Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 223 - 222: Old Tie Gets Schooled? Judge Ni Again?

Chapter 223: Chapter 222: Old Tie Gets Schooled? Judge Ni Again?

Someone once said that among the four seasons, May is the most beautiful.

The lingering rain in April leaves the sky in May crystal clear, devoid of any dust, showing off an azure blue, like a blue curtain supporting the entire sky above.

The passionate April departs, and the scorching May arrives.

The whole of Dongfang Capital, too, seems busier and more sweltering as the temperature rises.

"I’m late, I’m late~"

Jincheng Group, at the elevator entrance, just as the elevator doors were about to close, a figure suddenly dashed in.

Ding-dong~

Upon reaching the 26th floor, the figure hurried along, glancing at the time while running as if their life depended on it.

When she finally sprinted into the office labeled ’Criminal Division’, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally here, 8:59, not late!"

Lin Yumeng saw the wall clock as she settled down and sighed in relief.

"Xiao Meng, can’t you start a bit earlier? Always cutting it close, that’s not proper, is it?"

Her flustered appearance caught the attention of someone at their desk, who immediately chided her.

"It’s all because of the rising temperature, I just can’t get up in the morning~"

"How can you blame the good Lord for this, clearly it’s your own laziness!"

"Master, why are you bullying me o(╥﹏╥)o..."

"Because you’re easy to tease, haha~"

"Ugh..."

The little apprentice pouted, looking unhappy, and the joy of managing not to be late for work was diluted by the teasing.

And Zhang Wei, after having his fun at his apprentice’s expense, felt exceptionally good.

A little apprentice, after all, is sometimes there to be teased.

Especially when she’s such an adorable girl, if not to tease her, then whom?

"Team Leader, Master is bullying me..."

Lin Yumeng cried, preparing to tattle to Tie Ruyun.

"Today is the first day of the month. Old Tie has gone to a department meeting; he’s not back yet!" Zhang Wei raised his eyebrows, a teasing expression on his face.

"——!" The little apprentice looked at the empty team leader’s seat, forlorn.

With Tie Ruyun not back yet, the three members of the Criminal Division started to slack off at work.

And so, it continued for 30 minutes.

Zhang Wei, who had just browsed through reports from multiple media outlets, looked up at the clock.

"Calculating the time, Old Tie should be back by now, right?"

Unfortunately, this time the department meeting seemed to have gone over the previous two months’ duration, still not finishing after 30 minutes.

It wasn’t until 10 o’clock that Tie Ruyun returned to the Criminal Division office.

"Old Tie, surely Boss Shen hasn’t kept you back to praise our group’s April performance?"

Seeing Tie Ruyun return, Zhang Wei promptly joked.

Although they only secured one big deal in April, it was worth 300 million in attorney fees, which meant that he and Li Yueqin each had 150 million in performance achievement, with their commission alone amounting to 45 million.

Such an achievement had long surpassed the combined total of all other groups in the litigation department, and surely Boss Shen would want to give a special commendation to the Criminal Division.

But the look on Tie Ruyun’s face on his return made Zhang Wei a bit surprised.

Sorrowful, gloomy, with a hint of helplessness and despondency.

This was not the expression of someone who had just been praised. Instead, it resembled a student who had been chastised, with no power to argue or resist, ultimately forced to compromise and admit fault.

"Yeah, Boss Shen did praise our group, said we did a good job last month too..."

Tie Ruyun forced himself to adjust his mindset and then mustered a "smile" to respond to Zhang Wei.

Unfortunately, his acting skills could perhaps deceive the inexperienced Xiao Li, or the naïve little apprentice, but not the seasoned player Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei cautiously asked, "Old Tie, did Boss Shen set any specific goals for our group this month?"

"Boss Shen said that he has seen our drive, but he reminded us not to forget our roots. He told us to pay more attention to criminal cases this month!"

Old Tie sighed again, forcing a mechanical smile, "If there’s a big case, it’s not that we can’t take it, but criminal cases are the foundation of our Criminal Division. You all should remember that!"

"Oh, got it!"

"Understood, team leader!"

"Old Tie is saying..."

Zhang Wei and the other two responded each in their way, Xiao Li with seriousness, the little apprentice with a dazed cuteness, but Zhang Wei alone wore an expression of doubt.

