Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 281 - 279: Is it Zhang San Again? The Truth from Ten Years Ago

Chapter 281: Chapter 279: Is it Zhang San Again? The Truth from Ten Years Ago

In the courtroom.

Nobody expected Zhang Wei to summon Yang Chuannan instead of Yang Chuanfang.

As the defendant’s younger brother, who knows what Yang Chuannan has to say.

Yang Chuannan, appearing as a witness, also seemed somewhat perplexed.

Zhang Wei had not planned on letting me testify, right? He even articulated it so forcefully before, saying things like family members testifying in court are ineffective and that the jury wouldn’t believe it.

And now he’s having me testify?

"I need to think, what should I say that could dispel their doubts about my brother. Sure, he was a bit wild in his actions, reckless, and mixed up with female classmates too often, and bullied others with his power at school, but he has always been a good student. Both teachers and the school praised him, nominating him for outstanding student each term. Should I bring all this up?"

"Or should I talk about the cyberbullying my brother has endured every day for the past ten years, to make the jury feel the pressure he faced, or perhaps the charitable acts he’s been doing for years? Speaking of charity might earn quite a bit of trust from the jury, right?"

Second Young Master Yang thought as much, readying himself, prepared to respond to Zhang Wei’s questions at any moment.

He believed that as long as he disclosed everything he knew about his big brother, he could certainly gain the trust of a few jury members.

The innocence of his older brother wholly relied on his own upcoming responses.

He was prepared for battle!

"Hello, witness. Although we all know you are related to my client, please introduce yourself to the court," said Zhang Wei.

"Sure, my name is Yang Chuannan. I am Yang Chuanfang’s younger brother. The two of us grew up together. Our mother passed away when we were young, so we brothers were very close. After our father died, we became even closer..."

"Stop!"

Seeing that Yang Chuannan was about to spill everything about his family, Zhang Wei quickly interrupted.

Because the jury doesn’t like to hear those things, and neither does he.

"Ah?"

Second Young Master Yang was baffled by Zhang Wei’s interruption.

You’re the one who summoned me, now why don’t you want to hear this stuff?

What did you summon me for, then?

"Second Young Master Yang, when I summoned you to testify, I wanted you to honestly answer my questions, not to air your family’s laundry!"

"Oh, I understand..." Second Young Master Yang glanced at Zhang Wei, his eyes filled with inexplicable innocence.

Without airing our family’s laundry, how can we make the jury sympathize with us?

He was confused.

Before coming, he had even consulted a lawyer, who said that the jury eats this stuff up.

"Bullshit!"

Zhang Wei seemed to guess what Yang Chuannan was thinking, shaking his head inwardly.

The jury might go for the sob story from family members, but it depends on who the family members are.

If you were Wen Xiaoyun’s parents, shedding a few tears on the stand, that really could earn the jury’s sympathy.

But as Yang Chuanfang’s brother, you rich kids airing your family’s laundry would hardly win anyone’s sympathy.

You say you were close as children, what do the jury think?

It’s all because you had a wealthy father who ensured you didn’t have to worry about making a living or about supporting yourselves when you grew up, blah blah blah.

In short, the jury might sympathize with the underdog, but they definitely won’t sympathize with you.

Zhang Wei didn’t even need to look to know that the bunch on the jury wouldn’t hold a favorable attitude toward Yang Chuannan.

Indeed, Yang Chuannan had sneakily observed the jury.

He initially thought his testimony could change the situation, but all he saw was indifference.

The eyes of all 12 members of the jury were cold, nothing more.

Yang Chuannan looked towards Zhang Wei, his glance suggesting a signal.

Come on, ask me a question so I can tell them about the things my brother and I went through growing up.

"Ahem, Second Young Master Yang, next..."

Yang Chuannan finally prepared to speak and began organizing his thoughts.

"...please sit tight, because I’m about to start telling a story!"

"Ah?"

Zhang Wei’s words left Yang Chuannan stunned on the spot.

What the hell?

Telling a story?

This was nothing like what he had anticipated.

