Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 437 - 433: Arguing Over This? Sudden Changes Arise!

Chapter 437: Chapter 433: Arguing Over This? Sudden Changes Arise!

At the gala.

Although it was nominally an auction, everyone knew that the main event was showboating and gaining visibility in front of the big shots.

If you managed to get noticed by some business partners, or future business partners, consider yourself a success.

But that didn’t mean some people were simple-minded enough to bid on items whose value clearly didn’t match up.

Take the exhibit on the display stand right now, for example. Some spatial constructivist work—doesn’t it just look like a bunch of boxes and crates glued together with clay?

And the other party clearly had no sincerity, daring to start the bidding at 10 million. Weren’t they just blatantly treating everyone like fools?

The moment everyone saw the exhibit and heard the price, the same thought crossed their minds.

No way, no way, nobody’s really going to bid on this, right?

And what happened?

Not only did a silly person participate, but he even declared his name loud and clear as if he was afraid others wouldn’t know.

"Zhang Wei?"

"Isn’t that the lawyer?"

"Keep it down, do you have a death wish? That’s the infamous homicide lawyer, lower your voice!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot, wasn’t it Cheng Lisha who he...?"

"Shh, keep it down. Don’t let him hear you, or we’re all done for!"

Quite a few people nearby had heard of Zhang Wei’s name, and some even went out of their way to clear a path for him.

But Zhang Wei said he was used to it, letting these people "slander" him all they wanted.

And he was successful!

He successfully got noticed by everyone present, even though others thought he was simple-minded.

But he was now the center of attention.

"Ahem, I said I bid 10 million. Does anyone else want to raise the bid?"

Zhang Wei looked around again, making sure no one was raising the bid.

"Host, since no one is raising the bid, does that mean this collection now belongs to me?"

"This..."

The female host was also stunned. The kind of talk about contributing a gesture of goodwill she had mentioned before was all in jest.

And now there was really a fool spending 10 million on such a thing?

If this "simple-minded person" wants it, I don’t mind.

She glanced around and noticed many big shots looking over, then publicly declared, "Since Mr. Zhang is willing to offer 10 million, then..."

"I bid 11 million!"

Just before the host could finish her announcement, there was another bid from a private room upstairs.

This time, the people at the gala were all unsettled.

They looked towards the second-floor private room, then back to the exhibition hall’s treasure, with puzzled expressions.

Was this thing really that valuable?

But no matter how they looked at it, wasn’t the item just a bunch of cardboard boxes stuck together with clay? Had the aesthetic standard really evolved to this extent?

They didn’t understand!

They couldn’t make sense of it!

Many wanted to see who it was that was contending with Zhang Wei for this piece.

And the person who came downstairs surprised everyone once more.

Hu Yaode!

What’s crucial was his identity.

He was a senior partner at Blackfoot Law Firm.

And naturally, the boss of Blackfoot Law Firm was Duanmu Heizu himself.

So here was the question.

Why was Hu Yaode bidding on his boss’s belongings?

Did his boss actually treasure it, so he wanted to show his loyalty?

If Duanmu Heizu couldn’t bear to part with it, why auction it?

And to demonstrate loyalty, did it need to cost so much money?

But everyone knew that there seemed to be some exciting drama unfolding next.

Because they all remembered that there was supposed to be bad blood between Zhang Wei and Hu Yaode.

"Lawyer Hu, are you sure you want to bid against me?"

Zhang Wei also looked at Hu Yaode coming down, with a puzzled expression.

Heaven and earth be my witness, he had really just come to gain some visibility, nothing more.

But look at you, showing loyalty to your boss in front of everyone?

"What, can’t I join the bidding?"

Hu Yaode obviously wasn’t intimidated by Zhang Wei and retorted.

Although he had lost to Zhang Wei in court, this wasn’t a courtroom, this was an auction, where money speaks.

"Lawyer Hu bids 11 million. Does anyone else wish to continue bidding?"

The female host also took the opportunity to state the price once again.

Hu Yaode, with a bid of 11 million, was contesting the item belonging to Duanmu Heizu.

"15 million!" Zhang Wei didn’t hesitate for long and placed his bid.

Quite a few nearby were startled and inwardly exclaimed approval of the young man’s audacity. Had he lost his head?

Couldn’t he see that the other party might be maliciously driving up the price, just to make him pay more?