As Tie Ruyun started to get busy, Zhang Wei also sat at his own workstation, lost in thought.

He knew that Tie Ruyun had returned 30 minutes later than usual, and he must have been pulled aside for a talk by Shen Zhengyi.

Judging by Tie Ruyun’s complexion, the content of the conversation clearly hadn’t been friendly.

Zhang Wei’s brows furrowed, and he quickly rose to his feet.

"I’m going to the restroom!"

After dropping that line, he quickly left the criminal division and moved to the civil and commercial division office areas outside.

Pretending to hurry past, Zhang Wei’s attention was entirely focused on the neighboring office area.

"Hehe, this month we’ve got to make a stand, overtake the criminal division!"

"What do you mean ’overtake’? This time we’re going to thoroughly crush those guys!"

"I heard from the boss that the higher-ups have already hinted to the criminal division to keep a low profile this month; looks like our civil division can finally raise our eyebrows in triumph, right?"

"Exactly, exactly. The criminal division should know their place. Why do they keep taking such big cases every day, it drives us all crazy!"

"I really wish I had taken that 300 million case. That’s a 90 million commission! With that money, I’d quit on the spot and go back to my hometown to live a carefree life!"

"Dream on, buddy. You think you can handle a 300 million case with your skills? You barely manage 30,000!"

"Piss off, man, that’s called dreaming. What else are we working for if not to dream of not working!"

Hearing the discussions coming from the neighboring office area, Zhang Wei’s face grew somber.

He entered the restroom, then picked a stall and settled in to wait.

Before long, two familiar voices entered his ears.

These two were none other than the Li Qingshou and Wang Jianren duo.

"Boss Shen just told me, he’s already warned Tie Ruyun to stay in line this month and not take any big cases!"

"Good, this way our commercial and civil divisions can press down on the criminal division’s performance!"

"But honestly, the big boss’s daughter is still in the criminal division. When can we find a chance to get her to our side? Once Miss Lin gets promoted to the top of the firm, we might be able to bask in her glory."

"That requires careful planning. But you’re right, Miss Lin is the big boss’s daughter after all. How could she stay in the criminal division? Commercial and civil divisions are her true path!"

"How about this; we create some trouble for the people in the criminal division, make them commit some big mistakes, and let them be criticized in a firm-wide notice. Maybe then the big boss will realize the criminal division is not the right place for his daughter, and perhaps he will..."

"Not bad, not bad. But will the higher-ups agree with our plan?"

"That’s easy to handle. Tie Ruyun hasn’t touched a case in how long? We’ll assign him a case that requires travel, keeping him away from managing the criminal division, and then we can freely make our move, right?"

"Great idea, if Tie Ruyun has to go away, doesn’t that leave the criminal division at our mercy?"

"Hehehe, we need to plan this out well..."

The voices of the two in conversation faded, clearly leaving the restroom.

What they didn’t know was that someone lurking there had heard their entire conversation.

"Old Tie, how did you end up in such a tough spot..."

Zhang Wei sighed, feeling helpless about everything Tie Ruyun was about to face.

Although Tie Ruyun could be considered a minor leader in the firm, responsible for a team, he only had a few people under him.

The department leaders didn’t look favorably upon him, and the higher-ups were plotting against him. In such a working environment, things were really tough for him.

If it were him, he would’ve been showing his displeasure to Shen Zhengyi and the others a long time ago.

Break it off if it comes to that!

The firm be damned!

Zhang Wei was hesitating whether to warn Tie Ruyun, to tell him to be cautious.

Buzz, buzz—

But suddenly his phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.

It was a message from Xia Qianyue, asking about the preliminary hearing that afternoon.

The case of Xia Qianjun was going to have its preliminary hearing that afternoon.

Zhang Wei replied "I’ll definitely be on time" and then decided to separate the issues.

The priority was to deal with his cousin’s case.

After returning to the criminal division, Zhang Wei naturally informed Tie Ruyun.

"Old Tie, I’m going to the city court this afternoon for a case!"

"You have a case in your hands now?"

"No, it’s my uncle’s case, and the party involved is my cousin, I must attend the hearing!"

