Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 349 - 347 Friendly Negotiation (×) Threat Warning (√)

Chapter 349: Chapter 347 Friendly Negotiation (×) Threat Warning (√)

The next day.

Thursday, a workday.

Inside Zhang Wei’s office.

Su Xiaoqian was reporting to him.

Bai Meiqi sat on the side, listening carefully, while a flicker of curiosity and doubt passed through her eyes.

"So, I met with that witness yesterday and coaxed a lot of information out of him."

"His last name is Fang. He made fun of himself, saying he used to be a corporate slave at a toy sales company. He originally took the job because the sales company offered a flexible work system, which allowed him to arrange his time freely. But unexpectedly, his direct manager forced them into a 996 schedule, even requiring them to be on standby all weekend, and used all sorts of workplace PUA tactics on them."

"’The successful you in the future will thank the you who is suffering now; to endure is to conquer, persistence is victory; a customer can mistreat me a thousand times, but I treat the customer as my first love; no customer is unmanageable, only salespeople who don’t try hard enough; the harder you work, the luckier you get...’"

"These were some of the awkward topics he rambled on about for half the night after getting drunk."

As Su Xiaoqian spoke, her face was filled with an expression of speechlessness.

"That’s pretty normal. It’s typical for salespeople in the workplace. Superiors spoon-feeding subordinates chicken soup is nothing new, and sometimes, bosses will discuss success strategies with you. But no matter how much money you make, you’re still a corporate slave. It’s always the boss’s wallet that gets fatter."

Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, his expression composed, "Okay, what else did he tell you? We don’t need this kind of stuff."

"He said that when he was being a corporate slave, he got so depressed from not being able to close any deals and being lectured in the office every day by his manager, that he had to see a psychologist and was prescribed some antidepressants."

"Hmm, that’s useful information," Zhang Wei nodded in agreement.

"Anything else?"

"He also said that he likes to collect figurines, and he even has a figurine wall in the apartment he rents. He also mentioned that he likes young idols, enjoys listening to their songs and watching their dances, and has joined their fan clubs. He always attends their events to show support."

After hearing this, Zhang Wei remarked, "That actually sounds quite like Radish!"

"Who’s Radish?" Bai Meiqi suddenly interjected.

"Cough cough, Radish is a classmate and friend of mine!" Zhang Wei coughed as he explained.

This isn’t important!

The important thing is the case at hand.

"Continue, Xiao Su!" he gestured with his hand for Su Xiaoqian to go on.

"Yesterday, he just kept talking to me about all sorts of things, and even said that he took a liking to me..."

Su Xiaoqian sighed, then continued to ramble on with her complaints.

A full 20 minutes later, Su Xiaoqian finished spilling all the inside information.

Mr. Fang had talked her ear off about a great many things.

It was probably because the other side had been suppressing his feelings for so long and needed someone to confide in, and the arrival of Su Xiaoqian gave him some warmth.

Perhaps in Su Xiaoqian, he saw the same sadness he felt when he first entered the workforce and became a corporate slave.

They both shared a sense of commiseration, which was why he had poured his heart out to her.

"I get it!"

Zhang Wei nodded, then beckoned to Su Xiaoqian with a finger.

The girl leaned in.

"Go call Old Tie over!" he instructed.

"Ah, is it necessary to bring in the boss for this?"

"Not necessary, I’m not asking Old Tie to do any work; I just need him to show his face, that’s all!"

"Oh, then I’ll go call the boss over!"

Su Xiaoqian left to carry out Zhang Wei’s task and find Old Tie.

Only Zhang Wei and Bai Meiqi remained in the office.

"Lawyer Zhang, are you confident?" the latter asked with some curiosity.

"Confident may not be the right word, but I know what kind of person he fears. A few threats might just make him comply," Zhang Wei thought for a moment and responded seriously.

"Threats?"

Bai Meiqi also thought about it, then said with concern, "If the prosecution makes him a witness, wouldn’t you be threatening a witness?"

"The prosecution would have to approve that first!"

