Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 221 - 220: Father-in-law Conceals, Eldest Brother-in-law Causes Trouble?

Chapter 221: Chapter 220: Father-in-law Conceals, Eldest Brother-in-law Causes Trouble?

Zhang Wei didn’t know.

Today, Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai were neither busy nor working overtime.

In fact, they weren’t even at their unit.

The couple had both taken the day off and had now come to Chengbei District, to a place Zhang Wei was familiar with.

Qingmu Law Firm.

Upstairs, in the decision-maker’s office.

At this moment, four people were sitting in this nicely decorated office.

Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua, husband and wife, Zhao Xiaoxiao’s Auntie Li Qinghe, and Li Qingmu, the decision-maker of Qingmu Law Firm.

All three Li siblings were present, along with Xia Donghai.

As for Zhang Wei’s uncle-in-law, Wang Dayang, he was sitting outside waiting. Being the son-in-law on the doorstep, he didn’t have the right to join the conversation.

"Sister, brother, about Xia Qianjun’s issue..."

As soon as Li Qinghua sat down, she couldn’t help but speak up.

Although she really disliked coming to Qingmu, because every time she visited, she would be lectured by Li Qinghe.

But this time was different from a casual visit; her son had recently been entangled in a lawsuit, and she had no choice but to seek help from Qingmu.

She was also thankful that her family owned the law firm; Li Qinghua wasn’t worried that no one would take her son’s case.

"Sister, what’s the deal with Xia Qianjun? Committing the outrageous act of indecent assault in public—he actually did something like that?"

"I said it back then; we shouldn’t have let him join the War Department. He’s been gone for ten years. That place is full of boys, I bet the kid’s gone crazy, huh?"

Li Qinghe, though somewhat restrained, still muttered a complaint.

Xia Qianjun’s actions brought shame not only to himself but also to her as an elder.

Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua’s expressions also turned ugly.

Despite Li Qinghe’s sarcastic comments being irritating, they also felt that they really shouldn’t have allowed Xia Qianjun to join the War Department in the first place.

If they had firmly disagreed at the time, Xia Qianjun might have gotten married by now. How could there be such troubles now?

"Qinghe, don’t start yet!"

Li Qingmu, who had been silent before, then also rubbed his forehead.

"Qinghua, what do you think of this case? Has Xia Qianjun told you anything?"

"Brother, I don’t know anything. Xia Qianjun just called me, said he was accused by a girl of harassment and assault, and then..."

And then she, along with Xia Donghai, had come to Chengbei District to seek help from her own family.

"So you’re saying, you don’t know the details of the case?"

Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua both shook their heads.

Li Qingmu’s already furrowed brows deepened even further, forming a worried "Sichuan" character.

The case wasn’t a big deal, but it wasn’t small either.

In a trivial sense, it was a common civil dispute where Xia Qianjun might have had some physical contact with the girl, and she felt that he was attempting to harass her.

Usually, in such cases, an apology and admission of fault by the male party could end the matter.

But the problem lay in Xia Qianjun’s identity. He was a retired member of the War Department and currently a part of the Martial Association Special Combat Team.

That meant he was an officer of Dragon Country’s law enforcement, and any mistake by such a person could spark a much larger issue.

"What about Xia Qianjun himself, as one of the parties involved? What does he have to say?"

"It seems Xia Qianjun has been held in confinement by the Special Combat Team. If you want to visit him, you need an approved application. Old Xia and I were going to go, but he said to first come here to discuss with you all..."

As Li Qinghua spoke, she glanced towards her elder brother.

The girl’s side had already made it clear they intended to sue and even prosecute Xia Qianjun.

To resolve the incident, they would need a lawyer to represent them.

The most reliable and capable person to litigate at Qingmu Law Firm was her big brother, Li Qingmu.

"Understood. We at Qingmu will follow up on Xia Qianjun’s matter. If necessary, I can personally act as Xia Qianjun’s lawyer!"

Seeing that his sister had personally come, Li Qingmu naturally showed his stance.

After all, it was his nephew, and family needed to look out for each other, didn’t they?

"Thank you so much, big brother!"

Upon hearing Li Qingmu’s agreement, the worried expressions on Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai’s faces dissipated, finally revealing a hint of a smile.

These past few days, they had been so troubled by Xia Qianjun’s issues that they couldn’t eat or sleep.

Now, with Li Qingmu stepping in, things would be easier.

At least, their elder brother would surely not let Xia Qianjun be wronged.

Li Qingmu nodded, then prepared to summon his secretary to come in and help gather information about the case.

