Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 467 - 463: Preliminary Hearing, Sympathy, A Friend Borrowing Money?

Chapter 467: Chapter 463: Preliminary Hearing, Sympathy, A Friend Borrowing Money?

Monday, the day of the pre-trial hearing.

At the city courthouse, in the judge’s office.

"Yesterday the chief judge gave me a call, and it was clear he hadn’t expected the issue with public opinion online either."

"He called me on his day off and even made a point to emphasize this case; you can imagine how upset I am right now, can’t you?"

"I’m dying to give you all a shouting at this very moment. I know some swear words are unpleasant to hear, but they’re already stuck in my throat!"

Judge Ni Qiuping sat in her judicial seat, facing the three people before her with an expression that read "I’m about to lose my temper."

However, since it was Judge Ni Qiuping, this look seemed all too natural to Zhang Wei.

"Old Ni, calm down a bit. It’s just some online public opinion; just take it easy~"

"Look at me, I never pay attention to those online comments about me. I still enjoy my meals and sleep soundly."

"In my opinion, both you and the chief judge are worrying over nothing. The online public opinion is managed by the Department of Free Internet; why bother fretting over it?"

Zhang Wei laughed heartily and quickly tried to smooth things over with a few words.

"Shut your mouth!"

But Judge Ni Qiuping glared at him fiercely.

However, how much deterrent force that glare held was probably something both parties were well aware of.

Judge Ni Qiuping then turned her attention to the opposing party.

Sitting upfront on a visitor’s chair was Master Tang, and standing before him in confrontation with Zhang Wei was his disciple Sun Kongwen.

"Judge Ni, as for this online public opinion, we are not aware of it, nor do we know how this opinion will affect the case to the extent that you’ve had to hold a private three-way discussion before the pre-trial," said Sun Kongwen.

Could you shut up as well?

You don’t know?

Do you think yourself too smart, or do you think I, Ni Qiuping, have a hole in my head to believe such a lie?

Half of yesterday’s top trending topic on Dongfang Capital’s network was your doing, wasn’t it?

To stand here and lie straight to my face, I must commend you for learning from a good master.

These words made Judge Ni Qiuping internally rant furiously.

Still, she managed to maintain a relatively calm demeanor.

"Fine then, I will tell you this: don’t even think about playing any underhanded tricks in this case. All of you, behave yourselves, or don’t blame me for being rude!"

After issuing the warning, Judge Ni Qiuping waved her hand, dismissing Zhang Wei, Sun Kongwen, and Master Tang from her office.

At the office door.

Zhang Wei and Master Tang walked out side by side, with the disciple, Sun Kongwen, following behind his master.

Both men took a few steps without speaking first.

"Old Tang, that wasn’t very kind of you."

In the end, it was Zhang Wei who broke the silence first.

"Lawyer Zhang, what do you mean by that?"

"Old Tang, there are no outsiders here; there’s no need to pretend."

Zhang Wei chuckled and whispered, "To have done in Yuan Dong and his old man, then frame me, and even pay to trend it online, getting trolls and haters to smear me— you’re trying to dirty my name!"

"Lawyer Zhang, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The deaths of Yuan Dong and his father have nothing to do with me," Master Tang initially denied, then smiled, "But what you did after was indeed a surprise to me. Even I didn’t expect that you wouldn’t deny it at all. Instead, you exposed the dirt on Fierce Tiger Hall!"

"That was all unconfirmed news I found at random, and, Master Tang..."

Zhang Wei continued, leaning closer to Master Tang’s ear and sneering, "These kinds of tactics, I stopped using decades ago."

Master Tang’s expression changed slightly but quickly settled down.

"Well then, Lawyer Zhang, let’s see who wins in court."

"Of course," replied Zhang Wei.

One after another, they entered the courtroom.

Zhang Wei took his place at the plaintiff’s bench, while Master Tang and his disciple sat at the defense bench.

Also at the defense bench was Qian Moli from Dongxing Securities.

At the moment, the executive Qian was looking at Zhang Wei and his people with a gaze filled with malice, mockery, and scorn.

On the plaintiff’s bench with Zhang Wei was Xia Qianyue, along with a couple and their daughter in their arms; Zhang Wei had specifically chosen this family as representatives.

A couple with a woman still in swaddling clothes— that’s what the jury pays the most attention to.