Zhang Wei grinned slyly, his tone mocking, "Even though I’m sure Xu Suyun will do everything possible to make that Mr. Fang a witness and have him provide eyewitness testimony in court, approval takes time. That’s why I arranged for him to come here this morning. Right now, he’s not the prosecution’s witness."

"As long as he’s not a witness, we can discuss anything when we invite him over."

"You say that, but what exactly are you going to talk to him about?"

Bai Meiqi was puzzled once more.

"Of course, a ’friendly conversation’!" Zhang Wei smiled ominously again.

It wasn’t long before Tie Ruyun was led into the office by Su Xiaoqian.

"Zhang Wei, what’s the matter that you need me to take action?"

"Old Tie, please stick this on!"

Zhang Wei handed a sticker to Su Xiaoqian, asking her to help Tie Ruyun stick it on.

"What’s this?"

"It’s a toy for kids, put this fake scar on your face; we’ll need you to hold the scene later!"

As Zhang Wei explained, Su Xiaoqian had already begun tending to Tie Ruyun’s face.

"Will this thing really work?"

Feeling an additional sticker on his face, Tie Ruyun started to feel a bit awkward.

"Of course, it will work. You just sit over there when the time comes, and you won’t have to say a single word. Just showing your scarred face will be the greatest help to us!"

Zhang Wei chuckled deviously as he gave his instructions.

"Can this thing be washed off?" Tie Ruyun asked, pointing at the "scar" on his face after peeling off the sticker.

"Don’t worry, it will come off with soap. It’s just a kid’s toy after all."

Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, as if to say, ’Do you think I’d trick you?’

"Alright, then." Tie Ruyun didn’t say much. After all, it was Lawyer Bai who had asked for help, and he didn’t need to speak. He just considered it a cameo appearance as a favor.

"Excellent, now we just wait for Mr. Fang to arrive!"

While Zhang Wei was speaking, he looked towards the elevator entrance and started to wait.

...

minutes later.

Jincheng Building, first-floor lobby.

The man with glasses had arrived, standing forlornly inside the first-floor lobby of the Jincheng Building, his heart racing with unease.

"Hello, may I ask if you are Mr. Fang?"

At the entrance, a female assistant spotted him and promptly asked.

"I... My last name is Fang..."

"Oh, you are Mr. Fang. Please follow me, Lawyer Zhang from the criminal department has been waiting for you for a long time. I’ll take you up now!"

"Oh, thank you..."

Following the female assistant’s lead, the man with glasses took measured steps, boarded the elevator, and arrived on the 25th floor.

As the elevator doors opened, the sumptuousness of the reception hall left him in awe.

True to Jincheng Group, indeed the top firm among the Top Ten Firms in Dongfang Capital; they really were wealthy.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that if he had enrolled in a law school and become a lawyer, he might have joined such a law firm and become an outstanding lawyer.

Instead, he ended up in a second-tier university and, hoodwinked by others, turned to sales after graduation. He busily wasted a year without making much money, and his health deteriorated from the stress.

If it weren’t for his youthfulness to withstand it, he would have succumbed to occupational illnesses by now.

"Lawyer Zhang and the others are already waiting for you in the conference room. Please come in!"

At the door of a large conference room, the man with glasses was ushered in by the female assistant who then helped him open the door.

After the assistant left, the man with glasses could only enter by himself.

As soon as he stepped into the conference room, what caught his eye was a ferocious-looking face.

"Could such a person also be a lawyer?!!!"

He saw the gloomy eyes, the savage scar across the face, and the unruly hair.

The man with glasses felt this person was definitely not easy-going; perhaps a ruthless character accustomed to bloodshed and with a history of violence.

Next to him was a woman with a commanding presence, very beautiful, like an intimidating bloom that dissuaded him from looking any longer.

On the other hand, the third person looked quite young, but the ominous smile on his face made him somewhat uneasy.

"You must be Mr. Fang, please take a seat!"

The younger one smiled, pointing to an empty chair, inviting him to sit.

The man with glasses sat down stiffly.

As soon as he took his seat, the pressure hit him.

Because from this seat, he had a clear view of the three individuals in front of him.

The lawyer with the scarred face, the aloof female lawyer, and the young lawyer with a smile that concealed a knife.