Anyway, many seasoned bidders believed they had figured out Hu Yaode’s purpose—to purely annoy Zhang Wei.

Making a bit of an impression in front of the boss, showing off his presence, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But when Zhang Wei’s bid reached 15 million, Hu Yaode’s expression changed slightly.

Similarly, Duanmu Heizu in the second-floor private room also had a change in expression.

"I finally understand why this kid is so annoying!"

"There’s a lot more that’s hateful about him!"

The voice of Li Meijia, who was in his arms, was equally icy cold.

Inside the hall.

"Mr. Zhang Wei bids 15 million, I wonder..."

"16 million!"

Just a short time after Zhang Wei’s bid, Hu Yaode raised the price again and stared intently at Zhang Wei.

His gaze seemed to warn Zhang Wei, take it easy, kid, I’m watching you.

"20 million!"

Zhang Wei barely hesitated before raising the bid by another 5 million on top of the previous amount.

"21 million!" Hu Yaode followed closely behind.

His tactic was to add 1 million on top of Zhang Wei’s price; although not much, it showed he was biting at his heels step by step.

"25 million!"

"26 million!"

"30 million!"

"31 million!"

Hearing Hu Yaode’s latest round of bidding, Zhang Wei was somewhat astonished.

He secretly thought Hu Yaode had some screw loose in his head.

If you want to show off in front of the leaders, do you have to go this far?

I’m buying this thing just for fun, and you want to compete for it?

Grinding his teeth, Hu Yaode looked ready to continue raising the price.

Zhang Wei couldn’t understand, are you really a simple-minded person with lots of money?

"49 million. If Lawyer Hu continues to bid, then I’ll gracefully bow out!"

Zhang Wei made a "please" gesture.

"50 million!"

Hu Yaode clenched his teeth and called out the final figure.

"You really are something, Old Hu, I thank you on behalf of the children in impoverished areas!"

Zhang Wei laughed out loud, as if to say thanks.

Hu Yaode’s expression turned frosty, but there was not a trace of rage. Instead, he nodded toward Duanmu Heizu’s private room on the second floor.

It was as though, all he did, was for his own boss.

This reaction puzzled Zhang Wei once again.

Why would you, Duanmu Heizu, put this thing up for auction only to have your subordinate bid for it?

In fact, Duanmu Heizu was also frustrated.

You talk about Zhang Wei, who had no good reason to fight over the "junk" I put up, I never thought anyone would bid on it.

Wouldn’t it have been better to let it go unsold, rather than forcing me to spend an extra 50 million to buy it back?

But the question is, why would Duanmu Heizu need to spend extra money to buy it back?

Probably only Zhang Wei was concerned about this issue.

Meanwhile, the attention of everyone else had returned to the auctioneer.

Because the item that just ended was the second-to-last piece in the collection.

And the finale of today’s exhibition was a legendary piece of rare jewelry.

"Thank you to the Blackfoot Law Firm, thank you to Lawyer Hu for your support, I believe with your 50 million donation..."

The auctioneer, as usual, expressed his thanks, which caused Hu Yaode below to grow darker in the face.

Would you ever finish? Do you have to bring it up, can’t you sense the mood?

Whether the auctioneer had any sense, no one knew.

But at that moment, the auctioneer suddenly announced: "Now, let us present the final piece in today’s collection."

"I’d also like to remind everyone that this item is not for sale, and the owner has requested that we do not disclose his name. So let’s witness the rare treasure of this anonymous owner."

As the auctioneer finished speaking, the lights in the entire hall suddenly dimmed.

It was pitch black, causing everyone to look around in confusion.

Wasn’t the darkness lasting a bit too long?

And if you’re showcasing jewelry, do you really need to turn off all the lights?

The auctioneer on stage was flustered. He remembered that backstage had told him the lights would be off for just about 10 seconds, so why was it almost a minute now and still no lights on.

"That... It seems there’s been a problem backstage..."

The auctioneer’s voice faltered.

Luckily, just as the minute was drawing to a close, the central lights finally flickered on.

A beam of light fell, and a glacial blue gemstone glinted on the display table.

Seeing this, the auctioneer sighed in relief.

That was close!

Despite the issue, it was good that the Heart of the Ocean was still there.

"Before this piece is presented to everyone, let me tell you a story. This is a tale about a poignant love story."

"It is said that a long, long time ago..."

