Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 364 - 362: Successful Turncoat, Xu Zhifeng’s End

Chapter 364: Chapter 362: Successful Turncoat, Xu Zhifeng’s End

Courtroom scene.

"Mr. Fang, I respect your opinion, please make your choice!"

In the final moments of the closing statement, Zhang Wei finally played the move he had long prepared.

It was also something he had thought of from the beginning to counter Xu Zhifeng’s tactics.

He had hidden this move, only to use it at the very last moment.

Defection!

Moreover, it was to sway the plaintiff, the party involved.

From the first motion until the hearing, right up to the recent court session, Zhang Wei had been observing Fang Mingming.

He noticed that there was very little communication between Xu Zhifeng and Fang Mingming.

The two of them were a lawyer and his client, after all.

Such a relationship with hardly any communication was absolutely abnormal.

Considering Xu Zhifeng’s identity, his purpose was not hard to guess.

Zhang Wei knew that Xu Zhifeng wanted to defeat him by focusing on his own status.

To defeat a master!

Then wouldn’t you become a master yourself?

So, Zhang Wei had seen through Xu Zhifeng’s intentions long ago and publicly called him out on them.

You, Xu Zhifeng, talk nicely, claiming to fight for justice for your client and to punish me, Zhang Wei, as if you stand on the side of righteousness.

But from beginning to end, it has all been for your own self!

Preaching benevolence and morality with your mouth, but behind the scenes doing sneaky, selfish deeds!

Xu Zhifeng, it seems more appropriate now to address you as Xu Buqun!

As Zhang Wei pointed out Xu Zhifeng’s true agenda, the attention of the entire court shifted to Fang Mingming.

"Mr. Fang, please believe me, whatever this Zhang Wei is saying, you must not believe him!"

Xu Zhifeng, too, sensed trouble and hurriedly shouted at Fang Mingming.

But his shouting was not necessary; upon hearing him, Fang Mingming immediately thought of the hard days he had endured.

Being dragged to Longteng Law Firm for simulations, getting yelled at by team leaders and supervisors.

They claimed they were helping you simulate cross-examination in court, each one pointing fingers and cursing at you.

Not only calling you a fatso but also a loser, a loser, every day was filled with insults.

If that were all part of the court proceedings, Fang Mingming would have borne it.

But what happened instead?

Zhang Wei not only refrained from cross-questioning in court, but he was also respectful to him, and in the end, he even showed concern for him.

Zhang Wei’s actions made all the suffering and insults Fang Mingming experienced in those days seem in vain.

No, it cannot be considered in vain!

Wouldn’t that mean I can’t let it go in my heart?

Thinking this, Fang Mingming felt he must do something, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to justify the hardship he endured these days.

At this moment, he no longer harbored any hatred towards Zhang Wei and even felt a touch of gratitude.

Because Zhang Wei not only refrained from doing that to him but even said the reconciliation offer was still valid.

What is this?

This is about not bearing grudges for personal grievances, having a broad-minded generosity.

In any case, Fang Mingming felt the sincerity and forbearance of Zhang Wei.

So Fang Mingming had already made his decision in his heart.

And with the opposing side giving him ample reason, how could he not make a choice?

"I want to withdraw the lawsuit, I want to settle!"

After much contemplation, Fang Mingming finally expressed his inner thoughts in the courtroom.

The entire court fell into an immediate hush, you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked towards the plaintiff’s bench, at Fang Mingming.

The plaintiff actually wanted to settle, to withdraw the lawsuit?

This was simply... inconceivable!

Zhang Wei actually managed to sway the plaintiff, to move the plaintiff in court, or rather, to drive a wedge between the plaintiff and his lawyer!

This move... really caught people off guard.

"Mr. Fang, what are you doing, have you gone mad?!!!!!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhifeng’s eyes flashed with ferocity, and he immediately roared.

"I’m not crazy, I just want to drop the case, to reconcile with them!"

Fang Mingming mustered courage from somewhere, pointed a finger at Zhang Wei, and replied with equal firmness: "They have offered their sincerity, why can’t I accept it, just because of your agenda, you want to defeat them, so I have to listen to you?"

"You..."

