Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 399 - 395 Guider Zhou Warns, Both the Opponent and the Case Are Thorny

Chapter 399: Chapter 395 Guider Zhou Warns, Both the Opponent and the Case Are Thorny

That evening, in the city center.

A high-end restaurant.

Zhang Wei had already arrived at the reserved spot, waiting for his guest.

Not long after, the person who had made the appointment arrived.

"Big Brother-in-law!"

A total of four people came, and Zhang Wei waved at one of them.

"Hmph!"

Xia Qian showed a look of disgust, snorted disdainfully after seeing Zhang Wei’s wave, full of contempt.

He still harbored a grudge against his brother-in-law in his heart.

The reason for hating his brother-in-law, of course, was because the man had once caused him to be utterly humiliated in court.

Even now, at certain moments, Gao Yang and Luo Qi still subconsciously kept their guard up around him.

"Guider Zhou, you’ve arrived!"

After greeting his brother-in-law, Zhang Wei nodded and smiled at the true guest of honor.

Zhou Xiaoli, the War Department Special Combat Team instructor, was responsible for the team’s operations in Dongfang Capital and also served as the team’s spokesperson.

This woman was definitely a pivotal figure in the official forces of Dongfang Capital.

The primary guest Zhang Wei had invited today, in fact, was her.

As for his brother-in-law, it was merely a casual greeting in passing.

"The famous Lawyer Zhang, how come you thought of inviting us for a meal?"

As Zhou Xiaoli spoke, she gestured at Xia Qianjun and his companions, Gao Yang and Luo Qi, who promptly found an empty seat and sat down.

Zhou Xiaoli sat opposite Zhang Wei, and the two faced each other.

"Inviting my brother-in-law for a meal, I don’t see anything inappropriate with that, do I?" Zhang Wei replied flippantly with a chuckle.

"Sure, if it were any other time, that would naturally not be a problem, but if you insist on choosing this critical moment, then your intentions are certainly not simple," Zhou Xiaoli responded with a smile as dismissive as his.

"What critical moment?"

Zhang Wei pretended to be ignorant: "Guider Zhou, the way you speak, it’s as if by inviting you out for a meal, I have some ulterior motive!"

"Isn’t that the case?" Zhou Xiaoli smiled as well.

Could it be that you, Zhang Wei, really only intended to invite us out for a meal?

Alright, Zhang Wei admitted, he indeed had a favor to ask.

"Guider Zhou, how can you say that? I invited you out for a meal just to foster the relationship between us and have a chat, that’s all~"

"And the content of our chat wouldn’t happen to be about the recent spy case and the CSB Department, would it?"

"You’re also aware of this matter, Guider Zhou?"

Zhang Wei drank all the tea in front of him and confessed frankly, "A chat has to have a topic, doesn’t it?"

Zhou Xiaoli just smiled without speaking, only tapping her fingers on the table.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Light and rhythmic.

"Oh, look at my memory!"

Zhang Wei hastily apologized: "Now that all the guests have arrived, it’s time to serve the dishes!"

He gestured with his hand, and a waiter immediately hurried over.

"Serve the food, let’s not keep my guests hungry!"

"Right away, Mr. Zhang!"

The waiter dashed toward the kitchen, getting busy at once.

"Guider Zhou, since you’ve graced us with your presence, you must give the chef’s skills a good try today; from what I know, the steak here is quite decent!"

Zhou Xiaoli did not say much, while Zhang Wei was all politeness, eager to attend to this "source of information" before him.

The adjacent table.

Compared to the pleasantries between Zhang Wei and Zhou Xiaoli.

The brother-in-law Xia Qianjun and his two good teammates had a different attitude towards Zhang Wei.

"I think this kid has no good intentions!"

Luo Qi lifted his hand, pointing to the next table with suspicion on his face.

"Of course, he doesn’t!" Xia Qianjun snorted again, his face guarded as he watched Zhang Wei.

In his heart, as long as Zhang Wei showed up, it meant nothing good was to come.

Especially that one time in court when he had been made miserable.

Every time he thought of it, he couldn’t help but want to find any excuse to give Zhang Wei a beating.

"Brother Jun, what’s that guy talking to Guider Zhou about?" Gao Yang glanced at the two in conversation, somewhat perplexed.

"I heard, that kid seems to have run into some tricky trouble recently, and sought out our instructor. Probably about that issue, I guess!"

With the demeanor of a know-it-all, Luo Qi lowered his voice and said, "Think about it, a top-notch lawyer doesn’t come around doing favors for no reason, he’s got to be up to either something fishy or outright thievery!"

