Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 443 - 439: The Second Daughter Faces Difficulties, The Truth is Most Important!

Chapter 443: Chapter 439: The Second Daughter Faces Difficulties, The Truth is Most Important!

Zhao Xiaoxiao stood at the entrance of the Procuratorate Headquarters, pausing for a moment.

She looked at the unimposing gate in front of her, hesitated for a bit and, after stamping her foot, chose to enter.

On the second floor, near the pantry, was the office of the Serious Crime Division.

At Xiao Baihe’s workstation, Zhao Xiaoxiao saw Zhang Wei.

"Yo, you’re here, come on over!"

Zhang Wei waved her over.

"No, you come here!" But the latter shook her head, puzzling Zhang Wei.

Was the younger girl starting to show a bit of temper?

Zhang Wei had no choice but to follow Zhao Xiaoxiao out of the office and into a corner of the corridor.

The younger girl looked around and even knocked on the doors of several nearby offices to ensure nobody was hiding inside before pulling Zhang Wei into one.

"What’s up, younger girl, why all the secrecy?"

Truth be told, Zhang Wei was getting scared—could it be the younger girl intended to do something to him?

Looking at the deserted office with no one around, it felt as if you could scream for help and neither heaven nor earth would respond.

"That..."

Just then, the younger girl spoke up, shy and seemingly struggling to continue.

Seeing her face flush and finding it hard to speak, Zhang Wei’s heart beat even faster.

She looked just like a girl smitten with the first flushes of love.

Could it be the younger girl...

Zhang Wei exhaled and could only sigh, "Ah, Xiao Xiao, just say what you have to say, I definitely won’t tell anyone."

It looked like their "father-daughter" relationship was going to undergo a slight change after today.

"It’s... that is... there’s a case... I was hoping you could help out with..."

Under Zhang Wei’s gaze, Zhao Xiaoxiao took her time with her words, finally revealing her purpose.

"Ha, a case?"

Zhang Wei was speechless—just speak up if it’s a case, instead of making it so serious.

Who am I?

I’m Zhang Wei, a criminal defense lawyer; litigation is my job, and cases are my work.

Just call me about a case, right?

"Yeah, a case, and a tricky one at that."

"Which of the cases I take on isn’t tricky?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, even feeling like laughing.

Since graduating from law school, Zhang Someone had never dealt with an easy case.

"Who’s the client, and who’s the party involved? What’s the case about?"

"I heard it’s related to airline security."

Hearing Zhao Xiaoxiao say this, Zhang Wei laughed, "Airline security, what a coincidence. Old Xiao also asked me to assist with a case about airline security."

"The client’s name is Chai Jingjing."

"Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"The party involved is Cui Yibin."

"Hey, that’s even more of a coincidence; it’s exactly the same as the defendant in Old Xiao’s case... wait a second..."

Zhang Wei’s smile suddenly faded from his face.

He finally realized what kind of case the younger girl was bringing him.

"Say that again!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao lowered her head, but repeated, "The client’s name is Chai Jingjing, the party involved is Cui Yibin, and the case is about airline security..."

Zhang Wei finally understood how troublesome this case was going to be.

"Is the client Chai Jingjing Cui Yibin’s girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Did Chai Jingjing come to you to find me?"

"Yes."

"Did Cui Yibin hack into the airline’s server, nearly causing two planes to collide?"

"Yes."

"Do you know that I’ve already accepted Old Xiao’s request to serve as a consultant for the prosecution in this case?"

"Yes—no, no, I didn’t know that..."

Hearing Zhang Wei’s sharp tone, Zhao Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head.

"Second miss, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but you’re too late," Zhang Wei said, as he patted the second miss on the shoulder and consoled her, "However, don’t take it to heart. Even if I had agreed, it would have been useless, because the prosecution already has a defense lawyer."

"What do you mean, what’s this already has a defense lawyer thing?"

"It means when Chai Jingjing came to look for you, she had no idea that her boyfriend Cui Yibin had already found a lawyer to represent him," Zhang Wei explained as he pulled out his phone and opened a photo, "Here, this is Cui Yibin’s defense lawyer, Li Meijia from the Blackfoot Law Firm."

"What a social media influencer’s face after plastic surgery..."

Upon seeing the photo on the phone, and the face of the woman in it, Zhao Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but blurt out a critique.

