Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 414 - 410: Divide and Conquer, Grab Both Ends?

Chapter 414: Chapter 410: Divide and Conquer, Grab Both Ends?

Friday night.

In the office of Qin Yang at the Dongfang Capital Procuratorate Headquarters.

Qin Yang received a visitor he wasn’t particularly pleased to see.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but are you really going to let that brat walk all over me?"

"Do you know that in my department, no one dares to talk to me like that. But not only does he dare, he’s hopping around in front of me, and even tm riding on my head!"

"Zhang Wei, what is he, after all, but a dog of the Lin Family, he’s turned the world upside down to actually dare..."

"Cough cough..."

Facing the roaring fellow in front of him, Qin Yang internally rolled his eyes.

If someone is shitting on your head, is it your problem or someone else’s problem, don’t you have any sense?

Who was it that proposed digital forensics in court?

It was none other than you, Mr. Zhang.

And what was the result?

The defense attorney agreed, the judge agreed, and the outcome was the exact opposite of what you expected, and you couldn’t bear it?

"Mr. Zhang, if I were you, I’d save my breath."

Qin Yang wasn’t overly worried as he sat down with an air of composure.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, what do you mean?"

"Isn’t my meaning clear? You have more pressing concerns to worry about."

Qin Yang spoke in a subdued tone, "The current situation is quite unfavorable for you."

"Unfavorable?" Zhang Lang finally put away the fierce expression on his face, his eyes flickering.

"Indeed, the current situation isn’t very favorable for either you or me."

Recalling the daytime forensics, Qin Yang said, "At this point, the defense has proven a reasonable doubt, which is that Zhao Xiaoxiao, one of the defendants, might indeed be Ghost’s stand-in."

"Although you and I both know that Zhao Xiaoxiao is Ghost, the jury isn’t made up of just the two of us."

"As long as this reasonable doubt exists, the jury will consider it when making their final verdict."

Drawing from his many years of experience, Qin Yang analyzed, "Based on my over thirty years as a prosecutor, to find all three defendants guilty in this case seems unlikely!"

Zhang Lang also felt the pressure, "So what are you implying...?"

"I have two suggestions for you!"

Qin Yang raised his first finger, "First, negotiate with the defendants."

"Try to lower the conditions a bit; maybe all three will consider pleading guilty."

As he said this, his brow furrowed slightly, "However, negotiation is a matter of both sides sitting down and haggling, and it usually won’t be concluded quickly, taking anywhere from three to five days, or even up to ten days to half a month."

"Although I haven’t had much contact with the defense attorney, the lad seems energetic but is actually very organized, has a thick skin, and is quite bold. I’m convinced he isn’t someone whose bottom line can be easily tested by me, so even if the defense does agree to negotiate, it likely won’t be a short process."

"Do you mean I should compromise with the opposition?"

Zhang Lang was displeased upon hearing Qin Yang’s first suggestion.

I’ve been working hard for so long, hoping to use this to catch them and rise to the position of department head!

And now you’re telling me to sit down and negotiate with them.

Originally, how many years was it for espionage, over 10 years or even life imprisonment? If there’s a minor impact on the case, it’s down to 3-7 years.

Add on probation, a good attitude in admitting guilt, and even contribution by admitting guilt, perhaps they’ll all be out in less than two years.

Isn’t that letting them off too easily?

After all that effort, only to catch three people who end up behind bars for only two years?

If this gets out, how will Zhang Lang continue to hold standing in the CSB Department, and will his subordinates look up to him? Will the boss still trust him to manage the department?

More importantly, the internal affairs department and the other special action departments, won’t they also have opinions about him?

If his reputation worsens, it won’t be something that can be restored overnight.

"No way, absolutely not!"

After weighing the options, Zhang Lang decided he couldn’t compromise.

"So you’re not planning to sit down and talk with the opposition?"

Qin Yang wasn’t surprised; having interacted with Zhang Lang over the past few days, he had gotten to know his personality.

Although his status wasn’t low, he was not one to easily compromise with those he considered "weaker."

"Then choose the second option: divide and conquer, set them against each other!"

"Oh, how so?"

Hearing Qin Yang’s second suggestion, Zhang Lang was visibly intrigued.

"It’s quite simple. Our tainted witness Liu Xiaotao is now in doubt because of his character, right? Then let’s find another new tainted witness, offer some immunity, and turn them!"

