Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 252 - 250: Wang Li’s "Betrayal", For the Sake of Zheng Yi? (Bonus - for 4000 monthly votes)

Chapter 252: Chapter 250: Wang Li’s "Betrayal", For the Sake of Zheng Yi? (Bonus Chapter for 4000 monthly votes)

Monday, court was in session again.

In a preparation room of the Nandao City Court,

"Madam Lin, you actually didn’t need to come, we have a medical diagnosis from the attending doctor, and the court can’t force you to appear,"

"Even so, you totally had the reason to ask for the hearing to be postponed, to rest for a few more days,"

Zhang Wei looked at the woman in front of him, shaking his head, feeling even more helpless inside.

Lin Xiangwan, was really pushing herself too hard.

She had convalesced in the hospital for two days over the weekend, only to insist on attending the trial.

The current Lin Xiangwan was even sitting in a wheelchair, her mobility somewhat impaired.

In fact, the doctor had strongly opposed her going to court, but his opposition was no match for someone’s determination.

"There are some things I must ask clearly face to face!"

Lin Xiangwan said, clenching her teeth, her brows furrowed deeply.

There was no helping it, after going through numerous betrayals, now her belly was full of resentment, needing to vent.

"But you can’t ask questions in court either, that’s my job, right?"

"Lawyer Zhang, sometimes a person needs to learn to read the room when speaking!"

Lin Xiangwan rolled her eyes, you’ve completely ruined the emotions I had mustered up.

"Fine, when it’s time for me to ask questions, should I also watch the occasion?"

"No need, you ask them relentlessly!"

A cold glare flashed between Lin Xiangwan’s brows.

Feeling this sharp edge, Zhang Wei understood.

Then, as the time to start the trial approached, he wheeled Lin Xiangwan toward the courtroom.

...

In the courtroom,

Following last Friday’s hearing, the atmosphere was extremely heated this time.

"Have you heard? Prosecutor Lu Gao is about to win?"

"Isn’t that obvious, Lin Xiangwan’s act of murder exists in itself, and Prosecutor Lu Gao has proven she had the motive to kill, the case could be closed long ago!"

"Exactly, exactly, now the motive for murder is established, and the act of murder has been proven a long time ago, I guess if we were to make a ruling now, the jury would definitely reach an agreement!"

"Not just that, I want to go vote myself, after all, Lin Xiangwan is surely guilty!"

"It’s really unexpected, the well-known female philanthropist of Nandao turned out to be such a person!"

"Who would’ve thought, she did so many good deeds for Nandao in broad daylight, but it was all for her shady activities, that’s why it’s said the ZB family are all bloodsuckers, it isn’t without reason!"

"Next, Lin Xiangwan will probably spend her life in prison... hey, here she comes!"

In the public gallery, there had been a lot of chatter, but as the doors of the courtroom opened, everyone suddenly fell silent.

Because the person they were discussing had arrived.

Zhang Wei wheeled Lin Xiangwan into the courtroom.

However, this time, the gazes cast from all around held not a trace of sympathy.

This time, the feelings contained within those gazes were all disdain, indifference, and ridicule, along with a thick disgust.

There was no helping it, these were the looks reserved for a murderer.

"Madam Lin, how does it feel to be misunderstood, is it quite unpleasant?"

"If I were still in the dark at this point, then perhaps it would be, but thanks to Lawyer Zhang’s help, now I’ve come to terms with it,"

"That’s good, I was worried you wouldn’t be able to bear these stares!"

"I represent the Lin family dispatched to Nandao, am the CEO of Jincheng, if I can’t even get past this hurdle, then wouldn’t I fail my late foster mother and let down Elder Master Lin’s trust!"

"Then I too will have to do my utmost today, else wouldn’t I also fail the opportunity given by Elder Master Lin!"

Zhang Wei and Lin Xiangwan both began to smile.

If they could get past this hurdle today, wouldn’t they be too embarrassed to face Lin Jincheng.

The two of them actually found a kind of mutual respect in each other, due to the presence of Elder Master Lin.

Zhang Wei and Lin Xiangwan took their seats at the defense table.

And on the prosecutor’s side, Lu Wenwen and Wei Min had already arrived.

"Madam Lin, how are you feeling?"

Although these were just pleasantries, Lu Wenwen, feeling confident of victory, didn’t mind offering a little condescension from the strong.

