Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 347 - 345: A Date, Don’t Underestimate a Poor Girl?

Chapter 347: Chapter 345: A Date, Don’t Underestimate a Poor Girl?

Bai Meiqi was sent away.

Zhang Wei and Su Xiaoqian started chatting in the office.

"If this case is difficult to handle, let’s suggest the client settle with the merchant!"

This was Zhang Wei’s provisional strategy.

"But Lawyer Bai said..." Su Xiaoqian obviously disagreed.

Bai Meiqi insisted on an absolute victory!

Moreover, the truth that her client had a kleptomaniac habit must not be made public.

In other words, they had to convince the jury in court that their client had no intention of stealing.

But apart from kleptomania, what other means could there be to persuade the jury?

"Zhang ace, if it’s impossible to reconcile with the merchant, how should we handle this case?"

Su Xiaoqian was also troubled.

The main issue was the secrecy of the kleptomania, which seemed unsolvable to her.

The merchants refused to settle, clearly intent on going to court.

And once in court, the fact that the defendant stole could not be altered, in which case...

"Not necessarily!"

Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, pointing toward the direction Bai Meiqi left, and muttered, "What kind of person do you think Lawyer Bai is?"

"Lawyer Bai?"

Su Xiaoqian recalled everything she had heard about Bai Meiqi in the company, as well as her understanding of the other from their recent encounter.

"Lawyer Bai is a very proud and beautiful woman, with a strong presence, very arrogant, and rather aloof..."

"That settles it then!"

Zhang Wei spread his hands: "Look at Lawyer Bai, do you think she would stoop low enough to plead with petty retailers?"

In Su Xiaoqian’s mind, an image instantly came to mind of Bai Meiqi conversing with the merchant.

With an air of superiority, Bai Meiqi, nose to the air, said to the merchants: "My client is the CEO of a listed company, with an annual salary over 5 million. How much is your daily revenue? We’ll compensate tenfold. Drop the charges at once. If you don’t, you must know I am the ace lawyer of Jincheng Law Firm, and my client has plenty of ways to make you regret it!"

Su Xiaoqian shook her head, agreeing that the attitude was indeed not good.

If they encountered someone with a weak character, they might be subdued.

If they met someone with a tough personality or a bad temper, looking for a fight, compromise would certainly not come easily.

Clearly, Bai Meiqi’s aloofness was causing her embarrassment.

Zhang Wei pointed this out in a straightforward manner that hit home.

Su Xiaoqian looked at Zhang Wei and ventured to ask, "So, do I have to go find the merchant next and discuss a peaceful settlement with them?"

"Hmm, you’re right, but I wouldn’t pin too many hopes on it!"

"Then what shall we do?"

"When I say the hope is slim, it doesn’t mean there’s no hope at all. If you don’t try, you’ll never know if there’s a chance."

"So, you mean I still need to give it a try."

"Correct, don’t be afraid of failure, newbie. Old Tie said your performance on your first case was the best among all the newcomers, so I have high hopes for you~"

"Really? Zhang ace, you have high hopes for me?"

"You’ve been doing well, of course, I have high hopes for you!"

Zhang Wei nodded indifferently, but internally he scoffed: "Aside from you, everyone else lost their cases. Who else can I have high hopes for?"

Then he added, "By the way, leave work early today. About communicating with the merchant, you can think it over at home. But my suggestion is to touch them with sincerity. Don’t try to hide your purpose; be genuine, and maybe they’ll be frank with you, too!"

Zhang Wei assigned a task for Su Xiaoqian to ponder over and then he left work on time.

Upon exiting Jincheng Building, Zhang Wei sent Jessica a message.

He had already booked a place for dinner, at a riverside restaurant by the Dongjiang Bank.

This restaurant was most famous for its candlelight dinners, paired with the soft piano and violin performances in the hall, creating a perfect atmosphere, and it was a must-visit for couples in Dongfang Capital.

After summoning Zhang Xinyan to drive him to the place, Zhang Wei waited at the location.

Dinner was scheduled for 7 PM, but Jessica had not arrived even after the appointed time.

This was somewhat unexpected for Zhang Wei; Jessica did not seem like someone who would stand someone up, and neither of them liked being late.

"What’s going on? Could tonight’s candlelight dinner be cancelled..."

After waiting for nearly 10 minutes, Zhang Wei frowned.

Just as he was about to get up, something changed.

