Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 497 - 493: Vivid and Emotional? Turning Black into White!

Chapter 497: Chapter 493: Vivid and Emotional? Turning Black into White!

On the witness stand.

Zhu Pitte watched the shift in the courtroom’s atmosphere, a smile slowly curved up the corners of his mouth.

"Heh heh heh, I made a few little videos over the weekend, had those female livestreamers put on a show, and managed to hoodwink you all."

"Just as Lawyer Sun said, the jury is a bunch of fools, a bunch of flip-floppers like weather vanes, indeed very easy to deceive."

He secretly rejoiced in his heart and at the same time cast a disdainful glance at the defendant’s bench.

So what if you’ve worked hard to find so much dirt on me, I’ve effortlessly neutralized it all.

Next, all I need is for Sun Kongwen to continue his questioning, and any unfavorable factors against Tigeyou Network will be easily resolved by him.

Moreover, Zhu Pitte was not worried at all now, because among the defendant’s witnesses to come, there were people supporting him!

Seeing the people from Tiger Fish livestreaming platform seated in the front row of the hearing, Zhu Pitte’s face broke into a smile.

Similarly, Sun Kongwen in the witness stand also wore a smile.

He too could tell that the court’s sentiment was no longer as antagonistic towards their side as before.

If that was the case, let’s press on and lock in the victory.

"Director Zhu, what is your opinion of the defendant Miss Lin?"

Sun Kongwen pointed at Bobo in the defendant’s bench and winked at Zhu Pitte.

This was a hint to the other party to stick to what they had rehearsed over the weekend, to not act impulsively.

Of course, Zhu Pitte understood, he paused briefly, recalling the weekend’s rehearsal.

After taking a deep breath, a smile appeared on his face.

"Actually, my opinion of Bobo has always been one of admiration!"

"She is smart and hardworking, and among the newbies of her period, she is truly exceptional."

"Other newbies from the same time still only have a few thousand fans, at most tens of thousands of fans, which is already quite good. But Bobo is different, she surpassed any past newbie in just one month, reached 100,000 fans in three months, and her fan count even exceeded a million in a year, becoming a top livestreamer on the Tiger Fish platform!"

"You could say she was born for this job. I am very glad that in this vast sea, I discovered such a pearl and was able to unearth her shine, allowing her to fully leverage her strengths on the Tiger Fish platform and make a name for herself in the livestreaming world. I am also happy because she..."

Zhu Pitte on the witness stand seemed to transform into a discerning patron, lavishing Bobo with endless praise.

One could only say, memorizing so much was quite a hardship for him.

On the defendant’s bench.

Bobo and Luo Xiaobu looked at each other, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

They couldn’t believe it, especially Bobo, whose mouth hung open, unable to close it for a long while.

Zhu Pitte’s testimony exceeded her understanding.

Was this really the same man who only cared about money, spoke foul language, treated employees like they weren’t human, cursed and even physically assaulted his staff at the slightest mistake, the cruel, unkind, selfish, heartless Zhu Pitte?

How did he manage to hide his dark side in court and present such a noble image?

Did you also read "An Actor Prepares"?

In any case, the two on the defendant’s bench were taken aback by Zhu Pitte’s acting skills.

And Zhu Pitte’s acting abilities, his "moving and emotional" speech, also made a good impression on the jury.

If he were a bad boss, what would be the first thing he’d do in court?

Naturally, it would be to slander or even attack the defendant switching jobs, to start talking bad about the defendant, highlighting all her faults.

But now, the witness on the stand, he even lavished compliments, praising the defendant for so long that even we felt somewhat moved.

How could such a good boss exploit the defendant and do those things alleged?

That’s why I say, the jury is just a group of flip-floppers, their first impression of a witness can even change their perception of the facts.

Because of Zhu Pitte’s exceptional performance, the jury and even those in the hearing are gradually warming up to the plaintiff’s side.

Sun Kongwen felt it, and a smile also spread across his lips.

It wasn’t easy, nor was it in vain that he had spent the entire weekend drilling Zhu Pitte in mock trials to achieve today’s effect.