So, although she even found it fake herself, she still stepped forward to inquire about Lin Xiangwan’s health.

"Thank you for your concern Prosecutor Lu Gao, but do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"This..."

Lu Wenwen blinked, signaling that your response was somewhat off-script—how am I supposed to follow up with that?

"Madam Lin, Prosecutor Lu Gao is a prosecutor; he probably hears suspects lie every day. Let’s not make things difficult for him," Zhang Wei quickly interjected with a laugh, trying to smooth things over.

"That’s true. Listening to suspects’ lies every day, Prosecutor Lu Gao must be used to it by now!"

Lin Xiangwan also chuckled teasingly, then looked at Lu Wenwen: "Actually, the doctors have said that my health is still very poor, and I might pass out at any moment."

"Then you..."

"No need to worry, Prosecutor Lu Gao. Even if I have to be carried out later, I want to stay here until the case is over!"

"Madam Lin, do you really want to see yourself getting a life sentence?"

"That’s better than lying in a hospital bed and suddenly being told that I have to spend the rest of my life in prison, isn’t it?"

"Do as you wish then!"

Seeing that neither Lin Xiangwan nor Zhang Wei was swayed by her words, Lu Wenwen also gave up on pretending to be polite.

She nodded slightly at Zhang Wei, then returned to the prosecution’s seat.

Before long, the jury and witnesses were escorted by the court guard into the courtroom.

All 12 jurors looked at Lin Xiangwan as they took their seats.

They wanted to get a clear look at the woman who, not only killed her own husband, but also committed plenty of other illegal acts.

The expressions of the 12 jurors were surprisingly uniform at that moment.

We will vote guilty!

But at that moment, Lin Xiangwan couldn’t care less about what these 12 fools thought.

From the moment a certain individual entered the courtroom, her gaze had been locked onto that person.

Wang Li!

At that moment, Wang Li, escorted by two court guards, walked into the courtroom.

She took her seat in the witness stand, in front of the defense’s seat and behind the prosecution’s.

Her gaze wandered around for a moment, then she noticed Lin Xiangwan’s staring and her eyes reflected a hint of confusion.

"Wang Li!"

Unfortunately, that slight confusion did not deter Lin Xiangwan’s gaze; she kept staring intently at Wang Li.

Under Lin Xiangwan’s scrutiny, Wang Li seemed to understand something.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and a strange, cold smile appeared on her face.

This expression seemed to say: You know all about it, huh? Well, if you’ve figured it out, there’s no point in pretending anymore!

"It really was you!"

Lin Xiangwan clenched her teeth in anger.

She had been blind to choose, among the job applicants, that girl who looked naive and simple-minded.

And to think, she had unwittingly welcomed a wolf in sheep’s clothing into her house.

"Madam Lin, don’t get agitated. If you show your killing intent like this, you might scare off the prey!"

Just as Lin Xiangwan was about to kill Wang Li with her eyes, Zhang Wei quickly patted her shoulder to stop her.

"Wait, I will make her understand what cruelty is..."

Zhang Wei’s mouth curved up in a smile that was a hundred times more sinister than Wang Li’s.

This smile, even Lin Xiangwan felt a chill and fear upon seeing it.

She thought to herself that Zhang Wei could only be her teammate from now on; she must never oppose him in court.

The outcome would definitely be terrible...

As they waited, the time to start the court session finally came.

"All rise!"

With the court guard’s announcement, Judge Lu Zhengting walked in with steady steps, appearing before everyone.

His demeanor was authoritative and his gaze sharp; without displaying any anger, he walked towards the bench with a commanding presence.

In that moment, Judge Lu Zhengting exuded an atmosphere that was subdued yet serious.

"Oh, Judge Lu seems very pleased!"

Seeing Lu Zhengting try to maintain a composed facade, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

Keep up the act if you want, but could you make it a bit more convincing? If you know your daughter is going to win the lawsuit, please restrain the grin a bit.

After Judge Lu Zhengting sat down, he didn’t immediately announce the commencement of the proceedings but took several deep breaths, trying hard to contain his smile.

"Cough, cough, before we begin, the court needs to confirm a matter!"

Judge Lu Zhengting looked toward the defense bench, "Madam Lin, your health isn’t a concern, is it? On Friday, you had a nosebleed in court and even passed out. If there’s a problem today, it could affect the trial..."

"Your Honor, rest assured, my client is fine. She will definitely stay in the courtroom until this trial concludes!"