"All rise!"

As the court guard announced, Judge Ni Qiuping, clad in her pitch-black robes, entered the scene.

All those present rose to their feet and paid homage to her.

"Everyone, please take your seats!"

Once Judge Ni had taken her seat, she surveyed the courtroom and casually waved her hand once she confirmed that both the prosecution and defense were present.

Everyone sat down, and she turned her attention to the prosecution.

"Zhang Wei, you go first—hurry up!"

It seemed Old Ni had recovered her composure.

Naturally, Zhang Wei adjusted his collar and stepped up to the podium.

"Ahem, let me start with a brief introduction. I am the plaintiff’s representative lawyer, Zhang Wei, and the initiator of the class-action lawsuit against Dongxing Securities. But I believe many of you have seen the trending searches about me lately."

"However, I must admit I’m quite frightened at the moment. After all, facing off against the renowned Fierce Tiger Hall makes me so anxious~"

Upon these words, many in the public gallery turned to look, and several jury candidates glanced over as well.

At the defendant’s table, Master Tang glanced at the bench.

But Judge Ni returned his gaze with a piercing look, warning him not to talk too much.

This counterattack put a displeased expression on Master Tang’s face.

Since the judge had spoken, he couldn’t be bothered to argue.

After all, it was the plaintiff’s turn to speak, and they were making their claims, so there was no opportunity to interrupt and oppose.

After making light of his recent media attention, Zhang Wei finally got back to the main subject.

His expression sobered and he spoke earnestly, "Financial fraud—I’m sure many of you have come across it, right?"

"Doesn’t someone call you every day to pitch investment opportunities, recommend stocks to you, push you to speculate on futures in soybeans, postage stamps, oil, all sorts of agricultural products, and even precious metals?"

"I wonder, have you been tempted? Were you swayed by the returns they promised? Did you invest tens of thousands of yuan, expecting to make a fortune in the futures or financial market, to earn your first bucket of gold, or even to achieve financial independence?"

"But I must say, while the dream is beautiful, the reality is cruel!"

Zhang Wei said, shaking his head, "There’s a saying that’s quite apt: you’re eyeing their profits, but they’re eyeing your principal."

"My clients are just like that, like you, like me, like the millions who work in Dongfang Capital. They, too, had beautiful hopes for their dreams, and had plans to give their children a wonderful childhood..."

"Unfortunately!"

Zhang Wei clenched his teeth, pointed towards the defendant’s table with a furious demeanor, and said, "Unfortunately, all of that was destroyed by Dongxing Securities. The financial products they offered had no actual returns. Their stocks were counterfeit, unscrupulously vetted substandard stocks, risky stocks. Such stocks don’t even qualify for market ratings, commonly known as junk stocks!"

"Dongxing Securities failed to fulfill their duty to examine and furthermore carried out aggressive false advertising. They fabricated earnings on stocks to swindle investors’ principal amount, and ultimately employed a pump and dump strategy to mercilessly shear the investors like sheep. I believe this money must have gone straight into their own pockets!"

Zhang Wei pointed at Qian Moli and sneered, "Therefore, our demands are straightforward. Return the 20 billion yuan in principal that have been defrauded from my clients and the other investors deceived by you. Moreover, we seek punitive damages against the negligent Dongxing Securities, in hopes that this action can serve as a warning and a lesson to them!"

Having finished his statement, Zhang Wei glanced at the jury and listening public, then walked back to the plaintiff’s table.

"Defense?"

Master Tang nodded at his senior apprentice, Sun Kongwen, who stood up.

"I am the defense attorney representative, Sun Kongwen, for this case. I would like to clarify that all accusations made by the prosecution against my client, General Manager Qian Moli, are unfounded."

"We at Dongxing Securities deeply regret any losses to investors, but the investment market is inherently about gains and losses. If everyone can accept making money, then why can’t they accept the losses?"

"Furthermore, after the incident, General Manager Qian actively cooperated with the Financial Bureau’s investigation, disclosing many of the company’s documents. Following the investigation, the Financial Bureau identified the suspect, Zhan Qingze."

As Sun Kongwen spoke, he emphasized loudly, "It can be said that Zhan Qingze is the true culprit who should be held accountable for the investors’ losses. My client is innocent and is, in fact, a victim too!"