"He’s coming to our Guider, it must be because the case involves the higher-ups, so he has no choice but to seek out an expert in this area, and among people he knows, only our Guider is qualified."

"The higher-ups?" Gao Yang and Xia Qianjun exchanged glances, both frowning.

Because whenever it involves the higher-ups, there surely aren’t any minor issues.

Yet they are frontline combat personnel, so they really don’t know much about the matters above.

"However, our Guider Zhou won’t grant that kid’s wish!"

"Exactly, our instructor is highly trusted by the top brass and is systematic in his approach, he would never spill any information to that kid!"

Luo Qi and Gao Yang analyzed the situation while Xia Qianjun stayed silent, his brow deeply furrowed.

"By the way, where’s the food, I’m starving!"

All of a sudden, Gao Yang changed the subject and patted his stomach.

Where’s the meal we were promised?

Does that kid plan to mooch a free meal?

Fortunately, the waiter didn’t keep Zhang Wei and the others waiting too long, and soon the appetizers were served.

"May I ask how well-done you would like your steaks?" the waiter approached with a smile and inquired.

Zhang Wei smiled at Zhou Xiaoli across from him, then instructed the waiter, "Bring us your best A5 steak. I recommend medium rare, with the steak’s juices having a slight redness when cut, looking rather clear and having a nice elasticity. I think that’s the best!"

"Certainly, sir."

The waiter’s expression became serious; this gentleman knew his stuff.

"And for the lady, you...?"

"Same as him!"

Zhou Xiaoli wasn’t one for all the fuss, pointing at Zhang Wei, already decided.

Sensing that the man across her knew his business, she felt no need to worry further.

Then, she pointed at Xia Qianjun and his group, "The same for them too!"

"Understood."

The waiter caught on and was about to return to the kitchen,

"Wait, bring two bottles of ’82 Lafite as well!" Zhang Wei waved his hand once more, ready to order drinks.

"Lawyer Zhang, I don’t drink alcohol," Zhou Xiaoli’s face turned serious.

"Then just one bottle!"

"They are on duty as guards, and cannot drink alcohol during a mission!"

Upon hearing Zhou Xiaoli’s words, Zhang Wei compromised, "Then change the ’82 Lafite for ’82 Coca-Cola!"

"Mr. Zhang, we don’t have ’82 Coca-Cola, and in fact, our establishment doesn’t serve soda beverages."

"Then go buy it from a supermarket nearby!"

"Mr. Zhang, you really shouldn’t make it difficult for me!"

Confronted with Zhang Wei’s extravagant demands, the waiter’s face stiffened, gearing up to warn this unreasonable customer.

He mulled over it in his mind for a while, just about to say something, but Zhang Wei moved faster.

He pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet, flicking through it with his hand.

The waiter’s eyes went wide, for that bundle of cash was easily more than a thousand.

"Take this, get Coca-Cola. The rest is your tip!"

The waiter’s mouth hung agape, his mind wrestling with the decision.

He was on duty and not supposed to leave as per the rules.

But serving customers and fulfilling their needs was also his job responsibility.

Caught between the rules and his duties, he didn’t know what to choose.

The tip was actually not the main issue.

After about 0.001 seconds of hesitation, the waiter made his choice.

"Just a moment, Mr. Zhang, I’ll go and get it!" He grinned, accepting the money from Zhang Wei and dashed down the stairs.

There was no helping it, what he gave was just too much!

Wait! No!

I’m doing this to serve the customer, to meet the customer’s needs, and that’s what my responsibility is about, it’s not at all about the size of the tip.

After finding a noble reason for himself, the waiter felt a little lighter in his step as he descended downstairs.

minutes later, the steak arrived, and so did the Coca-Cola.

Ding ding ding...

Xia Qianjun and his two companions drained the contents of their glasses in one go.

Belch~

"Hey, how long has it been since we’ve had this kind of ’happy water’?"

"I don’t know, I just remember drinking it before joining the War Department, but now..."

Gao Yang and Luo Qi couldn’t stop praising the ice-cold Coca-Cola filled to the brim in their wine glasses.

"And let me tell you, this steak is also cooked just right, sizzling with oil—bite into it, and your mouth is full of rich, tender, juicy flavor!"

Gao Yang bit off a chunk of meat and chewed with a look of utter contentment on his face.

"Yeah, we can only get such a good meal by tagging along with Guider Zhou."

