Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 397 - 393: In Trouble? Espionage Charges, We Were Wrong!

Chapter 397: Chapter 393: In Trouble? Espionage Charges, We Were Wrong!

Monday evening.

After leaving the law firm, Zhang Wei didn’t head straight back to Lin Mansion; instead, he went to the Martial Association Detention Room.

He had no choice but to take on the case, which meant he had to get all the defendants he was representing out.

Aside from Zhao Xiaoxiao, who had already returned to Lin Mansion, there were still two other defendants.

Keyboard and Zhuzhu Xia, also known as Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan.

Zhang Wei had also managed to use his connections with the major case squad to obtain the name Venom.

Venom’s real name was Liu Xiaotao, and he would become the tainted witness in this case.

A tainted witness naturally stands on Zhang Lang’s side, appearing in the case as a witness to accuse others, including Zhao Xiaoxiao, of wrongdoing.

What Zhang Wei had to do was to confront Zhang Lang and help Zhao Xiaoxiao and the other two defendants free themselves from the accusations.

A few minutes later, after the detention procedures were completed, Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan were also able to see daylight again.

"Zhuzhu Xia, Keyboard, no time to explain, get in the car!"

Even though the two had names, Zhang Wei still preferred to call them by their nicknames.

Once they got into the car, Zhang Xinyan, being the driver, naturally continued driving, taking the three of them back.

"Do you two have a place to stay?"

"Once this case starts, I need to be upfront with you, the investigation department and that Zhang Lang will definitely send people to surveil you, so if you don’t mind, I can take you back later."

"Is it 24-hour surveillance?"

"Of course, you are suspects in a crime, do they dare to let you ’flee from crime’?"

"But we haven’t committed any crime..."

Hearing the two defend themselves, Zhang Wei chuckled in his heart.

"Do you know Liu Xiaotao?"

"Who’s that?"

"Venom, that’s his real name, but that’s not the point. The point is, he will appear as a tainted witness to accuse you in court, and it’s with his testimony that Zhang Lang dares to take action against you."

After thinking, Zhang Wei analyzed, "Also, because of the evidence provided by Venom, he can ask the court for a search warrant, and maybe your places have already been thoroughly searched by him."

"How is that okay, that’s my personal space!"

"Yeah, don’t we have a right to privacy?"

Upon hearing that their own domiciles might have been searched, Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan immediately became anxious.

But Zhang Wei laughed.

You’re still worried about privacy rights?

When you were hacking into other companies’ servers and their private accounts, how come you didn’t worry about privacy rights then?

"Don’t panic, they aren’t interested in your browser search history or the ’study materials’ on your local disks; they’re after a bigger case," Zhang Wei rolled his eyes again.

Who are you fooling here? Isn’t it just that you have some unsightly stuff stored on your computer hard drive that makes you so anxious?

"Oh, then I am relieved..."

Zhu Erdan breathed a sigh of relief, and Liu Dashun also felt at ease.

"If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t think that way!"

But Zhang Wei’s next sentence caused their hearts to tense up again.

"At the moment, I’m not sure what crimes Zhang Lang will accuse you of, but I think a cyber security crime is the minimum. As hackers, you must have touched upon citizens’ private information, cybercrimes, and used that illegally obtained information for threats, intimidation, or even extortion, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan immediately shook their heads.

"No, no, we became hackers just out of interest, really, we’re not lying to you."

"Yeah, I just liked to tinker with computers as a kid and then got carried away. I just ended up like this."

Zhang Wei looked at the two and inwardly rolled his eyes.

"You’ve never done anything illegal?"

Liu Dashun immediately denied it, "My nickname is Keyboard, and the most I’ve dabbled in are mechanical devices, such as some electronic devices, new peripherals, and the like. Occasionally, I help friends contact channels abroad to import some equipment, and sometimes I help them test whether these instruments are good or not, really, I’m not lying to you."

"Oh, is that so? Then did these devices go through customs, do you normally pay tax on them?"

"This..."

Hearing Zhang Wei ask this, Liu Dashun looked down and fell silent.

"Isn’t that smuggling and tax evasion?"

Zhang Wei chuckled to himself, but he didn’t take it too seriously.

Smuggling and tax evasion aren’t big problems.

"And you?" he then turned to Zhu Erdan.

"Me, I just, like the second dimension, like those cosplays, then I got to know lots of fans from support groups, and then..."

"Brother, now that you’re facing charges, it’s best to come clean and not hold back anything."

Zhang Wei was speechless at how hesitant and evasive the other party was.

