Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 360 - 358: Pre-trial Hearing? Guiding and Counter-Guiding Public Opinion

Chapter 360: Chapter 358: Pre-trial Hearing? Guiding and Counter-Guiding Public Opinion

Zhou Er, morning.

When Zhang Wei came back to work at the law firm, he found the newcomers in the criminal division looking at him with strange expressions.

"What’s wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

He touched his nose, which felt a little itchy from being stared at by so many people.

"Master, someone has smeared you again!" Finally, his young apprentice stood up and pointed at her computer screen.

Clearly, she had been slacking off and browsing the web again.

This move... was sacrificing oneself and revealing it in the moment.

"Someone smeared me again?" Zhang Wei nodded in understanding, quickly walked into his office, turned on his computer, and started searching.

In fact, there was no need to search; almost all the top headlines on web pages were related to him.

"Shocking, a well-known lawyer has done such a heinous act!"

"Such a problem actually exists in our city’s judicial system, can Zhang be above the law?"

"An outlaw, even a well-known lawyer, it’s just disgusting!"

There were three top articles about him on V-blog within 24 hours, almost occupying one-third of the top trending positions.

The Zhang mentioned in these articles was clearly him, Zhang Wei.

These articles were just short of directly naming and pointing fingers at him.

Especially the second one, which touched on issues with the judicial system.

And the accompanying photo for the article was one of Zhang Wei, Xiao Baihe, and Xia Qianyue dining together at Dongjiang Star.

Although the picture showed three young people eating together, their identities were far from simple.

And the article made a point of naming their identities.

One was a defense lawyer, one was the Procuratorate’s top ace, and another was a major case investigator.

With such identities, to think they could dine together and seem so harmonious?

To those with vested interests, that looked completely different.

Do you really have an affair with that prosecutor?

And that girl from the major case squad, could she actually be your girlfriend?

Even in the comments section, there were insinuations that Zhang Wei was just a cover, and the prosecutor and investigator were the real lovebirds.

All in all, the comments section was unbearable to read, with all kinds of rumors and slander flying around.

After browsing one comment, Zhang Wei knew the comment section was unwatchable, because the netizens watching the drama online didn’t care about identities, they would say anything that came to mind, without any thought of accruing virtue with their words.

The anonymity of the internet gave them great convenience; they could speak without reservations.

Continuing to browse the web, Zhang Wei soon discovered a trend climbing up the ranks, and its position steadily rising.

"As a member of the East University Law School, I am ashamed of the actions of Zhang!"

This article was released by a well-known self-media organization, using a statement from a certain lawyer to attack Zhang Wei.

In the statement, Zhang Wei immediately deduced that the interviewed lawyer was none other than Xu Zhifeng.

In the article, he severely criticized Zhang Wei’s despicable behavior of threatening witnesses and even tagged the official East University Law School, demanding that Zhang Wei be expelled.

The article was well written, Xu Zhifeng’s words full of apparent sorrow and indignation, a lamentation that revealed a profound empathy for humanity.

"Hmm, a good ghostwriter you’ve hired!"

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark.

The person who composed this short article had a powerful penmanship, Zhang Wei could feel that the other party overtly accused him but in reality, they intended to doom him!

Their words were like a sharp knife, all aimed at his vulnerabilities!

It seemed like Xu Zhifeng was planning to guide online public opinion to explode against him.

Dinglingling!

Just as Zhang Wei was browsing the information online, his phone rang.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Lawyer Zhang, the civil division of the city court called."

"Oh, patch them through."

After the call was forwarded, the clerk of the civil division communicated with Zhang Wei about the court’s upcoming preparation process.

There would be a hearing in the afternoon, to decide whether to hold a court session regarding the case of Fang Mingming suing Zhang Wei.

However, the hearing would be unfavorable to Zhang Wei, because the witness for the hearing was none other than Nun Xu.

As the prosecutor of that case, she was chosen by Xu Zhifeng as the witness to testify against Zhang Wei in court.

After hanging up the phone, a serious look flashed across Zhang Wei’s eyes.

"Well then, is this the revenge alliance?"

However, he was relieved that all of this was within his expectations.

Even if it came to a courtroom battle, Zhang Wei was not afraid of Xu Zhifeng.

This guy was just a jumping clown!

What mattered more to Zhang Wei was the person behind Xu Zhifeng.

Who could it be?

In theory, the person behind Xu Zhifeng should be Qin Shaocong, since Xu Zhifeng came from Longteng International, so it was obviously under Qin Shaocong’s instructions.

