Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 222 - 221 Visiting Big Brother-in-Law, The Opponent is William International!

Chapter 222: Chapter 221 Visiting Big Brother-in-Law, The Opponent is William International!

Weekend, visiting day.

Near Dongfang Capital, special forces base.

As a secret operation base for the special forces, the location naturally couldn’t be in the city, let alone on land.

The base of the special forces was pretty far from Dongfang Capital, and it was an isolated island surrounded by sea on all sides.

Even taking a dedicated transport boat, it required over 40 minutes of travel time.

Just off the transport boat, Li Qinghua and her sister Li Qinghe both had their legs give out on them at the same time, unable to hold themselves up.

Ugh~

Ugh~

There was no denying that the sisters shared many similarities, such as getting seasick...

"Why does this transport boat rock so much?"

"Exactly, can’t the pilot steer it steadier?"

The sisters, supporting themselves on the dock’s railing, retched, their faces alarmingly pale.

Xia Donghai and Li Qingmu, seeing this, could only shake their heads in private.

After 40 minutes of rocking, even their legs were barely holding up, let alone those of two fragile women.

Once the Li sisters had recovered a bit, the group of four finally managed to enter the interior of the special forces base.

Through layers of checkpoints, they entered a building that resembled a fortress, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

"Entering the special forces base, I believe you all have signed a confidentiality agreement, but I still have to remind you that everything you see today, must remain known only to yourselves, not even your closest kin can be told..."

The special forces member leading the way kept warning the group of four, his tone indescribably serious.

After passing through several checkpoints, they stopped outside a nearly fully enclosed room.

"This is our special forces’ solitary confinement room, Xia Qianjun is being held in solitary confinement here!"

He said, knocking on the door: "Xia Qianjun, your family is here to see you, I’m taking them to the meeting room, and you should follow along later!"

After finishing his words, he muttered to the three members of the Li family, "When you come to visit, can’t you coordinate to come together? Why come in two separate groups? We still have to arrange for you all at the same time!"

"Two groups?"

Li Qinghua was stunned for a moment, completely unaware of what he meant.

Weren’t they the only group? Could it be that Xia Qianjun had other relatives coming?

After dismissing that impractical thought, the representatives of the Li family were taken to the meeting room.

But calling it a meeting room was a bit of a stretch; it was actually the cafeteria. The place was spacious, but there was a faint smell of cooking oil.

After all, this was the base of the special forces, not a prison or detention center, and there was no dedicated place for visitors to meet.

And here, Li Qinghua immediately knew who the other group was.

"Dad, Mom, dear uncle and aunt, hello!"

"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, dear uncle and aunt, hello!"

Xia Qianyue and Zhang Wei greeted the four people simultaneously.

This scene left Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai utterly astonished.

Li Qinghe and Li Qingmu reacted slightly better; Xia Qianyue’s appearance wasn’t a surprise to them, but seeing Zhang Wei there too was somewhat uncomfortable.

All four of them murmured to themselves, wondering why this guy had come and brought Xiao Yue Yue along with him.

"Daughter, and Zhang Wei, what’s the meaning of this..."

Li Qinghua looked somewhat displeased, her expression revealing a guilty conscience.

"Mother-in-law, you’ve really done it this time. With such a big issue involving my brother-in-law, how could you keep it hidden? If I hadn’t inquired with some acquaintances from the investigation unit and the court, I would have had no idea about this at all."

"Yeah, Mom, you hid it from Zhang Wei, but to think you even kept it from me!"

Xia Qianyue frowned unhappily, her face puffing up with anger.

Her own brother was in trouble, and her mother didn’t even notify her, making her feel she wasn’t doing her job as a sister.

Of course, Xia Qianjun was even more of a failure as a brother.

"Ah, daughter, I didn’t want to worry you. Who would’ve thought that this kid, Zhang Wei, could even find out about this kind of thing..."

Li Qinghua was about to say something, but then someone else walked out of the cafeteria entrance, the person in question, Xia Qianjun.

"Xiao Jun is here!"

Li Qinghe quickly called out, and Xia Qianjun walked into the cafeteria under everyone’s gaze.

"Xiao Jun, how are you? Have they been treating you well?"

"Mom, these are all comrades-in-arms, they wouldn’t bully me. Besides, I’m only in solitary confinement, not in prison!"