"But I have to say, Zhang Wei is a capable guy, he really spares no expense when treating people to a meal!"

Because of this meal, Gao Yang and Luo Qi’s attitude towards Zhang Wei immediately changed.

From an initial wariness to "this guy is alright" in just about ten minutes.

Xia Qianjun felt bemused; his two "loyal and devoted teammates" had been bought over by the guy’s meal.

At the next table.

Zhang Wei and Zhou Xiaoli were also eating and talking.

"Lawyer Zhang, let’s get back to business, shall we?"

Zhou Xiaoli had only taken a couple of bites and her expression hadn’t changed at all.

"Alright then, back to business!"

Zhang Wei wiped his mouth with a napkin, then became serious, "The reason I invited Guider Zhou here is actually because of my three clients’ case."

"The spy case?"

"Yes, that very case!"

Zhou Xiaoli obviously knew about it and teased with a smile, "Lawyer Zhang, it seems you’ve met your match this time. Not only is Zhang Lang from the CSB Department eyeing the case fiercely, but he has also enlisted strong support from Longdu!"

"Guider Zhou, are you familiar with the CSB Department and this person from Longdu?"

"Of course, both are quite famous!"

Zhou Xiaoli thought for a moment and spoke out some publicly known intelligence.

"Zhang Lang’s CSB Department is nominally in charge of cybersecurity investigations, mainly safeguarding the network security of the Southern Region of the Dragon Country. But he reaches his hand far and wide, sometimes even wanting to meddle in the major crimes unit and the Special Combat Team’s tasks."

"There was a time when he reached into the Special Combat Team, and for that, I specifically looked into him. I have to say his record is impressive, and he’s accomplished a lot, completing many challenging tasks for the higher-ups."

Hearing this, Zhang Wei’s eyes narrowed, "But what?"

"What ’but’?"

"Guider Zhou, you just said so much praise, but I assume there is a ’but’ coming, right?"

Zhou Xiaoli chuckled, "But, I think he rose through the ranks too quickly, unnaturally fast."

"The head of the CSB Department is already in his fifties, and I’ve heard he’s preparing to move to the Internal Affairs Department for a sinecure. That means the boss is nearing retirement."

"And Zhang Lang is the second in command of the CSB Department, the main action leader, almost certainly the designated successor. He probably wants to clear all dissenting voices for his succession by doing well in this case."

"Dissenting voices?" Zhang Wei seemed to catch on to something.

"Yes, dissenting voices!"

Zhou Xiaoli didn’t hide anything, "Apparently, Zhang Lang, with his deep backing, has been able to sail smoothly and act so unrestrained in his operations, commanding even the Special Combat Team and major crimes unit at times, and even making our best people assist and cooperate with him repeatedly!"

"It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work for him, but in the end, he’s the one who reaps all the benefits?"

Zhang Wei could tell from Zhou Xiaoli’s tone that she was slightly irked.

However, he knew nothing about what had happened during those operations, so he could only guess that it might have involved something like "stealing credit."

"We shouldn’t discuss this too much, and what I’ve told you is information that everyone knows. I believe Lawyer Zhang could find out the same if you just use a bit of your connections!"

After giving a perfunctory response, Zhou Xiaoli asked, "But to me, facing off against Zhang Lang isn’t the troubling part; the real challenge is dealing with Qin Yang from Longdu!"

"You know about him too, Guider Zhou?"

"Of course, in Longdu’s judicial circles, Senior Procuratorate Qin is quite a figure, known as the ’Baisheng General’ of the Qin Family!"

"Baisheng General?"

"The Qin Family boasts four outstanding figures; let’s not speak of Elder Old Qin, he’s the topmost judge in Longdu’s legal field, a true old-timer. The eldest of the second generation, Qin Zheng, founded Longteng International and grew it to its current scale. The second eldest, Qin Yang, joined the Procuratorate after graduating and worked his up to the Senior Procuratorate position, handling numerous cases big and small, almost never tasting defeat. His recent winning streak has even reached a terrifying 99 wins!"

"Wow, just one win shy?"

Zhang Wei blinked. If he lost, wouldn’t he be giving his opponent a hundred consecutive wins?

"Pretty much. If Lawyer Zhang can defeat Qin Yang, it would be a significant boost to your own reputation as well."

Zhou Xiaoli teased, followed by Zhang Wei waving his hand and quickly changing the subject, "Speaking of the four outstanding figures of the Qin Family, who’s the fourth?"

"The fourth? Isn’t he one of your vanquished foes?"