As Qin Yang spoke, he wrote down three names in front of him.

"Liu Dashun, Zhu Erdan, and Zhao Xiaoxiao, these are your three targets."

"Our current tainted witness is Liu Xiaotao, but his forte is fabricating information, so his character is doubted by the jury. I remember you didn’t promise him full immunity, so we can definitely drop him and turn someone else instead."

Qin Yang said, tapping the names of Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan with his pen.

"Your goal is to convict ’Ghost.’ Though both of us know who she is, we must persuade the jury to see things our way."

"Now, Liu Xiaotao’s testimony is almost worthless, but what if Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan were to testify against Zhao Xiaoxiao? If one of them accused Zhao Xiaoxiao of being ’Ghost,’ perhaps the jury might believe you somewhat."

Zhang Lang nodded as he heard Qin Yang speak.

Though Qin Yang wasn’t cooperative, his advice was indeed very good.

"So, you’re saying I need to turn one of them?"

"Correct, what you urgently need now is a new tainted witness."

Qin Yang pointed at the two names, analyzing, "Either Liu Dashun or Zhu Erdan will do. The rest is up to your skills now."

"Hmph, that won’t be difficult for me!"

A vicious look once again crossed Zhang Lang’s face.

"Not only that, we need to work both ends!"

"What do you mean by working both ends?"

Seeing Qin Yang speak again, Zhang Lang was puzzled.

"The tainted witness needs to be dealt with, and so does the jury!"

"The jury?"

Zhang Lang’s eyes flickered, as if he had caught the implication in Qin Yang’s words.

"This jury matter, you must give it due importance because in the courtroom, both the defense and the prosecution aim to convince them, and they are the ones who ultimately make the decision!"

"And how should I pay attention to that?"

Seeing Qin Yang’s well-reasoned analysis, Zhang Lang’s attitude shifted slightly.

"It’s simple. Make sure there’s no one in the jury who is hostile towards us; ensure that among these twelve people, none lacks a sense of national honor; ensure that none of them are selfish and devoid of morals."

Qin Yang spoke in a subdued voice, then looked at Zhang Lang, "Mr. Zhang, your CSB Department should have its own surveillance methods. I believe determining whether a person has these traits shouldn’t be a big problem for you, right?"

"I understand!"

Finally, Zhang Lang smiled. He knew what he should do the coming weekend.

"Alright, it seems I won’t be short of things to keep me busy this weekend!"

Since he had a new primary mission, he lost the interest to stay longer, quickly standing up and leaving.

"Hehehe, busy is good!"

Qin Yang watched Zhang Lang walk away, a sneer forming on his lips.

He naturally disdained the man Zhang Lang was.

And he held in even more contempt the fact that he had come to Qin Yang for help.

However, out of a sense of responsibility to his "teammate," he couldn’t just leave him unassisted. Giving him some tasks was also for the sake of the case.

Even though Qin Yang felt that there were issues and a lot of murkiness within the case, his and Zhang Lang’s interests were aligned; they both wanted to win the case.

Advising Zhang Lang on his tasks was also a strategy to decrease the chances of losing the case.

After all, it was about winning in the end.

But Qin Yang didn’t truly trust Zhang Lang, and he certainly wouldn’t stake his hope of winning the case on someone else.

He had come to Dongfang Capital alone. In this case, the only person he could trust was himself.

Thus, there were things he hadn’t told Zhang Lang.

For instance, someone had been hiding in the room next to his office all along.

"He’s gone, you can come out now!"

Qin Yang called out to the next room, and then the office door was gently pushed open as a young man entered.

He was slender, wearing tattered clothes, and had a viper tattooed on his narrow face.

After the young man stepped into the office, he looked back towards the door. "That person just now, was he the head of the CSB Department?"

"Indeed, it was him." Qin Yang said, gesturing for the young man to take a seat.

Once they were both seated and facing each other, the young man appeared a bit nervous.

"To tell you the truth, I’m curious why you didn’t go to Mr. Zhang, and instead came to me."

"Because I don’t think he’s a good person, and what he offered Venom was partial immunity, whereas I need complete immunity!"

Hearing the young man say this, Qin Yang maintained his composure on his face, but he chuckled to himself on the inside.

