Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 476 - 472 Action Underway, The Hypocritical Vanity Fair

Chapter 476: Chapter 472 Action Underway, The Hypocritical Vanity Fair

In the suburbs, within the estate.

Zhang Dihu put down the phone, his brows sharpening.

Just now, he had a call with his elder brother, Zhang Tianlong.

At the same time, he had also turned on the TV and saw the live broadcast that had just aired.

"Are those two reporters full and bored, daring to question my brother like that to his face?"

After shutting off the TV, Zhang Dihu was quite displeased.

Because the meaning behind the call from Zhang Tianlong was to have him accompany the former closely throughout the charity evening happening this weekend.

That in itself wasn’t an issue, since he had planned to attend the event anyway.

But there’s a difference between planning to do so originally, and changing that plan because one is questioned by others and has to do it to shut them up.

When had the Zhang Family ever been manipulated by others?

His brother had to comply just to shut everyone else up.

It’s like I originally planned to go out on my own volition, but instead ended up being shoved out the door by my old man with a broom—that kind of feeling was certainly aggravating.

It made Zhang Dihu very uncomfortable.

Recently, there wasn’t a single thing that went smoothly.

If it wasn’t Dongxing Securities being investigated and embroiled in legal trouble, then it was suddenly having the whim to crackdown on crime.

However, relying on his big brother’s connections, all these were minor issues, and he also believed that this so-called operation wouldn’t possibly reach his Fierce Tiger Hall.

"Master Tang!"

Zhang Dihu shouted towards a room, and Master Tang immediately briskly walked in.

"How is the preparation for that operation going?"

"Lord Tiger, rest assured, I’ve already arranged the scapegoats, all of whom are undercover agents from other gangs or associated with other gangs. Moreover, to avoid too much embarrassment for the cops, I’ve deliberately chosen a few of Fierce Tiger Hall’s mid-level leaders who are either acquainted with people from other gangs or those who are old and have lost their vigor—the perfect opportunity to clean house."

"Excellent!"

Hearing Master Tang’s response, Zhang Dihu was very satisfied.

Deservedly his strategist for decades, Zhang Dihu trusted Master Tang with his affairs.

"Master, do you have confidence with the Dongxing Securities case?"

Hearing Zhang Dihu’s sudden question, Master Tang slightly paused in step.

"Lord Tiger, I believe the case is not very difficult, as Zhang Wei lacks critical evidence. But I have a feeling there’s something going on that I’m not aware of."

Upon mentioning Zhang Wei, Master Tang’s brows furrowed.

Logically, ordinary young people should never be able to contend with Fierce Tiger Hall, and who would dare to oppose them so brazenly?

But Zhang Wei was clearly an exception.

The kid seemed to be fearless, always provoking those who were troublesome to deal with.

The Fierce Tiger Hall was no congregation of saints, yet it perplexed him how unafraid Zhang Wei seemed to be.

"Lord Tiger, I suspect that kid has something to rely on!"

"Nonsense, my Four Heavenly Kings have all been defeated. That kid has powerful martial forces at his side," Zhang Dihu scoffed, somewhat dissatisfied with Zhang Wei defeating his Four Heavenly Kings.

"The Four Heavenly Kings..."

Thinking of those five brutes, Master Tang was somewhat speechless.

Though in terms of martial power, they could each take on ten, even a hundred, but martial artists, well, weren’t known for their bright minds, occasionally causing trouble out of nowhere.

"Lord Tiger, don’t worry. I have already taken care of things with President Qian, and to be extra cautious, I’ve left my disciples at Dongxing Securities to ensure absolute success!"

Master Tang shared all the precautions he had given his disciples with Zhang Dihu.

"Mhm, I’m a hundred percent confident in your work!"

Zhang Dihu waved his hand, signaling for Master Tang to leave.

Master Tang bowed and withdrew to go prepare.

Zhang Dihu, however, sat in his armchair with a grim expression.

"Zhang Wei, Zhang Wei, if it weren’t for you, how could my younger brother have ended up in prison!"

...

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

It was now 7 p.m, Dongfang Capital was gorgeously lit up.

The lights of thousands of homes reflected along the coast of Dongjiang, sparkling brilliantly like a galaxy of stars, making one exclaim how great it is to own a place!

Zhang Wei stood on the balcony, dressed in formal attire, waiting.

As for whom he was waiting, of course, it was Xia Qianyue.

Last time there was a charity banquet, because Silly was busy, Zhang Wei had invited Jessica to accompany him.