"Qin Shaocong, he counts?"

Zhang Wei was surprised; although the third generation heir of the Qin Family had some abilities, he still didn’t seem all that impressive.

"Lawyer Zhang, you set your sights too high. After all, Qin Shaocong is in charge of Longteng in the Dongfang Capital, managing such a large law firm and keeping Longteng’s operations among the top three in the city. His capabilities are not to be underestimated by the average person."

"Only someone of Lawyer Zhang’s caliber could utter such words. Who else would dare not take Young Master Qin seriously besides you?"

Zhang Wei didn’t respond, but instead continued with another question, "Guider Zhou, since you’ve brought up the key figure in the case, would you be able to reveal any other information?"

"What do you want to know, Lawyer Zhang?"

"For instance, the part in the public evidence that has been bothering me!"

Zhang Wei finally revealed his intention.

"In the evidence publicized by Qin Yang, private enterprises were emphasized, even to the extent that multiple witnesses from shipyards and mechanical plants are involved. Why is that?"

"Shipyards and mechanical plants, huh?"

Guider Zhou’s eyes shifted, followed by a chuckle, "Do you think that Zhang Lang would care about a private shipyard or a private mechanical plant?"

"Yes, I also think it’s impossible!"

Zhang Wei spread his hands and then muttered, "Unless these shipyards and mechanical plants are not really privately owned, and what’s on the surface is just for show while they actually have another layer of identity!"

"I didn’t say anything, you know!"

Zhou Xiaoli quickly added, reminding Zhang Wei.

This lad, someone got it clear.

These enterprises have a background!

But what kind of background could it be, could it be...?

"Guider Zhou, you..."

"Lawyer Zhang, the matter at hand involves certain secrets. Please forgive me, I cannot disclose more!"

Zhou Xiaoli said, casting a glance around before standing up.

She knew that if she continued, she would be "crossing the line".

Who knows if walls have ears, and with Zhang Lang’s character, he might have arranged for someone to monitor Zhang Wei already.

If she misspoke even the slightest thing today, she might also be subject to an internal investigation by the CSB.

"Lawyer Zhang, thank you for the meal today, but this is as much as I can tell you. The rest you will have to figure out yourself!"

"Oh, and be careful, Zhang Lang is not one to be trifled with. Once he knows you are an enemy, he will show no mercy!"

Zhou Xiaoli gave one last warning, signaled to Xia Qianjun and the other two with her eyes, and the group quickly left.

Watching Guider Zhou and the others depart, Zhang Wei frowned deeply.

In fact, he had sensed from the beginning that someone seemed to be monitoring him.

He could not be fooled by the covert glances hiding in the shadows.

"Zhang Lang, your ghost never seems to disperse!"

He muttered to himself, but felt somewhat speechless inside.

The CSB department is supposed to be in charge of cybersecurity investigations, so how did it become a subordinate of Zhang Lang’s?

Using the department’s resources to surveil him—was that not a bit too much?

Yet Zhang Wei’s findings today were worthwhile, at least he had gleaned some intelligence from Zhou Xiaoli.

He left the restaurant and returned to Lin Mansion.

Once he reached his room at Lin Mansion, Zhang Wei took out the public evidence and began to analyze it.

"In the public evidence, it’s not just the shipyards and mechanical plants that are mentioned, but also a chemical plant and others. Their main responsible persons have appeared on the witness list. What does this mean?"

"Why does a case of espionage involve these private enterprises? What was Guider Zhou hinting at? Could there be a shadow of the War Department or even higher authorities behind these enterprises? If so, these enterprises must be..."

Zhang Wei seemed to think of something and quickly sent a message to Zhao Xiaoxiao.

[Zhang Wei: Investigate these enterprises for me. Let me know their public information; you don’t need to delve deeper because I know you won’t be able to uncover it in the short term!]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: You underestimate me?]

[Zhang Wei: Not underestimate, but I already know the answer. Your investigation will just serve as a confirmation.]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: /disdain/disdain/disdain]

Zhang Wei’s message was promptly replied to by Zhao Xiaoxiao.

The information was limited, and it could even be said there was almost none, not even an advertisement.

"Sure enough, these enterprises all have the backing of the War Department and higher authorities!"

Zhang Wei, after seeing this information, felt reassured.

What private enterprise doesn’t advertise?

They don’t even seek business, lacking a website and business phone numbers.

These are shell enterprises, and they are all in service of higher authorities.

So, this case might really be about secret information, or more so, national security.

Complicated!

Very complicated indeed!