Tie Ruyun was surprised for a moment, then he remembered something, Zhang Wei had mentioned that his mother-in-law is a member of the Li Family from Chengbei District.

In this generation of the Li Family, there’s a Li Qingmu who’s quite well-known, at least in Chengbei District, he’s considered to have some influence.

"What did your cousin do?"

"It was originally a minor case, but my cousin has a special background, related to both the War Department Martial Association, so the case might have significant impact. As his brother-in-law, I definitely need to be present to support him!"

"Fine, then consider it a learning opportunity. It’s not uncommon for criminal group lawyers like us to attend court hearings at the municipal court."

"Okay, then I won’t be coming back up!"

Zhang Wei felt a bit of happiness upon receiving his leader’s authorization.

But when he thought about his leader’s situation, that bit of happiness soon disappeared.

After lunch, he headed straight for the municipal court without any delay.

...

Municipal court.

This was the place Zhang Wei frequented the most besides the law firm.

After all, as a lawyer, he needed to familiarize himself not only with his workplace but also his "battlefield," which was here.

After arriving, Zhang Wei ran into Xia Qianyue at the entrance. The two met up and went straight to the preparation room.

The prep room was buzzing with activity; a lot of people had come today.

Li Qinghua and Xia Donghai were already there, looking anxious.

Li Qingmu, dressed in formal attire, was instructing Xia Qianjun, who was changing clothes behind a screen, about something.

However, Zhang Wei didn’t need to look to know what it was about; it was surely reminding the latter to remain calm and not get agitated in court, among other things.

Zhang Wei and Xia Qianyu, after arriving, exchanged greetings with the elders, and then everyone proceeded to the courtroom.

The location for this session was the middle courtroom in the civil trial division.

Zhang Wei and Xia Qianyue picked seats in the front row of the spectator section and waited.

A few minutes later, the plaintiff’s side arrived.

Chen Baoluo entered the courtroom first, followed by the plaintiff’s family, among whom Ji Guoguo was protected by her parents, both of whom were watching the defense side warily.

Zhang Wei saw that in Ji Guoguo’s eyes, there was a wealth of information, including both evasion and panic, but even more so, there was the thrill of revenge and a certain unusual venom.

In short, it was quite complex.

"This woman..."

Seeing the plaintiff’s side, Zhang Wei shook his head.

He could tell at a glance that this woman was not a victim because there was no fear of an assailant in her eyes, something a true victim would have.

In other words, Xia Qianjun had never assaulted this girl named Ji Guoguo, and she knew this fact very well in her heart.

"Interesting, I wonder how Uncle will perform?"

Zhang Wei’s gaze shifted to Li Qingmu, who had also locked onto Ji Guoguo as soon as she appeared.

He wondered if Li Qingmu had noticed something.

But just as Zhang Wei was about to remind Li Qingmu, a commotion came from the courtroom’s entrance.

Several black-clothed bodyguards entered the venue, followed by a mature and aloof brunette woman dressed in a white suit.

Several attendant-like individuals accompanied this woman.

Under their escort, she walked into the courtroom with her head held high, as if she was a born leader.

"I remember seeing this woman on a magazine cover before, could she be Laura Campbell?"

Zhang Wei was a bit taken aback, but he quickly found information related to the woman.

Laura Campbell, the daughter of William Campbell, who was the namesake of William International and the big boss of William International’s headquarters.

Laura was in charge of William International in Dongfang Capital.

Given the vast market potential and client resources in Dongfang Capital, whoever is in charge must naturally be a heavyweight.

As the daughter of the William International big boss, Laura was weighty enough to command the area.

"Jessica mentioned knowing this woman, but judging by her demeanor, I’d probably only get a cold shoulder if I went to greet her!"

Zhang Wei could tell that this woman named Laura probably wouldn’t pay him any mind, so he decided not to stick his warm face against her cold backside.

After Laura entered the courtroom, several subordinates kept her protected at the center, surrounding her in a tight circle.

She nodded to Chen Baoluo on the plaintiff’s bench and then her gaze swept across the defendant’s bench.

"Miss, this is the recent case handling record of Li Qingmu from Qingmu Law Firm!"

Immediately, an assistant handed over a document.

Laura took the document and casually flipped through it.

"Somewhat capable, with a decent track record, but he hasn’t been very active in recent years, not a threat!"