But logically, it shouldn’t be Qin Shaocong.

Although Zhang Wei admitted that he had offended many people and had many nemeses in Dongfang Capital,

Qin Shaocong wasn’t among them; although they had intersected, it clearly hadn’t reached the point where they had to fight to the death.

If it wasn’t Qin Shaocong, then who could it be?

Hu Yaode from Blackfoot Law Firm?

That obviously didn’t make sense either, because if Hu Yaode wanted to take action, he would definitely come in person instead of sending a lawyer from Longteng Law Firm.

Didn’t Blackfoot Law Firm have their own lawyers? And wasn’t Hu Yaode a distinguished lawyer himself? Why go out of the way to ask for outside help?

Old Guo and Old Zhao from the Procuratorate Headquarters were even more unlikely.

Although they held grudges against him due to official matters, in private, they actually had little interaction, so it was impossible for them to do such a thing.

As for others, Zhang Wei found it hard to judge at the moment.

After all, the enemy was hidden while he was exposed; to expose the person behind Xu Zhifeng, he still needed to employ a variety of means and resources.

Moreover, there was the matter of the hearing in the afternoon.

Thinking about it, Zhang Wei felt somewhat speechless.

Why bother?

Having a hearing was just redundant, wasn’t it?

Xu Zhifeng had made it clear that he wanted Zhang Wei dead, did Ni Qiuping really think that by holding a hearing, the other party would back down knowing the difficulty?

They might be preparing some trickery in court, which he would have to face himself.

"Speaking of which, all these trending searches look clearly bought by Xu Zhifeng, should I prepare some countermeasures?"

Zhang Wei immediately took out his phone and opened his contacts.

[Zhang Wei: Second miss, I need help, Help!]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: What’s up, what’s up? Don’t you know this young lady is sleeping? /So tired]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: If there’s something important, spit it out quickly!]

[Zhang Wei: Do you know that I’m involved in a lawsuit recently?]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: I know. /Excited]

[Zhang Wei: Then do you know I’ve been put on V-blog’s trending searches, and the top four are all about me?]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao, Hmm, I’ll take a look~]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: I see them!]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: Do you want me to downplay these trending searches and remove them from the top?]

[Zhang Wei: Forget it, there are so many gawkers now, and trolls and bashers are already in place. If I let you delete the trending searches, they might accuse me of colluding with V-blog!]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: Then what do you want me to do? /Scratching head]

[Zhang Wei: I want you to help me top a few more trending searches, I’ve already edited the content, here...]

[Zhang Wei: Screenshot.jpg, Screenshot.jpg, Screenshot.jpg]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: Wow, you really are cunning. /Sneer]

[Zhang Wei: It takes one to know one, right?~/Mutual understanding]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: Get lost! /Pout]

[Zhang Wei: So then, second miss, I’m counting on you~]

After closing the chat window, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Zhang Wei’s eyes.

If you celebrate the first of the month, then don’t blame me for celebrating the fifteenth!

...

In the afternoon, at the city court.

In the civil chamber, a small courtroom.

Zhang Wei sat at the defendant’s bench, while Xu Zhifeng and Fang Mingming sat at the plaintiff’s.

At the judge’s bench, Ni Qiuping was ready.

"Plaintiff’s lawyer, where is the witness you subpoenaed?"

Ni Qiuping glanced at the time, growing impatient.

The witness was supposed to arrive at this time in the afternoon; why hadn’t they shown up yet?

At this moment, Xu Zhifeng was also somewhat panicked, because he had previously called the office of the Central District Procuratorate’s Office, and Xu Suyun had immediately agreed to testify after hearing about Xu Zhifeng’s case.

But to his surprise, the other party stood him up!

They even dared to be late to the hearing!

This is simply...

Bang!

The large doors to the small courtroom suddenly swung open, and a crowd of people poured in.

Leading them was none other than Xu Suyun, and her apprentice Chai Ping was in tow, attending to her.

But the focus was not on Xu Suyun; her appearance today was expected as she was scheduled to testify.

The emphasis was on the people accompanying Xu Suyun.

Zhao Chunming, Guo Wufeng, plus a whole new contingent from the Procuratorate Headquarters, at least a dozen strong.

This large group of people entered the courtroom and took seats in the spectator’s section.

"Wow, is it a large troop again?"

Zhang Wei, seeing Old Zhao and Old Guo leading a group of people in, was already used to such sights.

Judge Ni Qiuping on the bench also showed no reaction upon seeing Guo Wufeng and Zhao Chunming.

