Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 284 - 282: Press Conference, Mr. Zhang, The Death of Cheng Lisha

Chapter 284: Chapter 282: Press Conference, Mr. Zhang, The Death of Cheng Lisha

(Important Notice: Due to the busy schedule of Author Germ’s main job this week, there is a need for some buffer time. It’s estimated that 3-5 working days are required, depending on the arrangements by the leadership. I really have no choice, as the district has started to arrange for volunteers, and there are tedious tasks such as compiling and reporting the number of people, arranging itineraries, etc.)

PS: I will strive to resume normal updates during rest this weekend!)

...

The courtroom, in its final moments.

"Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?"

"Your Honor, the jury has reached a verdict!"

"Well, read it aloud."

The foreman immediately stood up, took out the verdict, and proclaimed:

"After unanimous decision by the jury, we find that in the case of Wen Xiaoyun’s disappearance and victimization, the defendant Yang Chuanfang was unaware of the victim Wen Xiaoyun’s ordeal, and had neither the time nor motive to commit a crime ten years ago. Therefore, we believe the charges of murder and concealment of a corpse against Yang Chuanfang are not established!"

As the foreman uttered the last few words, Yang Chuanfang, who was standing at the defense bench awaiting the verdict, was still in a state of confusion.

After a while, he finally covered his face and wept, slumping into his seat.

"Ten years, a full ten years, I have finally been cleared..."

He was excited, yet his feelings were both joyful and heavy.

Because he had been cleared, but his father had borne the infamy.

Because the person who killed Wen Xiaoyun and hid the corpse was not him, Yang Chuanfang, but his father, Yang Changqing.

"Young Master Yang, although I know your feelings must be very complicated right now, I still want to congratulate you!"

Zhang Wei approached him, offering comfort, "Congratulations, you have cleared your own name, at least you no longer have to bear the stigma of being a murderer!"

"But, this is all at the cost of my father’s reputation, and he has to bear this pain!"

"Actually, your father was never a good man. Young Master Yang, don’t look at me like that; I’m just telling the truth. Ever since your mother passed away, your father changed, and started to act inhumanly!"

Zhang Wei said, and leaned in close to Yang Chuanfang to whisper, "According to my investigation, after your mother’s death, your father maintained inappropriate relationships with more than twenty women."

"I know you weren’t aware of these things, but I still have to say, in regards to women, your father was outrageously bad!"

"I understand!"

Yang Chuanfang nodded solemnly, then turned to look at his younger brother, Yang Chuannan, who sat behind him.

The brothers exchanged a look, but neither continued to speak.

"Since the jury has already given its verdict, the court now declares that this retrial is hereby adjourned!"

With the final announcement from the bench, Old Wang also let out a sigh of relief.

It’s over!

Finally, it’s over!

This tricky case had finally reached a satisfactory conclusion under his watch.

The outcome, though unfriendly to the prosecution.

After all, Yang Chuanfang was acquitted, and the only culprit had escaped legal prosecution due to death, meaning no one was to pay for Wen Xiaoyun’s death.

But innocence is innocence; Yang Chuanfang was an innocent person and should not have to shoulder the sins of his father.

Anyway, Old Wang’s task was over, and he could take a break for a while.

Judge Wang left the courtroom humming a tune, his face expressing ease.

But compared to the relaxation on the bench, the atmosphere on the prosecution’s side was heavy.

"Baihe, we need to accept defeat gracefully. After all, cases have wins and losses, and an occasional defeat is not a tragedy..."

Tan Yingying was gathering up documents and soothing Xiao Baihe in a practiced manner.

There was no choice; losing a case was common, and learning to accept it calmly, adjusting one’s mindset was what made a competent prosecutor.

"A tragedy, it’s very damn tragic!"

"Especially losing to Zhang Wei, I, Xiao Baihe, am not convinced!"

But Xiao Baihe’s face was frighteningly dark.

She clenched her fists, barely resisting the urge to punch Zhang Wei in the face, and finally picked up her documents, turned her head, and walked away.

She didn’t want to stay in this courtroom a moment longer.

The prosecution team left in a disheartened state.

Meanwhile, the defense bench buzzed with laughter and cheers.

"Master, you’re amazing~(*^▽^*)"

The young apprentice was the first to rush forward, giving Zhang Wei a big thumbs-up.

