Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 314 - 312: Scorn and Cold Stares, All Women?

Chapter 314: Chapter 312: Scorn and Cold Stares, All Women?

Thursday, the day of the court hearing.

In a preparation room of the city courthouse,

"We have a pre-trial session this morning and the court session in the afternoon, so let’s all brace ourselves!"

Zhang Wei said, looking at the other people in the preparation room.

Today, the preparation room was exceptionally crowded.

It was because the entire criminal department had come, including not only Tie Ruyun, the defendant, and his capable subordinates Lin Yumeng and Li Yueqin, but also newcomers such as Su Xiaoqian.

They should have gone directly to the seats in the courtroom, but they all wanted to meet with the department head and so followed to the preparation room instead.

Tie Ruyun was comforted to see that the newcomers supported him.

"Boss, don’t worry, even if you really visited a prostitute, we won’t look down on you. In our hearts, you are still our boss!"

Su Xiaoqian even took the lead and said a word of encouragement to Tie Ruyun.

Tie Ruyun: "emmm..."

"Alright, the session is about to start. You guys go ahead and grab seats in the audience. Old Tie and I have things to discuss!"

Zhang Wei quickly urged them, sending the others on their way.

The newcomers and apprentices gradually left, and the preparation room finally cleared up a bit.

Seeing that everyone had left, Tie Ruyun turned and asked, "Zhang Wei, how do you plan to handle this case?"

Zhang Wei smiled faintly, "Old Tie, let me ask you something, do you mind being embarrassed?"

"Fuck, don’t even think about it!"

Tie Ruyun, with his understanding of Zhang Wei, naturally knew why the latter would say such a thing.

What the hell do you want to do?

Are you trying to smear my innocence by saying I fell in love with Gan Xiaowei?

"Zhang Wei, I do need to save some face. If you do this, how can I face people in the future?"

"What’s the big deal? My uncle is being criticized now, isn’t he? His best friends are so scared of him that they don’t even dare to take a bath with him."

Zhang Wei chuckled and hurriedly gave an example.

He had handled his uncle’s case the same way.

Even though his uncle might never live it down for the rest of his life, winning the case was all that mattered.

"Old Tie, listen to me, there’s a benefit to doing this!"

"When the witness takes the stand, if Gan Xiaowei gives testimony against you, I can use the ’spurned love’ argument to counter it, guaranteeing she’ll be left with no retort!"

Zhang Wei said, patting Tie Ruyun’s shoulder with emphasis.

This approach was definitely the best solution for the moment.

You and Gan Xiaowei, out of love turned sour, leading to this lawsuit. Once the jury or court learns of these circumstances, they may completely dismiss the suit.

After all, the prosecution is for the people’s justice, not to settle squabbles between couples.

"No way, I can’t afford that kind of loss of face!"

Tie Ruyun continued to shake his head, extremely resistant.

"I warn you, if you dare to use that, I’ll just plead guilty and let you lose to Nun Xu. If you push me too far, I can do anything!"

Since Tie Ruyun knew Zhang Wei might actually do it, he quickly made a serious threat.

Driven to desperation, I’d rather be shattered jade than intact pottery!

"Alright, alright, since you insist..."

Zhang Wei looked at Tie Ruyun and extinguished the idea of continuing his persuasion.

If Old Tie wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t force it.

After all, his strategies for a comeback weren’t limited to this one.

But if Old Tie was willing to sacrifice his reputation a bit, it could save a lot of effort.

"Then let’s head to the court too. This morning is for pre-trial, the prosecution’s statement in the afternoon, which has nothing to do with us!"

Zhang Wei waved his hand and led Tie Ruyun straight to the courtroom.

...

In the small courtroom of the city courthouse,

since the nature of the case was soliciting prostitution, truth be told, the impact of the case wasn’t that significant.

Therefore, the city courthouse didn’t waste too much resource, just assigning a small courtroom.

But even the small courtroom attracted quite a crowd today, with the audience seats almost full.

In the front row of the audience seats, taking the brunt, was Guo Wufeng with a scowl, as if everyone he saw owed him money.

Next to Guo Wufeng, there were some newcomers from the Procuratorate Headquarters as well.

Even though they were allies, they also subconsciously maintained a distance from Director Guo.

"Watch closely and learn, the one opposing Zhang Wei this time is the ace of Central District, Nun Xu."

"Watch carefully, not a single detail can be missed, and when you return, each of you is to submit a 1,000-word reflection on the trial to me!"

The newcomers, upon hearing the final requirement, all pulled grim faces but dared not refuse.