With the situation as urgent as fire licking at their brows, what could you still be hiding? Hurry up and confess.

"Exactly, when those female streamers were broadcasting live, I could get their IP addresses, then sell them to those fans. Sometimes the fans want private photos of the streamers, some of their personal information..."

"Big brother, let me tell you, I did it all to help a friend. They begged me so much, I couldn’t bear not to help if I refused; I’d feel guilty."

Seeing Zhu Erdan speak like this, Zhang Wei didn’t even bother to retort.

You even gave yourself a nickname ’Zhuzhu Xia,’ do those deeds you did deserve the ’Xia’ (’hero’) in your nickname?

"Let me count, so you’re guilty of selling citizens information and violating cyber security, suspected of assisting others in harassing and intimidating female broadcasters..."

Zhang Wei counted on his fingers, listing Zhu Erdan’s charges one by one.

Not bad, none of them are big issues.

"Let’s put it this way, if you two show a good attitude in admitting your guilt, and behave well in prison, then squatting for three to five years should be about right!"

"Ah, this..."

Upon hearing what Zhang Wei said, the two of them panicked immediately.

Isn’t this still ending up in prison? They definitely didn’t want to go to jail.

But would Zhang Wei tell them that if they committed a crime, how could they possibly not go to jail?

"You two don’t think that I can help you get out of the charges, do you?"

Seeing their reactions, Zhang Wei knew what they were thinking: "Listen well, if you’ve done something wrong, you need to accept the punishment, that’s the rule!"

"Even though I am a lawyer, I can’t break the rules. At most, I can help you get the best outcome allowed by law, within its permissible scope, nothing more!"

Zhu Erdan and Liu Dashun exchanged glances, seemingly having made a decision.

"Then can we find our own lawyers? We don’t need your help!"

"You can do that. Go ahead and contact your own lawyers, that’s your right. I won’t stop you!"

Zhang Wei was indifferent. If they didn’t want to hire him, that was no issue.

It wouldn’t be a big deal; at the court, as the first, second, and third defendants, they could just appoint different lawyers to speak for them.

This was how the case he ’collaborated’ with his aunt had worked.

"When we arrive at the place you are staying at later, I’ll let you out and you can go contact your lawyers."

As he was speaking, they finally arrived at Sifang Gate Street.

After parking the car at the entrance of Zhang’s Martial Arts School, Zhang Wei and the other three people got out in succession.

"Hey, I want to find a lawyer, get the best one from your law firm over here!"

Zhu Erdan and Liu Dashun immediately began looking for lawyers, currently dialing their phones.

Watching the two’s actions, Zhang Wei let out a sneer and was about to return to Lin Mansion.

But suddenly, his pocket also began to vibrate.

Someone was calling.

The caller ID displayed the three characters "Li Qinghua."

Mother-in-law!

"Hello, mother-in-law, what’s the occasion for your call?"

"Zhang Wei, how have you gotten into trouble again?"

On the other end of the phone, Li Qinghua began to roar again.

"You, always stirring up trouble every other day, can’t you take on some simpler cases? Always have to make it a big deal every time. Do you know how worried Xiao Yue Yue is, even Old Xia couldn’t eat his meal after hearing about your case..."

Hearing his mother-in-law’s roar on the phone, Zhang Wei felt somewhat helpless.

"Wait a minute, mother-in-law, you already know about the case?"

"Nonsense, have you seen who I am?"

Li Qinghua snorted coldly and then lowered her voice.

"The judge in charge of your case this time is Old Li, and to avoid conflict of interest, I heard the court has asked him not to return home for these few days and not to have any contact with his own daughter. What kind of situation is this, huh?"

"And I also heard, the one in charge of the public prosecution this time isn’t from the Procuratorate Headquarters..."

"Hmm, not the Procuratorate Headquarters?" Zhang Wei was startled.

Would a case like this not be handled by the Procuratorate Headquarters but rather by the local Procuratorate’s Office?

Did Zhang Lang trust the district prosecutors more than the Procuratorate Headquarters?

Was that reasonable?

Obviously, it wasn’t reasonable at all!

Unless, Zhang Lang had reviewed Zhang Wei’s past record of dealing with the Procuratorate Headquarters and then made his position clear to Zhao Chunming and the others.

Look at your track record, a series of defeats, you’ve all been overrun by that youngster.

So please help out, you’d be doing me a favor by not fighting with Zhang Wei anymore.

That’s probably the gist of it, I guess.

"Mother-in-law, which prosecutor is in charge?"

