Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 398 - 394 First Meeting with Senior Procuratorate Qin, Seriousness, Seeking Assistance?

Chapter 398: Chapter 394 First Meeting with Senior Procuratorate Qin, Seriousness, Seeking Assistance?

Tuesday, early morning.

Zhang Wei got up very early, only to find that someone else had risen even earlier.

Seeing the person brushing their teeth in the bathroom, Zhang Wei was startled.

"Second daughter, you’re up quite early today, huh?"

"Hmm-hmm-hmm..."

Zhao Xiaoxiao, brushing her teeth, hummed nasally in response.

Zhang Wei thought for a moment, then understood.

On Monday morning when she returned, Zhao Xiaoxiao probably slept all day, which is why she could get up so early.

The girl must have had a full recharge.

This was indeed good news, as a client full of vigor was definitely preferable to one who was listless.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Zhao Xiaoxiao walked briskly out of the bathroom.

"What about those two? Didn’t you say you were going to bring them over?"

Those two naturally were Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan.

"Yes, they’re just next door at Zhang’s Martial Arts School. You know, since those dorms were vacated, I let the two of them stay there. With Sister Xiao Wu and that stinky little brother watching, there should be no problem."

Zhang Wei pointed to the school next door; those two were probably still asleep.

"Oh~" With the whereabouts of those two known, Zhao Xiaoxiao lost interest.

"This miss is hungry and wants breakfast."

"Alright, let’s have breakfast and then head to the Procuratorate Headquarters to gradually face our opponent."

Zhang Wei said this and joined Zhao Xiaoxiao for breakfast.

Afterward, the two headed straight for Zhang’s Martial Arts School next door.

"Get up, get up!"

Upon reaching the dormitory entrance, Zhao Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and shouted.

Inside the room, on the spare beds, Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan were still fast asleep.

Due to the immense pressure they faced yesterday, they couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning all night until they finally passed out in the early hours, now still deep in slumber.

Reluctantly, their sleep was disrupted by Zhao Xiaoxiao’s shout, and they woke up groggy and disoriented.

After hastily drinking some plain porridge in Zhang’s Martial Arts School, the two had no choice but to follow Zhang Wei to the Procuratorate Headquarters.

Zhang Xinyan drove, with Zhao Xiaoxiao in the passenger seat, while Zhang Wei accompanied Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan in the back.

"Lawyer Zhang, what exactly are we doing today?"

"Yeah, yeah, was it necessary to wake us up so early?"

After yesterday’s "friendly exchange," their attitude towards Zhang Wei had changed considerably.

At least in the hearts of Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan, their respect for Zhang Wei was completely different from yesterday.

Especially after Liu Dashun talked to his uncle over the phone, they became clear on one thing: Zhang Wei was definitely someone formidable.

So, for the sake of their freedom, they had to rely on Zhang Wei.

Who else to rely on? Those unreliable lawyers who would just hang up or refuse upon hearing the charge of espionage?

Without comparison, there is no harm, right?

Comparing the two, it was clear who was more reliable, without saying.

Only Zhang Wei dared to take on such a tricky case.

Moreover, this was without the support of Jincheng Law Firm, meaning the Lin Family had shown they would not back Zhang Wei; he was now fighting alone.

"Today we’re going to meet the opponent in this case!"

Zhang Wei sat poised in the back seat, looking quite calm.

However, he was also curious about what kind of person his opponent this time would be.

There wasn’t much public information about this Senior Procuratorate Qin, only that he was from the Longdu Qin Family.

The reputation of the Longdu Qin Family was significant, and the most famous of them in Dongfang Capital was probably Qin Shaocong, the young master of Long Teng.

The headquarters of Longteng International Law Firm was also in Longdu, and its head was none other than Qin Shaocong’s own father.

With a father as the big boss of Longteng Law Firm and an uncle as a prosecutor, combined with what Lin Jincheng said about an Old Man Qin in Longdu having issues with him, it seemed the Qin Family was also a legal dynasty.

And Zhang Wei’s current opponent was Qin Shaocong’s uncle, Qin Yang.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Longdu District Procuratorate Office, Zhang Wei was already familiar with the route and headed straight for the second floor.

Knock, knock, knock!

At the door, Zhang Wei knocked gently and then waved his hand toward the inside.

"Hey, all you prosecutors, hello there, Zhang Someone has arrived!"

The prosecutors from the Serious Crimes Department looked over in unison toward the corner.