As for Guo Wufeng, he didn’t care about the newcomers’ grumbling. He had brought them here to watch the battle between Xu Suyun and Zhang Wei.

But each time he mentioned the name "Zhang Wei", he felt an itching hatred between his teeth.

It was this kid who had invited his own father to the court, only to have his father scold him publicly for five full minutes.

Those were five whole minutes; God knows how he had endured them.

So when he heard that Zhang Wei was going to court again, and the defendant was Zhang Wei’s boss, involved in a prostitution case, he naturally rushed over at top speed.

He didn’t come alone but also brought along the newcomers from both the Major Crimes and Minor Crimes Units of the Procuratorate Headquarters.

Moreover, this time Zhang Wei’s opponent was Nun Xu, whose name was equally renowned and formidable in the Central District.

Guo Wufeng was, of course, familiar with Nun Xu.

It can only be said that this courtroom duel was very much worth looking forward to.

"Nun Xu, it’s up to you this time, give that kid a good thrashing and dampen his edge!"

In his heart, Guo Wufeng cheered for Xu Suyun, wishing he could wave a cheerleader’s flower and shout encouragement from the sidelines.

In the front row of the witness seats, Zhang Wei also saw some unexpected faces.

"Boss Shen, what brings you here?"

Indeed, those sitting in the front row of the witness seats included "enemy" Guo Wufeng and "teammates" like Shen Zhengyi and others from Jincheng Law Firm.

Since Shen Zhengyi was there, his lackeys and the despicable bunch naturally followed.

Shen Zhengyi completely ignored Zhang Wei, his gaze shifting to Tie Ruyun standing behind him.

"Tie Ruyun, I didn’t expect you to be such a person, utterly corrupt in morals, bringing our Jincheng Law Firm’s reputation down!"

"If I were you, I’d resign immediately. I can’t bear this shame. By doing such a thing, you’ve betrayed Boss’s trust and shamed yourself..."

Unexpectedly, once Shen Zhengyi began speaking, it was a barrage of cold mockery aimed at Tie Ruyun.

Tie Ruyun just bowed his head, not daring to respond.

This demeanor, on the contrary, resembled a child who had admitted to a mistake and was being scolded by a parent.

Zhang Wei sighed inwardly upon seeing Old Tie’s silence.

Is this a conditioned reflex?

You’ve been serving as a team leader under Shen Zhengyi for so long that now, when he starts lecturing, you subconsciously think you’re still his underling?

"Old Tie, you go sit down!"

Zhang Wei sent Old Tie to the defendant’s seat, while he stayed alone in the front row of the witness seats.

"Boss Shen, as colleagues, shouldn’t you be supporting Old Tie?"

"Hmph, a mere ace dares to speak to Boss Shen like that?"

"Exactly, are you teaching us what to do?"

Zhang Wei’s words met with no response from Shen Zhengyi. The vile lackeys immediately took it upon themselves to reply with the same scorn.

"Is that so? Since when are you entitled to lecture Old Tie?"

Zhang Wei laughed, "Let’s not have the pot calling the kettle black."

In the Jincheng Club, didn’t the three of you play even dirtier than others?

"Zhang Wei, if it were not for me, you’d quickly have Tie Ruyun confess his wrongdoings, and this whole thing would be over. Why must it end up in court?"

"It’s just patronizing prostitutes, isn’t it? Which man hasn’t made a mistake? I, as a leader, don’t mind these things. What I care about is the impact this affair has on our Jincheng. Listen to me, have him admit it. If the prostitution was unsuccessful, it’s just a few days in custody, no big deal!"

Shen Zhengyi finally spoke, in the tone of an elder or a leader, both teaching and scolding Zhang Wei.

As he spoke, he maintained an air as if to say that he was doing this for the law firm’s sake, and that Zhang must understand where he was coming from.

What’s this, moral blackmail?

"Boss Shen, have you never suspected that Old Tie might have been framed?"

"Framed?"

Shen Zhengyi laughed scornfully, joined by the despicable bunch by his side.

"If Tie Ruyun was framed, how come he was caught red-handed?"

"Caught red-handed? Isn’t this time about an attempted act?"

Zhang Wei also laughed, "You’re ignoring facts, aren’t you? Just convinced that Tie Ruyun is guilty and everything is based on the premise that Old Tie is guilty?"

You’re no different from those brainless mobs on the internet, and perhaps some online trolls are even more ethical than you.

