Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 373 - 371 Excessive Conditions, Is Old Ni Going to Be Depressed Again?

Chapter 373: Chapter 371 Excessive Conditions, Is Old Ni Going to Be Depressed Again?

Jincheng Law Firm.

On the 25th floor, a large reception room next to the Criminal Department.

The parties involved in the case and their representing lawyers had all arrived.

Zhang Wei and Jessica, Qin Shaocong and Zhou Sanliang.

However, Zhang Wei and Jessica did not have anyone else with them.

Qin Shaocong, on the other hand, stood with six sharply-dressed male subordinates.

So, in terms of presence, Qin Shaocong’s side had the upper hand.

"It is an honor for Qin to cross paths with the renowned ’Homicide Lawyer’ Zhang Wei this time."

Qin Shaocong took the initiative to speak, greeting "politely" with a smile on his face.

But his casual posture, sitting with a leg over the other, and the sidelong glance he gave while speaking were completely contrary to the politeness of his words.

Thankfully, Zhang Wei was used to it.

Sometimes, before a confrontation with others, he had done even more outrageous things.

"Qin Dashao, let’s be frank, you’re here to discuss the settlement terms, aren’t you?"

"Lawyer Zhang really does speak bluntly, so I won’t waste any time and will just give you my offer!"

Saying this, Qin Shaocong raised one hand with his fingers quickly splaying out.

"This amount!"

"Qin Dashao, you really are generous, agreeing to settle for 500,000! We accept!"

Zhang Wei chuckled as if he had agreed to Qin Shaocong’s demand.

A slight change came over Qin Shaocong’s face—when did I say 500,000?

But then he regained his composure, a smile once again playing on his lips: "Lawyer Zhang, don’t play ignorant with me!"

"Yeah, 500,000, which is nothing but beggar’s money!" Zhou Sanliang suddenly interjected while pulling a face.

"You’re quite greedy, brother!" Zhang Wei’s eyes narrowed, looking coldly at him.

Feeling the pressure from Zhang Wei, Zhou Sanliang hastily turned his gaze to Qin Shaocong, seeking help.

"Mr. Zhou, haven’t I repeatedly reminded you that unless you have my permission, you should not speak out of turn?"

This time, Qin Shaocong couldn’t hold back either, his tone tinged with reproach and annoyance.

Even though we’re partners in this case, within the Long Teng’s cases, I, Qin Shaocong, am in charge, and you, as the client, cannot contradict me.

"I, I..."

Zhou Sanliang quickly lowered his head as if to admit his wrong.

However, occasional glimpses of his face betrayed a hint of ferocity and malice—not towards Qin Shaocong, but towards Zhang Wei.

Such people never consider their own mistakes; he felt reprimanded by Qin Shaocong because of Zhang Wei, hence bearing a grudge against Zhang Wei instead of looking for the cause within himself.

Qin Shaocong merely cast Zhou Sanliang a glance before turning his attention back to Zhang Wei.

"Lawyer Zhang, please accept my apologies for my client’s remarks just now. Pretend you didn’t hear them."

Qin Shaocong gestured dismissively, his demeanor composed.

But in his heart, he felt relieved; thankfully, he had come early. Had Zhou Sanliang spoken like that in the courtroom’s mediation chamber, in front of a judge, it would have greatly damaged the judge’s impression of him.

"Now let’s discuss the matter of the settlement amount."

"Didn’t you just say an amount?"

Zhang Wei mimicked Qin Shaocong’s gesture, raising his right hand, fingers spread, "500,000, we agree."

"Lawyer Zhang, are you joking? Everyone knows your client can afford 500,000, and with your relationship to your client, 500,000 is but a drop in the bucket!"

"So what do you mean, Qin Shao?"

"5 million!"

Hearing this amount, Zhang Wei and Jessica exchanged glances, both appearing relatively relaxed.

The figure sounded large, but for their financial capabilities, it was only a minor issue.

Not right!

million is a small problem?

That sounds a bit too arrogant... let’s call it a moderate issue, then!

"Qin Shao, if it’s about 5 million, Jessica and I actually..."

"Lawyer Zhang, you’ve misunderstood. I know that 5 million is also not a big issue for you, so I have two additional conditions!"

Qin Shaocong said, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing wider.

This time, Zhang Wei finally realized there was a problem.