But this time was different; he finally could invite his girlfriend in name to attend the dinner.

"Zhang Wei, I’m all changed!"

The door opened, and Xia Qianyue, dressed in a business suit for women, walked out.

Ever since she realized her own "shortcomings," Xia Qianyue had also developed a concept about dressing.

She knew wearing a uniform or office lady attire could perfectly cover up many of her deficiencies.

On the contrary, the office lady attire could make her appear intellectual and professional.

Of course, she was from the investigation department and not in a profession like a doctor or lawyer, so professional appearance wasn’t that important, but it was fine as long as Zhang Wei liked it.

"OK, let’s get going!"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly, not a bit dissatisfied with Xia Qianyue’s long preparation time.

Downstairs, Zhang Xinyan and Zhang Xinwu were already waiting.

However, unlike Zhang Wei’s pair, Zhang Xinyan, the driver, and Zhang Xinwu, the companion, were dressed much more casually.

Compared to their aim today, it wasn’t to attend a high-profile gathering.

It was... to stir up trouble!

"Let’s go, we’re off!"

Zhang Xinyan drove, taking the four of them toward the manor on the outskirts of the city.

The traffic in the suburbs was usually quite smooth, but after Zhang Tianlong set the charity banquet there, the traffic near the manor became congested.

Even with traffic control support from the Financial Bureau, it took at least 20 minutes just to get through a traffic light.

By the time Zhang Wei and his group arrived at the suburban villa, the charity banquet had already started.

"Silly, let’s go!"

Zhang Wei got out of the car and made a gentlemanly invitation.

Xia Qianyue quite... tomboyishly grabbed Zhang Wei’s wrist, then scanned her surroundings with vigilant eyes, a touch of caution appearing between her brows.

This Silly didn’t understand the mood at all.

Zhang Wei felt helpless.

If it were Jessica, she would have gently taken his arm, very ladylike, and allowed him to lead her inside.

"Forget it, let’s take it slow. I’ll gradually cultivate Silly’s ladylike character..."

Zhang Wei thought it was a lofty goal.

He could only lead Xia Qianyue into the manor.

"Jincheng Law Firm, Zhang Wei?"

At the entrance of the manor, the waiter in charge of receiving VIPs was surprised after taking the invitation handed over by Zhang Wei.

"This invitation, I recall, was for Mr. Zhao Qingyan, how come..."

"Uncle Zhao had something come up at the last minute, and asked me to come in his stead. Is that an issue?"

"Well, it’s not that you can’t, but aren’t you, Zhang Wei..."

The waiter looked at Zhang Wei, his face showing difficulty.

There was no helping it, everyone in Dongfang Capital now knew about his conflict with the Zhang Family.

In particular, Zhang Lang, the third son of the Zhang Family, was the one Zhang Wei had sent to prison.

Now inside Zhang Family territory, having Zhang Wei attend the banquet was just asking for trouble, wasn’t it?

"Yo, Old Tang, you’re here!" Just then, the sharp-eyed Zhang Wei spotted a familiar face and immediately called out.

The one called Old Tang was none other than Master Tang.

"How did this little scamp get here?"

Upon seeing Zhang Wei, Master Tang was also taken aback.

He never imagined that Zhang Wei would have the nerve to attend a charity banquet hosted by the Zhang Family.

Is this kid not aware of what death is?

No, that’s not right; everyone here tonight is a dignitary from Dongfang Capital; there shouldn’t be any incidents.

Master Tang contained his inner venom and approached Zhang Wei with a hypocritical smile on his face.

"Lawyer Zhang, how come you’re here?"

"Master Tang, I just wanted to contribute to Dongfang Capital’s charitable efforts," Zhang Wei said, taking out a check for one million and handing it over to Master Tang.

"Here, this is the check I’ve prepared, it’s for one million. It’s a small token in line with Councilor Head Zhang’s intentions."

Master Tang accepted the check, looking surprised.

Could you, Zhang Wei, really be so generous, donating a million just like that?

But since you’ve already paid, and you have the invitation from the Zhao Family, you should indeed be allowed in.

"Let Lawyer Zhang in!"

At his command, the waiters blocking Zhang Wei unconsciously stepped aside to make way.

"Go, keep this check safe, and remember to mark Lawyer Zhang’s name on it!"

Master Tang called over another waiter, handed the check to him, and added another instruction.

The latter naturally nodded in acknowledgment, bowed, and departed.

