Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 294 - 292: Turning Point? Old Guo Fires Up Again!

Chapter 294: Chapter 292: Turning Point? Old Guo Fires Up Again!

The winds in the courtroom had shifted.

At least, a slight change had occurred under Zhang Wei’s cross-examination.

Was this slight change the beginning of a turnaround, or the dying struggle before defeat?

No one knew.

But everyone knew one thing: the former prosecutor of Bei Chong Island, Old Yi, did indulge the defendant, Gao Xiaoping.

Even during a time when he helped a woman on the island in childbirth, he personally drove the defendant to the family’s home.

This event took place three years ago, which was a particularly inauspicious time.

Because it happened after Bei Chong Island was incorporated into Dongfang Capital and the medical management regulations of the entire Dongfang Capital had been updated.

That is to say, not only the defendant Gao Xiaoping, but even Old Yi himself knew the regulations had been changed.

Yet he still chose to drive, taking the defendant to another person’s house to engage in illegal medical practice.

If this wasn’t indulgence, what was it?

On the prosecutor’s bench, Guo Wufeng’s face immediately turned grim.

"Good job, Old Yi, actually caught by the defense in a major loophole!"

He was furious inside, thinking that by summoning Old Yi, he could deliver a killing blow.

Even if he couldn’t knock out Zhang Wei and the defendant at once, it would at least serve as a warning to others.

Unexpectedly, Old Yi became the breakthrough for the opposing side, and now, it was the prosecution that was under attack.

"Oh, interesting?"

In the back row of the hearing seats, Hua Chaofan’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

He too had not expected Zhang Wei to actually find an opportunity amidst the disadvantage, and indeed he had found one.

"Yay!"

In the front row of the hearing seats, Lin Yumeng cheered inwardly, clenching her small fists tightly, her little face brimming with excitement.

One thing occupied her mind at present.

My thousand dollars, my thousand dollars!

The odds are five to one, Master press on~

My pocket money for this month is counting on you~(*^▽^*)~

In court, Zhang Wei naturally seized this opportunity.

"Old Yi, not to criticize you, but I believe it is precisely because of your indulgence that my client came to believe that the regulations of Dongfang Capital actually have a vague boundary."

"Because of your indulgence, she believed that even if law enforcement officers on Bei Chong Island saw her, she would still be safe, because you were on her side, right?"

He "fired" at Old Yi—not aggressively, but what he said turned the latter’s face rather ugly.

Indeed!

If not for his indulgence, could Gao Xiaoping continue in this line of work until his retirement?

So it goes, for every action there is a consequence.

Why could Gao Xiaoping take the risk? Because of her relationship with Old Yi.

In the jury box, the gazes of the twelve jurors had naturally shifted.

The way they looked at the defendant still contained some dissatisfaction, but a portion of their censure had now been shifted onto Old Yi in the witness stand.

Gao Xiaoping’s originally angry face also slightly improved as Zhang Wei continued his fervent questioning.

Though she had always been angry, angry about this trial, angry at the new prosecutor Xiao Chen, she was not foolish.

She saw the turning point and finally got her emotions under control.

"Old Yi, I believe you must have a conscience, right? When you drove my client to that family, did you consider that if my client didn’t make it, the woman giving birth and her child might both die?"

Zhang Wei looked at Old Yi with a smile, "Old Yi, please answer my question, you surely thought so at the time, right?"

"I..." Old Yi glanced at the prosecutor’s bench, then at the judge’s bench, followed by a sigh, "You’re right, at that time I considered the medical conditions on the island, the transportation issues, and the situation of that family’s mother-to-be when making that decision."

"Then, Old Yi, if you were put back in that situation, would you do the same?"

"I would."

"Even knowing it was indulging the defendant’s behavior, knowing it violated Dongfang Capital’s medical regulations, and knowing it breached your duty as a prosecutor to obey the law, you would still do it?"

"Lives are at stake. In that situation, how could I consider anything else?"

Old Yi’s answer pleased Zhang Wei.

"Well, one last question."

Zhang Wei raised a finger and smiled, "So in the end, how did the mother fare? Was the child delivered smoothly?"