However, he paused and then asked, "By the way, does Zhang Wei know about Xia Qianjun’s case?"

The mention of "Zhang Wei" caused the atmosphere in the office to grow silent for a moment.

The Li siblings were all too familiar with that name.

Li Qinghua wore an embarrassed expression, Li Qinghe gritted her teeth in anger, and even Li Qingmu developed a headache at the mere mention of that name, his heart filled with silent resentment.

That kid had once disrupted their Qingmu rise to power plan; it was infuriating.

What’s worse, that kid was their third sister’s son-in-law, technically one of their own.

Being slapped in the face by one of their own and unable to seek revenge.

Was there anything more helpless than this?

It was said that not too long ago, Li Qinghe went to find Li Qinghua, only to be likewise dealt with by that kid.

Anyway, Zhang Wei was their Li family’s nemesis.

The Li family seemed to never get the better of Zhang Wei.

"Zhang Wei..."

Li Qinghua’s mouth twitched at the thought of that headache-inducing fellow, and she just...

"I haven’t notified him about this matter; I haven’t seen him much recently either."

"Isn’t that so? You’ve not been living together? Isn’t the Dongjiang Yipin apartment his?"

"It is his, but he still lives in the rented apartment."

"How is that possible, leaving a good apartment empty and instead renting somewhere else?"

Li Qinghe paused, somewhat unable to understand Zhang Wei.

Ditching a house worth hundreds of millions to rent somewhere, could there be some compelling reason he had to live outside?

"In short, this matter is our family affair; let’s not notify that kid. He..."

Li Qinghua opened her mouth to speak, but abruptly held back the words at the tip of her tongue.

After all, he was her son-in-law; it was better not to speak ill of him in front of the family.

"Well then... I’ll leave everything to Big Brother!"

Li Qingmu nodded, deciding to take on the case.

However, he needed to find out who the opponent was this time?

The woman was now accusing Xia Qianjun of indecency, which would generally fall under civil litigation, but if the situation was serious, it could constitute the crime of lewdness, thus becoming a criminal case.

Once it turned into a criminal case, the prosecution would be handled by the Procuratorate’s Office, and Xia Qianjun could even face imprisonment.

If it remained a civil suit, Xia Qianjun wouldn’t need to go to jail and would only need to apologize.

The current problem still necessitated speaking with his nephew to find out what exactly happened at that time.

"Qinghua, get in touch with the Special Combat Team personnel with your brother-in-law, ask when we can arrange a visit to see Xiao Jun; also, if the other party decides to sue, I want to understand the situation of our opponent!"

"Okay, we’ll take care of it right away!"

Now that Li Qingmu had taken on the case, Li Qinghua felt much more at ease, and immediately urged Old Xia to leave.

They also had to quickly arrange a visit to see their son.

Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai left swiftly, obviously not wanting to delay even a moment.

"Big Brother, have you really decided to help them?"

After Mr. and Mrs. Li had left, Li Qinghe moved in closer.

"Xiao Jun’s identity is quite special. Though the case seems to be just indecency, which doesn’t sound too serious, it actually involves a lot of connections and could even affect the reputation of the Special Combat Team and the War Department..."

"I know what you’re trying to say, but Qinghua is, after all, our sister. Wouldn’t it seem rather heartless if we, as her family, didn’t help out?"

To Li Qinghua, Li Qingmu was still willing to show respect; besides, this case was just an indecency charge.

It’s unlikely that such a case would alert the attorneys of the Top Ten Firms, right?

...

Dongfang Capital, city center.

William International Building.

As a multinational corporation, William International not only owned its group headquarters in Dongfang Capital but also ran its own law firm.

At this moment, in one of the reception rooms of William International Law Firm.

Ji Guoguo, her good friend Zhou Chengzi, along with her parents, a total of four people, were all seated here, waiting for someone.

"Lawyer Chen has arrived!"

Under the guidance of a female receptionist, a middle-aged man with a balding head, prominent receding hairline, and brown curly hair on the sides walked in.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting, my name is Paulo Chen, but you can call me Lawyer Chen!"

He said, greeting the four people in the reception room politely and then seated himself across from Ji Guoguo.

"Lawyer Chen, hello..."

Upon seeing the man before her, Ji Guoguo promptly nodded in greeting.

"Miss Ji, why have you sought me out? If you’re looking to file a civil lawsuit, Dongfang Capital has plenty of lawyers who can handle such cases. Why insist on engaging a lawyer from William International?"