"What did the doctors say? Just in case the medical report..."

"Your Honor doesn’t need to worry. When my client was discharged, we also spoke with the attending physician face to face; he knows my client would appear in court today!"

"Well then, the court is also at ease!"

Upon hearing these responses, Judge Lu Zhengting breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Zhang Wei, his heart was filled with cold laughter.

He knew that Judge Lu Zhengting was asking these questions to confirm whether Lin Xiangwan would pull any more stunts.

In other words, Judge Lu Zhengting wanted to make sure the litigant wasn’t going to interrupt her own daughter’s performance by feigning illness again.

"Since that’s the case, let’s begin the session!"

Judge Lu Zhengting immediately declared with a gavel that the trial would continue.

"Prosecution, do you have any further questions?"

"Of course, Your Honor. The prosecution hasn’t finished questioning witness Miss Wang Li yet!"

Lu Wenwen immediately stood up, and at the same time, Wang Li also stepped back onto the witness stand.

"Miss Wang, I trust that after two days of reflection over the weekend, you must have thought things through. What kind of person is your boss Lin Xiangwan, exactly?"

As she spoke, she pointed to the defense bench, "Do I need to remind you again?"

"No... no need, I’ve decided to confess, I’ve decided to tell everything!"

Wang Li seemed like a lost lamb that had finally found the way home.

She took a deep breath, appearing to be under great pressure, and meekly said, "Actually, my boss, my boss, she... she has always known about those things!"

"She fabricated the illusion that the charity was serving the citizens of Nandao City, but in reality, the fund’s purpose was to facilitate her own bribes. In fact, she had secretly emailed several contractors before the public bidding, instructing them to transfer money into the fund..."

Lu Wenwen nodded with satisfaction and continued, "According to the Financial Bureau’s investigation, the one who withdrew funds from the charity was Jia Shiqing?"

"Yes, because President Lin was afraid of being seen, she didn’t dare to withdraw the money herself. She always had her husband serve as the front man... I believe Mr. Jia’s death was because he knew too much, and so President Lin..."

Wang Li said this with a face full of fear, as if she were very afraid of Lin Xiangwan, and she didn’t even dare look in the direction of the defense bench.

"Miss Wang, please be assured, just tell us everything you know, and we promise to protect your personal safety!"

"Then, thank you Prosecutor Lu Gao. I will certainly tell all that I know!" Wang Li gave Lu Wenwen a grateful look, and her expression finally improved slightly.

She then began to recount all of Lin Xiangwan’s misdeeds within the company on the stand.

She spared no detail, hiding nothing, and even included...

"...that Xiao Lin, just for breaking a teacup, was fired by President Lin, who also cursed him, telling him to pack up and get out. And that front desk Sister Jiang, President Lin disliked her because of her age. She didn’t even bother finding a reason, just had her pack up her things and leave..."

Lu Wenwen’s face became unnatural as she listened to Wang Li recount these petty details.

I had you come up to expose Lin Xiangwan’s evidence of crime, not to let off steam.

You can vent, but can you please say something useful?

What are these trifling matters you’re speaking of?

Are these things useful?

Thinking this, Lu Wenwen glanced at the jury box.

She noticed that as Wang Li spoke, nearly all of the 12 jurors were showing expressions of anger.

When Lin Xiangwan was previously accused of taking bribes, they were just ordinarily angry. When Lin Xiangwan was revealed to be a murderer, they were actually calmer.

Yet now, as Wang Li recounted these "petty" details, the 12 jurors showed immense fury. If this weren’t a courtroom, they felt like they might leave their seats to "tear into" someone.

Alright then, please continue by all means!

Lu Wenwen thought that letting Wang Li go on didn’t seem to pose any problem after all.

Keep it up, and I will not interrupt. Talk as long as you want...

On the defense bench.

"Madam Lin, are you really so outrageous?"

Zhang Wei, upon hearing Wang Li’s grievances and looking at the side of Lin Xiangwan, wore a puzzled expression.

"Nonsense!"

Lin Xiangwan immediately defended herself, "That Xiao Lin, he always got the accounts wrong and complained about not being able to work overtime. His girlfriend would scold him for coming home late from work. He also took leaves on flimsy excuses, making video calls to his girlfriend during office hours and disturbing other employees. I just randomly picked a reason to fire him that day, and none of the other employees had any objections!"