Surely, these additional conditions would not be easy.

"No problem, Qin Shao, speak freely!"

"Alright, I shall."

Qin Shaocong raised a finger, "First, if Lawyer Zhang and Dr. Jessica agree to the compensation, we can sign a settlement agreement, but Dr. Jessica must promise to never again engage in any clinical medical work."

"After all, your medical skills led to the death of my client’s brother, and my client is deeply concerned that with your medical skills, you might harm other patients again!"

Upon hearing this sarcastic remark, Jessica couldn’t help it anymore, her fists clenched tightly as she prepared to stand up.

But her hand was firmly held down by Zhang Wei, who also gave her a glance, signaling her to stay calm.

"Mr. Qin, what about the second condition?"

Qin Shaocong knew Zhang Wei would ask this, so he immediately raised his second finger: "The second condition is about you, Lawyer Zhang."

"After the settlement, you must release a piece of information in Dongfang Capital’s news industry, and it must clearly mark two points; one is, I, Zhang Wei, have truly lost to Qin Shaocong, and two is, Longteng International is stronger than Jincheng Law Firm!"

Hearing these demands, Zhang Wei was almost unable to hold back.

However, his strategizing was deeper than others’, and he managed to keep his composure, his expression unchanged.

If there was any change at all, it was perhaps that the rhythm of his breathing became uneven.

This somewhat surprised Qin Shaocong.

To think that even after making such "outrageous" demands, this Zhang Wei didn’t show any reaction at all, and could still sit there comfortably.

This kid just graduated, right? How come he’s as cunning as those old foxes in the legal world?

After Qin Shaocong made his demands, the atmosphere in the reception room became a bit oppressive.

Some time passed before Zhang Wei finally spoke: "Mr. Qin, I wonder if you have ever used a calculator?"

"Calculator?"

"Yes, that electronic device that’s commonly found on the desks of finance departments and front desks. It’s a quite interesting gadget; let me get one for you to see!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei walked out of the reception room and borrowed a calculator from the front desk.

After sitting down again, Zhang Wei pressed a key on the calculator three times in a row.

"Six!"

"Six!"

"Six!"

The electronic tone clearly spread throughout the entire reception room; everyone heard it.

"Lawyer Zhang, does this mean you not only agree to the 5 million but are also prepared to add another million?" Qin Shaocong smiled and asked as if he were joking.

"You misunderstand, Mr. Qin. I just think that your idea is very ’six,’ so I couldn’t help but give you a thumbs up!"

Zhang Wei also smiled, but the smile didn’t last long.

"Here’s my response to your conditions!"

He said, his smile fading as he kept a straight face and continued to press the calculator.

"Reset!"

"Reset!"

"Reset!"

At this, Qin Shaocong’s smile also quickly vanished.

This time, he understood; Zhang Wei was disagreeing.

The answer given by the other party was "0"!

"So, Lawyer Zhang, you’re not planning to talk?"

"Mr. Qin, ask yourself— do the conditions you put forth show an attitude ready for negotiation?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, "If you said you came here to pick a fight, I’d believe you, but negotiation, that’s hard to imagine, you know~"

"So what you are saying is..."

"My condition is simple. We can indeed afford several million, but your client must sign a confidentiality agreement, not to say a single word about this case and the events of today, or else bear the consequences!"

"5 million, right? Then I agree!"

Zhou Sanliang, who was beside him, heard Zhang Wei’s words and his face lit up with wild joy.

This sum was huge, enough for him to buy a large house back in his hometown, marry a pretty wife, and live comfortably for the rest of his life.

"Oh, Mr. Zhou agrees?" Zhang Wei’s eyebrows rose, and he suddenly smiled.

But he knew well that Zhou Sanliang’s agreement was useless because the guy was just a tool.

It’s only when Qin Shaocong agrees that the case would truly be concluded.

"Mr. Zhou, have you not been listening to me all along?"

The smile on Zhou Sanliang’s face disappeared suddenly, and his eyes showed some panic.

He could tell from Qin Shaocong’s tone that all was not well.

Very unwell, even with a hint of warning.

He then remembered what exactly the other party had warned him about before they set off.

But Zhang Wei’s stance had provoked him.

It was 5 million after all; he had never dreamt of getting so much money, and in his excitement, he couldn’t hold back...

