Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 237 - 236: A Coincidental Encounter in the Parking Lot, Isn’t that Disastrous?

Chapter 237: Chapter 236: A Coincidental Encounter in the Parking Lot, Isn’t that Disastrous?

Tuesday night, Lin Mansion.

For Zhang Wei, the first two days of this week had been exceptionally busy.

On Monday, he completed a court case for his eldest maternal uncle, and then on Tuesday, Zhang Xinwu came to him because his brother Zhang Xinyan got into trouble.

"He was beaten up, in the open-air parking lot, at night, by a total of 5 attackers..."

As he flipped through the preliminary investigation report from Serious Crime Team 3, Zhang Wei’s expression was far from pleasant.

The reason, naturally, was because of the demand Zhang Xinwu had made, to bring the real culprit to justice.

But Zhang Xinyan was now delirious, unable to even speak, let alone describe what had happened.

Even though they had the ancestral traditional medicine recipe from Zhang’s Martial Arts School, Zhang Xinyan would need at least a few days to recover.

During this time, those five families would certainly not just sit back and wait; they would be trying everything possible to push for a settlement.

Ding dong!

As soon as he said this, Zhang Wei’s phone rang—it was a text message.

"Sure enough, here’s another one!"

He opened the message and a sneer curled up the corner of his mouth.

"Little Lawyer Zhang, on behalf of my child, I apologize to you and your client; I admit that we, as parents, didn’t discipline our child properly, allowing him to make some disreputable friends and that is our fault!"

"Now, our child has been put in detention, and as parents, we too hope our child can lead a quiet life. So we are asking for your understanding to give him a chance; we will definitely try to compensate for the injuries suffered by your client, but we also hope that you can sympathize with the difficulties we face as parents. We’re practically on our knees begging you!"

Since coming back from the hospital, Zhang Wei had already received several messages like this one.

Even though Zhang Wei did not disclose his contact information, the investigative department had backups, and these parents must have obtained Zhang Wei’s number through some connections.

Now, they had started what’s called a ’text message offensive’.

To Zhang Wei, these messages seemed utterly insincere.

These parents did not realize the seriousness of the problem; the content of their messages all tried to excuse their own children, portraying the other kids as the real culprits, and their own as just being "caught up" in the situation.

Even more, they did not discuss compensation at all, simply telling Zhang Wei that they would apologize and educate their children well in the future.

What good is an apology if it works? Why do we need the law then?

If they can educate well in the future, why can’t they do so now?

Hypocrisy, lack of sincerity, shirking responsibility—that’s what Zhang Wei read into these messages.

These parents were obviously hoping that by speaking soft words, they could trivialize a major issue into a minor one. Zhang Wei did not appreciate this attitude.

"When confronted with an issue, they don’t think about taking responsibility. Instead, they try to shirk it, attempting to deceive me with verbal promises that have no binding force at all. If I were to actually believe you, I’d be a fool!"

Zhang Wei chuckled coldly, put his phone down, and had no intention whatsoever of responding.

Once he redirected his attention, he started thinking about the details of the case.

"Ultimately, I still need to take a look at the scene. Even though the surveillance footage doesn’t capture the cause of the incident, what if I’m lucky..."

Zhang Wei was a man of action, and his dedication to examining the crime scene was no less than that of the investigative department.

It was his habit as a criminal defense lawyer: the prosecutor, that is the opposition, can rely on the investigative department for evidence, whereas the defense can only rely on itself.

This is also why many defense teams hire professional investigators; they need individuals with investigative experience on par with the investigators to help them gather evidence.

Zhang Wei, however, with more than 30 years of criminal investigation experience, was definitely not less capable than some professional investigators.

"Let’s go..."

Decisive as always, Zhang Wei didn’t hesitate and set out immediately.

...

The crime scene was in the Central Ring, an open-air parking lot.

Close by was an old residential area and several construction sites, so the car park was surrounded by a simple brick wall and cars entered and exited through a single point.

At the entrance of the parking lot stood only a basic security booth, inside of which the old security guard squinted and dozed off.

Zhang Wei glanced at the security guard, who was drooling in his sleep.

Given the level of security, it seemed whether you drove or not, it would be easy to get in.

"Now it’s about 10:30 p.m., the time of the crime seems to be around this time too. As for the exact location..."

Zhang Wei walked into the parking lot and looked around to see that it was filled with nothing but cars.