Seeing the usually meek Fang Mingming suddenly standing up to him, Xu Zhifeng was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Objection, objection, Your Honor, my client is not in a good state of mind, I request a postponement of the trial so I can communicate with him!"

"There’s no need, Your Honor, I accept the settlement, and I also don’t desire any further association with this Lawyer Xu!"

Xu Zhifeng immediately sought help from Ni Qiuping, but Fang Mingming added a sentence as well, directly cutting him off.

Communicate?

What the hell is there to communicate about!

It’s clear you want to drag me to Longteng International Law Firm, then give me some "thought education", right? Screw that.

At this moment, Fang Mingming decided, he would absolutely not go to Longteng anymore, and he would definitely not listen to Xu Zhifeng.

"Mr. Fang, you..."

"I just want to settle, now, immediately, right away!"

Facing Xu Zhifeng, who was still trying to speak, Fang Mingming countered forcefully.

After all, this is the courtroom, you Xu Zhifeng won’t dare to do anything, here I actually feel safe.

If I were to leave the courtroom and go to your law firm, I wouldn’t feel safe at all.

"Your Honor, I request a recess, my client has gone mad, he..."

"Your request, I do not accept!"

Xu Zhifeng wanted to argue, but was directly interrupted by Ni Qiuping.

You’ve already lost, can’t you see that?

"Furthermore, your objection is invalid, I believe that your client Mr. Fang is of sound mind and is making a rational decision under full capacity, please do not interfere with him any longer!"

Without caring whether Xu Zhifeng wanted to continue speaking, Ni Qiuping hammered down and announced, "Considering the plaintiff Mr. Fang’s request, the court grants a 30-minute recess so that Mr. Fang can discuss a settlement with the defendant!"

As the gavel fell, it was settled!

Zhang Wei nodded towards Ni Qiuping as if in thanks, then made a "please" gesture to Fang Mingming at the plaintiff’s bench.

The settlement agreement actually didn’t need discussion; both parties had already talked it over.

Fang Mingming stood up and walked with Zhang Wei towards the preparation room outside the courtroom.

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang..."

Xu Zhifeng stood behind him, shouting loudly, unwilling to give up.

Unfortunately, Fang Mingming and Zhang Wei had already left the courtroom, and the former didn’t even look back at him.

The entire courtroom recognized one thing, Xu Zhifeng had lost.

What was his goal?

To crush Zhang Wei, thereby ascending himself.

For his own purpose, for his own ambition, he ignored Fang Mingming’s thoughts.

Even in his eyes, Fang Mingming was nothing more than a tool for his own ascent.

But now, this tool had revolted!

Xu Zhifeng slumped listlessly in the plaintiff’s seat, his eyes vacant, his heart ashen.

If you were to ask when one feels despair, he could tell you, it’s now.

From heaven to hell, that is despair!

"Boring!"

Qin Shaocong stood up from his seat, didn’t give Xu Zhifeng a glance, scoffed, and then left.

The lawyers from Longteng, seeing their boss leave, naturally didn’t dare to linger.

Many of them cast meaningful glances at Xu Zhifeng.

That’s what you get for showing off!

You haven’t even won yet, and you dare to pop champagne at half-time, acting like you’re an ace lawyer, huh?

Now, the ace lawyer has flown away, you’ve lost everything, just wait for your demise!

Even if Director Li doesn’t deal with you, Qin Shao doesn’t deal with you, we will, to let you experience what workplace suppression feels like!

"Hmph, what an idiot!"

Leaving as well were Zhao Chunming and Guo Wufeng.

They had already seen that at this point, Xu Zhifeng had no hope of turning things around, and Zhang Wei had won once again.

Since Zhang Wei was going to win, there was no point for them to stay; better to skedaddle while the other party was signing the settlement agreement.

With Old Zhao and Old Guo withdrawing, the Procuratorate group also departed.

Xiao Baihe still wanted to bask in glory, but after some thought, she didn’t dare to be too obvious and left with her colleagues too.

The spectator section emptied out so quickly, leaving much space in a moment.

But the remaining friends from the criminal department, as well as the media reporters, were all somewhat excited.

The friends from the criminal department were excited, naturally, because Zhang Wei had won.

The reporters were excited because of Zhang Wei’s dramatic comeback, they had material to work with.