"Yeah, the most outrageous thing about this woman is that she’s not a lawyer from Dragon Country but an international lawyer who doesn’t even have a record of appearing in court in Dragon Country."

"So, what should I do next?"

"It’s simple, just refuse..."

While saying this, Zhang Wei suddenly thought of something and shook his head, "No, you can’t go see Chai Jingjing anymore."

"Because Special Forces’ Guider Zhou has appointed you as an expert witness for the prosecution in this case, a cyber technology expert witness. That means you’re now part of the prosecution, and as a member of the prosecution experts’ team, if you have private contact with the defendant’s girlfriend, you might be accused of obstructing justice!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhang Wei immediately gripped Zhao Xiaoxiao’s shoulders and warned her with earnest, "Second miss, the personnel arrangements for this case have now been confirmed. You and Chai Jingjing are both related parties in this case. You absolutely must not have any private contact, got it?"

Zhao Xiaoxiao nodded subconsciously.

"Remember, you are a witness for the prosecution, and she’s the girlfriend of a defendant. Your prior meeting could be excused by the judicial system’s delayed notification, but now that I’ve clearly informed you of the conflict of interest, you must absolutely not contact Chai Jingjing, understand?"

"You don’t need to say it so many times. I got it!"

"Good!"

Seeing the second miss nod, Zhang Wei finally felt relieved.

This second miss, though sometimes a bit headstrong, should still know right from wrong when it counts.

That being the case, he was reassured.

"Then let’s go join Old Xiao; she also has some technical problems with network issues and needs your help!"

"Ow~~"

Zhang Wei walked out of the office with Zhao Xiaoxiao and noticed that many people in the hallway were looking their way.

Several female prosecutors were glancing at them, whispering and gossiping among themselves.

Zhang Wei perked up his ears and listened for a bit.

The majority of the words these women mentioned were "inappropriate behavior," "taking advantage of that young girl," "being licentious during work hours," and so on.

Zhang Wei cried foul; it was the second miss who looked for me, what’s wrong with whispering to each other?

Haven’t you ever whispered to your second misses?

Come on, second miss, explain.

Zhang Wei looked back and saw Zhao Xiaoxiao with her head down, looking the victim of bullying.

Guess explanations are useless now.

Under their scornful eyes, Zhang Wei took Zhao Xiaoxiao back to the Serious Crime Division Office.

"Old Xiao, here’s your expert Xiao Xiao, from my house. Ask her if there’s anything you don’t understand."

"Okay!" Xiao Baihe nodded and asked Zhao Xiaoxiao to sit beside her.

"Alright, Zhang Wei, there’s nothing for you here anymore. Go wherever you need to go."

"Well then, seems like I’m being tossed aside after being used up?"

Zhang Wei never expected that Old Xiao, with bushy eyebrows and large eyes, would turn out to be this kind of an ungrateful character.

So now that you have the second miss, you don’t need me anymore, right?

"Alright, chat away, then. I’m going back."

"Xiao Xiao, remember to come home for dinner. I’m off work now."

Having said this and given a final reminder to the second miss, Zhang Wei left the Procuratorate Headquarters and headed back to Lin Mansion.

Zhao Xiaoxiao had spent a long time at the Procuratorate Headquarters; Xiao Baihe asked her many questions, even taking notes, consuming a lot of time.

It was not until after 7 p.m. that Xiao Baihe finally wrapped up her work.

"Sorry for holding you up so long, Xiao Xiao. I didn’t realize there was so much to computer technology. But how did you get to master it? You’re not old, yet your skills are even better than those in the IT department."

"Heh..."

Of course, Zhao Xiaoxiao wouldn’t say it was all due to her father’s influence.

Xiao Baihe could tell Zhao Xiaoxiao wasn’t too enthusiastic and probably wanted to be off work.

"Well then, thanks for today. Hurry up and off you go, or you might miss dinner and let that rascal Zhang Wei eat it all."

"Okay."

After bidding farewell to Xiao Baihe, Zhao Xiaoxiao also left the Procuratorate Headquarters, preparing to take the subway back to Lin Mansion.

But just as she was stepping off the elevator, she saw someone already waiting for her in front.

Chai Jingjing!

Seeing the other party, she subconsciously wanted to greet her.