You, young man, certainly know how to make a lion’s demand.

By opening his mouth, he was asking for the nearly impossible: complete immunity.

Qin Yang thought for a moment, didn’t answer right away, and threw the question back at him, "You want complete immunity, then you need to show enough value for it. Although I can grant witness immunity, what can you give me?"

The young man’s eyes flickered, but he quickly made a decision.

"I can help you convict Zhuzhu Xia, Keyboard, and Ghost!"

"Oh, you can help me convict them, are you sure?"

"As long as you give me complete immunity, I guarantee they’ll all end up in jail for sure!"

Qin Yang was somewhat surprised, but he still waved his hand dismissively: "Liu Dashun and Zhu Erdan’s crimes are already basically confirmed, and they are bound to go to jail. The only problem is that Ghost still can’t be fully convicted, which means I only need one-third of what you have."

"But you need the evidence I hold!" The young man said with a fierce look in his eyes. "Without my help, you’ll lose!"

"So what if we lose, I can always go back to Longdu."

Qin Yang chuckled, his expression nonchalant.

After all, he had come to Dongfang Capital to deal with just one case, and winning or losing was all in a day’s work.

Although he was known as the Baisheng General and was just one victory away from a hundred consecutive wins in court, these were all mere titles.

For a prosecutor, losing or winning cases comes with the territory.

Seeing Qin Yang’s attitude, the young man eventually ran out of options.

"Then what do you say it takes for you to grant me complete immunity!"

"You want complete immunity, that’s virtually impossible because you’ve committed a crime, and it’s against our principles to let a criminal off without paying any price... but, if you simply don’t want to go to jail, that might be possible."

Qin Yang considered the situation, not making any final commitments: "I can give you a suspended sentence with enough time, so you don’t have to go to jail, but the condition is, you must provide enough evidence to convict Zhao Xiaoxiao!"

"If she gets convicted and goes to jail, then you won’t have to go. Do you understand?"

"I understand!" The young man, hearing Qin Yang’s terms, scowled deeply and nodded vigorously.

"Very well, you can go now. Stay at the place my nephew has arranged for you these next few days, don’t contact anyone, and wait. On Monday, I’ll list you as an urgent witness, and then you can perform on the stand!"

Qin Yang spoke, a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes.

To deal with Zhang Wei and Zhao Xiaoxiao, he also had a trump card hidden up his sleeve!

...

Saturday, a day off.

But for Zhang Wei and the others, it was still a day of preparation.

Given the way the city court operates and the style of the prosecution, they couldn’t wait for the trial to begin on Monday so they could finish the case early.

Therefore, they had to be ready for the difficult situation of going to court once the workday arrived.

"Lawyer Zhang, we’ve been feeling stifled these past few days, can you let us... "

It was then that Zhu Erdan, dragging Liu Dashun behind him, approached Zhang Wei.

"What is it, where do you guys want to go?"

"Anywhere doesn’t matter, we just want to get some fresh air!"

Zhu Erdan said, looking awkward as if he was a child asking a parent for permission to go out and play over the weekend.

"I know you’ve been feeling stifled these days, but this is a preview for you, to help you adapt in advance to life in jail."

"Ah, this..."

Zhu Erdan and Liu Dashun were suddenly at a loss for words.

"However, if you want to go out, it’s not impossible!"

Zhang Wei then changed his tone and pointed outside, "But let me remind you, the outside is full of CSB people!"

"Lawyer Zhang, we understand, but we really can’t take it anymore. If we are to go to jail in the future, at least let us feel the breath of freedom a bit more today!"

"Fine then, you can go, but if you find any danger, contact me immediately so I can come rescue you."

"Thank you, Lawyer Zhang, we’ll definitely behave!"

Zhu Erdan quickly assured him, patting his chest, then he and Liu Dashun dashed out of Zhang’s Martial Arts School.

Outside the martial arts school, that was the breath of freedom.

"Hmph, the breath of freedom, eh? If you behave and don’t cause trouble these next few days, there’s a good chance you’ll keep your freedom. But if you insist on stirring up trouble, then I can’t help you~"

Zhang Wei watched the two leave, a mocking smile on his face.

Truth be told, although keeping them locked up felt somewhat improper, as he said, the outside was swarming with CSB people.