"Sorry, judge and plaintiff’s lawyer, we got delayed because we ran into colleagues from the Procuratorate Headquarters on the way here and had a chat!"

After arriving, Xu Suyun hurriedly explained the reason.

"Speaking of which, Nun Xu, I was waiting for you too. How come you’re not apologizing to me? Are you playing favorites here?"

Zhang Wei suddenly smiled and teased her.

Would Xu Suyun apologize to Zhang Wei? Of course not.

So, she glanced at Zhang Wei, snorted coldly, and took her place on the witness stand.

She’s actually late and yet gives me attitude?

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but complain; Nun Xu is indeed Nun Xu, despite her apologies, she treated everyone with a "you owe me money" attitude.

Zhang Wei glanced at the spectator’s section again.

Zhao Chunming and Guo Wufeng both wore cold smiles, as if they were ready to watch someone’s misfortune.

"Well, let’s keep you looking forward to it..."

Zhang Wei also wore a smile, then turned to look at the bench.

"Cough, as to whether this case requires litigation in court, this bench has taken the time to prepare today’s hearing to listen to the opinions of witnesses!"

"Miss Xu Suyun, you may begin!" Judge Ni Qiuping waved her hand, signaling the witness to speak.

"Cough, first of all, I’d like to thank Judge Ni for giving me the opportunity to expose the crimes of the defendant’s lawyer to the public!"

"I can say here that Zhang Wei’s behavior is simply appalling, he..."

"Objection!"

Xu Suyun had not even started her accusation when she was interrupted by the sudden outcry.

"The witness’s statement is vague and her concepts are general; is this considered an accusation against me?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, looking wronged, "If this is all it takes to accuse me, then one of these days I’ll accuse you, Nun Xu. You always have a cold face, just like a murderer. I’m really scared!"

"You..." Xu Suyun gritted her teeth, ready to explode with anger.

"Hmm!"

Fortunately, Judge Ni Qiuping was not a minor judge and could control the situation.

With a nasal sound and a killer glare, Xu Suyun took her seat again.

"Zhang Wei, you sit down too!"

After signaling for Zhang Wei to stay calm, she turned to the witness stand: "Miss Xu Suyun, please make your statement simpler and clearer. Avoid unnecessary narration; court time is precious, my time even more so!"

Hearing the warning, Xu Suyun understood.

"All right, judge, I get it!"

She immediately declared her stance and then explained, "In one of the cases, Mr. Fang was my plaintiff’s witness. He could provide decisive testimony for the case, but the day before the trial, Lawyer Zhang summoned him to Jincheng Law Firm and subjected him to severe threats and warnings about his personal safety. In consideration of his own safety, he had no choice but to give up testifying in court."

"Also, because Mr. Fang was unable to testify, the suspect who could have been convicted had to be released in court!"

"It’s all Zhang Wei’s fault, he covertly threatened our witness, pressuring him to change his testimony. His actions are nothing short of obstructing the justice of the court, and also intimidating the witness, he doesn’t deserve to be a lawyer, he is simply a scourge on the judicial system!"

Xu Suyun was clearly full of anger; she spoke louder and louder, and finally stood up to denounce Zhang Wei, her voice piercingly sharp.

In the spectator’s section, many in the audience couldn’t help nodding their heads and then looked towards Zhang Wei.

Those eyes were filled with doubt, disdain, and intense hostility.

"Defendant, what is your explanation for the witness’s accusation?"

"Of course!"

Zhang Wei stood up and explained, "First of all, I did not threaten the plaintiff’s witness!"

"You dare say you didn’t threaten Mr. Fang?" Xu Suyun pointed at Fang Mingming in the plaintiff’s seat and immediately questioned him.

"Of course, he and I merely had a friendly exchange; how could that be considered a threat?"

Zhang Wei also spread his hands, his face the picture of innocence, "Moreover, at that time, Mr. Fang wasn’t the prosecution’s witness. Even if I had really threatened him, it wouldn’t constitute witness tampering, right? Besides, I never threatened anyone, so of course, I couldn’t have threatened Mr. Fang."

"Right, I did talk to him about testifying in court, but I also made it clear to him that if he did testify, I might request the disclosure of his web search history. I believe that’s a necessary step to let the jury see for themselves what kind of person Mr. Fang really is on a daily basis. Does that also count as a threat?"

To be fair, disclosing web search records shouldn’t be considered a threat.

After all, if you agree to be a witness, you should be prepared for character assassination.

