Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 420 - 416: A Moving Performance that Brings Tears, the Savior Finally Arrives!

Chapter 420: Chapter 416: A Moving Performance that Brings Tears, the Savior Finally Arrives!

Ironclad proof!

True ironclad proof!

Cui Yibin testified in court, identifying Zhao Xiaoxiao as Ghost!

And he had evidence, something that could almost be described as ironclad proof caught in the act.

A photograph!

And it was a photo of Zhao Xiaoxiao engaged in hacking activities.

Furthermore, under Qin Yang’s questioning, he also denied the possibility of a "body double".

At the time Zhao Xiaoxiao was hacking, there were no traces of her computer being hacked by someone else.

If there had been no intrusion, then the claim that Ghost was someone else naturally fell apart.

Consequently, many in the courtroom turned their eyes toward the defense bench.

Suspicion, mistrust, even anger, all these emotions were plain to see.

At the defense bench, Zhang Wei’s brow also furrowed.

"This Cui Yibin, truly living up to his nickname ’Viper’, lurking in the dark, baring his fangs at the targeted prey, a strike meant to kill!"

He analyzed the current situation, which was certainly very dire.

Especially the prosecution’s final blow almost extinguished any reason he had to refute.

This situation was a matter of life and death!

At the prosecution bench.

Zhang Lang also frowned, looking at Qin Yang and Cui Yibin.

"Viper, that one who slipped through the net, he actually teamed up with Qin Yang?"

Although Zhang Lang was very satisfied with the current situation,

it meant that this farcical trial was finally drawing to a close.

The verdict was clear!

But still, he was not happy.

Because he had originally thought that everything was under his control.

Yet within this trial, time and again, uncontrollable events had occurred.

Especially at the end, an unexpected witness had appeared.

Although this witness was helping his own side, this witness was not found by him, but by his "teammate".

To Zhang Lang, this was quite irksome.

So all my hard work for so long isn’t as impressive as you, who’ve only been on the case for a few days? The final victory relies on your finishing move?

"Senior Procuratorate Qin, the Qin Family, the Longdu Qin Family, indeed worthy of being the face of Longdu’s judicial system!"

Zhang Lang’s gaze was somber, staring intently at the two in the courtroom.

"Witness, are you sure, certain that the defendant Zhao Xiaoxiao is the renowned Ghost in the hacker community?"

"I swear, I am certain, without a doubt, she is Ghost indeed!"

"Alright, thank you for your testimony, my questioning is officially over."

Qin Yang nodded toward the judge’s bench, then turned and flashed a smile at Zhang Wei, but this smile was mixed with mockery and scorn.

"My turn!"

Zhang Wei gently patted Zhao Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, offering a bit of consolation before calmly rising and walking towards the witness stand.

Qin Yang had yielded the stage, and Zhang Wei had to engage in damage control.

And in dealing with such a witness, the usual tactic would be...

"Witness, I believe it must be difficult for you, sitting here in this courtroom, having to testify and admit that you’re a cybercriminal, right?"

"Yes, I was quite nervous at first, but now that I’ve spoken out, I feel much better."

"Then I find it odd, considering you were not caught by the CSB Department, why would you want to testify in court?"

"I..."

Zhang Wei didn’t give Cui Yibin the chance to respond, cutting him off: "Is it because you knew you couldn’t escape, so you simply made a deal with the prosecution, opting to betray ’one of your own’ for your own benefit?"

"Witness, you made a deal with the prosecution, right?"

"Objection, irrelevant questioning!"

Zhang Wei intended to ask again, but was interrupted by Qin Yang.

But Zhang Wei also came prepared, retorting: "Judge Li, my line of questioning is not about the content of the courtroom deal, but rather whether the witness made a deal with the prosecution, which can prove if the witness is testifying for an interest-related reason!"

"Objection overruled!" Old Li nodded, agreeing with Zhang Wei’s point.

Qin Yang’s expression darkened, and he had no choice but to sit down.

"Witness, please answer my question, did you make a deal with Senior Procuratorate Qin sitting opposite on the prosecution bench?"

"Yes...yes, I did." Cui Yibin nodded in acknowledgment.

"And is the deal about identifying my client as Ghost, in exchange for a conditional exemption or even a full judicial pardon?"

"Objection!" Qin Yang stood up once more.

"Objection overruled!" But Old Li immediately followed up, "The witness must answer the question!"

