Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 351 - 349: Circle of Friends, the Ways of the World (5 Updates)

Chapter 351: Chapter 349: Circle of Friends, the Ways of the World (5 Updates)

Saturday, a day off.

Today also happens to be the first day of mid-July.

Similarly, for Dongfang Capital, it’s an especially important day.

The city center was unusually bustling today.

Because a piece of news had been circulating on the internet for a while.

The World’s Number One Martial Arts Conference was set to commence today at the city gymnasium.

So since the morning, the streets around the gymnasium were already completely congested.

Cars were coming and going; it was impossible to get through.

If you were walking on the streets, the sound you’d hear the most was invariably the honking of car horns.

So, as a person of reason, better not to drive today, taking the subway is the best choice.

Zhang Wei was that kind of person.

For him, the most terrifying thing in Dongfang was not the Procuratorate Headquarters but the traffic conditions on holidays and weekends!

Therefore, he took the subway early to the gymnasium and now sat quietly on a roadside bench at the entrance to the city gymnasium.

What?

You ask why he didn’t go inside to watch the opening ceremony?

Are you kidding, what do you think is happening in the opening ceremony right now?

It must be some leader from the city council delivering a speech, and later on, there will be a speech by representatives of the sponsors of the Martial Arts Conference.

If the organizers are a little bit greedy, they might even let the sponsors, the sugar daddies, take turns speaking to advertise.

Not to mention, the organizers themselves would also want to show their faces on stage, along with leaders from the Martial Association and representatives of Dragon Country Martial Arts and such people. An entire morning’s opening ceremony, can you even stand to watch it?

Of course not!

Speeches by these leaders are basically just reading from scripts. Sitting there listening to them would be so boring that you’d start dozing off. What’s the fun in that?

So it’s better to find a place outside to sit, wait for the opening ceremony to end in the morning, and only then go inside when the competition starts in the afternoon.

Anyway, Zhang Wei was from Jincheng Law Firm, and one of the sponsors of the event happened to be Jincheng Group. He could enter through the sponsor’s entrance and didn’t need to crowd together with the general audience.

That’s why Zhang Wei was sitting on the bench, calmly opening WeChat, looking at the constantly refreshing Moments and messages.

Not surprisingly, the entire Moments was inundated with posts about the Martial Arts Conference today.

[Arrived at the medical room early in the morning, all set!]

This was Jessica’s Moment, accompanied by a picture of her in a medical uniform, wearing a mask, and making a "V" sign with her hand in a selfie, with a few other female medical staff around her.

It seemed that she was still part of the medical assistance program at the city hospital and had arrived early at the venue today as part of the Martial Arts Conference medical team.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but like this Moment and left a comment saying "Go for it!"

[Came to the players’ room early in the morning, so boring~]

This was Xia Qianyue’s Moment, accompanied by a selfie of her in sportswear also making a "V" sign with her hand, with Zhang Xinwu and Wu Yong among others around her.

It looked like she had arrived at the players’ rest area early in the morning, ready for the competition after the opening ceremony.

Zhang Wei naturally liked this Moment as well and left a comment saying "Go for it!"

[Arrived at the VIP seats early in the morning, so dull!]

This was Mo Yuzhu’s Moment, also accompanied by a selfie. In the photo, she wore a white dress, her hair, which was usually messy, had been groomed and styled, presenting a rare fresh and clean look, but the eternal dark circles under her eyes remained unchanged.

Those sitting around Mo Yuzhu were either bejeweled wealthy ladies or well-dressed celebrities, politicians, and businessmen, no wonder she claimed to be in the VIP seats.

Zhang Wei then remembered that Mo Yuzhu was the daughter of a city council member, a celebrity’s child.

"I seem to recall, one of the leaders who is scheduled to speak today, a representative from the city council, has the surname Mo, could it be her father?"

"Mo Yuzhu’s father, what’s his name again, seems to be Mo Juren..."

(Eh heh, hope I won’t mind, slipping away...)

Zhang Wei recalled the guest list he’d seen, vaguely remembering that Mo Yuzhu’s father was indeed of that name.

He couldn’t help but like this Moment too and left a comment saying "Go for it!"

