Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 305 - 303: Cunning Xiao Su, Disciple Becomes a Negative Example

Chapter 305: Chapter 303: Cunning Xiao Su, Disciple Becomes a Negative Example

Monday, a workday.

At Jincheng Law Firm, in the Criminal Department.

In the blink of an eye, the last week of June had arrived.

On the first day of the fourth week, the Criminal Department was still busy as ever.

The busiest of them all was Li Yueqin.

"Strange, why hasn’t Old Tie come to work?"

After arriving at the law firm, Zhang Wei noticed that Xiao Li had come in even earlier than himself and was constantly busy organizing files.

And these tasks were originally handled by Tie Ruyun.

"Group Leader Tie messaged me over the weekend saying he needed a bit more time to deal with something and asked me to help out with this on Monday..."

This was Xiao Li’s explanation to Zhang Wei.

"My goodness, did Old Tie encounter a tough case?"

Zhang Wei muttered, but he had confidence in Old Tie.

The other party was, after all, the former head of the Criminal Department and the ex-leader of the criminal team at Jincheng Law Firm.

If he couldn’t even handle a "little issue," wouldn’t that be unworthy of his reputation.

With that thought, Zhang Wei turned his attention back to his own matters.

He walked over to the Criminal Department’s office area and gestured for his little apprentice to come over.

The latter immediately stood up with a folder and joined Zhang Wei at the office’s whiteboard.

"Cough cough, I have a few things to announce here!"

As Zhang Wei began speaking, all the newcomers turned to look at him.

"First and foremost, the cases you’re most concerned about. I know Old Tie said that newbies shouldn’t handle cases yet!"

"But he is he, and I am I. I believe that for novices, being involved with cases is the best way to grow, so I have 10 public service cases on hand, which would be perfect for you guys!"

Upon hearing this, the newcomers were all visibly excited.

Awesome, just within the first month of joining the firm, they’d get to be involved with cases—this was simply...bliss.

After all, in their minds, not only in the first month, but even in the first quarter or the first year at a large law firm, they would not likely get to handle any cases.

Their classmates were all complaining that during the first year of their internship at a law firm, they were only helping practicing lawyers with odd jobs. Their primary work involved writing documents, reviewing text for proofreading, making notes on case summaries, and so on—basically, tedious and time-consuming tasks.

Moreover, the lawyers mentoring them would say that the first year for newbies was always like this, and they could think about handling cases after the internship period.

Compared to them, life was certainly too blissful on Zhang Wei’s side.

"In due course, you’ll work in pairs to handle cases. With two people, you can cover for each other, supervise one another, and also discuss strategies together."

"However, I’ll hand these cases out to you in a couple of days because many of you haven’t even been involved in a common case before, and you need at least the experience of following one case first."

As he spoke, Zhang Wei pointed to Lin Yumeng, "So, Team Leader Lin has specifically selected a case for you to spearhead!"

At these words, Lin Yumeng immediately felt a great pressure and a wave of panic inside.

The crowd of newbies, who had been somewhat disappointed when they first thought Zhang Wei wasn’t going to assign them any cases, became eagerly expectant once again upon hearing they would receive some in a few days and that Lin Yumeng would lead the charge.

That’s just like the renowned Lawyer Zhang, always thinking ahead for them.

Having Team Leader Lin set an example was perfect for them to learn how a "professional lawyer" actually handles cases.

"Lawyer Zhang is really thoughtful!"

"Lawyer Zhang truly lives up to the name!"

"Lawyer Zhang is really considerate towards us newbies!"

For a moment, such praises flickered through the minds of the newbies.

"Xiao Meng, write the case information on the board for everyone to see!"

"Ao~"

Upon receiving the command, Lin Yumeng began to write the case summary information clearly on the whiteboard.

Soon enough, the case details were all written out.

"This..."

"Isn’t this case a bit too ridiculous?"

"A grown man using a Hello Kitty wallet, and it’s pink?"

"There should be a limit to making stuff up, right? I feel this guy must be lying!"

Once the case information was displayed, the reactions of the newcomers did not exceed Zhang Wei’s expectations.

"Do all of you feel that this case is preposterous?" He tapped the whiteboard with his finger and asked with a smile.

"Yes, it’s too absurd!" Several newbies nodded in agreement.