A few tables away, a man from a couple suddenly looked up, and then his eyes fixed on a sight and stayed there.

Hiss—

He took a sharp intake of breath, staring straight in a certain direction.

This naturally caused the woman to be dissatisfied, and she turned around, only to understand the reason immediately after.

"What are you looking at!"

"Still looking!"

"If you keep looking, I’ll gouge out your eyeballs!"

Out of annoyance, the woman stepped on the man’s foot, finally causing him to reluctantly withdraw his gaze.

Noticing the couple’s subtle interaction, Zhang Wei immediately laughed.

The person capable of provoking such a reaction must be...

"Zhang, I’m sorry for being late..."

Just then, at the entrance of the restaurant, a tall and voluptuous blonde woman appeared, dressed in a black evening gown.

Although she was late, she maintained her elegance, and her beautiful face bore a slight apologetic smile.

Seeing her, Zhang Wei knew all the waiting was worth it.

"Jessica, thank you for giving me an extra ten minutes to get ready!"

Zhang Wei promptly thanked the beautiful woman before him.

Brilliant!

Truly brilliant!

Men around could not help but show looks of admiration and envy.

Even though she was the one who was late, he was still able to express gratitude!

Thank you for teaching us so much!

"Come, please take a seat!"

Zhang Wei issued the invitation, and Jessica smiled, lifting the hem of her dress slightly as she gracefully took her seat.

That evening, Jessica was wearing an off-shoulder evening gown, with her makeup lightly applied; yet even so, she looked as if she was a meticulously crafted work of art.

In Zhang Wei’s eyes, he could see vast expanses of snow-white tender skin, her beautiful collarbone, and her full, lustrous skin, all of which made it impossible for him to look away.

"Sorry, Zhang Wei, I must apologize for being late. I could have left earlier today, but the city hospital suddenly arranged an emergency surgery for me to assist with, and only after finishing that could I get ready for our dinner tonight..."

Zhang Wei listened intently, nodding from time to time.

After Jessica finished speaking, he gently tapped his wine glass.

The waiters sprang into action at the cue, and the melodious sound of a violin began to play at that moment.

While the waiters were preparing, Zhang Wei, while tying his napkin, curiously asked, "The city hospital, you participated in a surgery?"

Zhang Wei vaguely remembered that the first time he met Wang Yali, Jessica seemed to have come out of the city hospital with her.

"Hmm, it was the director who invited me to participate in an assistance program."

Hearing Zhang Wei mention this, Jessica became interested and explained:

"Dongfang Capital is about to hold a martial arts competition, which has made the city’s medical resources a bit strained. The director initiated a project, the main purpose of which is to recruit licensed doctors like me who can perform surgeries to assist the hospital and alleviate the tight medical resources."

"The feedback for this project has been quite good, with many licensed doctors responding to the call and joining the assistance system. Originally, the city hospital was understaffed, and many doctors had to work more than 15 hours a day at high intensity, but now their working hours have been reduced to 10 hours, and many can even take one or two days off each week."

Jessica obviously cared a lot about her current work and spoke at length about it.

"So, are you still seeing patients in your psychology office?"

Zhang Wei also asked curiously.

If she spends all her time at the city hospital, wouldn’t that mean she can’t manage her psychology clinic?

"Yes, recently I’ve been seeing patients in the morning and after 2 p.m., I have to report to the surgery emergency department at the hospital. Sometimes, when I have to assist with surgery, it really does get quite late before I can rest, so yes, the schedule is pretty tight."

Jessica spoke, with a hint of discomfort in the corners of her eyes.

"But don’t worry, I don’t dislike this kind of life; on the contrary, after assisting with several surgeries, the director is even considering letting me perform simple surgeries."

Jessica, originally a surgical doctor herself, had learned these techniques from her father’s teachings.

And her father was an outstanding surgical expert.

"You’re going to be performing surgeries too? That’s indeed..."

Zhang Wei muttered, and just then, the waiters served the dishes one after another.

"Zhang, let’s not talk about my work anymore. I want to know how your recent work is going; surely there have been no problems?"

"You can rest assured on that point; Doctor Qian’s case has come to a close, and both he and Doctor Wang have gone to the Northern Laboratory to continue their research on the PD project. By the way, I also helped them secure the patent!"

Seeing Jessica’s inquiry, Zhang Wei naturally did not hold back, "And today I received news that Pioneer Medical Technology is going down. It is said that several consortiums are looking to swallow up the company, and many competitors are eyeing the market share they previously dominated!"

