Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 506 - 502: Zheng Fenyong, Clarifying the Cause and Effect?

Chapter 506: Chapter 502: Zheng Fenyong, Clarifying the Cause and Effect?

Dongfang Capital, Procuratorate Headquarters.

When Zhang Wei arrived here with Mo Yuzhu, the pair looked completely travel-worn.

Second floor office.

"Old Xiao!"

Approaching the door, Zhang Wei waved his hand towards the inside.

For a moment, the initially noisy office suddenly quieted down.

All the prosecutors of the Serious Crime Division turned their attention to Xiao Baihe, who was sitting at her workstation.

She stood up with a scowl, clearly annoyed, and walked out.

"What is it? Haven’t I told you not to call me Old Xiao? I have a name, it’s Xiao Baihe!"

"Of course, Old Xiao, got it, Old Xiao!"

Alright, Xiao Baihe rubbed her forehead, realizing she had been silly.

Talking sense into Zhang Wei was the most foolish thing to do.

"Speaking of which, you grieving woman, shouldn’t you be at work? Why are you here too?"

Xiao Baihe crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Mo Yuzhu beside Zhang Wei with a bizarre expression.

Normally, Zhang Wei’s sidekick was that simple-minded person, so why had it changed to this grieving woman today?

"Old Xiao, what are you talking about? This time I’ve taken on Forensic Yang’s case. As the daughter of the person involved, how could Mo Yuzhu not participate in the case?"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei put his arm around Xiao Baihe’s shoulder.

"Scram, scram, scram, get your dirty hands off me!"

Xiao Baihe was clearly displeased and after swatting away Zhang Wei’s hand, she exclaimed in shock, "You took on Forensic Yang’s case?"

"Yep, if not me, who else would take it?" Zhang Wei spread his hands.

There was nothing to be done; he was just naturally inclined to help others.

"Haha, you’re in for a tough one this time!"

Xiao Baihe adopted the pose of someone watching a drama unfold, a faint sneer playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I know who you’re here to meet, come with me!"

With that, she led the way for Zhang Wei up to the third floor of the Procuratorate Headquarters.

In a corner of the third floor, there was a nondescript office.

This office was prepared for Zheng Fenyong by the Procuratorate Headquarters.

It was said that this was at Zheng Fenyong’s own request, as he disliked large offices and had specifically chosen one in the corner.

Knock, knock, knock!

Xiao Baihe knocked on the door for Zhang Wei.

"Who is it?" came a man’s voice from inside the office.

"Prosecutor Zheng, the defense attorney representative is here!"

"Oh, wait a moment, please!"

The person inside seemed to be busy, so Xiao Baihe could only sit down with Zhang Wei and Mo Yuzhu and wait.

"What sort of person is this Zheng Fenyong, exactly?"

After sitting down, Zhang Wei pointed toward the office.

"Prosecutor Zheng is a formidable figure from the Southern District General Procuratorate. I’ve heard that he pursued a single case for two whole years, relentlessly focusing on the same target until he finally got him behind bars!"

"That’s quite ruthless!"

Hearing this, Zhang Wei instantly understood.

This was a man with an intense focus, once he fixed his sights on his prey, he was not one to easily let go.

Of course, this was only something a member of the Procuratorate could do.

If it were a lawyer spending two years on a single case, they’d probably starve to death.

Mo Yuzhu, sitting beside him, swallowed hard after hearing this.

This time, it seemed like a tricky challenge.

Soon, the door to the office was pushed open.

A brown-haired foreign man with a smile on his face came out.

"Oh, a lawyer?"

Seeing the brown-haired man, Zhang Wei had a strange look on his face.

This was a lawyer, but what business did he have seeking out Zheng Fenyong?

Logically speaking, Zheng Fenyong had come from a neighboring city and had come to Dongfang Capital only to handle one case.

And since I was the representative for the defense in this case, the only lawyer Zheng Fenyong should have been meeting with would have been me.

Zhang Wei shook his head, suppressing these thoughts.

As for what was actually going on, he would find out when he met Zheng Fenyong.

Inside the office, the decor was simple; apart from an office desk, there were just some rudimentary temporary shelves and stacks of case files piled up like mountains.