But Zhang Wei didn’t care what Second Young Master Yang was thinking; summoning him wasn’t for answering questions in the first place.

The real meat of the matter was in the story.

"Ahem, ladies and gentlemen of the court, please listen to a story I’m about to tell..."

Zhang Wei cleared his throat, and then began to narrate smoothly.

"Once upon a time, there was a poor boy named Zhang San..."

This beginning left everyone in the courtroom speechless.

Are you starting with Zhang San again? What has Zhang San done to you? Do you have to bring up Zhang San?

Does Zhang San even know about the issues you’re attributing to him?

Xiao Baihe, Tan Yingying, Hu Yaode, Cheng Lisha, even the Yang brothers, all felt frustrated.

Can’t you just not tell a story, and on top of that, why do you always have to use Zhang San as an example? You’re just...overdoing it.

Unfortunately, Old Wang didn’t interrupt, and they didn’t dare to say anything, so they could only listen patiently.

"Zhang San’s family was very poor, so he dropped out of school at a young age to go to work. He left his hometown and came to a big city to struggle and strive."

"Just like many young people chasing their dreams, Zhang San found it hard to adapt when he first arrived in the big city. He could only work as a handyman in a small hotel. However, thanks to his diligence and honest nature, he gained the appreciation of the hotel owner."

"The owner gave his daughter in marriage to him, and the latter did not disappoint, expanding the small hotel and making it somewhat famous locally."

"However, Zhang San always had a dream: to make big money and provide a good life for his wife. But even if he did his utmost, a small hotel could not earn much."

"Thus, after the hotel owner passed away, Zhang San abandoned that relatively stable, though not wealthy life. He sold the hotel and invested in building his first hotel by the seaside!"

"Zhang San had an excellent eye for business; his hotel, being by the sea and coupled with the economic boom of those years, attracted many tourists. So, in the first two years of investment, the hotel turned from loss to profit and made a tidy sum."

Zhang Wei paused at this point.

The defense bench, the Yang family, looked astonished, fixedly staring at Zhang Wei.

Similarly, on the witness stand, Yang Chuannan did the same, staring at Zhang Wei.

Because the story told by the former was the rags-to-riches tale of Yang Changqing and his wife.

But how does this relate to the case at hand?

However, Zhang Wei’s story continued, and the tone of the story took a sharp turn.

"Life is sometimes so strange. Zhang San not only made money but his wife also bore him two sons. He had a happy family and a successful business; Zhang San could be called a winner in life."

"But after making money, Zhang San changed. He was no longer so honest and upright. He took to staying out overnight, not coming home, leaving his wife alone to care for their two sons."

"His wife heard that Zhang San was keeping a mistress, confronted him about it, but all she got in return was indifference and perfunctory excuses. Whether Zhang San actually had a mistress, nobody knew."

"But Zhang San indeed had drifted. After gaining money and fame, he started to enjoy life, or rather, indulged in pleasures. The once honest and upright Zhang San had completely disappeared."

"His wife spent night after night alone, while Zhang San was out living it up, seeking pleasure. This went on for several years until his wife died of depression."

"Zhang San’s wife died, and he realized his mistakes, returned to the right path, and became a father."

"The two sons grew up, and Zhang San, as an old father, gave them all his love, but this also fostered an arrogant character in his sons, particularly the elder one."

"Fortunately, Zhang San’s honesty and decency once again saved the family. Although the elder son had the vices of a rich second-generation, he was not fundamentally bad and wouldn’t do anything too outrageous. At most, he would get in trouble with female classmates at school, and sometimes when talking with teachers, his voice would get a bit too loud."

"But here comes the climax!"

Zhang Wei said this and suddenly emphasized his tone.

"Among Zhang San’s two sons, the elder went to university and met a girl there. Coincidentally, this girl worked part-time during the holidays; her workplace just happened to be their own hotel!"

Upon hearing this, the entire court’s attention focused on Zhang Wei.

Why does this story sound so familiar?

Could this girl be Wen Xiaoyun?

