Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 251 - 249: Wang Li Has Issues! Busy Weekend Investigation (Bonus - for 3500 Monthly Votes)

Chapter 251: Chapter 249: Wang Li Has Issues! Busy Weekend Investigation (Bonus Chapter for 3500 Monthly Votes)

(First, I’m paying back 3,500 monthly tickets; let’s see if there’s a chance left today to pay back the rest slowly...)

...

Saturday.

In a private medical facility in Nandao City.

Inside a VIP hospital room, Lin Xiangwan slowly awakened from her coma.

"Lawyer Zhang... *cough cough*..."

The waking Lin Xiangwan was somewhat weak, her speech breathless and feeble.

"President Lin, you’re awake!"

Zhang Wei had been leaning against the window; seeing Lin Xiangwan awaken, he walked slowly over to her bedside.

"How’s the situation?"

"The doctors ran some tests, but I haven’t received the report yet, so I don’t know the state of your health."

"No, I’m not asking about my coma, but about..."

"I understand, you’re asking about the hearing!"

Zhang Wei got it instantly, speaking slowly, "It’s bad, really bad, as bad as it gets!"

"How bad?"

"Before you fell into a coma, Prosecutor Lu Gao already proved you had a motive for murder, and the whistleblower letter alone is enough to be considered a reason for murder; as for the process of the murder, the investigative department always knew it was you who did it, so if we don’t speak up, the case can be closed!"

Zhang Wei gave an embarrassed smile; the case was practically unsolvable.

Because the prosecution had found "decisive" evidence for conviction.

Jia Shiqing wrote an incriminating letter against his wife Lin Xiangwan, and in order not to be investigated by the Financial Bureau, Lin Xiangwan naturally had to deal with both the letter... and the person who wrote it!

The disposal of Jia Shiqing seemed to be something that was to be expected.

Zhang Wei could be certain that without decisive exonerating evidence, once the trial started, all 12 jurors would probably vote guilty.

Lin Xiangwan had been proven to have a motive for murder, even the "defense jurors" would likely not believe her.

"*Cough cough*, then I must go to court!"

Lin Xiangwan, sensing Zhang Wei’s expression and understanding that they were on the edge of a cliff, made her decision at once.

"I must tell everyone in court that I have no reason to commit murder, and I certainly didn’t kill that worthless man!"

"Did you really not kill him?"

"Lawyer Zhang, even you don’t believe me?"

"To be honest, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve fought so many lawsuits over the years, had it been another lawyer, they would probably have packed up and run away by now!"

Zhang Wei shook his head, then scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.

Up to this moment, Lin Xiangwan had not shown any expression of exposed conspiracy, as if she had always been innocent.

Unfortunately, her knowing didn’t matter, even if Zhang Wei believed her, it didn’t matter.

As long as the 12 jurors didn’t believe her, even if heaven itself believed, it wouldn’t matter.

"The report is out!"

Just then, a series of knocks sounded from outside the hospital room.

Zhang Wei recognized the sound; it was the doctor in charge of Lin Xiangwan.

The doctor, in a white lab coat, entered the room with a report in hand, his expression rather solemn.

"Doctor, how’s my client doing?"

"Are you the lawyer?"

The latter glanced at Zhang Wei, then at Lin Xiangwan on the hospital bed, then shook his head, saying, "The situation is not good, because Ms. Lin has been poisoned!"

"Poisoned?"

At that, not only was Lin Xiangwan puzzled, Zhang Wei was also shocked.

How could this still happen in this day and age, the act of poisoning?

And Lin Xiangwan was the president of a large conglomerate, with people responsible for every aspect of her life; how could she still be poisoned?

The doctor handed the toxicology report to Zhang Wei, pointing to a section, "It’s a chronic neurotoxin. The initial dosage was very weak, undetectable by some equipment. The toxin in Ms. Lin’s body is the result of a long-term accumulation!"

"How long is ’long-term’?"

"Originally, it was difficult for us to estimate the variation in this value, but thankfully Madam Lin has the habit of undergoing a physical examination every month. From the data of the past few months and the concentration of toxins found in her blood this time, the accumulation of poison in the last three months has slightly accelerated!"

"Three months!"

Hearing this time frame, Zhang Wei was slightly startled.