Hearing this question, Old Yi finally let out a sigh of relief, "Mhm, the final result was very good. The child was born smoothly, a boy, and the mother also made it through the critical period. The family was very happy and grateful!"

"Thank you!"

Zhang Wei nodded solemnly, offered his thanks, and then returned to the defense bench.

And with this final question, among the 12 jurors, close to half of them underwent a change of heart.

The disgust and aversion they held for the defendant vanished from their eyes.

They saw something, saw a midwife who had performed her duties conscientiously, who could help a mother give birth naturally, help a child into the world.

The direction of the courtroom wind finally was no longer overwhelmingly in favor of the prosecution; now, the defense also had a glimmer of a chance for victory.

When Zhang Wei sat down, Gao Xiaoping finally realized her mistake.

"Lawyer Zhang, I’m sorry about before; I lost control a bit."

"But you can’t blame me, the rule upheld in my family since I was a child is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If you get hit, you hit back, so I just couldn’t stand it..."

Seeing that Gao Xiaoping was still trying to explain, Zhang Wei quickly raised his hand to interrupt.

"Don’t explain further; this is just the first witness!"

"Your apologies now are pointless because you’ll have a chance to apologize later!"

"Moreover, I can’t be sure whether you’ll lose control again next time!"

Zhang Wei grumbled internally, feeling extremely disappointed with Gao Xiaoping.

This woman was too easily agitated, wearing her emotions openly on her face—it was very detrimental to the trial for someone who couldn’t control their emotions.

Zhang Wei’s mind was still pondering, how would the prosecution proceed next?

At the neighboring table, Guo Wufeng’s expression was dark.

He didn’t expect that his own witness would become a breakthrough for Zhang Wei.

"Witness, you may step down now!"

With Judge Liu nodding in acknowledgment, Old Yi stood up, sighed, and slowly left the courtroom.

He no longer needed to testify, but his past actions had indeed violated regulations.

Thus, this former district prosecutor left the courtroom with a troubled soul.

"Prosecution?"

"Your Honor, the prosecution requests the calling of Bei Chong Island residents Mr. He and his wife to testify in court!"

As Guo Wufeng spoke, the doors of the courtroom flung open, and a middle-aged couple walked in.

Seeing the couple, a sneer emerged on the previously gloomy face of Guo Wufeng.

Whereas Zhang Wei, upon seeing the couple, already had a guess in mind.

"I bet they are also clients you assisted in childbirth, right?"

"Yes..." Gao Xiaoping’s expression changed slightly as she saw the couple.

"Then I’ll guess again. There must be something wrong with their child, or to be blunt, it passed away, right? And they think it’s your fault that their child didn’t survive?"

"Lawyer Zhang, you guessed perfectly..."

Gao Xiaoping smiled bitterly, "I helped them with childbirth three times, and the outcomes weren’t good. Their child... didn’t make it each time..."

"So they believe it’s your fault?"

"Yes, after the third child passed away, they said a lot of harsh things to me, and even..."

Seeing the change in Gao Xiaoping’s expression, Zhang Wei understood.

"That’s odd, these sorts of people should have reported you, but why aren’t there any complaint records? Could it be that Old Yi handled it for Gao Xiaoping?"

Zhang Wei suppressed the speculation in his heart and looked towards the courtroom.

This time’s prosecution witness would likely be a thorny one.

The couple was also residents of Bei Chong Island, neighbors on the island with Gao Xiaoping, but they were witnesses holding tremendous animosity towards her.

The husband among them took his seat on the witness stand, while the wife stayed in the prosecution’s family bench.

But both of them looked at the defendant dock with a strangely consistent expression in their eyes.

Disgust!

Pure disgust.

This kind of look could only be worn by someone harboring a deep grudge.

"Mr. He, hello!"

Guo Wufeng approached the witness stand and looking at the man, asked, "Mr. He, how has your wife’s health been recently?"

"Not good at all!" the man replied coldly, and then, pointing at Gao Xiaoping, said, "It’s all her fault, she’s the reason my wife suffers from complications!"

"Oh? What happened that led you to accuse the defendant like this? Can you please tell us the story between your family and the defendant?"

Guo Wufeng was asking the question with full knowledge of the situation, as he was clearly aware of the events being discussed.