"Well then, Lawyer Zhang, I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you any longer. There is self-service food in the garden, and all the drinks are free for the entire venue, feel free to enjoy."

After saying this, Master Tang left straightaway.

However, before he departed, he still gave a reminder to a waiter nearby, and pointed towards Zhang Wei’s location.

Clearly, he had instructed his subordinates to keep an eye on Zhang Wei, to prevent him from causing trouble.

Zhang Wei smiled faintly at these little maneuvers, and started to stroll around the garden of the estate with Xia Qianyue.

Speaking of which.

The location of this garden wasn’t far from the Wu Family Estate where the last Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch challenge took place.

If you walked to the second floor of the estate, you could even see the nearby Wu Family Estate.

Both places shared a similar design, with landscaped villas, small bridges over flowing water, filled with artistic conception.

What a pity, Zhang Wei felt this place was a bit too hypocritical.

At least, the faces of every guest attending the evening party wore a hypocritical mask, with a sanctimonious smile.

They greeted each other with full-faced smiles upon meeting, but behind each other’s backs, they couldn’t wait to stab each other.

"No wonder Uncle Zhao dislikes this place. Indeed, it’s a hypocritical vanity fair. He’s busy all day tinkering with codes, developing new products. He must be fed up with interpersonal matters."

After walking around the garden a couple of times with Xia Qianyue, Zhang Wei finally entered a large hall.

There were even more people here, and the masks on their faces were even more hypocritical.

"President Qian, it seems your company has run into a bit of trouble lately?"

"Not at all, just a small issue. The Financial Bureau has said that our company is innocent, and the real culprit is that trader called Zhan Qingze. I am just an unfortunate victim."

"Is that so? I’ve heard that your opponent this time is also a tough character?"

"Zhang Wei, right? I think he’s okay. I believe this Lawyer Zhang should also be a person of great understanding. He wouldn’t make things difficult for a weak woman like me, right?"

Zhang Wei had only walked a few steps when he heard a familiar voice.

Qian Moli!

As Zhang Dihu’s secret lover and a successful businesswoman publicly in Dongfang Capital, it was quite normal for her to attend the dinner party.

"President Qian, isn’t that person..." Among those conversing with Qian Moli, someone recognized Zhang Wei.

Qian Moli turned around and a flash of undisguised loathing flickered in her eyes.

She clearly held a deep grudge against Zhang Wei, the man who had confronted her and Dongxing Securities in court.

But that flash of loathing vanished quickly, and Qian Moli’s eyes regained their calm composure.

However, to expect her to greet Zhang Wei was obviously impossible.

Qian Moli turned back around and resumed her conversation with a few familiar friends as if she hadn’t seen Zhang Wei at all.

But as Zhang Wei passed by Qian Moli, he could sharply feel a surge of murderous intent lingering by his side, obviously, Qian Moli had been keeping an eye on him.

The hall was filled with guests.

As for why, naturally it was because the initiator of the party, Zhang Tianlong, was here.

And by his side was an even taller man, with features that bore a five to six parts resemblance to him.

Zhang Dihu!

The legendary Lord Tiger of Dongfang Capital.

Interestingly, this was the first time Zhang Wei had seen him, the reputed gang leader in person.

Of course, his public identity was as a philanthropist of Dongfang Capital.

Compared to this identity, the brilliance of his brother’s was truly dazzling.

Zhang Tianlong was Dongfang Capital’s City Councilor. As his younger brother, he naturally played the role of a supporting leaf.

As Zhang Wei entered the hall, Master Tang received the report from his subordinate waiter and promptly brought the news to Zhang Dihu’s side.

After whispering a few words into Zhang Dihu’s ear, the latter also looked towards Zhang Wei and Xia Qianyue’s location.

Zhang Dihu then whispered into the ear of his elder brother.

"Oh, Zhang Wei actually came?"

Neither Zhang Tianlong nor Zhang Dihu could believe the news of Zhang Wei attending their evening party.

You little rascal really dare to come! After sending my brother to jail, you still have the nerve to show up at our party as if nothing happened?

"Not kicking you out is already doing you a big favor, isn’t it?"

But in fact, Zhang Tianlong still put on a smile, then gently parted the crowd and walked toward Zhang Wei.

"Lawyer Zhang!"

One had to admit that Zhang Tianlong was a refined middle-aged man whose smile could be as refreshing as a spring breeze.