Then, this Zhang San, wouldn’t he be...

In the jury box and the witness stand, all eyes were on Yang Chuanfang and Yang Chuannan.

"Isn’t this Zhang San, simply your old man, Yang Changqing?"

But Zhang Wei wasn’t planning to answer that question; his story was still unfolding.

"The elder son was attracted to the girl’s simple and honest qualities. He wanted to get to know her, in fact, he did—and he was successful!"

"This made the elder son very happy, thinking he had finally found true love. The girl was kind, friendly, hardworking, and diligent, with a good personality too."

"In the beginning, it was as if the elder son’s dream had come true..."

At this point, Yang Chuanfang showed a hint of reminiscence, for this was the story of how he first met Wen Xiaoyun.

"Unfortunately, good things often last only a short while, as unforeseen troubles can arise at any time!"

"Later, for some reason, the girl became angry, she would cry for no apparent reason, and even lash out at the elder son with harsh words."

"The elder son didn’t understand, didn’t know what he had done wrong, didn’t even know why the girl needed to cry, to be angry?"

"He didn’t know, her parents didn’t know, in fact, nobody knew...except, Zhang San!"

As Zhang Wei got to this point, mentioning that last name, the entire court was stunned.

Zhang San knew why the girl had such a dramatic change in character?

Who was Zhang San, if not Yang Changqing!

Why didn’t Yang Chuanfang, the girl’s boyfriend, know about the issue, and yet Yang Changqing, her old father, did?

Similarly, as Zhang Wei spoke, Yang Chuanfang, at the defense’s bench, showed a flash of helplessness, hesitation, and pain in his eyes.

"Young Master Yang, don’t you wish to know the real answer?"

"The answer, Lawyer Zhang, you know it all?"

"Yes, he knows it all, and he will tell you in his own words what exactly happened that year!"

Jessica’s persuasion was gentle and encouraging. Yang Chuanfang gritted his teeth and finally suppressed the urge to stand up and interrupt.

And on the witness stand, Yang Chuannan, having heard the story, especially that last name, also had a strong reaction, his body trembling involuntarily.

He looked at Zhang Wei in astonishment, with a face full of surprise.

No way, all those things from that year...

I, as a son, as a brother, am clueless, could you possibly know everything?

No way, no way...

As for Hu Yaode and Cheng Lisha in the audience, Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying at the prosecution’s bench, and even Old Wang at the judge’s bench, all of them were utterly perplexed.

What exactly is going on here?

"You might be curious, why the girl became temperamental, and why the elder son as her boyfriend knew nothing, yet Zhang San did?"

"Let’s rewind time to a few months ago, right after the girl entered university and discovered how much a school year’s tuition was."

"The girl came from an impoverished family, had worked hard to get admitted to a prestigious university, but the tuition was a tough challenge for her."

"Her family had already had a hard time paying for her education through high school; they certainly couldn’t afford her university fees."

"However, the girl also knew something else: that knowledge could change one’s fate, so she wouldn’t give up on her dream of attending university. She came up with an idea—to work part-time and earn money to pay for her tuition."

"By chance, she learned that a seaside hotel was hiring, and the offer was quite generous, especially during the peak tourist season in summer and winter, when the demand for short-term workers was high due to the influx of holidaymakers."

"The girl quickly got the job at the hotel. She worked diligently and earnestly, honestly and modestly, focusing on earning tuition money."

"But sometimes, things happen by coincidence. During an inspection visit to the reception area, the hotel’s boss, Zhang San, happened to see the girl, who was then cleaning."

"Although she was simple, she was naturally beautiful, and being from a poor family, she lacked the adornments of makeup, exuding a distinct natural charm that deeply captivated Zhang San’s attention."

"Then, as it turned out, Zhang Wei had also learned about the girl’s financial struggle with tuition fees. He naturally seized the opportunity to invite the girl to his office for a talk!"

"What was discussed during this conversation, nobody knows, but afterwards, the girl not only got the money but also a much easier job. She was no longer a janitor; she didn’t have to do grunt work, as she became an assistant in the lobby, and her job could be described as ’high pay, little work, early leave.’"

