Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 231 - 230: Zhou Xiaoli Makes Another Threat, Tells a Joke

Chapter 231: Chapter 230: Zhou Xiaoli Makes Another Threat, Tells a Joke

What is social death?

Zhang Wei didn’t say, and although Xia Qianjun wanted to ask, he ultimately restrained himself.

His intuition told him he must never ask that question, otherwise it could really lead to embarrassment!

But he noticed something slightly off in the way Zhang Wei looked at the four of them.

As for what exactly was off, Xia Qianjun couldn’t figure it out.

He didn’t want to know, either.

All he knew was one thing: whether he could clear his name depended solely on Zhang Wei.

Whatever methods the other party decided to use, he had no way of stopping them.

After chatting with Silly and his family for a while, Zhang Wei left because he had a lot of things to do.

The next court session was scheduled for the following Monday, so there were Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—three days left to prepare.

For Zhang Wei, that time was sufficient.

After returning to Lin Mansion, he had a good sleep to refresh himself.

The next day, Friday.

When Zhang Wei clocked in at Jincheng Law Firm, he noticed that many people looked at him differently.

"So this is Zhang Wei, huh? He really dares to take on any case, doesn’t he?"

"Helping that guy who harassed the girl in court, I heard he’s often seen arm in arm with women himself."

"Isn’t that doomed to fail? Our boss’s daughter is also in the criminal division, and she’s his apprentice, too. Isn’t she likely to fall victim to him?"

"Now that you mention it, it seems quite possible!"

"Ah, Mengmeng, my dear Mengmeng..."

Although these people lowered their voices to a whisper, Zhang Wei still overheard some of their comments.

Well, another public relations battle.

As Zhang Wei walked through the litigation department’s office area, he found that people from the civil and commercial divisions were the same.

All of them looked over with an odd expression, as if they were looking at scum.

"Old Tie, Xiao Li, Xiao Meng, good morning! I got up late today, so I’m a bit late!"

Zhang Wei walked into the office and sat down at his workstation.

Then he noticed that the three buddies also weren’t behaving as usual and didn’t greet him.

After holding back for a while, it was Tie Ruyun who finally broke the silence, "Zhang Wei, have you taken on another outrageous case?"

"Old Tie, what do you mean ’outrageous case’?"

Zhang Wei was genuinely puzzled. How was it outrageous to help his uncle fight a lawsuit?

"Last night, Lisa’s Talk revealed the guest for this weekend’s interview, and it seems to be Ji Guoguo, the plaintiff of your case!"

"What, that woman got paid again?"

Zhang Wei knew Cheng Lisha all too well.

Despite being the leading news anchor at Dongfang Capital TV Station, she had no professional ethics to speak of.

She would help whoever paid her.

Now, it was clear that William International’s public relations department had sprung into action and hired Cheng Lisha to generate momentum for their case, and she obviously took money from William International.

"I also saw the preview last night. Cheng Lisha’s fans are naming and shaming you online!"

Li Yueqin recalled and then opened a forum where almost all posts were commentary on last night’s show, with many of them mentioning Zhang Wei.

"Don’t mind it; my skin is thick enough!"

Zhang Wei just smiled lightly, not bothered in the slightest.

For him, as long as he could win the case, how could the opinions of the world confine him?

"Master, you really don’t care? If I were cursed by netizens like that every day, I’d be too embarrassed to face anyone."

"Xiao Meng, you just have too thin skin. Just toughen up a bit, I’ll give you a task: gain 30 pounds, and your skin will be thick enough!"

"Yikes, 30 pounds!"

Lin Yumeng touched her slightly chubby cheeks with a displeased face, "I’m already overweight and was thinking about losing some..."

"Ha, that’s not fat, that’s good fortune!"

"That’s still fat, emmm... Master, you’re so mean, teasing me (＞﹏＜)"

"Dear apprentice, isn’t it the master’s right to tease you? (✧◡✧)"

The entire morning passed by while chatting happily with his colleagues.

As a leader and as colleagues, Old Tie, Xiao Li, and the young apprentice all heaved a sigh of relief as they saw Zhang Wei become so active.