That was because the prosecution’s witness, Madam Qiu, had said that she broke off her relationship and lost contact with Jia Shiqing three months ago.

This meant that after Jia Shiqing and Madam Qiu split up, the murderer who had been poisoning Lin Xiangwan long-term decided to increase the dosage.

The initial dose of the toxin was very small, so small that even a physical examination wouldn’t detect it.

Like this, the poison accumulated bit by bit, slowly building up until it now erupted, and Lin Xiangwan’s body finally couldn’t withstand it anymore.

"Doctor, will this chronic nerve toxin threaten the life of my client?"

"If we were even a month later, the toxins in Madam Lin’s body would have accumulated enough to threaten her life. Fortunately, her body gave a warning in advance. She just needs to comply with dilution therapy and undergo about three to four neutralization treatments, which should be enough to resolve the toxins in her body. As for the threat you asked about, the greatest threat of this chronic nerve toxin is actually the impact it may have on Madam Lin’s memory, rather than a significant effect on her body!"

"Memory?"

"So you’re saying... that the events on the yacht, Lin Xiangwan might forget them, could also be due to the effects of the poisoning?"

Zhang Wei furrowed his brow, realizing that the matter was not simple.

Someone had been secretly poisoning Lin Xiangwan, and this person had to have constant access to her to administer the poison.

Who?

Jia Shiqing, the villa’s female housekeeper...

Zhang Wei first thought of these two people, but then immediately dismissed them.

Because Lin Xiangwan had said that sometimes she didn’t stay at the villa for long periods, so much so that she didn’t even know when Jia Shiqing and the female neighbor were having an affair.

"Madam Lin, have you been staying at the villa every day for the past three months?"

"Of course not. I don’t even stay at the villa for half the month..." Lin Xiangwan shook her head as she recalled.

"That means we can exclude Jia Shiqing and the housekeeper... So who could it be?"

In Zhang Wei’s mind, a vague silhouette was gradually becoming clearer.

"Hello, I’m Wang Li, you can call me Xiao Li..."

"You’re Lawyer Zhang, right? You can save my number. If there’s anything, you can text me at any time; I’m on call 24 hours a day!"

In a flash of insight, the person became clear.

"Wang Li!"

In an instant, Zhang Wei called out the name.

Only she, Lin Xiangwan’s personal assistant, on call 24 hours a day, could have daily access to Lin Xiangwan.

"Xiao Li?" Lin Xiangwan was also taken aback; she clearly understood Zhang Wei’s implication.

"How could she possibly?"

"How could she not? You never know someone’s true nature. Other than her, who else do you think has been poisoning you long-term?"

"This..."

Lin Xiangwan thought for a moment and realized it really could only be her.

Jia Shiqing was out of the question because they didn’t meet more than a few days a month.

The housekeeper was also implausible, as she didn’t even live at home for more than 15 days in a month, and Lin Xiangwan had specifically investigated the housekeeper’s background, which was clean.

Therefore, by process of elimination, the only person who could have been poisoning her was Wang Li.

"She actually dared, I’m going to confront her, why she dared..."

"Madam Lin, please, don’t get agitated. You cannot meet Xiao Li before the end of this case!"

Zhang Wei gently soothed her but ended up delivering some bad news.

"Why can’t I confront her face-to-face if she has poisoned me?"

"Because she is a witness for the prosecution. Before the case concludes, she is under the protection of the prosecution. If we were to contact her privately, the prosecution would accuse us of harassing the witness!"

It was an unfortunate reality that private contact with the opposition’s witness could likely be prosecuted by the other side as obstruction of justice.

If Lin Xiangwan were to contact Wang Li, it could give the impression that she was trying to bribe the witness out of fear of being convicted, which is the classic sign of a guilty conscience.

If the prosecution caught wind of this, then without even waiting for the trial, Lin Xiangwan would be certain to end up in jail.

Zhang Wei guessed that Prosecutor Lu Wenwen must have arranged field personnel to protect Wang Li, to prevent her from being "silenced" by Lin Xiangwan.

"Madam Lin, leave the investigation to me. Fortunately, there are still two days of the weekend left. You can undergo the first treatment these next two days to get a bit better, and then think about other matters!"