"Moreover, the girl could attend school during the day and still work at the hotel at night, without her work interfering with her rest. She no longer had to worry about tuition, and even after receiving her salary, she had some spare cash to buy things for herself and her family."

At this point, Wen Xiaoyun’s parents in the family section of the prosecution looked somewhat enlightened.

No wonder that year, after Xiaoyun started school, she always brought things home. It was for this reason...

"What the girl had given in return, nobody knows, but her work in the hotel went smoothly, and even during her time as an assistant, she met the young owner of the hotel, who was also attracted by her qualities and became her boyfriend!"

"But what the young owner didn’t know was that although the girl also liked being with him, she always harbored a secret about the deal with Zhang San."

"Several months later, the girl discovered something else, something that she couldn’t accept!"

"She was pregnant, and the father of the child was Zhang San!"

As these words were uttered, the entire courtroom erupted into chaos!

Every eye in the courtroom turned towards Yang Chuanfang, who sat at the defense table, and their gazes were strikingly uniform.

A child!

Be strong!

We understand you!

The story has already told us the situation; we definitely understand you.

"This..."

"How could my daughter possibly..."

From the plaintiff’s family seats, Wen Xiaoyun’s parents were agitated, hardly able to believe it.

Their own daughter was pregnant?

And the child’s father was that man!

"Is this true?"

Yang Chuanfang was also agitated, his shock no less than that of Wen Xiaoyun’s parents.

He had only seen Wen Xiaoyun’s corpse and had not known that she was pregnant at the time.

"Young Master Yang, although I know you may find it hard to accept, this is true. In the skeleton found beneath the villa, there was a slight deformation and forward tilting of the pelvis. I can tell you, from a professional doctor’s experience, that one reason for the forward tilt of the pelvis is pregnancy. As the fetus’s weight gradually increases, the pelvis and abdomen of a pregnant woman will tilt forward more than normal,"

"Furthermore, because the pelvis expands, causing the iliac bones to move, which are the bones on both sides of the pelvis. As the uterus enlarges, the sacroiliac joints become lax, and the iliac bones are spread apart. Although the flesh of that corpse has disappeared, the bones are still there. Dr. Mo is also a professional forensic pathology expert, and naturally, he noticed this!"

As Jessica narrated, Yang Chuanfang’s face turned utterly fascinating.

"So that’s how it was, that’s why she was angry. It was because of this. No wonder Xiaoyun didn’t tell me; it was because of my father..."

Yang Chuanfang cried, cried very sadly.

The jury saw this, and many shook their heads.

After all, such ethically immoral matters revealed in public are indeed hard to accept.

But they were all just spectators; they didn’t really care.

Wasn’t it just a story to listen to?

"What’s going on?"

Similarly, Hu Yaode and Cheng Lisha, who were sitting in front of the hearing bench, along with the plaintiff’s Xiao Baihe and Tan Yingying, were all dumbfounded.

What’s happening?

This happened ten years ago?

That’s too...

"Ladies and gentlemen, the real drama is coming up now!"

Just then, Zhang Wei raised his voice a notch: "After the girl found out she was pregnant, she not only got extremely angry with her eldest son and wanted to break up with him, but also went to Zhang San, expecting him to pay the price!"

"Zhang San, when he learned of the girl’s pregnancy and that she was dating the eldest son, was equally astounded."

"But faced with threats, Zhang San’s reaction was not to compromise, but rather..."

Zhang Wei paused for a moment, seeing that everyone was looking at him, he then suddenly said, "to eliminate the girl as a threat once and for all!"

"So the person who killed the girl was actually Zhang San; Zhang San was the real murderer!"

Once these words were spoken, the entire court was again in an uproar.

Wow!

This time it was an earth-shattering reversal!

The real murderer was actually Zhang San!

Wait a minute...

Who is Zhang San?

Zhang San is just a placeholder name, not the real culprit, doesn’t that mean the real murderer is...