Although in their planned projections, the winner was supposed to be Xu Zhifeng, and that’s even what they had publicized.

But the media have their own notions of truth and fiction, and actually, everyone had their own gauge.

No big deal, we’ll just take down the previous posts and articles when we get back.

Then we’ll put up new ones, and that’s it, right?

As for publishing fake news?

As long as you don’t catch us out, it’s fine, isn’t it?

Even if we get caught it won’t matter much, netizens might just post questions online, but our skin is thick enough by now to ignore it all!

So, those who remained in the courtroom all had their own thoughts and agendas.

minutes!

It didn’t even require 30 minutes, the settlement agreement was signed in just a third of the time.

After Fang Mingming wrote his name on the agreement, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, even a tinge of excitement coursed through him.

Because he was going to receive 500,000 yuan in compensation and a 500,000-yuan interest-free loan, he could open another toy store and continue to chase his entrepreneurial dream.

The court recessed.

"Ahem, this court now announces, given that the parties and the defendant have reached a settlement, and the plaintiff insists on withdrawing the case, the court grants approval!"

"Thank you to the jury and attendees for your support, this case is now dismissed, and the court adjourned!"

After Ni Qiuping publicly made the announcement with her gavel, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This case was alright, at least it didn’t turn into some problematic issue.

And the trial lasted only a moment, which wasn’t hard for her to handle.

Or rather, what was expected to be a difficult trial turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

A single witness, a few words, and the outcome was decided.

She too could relax, no need to be downtrodden anymore.

Ni Qiuping left the courtroom happily, and the court was officially adjourned.

"Lawyer Zhang, thank you for your magnanimity!"

"Mr. Fang, you shouldn’t say that, I just thought you must have had a tough few days, right?"

"Yes, it wasn’t easy!"

Fang Mingming said, looking back at Xu Zhifeng, who was still slumped over in the plaintiff’s seat.

Only he knew how much he suffered due to the other party’s ambition over the past few days.

Fortunately, it was all worth it. At least Lawyer Zhang didn’t hold a grudge against him.

"Well then, I shall take my leave!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Fang!"

Fang Mingming left, cheerfully walking away with his dreams and the imminent one million yuan, leaving the courthouse behind.

Zhang Wei at this moment also regrouped with his colleagues from the criminal department, all of them in high spirits.

"Let’s go, back to the firm!"

Zhang Wei didn’t even give Xu Zhifeng a glance, a loser did not merit his attention.

Exiting the courtroom, he was immediately besieged by countless media reporters.

The multitude of flashing lights nearly blinded him.

It couldn’t be helped, these media reporters were waiting precisely for this.

"Lawyer Zhang, you’ve won another case, what are your thoughts?"

"Lawyer Zhang, you actually managed to sow discord between Xu Zhifeng and the plaintiff in court, was that your plan from the beginning?"

"Lawyer Zhang..."

The barrage of questions didn’t please Zhang Wei, but he was suddenly in a playful mood.

"Cough cough, in light of recent times, there have been numerous false articles about me online, I’ve decided to launch legal action against the authors of these articles, as well as their media outlets, in hopes that they will compensate for the mental distress I’ve endured during this period!"

As soon as he made this statement, the media outside were abuzz.

Well, great, you’re going after us now?

Isn’t this disastrous, the Homicide Lawyer Zhang Wei is going to hold us accountable?

"Lawyer Zhang, you’re joking, right? You..."

"Yes, I’m joking!" Zhang Wei chuckled with a smile.

All the reporters let out a sigh of relief. You were joking? You should have said that sooner!

"But do you believe I was just joking?"

The hearts of all the reporters were lifted again.

Whether we believe it or not isn’t important, what’s important is whether you were actually joking.

"Rest assured, I won a case today; I’m in a good mood!"

Once again, the media reporters exhaled in relief. Well, if you put it that way, I feel reassured.

"But being in a good mood doesn’t mean I won’t hold you accountable!"

Their hearts, having just settled, were hoisted to their throats once more.

"However, there has been so much coverage online recently that pursuing it would take significant effort and time, it would be counterproductive!"

The media breathed a sigh of relief again, counting their lucky stars.