Zhang Wei said, reminding Lin Xiangwan a few more things before bidding farewell and leaving the hospital.

Lin Xiangwan’s situation had stabilized, but Zhang Wei’s task was far from easy.

The trial was set to begin next week, and Lin Xiangwan’s outlook did not look promising; the jury’s sentiment had uniformly shifted in favor of the prosecution after Lu Wenwen produced the whistleblower letter.

Now that the "real culprit" was known, Zhang Wei needed to find decisive evidence proving the perpetrator’s guilt.

"Wang Li!"

Repeating these two words to himself, Zhang Wei’s gaze gradually grew colder.

He was determined to expose the true face of this treacherous woman.

...

Nandao City, a certain financial institution.

Zhang Wei was talking with the receptionist.

"Hello, I am President Lin’s proxy lawyer, Lin Xiangwan. I need to speak with your client manager!"

"I’m sorry, sir, but it is the weekend, and many of our managers are not working today."

"Then could you please check who the manager in charge of my client is? I need to find this person."

"Sure, sir, the client manager responsible for Madam Lin is Manager Ye. Her contact details and address are..."

...

Nandao City, an upscale neighborhood.

"Little Ye, ah, that girl is quite good, really impressive qualifications, working at a major financial institution, earning lots. Her clients include top bosses and the wealthy elite. If she hadn’t canceled her lease, I would have truly wished to suggest a match for her!"

Zhang Wei looked at the landlady with surprise, "She canceled her lease?"

"Yes, it’s been over a week since the lease was canceled. My property rents for tens of thousands a month, and the location is absolutely top-notch. Honestly, I really miss Little Ye. Such a big place, and she was living there all alone. If I rent it out again, who knows how many people might move in... By the way, young man, are you looking to rent?"

"Uh, no, that won’t be necessary!"

After declining the landlady’s offer, Zhang Wei left the residential complex.

"Do financial client managers make that much money? Monthly rent of tens of thousands, plus living expenses and all that. According to the landlady, Little Ye bought designer bags and luxury goods every month, driving to and from work in a car worth over half a million. Looking at their company’s work photos, she doesn’t appear to be very old either?"

"Could it be... she’s hooked up with a rich patron?"

Zhang Wei touched his chin, deep in thought.

"Wait a minute, maybe Little Ye is the one with a problem. Lin Xiangwan claimed she knew nothing about the charity fund, leaving it entirely in the hands of her client manager. If anonymous funds were deposited, the manager would notify her. But Lin Xiangwan never received a single reminder, so it’s quite possible that Little Ye is at fault!"

"It looks like I’ll have to return to the financial institution again!"

Without delay, Zhang Wei returned to the financial institution he visited before.

"Hello, I’d like to request the recent financial statements of the charitable fund belonging to my client, Madam Lin Xiangwan, to check if anyone has withdrawn funds from it!"

"Okay, please wait a moment!"

Even though the receptionist and the host were puzzled as to why Zhang Wei had returned, with Lin Xiangwan being a VIP of the institution, they had no choice but to comply.

Soon, the financial report for the charity fund was organized and handed over to Zhang Wei.

"Huh, it’s actually Jia Shiqing!"

The funds from the charity had indeed been withdrawn, and the person who withdrew them was none other than the deceased Jia Shiqing.

Prior to his death, he had withdrawn a sizable amount of money from the fund under the identity of Lin Xiangwan’s husband.

"It’s really a significant sum of money. But he’s already dead, so whose hands is the money in now?"

Zhang Wei was now certain that the person lurking in the shadows was Wang Li.

However, to prove it was her, he needed more evidence.

"Hey, is this my second daughter? Are you busy this weekend?"

"Oh, oh, I understand. Of course, I’m contacting you for serious matters. I need your help to investigate three people: Jia Shiqing, Wang Li, and Ye..."

"Yes, yes, for the case I’m currently working on. But I’ve run into a bit of trouble and could use your assistance."

"Alright, thanks a lot, second daughter, Daddy loves you~"

Amidst a barrage of scoldings from his second daughter, Zhang Wei ended the call.