Stepping on the somewhat uneven concrete ground, he circled half the car park and was about to complete the circuit when he suddenly frowned.

"I have this feeling that I am being watched."

Zhang Wei gazed into the pitch-black surroundings, his eyebrows furrowed.

The car park should have had some light; otherwise, how would one park their car in the dark of night?

If they managed to park, how would the driver navigate their way out?

Moreover, such darkness could easily foster various other dubious activities.

"Speaking of which, why were Zhang Xinyan and those five people here at night? Why were they at this somewhat spooky parking lot?"

"Zhang Xinyan is so poor, he definitely doesn’t own a car. And those five guys, they seem to have graduated from high school not too many years ago. Did they get their driver’s licenses so early?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Zhang Wei’s eyes. He had a feeling that the presence of those five in this car park was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

But what exactly was it?

As he pondered this, he walked up to a car and subconsciously rested his hand on the door.

Beep beep beep, a warning alarm promptly sounded.

"Finally caught you, Grandmadam!"

Just at that moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Behind them, a gust of wind surged, followed by a familiar, angry shout.

Before Zhang Wei could react, a hand pressed down on his head, and his world spun around as he fell into an intimate embrace with the rough cement floor.

Bang!

His head hit the ground, feeling somewhat painful.

But Zhang Wei had no time to cry out in pain.

Not only was his arm controlled, but a knee was also firmly pressed against his back, turning him into a stretched-out squid, about to be put on the grill.

"Hehe, first day of stakeout and I’ve already caught a car thief. Captain Wu and the others would never expect my luck to be this good!"

"Silly heroine, I’ve been wronged..."

"What wronged? Someone once said that when a suspect is caught, they always claim to be innocent. You... wait, what did you just call me?"

"Silly..."

Xia Qianyue bent down for a closer look and saw the familiar face of the man she had captured.

Upon a closer look, wasn’t it Zhang Wei?

"Ah, Zhang Wei, how come it’s you!"

"Silly, we can talk about it, but can you let go first? My hand is about to break..."

"Ah, Zhang Wei, I’m so sorry, so sorry..."

Xia Qianyue quickly released him while repeatedly apologizing with her head down.

Zhang Wei was already emmm inside.

What’s going on with Xia Qianyue? Just yesterday, I won a lawsuit for Xia Qianjun, so why did you go to work for the Serious Crime Team today?

And moreover, it’s late at night, doing a stakeout in a parking lot by yourself. If you really encountered some villain...

Wouldn’t that villain end up losing their life?

As soon as Zhang Wei got up, the two exchanged glances and then, in perfect sync, blurted out:

"What are you doing here?" x2

"You go first?" x2

Alright then!

Zhang Wei admits that sometimes he and Xia Qianyue are quite in tune with each other.

"Cough cough, then I’ll speak first, huh. I took on another case. The client is Sister Xiao Wu, and the person involved is her no-good brother. He got beaten up—this is the crime scene. I’m investigating and collecting evidence," Zhang Wei finished, looking at Xia Hanhan in front of him.

Your turn.

"Our Team 7 recently took on a case too. It’s about a series of vehicle thefts. Captain Wu and the team have been busy with this case lately. Just yesterday, thanks to your help, my brother’s case was finally won, so I came to work today and thought about conducting some surveillance control here..."

"Surveillance control?"

Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment and looked around.

Apart from Xia Qianyue, it seemed like no one else from Team 7 had shown up.

"It’s just a stakeout..."

When questioned by Zhang Wei, Xia Qianyue changed her words, seeming a bit guilty.

There’s something fishy here! Xia Hanhan’s evasiveness and her disingenuous expression indicated as much to someone familiar with her.

"Oh, I get it. You’ve acted on your own without coordinating with Captain Wu, haven’t you?"

"You... what nonsense are you talking about? I’m here to solve a case!"

"Solving a case?"

Zhang Wei rubbed his forehead with a worried expression, "In such a dark place where you can’t even see what people are doing, if a car owner comes by and you impulsively act, wouldn’t you end up in detention too?"

"I... I’ll be more careful..."

Xia Qianyue was left speechless by his rebuke.

Because Zhang Wei had hit the nail on the head.

If she impulsively attacked an ordinary person, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She was law enforcement and knew the law, yet breaking it meant facing a more severe punishment.

"Come on, there’s no clue here. Let’s get you home," Zhang Wei said with resignation as he began pulling Xia Qianyue out of the parking lot.