"So I’m thinking of making an example of a few, whomever’s articles and posts have the highest views and shares, that’s who I’ll retaliate against!"

Oh damn!

Can’t you finish your sentence sooner!

"Lawyer Zhang, are you joking this time?" a reporter mustered the courage to ask timidly.

"What do you think, am I joking?" Zhang Wei’s expression turned serious.

"Run, get back and delete the posts!"

The next moment, someone shouted, and the encircling reporters scattered, running faster than rabbits.

They dashed from the courthouse en masse, each hurrying back to their respective news companies with utmost urgency.

Clearly, they were scared too!

They feared that if Zhang Wei really pursued them, really sued them, then they would be finished.

This was "Homicide Lawyer" Zhang Wei, after all. Who in Dongfang Capital could guarantee a win against him in court? Clearly, no one.

Now, deleting posts might still remedy the situation somewhat, so they had to take action immediately. Only their own hands could save them now.

How smug they had been when they made those posts.

Now, as they went back to delete them, they were just as embarrassed!

This Zhang Wei was truly terrifying.

The colleagues from the criminal department, seeing how Zhang Wei effortlessly scared off a group of reporters with just a few words, immediately showed looks of admiration.

Not just scare them, but play them. With just a few words, he had the reporters going around in circles.

Impressive!

Admirable!

As expected of an ace lawyer, the notorious "Homicide Lawyer," able to suppress and manipulate the media at will. He’s truly our idol!

"Let’s go, time to head back!"

Zhang Wei, however, was very calm. A bunch of unscrupulous media reporters, they were all nothing but chickens and dogs to him.

He couldn’t be bothered to waste his time or energy on these people.

He had more meaningful things to do.

Like spending time with Silly, with Jessica, with his second daughter...

...

That very evening.

Xu Zhifeng’s apartment.

A person who had lost a case was naturally despised by others.

Xu Zhifeng was no exception.

After losing the lawsuit, he no longer had an escape route, or rather, no hope left.

He didn’t even have the face to return to the law firm, much less dare to meet Qin Shao.

Not until the courthouse closed did he return to his own apartment.

But as soon as he sat down on the sofa, everything went dark, and he lost consciousness.

When he regained his vision, he found himself being held by two masked people, and he was already on the rooftop.

"Big brothers, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have underestimated Zhang Wei. I calculated everything but failed to anticipate that he could turn the client against me!"

"I was foolish. I’ll change, I’ll definitely correct myself, please give me one more chance, another chance to defeat Zhang Wei!"

Seeing the masked people, Xu Zhifeng started to shiver with fear, hurriedly pleading for mercy.

"Hmph, you’re inept at your job, there are no more chances for you!"

The lead masked person snorted coldly and gestured to the two holding Xu Zhifeng.

The two immediately understood and moved Xu Zhifeng towards the edge of the roof.

"What are you doing, what are you doing, I want to call the police, I want to scream for help!"

"Go ahead and scream. This is the rooftop, the wind is so strong, who could hear you?"

The lead masked person sneered coldly, as if indifferent to Xu Zhifeng’s life.

"Help, help, save me..."

Xu Zhifeng continued to call out, but it was to no avail; his pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears.

The two masked people directly pulled him to the edge of the rooftop, and then each kicked out a foot.

"Off you go!"

"Ahhhh—"

A scream echoed in the sky for a long time.

The following day, Lin Mansion.

Zhang Wei was flipping through the newspaper in his hands, the Dongfang Morning News, a fairly reputable news outlet in Dongfang Capital.

Pfft—

When he read a piece of news, he spat out his breakfast.

"Homicide Lawyer" adds another victory, those who oppose him never end well?

The content of the news was about Xu Zhifeng’s death penalty.

Another jump from a building, another suicide.

But everyone knew why he "committed suicide."

Because he had offended Zhang Wei, and had even taken him to court.

And the result? He was dead!

Just like Cheng Lisha before him, he chose to jump off a building to end his life.

Although it was ruled a suicide, and the investigative department gathered evidence overnight that proved it was a suicide,

within Dongfang Capital, all those with eyes could see that Xu Zhifeng’s death was not due to himself but because of Zhang Wei.

The "Homicide Lawyer" was truly deserving of his reputation!

Zhang Wei’s record of victories had another addition!