At least when Zhang Wei saw Zhang Tianlong approaching with a smile, he couldn’t help but inwardly criticize him as a "complete hypocrite."

That smile, and this aura of uprightness, were like Murong Fu from "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", Yue Buqun from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", or Hua Tiegan from "Lian Cheng Jue."

Born into a noble family, from a reputable sect, holding a high position, this was Zhang Tianlong’s persona.

"Councilor Head Zhang!"

Zhang Wei naturally greeted him with the same smiling face and the two men even shook hands cordially in front of the crowd.

"Lawyer Zhang, I heard you donated a million for tonight’s event?"

"Oh, it’s nothing, just a little gesture from me."

"Lawyer Zhang really is a talented young man from Dongfang Capital. If everyone could be as kind-hearted as you, I believe we could make Dongfang Capital even better."

"That’s true, Councilor Head Zhang, to make Dongfang Capital better."

At this moment, the two of them were smiling and greeting each other, embodying the word hypocrisy to its fullest.

"By the way, I heard you’ve had some friction with my brother recently. Did you slander him in court?"

Zhang Tianlong’s smile suddenly faded, obviously getting down to serious business.

"Oh, Councilor Head Zhang, that’s just hearsay. And in court, well, sometimes a few tricks are necessary."

"That’s true, but I still hope that as a lawyer, you can speak based on factual evidence. After all, legal workers value evidence above all else."

"Councilor Head Zhang is right; I too am puzzled. Who said your brother is the Lord Tiger from Fierce Tiger Hall? That’s pure slander. How could Councilor Head Zhang’s brother possibly be a gang member?"

"Hahaha, as long as Lawyer Zhang knows."

Zhang Tianlong once again regained his smile.

"Come, let me introduce you, this is my brother Zhang Dihu; he has always wanted to meet you, Lawyer Zhang."

Following Zhang Tianlong’s introduction, Zhang Wei and Zhang Dihu formally met.

"You two chat. I need to attend to the other guests."

With a smile, Zhang Tianlong left, allowing Zhang Dihu and Zhang Wei to be alone.

Once the crowd dispersed, Zhang Wei and Zhang Dihu were truly face to face.

"Lord Tiger?"

"Lawyer Zhang, I’m no Lord Tiger, don’t call me that!"

Both of them took a step back, then their expressions turned extremely cold.

Without outsiders, neither of them wanted to pretend anymore.

"Lord Tiger, you jest, there’s no one else here, we can drop the act."

"You’re the one acting, Lawyer Zhang. Even without others around, do you think I’d fall for your trick?"

Zhang Dihu looked at Zhang Wei, thinking to himself that you must have some recording devices on you.

You think I don’t know your style? I’ve looked into you a long time ago.

"By the way, Lawyer Zhang, is there a chance that your dispute with Qian Moli could be settled privately?"

Pointing at Qian Moli not far away, Zhang Dihu hinted something to Zhang Wei.

"Is Lord Tiger suggesting a settlement?"

"Civil litigation is all about money, isn’t it?"

As if he had foreseen this, Zhang Dihu said with a smile, "I know you’re also looking to gain some fame through this lawsuit, because in the legal profession, reputation is very important."

"But you probably aren’t clear how much money that fame can bring you, so let me tell you on behalf of Qian Moli, if you drop the case, she can give you this amount."

Zhang Dihu said, holding up a finger.

"One billion?"

"If Lawyer Zhang thinks that’s too little, we can add a zero to the end!"

"Lord Tiger, you’ve got quite the plan. Taking 20 billion from investors, shattering so many families, now you want to solve it with 10 billion. And in the end, that 10 billion is probably the last savings of countless families, isn’t it?"

"Lawyer Zhang, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only know that in Dongfang Capital, no one disobeys my advice!"

"Is that so, Lord Tiger? Then let me also tell you, I, Zhang Someone, no longer need to rely on this case to make a name for myself. Thanks to certain people, the whole Dongfang Capital now knows me as the ’Homicide Lawyer!’"

"Hmph, if you won’t take a toast, you’ll have to drink a forfeit. There’s no point in talking then!"

Seeing that Zhang Wei was uncooperative, Zhang Dihu didn’t bother to waste more words and turned to leave.

As for Zhang Wei, he watched his opponent walk away, a sly smile forming on his face.

He returned to his companion Xia Qianyue and whispered into her ear, "Begin the operation, we must get the evidence we need today!"

Clearly, Zhang Wei’s attendance at the banquet had an ulterior motive.