"Since Boss Shen thinks Old Tie is guilty, I hope that when you’re proven wrong, you’ll be able to admit your mistake because you’ve wronged Old Tie!"

"Hmph, you better think about how you’re going to survive against Nun Xu!"

After speaking, Shen Zhengyi had no intention of continuing the argument with Zhang Wei. With a cold laugh, he took his seat.

"Nun Xu? In my opinion, she is nothing special!"

Zhang Wei had already had confrontations with Xu Suyun during the pretrial procedures and was not afraid of her.

Seeing Shen Zhengyi and his two colleagues adopting an attitude of spectating a show, Zhang Wei felt nothing but disdain for them.

As colleagues in name, shouldn’t they be the first to believe in their colleague when trouble arises?

Instead, these three were the first to have their colleague admit to wrongdoing, unbelievable.

Are they doing this for your own good?

No, they are doing it for the reputation of the law firm, that’s all.

Zhang Wei couldn’t be bothered with them anymore and waved towards the newcomers at the back of the hearing seats before sitting down at the defense bench.

In the adjacent prosecutor’s bench, Xu Suyun was already in place, with Chai Ping attending her, resembling a busy little aide bustling about.

Feeling Zhang Wei’s gaze, Xu Suyun responded with a cold sneer, her expression chillingly grim.

"Worthy of Nun Xu, huh? That pressure sure is heavy!"

Zhang Wei completely disregarded Nun Xu’s intimidating pressure and huddled with Tie Ruyun to start pre-trial discussions.

"Zhang Wei, what kind of jury are you hoping for when it’s time for questioning?"

"Of course, the more men, the better!"

"Ah?"

"What do you mean, ’ah’? Don’t you understand this?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands with a look that said, "Are you stupid?"

"Old Tie, this is a charge of prostitution. Men might understand, but women definitely won’t get it, right?"

"Then how will you select the jury? Ask them if they’re male or female and then eliminate the female jurors?"

"Of course, that won’t work. Nun Xu will stop me!"

Zhang Wei glanced at the other table and then smiled, saying, "But don’t worry, I have my methods!"

After giving Old Tie a reassuring look that said, "Don’t worry, I’ve got this," Zhang Wei settled down confidently.

Because it was almost time for the trial to start.

The atmosphere in the courtroom was tense, and the hearing seats were occupied by quite a few people—all of them holding their breath in anticipation.

"All rise!"

With a stern shout from the duty court guard, everyone stood up.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire courtroom, the young Judge Liu walked into the courtroom and took his seat at the bench.

After scanning the room, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

Goodness, why does every minor case I handle attract such a crowd?

Is that Guo Wufeng?

After suffering such a terrible defeat before, he’s back again?

Is he seated in the hearing seats with a bunch of newcomers from the Procuratorate Headquarters, here to put pressure on me?

And then there’s the prosecution and defense. Even though I already knew it would be these two, seeing them in court puts a great deal of pressure on me, Judge Liu.

Nobody needs to say anything about Zhang Wei, a notorious figure.

Then there’s Nun Xu on the other side, who is no less tough.

This time it’s a battle between dragons—a fight between lions and tigers.

I, as a minor judge, simply cannot withstand such an ordeal.

I can only hope that today, they will refrain from pulling any outrageous stunts.

My faint heart, it cannot withstand this.

After Judge Liu banged the gavel, he announced in court:

"Ahem, after communication with the department, this court has deemed the impact of the case to be minimal, thus deciding to hold a pre-trial this morning and to officially commence the trial in the afternoon. Now, please state your advocacy for the trial!"

Following the judge’s words, Xu Suyun was the first to stand up.

"Our side contends that the defendant, Tie Ruyun, during his years as a criminal defense lawyer, has used his authority to oppress and blackmail multiple women, including the prostitute Gan Xiaowei involved in this case, into having improper sexual relations with him. The defendant’s conduct constitutes more than just the attempted prostitution as demonstrated in this case. Therefore, the prosecution believes that Tie Ruyun, being a criminal defense lawyer who used his own status for personal gain, is guilty of abuse of power and coercion. Additionally, as he has the status of a lawyer, his crime of knowingly violating the law should be considered an aggravating factor."

Xu Suyun’s statement caused an uproar in the courtroom.

No one had expected the prosecution’s accusation to be so severe; wasn’t this supposed to be a straightforward case of attempted prostitution?

How did it become a crime of coercion, using professional positions to force women into improper relations?

"Damn it, that’s slander!"

Hearing the prosecution’s accusation, Tie Ruyun couldn’t sit still anymore.