"Ahem, Director Zhu, I understand that you admire the defendant a lot, but what I want to know is, do you have any conflicts with the defendant?"

"I believe that if there really were no conflicts between you, we wouldn’t be witnessing this scene today with both sides confronting each other in court,"

Sun Kongwen said, pointing to the defendant’s dock and then giving Zhu Pitte a wink.

"Yes, I admit to my professional negligence!"

Zhu Pitte pointed to himself, his face a picture of "helplessness and sorrow," "My negligence was failing to anticipate Bobo’s rapid rise to fame, which led to her developing an egotistic attitude!"

As these words were spoken, many people turned to look at Bobo in the defendant’s dock.

"I’m egotistical?"

Bobo couldn’t believe it, when had she ever been egotistical, and how was she unaware of it?

"Egotistical? Can you provide specific examples?"

Sun Kongwen immediately chimed in.

"Yes, there are!"

Zhu Pitte nodded and then recounted, "This is a hurdle that many newcomers face after becoming famous, especially in the live-streaming community, where there are many such cases."

"It only took Bobo a year to reach a status that many veterans in the live streaming industry couldn’t achieve in years, and naturally, her psyche underwent changes."

"Before, she only had a few thousand fans, and she would be very happy receiving tips and gifts every day. But since she amassed millions of followers, she would get so many gifts each day that her arms grew tired, yet her attitude changed, becoming perfunctory, arrogant, and even greedy."

"More than once, she demanded her fans to tip, to help her climb the leaderboards, to win PK events, and she posted many messages in the fan group urging for tips. She even incited her fans to attack other streamers..."

As Zhu Pitte spoke, his voice trailed off, as if he found it difficult to continue.

In the defendant’s dock, Bobo was left speechless by Zhu Pitte’s shamelessness.

She looked to Luo Xiaobu, then to Zhang Wei, "Lawyer Zhang, I’ve never done any of these things. In fact, my social media accounts were all set up by Sister Li, and it’s the staff from the operations department who log in, so the messages they send have nothing to do with me, right?"

"I understand, I do, I’m clear on that point, but the jury isn’t."

Zhang Wei waved his hand, signaling Bobo to remain calm.

A female broadcaster’s every action is tied to the company’s interests.

They sell a persona, and only if the persona is right, attracting fans’ attention and tips, can the talent management company achieve its goal.

Therefore, like other talent agencies, Take Off Networks would hand over the streamers’ accounts to the operations department, which also crafted posts for advertisements, events, and so on.

Even many fans who befriend a top-ranking broadcaster on their private social media accounts are actually chatting not with the streamers themselves, but with the grumpy men from the operations department.

Of course, this is an unspoken rule within the live streaming circuit and even among talent agents, unknown to the public.

Otherwise, if the public and the fans knew that the goddess in their fan group wasn’t the person herself, why would they obediently donate and give gifts?

But as Zhang Wei said, he knew about these things, but outsiders didn’t.

And proving it was a bit difficult.

You claim you’ve never logged into the account, but the registration information is yours, and the login IP address comes from the same place. How could you prove that the person logging in is some grumpy guy in the operations department?

That’s something you can’t prove.

On the witness stand, Zhu Pitte continued to perform.

"Director Zhu, I know that revealing these things may cause you distress, but Miss Lin is already in the defendant’s dock, and you’ve taken her to court. Are you going to stay silent?"

Under the strong "request" of Sun Kongwen, Zhu Pitte seemed to let go of his "emotional burden" and finally made a decision.

"Yes, indeed I should expose all this and show Bobo’s true face!"

The true face, what true face?

Bobo and Zhang Wei could hardly bother to comment.

Wasn’t this just you two performing a farce in court from the very beginning?

"Since becoming famous, Bobo’s attitude towards live streaming has become more and more resistant, frequently taking leave without valid reasons, and arbitrarily stopping streams. Her monthly streaming hours were always insufficient."

"A few times, I even saw..."

Zhu Pitte glanced at Bobo and sighed, "I saw her meet up with a wealthy admirer right after taking leave from us and the fans, claiming she needed a break. They went out for meals, shopped in malls, visited cinemas, and ultimately went to a hotel..."