"That’s good, that’s good!"

Upon hearing this response, Li Qinghua finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Come, let me introduce you. You haven’t really met them before, have you? This is your aunt, and this is your uncle."

"So this is Xia Qianjun, huh? It’s been almost a decade since we last met, and you’ve grown up so much."

After seeing Xia Qianjun, Li Qinghe behaved like a typical elder, offering warm regards.

One had to say that Xia Qianjun inherited the good genes of the Li Family; boy, was he handsome.

Even Li Qingmu couldn’t help but lament, that kid has my youthful charm.

At the same time, he also harbored a doubt in his heart.

With his looks, why would Xia Qianjun ever need to sexually harass someone?

With those looks, he could just snap his fingers on the street, and plenty of girls would approach him, right?

Back when he, Li Qingmu, was at the law school, he used to receive countless love letters every day...

"Cough cough, folks, as much as I hate to interrupt your catching up, that’s something you can do anytime. Shouldn’t we talk about the case now?"

Just then, an ill-timed cough broke Li Qingmu’s train of thought and interrupted the warm conversation.

The three siblings of the Li family inwardly cursed. Damn it!

Is this kid oblivious to the situation, unable to read the room?

But Zhang Wei was not wrong; Xia Qianjun was only put into confinement for reflection, not thrown into jail. He was still quite free.

Clearly, the pressing matter at hand was the case itself.

After everyone sat down, Zhang Wei was the first to ask, "Uncle, I heard some rumors that there’s a woman accusing you of sexual harassment?"

"I never did such a thing!" Xia Qianjun immediately shook his head to deny it.

He could swear by heaven and earth, he did not even react in the coffee shop when that woman grabbed his hand, accusing him of harassment.

He himself was dumbfounded!

"Is that so? And you’re denying it?"

"Nonsense, why would I admit to something I didn’t do!"

Xia Qianjun’s demeanor conveyed sheer innocence; he was evidently not guilty of such an act.

"Were there any eyewitnesses at the time?"

"Luo Qi and Gao Yang were moving with me, but they had stepped out of the coffee shop and didn’t see what happened behind. I was right behind them when it occurred!"

"The coffee shop, were there other eyewitnesses?"

"Not sure!"

Seeing Xia Qianjun shake his head, Zhang Wei knew he would have to find the witnesses himself.

"You probably don’t know the woman, do you?"

"Of course, I don’t know her, let alone understand why they’re pestering me!"

"Maybe, the woman took a liking to you?"

"That’s impossible!"

Xia Qianjun vehemently shook his head, again with a look of earnest indignation.

"Exactly, what are you joking about? If that woman was interested in our Xia Qianjun, would she need to concoct such a situation!"

Li Qinghua couldn’t restrain herself, giving Zhang Wei a look of disapproval.

What time was it to still be making jokes?

But Zhang Wei felt he hadn’t said anything wrong after all.

However, that wasn’t important. Since the girl chose to sue Xia Qianjun, both sides would have to take it to court now.

"Xia Qianjun, we will investigate the woman’s side, but you need to tell your uncle clearly, you really never had any intentions of harassing her?"

After asking the question, Li Qingmu stared intently at his nephew, seeking a definitive answer.

"Uncle, I truly did not do it, and I will never do such things in the future. I am a man of the War Department, my sense of honor reminds me never to do harm to others!"

"I understand. Then I will take on this case," said Li Qingmu, nodding his head and deciding to help Xia Qianjun.

"Actually, I could take this case too," Zhang Wei suddenly interjected with a muted mumble.

"Go on, don’t even think about it, kid. With my brother here, it’s not your place to meddle!"

Li Qinghua snorted coldly, warning Zhang Wei with her eyes to back off.

"Fine then..."

Zhang Wei felt helpless but didn’t intend to defy his mother-in-law.

After all, it really seemed like a minor case that his uncle by marriage could handle.

With this thought, Zhang Wei put his mind at ease.

If Li Qingmu couldn’t even handle a case like this, then their Qingmu Law Firm might as well shut down.

The group chatted for a while longer, asking quite a few questions about the case.

But soon, the conversation shifted to family matters, with Li Qinghe making pleasant conversation with Xia Qianjun, acting as a proper elder.

Unfortunately, Xia Qianjun’s attitude remained very aloof.