Judge Ni nodded, looked over, and said, "Defense, what I understand is that you are suggesting your client is not responsible for the market risks or the investors’ losses, right?"

"Yes, Judge Ni, that is precisely what I mean!"

Sun Kongwen nodded, then likewise returned to his seat.

Judge Ni nodded towards both parties, acknowledging she understood their respective claims.

"Court Guard, please bring in the jury!"

At Judge Ni’s command, the jury candidates entered the courtroom.

At the plaintiff’s table, Zhang Wei and Xia Qianyue leaned in close for a quiet discussion.

"This is a civil lawsuit, so we only need six jurors. We need to choose wisely!"

"How do we pick?"

"It’s simple..." Zhang Wei glanced at the plaintiff’s family beside him.

"We need empathetic people, excluding those who are full of themselves. It’s just like the last criminal case, only in reverse!"

With that, he stood up and approached the jury candidates.

"May I ask, do all of you have a television at home?"

This question caught the jury off-guard.

They looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.

These days, who doesn’t have a TV at home?

"So please imagine this scenario, you’re about to watch TV with your child, or a relative’s child, or a friend’s child, but at this moment, the child wants to watch ’Teletubbies’, while you want to watch a ’Man vs. Wild’ documentary. What would you do?"

"And ma’am, what would you do?"

Zhang Wei said, looking towards a woman dressed in business attire.

"I would hand over the remote control to the child."

Upon hearing this question, quite a few people nodded their heads.

Certainly, she seemed like a responsible adult.

"Oh, I see, may I ask another question, then? What’s your reason?"

"Because I don’t watch ’Man vs. Wild’ type of documentaries."

"Then what kind of shows do you watch?"

"I watch makeup shows, beauty programs, that sort of thing, because I’m a cosmetics salesperson."

Hearing the woman’s response, Zhang Wei’s eyes gleamed, "Then what would you do if the child wants to watch ’Teletubbies’, but it happens to be during the beauty talk show at 6 pm on the weekend?"

The woman’s face turned cold after hearing this, "I’d send the child off to play elsewhere. Nobody can stop me from watching the weekend beauty talk show!"

"Thank you for your response, ma’am."

Now, Zhang Wei fully understood.

"Judge Ni, the prosecution requests to dismiss this juror."

Judge Ni Qiuping gave the woman a look, and she stood up and left her seat.

"And what about you, sir?"

"I might let them have it, kids, you know, it’s right to give way to them."

"Oh, is that so, then may I ask, what is your occupation?"

"I own a store that sells toys. I just love kids; they’re the main buyers in my shop."

"Thank you for your response."

Zhang Wei turned his head, looking towards Ni Qiuping, "The prosecution accepts this witness."

Afterward, Zhang Wei questioned several more people, eliminating some and accepting others.

"It’s your turn now!" Zhang Wei smiled at the defense bench as he stepped down from the podium.

Master Tang remained calm, while Sun Kongwen furrowed his brows and stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, at its core, this case is about conflicts in the investment market. So, I want to ask you all, do you participate in investments in your daily lives, such as stocks, funds, bank time deposits, or even insurance investment products, and so on?"

Many people nodded their heads.

"Then may I ask, can you accept losses in your investments?"

Again, quite a few people nodded their heads.

"Sir, what kind of investment do you engage in?"

"I trade stocks, but you know how the stock market is," the man said, chuckling to himself.

"Yes, trading stocks, but lately there have been many losses, you seem to take it quite well?"

"Of course, in stock trading, it’s normal to have gains and losses. If it comes down to it, I’ll just sell a house and keep trading~"

Sun Kongwen was very pleased with the man’s words.

"Judge Ni, the defense accepts this juror."

After that, Sun Kongwen engaged in thorough yet straightforward discussions with the jury about investment issues.

Many people were able to accept investment losses, but there were also some who couldn’t.

And those who couldn’t were all dismissed by his right to eliminate.

"The defense has completed their screening. Lawyer Zhang, would you like to continue?"

Having obtained some of the jurors he wanted, Sun Kongwen offered the opportunity to question them back to the prosecution.

"Of course!"

Zhang Wei stood up and walked to the front of the prospective jurors.

"May I ask if you all are married, and if you are, please raise your hand."

The jurors looked at each other, but still, many raised their hands.