"What if I told you that this case is actually quite manageable, and there’s something to it, would you believe me?" Zhang Wei continued with a laugh.

"This..."

The novices looked at each other, feeling like Zhang Wei was joking.

With such an absurd case, it seemed unlikely that any of the 12 jurors would believe the defendant unless one of them had a screw loose.

However, remembering that it was Zhang Wei who spoke, they found themselves hesitating again.

Could this case actually have a shot?

But their years of studying law were telling them that this case simply had no chance, Zhang Wei was actually joking.

So, the newcomers were caught in a dilemma.

This case theoretically had no chance because no one would believe the defendant’s words.

But if there was a chance, what then?

Zhang Wei observed the situation of the newcomers.

Then his gaze landed on Su Xiaoqian, the most active girl among the new recruits.

"Xiao Su, what are your thoughts after looking at this case?"

"Hmm..." Su Xiaoqian’s eyes rolled as she thought and then replied, "Lawyer Zhang said, when we take on criminal defense cases, what we actually face is the prosecutor."

"So we can take out the prosecutor..."

"Stop!"

Zhang Wei quickly interrupted after hearing Su Xiaoqian’s response.

What a character.

This girl, cut her open and she’s black through and through, huh!

That statement was way too dangerous!

"Xiao Su, how about giving the prosecutor a chance to live, can we not talk about such things?"

Zhang Wei hastily waved his hands, signaling her not to think in that direction.

Su Xiaoqian hesitated, then tentatively asked, "If the prosecutor won’t do, then how about we ’take care’ of the eyewitness?"

Zhang Wei: ???

"Lawyer Zhang, I didn’t mean it the way you are thinking, maybe we can do something to make the eyewitness change their testimony?"

"Stop!"

Zhang Wei interrupted again upon hearing Su Xiaoqian’s words.

"Bribing witnesses is illegal, at least in theory, you can’t contact the prosecution’s witnesses in private after taking on the case. Otherwise, you could be accused by the prosecution of harassing the witnesses. If it’s serious, they could even sue you for obstructing justice, and the consequences could be very dangerous!"

"But if the eyewitness doesn’t change their testimony, there’s no way to fight this case, right?"

Su Xiaoqian thought for a moment and could only shake her head.

If such measures were not viable, it meant they were doomed to lose.

"Not necessarily, not necessarily..."

Zhang Wei shook his finger, revealing a profound smile: "Actually, this case can be fought, and the outcome is not yet determined; we still have a chance to win!"

"Furthermore, if handled properly, our chances of winning are not small!"

He said this and then turned his attention to Lin Yumeng, "Apprentice, when is the trial for this case?"

Lin Yumeng immediately flipped open her notebook and reported, "The trial is tomorrow. It will be fast-tracked, with no physical evidence, only testimonial evidence!"

"Oh, no physical evidence huh!"

Zhang Wei muttered to himself, feeling that this was deliberate on the part of the prosecution.

Because the most favorable evidence for the defendant Yan Dayuan was the fact that he actually owned a pink Hello Kitty wallet.

Of course, this possibility was really not great.

But if he truly had such a wallet, it would explain his previous absurd behavior.

To guard against this, the prosecution used tactics to persuade the court to initiate a summary procedure, for fast-track processing.

The advantage of a summary procedure is the quick trial pace, shorter cycle, and even no preliminary hearings or appeals.

The trial could be completed and a decision made on the same day it began.

But the downside is that it skips evidence presentation, or rather, there is no public disclosure of evidence to help the defendant.

However, the absence of physical evidence doesn’t mean nothing can be done!

"Hmm, I see, that’s even better!"

Zhang Wei said, beckoning his little apprentice with a finger.

Lin Yumeng naturally stepped closer.

"Apprentice, today you should handle it this way... Do you understand?"

"I understand, Master. Don’t worry, I can handle this little matter!"

After whispering a few words, the little apprentice immediately took the task, nodding seriously.

"Good, then go down and prepare!"

Zhang Wei waved his hand to dismiss, sending his little apprentice off to prepare by herself.

He, on the other hand, continued to take over from Old Tie, responsible for training the newcomers.

"So I won’t say much more. Tomorrow everyone will see for themselves whether this case can be fought and how to fight it. Please look forward to it!"