Are they planning to destroy me completely, slandering me for doing that kind of thing, am I such a base person?

"Old Tie, stay calm!"

Zhang Wei, however, was relatively calm, patting Tie Ruyun’s shoulder for reassurance.

Others may not believe you, but I do.

If you, Tie Ruyun, really had the guts to do such a thing, you wouldn’t have ended up like this at the law firm.

After hearing the prosecution’s claim, Judge Liu internally scoffed at its exaggeration, then looked at the defense bench.

"Defense?"

Zhang Wei hurriedly stood up.

"Your Honor, and everyone in the courtroom, I can tell you all very responsibly that my client, Tie Ruyun, is innocent. He hasn’t done any of the things the prosecution has accused him of. In fact, he is still a virgin to this day, without even a girlfriend. How could he possibly have been exploiting his status as a defense attorney for a long time, coercing those nice girls to have relations with him?"

"I must declare once again that the prosecution’s accusations are all wrong. My client is a nearly 40-year-old virgin; he is innocent, and he is also not guilty!"

Tie Ruyun, sitting by his side, was so "moved" by Zhang Wei’s assertion that he almost cried.

Don’t mention the fact that I am a virgin! Isn’t it enough to just say I’m innocent?

Do you really have to go there? Do you want to see me cry?

This is so embarrassing...

As expected, after Zhang Wei finished his statement, the spectators’ gallery started buzzing with discussion.

Many people looked at Tie Ruyun with a hint of sympathy.

Almost 40 and still without a girlfriend, unbelievable.

"Old Tie, don’t mind it. I said that just to make a deeper impression on the jury and those in the spectator seats."

Zhang Wei offered a word of comfort, but he, too, was laughing inside.

You tell the jury that the client is innocent, they’re tired of hearing it, who would pay attention to you?

But if you tell them that your client is nearly 40 and still a virgin, they’ll remember it and look at you with sympathy.

Isn’t the jury remembering it now?

Whatever happens in the ensuing disputes between the defense and the prosecution, the jury will always remember there is a nearly 40-year-old virgin sitting at the defense table.

This is the tactic of using the most eye-catching thing to reinforce the courtroom’s memory.

On Tie Ruyun, the intriguing crime to speak of is naturally the fact that he’s almost 40 and still doesn’t have a girlfriend.

"Hmph, acting smart!"

Xu Suyun at the next table also caught on to Zhang Wei’s intention and snorted coldly.

These little clever tricks in courtroom arguments are only used by those who are up to no good.

She, Xu Suyun, did not deign to do such a thing.

And as for dealing with Zhang Wei, she had plenty of means.

"Ahem, so now that both sides have declared their positions, then..."

Judge Liu knocked his gavel and looked around again.

It was time for the prospective jurors to come forward.

The court guard immediately opened the gate to the jury box, allowing the prospective jurors to enter.

"Holy crap!"

But as the prospective jurors walked into the room, Zhang Wei suddenly couldn’t hold back.

"Zhang Wei, don’t these jurors seem to be a bit female-heavy?"

Tie Ruyun also noticed something was off and quickly turned his head.

"Yeah, what’s going on?" Zhang Wei looked at the prospective jury, counting under his breath, "1, 2, 3, 4..."

He glanced at the jury, and out of more than twenty members, there were only four men; the rest were all women.

This...

Do you remember what I told Tie Ruyun before the trial?

Things like soliciting prostitutes might be understood by men, but women definitely won’t understand!

Great, so you fill the jury box with all women, huh?

How am I supposed to play this?

Difficulty level: hell?

"Ahem, may I ask, who will start?" Judge Liu asked in court.

"I believe Lawyer Zhang understands the principle of ladies first, so let me begin!"

Xu Suyun immediately stood up and dropped a statement that blocked Zhang Wei.

She walked up in front of the jury box, looked over everyone, and then said:

"I trust you have all reviewed the case information before the court session. Of course, if you haven’t, it’s not a problem; I can tell you that the defendant is accused of soliciting prostitutes, and it is a long-term allegation."

"So I have to ask, if anyone here has personally experienced or has friends who have solicited prostitutes, please stand up and voluntarily excuse yourselves from this case."

"Because I will assume that you would sympathize with the defendant, which is not conducive to the impartiality of the jury!"

As Xu Suyun issued her question, the few men in the jury box began to look a bit uneasy.

Those who could participate in or, say, had experience in prostitution were naturally only men.

Xu Suyun’s purpose was quite straightforward—to filter out the men from the jury box!

And this move was precisely what Zhang Wei feared most.