As soon as these words fell, many looked towards the defendant’s dock with changed expressions.

After gaining fame, becoming proud, arrogant, and even deceiving fans and courting the wealthy?

Contempt!

Naked contempt!

The attitude of the jury towards Bobo had suddenly turned cold; in fact, many of them had begun to regard her with hostility.

"I know, it’s all our fault. We didn’t properly guide Bobo, failing to help her stay grounded, maintain her place, and keep that initial spirit of dedication she had when she started in the business."

"Her behavior, like many young celebrities who gain fame too early, lacked discipline, which led to excessive indulgence. We were derelict in our duties; it was I who let her down this bad path."

As Zhu Pitte said this, he looked towards Bobo in the defendant’s seat, apologizing, "Bobo, it’s our company’s fault. We didn’t guide you correctly, and led you astray."

This "sincere" apology earned Zhu Pitte quite a few brownie points and made the jury and the spectators view Bobo with even greater disdain.

This girl, with a bit of fame, had started to get out of line.

She showed her airs openly, started to phone in her live streaming performances, began to show up late or leave early without care?

And you’re not even a star yet, but you act like this, deceive your fans, and latch onto a wealthy benefactor?

Contempt!

Scorn!

Disdain!

"Lawyer Zhang, I..."

Bobo, feeling the eyes around her, overwhelmed with unspeakable suffering, could only look to Zhang Wei for help.

"Well done, what a spectacle of deception; that’s really something!"

Zhang Wei ignored Bobo and instead couldn’t help but admire the tactics employed by Zhu Pitte and Sun Kongwen.

After all, lawyers who specialized in defending gang members were best at this trickery.

Distorting the truth, making the good seem bad and the bad seem good.

It really had to be you!

"Director Zhu, I understand now. Although you admit your mistakes, I want to say that personality and various traits are not easily changed by external influences."

Sun Kongwen also looked at Bobo with an implied meaning: "The nature of some people’s characters is innate; even parents can only offer guidance, not fundamentally change their essence. Therefore, I believe you did nothing wrong, and to have a Boss who cares wholeheartedly for his employees like you is really rare nowadays!"

"No, I am at fault!" Director Zhu insisted on admitting his mistakes again.

He was emotional and expressive, evidently intending to continue his performance.

As soon as he had spoken, even many employees of the plaintiff’s company, Dai Ni Fei Networks, struggled to contain their criticism.

Lawyer Sun, you really do enjoy... telling blatant lies, don’t you?

We know very well what kind of person Director Zhu is in our company.

How Sister Li got the scars on her face, we all saw it clearly.

Yet in the courtroom, you unabashedly praise Director Zhu as a good Boss, which is like a stepparent speaking well of their stepchild’s children—utter nonsense.

Well, we have already given our testimony, so I won’t go on about it; it’s just a bit exhausting to think about...

Sun Kongwen, seeing the party still intending to speak, quickly gave him a look to cut it off.

That’s enough, man. If you continue, I’ll start feeling nauseous myself.

Plus, this trick might work once or twice, but if you keep it up, the jury might start to see through your ruse.

"Judge Jiang, regarding our witness, Director Zhu, I have no further questions!"

Sun Kongwen hastened to end his questioning and then returned to the plaintiff’s bench.

All eyes focused on the bench for the defendant, as Zhang Wei slowly stood up, finally it was his turn for the cross-examination.

"Hello, Director Zhu."

"Hello."

Zhu Pitte greeted Zhang Wei with a cold smile, brimming with sarcasm.

He knew Zhang Wei might question him, but as long as he followed Sun Kongwen’s instructions, he could handle anything.

Just keep control, stay calm in a crisis, and all will be well.

"Director Zhu, your earlier statement really gave me much to ponder; I hardly know where to begin."

Zhang Wei criticized first, then asked, "Since according to you, you’re a good Boss, I would like to know what you have provided to my client, Miss Lin, during her two years working for your company?"

"I gave her a lot, starting with the salary, her salary had already surpassed that of many professionals. Then there’s the industry experience, I’ve been in the live streaming circle for many years, with a wealth of inside knowledge, it was me who taught her how to perform better during livestreams."