After finishing, Zhang Wei knocked once more on the clipboard with case information, urging the newcomers to pay close attention, and then returned to his own office.

Meanwhile, the newcomers were all huddled together, discussing fervently.

What they discussed most, of course, was about this case.

This case was clearly unwinnable, yet Zhang Wei said it was winnable.

They were also looking forward to seeing Zhang Wei’s methods tomorrow.

No, it should be Lin Yumeng’s maneuvering.

...

The next day was Tuesday.

The day the case went to trial.

Zhang Wei and his young apprentice had naturally arrived at the city courthouse early in the morning.

In the courthouse’s preparation room, they met the defendant, Yan Dayuan.

"When it’s your turn to speak in court, just say this, even though you find it outrageous yourself, but it’s a necessary step to win over the jury. Do you understand?"

After handing something to Yan Dayuan, Zhang Wei repeatedly reminded him.

The latter’s face looked unnatural and somewhat doubtful, but he nodded anyway.

After all, he had no one else to rely on; Lawyer Zhang seemed somewhat reliable, and perhaps it wasn’t wrong to listen to him.

As for the young lady, since entering the preparation room, she had been flipping through the documents, turning back after a few pages, clearly not the brightest bulb.

"Excuse me, may I ask, what will happen to me if I can’t convince the jury?"

"You are charged with robbery and the intention to pursue and harm the victim. This offense usually carries a sentence of 3 to 10 years. In my opinion, you’ll start at 3 years!"

"But I really didn’t mean to snatch her wallet!" Yan Dayuan cried foul.

He had just acted on impulse, convinced that the woman had stolen his wallet, so he wanted to check.

In the end, he even "returned" the wallet to her, right?

How come he was now facing over three years in prison?

Such injustice!

Tremendous injustice!

Yan Dayuan was here claiming his innocence, while Zhang Wei turned to look at his apprentice.

"How about it, are you ready? The court session will start this morning."

"Master, I’m a little nervous~"

The apprentice lifted her head and spoke timidly.

"You’ve been to court before, what’s there to be nervous about? It gets easier with experience. You should also be a seasoned courtroom driver by now, you must understand!"

Zhang Wei said encouragingly and then led her and the defendant out of the preparation room towards the courtroom.

The courtroom scene.

This time, as it was a fast-track hearing, the proceedings took place in a small courtroom.

The front row of the spectator seats, two entire rows, were occupied by newcomers from the criminal division.

But this case didn’t attract many onlookers to begin with; there were still a few seats empty at the back, enough for a few more spectators.

This scene also made the surveillance party of the case feel a certain amount of pressure.

"So many people, and they are all from the defense side, no small pressure!"

On the prosecution’s bench sat a "familiar face" to Zhang Wei.

Chai Ping, a prosecutor from the Central District Procuratorate’s Office.

He was the prosecutor in the Tian Lixiong case.

That case had turned his understanding on its head.

The young brother wanted to get some sun, and then fell in love with a prostitute. Relying on these two outrageous defensive arguments, Zhang Wei actually managed to get the defendant acquitted.

This had become an unresolved knot in Chai Ping’s heart.

He couldn’t believe he had lost such a case and swore that the next time he encountered Zhang Wei, he would make him pay!

The courtroom doors opened wide, and the three from the defense side entered.

"Damn!"

Seeing who arrived, Chai Ping was instantly dumbfounded.

Could it be any more supernatural? I was just talking about you, and here you are?

"Ah, isn’t this Prosecutor Chai Ping from the Central District Procuratorate’s Office?"

Zhang Wei also recognized Chai Ping and immediately smiled, greeting him.

"Lawyer Zhang, I heard you drove our city’s famous hostess Cheng Lisha to her death using underhanded tactics?"

"I didn’t, I didn’t, don’t spout nonsense!"

Upon hearing Chai Ping bring up something completely unrelated, Zhang Wei immediately denied it thrice.

Are you kidding me? He had absolutely nothing to do with Cheng Lisha’s case.

Why did everyone now think he was the one who drove her to death?

"Hmph, today, I’m going to show this ’Homicide Lawyer’ the strength of our Central District Procuratorate’s Office!"

Chai Ping ignored Zhang Wei’s greeting, snorted coldly, his mouth brimming with confidence.

"It’s no use telling me, I’m not the defense attorney; this time, the defense attorney is my apprentice!"