In fact, he really couldn’t restrain himself—he was even eager to agree on the spot and sign the agreement.

Any agreement would do, as long as the money was in hand, everything else was negotiable.

But as eager as he was to agree, Qin Shaocong was not.

"Lawyer Zhang, 5 million might be a lot to the average person, but at our level, we should both be clear about the nature of this case, right?"

"Qin Shao is suggesting that you can make decisions for your client?"

"Of course, we’ve signed a power of attorney contract, I make the calls in this case!"

"Even against your client’s wishes?"

"Lawyer Zhang, don’t play dumb. This case isn’t just about our personal victory anymore, but the battle between Longteng International and Dongfang Capital!"

Qin Shaocong had no intention of wasting more time, and stood up to leave.

"Lawyer Zhang, let me give you a piece of advice, be careful when you’re up against me, Qin Shaocong. I’m not one of those losers like Hu Yaode who you’ve defeated before, nor am I part of that flock of chickens at the Procuratorate Headquarters!"

With those harsh words, Qin Shaocong took his people and strode away.

Zhou Sanliang glanced at Zhang Wei and his companion. Although he was eager to accept Zhang Wei’s terms and take the money and leave, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and depart.

"Zhang, I’m sorry, it’s my fault you’re involved in this..."

"Jessica, don’t think that way. I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to go up against the young heir of Longteng International."

Comforting Jessica who was blaming herself, Zhang Wei reassured her again.

"By the way, before the pretrial review this afternoon, would you be able to discuss in detail with me the events of that night? I always feel like something’s not quite right."

"Why would you doctors who were hired from outside be so busy that day? Logically, when assigning tasks, the hospital should have prioritized their own staff, right?"

"Their own doctors should have more extensive clinical experience, so when it comes to high-priority patients during task assignments, shouldn’t they be directly sent to these doctors?"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s questions, Dr. Jessica reflected for a moment.

"Now that you mention it, it is strange, but it was so busy that day that I only remember after finishing one surgery, I didn’t rest much before having another one, and it continued until 4 in the morning. I went back to sleep and even cancelled all my appointments in the morning!"

"You were that busy?"

Surprised by Dr. Jessica’s account, Zhang Wei showed concern, "You’re working too hard, it brakes my heart."

"Zhang, this time it’s your turn to have it tough, I can only cheer you on."

"Really? Then, can I ask for some encouragement?"

"Encouragement?"

Dr. Jessica blinked and then, with a slight smile, stood up and came up behind Zhang Wei.

With her arms wrapped around his neck from behind, Zhang Wei felt an "immense pressure" on his back.

In his heart, he yelled, how can anyone withstand this!

Can’t withstand it, can’t withstand it...

"Zhang, thank you..."

A whisper as soft as orchid breath sounded in his ear, tickling and irresistibly tantalizing.

"Master, there’s trouble~"

Just then, a hurried shouting interrupted them yet again.

"Yikes, I didn’t see anything, I didn’t see anything at all~"

Upon seeing the two in the reception room, intimately close to each other, Lin Yumeng quickly covered her eyes, pretending she saw nothing.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but sigh.

This little apprentice of mine is turning out unreliable!

Dr. Jessica quickly stood up, freeing Zhang Wei from the "immense pressure."

"Xiao Meng, what is it, tell us?"

"Oh, it’s just that the court called a while ago, informing you to attend this afternoon’s pretrial!"

"I already knew about that."

"Also, my dad called and said for you to call him back; he wants to know the status of this case!"

"Oh, your dad, huh? I got it."

So it was just the court informing again, and Lin Xiangtian also wanting to inquire about case details.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but feel speechless about the situation.

What good does your asking do? You can’t help me. You might as well not ask at all.

But just as Zhang Wei was about to return a call to the big boss, his phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID showed "Unknown Number."

"Here we go, the real big boss is calling!"

As he answered the call, Zhang Wei didn’t wait for the other party to speak and said straight away, "Elder Master Lin, I’m confident about this case, you have nothing to worry about!"

"Oh? Learning to respond before being asked now?"

Indeed, the voice of Lin Jincheng came through the other side of the phone.

"Nonsense. At this time, what else would Elder Old Lin be calling me for? It must be about the competition between Dongfang Capital and Longteng International for the top position, right?"

"You’re right, it’s about that!"