"Because the man harassing me has a somewhat special background, he’s connected to the Martial Association and the War Department. I’m afraid if I hire a local lawyer, they might..."

"Have connections to the Martial Association and the War Department, no wonder!"

Hearing Ji Guoguo’s explanation, Chen Baoluo immediately understood.

The other party could be someone from law enforcement, which would indeed make things difficult.

With that in mind, it made perfect sense for the client to seek me out, to find us at William International Law Office.

"Lawyer Chen, you must stand up for our daughter, she’s still a virgin. This whole thing has become such a scandal; my daughter’s reputation is ruined. How on earth is she supposed to marry now?"

Upon seeing the lawyer, Ji Guoguo’s mother couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, pleading on the spot.

"Yes, Lawyer Chen, you absolutely must help me, or how can I face anyone?" Ji Guoguo also wore a look of deep sorrow, as if she had suffered the greatest of injustices.

"Understood. If that guy is still a man, he should realize his mistake and apologize to Miss Ji!"

Chen Baoluo nodded solemnly and promised, "Alright, Miss Ji, I can do you this favor. We at William International will take this case!"

Seeing the other party agree, Ji Guoguo and Zhou Chengzi exchanged a smile.

It was clearly a sure thing now!

...

Dongjiang Yipin.

By the time Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai got home, it was almost 10 p.m.

They had made numerous calls and pulled many strings to finally secure a weekend visit to see their son with the Special Combat Team.

After all, Xia Qianjun had been in solitary confinement for nearly a week because of this incident.

Although the Special Combat Team had said it was to allow him to reflect, anyone with eyes could see this was merely the calm before the storm.

The mishap within the Special Combat Team was only the beginning, with Xia Qianjun’s subsequent punishment still on its way.

"Ah, how could Xia Qianjun do such a thing?"

"Old Xia, tell me, should I have never agreed to him joining the War Department?"

"If he hadn’t joined the War Department, we wouldn’t have this problem. I could have been looking forward to holding grandchildren and enjoying a happy family life."

"Instead, now we’re constantly on edge. Not only is our son busy all day outside, our daughter doesn’t come home for days on end each week. Their jobs are so dangerous, I’m always worried that something might happen to them..."

Li Qinghua had not even stepped inside when she began to vent.

Xia Donghai also sighed and walked up to the door to start face recognition.

"Welcome home, Mr. Xia Donghai!"

The scanning device at the door quickly recognized Xia Donghai’s face and opened the door for him.

"Old Xia, say something, will you? I’ve been talking the whole way here, at least give some opinion, right?"

"What can I say? The deed has been done, and no amount of complaining will change the outcome, I... Shh!"

Xia Donghai had answered halfway when it seemed he saw something and quickly gestured for Li Qinghua to be quiet with a ’shush’ signal.

That’s because he noticed something odd inside the house.

Li Qinghua felt a thud in her heart upon seeing her husband’s reaction. Could there be a burglar in the house?

That couldn’t be right!

This was Dongjiang Yipin, with such stringent monitoring and security systems. How could there have been a burglary?

And how did the burglar get in? They couldn’t have climbed in from outside; the building was dozens of stories high. How bold would the burglar have to be?

It was even less likely from inside. The monitoring system only recognized the faces of their own family, and should there be any system failure, the butler would be the first to know and notify the homeowners immediately.

How did the burglar get in?

"Oh, it’s Zhang Wei!"

Fortunately, Xia Donghai called out and quickly conjured up a smile on his face.

Then he pulled Li Qinghua over, giving her a subtle look.

"It’s Zhang Wei!"

Li Qinghua also forced herself to smile, a smile that looked barely better than crying, and greeted the person inside the house.

But Zhang Wei inside the house sensed something amiss.

Something wasn’t right!

Something was very wrong!

Today, both Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua were acting unusual.

With his keen insight into people’s expressions, he immediately noticed something off about the couple’s demeanor.

Especially his mother-in-law, who usually had nothing but scowls for him.

Yet today, she did an about-face and put on a "smiling" face.

Sometimes, when a person acts out of character, there must be something they’re trying to hide.

"What were you two up to today, father-in-law, mother-in-law?"

Zhang Wei narrowed his eyes, his tone probing.

"We didn’t go anywhere," they replied.

"Really? Then why did Judge Chen at the court tell me you, mother-in-law, had taken several days of personal leave?"

"This..."

"And you, father-in-law, I asked your contacts at the Martial Association, and they said you took several days of accumulated annual leave. What’s strange is, you’ve worked for twenty years and never taken a single day off. So why all of a sudden this week did you decide to take annual leave?"