Of course, these were all mutual friends, and a comparison would reveal how perfunctory his actions were.

[Arrived at the audience seats early in the morning, finally squeezed in!]

This was Xiao Baihe’s Moments post, paired with a selfie where she wore a neutral white shirt, and beside her was Tan Yingying in summer attire, both making a "V" sign towards the camera.

As for the background, it was the spectator seats of the municipal gymnasium, where they had both arrived early in the morning to queue up and finally secured some seats near the front.

"Well, well, Old Xiao also came and brought along Little Tan?"

Zhang Wei held back for a moment but ultimately couldn’t resist, he liked the Moments post and left an "Add Oil" comment.

[Arrived early in the morning for the premium seats, the scenery is really nice!]

This time, Zhang Wei scrolled to the newest Moments post, which surprisingly was from Zhao Xiaoxiao, his second goddaughter.

Finally, it wasn’t a selfie; instead, it was a series of pictures, the first being an overhead shot perfectly capturing the municipal gymnasium.

The subsequent photos comprised many shots from the top of a skyscraper, complete with a telescope.

"Well, well, did the second goddaughter choose the top floor of a nearby building to be the spectator seats and watch with a telescope?"

Zhang Wei glanced around before locating the target building.

"The second goddaughter is upstairs, huh? She’s quite strange; why didn’t she join me?"

After his lament, Zhang Wei also liked the Moments post and paired it with an "Add Oil" comment.

[Dragged out early in the morning by dad to watch the opening ceremony, so bored, so sleepy~QAQ]

This time it was his apprentice Lin Yumeng’s Moments. The background was a selfie of hers, with a dazed expression, looking like she hadn’t fully woken up yet.

Needless to say, Lin Yumeng’s seat was definitely a VIP one.

As a representative of the Jincheng Group and bearing a long list of titles, it would be a problem if Lin Xiangtian couldn’t secure a VIP seat.

And Lin Yumeng, being dragged by Lin Xiangtian to show face and watch the match, was something to be expected.

Zhang Wei naturally liked his little apprentice’s post and casually left an "Add Oil" comment.

[Up early to accompany Sister to the Martial Arts Conference, this time I’m aiming to take first place!]

Another Moments update popped up, and this time it was Zhang Xinyan’s, paired with a photo of herself and Zhang Xinwu.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but take a second look, admitting that if it weren’t for Sister Xiao Wu in the photo, he might have scrolled right past it.

Out of respect for Sister Xiao Wu, he liked that Moments post and then swiped on.

It can’t be helped.

After all, Zhang Xinyan was his driver, which essentially made him a worker under Zhang Wei.

What boss cheers on their subordinates? A boss has to keep a bit of an image.

Moments isn’t just a place where you can leave a message willy-nilly; it’s actually all about social etiquette~

Zhang Wei leisurely scrolled through Moments while waiting for the opening ceremony speeches to end.

He would not go in to watch the competition until the exceedingly boring speeches concluded.

Time also quietly passed by.

"Zhang Wei!"

Suddenly, a voice tinged with both surprise and excitement rang out.

"That voice, is it Sister Zhang Hui?"

Zhang Wei turned around and saw Zhang Hui coming towards him with several girls.

These girls looked like they had graduated not many years ago, dressed in casual outfits, but their demeanor was quite aloof.

When Zhang Hui greeted Zhang Wei, the girls merely glanced at him casually. After noticing Zhang Wei wasn’t particularly handsome, they showed a touch of disdain and quickly shifted their gaze away.

"Sister Zhang, are you also here to watch the Martial Arts Conference?"

"Not really, Zhang Wei. Didn’t you come for the gathering?"

"What gathering?"

Zhang Hui looked at Zhang Wei and confirmed he really didn’t know, then she explained:

"It’s a gathering organized by a senior from our university, claiming it to be an alumni networking event. I was invited, do you want to join us?"

After explaining, Zhang Hui also extended her invitation.

But before Zhang Wei could agree, the girls behind her already had objections.

"Zhang Hui, there’s no need, right? You’ve already called him ’junior,’ so he’s obviously a year younger than you, probably still an intern?"