"Old Tie, my task is done; now the burden falls on your shoulders!"

Zhang Wei watched as Tie Ruyun approached him head-on and patted the other man’s shoulder.

The case of Yang Chuanfang actually carried a triple significance.

The first significance, of course, was to seek justice for the client and prove his innocence.

This point, Zhang Wei had accomplished.

The second significance lay in taking revenge on Cheng Lisha, undermining this woman’s credibility.

This point had only been half completed, with the remaining half still needing to be addressed.

The third significance, and the most important one, was to establish a reputation for Jincheng Law Firm’s Criminal Department.

To complete this point, the most crucial step still needed to be taken.

So, Zhang Wei walked over to Yang Chuanfang’s side.

"Young Master Yang, I’ve already arranged a brief news conference outside the court through the public relations department of Jincheng Group. I hope you’ll join me and say a few words!"

"What should I say?"

"Actually, you don’t need me to remind you of this, you must have a lot on your mind to say, and now is your chance!"

Zhang Wei pointed towards the door, then towards the outside of the courtroom, "Now, no one sees you as a murderer anymore. You can appear in Dongfang Capital City as an ordinary person. Isn’t this your dream?"

Yang Chuanfang lifted his head and looked around the courtroom.

His gaze swept over the corner and saw Wen Xiaoyun’s parents, supported by the court guard, slowly leaving the courtroom.

"Yes, Lawyer Zhang is right. I really do have a lot to say!"

Seeing this scene, Yang Chuanfang’s heart seemed to be moved.

"Then great, Old Tie, take Young Master Yang outside first. My task is finally complete!"

As Zhang Wei let out a sigh of relief, he gestured to Tie Ruyun.

The rest is up to you!

"I’m out of here..."

Zhang Wei chuckled and then walked to the defendant’s family seating area, "Jessica, do you still want to continue watching the press conference?"

"No need. I know your objective, and having learned the outcome, I immediately lost any sense of anticipation. Right now, I just want to go back to the office, rest up properly, and then continue with the clinic’s work."

"Well then, let me see you out!"

Zhang Wei said, offering his arm with great finesse.

Jessica lightly placed her hand on his arm, and just like guests at a ball, they left the courtroom on their own terms.

This scene naturally made their friends very envious.

Tie Ruyun even pursed his lips, his eyes filled with a touch of envy.

Why couldn’t he find such an outstanding and understanding woman, whose looks and figure were perfection?

That damn Zhang Wei, he’s too tm enviable.

Wait a minute, he seemed to have a girlfriend. This...

How did this guy manage to juggle two relationships and still remain so calm and untroubled?

Forget it, forget it, important matters take precedence!

Tie Ruyun dismissed these scattered thoughts and began to focus on the task at hand.

"Young Master Yang, this way, please. Zhang Wei has already told me how to proceed; just follow me over here!"

"Lawyer Zhang really prepared thoroughly. I hadn’t even considered that he would have planned out the details for after the victory."

"Of course, this guy never fights a battle he’s not sure of winning. By the way, the upcoming press conference is a live broadcast. Do you need a speech script, Young Master Yang? Zhang Wei has prepared one for you as well."

"No need. The words I have in mind have been brewing for too long, I need to do it myself!"

"All right then!"

Tie Ruyun led Yang Chuanfang and his entourage out of the courthouse, toward the entrance.

Here, the Jincheng Group’s interview team was already in place, and the cameras were rolling the whole time.

Young Master Yang remained composed as he walked up to the camera and calmly faced the interview.

"Hello everyone, I am Yang Chuanfang, the son of Yang Changqing, who caused Wen Xiaoyun’s murder and hid her body. For such a tragedy, I bear a great responsibility, and I would also like to offer a belated apology to Wen Xiaoyun’s parents."

"On behalf of my father, I extend a sincere apology to them. I don’t presume you could understand, because as his son, even though I apologize for him, I cannot forgive his deeds."

"Likewise, I cannot forgive myself. Why didn’t I notice sooner—the things that were happening to Xiaoyun, the things between her and my father?"

"If I had noticed the signs earlier, could this tragedy have been averted? So I cannot forgive myself for not paying more attention to Xiaoyun, for not living up to the responsibilities of a boyfriend..."

Confronting the end, Yang Chuanfang broke down in tears as he voluntarily admitted his mistakes.