"Don’t, don’t, don’t have anything to do with Chai Jingjing again!"

But suddenly, a sentence flashed through her mind.

It was Zhang Wei’s warning!

Zhao Xiaoxiao immediately changed her direction, preparing to leave the subway station through another passageway.

But from behind, Chai Jingjing relentlessly pursued her.

"Miss Zhao, please wait a moment!"

"Please tell me, what did Lawyer Zhang say?"

"Miss Zhao, Miss Zhao Xiaoxiao..."

Chai Jingjing followed close behind Zhao Xiaoxiao, running and shouting at the same time.

As Zhao Xiaoxiao quickened her pace, so did she; Zhao Xiaoxiao changed direction, and she followed suit.

The two played a game of cat and mouse, running up and down, weaving left and right, circling around the subway station.

Zhao Xiaoxiao had given up herself, but unfortunately, Chai Jingjing still followed closely.

"I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you!"

Finally, Zhao Xiaoxiao found a secluded corner and spoke up.

"What about Lawyer Zhang, what did Lawyer Zhang say?"

"Zhang Wei said he can’t take the case because it already has a defense attorney, a woman named Li Meijia. If you’re looking for someone, go find her!"

"I didn’t know that. Actually, I didn’t seek out this lawyer myself; the other party took the initiative to represent my boyfriend, and I agreed without thinking. Later, I realized that Lawyer Zhang Wei is the most formidable lawyer in Dongfang Capital, so I thought to seek your help." Chai Jingjing explained.

"That’s no use, the defense attorney has been decided, looking for Zhang Wei is pointless."

"But..."

"There are no buts, now Zhang Wei is the prosecution’s adviser, involved in the case, and I am also on the side of the prosecution. Theoretically, I shouldn’t even be in contact with you!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao made a move to leave, but Chai Jingjing continued to follow her closely.

"Aren’t you annoying, I told you, there’s nothing left to discuss. Your defense already has a lawyer, Zhang Wei can’t help you!"

"That, Miss Zhao, I know it’s very embarrassing to ask, but I still want to beg you to confirm something because A’Bing must be innocent!"

"Whether he’s innocent or not will be determined by the court!"

"I know, but some evidence can’t be presented in court."

As she spoke, Chai Jingjing produced a USB drive from her pocket.

"I don’t understand much about digital signatures, but A’Bing said he didn’t commit the crime. This here is his digital signature; you just need to compare it with the evidence sealed by the Special Ops Team and the Cyber Investigation Division."

"Digital signature?"

Zhao Xiaoxiao looked at the USB drive, her eyes heavy with concern.

"Then why don’t you submit this evidence to the Investigation Division or publicly present it as part of your defense?"

"Because the prosecution already has a digital signature as evidence, but that signature was forged by the actual hacker. Ordinary people can’t tell, including your prosecutors’ technicians who haven’t spotted the error, so the prosecution will definitely say that the evidence in my hands is forged."

Chai Jingjing, her voice filled with pleading, said, "This USB drive contains A’Bing’s real digital signature. You are an extremely skilled hacker, you can surely find flaws in the evidence. Just by comparing, you will notice that the two are different."

"If I submit the evidence, the prosecution might not accept it or even question its authenticity. I can’t take the risk, please, Miss Zhao, help us."

"A’Bing is innocent. If because of this evidence the prosecution refuses to accept it and he gets convicted, wouldn’t that be a travesty of justice?"

Seeing Chai Jingjing so earnest, Zhao Xiaoxiao hesitated countless times within her heart.

Her hand lifted then dropped, her lips moved several times, her small face filled with indecision.

In the end, she could no longer bear the weight of her own compassion and her hope for justice, and she accepted the USB drive.

"Let me make it clear, I’ll inspect the signature on this USB drive. Only after confirming there’s no issue will I help you out."

"Likewise, I have to say, if Cui Yibin’s digital signature differs from the prosecution’s evidence, I’ll inform Zhang Wei and the others. But if the signatures match, then I’m sorry."

"Lastly, this is the last time I’m helping you, from now until the case is over, please don’t show up in front of me!"

In the last sentence, Zhao Xiaoxiao’s tone was emphatic, with a clear warning.

"Thank you, Miss Zhao Xiaoxiao, you truly are a kind person. On behalf of both me and A’Bing, thank you!"