"This..."

Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai were both left speechless by the questions.

So, Zhang Wei, you’ve investigated this far; are you trying to force our hand?

Li Qinghua wanted to question him like this, but now facing Zhang Wei, she didn’t have much confidence to do so.

"Um, we, as a couple, have just been too exhausted from work these days, so we planned to rest for a few days. Also, suddenly moving into a bigger house, we’re not used to it—it’s like not being acclimated to the local environment, so we need to adjust a bit..."

"Not acclimated to the local environment?" Zhang Wei looked at Xia Donghai, puzzled.

Old Xia, that explanation is a bit far-fetched, don’t you think?

Your old and new houses are both in Dongfang Capital, aren’t they?

And still talking about not being acclimated?

"By the way, Zhang Wei, has Xiao Yue Yue come back yet?"

"Not yet, as far as I know—I haven’t seen her..."

"Really, you should show some concern for Xiao Yue Yue. She seems to have been busy with the major case team these days!"

"Now that you mention it, Father-in-law, that does seem true. She works so hard every day; it’s really not right."

"Exactly. Speaking of my daughter, it breaks my heart. She leaves early and returns late, working harder than even me..."

Knowing Zhang Wei’s capabilities, Xia Donghai quickly changed the subject.

And the best way to change the subject was to bring up his daughter.

Indeed, the moment Xia Qianyue was mentioned, Zhang Wei’s attention was successfully diverted.

"You should give her a call and ask what time she’ll be back today."

Pushing Zhang Wei toward the balcony, Xia Donghai then asked, "By the way, are you staying here tonight?"

"No, I just came to see how you both were doing and then I’m heading back to where I’m currently staying."

"Oh, then you should head back early later. It’s dangerous for a person to be out late, and your mother-in-law and I are a bit tired today, so we’re going to take a shower and rest!"

"Alright then..."

Zhang Wei could tell that Xia Donghai was brushing him off, so he didn’t push further.

He dialed Xia Qianyue’s number in front of the others, then stood alone on the balcony waiting.

"Hello, Zhang Wei, what’s up?"

"Silly, do you have any idea what your parents have been up to lately?"

"Ah, I really don’t know what they’re busy with."

The call connected quickly, and Zhang Wei quietly chatted with Xia Qianyue.

Five minutes after the call ended, Zhang Wei’s brow was furrowed.

After speaking with Xia Qianyue, he confirmed something.

Silly didn’t know the recent situation of Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua.

Zhang Wei didn’t elaborate, knowing that Silly wasn’t sharp enough to extract information.

Moreover, Zhang Wei now had some suspicions.

He bade farewell to the elders and left directly.

However, on the way back, Zhang Wei started to ponder what recent troubles Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua might be facing.

"What’s up with Father-in-law? Dongfang Capital has always been one of the safest cities, and he’s part of the Martial Association Field Staff. Why is he warning me to be careful going home alone, to watch out for my safety?"

"They’re in charge of the streets; wouldn’t he be well aware of the security level?"

"And Mother-in-law, her complexion looked off. That sighing demeanor—I’ve seen it a lot, and it’s usually the expression of a victim’s family member, isn’t it?"

As elders, what worries them the most is naturally their children.

If they’re worried about Xia Qianyue, then the parents should be used to it by now, and wouldn’t suddenly become sentimental.

If it’s not about Xia Qianyue, then...

The parents also have a son, so the answer is quite clear.

Xia Qianjun must have gotten into some kind of trouble recently that’s worrying the elders.

After returning to Lin Mansion, Zhang Wei headed straight to the second floor.

"Zhao Xiaoxiao, could you do me a favor?"

"Always Zhao Xiaoxiao. Why not call me ’second daughter’ anymore? If you need a favor, just say it!"

"Alright then, second daughter, I have a request~"

"Get lost!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao immediately shut her door on Zhang Wei, leaving him out in the cold.

"Hey, second daughter, Dad will make you a whole roast leg of lamb tomorrow. I’ll add cumin and spices—it’ll taste amazing~"

"Spit it out, what do you want?"

Zhao Xiaoxiao opened her door again, seemingly salivating at the mention of food.

"Heh heh, finally, I’ve found what tempts second daughter!"

Zhang Wei knew he had hit Zhao Xiaoxiao’s weak spot, her love of food.

"It’s not a big favor, really. I just want you to help me keep an eye on my in-laws. They’re obviously hiding something from me..."