Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 470 - 466: Plaintiff’s Collapse? New Witness Wang Ru

Chapter 470: Chapter 466: Plaintiff’s Collapse? New Witness Wang Ru

(I will be busy all day today, so I’m updating at dawn!)

...

Because of the defense lawyer’s speech, the direction of the court was now almost completely one-sided.

If the trial ended now, the likelihood of Dongxing Securities winning would definitely be 100%.

This was obvious to everyone.

Zhang Wei could see it too—the advantage was in the enemy’s hands.

"Judge Ni, considering the defense lawyer’s speech has made it impossible for our client to control their emotions, we earnestly request a temporary adjournment for today!"

Ni Qiuping glanced at the witness stand, where Mr. Li’s eyes were red with emotion indeed somewhat agitated.

"Although you have finished your own testimony, Witness, and there’s no need for you to continue speaking, I will still give you some time to adjust your mindset."

Ni Qiuping said this and struck the gavel.

"This court announces a temporary adjournment for today. The next hearing will be in 24 hours. I hope both parties will not be late."

The court began to disperse.

However, the atmosphere in the court could only be described as delicate at this point.

Initially, many people sympathized with the plaintiff, which is why they came to observe the trial.

But now, they all realized that the plaintiff was simply a simple-minded person, and their sympathy evaporated.

"Look, Simple-minded person, this is human nature for you!"

Zhang Wei pointed at those who had originally sympathized with the plaintiff but were now mercilessly mocking them and explained as such.

"Mhm, I see," Xia Qianyue nodded earnestly with a look of having learned a lesson.

Zhang Wei, feeling helpless, could only then console Mr. and Mrs. Li.

However, it didn’t go well. At least, the couple both cried on the spot, clearly pessimistic about the trial result.

"Lawyer Zhang, you did quite well today~"

Just then, a sarcastic voice came through.

"Lawyer Sun, your performance wasn’t too shabby either. I bet in a few days, you’ll be able to graduate successfully and replace your master at Fierce Tiger Hall as the military advisor, allowing the old man to retire early and enjoy his old age," Zhang Wei mocked back in the same sarcastic tone.

"This..."

Sun Kongwen’s face changed, and he dared not respond.

Joking aside, his master was right behind him.

Even if it was true, and he had such intentions, some things just couldn’t be said openly.

"Zhang Wei, drop your little schemes. You think you can drive a wedge between me and my disciple with just a few words?"

Master Tang also came over, a cold glint in his eyes.

Though he said this, he grabbed his disciple and dragged him behind himself.

Now it was Master Tang standing face to face with Zhang Wei.

"Zhang Wei, let’s be frank, you have no case to fight. Your client has finished speaking, and I guess your side doesn’t have any strong evidence left," he said.

"Then Master Tang, what you’re implying is..."

"Withdrawing the case is your only way out!"

Master Tang said this, then laughed, "It’s the only way you can save face now!"

"Master Tang, you want to save my face?"

"If you can’t do it yourself, I will help you save face."

Master Tang said this and pointed in a certain direction, speaking coldly, "After you withdraw the case, we will all pretend nothing happened. I will also make President Qian stay silent about this matter. After all, everything is Zhan Qingze’s fault, and he should just accept being the scapegoat."

"Master Tang, have you forgotten? I took this case and sued Dongxing Securities precisely for Zhan Qingze!"

"But haven’t you already terminated your cooperation with him? He’s already been treated as a discarded piece. We can make that even more official..."

"I’m sorry, but I must decline!"

Facing Master Tang’s suggestion, Zhang Wei refused, categorically refusing.

"Fine, since you don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame us for being unkind!"

Master Tang scoffed and then with a grand wave of his hand,

"We’re leaving!"

He led Dongxing Securities and his disciples away with large strides, his posture that of a victor.

No way around it, the advantage was too great; they didn’t even know how to lose.

As for Zhang Wei’s side, morale was somewhat low.

"Let’s go as well, we’ll review the case once we get back."

After leaving the courthouse, Zhang Wei and his group naturally returned to the temporary war room in Zhang’s Martial Arts School.

After having dinner in Zhang’s Martial Arts School, they gathered together again.

Looking at the evidence board filled with clues, Zhang Wei furrowed his brow.