She closed the document, issued her assessment, and looked at the defendant’s bench with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

Li Qingmu might have some capabilities, but clearly wasn’t a match for William International.

Laura was already planning in her mind; once they won this case, she’d use the defendant’s background for extensive publicity.

She would make William International a place renown for not fearing the powerful and daring to speak for the underdog. She might even appear personally, give speeches, and ensure everyone in Dongfang Capital remembered her name.

Why William International took this case wasn’t for the paltry legal fees, but for the massive impact the case would bring.

Her gaze swept towards the back, where many media journalists had already started taking notes, drafting their reports.

Although it was only a preliminary hearing today, William International had spent a lot of money for them to write reports; even for a preliminary hearing, the buzz had to reach its peak.

"Trouble’s coming," mumbled Zhang Wei from the witness stand, as he sat down quietly with Xia Qianyue.

Next to them, Xia Donghai and Li Qinghua also looked uneasy, but fortunately Qingmu needed someone in charge. With Li Qingmu away for the lawsuit, Li Qinghe had to stay at the law firm, sparing her mother-in-law from her sister’s complaints.

In the courtroom, both parties of the plaintiff and defendant had taken their places.

Li Qingmu was accompanying Xia Qianjun, and Chen Baoluo was with Ji Guoguo, as both sides took their seats.

As time drew near, the atmosphere grew tense.

"All rise!"

The court was called to order with the entrance of the judge as announced by the Court Guard.

Zhang Wei saw a figure in a black robe followed by a somewhat displeased face, a middle-aged woman entering the courtroom, her eyes fiercely fixed on him.

"Damn, it’s Judge Ni!"

Inner turmoil struck Zhang Wei as he saw the woman taking her seat on the bench.

"Not this guy again!"

What he didn’t know was that upon seeing Zhang Wei in the courtroom, Ni Qiuping was equally disgruntled.

During the Zhu Tianying case, the public outrage was fierce. To quell the online furor, the city court assigned Judge Ni Qiuping to preside over the case.

It was one of the few criminal cases Ni Qiuping had handled, and she was under a lot of pressure in those days, so she applied to return to the civil tribunal right after the case concluded.

And now, just a few days upon her return, the first case she was in charge of was related to Zhang Wei again.

Fortunately, this time Zhang Wei was sitting in the witness stand, allowing Ni Qiuping a sigh of relief.

"As long as you don’t participate, everything’s okay!"

She could only hope in her heart that he stayed put in the witness stand and not get involved again.

However, as Judge Ni scanned the courtroom, her expression turned extremely sour.

Because there were quite a few media representatives in the witness stand, and a VIP was present.

"I should have known why William International would take on such a case; turns out their young miss is personally overseeing it, qnmlgb, why does every case of mine have to get involved in this kind of mess, targeting me like this?"

Ni Qiuping cursed inwardly, but no trace of it showed on her face.

After sitting down, she tapped the gavel to maintain order in the courtroom.

When the court quieted down, she finally spoke, "This case is a civil dispute, with plaintiff Ji Guoguo suing defendant Xia Qianjun for public indecency. The defense attorneys may now begin their statements!"

Chen Baoluo stood up first, pointing at his client, "Your Honor, my client is a young girl in the flower of her youth, but because of this incident, she has become somewhat depressed, somewhat frightened, under tremendous mental stress..."

"...Therefore, we hope that the defendant, Xia Qianjun, can apologize in public and give her justice!"

At the end, he pointed at Xia Qianjun in the defendant’s bench, his voice stern.

Xia Qianjun’s face showed a flash of anger, and he nearly couldn’t restrain himself.

But Li Qingmu acted quickly, restraining him, his eyes flickering as he stopped the latter from his impulsive reaction.

"Calm down!" As the elder uncle, he admonished before standing up.

"Your Honor, my client Xia Qianjun did not commit any indecent act towards the plaintiff. We believe that these accusations are groundless, and my client will not apologize for these unfounded charges!"

Li Qingmu finished speaking and quietly sat down.

"Good, I have a clear understanding of both sides’ positions," said Ni Qiuping, nodding her head and then motioning to the Court Guard to let the prospective jurors in.

The preliminary hearing finally began.