They had thought that if Zhang Wei were to be cyberbullied by Cheng Lisha’s fans or netizens who supported Ji Guoguo, he might have a mental breakdown.

But what they didn’t know was that since the preview release of Lisa’s Talk, some fans had indeed organized themselves, preparing to "explode" Zhang Wei.

However, due to the interference of a "mysterious force," this operation did not occur.

Friday, afternoon.

"Zhang Wei, there’s someone looking for you in the reception room, they specifically asked for Zhang Wei!"

After hanging up the front desk’s phone, Tie Cuilan shouted to Zhang Wei.

"Someone’s looking for me?"

Zhang Wei was puzzled; he should be occupied with Xia Qianjun’s case today and wasn’t expecting anyone.

However, when he went downstairs to the reception room, he was met with an unexpected person.

"Guider Zhou, what brings you here?"

The person was Zhou Xiaoli, the head of the urgent public relations department of the Martial Association and spokesperson for the special combat unit.

In short, this woman had a very special identity and many titles, which could be taken to mean that she had someone higher up backing her.

"Your case with Xia Qianjun is now our top priority. Of course, I had to come and check on the progress!"

Zhou Xiaoli crossed her arms, perched with one leg over the other, assuming the air of a leader.

"I must say, Li Qingmu is very good at judging the situation. He knew this case would be difficult, so he chose to withdraw early!"

"Originally, my plan was for no lawyer to take on this case. Even if a lawyer did decide to take it, it would be for the fame of the case, which I thought would make them easy to deal with."

"My initial plan was to find the lawyer who took the case and then use our network to ’persuade’ them to drop it, or to order them to convince Xia Qianjun to settle."

"What we didn’t anticipate was that you took the case, and given your past record, you likely wouldn’t listen to us."

Zhou Xiaoli said, her penetrating gaze sweeping over, "I’m not wrong, am I, Lawyer Zhang?"

"Guider Zhou, look at what you’re saying. Since I’m Xia Qianjun’s attorney, all my actions have to consider the best interests of my client. What do you mean ’not listening to you’? I am not here to fight a lawsuit for you!"

"True to form, Lawyer Zhang, you always find such flawless excuses!"

Zhou Xiaoli sneered and then dropped a bombshell, "Did you know? Last night, some netizens organized an action to cyberbully you, but our information department stopped them, and we even detained several organizers overnight. I believe Lawyer Zhang didn’t know about this, right?"

"I really had no idea, but I think that was overkill on your part!"

Zhang Wei smiled and sat down nonchalantly, "Actually, it would have been fine if you let them cyberbully me. Then I could have countersued them for invading privacy, compromising computer security, or even provoking trouble. In the end, I could’ve earned a decent sum in compensation!"

"Guider Zhou, think about it, these people would love to kill me, but instead, they would have to pay me money, showing a look of hating me yet unable to do anything about it. Wouldn’t that be a delightful scene?"

"You..."

Zhou Xiaoli was left speechless.

Zhang Wei was truly fearless, not even afraid of being cyberbullied, and he even considered it as them giving him money.

But she couldn’t deny one point—Zhang Wei was exceptionally strong in court, which she knew as well.

If Zhang Wei were to find those organizers behind the cyberbullying and sue them, he indeed had a very high chance of winning. The other side would certainly have to pay up, and they might even end up in jail for it.

"I almost got sidetracked by you. I’m not here to talk about this. I just want to tell you that the higher-ups want this matter settled quickly!"

Zhou Xiaoli finally remembered her primary purpose and immediately stated her intentions.

"What do you mean by ’quickly’?"

"We want this case to end at the trial on Monday. Otherwise, our side does not rule out intervening directly in the case!"

"How are you planning to intervene?"

"Xia Qianjun once belonged to the War Department, and everything he did was for one thing, you know that, right?"

"I don’t know. Could Guider Zhou enlighten me and clear up my doubts?"

"The War Department’s people must follow orders!"

"Are you saying that you would directly command my client, Xia Qianjun, to accept a settlement?"

"Exactly!"

Zhang Wei understood that they were going to play "hardball" with his uncle.

His fingers tapped on the table, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhou Xiaoli was not indulgent, threatening again with a cold voice, "Lawyer Zhang, you should understand the force behind us, right?"

