

Had Old Zhao agreed about Su Mei’s situation, or not?

Zhang Wei couldn’t guess. He knew Blacksmith Technology was impressive, but he also knew technology wasn’t all-powerful. Perhaps Zhao Qingyan really couldn’t resolve the issue.

But the other party had said they would come over, which at least showed a willingness to help.

Zhang Wei returned to the ward and told Jessica about Zhao Qingyan’s response.

"Then I’m relieved. If Mr. Zhao is willing to help, there should be no problem!"

Compared to Zhang Wei’s uncertainty, Jessica breathed a sigh of relief.

Clearly, she had a lot of confidence in Zhao Qingyan.

After spending half the day with Su Mei at the hospital, Jessica and Zhang Wei prepared to go back to rest.

As for Susan, as her daughter, she insisted on staying by Su Mei’s side, so naturally, the two had no reason to object.

In the afternoon, they also received a notice to continue the trial next Monday, thankfully, there were still two days of rest over the weekend.

...

In the evening, at Su Mei’s home.

After making dinner for Jessica, they ate and went back to their rooms to rest.

This time, because Susan was staying in the hospital, the two finally didn’t have to continue sharing a bed.

But at night, Zhang Wei, lying alone in his room, couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.

Maybe it was because he was missing something to "grab onto" at his side?

Knock, knock...

A faint knocking sound came.

"Zhang Wei, are you asleep?"

"Not yet..."

Zhang Wei replied and heard the door creak open.

Then a voluptuous figure in a bathrobe walked in.

With the aid of the faint moonlight, Zhang Wei could see the person’s voluptuous and perky figure, and the golden hair that shimmered weakly in the moonlight.

Jessica walked to the side of the bed, without any hesitation, and slipped into the blankets as if she knew her way.

Then, Zhang Wei felt a fragrant body lean against his own.

"Jessica, you!"

"There’s been so much going on these past few days; I’m a bit flustered and just can’t fall asleep alone..."

Isn’t that the same as himself?

What does that mean, it means that having something on your mind can keep you from sleeping!

This explanation was sufficient.

Zhang Wei initially resisted a bit, but the bedside person’s reason was sound, and so he readily accepted it.

Feeling the two familiar softnesses... pressed tightly against his chest, that slight suffocating pressure, he internally cried out, this is trouble.

To make himself a bit more comfortable, he had no choice but to slightly turn his body, maintaining the tacit position they had for the past few days.

One on the inside, the other on the outside.

Lying next to such a woman would be tempting for anyone; Zhang Wei had no choice but to turn his back on Jessica.

Since they had matters to deal with tomorrow, and Zhao Qingyan might come, both forced themselves to try to fall asleep.

As Zhang Wei was enduring, he felt a hand trail along his waist to his chest.

And once again, he felt that slightly resilient pressure against his back.

Zhang Wei knew Jessica had fallen asleep and thus needed to hug something, and Zhang Wei had become a "temporary pillow."

His nape could feel the faint breathing, tickly and itching, causing his heart to itch as well.

This is serious trouble, too much trouble!

There was a moment when Zhang Wei considered turning around, embracing the woman behind him tightly, and then fiercely...

But reason told him that if he did that, then his friendship with Jessica would come to an end.

Although she sought his help and asked him to come to Tonghu Town to assist Su Mei,

If Zhang Wei used this to coerce her into compliance, although he might have the chance for a moment of pleasure, he would become a beast, a despicable person.

And...

If Jessica could not endure it and happened to let slip about being bullied by him, it could not be guaranteed that it wouldn’t inform a certain Simple-minded person.

Keep in mind, Jessica and Xia Qianyue, they are in a chat group together!

Thinking of Xia Hanhan’s uprightness, her hate for evil, and her terrifying strength, Zhang Wei felt any spark of desire within him extinguished.

It’s not that I don’t want to be a beast; it’s that the price is too high, with even a risk to my life.

He certainly didn’t want to return to Dongfang Capital only to be "executed in the name of justice" by a certain Simple-minded person.

After convincing himself with this reason, Zhang Wei forced himself to sleep as soon as possible.

After all, tomorrow he still had to prepare to meet Old Zhao.

And he didn’t know what Old Zhao would do after arriving.