Moreover, because of this case, he wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries with his elders, maintaining a cold demeanor throughout.

In Zhang Wei’s view, his brother-in-law was indeed a very cool character.

...

That afternoon, at Qingmu Law Firm.

Upon returning from the special forces base, the group went back to the Qingmu Law Firm.

"Boss, someone is looking for you!"

No sooner had they returned than Li Qingmu’s female secretary came to greet them.

"Who is it?"

"I don’t know, he says his name is Lawyer Chen, but he’s not a local."

"From out of town?"

"Even further out..."

The secretary said, gesturing towards the reception room.

"Even further out, from overseas?"

Li Qingmu signaled the others to go upstairs while he himself entered the reception room, only to have his expression turn even more peculiar upon seeing the person inside.

"You must be Li Qingmu from Qingmu Law Firm, I presume. My surname is Chen, a partner at William International Law Firm. You may call me Lawyer Chen!"

The visitor was none other than Chen Baoluo.

Although he wasn’t from Dragon Country, he spoke the language fluently, even referring to himself modestly.

But he also had another role, that of Ji Guoguo’s legal representative.

"Oh, so you’re Lawyer Chen. What brings you here is..."

"I am the fully authorized attorney for Miss Ji Guoguo, here regarding a matter that concerns her."

"Ji Guoguo, that girl!"

Li Qingmu instantly understood; that was the name of the other party involved in the case.

So this Chen Baoluo was here to throw down the gauntlet.

Yet Li Qingmu was surprised that such a minor case had actually caught the attention of someone from the Top Ten Firms, particularly the second-ranked William International.

What puzzled him even more was why William International, a firm with a focus on overseas affairs, would get involved in a civil dispute in Dongfang Capital.

"Indeed, that young lady. I now act as Ms. Ji Guoguo’s fully authorized attorney, responsible for coordinating this case."

"Then your visit here is because..."

Li Qingmu watched the visitor, suspicion written on his face.

Chen Baoluo, however, waved his hand politely and said, "According to my investigation, the defendant in this case, Xia Qianjun, is a junior member of Lawyer Li’s family, is he not?"

"That is correct!"

"And has Lawyer Li taken the case?"

"You’re also correct. I just signed the contract today; like you, I am the full representative, which makes me Xia Qianjun’s attorney!"

"Oh, that’s good to know!"

Chen Baoluo seemed satisfied, smiling as he said, "Considering the identity and background of your family’s junior as well as your involvement, Lawyer Li, I’ll get straight to the point."

"Firstly, your client needs to issue an official apology to my client. This apology must be published in well-known media in Dongfang Capital, specifying that it is an apology statement made personally by Xia Qianjun."

"Secondly, your client needs to compensate my client for lost wages, litigation fees, and emotional distress, totaling 110,000 yuan in all. I will have my assistant email you a detailed breakdown later, please check it then."

"Lastly, and most importantly, as per Ms. Ji Guoguo’s request, your client must issue a written acknowledgment of his wrongdoing of over 1,000 words in front of media witnesses. He can only reach a settlement agreement with her after obtaining her forgiveness!"

"These are our demands!"

Chen Baoluo clearly stated his purpose, or rather, his demands.

In response to these demands, Li Qingmu felt sure that Xia Qianjun would never agree.

He simply hadn’t done it, so how could he possibly admit to any wrongdoing.

Furthermore, he would need to read a self-criticism essay in front of the media journalists of Dongfang Capital, which was even more unbearable for him than death itself.

What you’re doing is no different from making Xia Qianjun kneel, as it is said, ’A man’s knees are as precious as gold’, to say nothing of someone as proud as Xia Qianjun.

"Lawyer Chen, does this mean there’s no room for discussion?"

"Lawyer Li, I believe the conditions proposed by our side are not excessive, are they?"

Chen Baoluo had anticipated this but still feigned surprise, "Besides, when a man makes a mistake, he should own up to it, only then can he be considered a gentleman."

"My client has not sought legal action for the charge of indecent assault against your junior family member, which is already quite magnanimous, and moreover, as a gentleman, apologizing to a young lady shouldn’t be a big deal in my opinion."

"As for so-called compensation, I believe that, with the wealth of the Li Family, 110,000 is certainly not too much to compensate, right?"