After saying this, Lin Jincheng fell silent for a moment before continuing, "The Old Man Qin of Longdu and I have always been at odds, so you understand the importance of this case now, don’t you?"

"If you can defeat his grandson, the next time I go to Longdu, I’ll have plenty of face and I’ll be very happy; but if you lose to his grandson, he’ll be very happy the next time I visit Longdu, and I’ll be very unhappy!"

Zhang Wei grumbled internally, even directly cursing, what does it matter to me, Zhang Wei, whether you’re happy or not?

Externally, however, he just curled his lip in disdain without responding.

"So, you must win this case, by any means necessary, win it for me!"

"Old Lin, I can only say I’ll try my best, but I can’t make any promises!"

"Then handle it as you see fit, but I, Lin Jincheng, really hate to fail. I hope you understand that!"

"I, Zhang Wei, also hate to fail, Old Lin, you..."

Before Zhang Wei could finish his sentence, the phone had already been hung up.

"Heh!"

He smirked at his phone, then exchanged a glance with Jessica before preparing to set off.

"Master, my father...," Lin Yumeng asked anxiously at his side.

"Silly apprentice, when your grandfather has already called, why should I report to your father?"

Zhang Wei chuckled again, abandoning the thought of reporting to Lin Xiangtian.

Just kidding.

I’ve already notified Lin Jincheng, why should I report again to a son like Lin Xiangtian? Isn’t that a waste of time?

If the big boss wants to know what’s happening, sure, go ask your dad!

After all, I’ve already explained it to your dad, so you can put your mind at ease.

Lin Xiangtian had no idea that he no longer held any status in Zhang Wei’s heart.

Zhang Wei, along with Jessica, headed straight to the city court.

...

Before the pre-trial conference.

Judge’s office.

Ni Qiuping held her forehead with one hand, looking at both the prosecution and defense sides with a headache.

Her mood was equally heavy.

"Let me ask you two, why dive straight into court for this medical dispute case without considering trying to settle? Have you two thought about sitting down and talking it out?"

Ni Qiuping knew she was asking the obvious, but she felt if it was possible to not waste judicial resources, it was worth a try.

Besides, the thought of these two powerhouses in her courtroom gave her a headache.

"Judge Ni, we do not accept a settlement, or rather, we don’t intend to accept any conditions proposed by the prosecution!"

"Judge Ni, the goal of the prosecution is actually very straightforward—to have the defendant acknowledge their mistakes and negligence and to assure us there will be no more victims in the future. Is that too much to ask?"

"Judge Ni, the defense believes that the prosecution is full of it. My client hasn’t made any mistakes, so what is there to acknowledge?"

"Judge Ni, the prosecution believes that..."

Before Ni Qiuping, Zhang Wei and Qin Shaocong began to argue vehemently.

Ni Qiuping inwardly exclaimed, good grief!

You’re causing such a scene even before stepping into the courtroom?

If this is how you behave in the courtroom, won’t you tear it apart?

And here I am, pulling a long face, but you two don’t even look my way.

So, my reputation as Judge Ni in this court doesn’t deter you at all?

But after thinking more carefully, that was indeed the case.

I, Ni Qiuping, am just a civil judge in the city court, but you two are not so simple.

A showdown between a mighty dragon from Longdu and a renowned local bigwig!

With these thoughts, Ni Qiuping wondered if she was going to get depressed again.

"Alright, do whatever you wish; I give up!"

She quickly gestured with her hands, waving them off.

"Dr. Jessica, hold on a second."

Just as the two were about to leave, Ni Qiuping suddenly called out to Jessica.

"I wanted to ask if you know any good psychologists. I feel like I’m getting depressed lately. Could you recommend a competent doctor to me?"

On hearing Ni Qiuping’s request, Zhang Wei suddenly laughed, "Old Ni, you must be joking. Jessica is an excellent doctor. Once this case is over, you can consult her!"

"Lawyer Zhang, you’re quite confident."

Qin Shaocong instantly picked up on the hidden meaning in Zhang Wei’s words and sneered, "You really think you’ve won already?"

"Of course!"

Zhang Wei smiled confidently, then left the office with Jessica.

Qin Shaocong snorted coldly and left with his client as well.

Only Ni Qiuping sat at her seat, dumbfounded.

Wait, what about the psychologist I asked for?

You’re supposed to recommend someone before you go, right?