Zheng Fenyong’s appearance bore a slight resemblance to Professor Zheng Qian, but the difference in their aura and spirit was substantial, with the younger brother looking more vigorous.

Zheng Fenyong seemed like an energetic workaholic, to the extent that even as Xiao Baihe led Zhang Wei in, he kept his head down and continued to write furiously.

"Today is quite the coincidence, having just met with the plaintiff’s representative, and now the defense representative is here too!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei paused for a moment but still stepped forward, "Plaintiff’s representative?"

"Isn’t this a public prosecution case? Who is the plaintiff?"

"Are you Lawyer Zhang?" Zheng Fenyong stopped writing and slowly lifted his head.

To be honest, Zheng Fenyong wasn’t surprised by Zhang Wei’s appearance. In fact, when he had come to Dongfang Capital, he had considered the possibility of meeting with Zhang Wei.

However, what he hadn’t expected was that the notorious Homicide Lawyer, reputed for driving his opponents to their deaths, would be such a young man.

This kid, he looks like he graduated not long ago, how did he manage to "drive" so many people to their deaths?

"Indeed, I am Zhang Wei. Prosecutor Zheng, hello!"

Zhang Wei extended his hand, but Zheng Fenyong didn’t take it.

"Lawyer Zhang, before the case is concluded, it’s better for us to maintain a proper distance!"

After learning Zhang Wei’s identity, Zheng Fenyong’s attitude immediately cooled down.

"Prosecutor Zheng, I know what you’re worried about, but I want to say that your brother is in prison because he was not clean-handed."

"My brother ended up like this because he brought it upon himself. I’ve known all along that if he didn’t change his habit of seeking petty gains, he would eventually suffer consequences!"

Zheng Fenyong seemed indifferent to Zheng Qian’s downfall, speaking with righteous indignation.

After expressing his sentiment, Zheng Fenyong went straight to the point.

"Lawyer Zhang, I know why you are here. This table features the evidence I’ve prepared for disclosure, and I’ve also made a list for you!"

Zhang Wei accepted the list that Zheng Fenyong handed over and decisively kept it.

However, he was also aware that, although the disclosed evidence on the list needed to be reviewed,

no one could guarantee that Zheng Fenyong didn’t have key evidence hidden, ready to unleash a surprise attack during the trial.

"Lawyer Zhang, now that you have what you wanted, I won’t keep you any longer!"

Zheng Fenyong said this while making a gesture to see him out.

Well, he really did intend to keep his distance from me.

"Then, Prosecutor Zheng, farewell!"

Zhang Wei didn’t want to linger any longer. Having obtained the disclosure list, he promptly took his leave.

After walking out of the office, Zhang Wei’s gaze became peculiar.

"Is that Prosecutor Zheng? Why does it feel...?"

"Right? You noticed it too, didn’t you? He looks ordinary, but his actions are decisive and efficient?"

Xiao Baihe came up with a chuckle.

"There is something to that." Zhang Wei and Mo Yuzhu both nodded in agreement.

"The man, Prosecutor Zheng, came from the South District General Procuratorate just to handle cases. He is uninterested in anything apart from his cases and has no time for pleasantries with others. I think that’s the mark of a truly formidable person, able to focus solely on the work at hand!"

"Is that so?"

In Zhang Wei’s mind, the image of the brown-haired man he had seen on his way in surfaced.

The plaintiff!

This was also a key point.

"Speaking of which, do you know the plaintiff?"

"Not very well, but I heard that it’s a case Forensic Yang participated in."

Seeing Xiao Baihe shake her head, Zhang Wei felt helpless.

Old Xiao, what good are you?

I thought you were my inside man at the Procuratorate Headquarters, but the help you offer is indeed limited.

Can you still be a good teammate?

"Hey hey hey, what’s with that look?"

Xiao Baihe noticed the unusual look from the person beside her and immediately felt annoyed.

"I, Xiao Baihe, kindly led you here out of the goodness of my heart, and not only do you not say thanks, but you look at me with disdain?"

"Is it easy for me?"

"Especially you, Zhang Wei, do you know how much pressure I have to endure every day?"