"What are you looking at, what’s with staring at me!"

Xiao Baihe stood up with her arms crossed over her chest, her face filled with annoyance.

Her expression seemed to question: What’s wrong with all of you, what does Zhang Wei’s arrival have to do with me, Xiao Baihe?

"Old Xiao, is Old Zhao around?"

Seeing Xiao Baihe, Zhang Wei immediately went up to her with a chuckle.

"Get lost, don’t come any closer to me!"

Confronted with Zhang Wei’s "friendly gesture," Xiao Baihe showed a look of disdain, but still called out to the next room: "Ying Ying!"

Tan Yingying stood up and walked with her head down towards the supervisor’s office.

Shortly after, the door to the office opened, and Zhao Chunming walked out with a dark expression on his face.

"Zhang Wei!"

"Old Zhao, how have you been lately? You look upset; is something bothering you?"

Seeing Zhao Chunming, Zhang Wei was still extremely "enthusiastic," as if the two were old friends for many years.

"Heh, you still remember I get annoyed, huh? In fact, just seeing you irks me!" Zhao Chunming didn’t hold back at all and fired back with sarcasm.

"Then you’re in luck because I usually don’t come here to hang around."

Zhang Wei laughed again, but then quickly asked, "By the way, where is Senior Procuratorate Qin? He should’ve arrived a long time ago, right?"

"I brought the parties concerned here today, hoping to discuss with this famously formidable prosecutor from Longdu and see if we can avoid taking this to trial."

"Didn’t expect you to be scared. You came to snoop around in our territory in advance huh?" Zhao Chunming sneered and made a meaningful glance toward Tan Yingying.

Tan Yingying sighed on the spot with a look of utter desolation.

Did you all forget? I’m a prosecutor too. Why is everyone treating me like an errand-runner?

Though, duties still need to be carried out, and people still need to be summoned.

Obliged, Tan Yingying ran up the stairs toward one of the temporarily used offices.

A moment later, she returned.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin asked you to go up; he’s waiting for you in the conference room by the entrance!"

"Thanks, Xiao Tan!"

Zhang Wei thanked her and, taking Zhao Xiaoxiao and the other two, headed straight upstairs.

The conference room near the entrance was easy to find; they saw it as soon as they climbed the stairs.

When the conference room door opened, a middle-aged man sat inside, waiting for them.

"Prosecutor Qin Yang?" Zhang Wei looked at the man and tentatively asked.

"Correct, that’s me. You must be Lawyer Zhang Wei, I presume?"

Qin Yang stood up, gestured for them to take a seat, then took out four business cards from his pocket and handed them out to Zhang Wei, Zhao Xiaoxiao, Liu Dashun, and Zhu Erdan.

"Let me introduce myself here, I am Qin Yang, a Senior Prosecutor from the Longdu District Procuratorate Office."

"I too was puzzled why they would send me from the Northern Headquarters to handle a case at the Southern Headquarters, and the higher-ups even insisted that I take charge of the public prosecution for this case!"

"But I heard that the defense attorney responsible for this case is quite a handful, which piqued my interest, so here I am."

As he spoke, Qin Yang resumed his position at the head of the table and then looked at Zhang Wei, "I must say, Lawyer Zhang, you really are young; you don’t look at all like what I’ve heard, truly not judging a book by its cover!"

"It’s the same for Senior Procuratorate Qin!"

Zhang Wei replied perfunctorily while closely examining the man before him.

Qin Yang’s appearance wasn’t very distinctive, his features only vaguely resembling those of Qin Shaocong; however, his presence was quite stable.

From start to finish, his demeanor was one of cold seriousness, and whether speaking or handing out business cards, his expression never changed.

"What a stern person!"

Based solely on aura and first impressions, Zhang Wei could tell that this figure was highly troublesome.

He had faced opponents of Senior Prosecutor level before, Lan Zhengye and Lu Wenwen; the former was quite skilled, yet each time Zhang managed to find decisive evidence to turn the tide in a difficult case, while the latter was relatively less competent.

But compared to first impressions, this Qin Yang was definitely a more challenging adversary than Lan Zhengye.

With the advantage of age, his experience must be much more extensive.

Zhang Wei had a superficial exchange with Qin Yang.

Next, the topic naturally shifted to the case at hand.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, my purpose for coming here this time is quite simple," I’d like to ask whether there’s any possibility of a settlement in this case!"