Zhang Lang was lurking outside, but at least inside Zhang’s Martial Arts School, there was protection from people like Zhang Xinwu and others, and with Zhang Wei in charge, Zhang Lang and Qin Yang wouldn’t dare to act rashly.

But once you leave Zhang’s Martial Arts School, the outside world becomes a dangerous place.

At least Zhang Lang would definitely have someone monitoring them 24/7.

As soon as Zhu Erdan and Liu Dashun walk out of this door, Zhang Lang would surely receive the message immediately.

Pity that Zhang Wei doesn’t have enough manpower; otherwise, he would definitely arrange for someone to follow them to ensure Qin Yang and Zhang Lang wouldn’t dare to make a move.

Although the procuratorate is not allowed to contact the defense witnesses privately during the trial period, as doing so constitutes interfering with witnesses and is considered an obstruction of justice.

But Zhang Lang is not from the procuratorate, and he has so many underlings, also being the head of a CSB Department, there are plenty of ways for him to get in touch with Zhu Erdan and others.

Zhang Wei could only hope that Zhu Erdan and Liu Dashun would be clever enough.

"Go find my second daughter, see if you can add a trump card to turn the case around during the weekend!"

With this in mind, Zhang Wei returned to Lin Mansion and headed straight for the second-floor room.

...

At the same time.

On Sifang Gate Street, the shopping district.

Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people, and from time to time, some beautifully dressed girls passing by, Zhu Erdan finally felt a slight relief from the oppressiveness in his heart.

"This is what freedom feels like!"

"Speaking of Keyboard, weren’t you the one who wanted to come out too? What’s with the stunned face?"

"I think, maybe we should head back, the outside feels a bit... "

"There you go again, huh?"

Zhu Erdan was immediately displeased, "What’s the matter? When you proposed to Lawyer Zhang to come out, why didn’t I see you objecting then?"

"Well then... I’ll go give my family a call to let them know I’m safe!"

Seeing a public phone booth at the side of the street, Liu Dashun took some change out of his pocket and walked over.

"Humph, how boring!"

Zhu Erdan, seeing his companion eager to contact his family as soon as they got out, looked disdainfully.

Then, his attention was drawn by a few girls passing by.

Summer had arrived and the girls on the pedestrian street were dressed coolly, baring shoulders and legs – just a minor spectacle.

"I wonder how the recent anime expo is, it’s the weekend today, there must be cosplaying girls, that’s my hobby, can’t neglect it!"

Thinking of his hobby, Zhu Erdan’s otaku soul started to burn fiercely.

With that, he walked past a street corner, intending to plan which city’s anime expo to attend, when suddenly a sack was pulled over his head. His vision went dark and he knew no more.

Elsewhere.

"Mom and Dad, don’t worry, I’m just involved in a bit of business so it’s been busier lately."

"But rest assured, I’ve been in touch with uncle, and he said there’s no problem, so you don’t have to worry too much."

"Why are you bringing up matchmaking again? I’ve told you, my job isn’t stable yet. After this thing is over, I want to settle down in Dongfang Capital before considering marriage and having children."

"Wow, just stop worrying unnecessarily, I’ve got everything under control. In a few days, when things here are wrapped up, I might even get an offer from a big company. Once I’m settled in Dongfang Capital, I’ll bring you over."

"I know, I know. I’m hanging up now, bye!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Dashun just stepped out of the booth when his vision turned dark.

"Huh, why has it gone dark?"

He quickly realized it wasn’t getting dark; someone had put a hood over his head.

His heart skipped a beat; he had been kidnapped.

If only he had listened to Zhang Wei, not been pulled out by Zhu Erdan.

Next, Liu Dashun felt the jostling of being in a car, then out of one, and even on a boat.

After some time swaying, it seemed he had been pushed into a chair.

When the hood was lifted, Liu Dashun saw several people appear in front of him.

One of them, a man with a sinister face, was sitting in front of him, wearing a cold smirk.

"Liu Dashun, right? I hear you’re very filial to your parents?"

"Let me guess, they don’t know yet that the case you’re involved in is about espionage, do they?"

"Let me guess again, if their son committed espionage, do you think they would be able to hold their heads up again in their hometown for the rest of their lives, without being pointed at and talked about?"

The man’s words, sharp as blades, pierced straight into Liu Dashun’s heart!

Because these were precisely the things he feared the most!