Zhang Wei spread his hands to show that he was just there to observe.

He said this, pointing at Lin Yumeng, and then sat down on the prosecutor’s side.

Although he was sitting on the prosecutor’s side, he was only there to get a better view of the trial proceedings.

"Apprentice?"

Chai Ping glanced at Lin Yumeng standing next to Zhang Wei, feeling as if he had been insulted.

Wow, making the apprentice face off against her own mentor? When did I, Chai Ping, become such an easy target?

That girl obviously looks like a novice. I must show her what’s what.

Yes, this trial, watch how I crush her!

At the defense’s table, Lin Yumeng was still a bit nervous.

Suddenly, she felt an icy gaze piercing her from behind.

"Wow, how terrifying, this prosecutor looks like he’s going to devour me..."

"What should I do? I’m scared, I’m panicking..."

Lin Yumeng beat an internal retreat, her little face filled with unease.

With different thoughts swirling in their heads, both parties took their seats.

"All rise!"

As the court session neared its beginning, the judge finally made his entrance.

The judge presiding this time was a young one, unknown to Zhang Wei.

But after the latter ascended the bench, he nodded to Chai Ping.

Clearly, the prosecution and the judge were acquainted, and they seemed quite familiar at that.

This was an unfavorable point.

"Cough, cough, this court declares the robbery case against Yan Dayuan is now open. Since the case is following the fast-track trial procedure, everything will be simplified!"

The judge spoke and nodded towards the court guard, "Let the jurors come in directly!"

Thinking it was a summary procedure, there were only half as many jurors as a typical criminal case, and there was no selection process.

The jury entered and quickly took their seats.

"Both the prosecution and the defense, please state your claims succinctly!"

Following the judge’s announcement, Chai Ping rose first, "The defendant, Yan Dayuan, committed a robbery in broad daylight with the intent to commit violence. The prosecution believes his actions constitute severe robbery!"

"The court understands!"

The judge nodded, then turned towards the defense.

The little apprentice stood with all eyes on her, "Your Honor... Our side contends that the defendant is wrongfully accused; he did not commit these crimes; he was just..."

"Cough, cough, this court has said to keep the advocacy brief. Please get to the point!"

The judge suddenly interrupted her, adding a reminder.

This scene prompted the newcomers in the spectator’s section to open their notebooks and begin to take notes.

The declarations at the start of the trial must be concise, or else you may suffer a major drawback, just like Team Leader Lin did.

At this moment, Lin Yumeng became a negative example.

On the prosecution’s side, Chai Ping could not help but laugh.

Is this all?

Is this the level of Lawyer Zhang’s apprentice?

Well then, today’s case looks like it’s going to be an easy win!

Chai Ping was already imagining how, after defeating the apprentice, he could use her to mock her mentor.

If Lawyer Zhang were capable, how could he have trained such a useless apprentice?

Ultimately, you rely on luck to win your cases, don’t you?

The mockery in Chai Ping’s eyes grew even more intense.

This, Zhang Wei, of course, could sense.

"Well then, trying to disgust me, huh?"

Zhang Wei ignored him and instead patted his little apprentice’s shoulder, encouraging her in a low voice, "Don’t be nervous; be straightforward and speak your objective!"

"Oh..."

The little apprentice acknowledged and then looked at the judge, "Your Honor, we choose to defend based on innocence!"

"Understood!"

The judge nodded, wishing she had said so earlier.

The phrase "defense based on innocence" was sufficient to convey her purpose.

He made a note in his notebook and glanced at the jury.

After confirming that the jury had heard both sides’ claims, he banged the gavel and announced, "Since both parties have presented their claims, the prosecution may now prepare to make its statement."

Chai Ping straightened his collar and strode confidently to the podium.

"Your Honor, the prosecution requests to summon Ms. Zong, the victim in this case, to testify about the incident!"

"Alright, let her come up."

Following Chai Ping’s call, a middle-aged woman walked to the stand.

She was the victim and the person who reported the crime, the woman whose wallet was stolen by Yan Dayuan.

Of course, Yan Dayuan had thought about stealing the woman’s wallet.

Zhang Wei watched the witness take the stand and began to contemplate any flaws that might be present in the upcoming testimony.

After all, he needed to win this case for his apprentice!