In that moment, he expressed all the thoughts that had been sealed in his heart for ten years.

Facing the camera, he began to pour out everything, or rather, to spill it all out.

...

At the same time.

At the headquarters of Dongfang Capital’s entertainment tabloid.

Chief Editor Pei and Guan Zhubian were both staring at the live stream on their phones.

"...I offer my sincere apology here, because my negligence led to all these tragedies. I’m sorry to Xiaoyun and her parents!"

Witnessing the scene of Yang Chuanfang apologizing in the live broadcast, both Chief Editor Pei and Guan Zhubian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally it’s over, Chief Editor. Although Young Master Yang is apologizing here, he’s not the murderer!"

"Yes, Lawyer Zhang is indeed impressive. Not only did he exonerate Young Master Yang from the false accusations, but he also specially prepared a press conference to announce the court’s decision as soon as possible. Such thoughtful consideration is truly commendable!"

Both Chief Editor Pei and Guan Zhubian were thoroughly admiring Zhang Wei’s preparations.

Guan Feng suddenly thought of something, her face lit up with excitement, "Chief Editor, so next is Cheng Lisha’s case, right?"

"Yes, next is time to deal with that woman!"

Though Chief Editor Pei had bruises and cuts on his face, still covered with gauze, he still revealed a smile that had been absent for a long time.

The case of Yang Chuanfang had ended, and now it was time to deal with Cheng Lisha.

This woman made so much money by slandering and spreading rumors about Young Master Yang; now it was her turn to pay the price.

"...We at the Criminal Department of Jincheng Law Firm naturally fully support Young Master Yang’s statement, and at the same time, we are also issuing a call for talent, seeking those who are studying criminal law, or have already become criminal defense lawyers, who desire good development opportunities. The doors of Jincheng Law Firm Criminal Department are open to you!"

The live stream ended with Tie Ruyun stepping up to make a recruitment advertisement.

The case was almost universally known throughout the city, and Yang Chuanfang, as a defendant wrongfully accused, naturally received a lot of attention.

Taking advantage of the huge traffic on Young Master Yang, the advertisement that Tie Ruyun made at the end naturally garnered a super amount of attention.

On Vbo’s trending news topics, the search traffic for the case involving Yang Chuanfang and Wen Xiaoyun once again climbed to the top.

And the name of Jincheng Law Firm’s Criminal Department also appeared in the trending searches, ranking very high.

Conversely, Zhang Wei, the biggest contributor to the case, didn’t appear in the final press conference, resulting in less search heat.

Or rather, he did it intentionally, not wanting such a high level of fame.

In summary, the case had finally come to an end.

...

Monday evening.

In Cheng Lisha’s downtown apartment.

"Our ace lawyer at Jincheng Law Firm’s Criminal Department, Lawyer Zhang, will represent Mr. Yang in taking legal action against Dongfang Capital’s famous host, or rather I can now use a different term, the biggest slanderer and rumor monger of Dongfang!"

"Our ace lawyer from the Criminal Department, Lawyer Zhang, will on behalf of Mr. Yang Chuanfang, legally prosecute Ms. Cheng Lisha for the countless instances of defamation and slander she initiated ten years ago, and even for hiring online trolls to spread rumors that he killed Wen Xiaoyun."

"Every report she published, every interview she conducted, and even every word she uttered, we will conduct an alternating review of these contents. As long as any of it involves our client, we will keep a record as evidence to hold Ms. Cheng Lisha accountable."

"The internet is not a lawless place. We also call on those trolls and keyboard warriors hired by Cheng Lisha to be aware that we will also preserve your online statements from the past ten years, and we reserve the right to trace your actions retrospectively!"

"Here, on behalf of our ace lawyer Zhang from the Criminal Department, I would like to give Ms. Cheng Lisha a word of advice..."

"Heaven watches what we do, not that there’s no retribution, just that the time hasn’t come yet!"

"Now, you need to pay the price for your greed and arrogance..."

Bang!

This brand-name television, still playing the live stream from noon, finally met its end.

A chair smashed into the LCD screen, producing a "crackling" noise.

And Cheng Lisha, looking at the broken television and recalling the content of the live stream, distorted her face in anger.

"Zhang... Wei... you’re ruthless..."

She had never expected Zhang Wei to take such drastic measures.

To completely cut off the roots of her livelihood, to pursue her with such severity.