"Oh, a settlement?"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s question, Qin Yang’s expression didn’t change, but his tone carried a hint of doubt.

"This is a charge of espionage. Do you think it can be settled?"

"What if I have my clients plead guilty?"

As Zhang Wei spoke, he pointed at Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan, "If I get these two to plead guilty, may I ask how much authority you could muster?"

"Oh, both of them?"

Qin Yang also glanced at the two, but his gaze then shifted back to Zhao Xiaoxiao, who had been sitting quietly with her head down since entering the conference room.

There are three of them here, why are you only mentioning two?

Are you blind, or am I seeing double?

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, I’ve reached a certain understanding with two of the clients. If the prosecution can propose some humane conditions, they are not opposed to pleading guilty!"

"Such as?" Qin Yang asked another question.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the saying, ’Don’t answer a question with a question.’ I want to know the answer, not a series of your counter-questions."

Zhang Wei saw that although Qin Yang’s expression was quite serious, his attitude seemed somewhat careless, so he promptly offered a reminder.

"I see, Lawyer Zhang has done what most lawyers would do. I thought people as tough as you wouldn’t discuss settlements."

Qin Yang picked up the notebook in front of him, flipped a page, and spoke slowly, "I thought Lawyer Zhang was going to challenge me in court. I was actually looking forward to a direct confrontation with Dongfang Capital’s most formidable lawyer."

"First, I am not the most formidable lawyer in Dongfang Capital!"

"Secondly, whether it’s for the prosecution, the defense, or even the judge, going to trial is an extremely energy-consuming affair. Naturally, if it can be avoided, it should be. Doing so would also be considered saving judicial resources."

"Lastly, I’ve made my stance clear. What about you, Senior Procuratorate Qin?"

Seeing Zhang Wei holding up three fingers and looking towards him, Qin Yang knew he had to put his terms on the table too.

He also held up three fingers, "First, it is only proper that your clients plead guilty to all the charges and sign the papers. That is also expected!"

"Second, since your clients have indeed committed acts that threatened national security, they must pay the price for these actions. Going to prison is also appropriate."

"Third, although I am in charge of investigating this case, the real decision-maker is not me. I’ve also asked him, and his terms are a guilty plea plus 10 years of imprisonment. This will not change!"

Upon hearing the other party’s conditions, Zhang Wei narrowed his eyes.

"10 years, isn’t that a bit too much? Even if my clients really did something to threaten national security, it might have been an unintentional mistake!"

"But we have key tainted witnesses, and there are many pieces of evidence provided by special departments. I believe these pieces of evidence are sufficient to convict them!"

Qin Yang pointed at the trio including Zhao Xiaoxiao, obviously meaning all of them, which included Zhao Xiaoxiao as well.

"So it seems we have nothing to discuss?"

"Lawyer Zhang, you should ask yourself when you started thinking that I, Qin Yang, would compromise with you?"

Qin Yang looked at Zhang Wei and finally showed a smile, "Lawyer Zhang, do you really think that I’m just like those people downstairs, who might be afraid of going to court, afraid of lawsuits, afraid to battle defense lawyers in court?"

"Let me tell you, you are wrong. I, Qin Yang, am not a weak person. Against someone like you who decides to protect criminals, I never easily compromise!"

"Lawyer Zhang, don’t think that just because you’ve won a few prosecutions at the Procuratorate Headquarters, you can treat our prosecutors as pushovers. I, Qin Yang, am different from the people at the Southern Headquarters!"

The stance was clear.

Zhang Wei also knew he was right; there was no opportunity with Qin Yang.

There was nothing to be discussed between them.

"My terms are simple. 10 years plus a guilty plea. This will not change until the verdict is handed down in court!"

Unyielding!

Not just unyielding, but completely unyielding, with no room for negotiation.

Like a rock in a latrine, stinking hard!

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, since you insist on this, then let us settle this in court!"

Saying this, Zhang Wei gave a signal to Zhao Xiaoxiao and the other two.

If the talks had broken down, it was time to withdraw.

"Wait a moment!"

But Qin Yang suddenly spoke up, stopping them.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, what now..."

"Don’t misunderstand, Lawyer Zhang, I won’t back down on the conditions, but I’m going to the courtroom this afternoon to submit case information. Since you’re here, you might as well take the prosecution’s evidence list with you. It’s also a good opportunity for you to see exactly what crimes your clients have committed."

Saying so, Qin Yang took several pages from a folder on the table and handed them to Zhang Wei.