"I’ve heard there’s a formidable person from Longdu!"

"From Longdu?"

Alright, Zhang Wei admitted he hadn’t expected that.

He had thought that the Procuratorate Headquarters were on the first level, and Zhang Lang was on the second, but this time the guy had jumped straight to the fifth level.

He really didn’t trust the Procuratorate Headquarters, but he had also not sought help from local prosecutors. Instead, he had someone shaken down directly from Longdu.

"Zhang Wei, I heard that the person who has come is a senior procurator from Longdu, apparently surnamed Qin, and seems to belong to the same family as Qin Shaocong, whom you’ve crossed paths with before. I heard through the grapevine that it was Qin Shaocong who took him to the Procuratorate Headquarters before."

"Oh, thank you for the information, mother-in-law, I’ve got it."

Zhang Wei muttered to himself, taking note of this information in his mind.

It’s someone from Longdu, and part of the Qin family.

Then he looked to his side, where Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan were still on the phone, communicating with the lawyer they had connected with.

Zhang Wei thought for a moment and hurriedly asked, "By the way, mother-in-law, have you heard anything about how many defendants will be prosecuted this time, and what the charges are?"

"I’ve heard that 3 or 4 people are to be prosecuted, and the charge, I’ve heard Old Chen say, it seems to be espionage."

Hiss—

Hearing Li Qinghua’s last words, Zhang Wei drew in a sharp breath.

Jeez!

What a situation!

The charge they were facing this time was actually espionage!

That was a definitely a serious crime.

Zhang Wei looked at the two of them and mumbled, "Dragon Country’s criminal law stipulates that those who commit espionage shall be sentenced to not less than ten years in prison or life imprisonment; in less severe cases, a sentence of no less than three years but not more than ten years shall be given."

"Not only that, once convicted of this crime, most people are stripped of their lifetime rights. If our second daughter were convicted, wouldn’t she spend the rest of her life branded a ’traitor’?"

Thinking of this, Zhang Wei felt the pressure.

"Hey hey hey, Zhang Wei, what are you spacing out for..."

On the phone, Li Qinghua became irritated again, her tone unfriendly.

"Mother-in-law, thank you for the information. I know what to do next. Please greet father-in-law and Xiao Yue Yue for me!"

He hastily hung up the phone and walked toward the two people who were on the phone nearby.

Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan were still speaking with the lawyer.

"Lawyer Mao, you said you could handle this case, are you sure you can manage it?"

"But this is about cybersecurity, and I’ve seen your resume online, you don’t seem to have dealt with similar cases before, have you?"

"Yes, yes, I know, you have a law firm, and you have professional colleagues, I was inconsiderate."

Zhu Erdan had already connected with the lawyer, and their conversation seemed to be going smoothly.

"The previous lawyer came over, it would be good to ask him if he has received any news. Lawyer Mao, please wait."

Seeing Zhang Wei approach, he immediately said something and then walked up to Zhang Wei to ask, "Lawyer Zhang, any news from the court? My lawyer is asking me what the charges are."

"Oh, tell him it’s espionage!"

"Lawyer Mao, the lawyer said I’m charged with espionage... Hello, hello, hello, Lawyer Mao, why aren’t you responding? Lawyer Mao..."

Zhu Erdan, hearing the "beep beep beep" of the busy tone on the phone, looked stunned.

Why had the call disconnected when they were talking just fine?

On the other side, Liu Dashun was also on a call with a lawyer, and had put on speakerphone.

"Uncle, you have to save me."

"Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to your dad, and we are old friends of several decades, how could I not help you?"

"Thank you, uncle, then I’m relieved."

"By the way, do you know what the charges are? I’d better find a familiar lawyer. Although I specialize in criminal cases, since you mentioned it might be a cybercrime, I also need to pull in some favors and ask a few friends to help analyze it."

"Oh, let me ask."

Liu Dashun also walked up to Zhang Wei to inquire, "Lawyer Zhang Wei, what were you saying to Zhuzhu Xia just now? My uncle is also asking me about it."

"Oh, which law firm does your uncle belong to?"

"My uncle is a solo practitioner, no law firm, but he’s been a lawyer in Dongfang Capital for nearly thirty years now, definitely more reliable than you."

Zhang Wei glanced at Liu Dashun, thinking the kid’s emotional intelligence was far too low.

Who boasts about another lawyer to a lawyer’s face, claiming the one present is not up to par?

"Oh, well then, you tell your uncle that the charge this time is espionage, and the prosecuting attorney is a senior procurator from Longdu, surname Qin."