Qin Yang could only sit down again, eyes slightly narrowed.

"I... I indeed planned to testify against the defendant in court, as agreed with Senior Procuratorate Qin."

"That’s not surprising then!"

Zhang Wei smiled, then pressed with a cold voice, "In other words, even if Zhao Xiaoxiao isn’t Ghost, you would have her become Ghost, right?"

"Because it’s only by testifying against Ghost that you can obtain immunity from Senior Procuratorate Qin."

"Everything you do is for yourself, I’m not wrong, am I?"

"This..."

Zhang Wei’s questioning rendered Cui Yibin momentarily speechless. He could only lower his head in silence.

His actions made many in the jury and the hearing seats glance around.

They thought they would see irrefutable evidence, but it turns out this witness too, has issues.

For his own sake, he indeed might have done some things.

After all, everyone is selfish.

Put in their place, if betraying someone could solve their current troubles, they really would consider the possibility.

Moreover, if the one being betrayed is likely a criminal, then it would be even easier to justify.

Betraying the other party, testifying against their crimes, and the psychological burden disappears.

So it remains to be seen whether Cui Yibin’s words are true.

"Not bad, the kid’s adaptability on the spot; it’s a pity though, I’d already guessed your move..."

But at that moment, Qin Yang, with narrowed eyes, smiled.

A glint flashed in his eyes, and a sly arc formed at the corner of his mouth.

As if Zhang Wei’s pressing questions had not been unexpected.

And he had even prepared countermeasures for this move!

"Witness, since everything you do is for yourself, the credibility of your testimony should be questioned, and I also remain skeptical about the evidence you provided, whether it has been tampered with, you..."

"You’re wrong, defense lawyer!"

Just as Zhang Wei was about to continue his attack on Cui Yibin, the latter suddenly retorted.

"What do you mean, I’m wrong?"

Zhang Wei was taken aback, sensing something amiss.

It appeared he had been outmaneuvered, and the opposition had long been prepared.

"Yes, you’re wrong. Defense lawyer!"

Cui Yibin raised his head, with resolution: "I did this, not for myself, but for her!"

He looked towards the back row of the hearing seats.

There stood a thin, slightly dark-skinned girl who got up.

"Who is she?"

Not just Zhang Wei, but everyone in the courtroom was surprised.

Why has a new character appeared? Is this person also a rebuttal witness?

"She’s my girlfriend Jingjing; we’ve been together for almost two years. It was she who helped me make the final decision."

The witness on the stand, Cui Yibin, said with a smile as he saw the girl stand up: "Because of Jingjing, I realized how ignorant and selfish I had been before."

"It’s also because of her that I understood what responsibility means. A man should take responsibility, be accountable for his life and living, so I agreed to Senior Procuratorate Qin and became a witness."

Cui Yibin looked at Zhang Wei, his face suddenly filled with indignation: "Defense lawyer, I guess you’re a law-abiding good person who has never made a mistake, so you don’t understand the sadness of our profession."

"I want to have a good life with Jingjing. Unfortunately, my past identity prevented me from fulfilling this wish. I’ve always felt remorseful towards Jingjing, blamed myself for my past naivety and ignorance, and hated myself for why I got involved with computers, became a hacker."

Regret, discontent, remorse.

At this moment, Cui Yibin was like an actor with his performance dialled up to maximum, portraying a role full of suffering and self-loathing vividly, making it hard for the onlookers to hold back tears and sympathize.

"Great acting!"

Even Zhang Wei couldn’t help but praise the man’s performance.

He couldn’t bear to interrupt such a display.

"Fortunately, at the last moment, I met the right person!"

"I met Senior Procuratorate Qin. He promised to help me, to give me a second chance at life!"

Cui Yibin suddenly switched tones, his face revealing hints of excitement, exuberance, and joy.

"Senior Procuratorate Qin gave me a chance, an opportunity to be with Jingjing, and of course, I had to seize it. Testifying against the defendant in court also stemmed from my sense of justice, the guilt towards Jingjing, and the gratitude towards Senior Procuratorate Qin!"

"Senior Procuratorate Qin said that what I was doing was completely legal and legitimate. Telling the court everything I saw, informing the court and the jury of the facts, was my duty as a witness!"

He said, looking at the jury: "I told you the information I had received without any concealment, and I did this for Jingjing, for our future!"

For some reason, a righteous light seemed to shine down in the courtroom, falling directly upon Cui Yibin’s face.