"That’s right. The Senior Xu who invited us is expecting graduates from the Law School who have already made their stand in the Dongfang Capital Lawyer Circle. What’s an intern lawyer doing at the meet-up?"

"Although he’s a junior from the same school, it just doesn’t seem right for an intern lawyer to mix in with a bunch of full-fledged lawyers!"

The comments made by these girls were undeniably hurtful.

If it had been someone else, they might have felt embarrassed upon hearing such remarks.

But who was Zhang Wei? He simply considered these girls as blabbering away and offered a faint smile.

"Ah, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right!"

Zhang Wei chuckled inwardly, his expression equally noncommittal.

He wasn’t bothered by the girls’ provocations in the slightest.

Towards those weaker than himself, he was always "forgiving."

As long as they didn’t truly offend him, Zhang Wei, then he could be magnanimous and forgive them in his heart.

On the other hand, Zhang Hui, who had just invited Zhang Wei, felt a bit awkward when her companions started backstabbing him.

"Sister Zhang Hui, you all go ahead. I was actually planning to watch the Martial Arts Conference today, so I won’t disturb Senior Xu."

Zhang Wei waved his hand, indicating his lack of interest in the gathering.

But to Zhang Hui’s ears, his words sounded different.

She felt that Zhang Wei meant, "If I go, I’ll just be looked down upon, so I might as well not attend."

The Martial Arts Conference, not disturbing Senior Xu, all this was just Zhang Wei giving himself an out, so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

How could that be acceptable?

Zhang Hui knew that Zhang Wei was a very capable person; otherwise, how would he have been able to handle a case that she herself failed to manage?

As for the three girls by her side, it was just a group thrown together at the last minute. They weren’t close and were at most alumni of the same school, not part of the same year’s circle.

So, Zhang Hui hurriedly took out her phone, opened the WeChat chat window, and made a voice call.

The call connected.

"Hello, is this Senior Xu?"

"Zhang Hui, where are you all? We’re just waiting for you girls."

"Oh, Senior, we’re already near the city gymnasium, but we ran into a junior from our school on the way. Should I bring him along too?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call.

"A junior from our school? Yeah, sure, bring him over to meet everyone." Soon, a voice of agreement was heard.

Zhang Hui’s face lit up with joy as she quickly replied, "Okay, Senior Xu, we’ll be right there!"

After ending the call, Zhang Hui turned back and gave the other girls a provocative look.

See, Senior Xu agreed, what do you have to say now?

What could they say? The organizer and initiator of the gathering had agreed, so what could the girls do?

The few girls cast a disdainful glance at Zhang Hui, and their gaze towards Zhang Wei also carried a hint of aversion.

In the minds of these girls, Zhang Hui was a presumptuous girl. Couldn’t she tell that Senior Xu was just being polite?

Zhang Wei was speechless inside.

He had been thinking about cheering for Xia Qianyue today; how did he end up getting dragged into some gathering?

I really don’t want to go to this gathering!

But Zhang Hui had already said so much; if he didn’t go, it would seem rather rude to this senior.

"Alright then, Sister, since I’m keen on getting to know our seniors and admiring their elegance, I suppose I’ll impose," he agreed reluctantly with this thought in mind.

"We’re all alumni, there’s nothing imposing about it."

Zhang Hui smiled slightly, showing the poise of a senior.

But soon after, she lowered her voice and leaned in to ask Zhang Wei, "Junior, are you still working as a communal defense lawyer, or have you found a law firm?"

"You don’t know, Senior?"

Zhang Wei looked at her with some surprise, his face filled with bewilderment.

I’m so well-known now, and you still don’t recognize me?

Oh, that’s not right!

If Zhang Hui had been aware of his reputation, perhaps she wouldn’t have invited him in the first place.

Clearly, the other party really didn’t know about his "Homicide Lawyer" reputation.

It is said that good deeds don’t go beyond your doorstep, but bad news can travel a thousand miles.

Zhang Wei sometimes marvelled how everyone called him the "Homicide Lawyer," but he had unexpectedly met a few who didn’t recognize him.

What he didn’t know was that the term "Homicide Lawyer" only circulated within specific circles, like the relatively upper echelons of the Dongfang Capital Lawyer Circle.