Xia Qianyue, Zhao Xiaoxiao, and Zhang Xinwu all sat to the side, not daring to interrupt.

"The current situation is greatly unfavorable for us because the defense has latched onto one thing; investing is a personal act, and it’s normal to incur losses. Moreover, the plaintiff themselves increased their leverage, and it’s their responsibility."

"The most crucial issue is that many jurors and spectators feel that there’s some merit to the argument. They all believe they’re not the simpletons who would make losing investments, so the way they look at my client is somewhat skewed," Zhang Wei said, tapping on the blackboard. "But we all actually know that this stock is a high-risk one, it shouldn’t even be on the stock market!"

"Wasn’t this already proven in the case against Zhan Qingze?" Zhao Xiaoxiao immediately raised her hand to speak.

"Yes, it was proven, but it was proven by the prosecution, and our case is a civil litigation; we can’t compel Chen Weitian from the Financial Bureau to testify in court. I guess all he’s doing right now is waiting for Zhan Qingze to be discharged, maybe even watching the hospital entrance 24 hours a day."

"So what do we do?"

Xia Qianyue muttered, and after her eyes flickered with thought, a plan formed in her head.

"Why not, we grab that woman named Qian Moli and force her to confess her crimes?"

"Little Sister Xiao Xia is right, I think it’s feasible!"

Zhang Xinwu, who stood nearby, also lit up with excitement, raising her arm to show off her slightly defined muscles.

"Both of you, can you not add to the chaos? If you really kidnap that woman tonight, tomorrow, you’ll be taken away by the criminal division."

"Then what do we do? Are we just unable to handle that woman? This is so infuriating..."

"Indeed, right now we actually do have no way of dealing with that woman... wait, woman..."

A lightbulb went off in Zhang Wei’s mind.

"I remember Mr. Li mentioning that the broker who contacted him was a woman as well..."

"Actually, I know among the investors, there are many who are not fools, some are smart people. But they willingly put in more money to increase their positions, and why is that?"

"I think these ’brokers,’ or rather, the salespeople posing as brokers, are one of the keys to this case," Zhang Wei said, glancing at Xia Qianyue... Zhang Xinwu by his side... Zhao Xiaoxiao by his side.

"Xiao Xiao, do you think the prosecution has investigated these missing brokers?"

"They should have..."

"Then do you think, if I pull some strings, they would tell me the whereabouts of these people?"

"That depends on whom you’re asking. Ordinary people probably wouldn’t be so close to you, right?"

Zhang Wei immediately took out his phone, opened his contacts, and sent a message to Xiao Baihe.

A few minutes later, the reply came.

"Old Xiao says she can help me ask around, it looks promising!"

Reading the content of the message’s reply, Zhang Wei felt that he still had connections at the prosecution’s side.

More than ten minutes later, Xiao Baihe got back with some information.

...

Late night, 12 o’clock.

At a luxury high-rise apartment in Dongfang Capital City Center.

Knock, knock!, knock!

Knocking sounds echoed.

"Who’s there?"

An impatient voice came from inside the door.

Then, a woman wearing a robe, her face groggy with sleep, opened the apartment door.

The woman was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with disheveled hair and a distinctly unhappy face.

After all, being awakened by a knock on the door at midnight would make anyone uncomfortable.

Standing at the entrance of her apartment, a young man and woman faced her.

"Hello, is this Miss Wang? I’m from the investigative department, I have a few questions to ask you," one of the visitors said, showing the woman some identification.

"Investigative department, serious crime division officer Xia Qianyue?"

Seeing the ID, the woman panicked, then glanced back into her apartment.

"Miss Wang, is there a problem inside your apartment?"

The young man next to Xia Qianyue started speaking as well.

The woman understood one principle well: take the initiative to attack.

"And you are?"

"My name is Zhang Wei, but that’s not the point, the point is what are you doing inside your apartment, Miss Wang?"

The second visitor was indeed Zhang Wei.

He spoke, pointing towards the inside.

"Miss Wang, you’re not doing anything shady inside your apartment, are you?"

"As if!"

"Is that so, then would you mind if we come in for a cup of tea?"

"I don’t have any tea in my apartment!"