"Doing surveillance like this... Say, how did you even know to come here?"

"Because Captain Wu said so, these people seem to be mobile criminals. According to their movement patterns, they should be targeting this area soon!"

"A gang, moving from place to place, have you guys figured out their movement patterns?"

"Captain Wu said they’re likely operating these few days, so the entire Team 7 is out here. They’ve even called in quite a few field agents to assist!"

"I see. So, have you guys found any of the stolen vehicles?"

"We’ve found some. I didn’t ask for details."

"So..."

Zhang Wei’s gaze flickered, as if he had thought of something.

"Simple-minded one, how about this, you go and ask Captain Wu tomorrow about the stolen vehicles. If you can get testimony about a channel for disposing of stolen goods, it would greatly increase the efficiency of pinpointing the suspect!"

"Oh, okay!"

Xia Qianyue naturally accepted Zhang Wei’s suggestion with an open mind and remembered it all in her head.

The two soon returned. After Zhang Wei dropped off Xia Hanhan at Dongjiang Yipin, he took a cab back to Sifang Gate Street.

After getting off the taxi, he couldn’t help but lament.

I really need a personal driver.

Although Dongfang Capital’s traffic jams have been a problem for a long time, for an elite lawyer like himself, driving wasn’t enough; it would be best to have a dedicated driver.

This is what it means to have style!

Thinking this, Zhang Wei returned to Lin Mansion, washed up, and went to bed early.

He knew that tomorrow was going to be busy.

...

The next day, bright and early.

Serious Crime Team 7 Office, Investigation Division.

"Captain, I’m here again!"

Xia Qianyue arrived at her workstation early in the morning and immediately approached Wu Yong with a big smile as soon as she saw him arrive.

"Xia Xia, as I said, you took leave because of your brother’s issue and could rest for a few more days."

"Well, since Zhang Wei solved all the problems, I started thinking about everyone. I want to solve cases with the team again."

Xia Qianyue batted her big eyes, looking at her leader full of anticipation.

Me staring

Wu Yong initially wanted to be firm, but seeing his subordinate’s expectant eyes, he eventually sighed.

"Alright, you can act with us."

"Oye~"

Xia Qianyue was thrilled.

But soon after, she remembered the task Zhang Wei had given her.

"Captain Wu, um... I wanted to ask about the vehicle theft case. Do we have any leads on the disposal end of things?"

"Hmm, you’ve thought of this too?"

Wu Yong was taken aback, feeling that the person beside him seemed to have grown smarter.

In the past, when Xia Qianyue heard about a case, she would rush in headlong, straight to where the case was, without giving any other consideration.

How come now, when she heard about the vehicle theft case, she began to think about leads on the disposal channels?

It seems that under his guidance, the young woman had grown up!

Wu Yong was pleased and couldn’t help but nod, "Not bad, these past few days, apart from setting up surveillance, we’ve also visited some second-hand car dealerships and recycling shops, and finally found some clues. We’re about to go there, but..."

"Captain Wu, but what?"

"But according to the information, the place where they dispose of the goods seems a bit dangerous..."

"Dangerous!"

Upon hearing these two words, Xia Qianyue’s expression suddenly lit up with excitement.

"According to the information, the second-hand car recovery spot seems to be run by a former gang member!"

"Gang member!"

Hearing these four words, Xia Qianyue was more than just excited; her eyes sparkled.

"Anyway, if you’re coming along, make sure not to start any trouble!"

"Okay!"

Seeing Xia Qianyue promptly agree, Wu Yong always felt like the girl hadn’t really taken his words to heart.

But he didn’t oppose her and instead stood up and said, "Well, let’s move out!"

...

Dongfang Capital, Central Ring.

A second-hand car dealership somewhere in the west of the city.

When Wu Yong arrived here with the members of Team 7, the dealership’s staff were just starting their workday.

The dealership was originally a factory; the workshop was large and housed many cars.

Upon reaching the dealership’s entrance, Deputy Captain Old Xing approached.

"Captain Wu, are we really going in? I heard that the boss of this dealership used to be a big shot in a gang!"

"Hmph, you said it yourself, it was in the past. Now that he has left the gang, he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble again!"

Wu Yong waved his hand, speaking sternly, "Besides, we represent the Martial Association. Even if he hasn’t left the gang, we’re not afraid of him!"

"The captain is right, we’re not afraid of him!" Xia Qianyue, following behind, wholeheartedly agreed.