"What about that Sister Jiang?"

"That woman dressed flamboyantly every day. Whenever the big clients I worked with came to the company, she’d throw them seductive glances, sometimes even deliberately wearing revealing clothes in their presence. The clients complained several times. Once I couldn’t stand it anymore, I scolded her, saying ’trying to seduce in your semi-old age,’ and then I fired her!"

"Oh, okay then!"

Zhang Wei nodded, these employees had it coming.

But although he understood this, he realized that the 12 members of the jury seemed very angry.

"That’s right, all these people are wage workers; they obviously have an aversion to black-hearted bosses who fire employees without any reason!"

"Perhaps, this is the natural aversion of the working masses towards black-hearted capitalists. Ask them what they love most, and they might say money, generous customers, a relaxed work environment, and various other things."

"But if you ask them what they hate, they will certainly tell you, they hate bosses!"

In just an instant, Zhang Wei had seen through the true nature of these jurors.

Under Wang Li’s emotive narrative, Lin Xiangwan had been transformed from a respected entrepreneur into a black-hearted female boss.

"Thank you for the witness’s answer. I believe the members of the jury should have already recognized the true face of the defendant, Madam Lin!"

Lu Wenwen said, casting a meaningful glance at the defense bench.

This time, let’s see how you die!

You haven’t seen the way the jury looks at you, just like looking at a mortal enemy who killed their father.

If you can still turn this around, I’ll eat all the tables and chairs at the prosecutor’s bench on the spot!

"Your Honor, we have no further questions for this witness!"

Having set her flag, Lu Wenwen bowed to the bench and then walked back to her own "dining table"... no, to the prosecutor’s bench.

"Prosecutor Lu Gao, this is a sure win, isn’t it!"

Wei Min quickly congratulated her, excitement brimming in her eyes.

Finally, they were about to close a major case!

Learning from Prosecutor Lu Gao during this time had been truly joyful; no wonder her colleagues envied her.

If there’s another chance, she definitely wants to keep learning from Prosecutor Lu Gao.

Next time for sure!

"Defense counsel, it’s your turn?"

Judge Lu asked.

"Lawyer Zhang, everything now rests on you!"

On the defense bench, Lin Xiangwan’s gaze also gradually became more serious.

Because her health only allowed her to make it this far, it would clearly be impossible for her to appear in court.

So, the task of attending court had to be entrusted to Zhang Wei.

"Don’t worry, everything is under my control!"

Zhang Wei nodded solemnly, then straightened his collar and slowly stood up.

He walked step by step to the court, making his way to the witness stand.

All eyes in the court focused on him, everyone holding their breath, waiting to see how the defense would... make their last-ditch struggle!

"Miss Wang Li, do you know that Madam Lin Xiangwan is very disappointed in you, she asked me to convey something to you..."

Zhang Wei looked at Wang Li, who was close at hand, and slowly said, "She said that she has achieved something in business in her lifetime, but the only mistake she’s made is in judging people; she actually trusted you!"

"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about. Whatever I said was to uphold justice, to reveal the truth, to bring people like President Lin to justice!" Wang Li averted her gaze, looking somewhat afraid.

Zhang Wei’s eyes narrowed, "How noble, ’for justice’!"

"Your Honor, is the defense threatening the witness?"

Lu Wenwen immediately stood up, staring at Zhang Wei with a hostile expression.

"Lawyer Zhang, what’s the meaning of this? This is your opportunity to cross-examine the witness. You may ask questions, but please restrain yourself and avoid pressuring the witness with threatening language!"

Judge Lu also reminded Zhang Wei with authority and warning in his tone.

"Sorry, Your Honor, I was just fulfilling the promise to my client, to relay these words to the witness, but unfortunately, she seems not to be taking them in," Zhang Wei explained quickly, spreading his hands.

"Then please get to your questions!"

"Yes, Your Honor, I’ll start asking questions now."

Zhang Wei looked at Wang Li, "Your chance was given, but alas, you show no remorse. So don’t blame me!"

Wang Li looked at Zhang Wei as well. Although her face still wore an appearance of fear, her eyes seemed to carry a trace of scorn.

She wanted to see how Zhang Wei would use this final opportunity to turn things around.

As long as she refused to admit anything and survived this round, then everything would be over.

Truthfully, she thought her earlier statement had already brought the trial to an early end.

This was already a sure win!