"I feel like anyone who opposes you does not end well. Chen Xianfeng was a medical giant, and now he’s not only disgraced, but his company is on the verge of bankruptcy; all his life’s work is going down the drain. And then there’s Cheng Lisha, who has contributed to your fame as the ’Homicide Lawyer.’"

"Jessica, are you teasing me too?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, his face the picture of innocence.

Wow!

Will I never be able to shake off my nickname as the "Homicide Lawyer?"

Am I now also going to be tagged as the "Bankruptcy Lawyer," since I drove my rival’s company to bankruptcy? Did I, with my own strength, bring down Chen Xianfeng and his firm?

"That just proves how capable you are!"

Jessica lifted her glass, savoring a small sip.

The vibrant red wine flowed along her alluring crimson lips into her mouth, a droplet spilling onto her flushed corner of the lips, with her fair neck blushing alluringly from the drink.

Such a captivating scene of a beauty drinking wine.

Zhang Wei was mesmerized.

At the same time, he thought desperately how much he wanted to lean in.

"Zhang, we should toast to your work going smoothly!"

"Sure, and I wish you the same. Just don’t overwork yourself!"

The two clinked glasses gently and began to enjoy a rare candlelit dinner.

...

Wednesday, a workday.

Zhang Wei arrived at his office early in the morning.

Remembering the wonderful dinner from the night before, a "blissful" smile appeared on his face.

Come to think of it, his relationship with Jessica seemed to have gone beyond that of just close friends.

They had held hands, kissed, and even in Jinying City Tonghu Town, they had shared a bed for several nights.

Of course, it was just bed-sharing; they had not crossed the final line.

By contrast, his relationship with Xia Qianyue, although they had always been known as a couple, hadn’t actually made any substantial progress at all.

"No, I need to deepen my relationship with Silly too. This weekend seems to be the Martial Arts Tournament; I’ve got to be there to support her!"

"Maybe I should take a few more days off. After all, I’ve earned 250 million in lawyer fees this month, and there’s billable hours too. I should have enough for my performance review... "

Just as Zhang Wei was considering giving up the competition for Employee of the Year, someone knocked on the office door.

Knock-knock-knock!

The knocking was urgent, betraying the knocker’s inner impatience.

"Come in!"

"Zhang Ace, I’ve thought about it all night, but I still can’t come up with a good opening statement."

Su Xiaoqian entered, her eyes ringed with dark circles, looking disheartened.

"Stay calm, you don’t need to worry. It’s just a case; if you lose the client, so be it. It’s Bai Meiqi who should be worried, not you!"

"But it’s Lawyer Bai’s client we’re talking about. If I cause her to lose it, won’t she hold it against me?"

Su Xiaoqian spoke with visible anxiety on her face.

"Xiao Su, Lawyer Bai is human too. She can’t exactly eat you!"

Zhang Wei chuckled, trying to offer some comfort.

"When does the pre-trial start?"

Su Xiaoqian, taken aback, quickly flipped her notebook open, "It seems to be this morning; I forgot to prepare!"

"Zhang Ace, could you...?"

Su Xiaoqian gestured with her fingertips gently touching each other, twisting hesitantly, clearly asking for a favor.

"I understand. I’ll go with you. Let’s go meet Nun Xu together."

Zhang Wei immediately agreed.

"Thank you so much, Zhang Ace!"

Su Xiaoqian expressed her gratitude as soon as Zhang Wei agreed to cover her back.

An hour and a half later, the city court.

Although the case was in the Central District, both the Central District Courthouse and the City Court were in the same building.

Generally, minor cases were handled by judges from the Central District, while significant cases required the involvement of City Court judges.

At this moment, in the office of a judge from the Central District, two groups were seated.

On one side were Xu Suyun and her entourage, assistant, and apprentice Chai Ping, and on the other were Su Xiaoqian and Bai Meiqi.

"Lawyer Bai, you’re saying that this Lawyer Su here is the defense representative for this case?"

The judge pointed at the visibly nervous Su Xiaoqian, incredulous.

Isn’t this a joke? Assigning a rookie to handle the case, to face Nun Xu?

Isn’t that like throwing your client into the fire?

Oh, not right!

This was originally a minor case, meant for a newcomer to gain some experience, which is not a bad thing in itself.

Only then did the judge remember what kind of case this was.

To put it bluntly, it was a case where a woman casually stole a towel from a store on the first floor.