Horrible!

It was truly terrifying!

The man with glasses felt that he should not have agreed to them today, should not have come to the Jincheng Law Firm.

This place was still the criminal department, specializing in criminal lawsuits.

Perhaps these lawyers knew many people from all walks of life, even some societal figures, gang members, maybe even those involved in the underworld.

If he slipped up in his speech and they remembered him, wouldn’t that be... disastrous?

There might even be... threats to his life.

Thinking about all this, the man with glasses became restless.

The trio sitting opposite him had all noticed this.

Right away, one of them stood up.

"Mr. Fang, let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Wei. People have given me the nickname ’Homicide Lawyer,’ of course, this moniker was given by others and has nothing to do with me, ah, you also shouldn’t go searching for anything about Cheng Lisha, I know nothing about that, oh~"

The man with glasses lowered his head and stealthily took out his phone, quickly typing "Cheng Lisha" into Baidu.

Before long, reports about Cheng Lisha’s death were all refreshed on the screen.

In the reports, the name "Zhang Wei" appeared multiple times, making the man with glasses’ complexion change instantly.

Homicide Lawyer Zhang Wei!

Was the person in front of him the legendary Homicide Lawyer?

One can only say it was terrifying, far too terrifying!

"Oh, right, these two are my colleagues. They’ve also shown great interest in the case you may be involved in, but you don’t have to worry, they generally don’t interfere with other people’s cases..."

As Zhang Wei spoke, his voice dropped, saying ominously, "as long as certain people know their place, they usually won’t have to resort to measures... "

These words seemed to spill out of him casually.

But while the speaker may not have intended it seriously, the listener took it to heart.

What if certain people do not know their place? What would happen?

End up committing suicide like Cheng Lisha?

Gulp...

The man with glasses swallowed his saliva and forced down the sliver of unease in his heart.

Knock knock knock!

Someone knocked on the conference room door.

"Oh, right, you haven’t met the defense attorney of the case yet. Let me introduce you, Su Xiaoqian, Xiao Su, she is the defense attorney representing this case!"

The conference room doors swung wide open, and Su Xiaoqian walked in.

"You’re, from yesterday, Xiao Su..."

Upon seeing the person entering, the man with glasses widened his eyes in astonishment.

But Su Xiaoqian acted as if she hadn’t seen him, walking coldly to Zhang Wei’s side and handing him a file.

"Mr. Fang, let’s be frank. We invited you here today because we want to talk to you about your matter."

Now, it was still Zhang Wei speaking, "Did you know, we are defense attorneys, people who help clients sort out their troubles."

"Our client paid us to deal with her troubles!"

As he spoke, his tone shifted once again, becoming icy, "Sometimes we might do more, if the trouble can’t be dealt with, then we might have to take care of the person causing the trouble!"

Gurgle...

The man with glasses swallowed repeatedly, his sense of pressure mounting.

He felt as if there were two mountains pressing down on his shoulders, barely able to breathe.

Sweat formed on his forehead, his back, and his legs...

He felt as if his whole body was sweating.

"Mr. Fang, let’s keep this open and honest!"

Zhang Wei also stood up at this moment and walked in front of the man with glasses.

"Xiao Su is the defense attorney of this case, there are some things she can’t say, so I will say them!"

"It doesn’t matter who our client is, nor does the outcome of the case, what matters is whether you need to appear in court in the coming moments."

"Personally, I’m very much opposed to seeing you in court. If I have to see your face in my line of sight during the next session, it will be very bothersome to me."

"If that happens, I won’t rule out Xiao Su conducting some sort of cross-examination on you, she might reveal your whole experience of being a corporate slave, she may inadvertently let slip that you’re still on antidepressants, or even that she might disclose your private hobby of collecting figurines, chasing idol stars, and participating in fan support meetings!"

"Mr. Fang, imagine this!"

Zhang Wei said as he leaned down, getting close to the man with glasses, his tone dark and threatening:

"At the next hearing, you’re on the witness stand, in the audience are your friends, your family, anyone you know, and in front of all these people, you have to spill every secret about yourself, what a terrifying thing that would be!"