Even making browsing history and browser bookmarks public, these are common tactics used by defense attorneys to counter prosecution witnesses.

In essence, as long as it’s proven that you’re not a good person and you have issues, your testimony’s credibility will be affected. It’s all part of the routine.

Therefore, strictly speaking, the conversation between Zhang Wei and Fang Mingming couldn’t be considered threatening.

Naturally, it’s even less likely to constitute witness tampering, because at that time the other party wasn’t even a witness.

Zhang Wei’s explanation left Xu Suyun unable to refute.

All she could do was inwardly remark how watertight this youngster handled things.

"But Lawyer Zhang did indeed threaten my client, there’s no doubt about that!"

Just then, Xu Zhifeng suddenly stood up, speaking righteously, "Originally, my client didn’t need to go to Jincheng Law Firm at all, but out of goodwill, he gave the other party an opportunity and even met with Lawyer Zhang for a full hour!"

"During that time, what threats did he face that made him too scared to fulfill his duty as the prosecution’s witness? Can you imagine how much psychological pressure he’s been under these past few days?"

"Moreover, Lawyer Zhang’s reputation has never been good. Not only is he known as the ’Homicide Lawyer,’ but he also has a questionable relationship with some prosecutors at the Procuratorate Headquarters."

"Therefore, I earnestly request Judge Ni to give us a chance to prove whether Lawyer Zhang has committed many misdeeds and to give the citizens of Dongfang Capital the opportunity to see his true nature. Please also provide an explanation to Lang Lang Qiankun!"

Xu Zhifeng’s last words were suggestive, attempting to guide public opinion.

In the hearing seats, there was a strong reaction.

"This..."

Ni Qiuping saw expressions of many people in the hearing seats and felt somewhat troubled.

She glanced at Zhang Wei, then at Xu Zhifeng, and then again at the people in the hearing seats.

"After considering the accusations of this hearing and my own careful deliberation, the court has decided to agree with the plaintiff’s claim. The case will be accepted and scheduled for trial!"

"Hold on!"

Just as Ni Qiuping was about to announce her decision with a gavel strike, Zhang Wei suddenly interrupted.

"Lawyer Zhang, the judge has already agreed; your interruption seems meaningless now, doesn’t it?" Xu Zhifeng’s mood was good, and he even managed a sarcastic retort.

"Not at all, not at all!"

Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, then said, "I have no objection to going to trial."

"Judge Ni, my request is very simple. There has been a lot of online public opinion about me recently, so I hope that when the court is selecting the jury, they consider whether trending internet searches could impact the impartiality of the jury members!"

"We oppose this. Hot searches are uncontrollable. It just so happens that Lawyer Zhang’s conduct has been caught in the act!"

Xu Zhifeng immediately objected.

That has to be a joke; much of these hot searches had been bought by him, specifically to influence the jury.

To have all his efforts overturned just by saying they should be banned?

However, Zhang Wei just chuckled coldly and again looked toward the judge’s bench, "Judge Ni, I’m doing this for the sake of your credibility as well!"

"For my sake?" Ni Qiuping was taken aback, looking puzzled.

"Yes, because I’ve found negative reports about you in the online public opinion and trending headlines!"

"This..." At once, Ni Qiuping signalled with her eyes to the clerk beside her, who took out a laptop from the briefcase, connected to the internet, and then checked the hot searches.

"Are the judges at the city court impartial? Apparently, this is also a question?"

"Old Ni? Old Chen? Old Li? A certain Lawyer Zhang is actually intimately familiar with the judges in public?"

"Heard that the city court has been infiltrated by a certain lawyer, with the entire court made up of their own people?"

Swish, swish, swish, all the top hot searches had changed, turning into these articles.

Ni Qiuping’s face turned green when she saw these articles.

And she looked at the plaintiffs’ bench with suspicion.

Is this your doing, not only using public opinion to attack the defendant but also to pressure our city court?

Xu Zhifeng had also fished out a mobile phone by now and was looking at the hot searches.

This time he was truly innocent because he had never thought of attacking the city court or the presiding judge.

I’m wronged~

But no matter how much he internally complained, Ni Qiuping had already made up her mind.

"Well, Lawyer Zhang’s request is not without merit. The court approves of including the negative guidance of public opinion on the case as a condition for the screening of the jury!"

With that said, Ni Qiuping struck the gavel and announced the acceptance of the case.

Zhang Wei gave Xu Zhifeng a meaningful look, then left without looking back.

Yet in his heart, he was scoffing: Youngster, that old trick? I stopped playing with that decades ago!