"The entire Procuratorate Headquarters is rumoring that I’m having an affair with you!"

"Really," Xiao Baihe stated, "if I could curse, you’d probably hear me swearing every day in the Serious Crime Division Office."

"What are you two going to do next?"

"What else can we do, but go back and prepare a countermeasure?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands and looked toward the direction of the court.

"I wonder who will be handling the case this time, Old Chen, Old Li, or Old Wang?"

"It’s Judge Xiao Liu!"

Xiao Baihe seemed to know the court’s arrangement and directly interrupted Zhang Wei’s guess.

"I guess the city court also considered Forensic Yang’s influence and specifically selected Judge Xiao Liu from the local court."

"Oh, so you mean to say Forensic Yang’s influence in Dongfang Capital is really not small, huh!"

"Of course, Yang Chunyuan, the forensic, is Dongfang Capital’s number one, always taking the lead at crime investigation scenes and setting an example for our working women in Dongfang Capital."

"But even such a strong woman is now facing a lawsuit, right?"

Zhang Wei chuckled, not caring at all about the nice things Xiao Baihe was saying.

After all, the media say what they say.

Before you’re in trouble, the media flatter you like an average citizen, but once something happens, they can’t wait to kick you while you’re down.

Mo Yuzhu’s mother, once a representative of working women, a heroine of her time.

But now, it’s not that everyone is out to get her, but you can’t find a single positive article from before anymore.

At such times, why does no one stand up to say they support Forensic Yang?

"Well, Old Xiao, we’ll be taking off now!"

After a "friendly" goodbye to Xiao Baihe, Zhang Wei took Mo Yuzhu back to the Mo Family’s villa once again.

Upon opening the door, Zhang Wei saw signs of an argument in the living room, it looked like Forensic Yang and Councilor Mo had not just had a fierce argument, they might have even come close to blows.

Fortunately, the signs weren’t too pronounced, so it seemed both had restrained themselves in the end.

Mo Yuzhu went upstairs and quickly greeted Zhang Wei.

Yang Chunyuan was in the upstairs bedroom.

As for Mo Juren, he clearly wasn’t home.

Inside the second-floor room.

"Forensic Yang, do you remember this Mr. Li?"

Zhang Wei took out a photo from a public list.

Yang Chunyuan didn’t even take the photo, confidently saying, "Of course, I remember, this was the first major case I worked on after joining the profession, the Dongfang Capital serial killings from 20 years ago, and this Mr. Li was the murderer!"

"But according to Prosecutor Zheng’s claim, they are suing you for tampering with evidence based on this case!"

"Impossible!"

Yang Chunyuan quickly shook her head, denying it, "I, Yang Chunyuan, have worked hard for 20 years and have never done anything improper!"

"If I really had done something wrong, I wouldn’t have been able to be a forensic for over 20 years, still working on the front lines so often!"

"Although you say that, if what you’re saying is true, Forensic Yang, is it possible that someone else altered the evidence?"

"That’s unlikely, once the evidence chain is established, it will be sealed in the Martial Association’s archives, which the security is absolutely not something that ordinary people can break into recklessly."

Yang Chunyuan shook her head, and besides, once the evidence is sealed, there’s no point in altering it.

Because the case has already been convicted, modifying the evidence that has been shown at this point, what’s the point of that?

"Then let’s go back to Mr. Li, the case happened 20 years ago, when both you and your daughter were still in kindergarten, so it’s impossible to be clear about the details."

Yang Chunyuan understood, she closed her eyes, beginning to recall.

"It was a case that happened 20 years ago, precisely 22 years before, because starting from 2 years before the case, we gradually received missing person reports from around the city, working women disappearing on their way home in the evening, their bodies later found in the outskirts. At that time, this caused panic among the people of Dongfang Capital, and it also brought a lot of pressure to our investigative team."

"Back then, as a newcomer to the forensic office, I was fortunate to participate in this case, and in one of the subsequent female bodies, I discovered a critical clue!"

"That clue was..."

...

Wednesday evening.

In Lin Mansion, Zhang Wei’s own room.