Overwhelmed with relief, Chai Jingjing sank to her knees, covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Zhao Xiaoxiao, seeing the place deserted, quickly shook her head and rushed into the subway station.

...

o’clock in the evening.

Zhao Xiaoxiao finally returned to Lin Mansion.

"Second miss, we were all waiting for you!"

Zhang Wei had already prepared dinner and was waiting.

However, he was puzzled. "Old Xiao just messaged me, said you got off work at 7, and the subway ride home is at most 30 minutes. How come you’re so much later than expected?"

"What’s wrong, can’t I walk around a bit outside?"

"Sure, why not?"

Hearing the second miss’s familiar tone of voice, Zhang Wei laughed.

This second young lady finally agrees to go out, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

"Alright, the food is still warm, let’s hurry up and eat!"

Zhang Wei quickly served Zhao Xiaoxiao rice and dishes, bustling about.

Watching Zhang Wei busy himself, Zhao Xiaoxiao felt somewhat touched.

During the meal, after Zhao Xiaoxiao moved her chopsticks a few times, she hesitantly looked at Zhang Wei.

"What’s the matter, is there something else?"

"Well, I just wanted to ask, has the prosecution confirmed that the criminal is Viper?"

Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment but still answered, "It should be, Old Xiao said the evidence is conclusive."

However, having said that, he himself laughed.

When the prosecution claims the evidence is conclusive, as if it’s ironclad, they often are too confident.

The advantage is on my side?

Haha, the advantage is always in the hands of the person who controls the truth.

"Second young lady, what’s with you today, feeling a bit sentimental?"

"I was just asking casually, after all, this is no small case."

"Is it? I actually think this case isn’t a big deal, anyway, there were no casualties, and that Cui Yibin deserved his punishment."

Zhang Wei nonchalantly shoveled a mouthful of rice, appearing indifferent.

"But what if, what if he’s innocent?"

"Whether he’s innocent or not is for the court to decide!"

"That’s your response too?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind!" Zhao Xiaoxiao quickly changed the subject, "I mean, is there any possibility that Cui Yibin is innocent?"

"That’s hard to say, unless there’s decisive evidence proving he didn’t do it."

Hearing this, Zhao Xiaoxiao’s eyes started to whirl around.

"What if, what if I can find the evidence?"

"Evidence, what evidence?" Zhang Wei became interested.

"You’re so silly, it’s the digital signature!"

As Zhao Xiaoxiao spoke, she gestured with her chopsticks, "Think about it, if it was truly done by Viper, then the digital signature would be his, right? Just compare his digital signature, and wouldn’t everything be clear?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it..."

Zhang Wei also nodded, but then he became puzzled, "But where would you get Viper’s digital signature? Aren’t your hackers’ digital signatures your own secrets?"

"Don’t worry about that, I have Viper’s digital signature!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao said this and glanced at her clothes pocket.

Zhang Wei narrowed his eyes, "Could it be that you..."

Zhao Xiaoxiao quickly looked down, her face full of nervousness.

This guy, could he have noticed something?

"Good one, second young lady, back when you were in the chat room, did you also hack into other people’s computers?"

Zhang Wei suddenly laughed out loud, making such a guess.

Zhao Xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief, secretly thinking that was close.

This guy is really something, finding excuses for her just like that.

"Yeah, that’s how it is, I have Viper’s digital signature, just a comparison, and we’ll know if it was him."

"Okay then, I’ll go to the Procuratorate Headquarters tomorrow, talk with Old Xiao, and see what she thinks."

Zhang Wei said, pointing at the dish on the table, "Here, second young lady, I reward you with a chicken leg!"

"I don’t want it, I’ll be too full."

"Eat more, you need to eat well to put on weight."

"Go to hell!"

The pleasant dinner ended.

Zhao Xiaoxiao dashed upstairs quickly, then inserted the USB drive she had gotten from Chai Jingjing into a laptop.

After running a search program ten times and triple-checking that there was no virus inside the drive, she operated it again.

On the screen, a long string of characters appeared, the suffix name was indeed "Viper."

This was Cui Yibin’s digital signature.

Seeing the signature appear, Zhao Xiaoxiao let out a breath of relief.

Now, she could explore the truth.

Just as Zhang Wei had said earlier, the truth is the most important!