Wu Yong paid no mind to Old Xing’s concerns and led the members of Team 7 into the car dealership.

"Hey, who are you guys?" A car shop junior saw them and, sensing that Wu Yong and his group were not customers, hurried over to block their way.

"We are from the Serious Crime Team, here for routine questioning!"

"Serious Crime Team!"

Upon hearing the words "Serious Crime Team," the juniors at the car shop all put down their work and looked over.

Several juniors even picked up tools, with a hint of menace on their faces.

"Cough cough, make way!"

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed inside the car shop.

A burly man with arms as thick as an average person’s thigh, wearing a tank top, stepped forward.

With his beard, appearing to be in his forties, tanned skin, his combat prowess obviously wasn’t weak.

"Boss!"

Upon seeing the man, the car shop workers all saluted respectfully, their attitude reverent.

"Are you the boss of this car shop?"

"What do people from the Serious Crime Team want with my secondhand car shop?"

The man didn’t answer the question; instead, he coldly eyed Wu Yong and his companions.

"We are investigating a series of recent vehicle thefts, and according to the intelligence we’ve received, it’s highly likely that this place is a fence for stolen goods!"

"Hahaha, officer, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. We only handle secondhand cars. If ’customers’ bring them over, we’re responsible for dismantling and recycling the parts; it’s all just business."

"If it’s just normal business, then you wouldn’t mind us taking a look at the surveillance here, would you?"

"Of course, I mind!"

The man chuckled and walked up to Wu Yong, looking down from above: "We are all law-abiding good citizens here. Every year, my car shop pays hundreds of thousands in taxes to the West City District Tax Bureau. Without a search warrant, I am afraid I cannot comply!"

"You really won’t cooperate with the investigation?"

"Hahaha, asking me, Ah Niu, to cooperate? Do you guys have the authority? I’m not afraid to tell you, back in the day, I hung around with [Lord Tiger]!"

Upon hearing the words "Lord Tiger," Wu Yong and Old Xing’s expressions turned grave.

On the other hand, Xia Qianyue, Ah Ni, and Tamu, who were behind them, showed no reaction; on the contrary, they thought the nickname was quite casual.

Why do gang members always like to name themselves after animals like bulls and tigers?

"Since there’s no search warrant, then please leave!"

The car shop boss said and waved his hand.

The car shop juniors around them all frowned and crowded in menacingly.

There were 5 people from Serious Crime Team 7, and the car shop had no less than 50 juniors.

The difference in numbers was nearly tenfold.

"Clang!"

Amidst them, a wrench suddenly fell from one junior’s hand to the ground, making a jarring noise.

"What, you want a fight?"

"Hahaha, officer, you’ve misunderstood. We are all just mechanics here; carrying wrenches and hammers is just part of our livelihood!"

The car shop boss said and then shouted at the junior: "What are you standing there for? Pick it up!"

The junior was about to act, but a "delicate little hand" beat him to it.

The wrench had fallen right beside Xia Qianyue, so naturally, she picked it up faster.

Looking at the wrench in her hand, Xia Qianyue’s face turned cold, and then she clenched her fingers tightly around it.

Crunch crunch!

Under the exaggerated sound of metal friction, everyone including the car shop boss stared at Xia Qianyue in shock, or rather, at what was in her hand.

The wrench was gone, turned into a twisted lump of metal.

It was hard to imagine that anyone could crush a metal object into a ball with their bare hands.

That was a metal wrench!

Xia Qianyue casually tossed the lump of metal aside and then turned to look at the car shop boss.

Her face was the picture of innocence.

It was as if she was asking, Captain, is it okay if I crush this guy’s bones?

Gulp...

The car shop boss felt a chill up his spine and had trouble swallowing.

"Officer, actually, everything is negotiable... You’re asking about the car thieves, aren’t you? Although the surveillance footage isn’t in good condition, I can provide some clues about the recent vehicle thefts!"

The boss’s face had changed to a kind and pleasant expression, appearing to be a model citizen.

But his gaze kept fixated on Xia Qianyue, afraid that any slight movement could leave his own bones in the same state as the wrench.

In his mind, he cursed, this girl looks harmless, but her combat power could probably annihilate my entire car shop.

This girl’s grip is so strong; I wonder which unlucky guy will dare to marry her in the future.

If, during "that," the girl gets too excited, wouldn’t it mean...

Cracked eggs and a departed soul!