The man took a deep breath before continuing:

"I am a sailor, spending nearly 10 months at sea each year, so after I got married, my wife and I spent more time apart than together, with barely two short months to be together annually."

"I still remember the anxiety we felt when expecting our first child, and the joy I felt when I heard the child was about to be born, but all of that, all of the happiness, was ruined by..."

At this point in his story, a flash of anger and pain crossed the man’s eyes, even bringing tears to the corners.

"All of it was ruined by that woman, our child was stillborn!"

As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Gao Xiaoping, filled with fury.

"Mr. He, please try to calm yourself, I know there is more to your story," Guo Wufeng quickly interjected, comforting him, yet urging him to continue.

Because he saw that the jury remained unmoved, and the story wasn’t yet stirring their emotions.

"Yes, you’re right, this was only our first child!"

The man took another deep breath, composed himself, and then slowly added: "The death of our first child plunged my wife and I into a year of mourning, and it wasn’t until the following year that we managed to adjust our mindset."

"After that, we prepared to have a second child. My wife and I spent a long time preparing for it, I even spent only five months at sea that year, coming home early to take care of my wife."

"It’s fair to say that for the second time, we made preparations for too long, and my family and I were all looking forward to the baby’s birth."

As the man reached this point in his tale, a complex emotion flitted through his eyes before being replaced by anger.

His tone changed to one of angry outburst: "But, to our disbelief, our child was stillborn again, and during the delivery my wife suffered from severe postpartum hemorrhaging, which put her life in danger!"

The mention of this struck a chord with the jury.

Many cast sympathetic glances towards the man.

"My wife lost a lot of blood after giving birth, and all I could see was her blood on the sheets and the floor, red everywhere."

"So, what was the defendant doing at the time?"

Guo Wufeng rapidly asked the question, while pointing to Gao Xiaoping.

The man had been calm, but upon hearing Guo Wufeng bring up the defendant, he flew into a rage.

He stood up abruptly, pointing at the defendant and shouting: "She did nothing at the time; she just stood there, stunned, watching my wife bleed out, not at all like a professional!"

"And in the end, how did your wife pull through?"

Guo Wufeng looked toward the woman in the family seating area and asked again.

"In the end, it was I who had her drive my wife to the hospital, and it was only by fortune that my wife eventually made it through!"

As the man spoke, his face revealed his sorrow once more: "But our second child, likewise, did not survive..."

"My child, my dear child..."

In the family seating area, the woman also couldn’t help shedding tears, her crying affecting everyone around her.

Finally, someone on the jury was moved, or rather, they felt sympathy for the testifying couple on the plaintiff’s side.

After all, having listened to the man’s story and seen the woman crying, none of them had hearts of stone, and were swayed by compassion.

"Oh boy, here we go again!"

In the defense’s seating area, Zhang Wei was left speechless.

Although the tactic was old, it was reliably effective.

Why do both the plaintiffs and defendants like to bring people with tragic experiences to testify in court? Because it earns tears.

The man’s tears and cries of indignation indeed impacted the jury.

And with the woman’s additional emotional plea, the effect of this tactic continued to grow stronger.

"Objection!"

Zhang Wei could bear it no longer and immediately stood up to address Judge Liu, "Your Honor, although I do not oppose free speech, nor do I oppose anyone expressing their emotions."

"However, freedom is relative, not permissive, for example, the lady in the family seating area, her cries can incite the jury, affecting the fairness and impartiality of this court, and is disadvantageous to my client, therefore, the defense kindly requests you to restrict her a bit!"

Judge Liu nodded, as he knew Zhang Wei had a point.

"Witness, please control your wife; the courtroom is not a place for you to vent your emotions!"

With Judge Liu’s warning, the man gave a glance to his wife, signaling her to quiet down, and her sobs gradually ceased.

Zhang Wei shot a glance at both the witness stand and the family seating area before he slowly sat down.

But he knew, the plaintiff’s offense was still ongoing.

"Mr. He, I know you have more of your story to tell, you may continue now," Guo Wufeng indeed spoke up, leading the witness on.

"Indeed, there’s more to my story!"