Any heirloom jewelry, why it is remembered by people, aside from its own value, also carries something that people relish talking about.

That’s the backstory brought by the jewel!

A piece of jewelry itself can’t move people, but if it’s paired with a poignant love story, then it will definitely attract all women.

After all, once jewelry is bought, the ones who are most moved are women, and in the end, the jewelry still has to be worn by women.

"Eh, that woman?"

Zhang Wei wasn’t interested in listening to the story; the corner of his eye caught sight of someone who piqued his interest.

A woman!

A woman dressed in a waiter’s uniform, heading toward the entrance of the hall.

"Team Leader Lin!"

Zhang Wei quickly called out to Tie Ruyun and Lin Ruonan standing not far away, then chased after the woman.

Right at the exit of the hall, the woman prepared to leave.

"Stop!"

But a fierce shout interrupted her.

The voice came from behind, and by the sound of the footsteps, it was clear that it wasn’t just one person approaching her.

She looked ahead and discovered that, unbeknownst to her, a woman was now guarding the exit.

The woman turned back and saw three figures catching up to her.

After weighing the pros and cons, she decided it was better to go through the exit—there was only one woman guarding it, making it easier to break through.

So the woman charged toward the large hall exit, preparing to break through.

"Team Leader Lin, it’s up to you now!"

The woman blocking the exit ahead was none other than Lin Ruonan.

As Zhang Wei shouted, Lin Ruonan and the woman confronted each other.

Two women fighting—naturally, that was quite a sight to see.

Unfortunately, Zhang Wei couldn’t intervene, Tie Ruyun had no combat ability, and Jessica was good with a scalpel, but Zhang Wei couldn’t bear to let her fight for real.

The two women clashed, exchanging dozens of moves without a clear winner.

Lin Ruonan’s attacks were straightforward, every move unmasked.

But her opponent had a nimble figure and bizarre speed, managing to keep Lin Ruonan from even touching the hem of her garment for a good while.

"If only Silly were here!"

Watching the scene, Zhang Wei silently uttered a word of regret.

If it were Xia Qianyue, that woman might be lying down in a second.

"Old Tie, Team Leader Lin can’t handle it!"

Zhang Wei muttered again, poking Tie Ruyun’s arm.

The latter rolled his eyes.

What are you talking about, kid? If Lin Ruonan can’t deal with that woman, what does that have to do with me?

But just then, an unexpected change occurred!

Bang!

A loud noise came from within the auction hall.

"Damn, there’s a bomb too?"

Zhang Wei was stunned. What was going on? Why were there so many surprises today?

The explosion also caused the two fighting women to stop.

Lin Ruonan looked astonishedly into the hall, while her opponent took the opportunity to spring up and dashed out of the hall at high speed.

"Team Leader Lin, don’t chase after her, the inside matters more!"

Lin Ruonan was about to pursue, but Zhang Wei shouted at her.

Lin Ruonan thought about it and decided he was right—the inside was obviously more dangerous.

As a member of the Major Case Squad, she didn’t think twice before rushing into the hall.

Seeing this, Tie Ruyun gritted his teeth and then followed back into the hall.

Zhang Wei furrowed his brows tightly and said to Jessica, who was by his side, "Quick, get out, find your stinky little brother, and then inform Silly. Say there’s a situation inside the auction, she’ll contact Captain Wu!"

"Zhang, what about you?"

"I need to check on Uncle Zhao and the others, I don’t know if they’re at the scene!"

Zhang Wei sent Jessica to retreat to the parking lot to find Zhang Xinyan and to contact Xia Qianyue as well.

At such a time, with the situation inside unknown, he didn’t dare to let Jessica take risks.

The two separated, one heading outside to evacuate, the other rushing into the hall.

...

Inside the hall.

Ding-ding-ding...

The entire auction venue’s alarm bells rang following that explosion.

"Quick, protect the VIP guests!"

"Where are the security guards, where are the security guards?"

"What’s happening, hurry up and call the police, call the police!"

The auction scene, which had been orderly and civil just a moment ago, was now completely chaotic.

The center display room had turned into a large crater, and the Heart of the Ocean, which should have been on display, had simply vanished without a trace.

Rich smoke rose from the scene, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and a pungent gas.

When Zhang Wei arrived at the hall, he saw the chaotic exhibition room.

"Was the target the Heart of the Ocean? But what’s going on here?"