The 12 jurors seemed to see a prodigal returning, a contrite sinner repenting and reforming.

It was truly moving.

They swore that if this wasn’t a courtroom, they would have cried.

Not even the jury, but also the audience in the hearing seats were touched, many already taking out tissues to wipe away their tears.

"Woohoo, so moving..."

At the prosecutor’s table, Tan Yingying removed her glasses, her eyes red.

When she turned her head, she happened to see the gloomy face of Zhang Lang next to her, which startled her with a shiver.

What’s the matter with this man, how can he not have any compassion at all...

Whether Zhang Lang had any compassion, Tan Yingying didn’t know.

But at this moment, even though Zhang Lang’s expression was grim, he was actually delighted inside.

"Worthy of Senior Procuratorate Qin, hiding this final trump card, and it’s a killer move no less. You really are formidable, keeping this up your sleeve for so long, even fooling me!"

He looked towards the courtroom, his gaze towards Qin Yang tinged with a hint of wariness.

He had thought the two could become good teammates, working wholeheartedly together on this case, cooperating for a win-win.

But unexpectedly, you still had an ace up your sleeve.

Fortunately, the outcome was good.

This case is going to be won!

Zhang Lang felt confident about this, so naturally, things weren’t looking good for Zhang Wei.

"This is not good..."

Zhang Wei genuinely felt the challenge.

Because it seemed like the entire courtroom had been persuaded by Cui Yibin’s "passionate speech."

Everyone chose to believe him, believing that he was a prodigal son who had turned over a new leaf and wanted to live a good life with Jingjing.

Then, all the evidence he provided would be highly credible.

And if one were to doubt his intentions, one might be labeled as the "bad guy."

Just look at you, the young couple is ready to live a good life, and yet you persist in hindering them, framing their witness for lying.

You are simply inhuman!

If he were to continue with the same tactic, Zhang Wei could guess that the people in the courtroom would certainly view him in that light.

Didn’t you see, even Qin Yang on the prosecutor’s bench is smiling?

"Lawyer Zhang, you may continue your questioning, why have you stopped, please do continue, continue with your questions?"

Probably, Qin Yang’s smile held that exact message...

Of course, it was no longer a good idea to continue the cross-examination.

At least Zhang Wei didn’t want to be that bad guy, so he decided...

"Ahem, since the witness you have so said, then all I can do is... wish you happiness..."

After finishing his statement, Zhang Wei waved his hand: "I have no further questions for this witness."

Ending his questioning, he walked back to the defense table, his back showing a mix of helplessness and weariness.

At the witness stand, Cui Yibin had an excited look, nodding at Jingjing in the audience, both very pleased.

This scene was observed by the jury and the audience, and everyone felt that they had done a good deed that day.

The atmosphere in the courtroom gradually became more cheerful, everything progressing in a positive direction.

Under such circumstances, Qin Yang smoothly stood up.

"Defendant Zhao Xiaoxiao, it’s your turn to take the stand!"

Old Li also chimed in at the right time, summoning Zhao Xiaoxiao to the stand.

Because the counter-witness had finished testifying and the cross-examination was over, it was your turn to come forward.

Zhao Xiaoxiao took the stand with a bitter face, looking displeased.

"Defendant Zhao Xiaoxiao, I am giving you one last opportunity; if you plead guilty, the prosecution might consider leniency in sentencing!"

Facing Zhao Xiaoxiao, Qin Yang, though confident of his victory, still retained a trace of rationale.

Instead of immediately pursuing the victory, he opted for a strategy to win hearts and minds.

He felt that Zhao Xiaoxiao might stubbornly refuse to admit guilt, and choosing a forceful approach might backfire.

So he adopted a gentler strategy, focusing on persuasion.

Zhao Xiaoxiao was indeed affected, hesitantly looking towards Zhang Wei.

But Zhang Wei showed no reaction, only furrowing his brows with a solemn expression.

"Defendant, this is your only chance, do you plead guilty or not?" Qin Yang pressed once more.

"I..."

Zhao Xiaoxiao found it difficult, unsure of how to choose.

"Are you pleading guilty or not?"

"I... I..."

"The choice is in your hands, you only have one chance, make it quickly..."

"Don’t plead guilty!"

Amid Qin Yang’s consecutive suggestions, a stern shout interrupted him.

"Who is that?" He quickly turned around, looking towards the source of the sound.