No matter where it was placed, it belonged to petty crime, and the impact of the case was so minimal it could almost be considered negligible.

In fact, the judge felt helpless. Why did Nun Xu have to make a mountain out of a molehill?

Could it be just because her opponent was from Jincheng Law Firm, and she still remembered Zhang Wei having defeated her, so she wanted revenge?

"Ahem, Nun X..."

"Hm!!!

Xu Suyun’s face darkened, and her eyes flashed sharply.

Danger!

Feeling the threat, the judge hurriedly changed his statement, "That is, Prosecutor Xu, I think it is better for both sides to settle this case. If it really goes to court, it would be such a waste of judicial resources!"

"What are you talking about, judge? That is a crime, after all, and what’s the status of the defendant? She is one of the representatives of a renowned enterprise in Dongfang Capital, practically a public figure."

"This kind of person, yet habitually indulging in petty theft, if we don’t expose their actions, wouldn’t they continue to push the boundaries repeatedly!"

"Therefore, for the sake of justice, and to constrain such public figures, to tell them that they cannot commit even the slightest of evils, this case must be resolved in court!"

The corners of the judge’s mouth twitched involuntarily as he asked, "Is the plaintiff in agreement as well?"

"Of course!" Xu Suyun’s lips curved into a smile as she coldly snorted at Su Xiaoqian and Bai Meiqi, "The plaintiff agrees, of course, and he has made it clear that he does not accept any form of settlement!"

As she spoke, her gaze fixed piercingly on Su Xiaoqian, "So, this time, my opponent is you? I thought I could face the famous Bai Meiqi, Lawyer Bai, but it’s a shame that it’s just a newcomer!"

"Although I’m a newcomer, I’m not afraid of you!"

Su Xiaoqian said, and though she sounded confident, she quickly added, "Moreover, I have strong support!"

"Strong support? Lawyer Bai wouldn’t count as strong support in my eyes, even if she is helping you," Xu Suyun laughed.

You’re so full of yourself, even with Bai Meiqi on your side; what’s the use? She focuses on commercial cases and civil litigation, while you’re facing criminal litigation—do you really think you can be arrogant just because you have an ace up your sleeve?

"Eh heh, the lawyer has arrived!"

However, a teasing voice suddenly rang out at the entrance of the court office.

The judge, Chai Ping, and Xu Suyun all had their hearts skip a beat upon hearing this voice.

Because they were all too familiar with that voice.

"Hello there, I am the strong support, Zhang Wei!"

Zhang Wei walked into the office with composure, moving to stand beside Su Xiaoqian, ready to back her up.

This immediately unsettled everyone in the office, including the judge.

Xu Suyun’s eyes blazed with anger, Chai Ping’s legs shook slightly, and even the judge’s forehead began to show traces of sweat.

Who was this person before them?

That was the infamous Homicide Lawyer, Zhang Wei!

Facing him as an opponent required mental preparation.

Look at the fate of his previous opponents—Cheng Lisha is dead, Chen Xianfeng’s reputation ruined and career destroyed.

Even the high-ranked officials and supervisors at the Procuratorate Headquarters are likely to suffer psychological trauma.

This capability can only be described as—terrifying!

"Nun Xu, not to say I told you so, but didn’t the plaintiff refuse to settle because you forced him?"

As Zhang Wei arrived, he looked at Xu Suyun with a smile, "In my opinion, there isn’t a plaintiff who doesn’t love money; you’ve made it rather difficult for us!"

Though he mentioned difficulties, his expression was quite relaxed.

"Zhang Wei, you’re going to be involved in this case?"

"I just can’t stand the way you handle things, Nun Xu. The one taking up this case is a newcomer from my criminal department, but I will also attend the court!"

"You’re letting a newcomer fight me. Are you looking down on me?"

"Nun Xu, I don’t know if you’ve heard the saying, ’Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty on the west; never bully the young and poor,’" Zhang Wei mused.

Everyone, including the judge, stared blankly at Zhang Wei.

What kind of talk is that? Do you think you’re the protagonist of a fantasy novel, just dumped by your fiancée in public and now throwing around tough talk?

They found it laughable!

"Alright then, let’s see who prevails in court!"

Xu Suyun didn’t bother with Zhang Wei anymore. After dropping a fierce line, she walked out without looking back.

This pre-trial conference had ended abruptly and disagreeably with Zhang Wei’s surprise entrance.