As Zhang Wei spoke, he sniffed, "Coffee would work too, since we’re planning on staying up late tonight. I smell coffee."

"You..."

Just as the woman was about to say something, a noise came from inside the apartment.

"Mrs. Wang, I’m leaving. Where’s the tip you promised me?"

As he spoke, a handsome young man with a bare chest and a simple bathrobe draped around his lower body walked out of the room.

"Mrs. Wang, you sure know how to have fun!"

Upon seeing the state of the apartment, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

The woman, clearly exasperated, had no choice but to grit her teeth and let the two men in.

Two minutes later, the handsome young man left.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get his tip. He left looking disgruntled and even cursed the woman for being stingy.

"Miss Wang, we don’t care about you hiring male escorts. Actually, we’ve come to you today because of Dongxing Securities!"

Upon hearing the purpose of Zhang Wei and his companion’s visit, the woman sneered, "Heh, as for Dongxing Securities, I don’t know anything!"

"Is that so? Then, as a former employee of a certain project department under Dongxing Securities, aren’t you being a bit too negligent?"

"What employee, I don’t know what you’re talking about!" The woman denied again, visibly uncooperative.

"Then how do you explain these large transfers? The largest one is a whole 700,000, and the transferor just so happens to be Dongxing Securities."

"The securities company, well, I invested with them, this is all money I’ve made."

"Then, Mrs. Wang, would it be convenient for you to provide us with your principal account? We’d like to see exactly how much principal is in your account."

Zhang Wei said, taking out a notebook and mobile phone, ready to start recording.

"You..."

"Oh, and one more question off the top of my head, did you invest in environmental stocks and recycling stocks? I heard a few of those shares were on the daily limit up recently. You must have made quite a bit of money there, right?"

That sentence made the woman’s complexion change.

Clearly, she now understood that Zhang Wei and his companion meant business and had come prepared.

"Mrs. Wang, let’s not beat around the bush. There’s a trial tomorrow, and we need you to testify in court. Would it be convenient for you?"

"I... I’m not exactly available!"

"No problem, if there’s an issue, bring it up and we’ll help you solve it!"

Zhang Wei spoke earnestly.

The woman could tell that Zhang Wei was determined to have her testify in court.

Any problems she might raise were likely already countered by their preparations.

"Well, then, I guess I don’t have a problem for now."

"That’s great to hear, Mrs. Wang. Here’s the court subpoena for you. Take care of it. We’ll see you tomorrow... oh, no, it’s already past midnight, so we’ll see you this afternoon."

Zhang Wei glanced at the time on his phone and then handed the subpoena to the woman.

"Mrs. Wang, remember to get some rest early. After all, being in court can be physically demanding!"

Zhang Wei said, taking his leave with Xia Qianyue.

The woman watched as Zhang Wei and his companion left, her gaze growing more solemn.

...

Tuesday, 5 AM.

Dawn hadn’t broken yet, and for the working-class, this hour was quite early.

Yet at this time, Wang Ru had already packed up neatly and was stealthily opening the door to her apartment.

She looked left and right to make sure the corridor was silent and without a single person in sight before hastily locking her door and rushing into the elevator with her suitcase.

Apartment lobby.

The on-duty security guard was still snoring away, completely unaware of the person sneaking past him.

Wang Ru took out her phone, opened a ride-hailing app, and looked around.

"Dong Ax, the driver said he’s parked right at the entrance."

Comparing the license plate, she looked left and right, finally spotting a black SUV.

"There it is!"

Seeing the car, she finally felt a sense of relief.

"Driver, let’s go. Take me away from Dongfang Capital, to the airport in Jingui City next door!"

Wang Ru opened the rear door, stuffed her suitcase in, and commanded decisively.

"Mrs. Wang, is there any need to be in such a hurry?"

But in the next moment, upon hearing the voice from the passenger seat, Wang Ru’s face turned white.

That voice, why did it sound so familiar?

Wasn’t it just yesterday... no, earlier this morning...

The person in the passenger seat leisurely leaned out.

"Mrs. Wang, we meet again?"

"You, how, how are you here..."

"Mrs. Wang, you didn’t think there would be many drivers around at 5 AM, did you? Your ride was snapped up the moment you booked it, didn’t you find that suspicious?"