"Guider Zhou, may I ask a question? Is Xia Qianjun one of your subordinates?"

"In a sense, yes."

"Then have you ever trusted your own subordinates?"

At this, Zhou Xiaoli’s expression hardened.

Zhang Wei, however, spoke in a melancholy tone, asking, "Have you ever thought that your subordinates might be innocent, but for the so-called greater good, you completely disregarded their innocence?"

"In my opinion, everyone’s rights are important. On the other hand, so-called face should not take precedence over individual interests."

"Guider Zhou, I wonder if you’ve heard of a joke?"

Zhou Xiaoli raised an eyebrow but did not respond.

Zhang Wei then smiled and began his story, "In ancient times, there were three generals who wanted to see whose soldiers had the most courage. They planted a flagpole in the ground and each ordered their soldiers to climb up during a windy day."

"The first general’s soldier climbed up without hesitation, then when the general told him to jump down, he did just that and ended up breaking his leg."

"The second general’s soldier also climbed up without hesitation. When the general told him to jump, he jumped without flinching, and the wind blew him onto a rock, killing him outright."

"The third general ordered his soldier to go up and, when jumping down, to land head first. What do you think was the outcome for the last soldier?"

Zhou Xiaoli did not think much and directly replied, "He did as he was told, and then he died!"

Zhang Wei, seeming to anticipate Zhou Xiaoli’s answer, gently shook his finger, "That soldier said to his general: ’Screw you, if you want someone to climb, you climb yourself, I’m not serving you!’"

"You see, that’s true courage. In the end, the third soldier won the bet for his general!"

"Hmph!" Zhou Xiaoli snorted coldly, not saying a word.

"Guider Zhou, I’m telling you this story because I hope you understand its implication. It’s wrong for the generals in the story to sacrifice their soldiers’ lives for the sake of face!"

"It seems, then, that we have nothing to talk about, do we?"

"That’s not necessarily the case. Actually, you and I can still have a chat, Guider Zhou; it’s just that I don’t really like your attitude!"

Zhou Xiaoli narrowed her eyes, finding Zhang Wei somewhat unfathomable.

This young man might look inexperienced, but his words were shrouded in mystery, making his intentions hard to guess.

"You say we can talk, what do you mean?"

"It’s simple. You want to have the result by Monday, right? I can assure you that the case will be over by Monday, just as you wish!"

"What do you mean? Are you just trying to appease me, or do you actually have confidence? I don’t believe this case could end by Monday!"

"No, I can guarantee it will end by Monday because the plaintiff’s side has no more witnesses. Monday is when the defense, which is us, presents our evidence. I can end the battle within a single day!"

"End the battle?"

Zhou Xiaoli let out a sneer and said sarcastically, "That’s not a battlefield; it’s the solemn ground of the courtroom. How are you going to ’end the battle’?"

"Who says the solemn ground of the courtroom can’t be a battlefield?"

Zhang Wei sneered back, countering, "The courtroom is our battlefield as lawyers, and I now have the assurance of victory!"

"By the way, Guider Zhou, let me ask you, are you familiar with Xia Qianjun?"

"Before I joined the emergency public relations department, I was the chief dispatcher of the command and liaison department at the War Department, responsible for the team that included Xia Qianjun and others!"

"Great, Guider Zhou, do me a favor and tell me about my uncle’s time at the War Department. The more I know about him, the more it helps the case!"

In the reception room, Zhang Wei ignored Zhou Xiaoli’s piercing gaze and instead engaged her in conversation.

Initially, Zhou Xiaoli did not intend to cooperate, but considering Zhang Wei’s confidence, she decided to give him a chance.

The two talked about many things, and later, Zhou Xiaoli received a phone call and left immediately.

...

Friday evening.

Dongfang Capital TV Station, evening columnist.

"Hello, viewers, I am Cheng Lisha, welcome to Lisa’s Talk."

"Today’s guest on Lisa’s Talk is Miss Ji Guoguo, who has gained considerable fame due to a recent case. Please, let’s have her say hello to everyone."

"Hello, Miss Ji Guoguo!"

"Hello, host."