"Here is our public evidence list; I will submit this document to the court later as well, so Lawyer Zhang might want to take a look at it. I won’t keep you any longer; I’ll see you in court."

Without turning his head, Zhang Wei left immediately after receiving the evidence list.

As he descended the stairs, he saw Xiao Baihe standing right at the staircase waiting for them.

"How did it go, got shut down, didn’t you?"

"Old Xiao, I know you’re worried about me, but you don’t have to show it like this. Aren’t you afraid your colleagues will gossip about us?"

"Zhang Wei, go to hell!"

Xiao Baihe had intended to mock Zhang Wei, but to her surprise, she was thrown off guard by his remark.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, she returned to her office without turning back, her high heels clicking on the floor.

"Bye, Old Xiao, I’ll treat you to a meal in a few days!"

Waving at Xiao Baihe’s retreating figure, Zhang Wei turned around, only to find Zhao Xiaoxiao and the others staring at him with wide eyes.

"Lawyer Zhang, that was impressive!"

"Never thought you had an inside source among the prosecutors, and such a beautiful one at that!"

Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan both gave him a thumbs up.

"No, no, we’re just ordinary friends!" Zhang Wei quickly waved his hands in denial.

Misunderstandings, all misunderstandings.

My relationship with Xiao Baihe is pure and clean.

However, even Zhao Xiaoxiao, who was like a second daughter to Zhang Wei, found his explanation unconvincing.

If there was nothing going on between you and Xiao Baihe, that would be the real issue.

Just as Zhang Wei and the others stepped out of the Procuratorate Headquarters, a black Jeep stopped right in front of them.

The car door opened, and Zhang Lang got out.

"Lawyer Zhang, didn’t expect to see you here so early. Did you meet with Senior Procuratorate Qin?"

"Mr. Zhang, I got up this early, yet you’re still able to tail us; can we really hide nothing from you?"

Zhang Wei, like Qin Yang, responded with a question of his own.

"Hahaha, Lawyer Zhang, you should understand that these three individuals here are all suspects of espionage. They have committed crimes threatening national security, and the CSB has to monitor their activities as a necessary measure for the security of Dragon Country. It’s our job duty, please understand!"

After delivering his grand statement, Zhang Lang leaned closer to Zhang Wei and the others, whispering, "Of course, if I were you, I would opt for an early confession, it’s only 10 years in prison after all. You’re all young and can start over when you get out!"

"Lawyer Zhang, don’t you think so?"

As if!

Zhang Wei mockingly retorted, "Today, I, Zhang Someone, have witnessed Mr. Zhang’s amazing technique of making threats under the guise of doing your duty!"

"Mr. Zhang, I also want to advise you not to take things for granted. Accustomed to smooth sailing, you could easily shipwreck when suddenly facing waves."

"Are you threatening me, Lawyer Zhang? Do you think you can win?"

"Mr. Zhang, what’s the abbreviation for your department again? Is it SB?"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei answer out of context and change the subject, Zhang Lang’s expression darkened.

"It’s CSB!"

"Oh, isn’t that still SB?"

Ignoring Zhang Lang’s reaction, Zhang Wei smiled again, "Mr. Zhang, it’s your business if you want to monitor us, but please be mindful of the limits. As long as my clients haven’t been convicted, they still have their basic human rights. If, for the so-called job, you overstep your boundaries and infringe on my clients’ basic rights, then don’t blame me for suing your entire CSB Department!"

Zhang Lang’s expression darkened again, but he didn’t reply.

"Mr. Zhang, let’s see who prevails in court. I know Qin Yang appears to be the main force, but you, the person pulling the strings behind the scenes, are my real target!"

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Zhang Lang turned and got into his car, driving away.

Zhang Wei didn’t bother with these antics. He took Zhao Xiaoxiao and the others back to their car and they headed straight back.

However, in the car, he began to ponder.

"It is said one should know both the enemy and oneself to never be in peril. I must thoroughly understand the background and modus operandi of both Qin Yang and Zhang Lang!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao, sitting in the passenger seat, shook her head, "But do you know them? They’re from the judiciary and special departments. We can’t access any information."

"No matter, I have other channels for obtaining information!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei took out his phone and immediately dialed a number.

The moment the call connected, Zhang Wei instantly put on a smile.

"Hello, Simple-minded Person, could you contact my uncle for me? I don’t have his contact details..."