"Since you’ve taken it this far, don’t blame me!"

Cheng Lisha clenched her teeth, took out her mobile phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Mr. Zhang? I’m Cheng Lisha. I need your help now!"

"Alright, I understand. I’ll be there as soon as I can, I surely will!"

The call was brief. After hanging up, Cheng Lisha dialed another number.

"Prepare a car for me, I need to go somewhere... Wait, you come and drive here personally, don’t arrange a driver!"

After giving her orders, Cheng Lisha walked over to the vanity and began to dress and make up.

minutes later, in the underground parking lot of the apartment complex.

Dressed in a striking red long dress and draped in a black coat, Cheng Lisha walked towards a white sedan.

Her female assistant sat in the driver’s seat, already waiting there.

As the car door opened, Cheng Lisha got in and then coldly commanded,

"Let’s go!"

The assistant didn’t say much, starting the car and driving Cheng Lisha away from the apartment.

Another 30 minutes passed.

At the Dongfang Capital City Center, on the rooftop of an unfinished building.

Cheng Lisha, in her red dress, arrived at the top of the building.

Waiting there on the rooftop was already a person.

He was dressed in a suit, his stature upright. Although one could only see the figure with hands clasped behind his back, this person’s demeanor was truly extraordinary.

The wind on the rooftop was strong, and he stood on the edge of the roof without any railings; a single misstep could mean shattering bones, but he showed no fear, standing as solid as a mountain.

"Mr. Zhang, I..."

Upon seeing the man’s back, Cheng Lisha opened her mouth.

"You don’t need to say anything, I already know the situation!" The man’s voice was cold and emotionless.

"Mr. Zhang, this time only you can help me!" There was a hint of flattery and a hint of pleading in Cheng Lisha’s tone.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

Cheng Lisha’s face brightened when she heard the man’s response, and then her gaze hardened as she said, "I want that Zhang Wei dead, and I want this incident to quiet down too. After today, I will still be the number one host at Dongfang Capital, and the media will still be under my control!"

"I understand your request!" The man spoke without emotion, not even turning around.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhang, I knew you could do it!" A look of joy appeared again in Cheng Lisha’s eyes.

Because she knew just how much power the person before her held.

She knew how she had climbed from an unknown reporter to her position today in just a decade, all thanks to the efforts of the man before her.

"No, I can’t do it!"

But just as Cheng Lisha was fantasizing that everything would be over tomorrow, the man interrupted her fantasy.

"Mr. Zhang, how can you not do it, you are..."

"No, you didn’t understand what I meant!"

The man finally raised his hand, cutting off Cheng Lisha’s words. It was the first action he had taken since standing there.

"I just feel that, compared to helping you deal with this matter, there is another method that is a bit quicker!"

"What method?"

"It’s quite simple. Why did we support you in the first place? It was only because we needed to control the voice of the media, and all you needed to do was carry out what we ordered you to do. But recently, aside from completing our tasks, you’ve been doing some superfluous things. We’ve come to believe that you, as a media proxy, are no longer of any value to us."

"Mr. Zhang, you..."

"We will support a new media figure to take your place; you can retire. As for the trouble you’ve caused, go and admit your mistakes yourself."

"What, you’re finding someone to replace me!"

Upon hearing the man’s words, Cheng Lisha’s face finally lost its composure,

"Mr. Zhang, I’ve done so much for you, and yet you’re kicking me to the curb, you... who are you finding to replace me?"

"That would be me!"

From behind Cheng Lisha, a somewhat cold voice suddenly rang out.

"Xiao Wang, you..."

This voice was all too familiar to Cheng Lisha because it belonged to her own female assistant.

But the usually docile assistant was looking at her with a hint of ruthlessness today.

"You’ve been given a choice, now it’s time for you to make it!" The man spoke again, his tone carrying an air of command.

"Mr. Zhang, I refuse to accept this, I, Cheng Lisha, will never give up everything I have today, I will..."

Cheng Lisha was about to argue back, but the man responded displeasedly, "You’re mistaken, I wasn’t talking to you!"

"Sister Cheng, have a safe journey!"

Before Cheng Lisha could react, she felt a strong push on her back.

Subsequently, her body lost balance, rushing toward the edge of the rooftop, and as the momentum did not wane, she fell over the edge.

"No—"

A piercing scream tore through the sky, also marking the end of a life.