"Ah, this..."

Wang Ru fell silent. What can you do when you’re already waiting here for me?

"Silly, help Mrs. Wang with a hand, dragging such a heavy suitcase, I bet Mrs. Wang must be tired and needs to find a place to rest for a while longer."

Zhang Wei then instructed Xia Qianyue, who was at the rear seat, who immediately "invited" Wang Ru into the car.

The vehicle started moving, but the destination was not the airport in the neighboring city, it was Zhang’s Martial Arts School.

...

That afternoon, the court session was scheduled.

Civil chamber of Jingui City’s courthouse.

Both the plaintiff and the defendant sides took their seats again.

On the plaintiff’s side were Zhang Wei and Mr. Li’s family of three.

On the defendant’s side were Master Tang with his top disciple, and Qian Moli.

In the spectator seats, quite a few people from Dongxing Securities had arrived, as well as several other disciples of Master Tang.

Even in the corner, there were a few individuals who clearly looked like gang members, obviously from the Fierce Tiger Hall.

"Looks like a full army has been deployed!"

Seeing so many people from the defendant’s side in the spectator seats, Zhang Wei wasn’t surprised at all.

Fierce Tiger Hall clearly attached great importance to this case, and they must have sent people over.

Moreover, Dongxing Securities had many witnesses to come, who were all prepared to testify in court.

"All rise!"

At the announcement of the court guard, Ni Qiuping entered the room.

After she took her seat, she scanned the courtroom.

She had intended to check if everyone on both plaintiff and defendant sides was present, only to find that many gang members had arrived at the spectator seats.

"Goodness, what do you think my courtroom is? Are we expecting a brawl later?"

Judge Ni gave a signal to the court guards on both sides, and they immediately left the room.

Soon after, they returned with more than double the number of people.

Obviously, they had gone to the neighboring criminal court to borrow reinforcements.

"Ahem, since both plaintiff and defendant are in place, this court hereby announces that the second hearing of the lawsuit against Dongxing Securities for financial fraud shall now officially begin!"

The moment Judge Ni struck the gavel, Zhang Wei stood up.

"Judge Ni, before the session begins, our side has an announcement to make," he said.

"What is it?"

"We would like to summon a new witness!"

This statement made Master Tang’s expression change, and he quickly signaled his top disciple.

"We object!"

The defense, naturally, was not going to make it easy for the plaintiff.

"You two, come here this instant!"

Judge Ni gestured with her fingers, and Sun Kongwen and Zhang Wei promptly stepped forward.

"Zhang Wei, what is this about?"

"Our witness is a salesperson from the new project team of Dongxing Securities; it was she who called Mr. Li to sell him the stocks."

"We object, Dongxing Securities doesn’t have any record of such an employee; she’s not an internal staff member. Moreover, the plaintiff’s lawyer is clearly in violation of the public disclosure system!"

Sun Kongwen opposed vehemently once again.

"Judge Ni, Miss Wang Ru, the witness in question, is a key figure in this case, as it was she who contacted my client, and she also contacted more than a hundred other investors. As someone involved in the case at that time, it’s only proper that she appears in court to testify."

"Hmm, Zhang Wei makes a good point!"

Judge Ni contemplated briefly and chose to side with the plaintiff.

"Judge Ni, if you do this..."

"Hmm?!"

Sun Kongwen was about to protest, but he was swiftly silenced by a stern glance from Judge Ni.

Her look was authoritative and formidable, not something he could withstand on his own.

If it were Master Tang, he might have argued for a bit longer, but being merely a disciple of the latter, he lacked the standing.

Feeling helpless, Sun Kongwen could only return to the defendant’s bench.

"This court announces the acceptance of the plaintiff’s request and summons the new witness to testify."

With Judge Ni’s declaration, a neatly dressed Wang Ru stepped up to the witness stand.

Qian Moli on the defendant’s side was slightly taken aback when she saw Wang Ru.

Because she remembered that woman.

The latter seemed to be the top salesperson of the project team, who sold those high-risk stocks and made a handsome profit for their company.

Wang Ru took her place at the witness stand, sitting down calmly.

However, her expression shifted when she saw Zhang Wei.

Because if it weren’t for him, she would never have appeared in court today.