Several men in black suits pushed open the grand doors of the courtroom and walked in, surrounding a figure.

"Zhao Qingyan!"

"He actually came!"

"Finally, Uncle Zhao!"

Qin Yang, Zhang Lang, and Zhang Wei all had different reactions to the newcomer.

Qin Yang furrowed his brows, Zhang Lang looked slightly surprised, while Zhang Wei’s face lit up with joy.

Zhao Qingyan’s arrival meant that the matter could finally be resolved.

Zhao Qingyan walked straight into the courtroom, heading toward the defense bench.

The court guard initially wanted to stop him, but was halted by a look from Old Li.

With the court guard’s permission, Zhao Qingyan made his way to the defense bench, coming face to face with Zhang Wei.

"Uncle Zhao, have you completed it?"

"Indeed, I have completed it, and it’s exactly as you predicted. You really have a divine insight; you nearly guessed the whole truth!"

"So, Zhang Lang really has an issue?"

"Yes, it’s all in here, the evidence you need to absolutely defeat him!"

As he spoke, Zhao Qingyan pulled out a black USB drive from his pocket.

Upon seeing this USB drive, many people in the courtroom instinctively looked toward the prosecution bench.

Tan Yingying’s face turned ashen, a picture of utter despair.

She shakily stood up, cautiously approached Zhang Wei, bowed her head to receive the USB drive from Zhao Qingyan’s hand, then tremblingly returned to the prosecution bench under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Zhao Qingyan was somewhat surprised—how could this girl be so sensible?

He hadn’t even spoken yet, and she had already come forward to lend him a hand?

But his focus wasn’t on this at the moment.

"Well then, Zhang, I’m counting on you for what comes next!"

"Don’t worry, Uncle Zhao, I will definitely resolve this matter successfully!"

Zhao Qingyan, having received the promise, nodded solemnly to Zhang Wei and walked back to a corner of the visitor’s gallery.

Now, he would witness the conclusion of this trial with his own eyes.

Upon receiving Zhao Qingyan’s affirmative response, the corners of Zhang Wei’s mouth involuntarily curled up in a cold smirk.

His gaze toward Zhang Lang suddenly filled with pity.

"Judge Li, Senior Procuratorate Qin, before our client decides whether to plead guilty or not, may I ask the court to allow us to present the new evidence we have obtained?"

"This..."

Old Li and Qin Yang both hesitated for a moment.

Old Li glanced at Qin Yang, he didn’t really care.

After all, the prosecution had hidden a witness, whereas at least Zhang Wei had not hidden anyone.

Qin Yang’s hesitation was due to the fact that he could have closed the case, but was unexpectedly disrupted by the arrival of Zhao Qingyan.

And it seemed that Zhao Qingyan and Zhang Wei might have a new ace up their sleeves.

To agree or not?

Or to refuse and take a hard stance?

"What if I refuse?" Qin Yang tentatively inquired.

"That’s fine, but tomorrow I’ll send the evidence to the Longdu District Procuratorate Office, then to the higher Procuratorate, and finally to the Supreme Court. It’s no issue if Senior Procuratorate Qin disagrees—the first to be investigated afterward would simply be you."

Zhang Wei laughed, spreading his hands nonchalantly.

Blackmail!

Barefaced blackmail!

Zhang Wei seemed to be telling Qin Yang that he possessed enough evidence to turn the tables and dared Qin to challenge it.

If you dare not challenge it, no problem, there are others in Longdu who will.

And if someone from Longdu takes over, the first thing they’ll investigate is why you were afraid to challenge it!

Why, did you receive some benefit that made you afraid to take on this evidence?

Qin Yang’s lips twitched, and after carefully considering Zhang Wei’s threat, he made his decision.

"Alright then, I agree."

A true man can bend and stretch. As an experienced prosecutor, he naturally understood what was at stake.

"However, I am still in the midst of cross-examination. Who will speak next?"

"If Senior Procuratorate Qin doesn’t mind, may I, as a junior, present the evidence first? After you’ve seen the new evidence, you can then consider whether to let my client plead guilty."

"This... alright..."

Qin Yang, left with no choice, stepped down from the courtroom.

Zhang Wei, after giving Zhao Xiaoxiao an encouraging look, approached the witness stand.

"In order to fully present the new evidence, we wish to call Mr. Zhang from the CSB Department to take the stand once again!"

Now, the pressure was on the prosecution.