The man looked at Gao Xiaoping with a scornful smile.

He turned his sorrowful gaze to the jury and said: "At the beginning of last year, I didn’t join the ship, do you know why?"

"Because my third child was about to be born, and this time, my wife and I did everything we could, spending all we had, filled with hope that the birth of this little life could fill the void in our family."

"But... everything was ruined by that woman!"

The man pointed at Gao Xiaoping, his teeth clenched with rage, "This time, my wife and I wised up, and we didn’t have her oversee the delivery. Instead, we reached out to the local hospital on Bei Chong Island, preparing for a hospital birth."

"But, on the day my wife was about to give birth, she came and stopped my wife from going to the hospital. She insisted that my wife had to give birth at home and couldn’t go to the hospital!"

At these words, the courtroom was in an uproar.

What did the defendant mean by this?

Competing with the hospital for business?

People were thinking of going to the hospital, yet you actually stopped them; were you planning to harm them?

Even Zhang Wei looked at his client in confusion.

"My wife bled heavily after her previous delivery, which left her weak. On the day she was close to giving birth, she definitely couldn’t withstand the bumpy ride. I stopped them because I was afraid she’d die on the way!"

"But they didn’t know that, did they?" Zhang Wei pointed toward the witness stand.

"Sigh... you’re right, they were ignorant and didn’t even realize it!" Gao Xiaoping sighed, left without words.

I was clearly trying to save someone, yet they saw me as a harmful person...

In the courtroom.

Guo Wufeng also suddenly "surprised" everyone, although everyone knew it was an act.

But you have to say, he was pretty convincing.

"What, the defendant stopped you from going to the hospital?"

Old Guo feigned astonishment, seemingly puzzled, "So in the end, where did you give birth?"

"In the end, as my wife was about to deliver, I had no choice but to give up on the idea of going to the hospital and let her help us with the delivery at home!"

"And what was the outcome?"

The man’s face couldn’t hold any longer upon hearing this question; it fell.

His lips were twitching, and with a cry in his voice, he said, "My third child... also the last hope for my wife and I, is gone... gone..."

"My children, my three children, they hadn’t even had a chance to speak to this world before they..."

In the family seating area, the woman cried along with the man, crying with heartbreaking sobs.

Toward the end, the woman, weakened, began to cough repeatedly.

Xiao Chen wanted to go over and assist her, but the woman stopped her.

"It’s all her fault, she caused all this. If it weren’t for her stopping us that last time, our child would have been born long ago!" She pointed at the defense bench, at Gao Xiaoping, making tearful accusations, her tone filled with bitterness.

On the witness stand, the man had the same expression.

It could be said that all three of their children had perished.

But if they had chosen to deliver in the local hospital’s maternity ward from the beginning and let a professional obstetrician handle the birth, it certainly wouldn’t have ended like this.

Now the woman had lost three children and was also at risk of postpartum hemorrhaging.

The doctors even told the couple that trying to have another child in the future would be extremely difficult.

This sentence was almost like cutting off all of their hope.

And who was to blame for all of this?

Gao Xiaoping!

Whether it was the witnesses, the jury, or even those in the spectator’s seats,

The same name appeared in everyone’s mind.

If it hadn’t been for her, maybe Mr. He and his wife would have been holding their child by now?

If someone needed to take responsibility, it definitely had to be the defendant!

The direction of the courtroom wind shifted again toward the prosecution.

Guo Wufeng looked at the witness he had summoned, who had garnered the empathy of all 12 jurors, quite pleased with himself.

"Heh heh, let’s see how you’ll turn the tables this time!"

He chuckled coldly but didn’t end his questioning there.

"Your Honor, in order to allow the court to clearly and directly understand whether what the witness has said is true, our side requests the subpoena of Lady Pang, an obstetrician from the local hospital on Bei Chong Island, to stand as a professional witness!"

Judge Liu considered it and thought Guo Wufeng made sense.

"The court grants permission!"

Upon the judge’s approval, Guo Wufeng revealed a smile of victory.

The witness’s testimony had already been so damaging, and with the addition of a doctor’s professional testimony, it was poised to be a finishing blow!

The defense would likely struggle even to find a reason to refute.

This was in the bag!