"Oh, okay."

Liu Dashun immediately picked up the phone and reported, "Uncle, I’ve asked everyone for you, Lawyer Zhang Wei said the public prosecution is charging with espionage, and the prosecutor is a high procurator from Longdu, surnamed Qin."

"Crack!"

On the other end of the phone, it sounded like something had shattered, followed by a burst of static.

"Uncle, what’s wrong, Uncle?"

"Cough cough, Shun, just now my office chair broke, I’ve been using it for so many years, eventually, it just didn’t hold up, sigh..."

"Oh, is that so? Well then, Uncle, about this case..."

"Shun, Uncle has been quite busy recently, I don’t think I can make time for this case, why don’t you seek out someone more capable?"

"But Uncle, didn’t you just say you’d take care of it yourself? And also, about my dad..."

"Your dad what, your dad? Even if he came, I’d say the same. Shun, you need to understand your uncle, I’ve really been too busy lately, otherwise, I’d definitely make some time to help you out. By the way, you just said the prosecutor came from Longdu and his surname is Qin, right?"

"That’s what Lawyer Zhang told me."

"Then it must be Senior Procuratorate Qin Yang. That’s a really big deal, you know; he’s a famous and formidable figure in Longdu’s judicial sector. To tell you the truth, even if I were free, I doubt I could help you much, let alone the fact that I’m not free."

On the other end of the phone, one could clearly hear a voice of resignation.

Liu Dashun: "..."

"My nephew, why don’t you consult with the junior lawyer you have with you, go over the possibility of admitting guilt and showing remorse. I won’t distract you anymore."

"But he, Lawyer Zhang Wei, he’s too young, Uncle, this..."

"He might be young, but that means he has more in common with you guys. And he, Lawyer Zhang Wei... wait a second, who did you say?"

"Zhang Wei, that’s how he introduced himself, and he even gave me his business card."

"What law firm is written on the business card?"

"Let me check, it seems to be Jincheng Law Firm, ace of the criminal department, Zhang Wei..."

"Sss—"

On the other end of the phone, there was another sharp intake of breath.

"Crash!" Immediately after, it sounded like something else had broken.

"Uncle, are you okay, Uncle?"

"Cough cough, I’m fine, I’m fine, pass the phone, hand it to Lawyer Zhang!"

"No need, I’ve turned on the speakerphone, and I’ve heard everything."

Zhang Wei chuckled and said directly.

"Sss—"

Another series of sharp intakes of breath followed.

"That, um, Lawyer Zhang Wei, my nephew didn’t mean it, please don’t take what he said to heart, and don’t hold it against him."

"Right, regarding my nephew’s case, I’m entrusting it to you. If you are willing to take it on, then I’d consider my debt to his father fulfilled. Please make sure to not take to heart what was said earlier."

"Oh, got it!" Zhang Wei’s tone was indifferent as he replied, followed by a change of tone, "But your nephew seems to look down on me, thinking that I am too green?"

"That little bastard, really asking for trouble, even daring to speak ill of Lawyer Zhang; he has no idea how he’s going to die!"

On the other end of the phone, a stern roar suddenly erupted.

"Shun, turn off the speakerphone and step away!"

Liu Dashun obediently turned off the speakerphone and walked a few meters away.

Soon, he bowed his head with his phone in hand, his shoulders shaking continuously like a student being scolded.

Several minutes later, Liu Dashun ended the call.

This time, his gaze towards Zhang Wei was filled with nothing but pleading.

Liu Dashun suddenly knelt before Zhang Wei, crying out, "Lawyer Zhang, my uncle told me that you are my only hope for salvation now, you must save me!"

On the other side, Zhu Erdan also looked desperate; seeing Liu Dashun kneel down, he too fell to his knees.

"Lawyer Zhang, earlier I didn’t realize how capable you are. I’m entrusting everything to you this time. Please don’t take to heart any of the disparaging things we said."

"That’s all right, please stand up!"

"However, I am just a lawyer after all, whether you live or die, it’s not really my concern~"

The two men on their knees exchanged glances, filled with sudden panic and fear.

Was he planning to not lift a finger to help?

Zhang Wei seemed unconcerned with their thoughts, waving his hand to indicate for them to get up.

After all, for him, it would be best if the two were cooperative; that would save them the trouble of hiring additional lawyers, potentially causing conflicts.

However, he was also curious about his opponent this time around.

The high procurator from Longdu, Qin Yang, what kind of formidable person was he?