The gathering that Zhang Hui attended consisted of a group of newcomers who hadn’t graduated long ago; they might have heard of the term "Homicide Lawyer," seen related reports and news.

But they definitely couldn’t connect this famous person with an alumnus from their own school, showcasing the difference in circles and the resulting gap in recognition.

In their minds, they probably imagined this "person-killer" of a lawyer as having the fixed image of a middle-aged attorney.

Thus, this could also explain why some people, after spending too much time in top-tier circles, presume that everyone in the world knows them.

Yet, when they suddenly come to the bottom-tier circles, they discover the stark difference of being unknown.

Because these two are completely different worlds: people in bottom-tier circles don’t care who you are—they are only concerned about how their work went that day, whether they have signed new deals, how many clients they have called, and other such matters.

And today, Zhang Wei experienced this feeling first-hand.

The venue for the gathering Zhang Hui attended was hosted in a buffet restaurant.

The restaurant was mid-range in quality, with decent dishes, but the service level was somewhat subpar—the staff couldn’t attend to every table’s needs.

Under such circumstances, the patrons’ conduct was put to the test. If a large number of guests were to be received, staff shortages could arise, potentially leading to reduced service efficiency.

Fortunately, on this day, the restaurant had been booked by a customer surnamed Xu, who reserved it for the entirety of the afternoon for a networking event.

Law school graduates attending such gatherings generally followed a fixed routine.

The so-called gatherings were nothing more than social niceties—everyone sharing what they could, exchanging business cards, and discussing recent cases they were handling.

If anyone had a difficult case or was unable to handle it alone, they could discuss and brainstorm together, and even possibly collaborate.

Thus, those who had joined prestigious law firms, or who had resources, case leads, and connections, became the focus of the gathering.

Like Xu Zhifeng, the initiator of this event, who was surrounded by people at the center of attention.

Of course, he had the credentials to be there.

Firstly, he was the host and organizer of the gathering; most people attending needed to give face to the "landlord."

Secondly, he had joined Longteng International Law Firm, ranked third among the Top Ten Firms. Although the Dongfang Capital’s law office was a branch, Longdu’s Longteng International was the headquarters. But even if it was a branch, it was still third among the Top Ten Firms.

Even among the outstanding graduates of East University Law School, those who could pass the bar were few, let alone join prestigious law firms.

For most rookie interns, simply getting an internship at a mid-sized law firm was already considered a spectacular success.

As for joining prestigious or Top Ten Firms, they hardly dared to dream of it.

Only a scant few recommended students from each class had the privilege of entering the Top Ten Firms, but even that was just the beginning.

You needed to rely on your own strength to survive the internship and then stay within the firm.

Many graduates who were strong in exams found themselves struggling once inside a firm, where real-time performance was paramount.

Whether one can quickly adjust and adapt to this phase tests one’s resilience, and those who were coddled in the academy’s greenhouse often lack this quality.

So, those who could join the Top Ten Firms and survive the internship period were truly rare.

About forty to fifty people attended this gathering, but those who had actually joined the Top Ten Firms could be counted on one hand.

"Zhang Hui is here!"

Xu Zhifeng spotted Zhang Hui and a few girls in the crowd and called out immediately.

Although Zhang Hui wasn’t particularly attractive, her status as a newbie lawyer at a Top Ten Firm meant that many alumni approached her with glasses in hand to greet her after seeing her group.

This scene made the other girls accompanying Zhang Hui feel quite sour.

Why should Zhang Hui be the center of everyone’s attention just because she got good exam results, earned the recommendation, and could enter Yongjie Law Firm, one of the Top Ten Firms?

We are prettier than her, but not adept at exams and didn’t score as well, so we can only join mid-tier or small law firms to get by?

It’s just not fair!

With so many seniors coming to greet her, Zhang Hui could only respond to them one by one, but it was somewhat more than she could handle.

However, one of the party who had come along found a spot to sit down and started eating on his own.

Socializing was a stage he had already skipped.

What he preferred to do now was to fill his stomach, so he would have the energy to cheer for a certain Simple-minded person later.

He had his own network of connections, so why bother mingling with these newcomers?