"I’m glad you mentioned the salary, the industry experience,"

Zhang Wei nodded and pressed further, "Let’s talk about the simplest thing, salary. What’s the revenue-sharing formula in the contract signed between your Take You Flying Network and the newcomers? Let me give you an example, if my client received a million yuan in tips in a month, how much would she ultimately get?"

"This..." Zhu Pitte frowned, seeming reluctant to answer.

It wasn’t that he was unclear; rather, the revenue-sharing figure was indeed quite low.

But he couldn’t lie, because these were the unwritten rules of the industry, tacitly accepted by everyone, and the company’s finances had records, Zhang Wei might have already obtained the data.

Lying was pointless and could impact the jury’s view.

"Roughly less than 100,000..." After a moment of silence, Zhu Pitte still came clean.

"Less than 100,000?"

Zhang Wei feigned a surprised look.

"My client works hard for a month, earns a million in tips, and she can’t even get a tenth of it?"

"A newcomer doesn’t get that much in tips at the start; mainly because they need to learn in the first three years."

"Oh, I talk to you about money, you talk to me about learning?"

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but retort sarcastically, your perfunctory response is just like those annoying HR managers online, responsible for recruiting.

They act like they’re the boss, scolding everyone left and right, scolding job seekers.

I ask you about a monthly salary, you talk about how you can grow in the company, I ask again about salary, you go on about how excellent our company is, always missing the point.

"In fact, out of a million in tips, my client is supposed to get only 75,000, right?"

Zhu Pitte’s gaze shifted, becoming gloomy.

"Director Zhu, if you don’t answer, it’s taken as a confirmation?"

Zhang Wei smiled, walked over to the jury, and loudly said, "Out of a million in tips, the platform takes half, that’s 500,000, then Take You Flying Network takes 70% of the remaining half, which is 350,000, and the remaining 150,000 doesn’t even go directly to the host, but to the host’s team."

"My client, Miss Lin’s team, actually consists of only herself, but there’s also an agent, Sister Li, who takes away 75,000, and the final 75,000 is what my client actually ends up with."

At these words, many were stunned.

How could the livestream platform and the brokerage company be so exploitative?

A million yuan earned, and the host ends up with only 75,000, a 7.5% revenue-sharing rate, that’s just too...

I worked hard to earn a million, and it turns out it’s all for the platform and the brokerage company.

Don’t the hosts end up begging on their knees?

"Oh, right, even if she could get 75,000, in reality, the actual amount that reaches my client’s hands is less than 20,000, do you know where the remaining over 50,000 went?"

Zhang Wei sneered and pointed at Zhu Pitte, "Those 50,000 plus, all have been skimmed off by Director Zhu under the guise of safeguarding it for you, due to the company’s tight finances, and what we found out later is that he used this money to issue high-interest loans, to gift other hosts."

"So it turns out, Director Zhu, this so-called good boss, skimmed off my client’s money, yet spent it as if it were his own, didn’t he?"

At these words, many looked towards Zhu Pitte, their expressions slightly changing.

Money!

It’s always a word that touches one’s heart.

Even though you, Zhu Pitte, claim to be a good boss, if you don’t pay salaries on time, use various reasons to withhold employees’ earnings, and treat employees’ money as your own, then you are a villain.

It can be said that when it comes to money, even the most peaceful person can’t help but become suspicious.

"Director Zhu, since you’re conveniently in court, seated in the witness stand, allow me to ask you, when do you plan to return my client’s rightfully earned share?"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei pulled out a piece of paper with a series of numbers recorded on it.

"Since my client started livestreaming for you, in these two years, her tips and gifts total 21.54 million, according to the contractual sharing ratio, she should have received 1.61 million, yet she has received less than 110,000."

"Director Zhu, I would like to ask, representing the company, you have already taken a cut of 7.53 million from her earnings, so why did you also need to take away those 1.5 million?"

Zhang Wei’s questioning instantly drew everyone’s attention.

And it left Zhu Pitte somewhat at a loss for words.

Because indeed, he had pocketed that money!