"Miss Ji, you have recently become well-known on the internet for bravely fighting off a sexual predator. As an internet celebrity, your fan count has already exceeded 1.5 million. However, as your fame has increased, some discordant voices have appeared online. Some people claim that this incident was staged by you to gain traffic and popularity, and that you falsely accused that young man?"

"These are just slanders from haters and competitors. How could I, a young girl, make a joke of my own innocence? That pervert truly harassed me. Do you know how much courage it took for me to testify in court and how much sacrifice it required to stand up to that lawyer?"

"As far as I know, the lawyer who questioned you on Thursday was that Zhang Wei. He’s notorious for working solely for money and has a terrible reputation. He once defended an insurance company in court, and by bullying the weak, he actually caused a cancer-stricken mother to lose her only chance of survival. His character is despicable, his morals are depraved..."

"Exactly, exactly. That lawyer Zhang Wei, you can just tell he’s no good. His questions were downright insulting to me..."

Watching the live broadcast of the interview show, someone was left speechless.

"Insult you, insult your intelligence, maybe?"

Zhang Wei rubbed his forehead and sat quietly in his place.

He wrote down the name "Cheng Lisha" in his notebook.

"Cheng Lisha, congratulations, you’ve made it onto my revenge list!"

After muttering that, Zhang Wei turned off the broadcast.

Anyway, he knew that the upcoming conversation would be utterly uninformative, as those two women would definitely take the opportunity to bad-mouth Zhang Someone mercilessly.

"Ah, the pressure is so great. I need to see Jessica over the weekend for some therapy. I really need psychological treatment!"

After contemplating this, Zhang Wei opened his phone and dialed directly to book a therapy appointment.

...

Weekend.

United Financial Building, Jessica’s Office.

When Zhang Wei arrived, he waited at the door, well-acquainted with the place.

However, today he noticed something off—the people at the door looked familiar.

"I remember they are all from William International, right, those bodyguards named Laura?"

Zhang Wei took a closer look, and the group of bodyguards seemed to sense his scrutiny, all looking back at him.

The eyes of both parties met in the air, and neither side backed down.

It felt like:

Bodyguard: What are you looking at?

Zhang Wei: What’s it to you?

Bodyguard: Try looking one more time!

Zhang Wei: Let’s just see!

In the clashing gazes, there were sparks hidden.

Luckily, just when the atmosphere was growing tense, the door to the office opened.

"Goodbye, Jessica, I hope you remember your choice!"

"Laura, please respect my professionalism!"

The heiress of William International, wearing a luxurious dress and walking gracefully, with her chin up high, walked out of the office.

Just as she walked out the door, she caught a glimpse of Zhang Wei out of the corner of her eye.

"Hmph, I knew it was you!"

Laura muttered coldly, then with a wave of her hand, the bodyguards surrounded her.

She didn’t say much else, not even giving Zhang Wei a proper look, and left directly.

"Zhang~"

"Jessica, what was that about?"

"Come in and I’ll explain!"

Jessica pulled Zhang Wei’s hand and led him into the office.

After the two of them sat down, as they often did, Jessica sighed.

"Laura found out from somewhere that you’re my client. She wanted to buy your diagnostic record!"

"So you refused her?"

"Of course, we have a confidentiality agreement between doctor and patient. I cannot disclose a client’s information!"

"But that’s the young master of William International... Aren’t you offending her by doing this?"

"Zhang, thanks for your concern, but I believe that even William International cannot force me to do something against regulations. Besides, you and I are friends, I would never betray a friend!"

"Jessica, I’m so touched by you; I don’t know how to repay you. How about marrying me to show my gratitude?"

"Zhang, stop your nonsense; making jokes like this isn’t good!"

With Zhang Wei’s teasing, Jessica’s face turned red like a bright apple, extremely tempting.

"You didn’t come here today just to tease me, did you?"

"Yeah, I’ve been under so much pressure these past few days, I urgently need psychological counseling."

"You feel pressure too? I thought your heart was made of iron."

Jessica said this but still made a welcoming gesture.

"Then let’s do it, I’ll give you a head massage!"

"I’d also like a lap pillow service, is that possible?"

"You are really... pushing your luck~"

"Actually, I think ’half a foot’ would already be quite nice."

Jessica: Σ(°△°|||)︴