He looked around in confusion; the woman had left earlier, and the Heart of the Ocean was still there, but now it was missing.

Are these two different groups?

Then what is that woman’s objective?

And where is this second group? Where did they disappear to with the Heart of the Ocean?

"Wait, could the second group be?"

Zhang Wei’s mind instantly flashed back to the moment he had taken Jessica out, planning to cultivate their sentiments in a secluded spot.

That’s when two groups had appeared, the first was that woman, and the second were two men disguised as waiters, who had also vaguely mentioned a basement.

"There’s a saying that a gentleman doesn’t stand under a collapsing wall. Since it seems like there’s nothing wrong at the scene, then I might as well just..."

Zhang Wei was ready to bail.

But just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly started updating messages at a furious pace.

"What’s going on!"

As he walked outside, he opened his WeChat to check the messages.

[Mo Yuzhu: I’m in the underground storage room, there are a few criminals installing explosives outside. What should I do? Urgent, waiting online!]

[Xiao Baihe: ???]

[Zhao Xiaoxiao: ???]

[Jessica: Is Zhang Wei inside?]

[Xia Qianyue: Why are you in the basement, weren’t you going to attend the party with your dad?]

[Mo Yuzhu: I got bored, so I sneaked out looking for a quiet place to binge-watch dramas o(╥﹏╥)o]

[Mo Yuzhu: I didn’t expect that while following the drama, suddenly there was an explosion, and just as I was about to escape, they came, wuwuwu...]

[Mo Yuzhu: What now? I’m panicking, save me o(╥﹏╥)o]

[Mo Yuzhu: Save me, they’ve found me, I’m @#￥%&*...]

[Xia Qianyue: Zhuzhu, can you hear me? I’m coming to save you, respond as soon as you get this message!]

"This..."

Zhang Wei saw the messages on WeChat, especially the garbled text at the end, and was momentarily speechless.

Mo Yuzhu was also at the scene, and in the basement no less, close to the criminals.

That last line of garbled messages clearly meant she was caught, right?

Who the hell could have guessed this?

With a clenched jaw, Zhang Wei immediately turned around and rushed towards the auction house’s basement.

Fortunately, during his earlier explorations, he’d seen the layout of the corridors and knew how to get to the basement.

After taking several steps down the stairs and rushing into a corridor, the temperature suddenly dropped considerably.

The chilling air was pressing, and as his vision dimmed, Zhang Wei reached the auction house’s basement.

The space was large, with many collectibles stored, but Zhang Wei had no time to appreciate them.

Because right before his eyes appeared several men with unfriendly faces.

Two of them were still dressed as waiters, indeed the same fake waiters from before.

"Boss, another hostage!"

Upon seeing Zhang Wei, a fake waiter shouted to a man in a mask.

"Take him!"

The man gestured broadly and two people immediately took control of Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei didn’t fight back but let them push him to the ground, where his hands were bound by zip ties.

He secretly tried to muster his strength to break free, but the zip ties were tough to escape from.

Zhang Wei was held by the two men and then thrown to the ground.

As he struggled to get up, his head bumped into something soft.

"You’ve touched my chest..."

It was Mo Yuzhu’s voice, but she also had her hands tied and was looking down at Zhang Wei.

"Sorry... sorry..."

Zhang Wei, helpless, could only twist to sit up.

Mo Yuzhu didn’t mind, considering the circumstances, there were more important things to worry about.

"Did you come to save me?"

"I... yes, but it seems I overthought it..."

Zhang Wei really wanted to scratch his head, the situation was just too awkward.

"Thank you..."

Mo Yuzhu also bowed her head, but still whispered a word of thanks, albeit as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

She had been somewhat afraid, but with Zhang Wei at her side, her fear seemed to lessen quite a bit.

"Boss, the explosives are in place!"

Just then, one of the robbers in front suddenly yelled out.

"Detonate it now!"

Following a nod from the masked boss, a robber immediately started to prepare.

1, 2, 3... Boom!

Another explosion sounded inside the basement, blowing a large hole in one of the walls.

"Brothers, let’s move!"

"Remember to take the hostages, both of them. If we can’t get away later, they’ll be good for negotiating with the cops!"

The boss spoke again and reminded his men to grab Zhang Wei and the other person.

At this point, Zhang Wei was at a loss.

He and Mo Yuzhu had been captured just like that.