Li Qingmu pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "110,000 is naturally not an issue, but the problem is the public apology and the matter of writing a reflection. I can tell you outright, Xiao Jun will absolutely not agree to it!"

"It looks as though we’ll need to settle this in court, then?"

"Correct!"

Seeing Li Qingmu’s straightforward answer, Chen Baoluo had a clear idea of his stance.

It appeared that the two parties had no way of reconciling and must confront each other in court to determine the victor.

"Since that’s the case, then, Lawyer Li, I bid you farewell!"

"Lawyer Chen, please wait a moment!"

Just as Chen Baoluo was about to leave, Li Qingmu called out to him.

"I want to ask, Lawyer Chen, why is William International getting involved in this case?"

"From my point of view, this is a very minor case, and for William International, focused on overseas matters and ranking second among the top ten firms of Dongfang Capital, such a petty profit should be beneath your notice, right?"

"Hahaha, Lawyer Li is really shortsighted!" Chen Baoluo laughed heartily, his eyes brimming with mockery.

With such limited perspective, Li Qingmu’s vision is truly underwhelming.

"Hahaha, Lawyer Chen is really calculating—no, I should say William International is very calculating!"

Just then, a burst of laughter emanated from outside the reception room.

Zhang Wei suddenly pushed open the door to the meeting room and walked in on his own accord.

"You are..."

"Lawyer Chen, right? William International is not interested in the case itself, but in the impact the case could bring. Am I correct?"

Chen Baoluo narrowed his eyes, gazing at the young man before him.

"Because you know that Xia Qianjun is not an ordinary person. He represents the War Department and Martial Association with dual identities. If you win this case, it means that William International will have made the most powerful enforcement agency in Dragon Country capitulate on behalf of the victim."

"If I’m not mistaken, William International must have already contacted the media; once the case is won, a massive amount of headline coverage would report this case, Xia Qianjun will be forever nailed to the pillar of shame, and the renown of William International will likewise echo throughout Dongfang Capital, or perhaps the entire Dragon Country?"

"Lawyer Chen, or should I say, the person behind William International responsible for this, what you are really interested in is not this small case, but the tremendous influence that the case could bring, which would help William International claim the top spot among Dongfang Capital’s top ten firms, and even surpass Jincheng, all law firms in Dongfang Capital and Longdu, to become the number one in Dragon Country?"

"Am I right, Lawyer Chen Baoluo?"

Seeing Zhang Wei look towards him, Chen Baoluo inwardly exclaimed, clever fellow.

You’re quite imaginative—William International hadn’t even thought so far!

However, Zhang Wei was right, the decision-makers at William International did have such intentions, to maximize the impact of this case through the media.

At that time, representing the female victim, and seeking justice from the scoundrels within the Martial Association, William International’s image would be deeply ingrained in Dongfang Capital and even the whole of Dragon Country. The subsequent influence it would bring would also be tremendously significant.

Being number one in Dragon Country might be a bit of a stretch, but aiming to be number one in Dongfang Capital was still a possibility worth envisioning.

So while the case itself was minor and the settlement amount only 110,000, the broad implications of the case could still bring great benefits.

The reason William International got involved in this case was precisely the influence it could potentially bring.

"I was speaking with your firm’s Lawyer Li. What right do you have to interject?"

"Oh, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding, Lawyer Chen, I’m not Qingmu’s lawyer!"

Zhang Wei chuckled and started to introduce himself, "Lawyer Chen, I forgot to mention, my name is Zhang Wei, from Jincheng Law Firm!"

Upon hearing the words "Jincheng," a glint of surprise flashed in Chen Baoluo’s eyes.

Nice move, a Jincheng man appearing at Qingmu Law Firm.

Could it be they had foreseen William International’s plans and intended to thwart them?

Well, as it turned out, Chen Baoluo was overthinking it.

He naturally wasn’t aware that Zhang Wei’s appearance here was simply because Xia Qianjun was his uncle by marriage.

"Lawyer Li, your colleague from Jincheng Law Firm certainly has a rich imagination. However, I have said all I came to say today. Since your side doesn’t intend to settle, then let’s contest this in court!"

Chen Baoluo had no intention of wasting more time at Qingmu. Since a settlement was off the table, there was no point in lingering.

He left swiftly.

In the reception room, only Zhang Wei and Li Qingmu were left staring at each other.