"They, they won’t come to court..." the man with glasses said, nearly trembling, his teeth chattering out the words.

"They won’t come?"

Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow and sneered, "It seems you are underestimating the power of our Jincheng, I guarantee they will all attend, and that means they certainly will!"

The man with glasses swallowed another mouthful of saliva and had no doubt that Zhang Wei’s words could become true.

If the other party really asked his friends and relatives to come, then all these people might indeed show up.

At that time, wouldn’t it be...

"Oh, by the way, we’re not ruling out the option of disclosing your browser search history!"

Zhang Wei said this "casually" at this moment.

Upon hearing this, the man with glasses trembled all over, his body shivering subconsciously.

Damn it!

Completely screwed!

"No... It can’t be..."

"What do you mean, ’it can’t be’, Mr. Fang? Are you joking? If you are going to testify in court and question our client’s character, we will, in return, impeach your character, and your browser search history is one piece of evidence of character impeachment!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei patted the man with glasses on the shoulder, "After all, what a person likes to search for on the internet can very likely reveal to the jury and the people in the hearing what kind of person he truly is!"

"Mr. Fang, there’s nothing in your browser search history that you wouldn’t want people to see, right?"

"I..." The man with glasses opened his mouth again but was unable to utter a single word.

He had decided that as soon as he got back, he would delete all his browser search history.

"Oh, by the way, our company works with expert hackers. Even if you delete your browser search history, they can still retrieve it."

"You know, even if you delete things from a webpage, there’s still a visitor log and traces left behind. As long as you have the technical expertise, retrieving those records isn’t difficult at all!"

The man with glasses was completely out of options, his complexion turning from pale to green, his body seemingly losing support, as he slumped down in his seat.

"So, Mr. Fang, to avoid any unpleasantness for everyone in the coming time, I think you should reconsider, regarding the case you’re involved in, as well as the prosecution’s request for you to testify in court."

"You know, even though Nun Xu might use various methods to ’coerce’ you into testifying, I can tell you that even key witnesses in major criminal cases only have an obligation to testify in court, the prosecution absolutely cannot force you to do so!"

"Our case is such a trivial one, I think there’s no need for everyone to go to such extremes."

"Right, Mr. Fang?"

Finally, Zhang Wei looked at the man with glasses with a "beaming" smile.

The latter’s heart "thumped," and he began to panic.

Was this a call for him to take a stand?

If he didn’t agree, might he end up like "Cheng Lisha," being done away with?

Ring-ring!

Suddenly, a cellphone ringtone broke the silence.

"Um, I’ve got a call..." The man with glasses took out his phone sheepishly, and his expression changed upon seeing the caller ID.

Because it was the prosecution’s number, which he had on record.

"Mr. Fang, you can step outside to take that call. Our meeting is officially over for today, no need to see you out," Zhang Wei said, waving him off dismissively.

"Fare... Farewell!"

The man with glasses flew out of there like his life depended on it, not looking back, heading straight for the elevator.

For him, this place was hell, and he had just escaped from hell.

As for the call, to hell with it, escaping was his priority, why bother answering?

Inside the office.

"The prosecution called, probably to inform him that the court approved his witness application and he needs to testify!"

"But you can rest assured, Lawyer Bai, this Mr. Fang will definitely not testify, Xu Suyun will definitely try her best to mobilize him, but he will not change his mind!"

"So, in the end, Xu Suyun will surely blame me for this, but actually, it’s pointless!"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly, confidently saying, "She was just a step too slow, time is ultimately on our side. As long as Mr. Fang hasn’t received formal notice, he’s not the prosecution’s witness, so our conversation doesn’t have to be cautious about witness protection treaties, nor is it considered harassment."

"Truly impressive, Lawyer Zhang!"

Bai Meiqi couldn’t help nodding in admiration upon seeing Zhang Wei’s confidence.

"However, are browser search records really that threatening?"

"Of course, for a homebody, the browser search history is always the most threatening ultimate weapon!"

As he said this, Zhang Wei thought of his good friend Luo Xiaobu.

If the court said it was going to disclose his browser search history, he might die of shame...

This thing, it’s too lethal!