"Hello, is this Silly? Are you busy this weekend?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you to help me find someone. She’s the financial manager of my client, but I suspect she embezzled, tampered with my client’s financial accounts in collusion with others, and now she has run away. I need to catch her and bring her back!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ve run into a bit of trouble with this case, but no matter, I already know how to counterattack. Now all I need is to catch the person, and then..."

"All right, thanks a lot Silly, love you, mua~"

After ending the call with Xia Qianyue, Zhang Wei felt his mood also improved significantly.

"Evidence, evidence, still need key evidence to make it count. Even if I can prove that Wang Li had malicious intentions toward Lin Xiangwan, how should I then deny her involvement in Jia Shiqing’s death?"

"Most importantly, I have to prove it was not Lin Xiangwan wanting to kill Jia Shiqing, but Jia Shiqing who wanted to kill her and that she killed him in self-defense."

"Likewise, after proving Jia Shiqing had the intent to kill Lin Xiangwan, I also have to prove that woman Wang Li was involved in it. How do I do that?"

A lightbulb went off in Zhang Wei’s mind once again.

He thought of a place.

...

Moonwatch Bay, the villa.

Zhang Wei returned to Lin Xiangwan’s place and went straight upstairs to Jia Shiqing’s room.

After searching around the room, he then entered the Meditation Room next door.

This time, Zhang Wei, transformed into a human radar, stayed in the Meditation Room for several hours, and eventually found a clue on the carpet.

"Still not enough, not enough..."

Looking at the yellow hair in his hand, Zhang Wei felt this evidence could only prove a slight issue, not enough to clear Lin Xiangwan of the charges.

"I should take a look at where the body was found!"

Zhang Wei quickly went to Bright Moon Port, to the area where Jia Shiqing’s body was discovered.

The place had already been sealed off, still cordoned with tape, and there was an officer on duty at the scene.

"Hello, may I ask if this is where Jia Shiqing’s body was found?"

"Yes, it is. And you are?"

"I’m the defense lawyer, I want to take a look at this place, here’s my lawyer’s license!"

"Defense lawyer, so you represent the accused, huh?"

The officer looked at Zhang Wei somewhat surprised but still let him through.

After all, this place had already been examined countless times by the investigation team, and the forensics team had been busy here too. It could be said all the possible clues had been found.

Moreover, this wasn’t the primary murder scene, there was only one body found; what clues could there be left?

Zhang Wei looked at the beach where the body was found, but alas, due to the waves, any traces had long been washed away.

Inside the cordon, aside from the sand on the beach, there were only a few plastic bags that had washed ashore left.

"May I ask, did these plastic bags wash up along with Jia Shiqing’s body?"

"Of course not, these plastic bags floated over later. I don’t know who’s so lacking in decency to dump trash in the sea, don’t they know that in recent years the pollution in our waters has been getting worse!"

"Plastic bags?"

Zhang Wei looked at the few plastic bags at his feet; they had been washed up like this, and because of the cordon, no one had come to deal with them.

"I’ve been thinking about a problem before. If Jia Shiqing colluded with Wang Li and a client manager named Ye to embezzle Lin Xiangwan’s money, and feared the exposure of their actions enough to harbor murderous intentions, how would they go about killing Lin Xiangwan? Poison could be unreliable due to small dosage, and if exposed could potentially fail."

"So on the yacht, it was Jia Shiqing who made a move against Lin Xiangwan. Although timid, because of this very reason, he would have considered and surely used a method that left no trace to..."

"I recall there was such a scene in Jia Shiqing’s novel. I only glanced over it hastily, but I still remember... there’s such a possibility, these plastic bags, they could actually be..."

Zhang Wei bowed his head, looking at the objects at his feet, once again sinking into deep thought.

"Hello, is this Classmate Mo? Hi, hi..."

"Yes, I’m Zhang Wei. I’m currently in Nandao. I got your number from Silly."

"It’s about, well, I wanted to ask if you know any forensic pathology experts in Nandao, someone who can do on-site verification, and preferably get results quickly."

"Yes, yes, yes, my case really needs this, and the trial is next Monday, so I don’t have much time left."

"Oh, you have a senior colleague who’s working in Nandao, even in a lab, that’s great. Please give me his contact, thank you!"

Right after Zhang Wei hung up the call, a message was also sent to his phone.

Seeing the content of the message, Zhang Wei finally