"Does being divorced count?" a man whispered.

"Of course!" Zhang Wei nodded, then immediately asked, "Sir, since you’ve mentioned it, may I ask why you’re divorced? If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to answer."

Yet, the man smiled, his face calm, "I found out my wife was having an affair with our neighbor!"

Although this statement had no specific color, after hearing it, many people unconsciously envisioned a shade of green.

"Sir, I sympathize with your experience and am willing to accept you as a juror,"

The man was surprised. Usually, when such a question was asked and he responded, wouldn’t he be removed?

Why did the plaintiff’s side accept him?

On the bench, Ni Qiuping was taken aback for a moment.

But she didn’t quite understand the routine of Zhang Wei’s questioning, so she could only jot down some information in her notes.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the second question, do you all have friends?"

Quite a few people looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering what kind of question that was—in this day and age, who didn’t have friends?

"Then, have your friends ever asked to borrow money from you?"

"Those who have lent money, please raise your hand!"

Many people glanced at each other, and eventually, two people raised their hands.

"May I ask the two of you, after your friends borrowed money, did they repay you?"

Both laughed bitterly, their expressions a mix of resignation and anger.

"It wasn’t much, so I just counted as losing a friend," one woman responded quite generously.

"So sir, since your friend didn’t repay the money, did you also consider him no longer a friend?"

"Wouldn’t that be letting him off too easily. If he doesn’t repay the money he borrowed, does he think I’m a fool?"

The man snorted coldly, an agitated look on his face, "I’ve already contacted a lawyer and am preparing to send him a legal letter. I must get my money back, otherwise, I’d feel really uncomfortable!"

"Oh, I see!"

Zhang Wei was very satisfied with the man’s answer and said to the judge, "Judge Ni, the prosecution accepts this juror."

Ni Qiuping was surprised again. You accept this man—what exactly are you planning?

However, she quickly hammered and announced, "Alright, we now have a jury. After lunch, the formal hearing will begin at 2 PM. Remember to be punctual; don’t be late!"

After issuing the warning, Ni Qiuping stood up and left the bench first.

The court began to disperse.

"Zhang Wei, what was the meaning of your last question? When friends borrow money, isn’t it common for many people not to repay it?"

Just as the court was dismissed, Xia Qianyue couldn’t help but ask.

"My last question was actually to find someone who cannot forgive a defaulter," Zhang Wei explained, gesturing towards Qian Moli.

"Dongxing Securities definitely exhibited negligence in this case. It was their lax auditing that allowed substandard stocks to be listed, causing huge losses for investors. This goes against their promise to protect the safety of investors’ assets!"

"That last question of mine secured us a powerful juror. If he can play a certain role within the jury, and we can prove the fault lies with Dongxing Securities and Qian Moli, then we have a chance of winning!"

Xia Qianyue seemed to understand and nodded in agreement.

"Lawyer Zhang!"

It was at this moment that Sun Kongwen approached.

"Here is the list of witnesses for the defense. Please take a look," he said.

"A list of defense witnesses, given to me so early? Today should only be about opening statements, right? If you plan to update the list later, wouldn’t that be..."

"Since there are quite a few witnesses on the list, we thought we’d give you an idea in advance," Sun Kongwen explained, handing over a list crammed with names to Zhang Wei.

"Goodness, have you listed the entire staff of Dongxing Securities?"

"We had no choice. Ms. Qian has the trust of the company’s employees—many of them are ready to testify in court, so I’ve decided to let them all come to support Ms. Qian at the scene," Sun Kongwen said, smiling, "Lawyer Zhang, I trust a few extra witnesses won’t make a difference to you, right?"

"Yeah, it doesn’t bother me," Zhang Wei replied indifferently.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s calm demeanor, Sun Kongwen didn’t linger and went straight to meet up with his mentor.

Looking at the dense list of names, Zhang Wei’s expression darkened.

"Are they trying to drag this out to death with so many witnesses, to buy time?"

Zhang Wei saw through Master Tang’s intentions at a glance, but this was within his expectations.

After all, they needed to prove Dongxing Securities’ negligent acts to win.

And Dongxing Securities had many ways to win.

One of the safest methods was to delay—to wait until Zhan Qingze recovered, to drag it out until he was tried and convicted!

Therefore, the case needed to be resolved swiftly!