The day’s evidence collection from Yang Chunyuan had ended, and Zhang Wei felt that the gains were not considerable, but at least he understood the ins and outs.

years ago, a series of serial killings began in Dongfang Capital, with the victims mostly being career women. Alone while walking home on a dark night, they were attacked, abducted, and eventually killed.

At first, the case was treated as a series of disappearances. It wasn’t until the first body was found that the investigators’ division started to allocate more resources to the case.

Afterward, as the bodies of the missing women were discovered one by one, the gravity of the case began to reveal itself.

It wasn’t until 20 years ago that the case was officially identified as serial killings. The investigators’ division concluded that these were a series of premeditated attacks and abductions. By that time, the killer had already targeted over eight victims, and that was only counting those whose bodies were found.

years ago, Dongfang Capital, already a megacity with a population surpassing ten million, consistently had people going missing every month. Back then, there was no high-tech equipment as there is now, no electronic sentinels, no satellite positioning—cases were largely solved based on the investigators’ experience.

Realizing the severity of the issue, the investigators’ division started to assign additional personnel to the case.

With the number of victims uncertain, the forensic office had no choice but to employ newcomers, and Yang Chunyuan was brought into the case during that time.

Then something amazing happened.

While everyone was at a loss, Yang Chunyuan found a strand of hair in the throat of one of the bodies.

After professional identification, this hair was slightly curly, only 3 centimeters long, and the DNA did not come from the victim—it came from a male!

Zhang Wei looked at a black and white photo in his hand, which included a DNA report and an attached photograph.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the slightly curly hair in the photograph seemed to have come from the genital area of a man; it was a pubic hair.

Good grief!

This was indeed quite the find!

Critically, the hair was discovered in the throat of a female victim.

Everything then became clear: only the murderer could have left such a hair from his lower body within the victim’s throat.

Through DNA comparison, the investigators’ division eventually focused on a suspect named Mr. Li.

Faced with DNA evidence, Mr. Li’s denials were futile. Amid the public’s cries for justice, he was sentenced to immediate execution by the judge.

However, it was said that Mr. Li came from a well-off family. His parents hired a lawyer for him, helping him obtain the opportunity to appeal, which resulted in his sentence being commuted to a suspended death sentence.

If given a suspended death sentence, generally speaking, if no other crimes are committed during the observation period, the sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment.

So Mr. Li is currently serving a life sentence, detained in Iron Island Prison!

Zhang Wei flipped through the files and saw the photos of Mr. Li at the time of his arrest and trial.

"Is this the guy? He looks like quite the handsome young man!"

Truth be told, seeing the handsome photo of Mr. Li from 20 years ago, Zhang Wei indeed found it hard to associate this good-looking young man with a killer who specialized in abducting, attacking, and even murdering career women.

However, having encountered his fair share of suspects—ordinarily looking individuals with dark and extreme minds, Zhang Wei wasn’t concerned whether Mr. Li was indeed the murderer or not.

He was only interested in the details of the case.

"It looks like Mr. Li has found evidence to prove his innocence, so he is trying to overturn the verdict from 20 years ago and regain his freedom?"

"And the Southern District General Procuratorate also seems to be aware of the issue. If Yang Chunyuan really wronged Mr. Li back then by providing false testimony, then we’ve got a serious problem."

Zhang Wei could already imagine how much of an impact it would have on the criminal investigative system of Dongfang Capital if Mr. Li successfully overturned his conviction.

A record of 20 years of criminal investigations might all need to be reopened for review, to ensure there were no miscarriages of justice.

"That’s why the General Procuratorate assigned Prosecutor Zheng Fenyong to the case—they can’t afford to take this responsibility!"

Considering Prosecutor Zheng Fenyong’s professionalism that he could devote to a case for two years, Zhang Wei understood that this case was indeed best suited for him.

So the question arose.

If Prosecutor Zheng Fenyong were to prosecute Yang Chunyuan and find her guilty of providing false testimony in Mr. Li’s case from 20 years ago...

Then Mr. Li would be exonerated, and the impact of this case would be immense, dealing a significant blow to the existing criminal investigative system.

"So it seems Mr. Li has the most to gain from this, doesn’t he?" Zhang Wei mused.

Zhang Wei thought about that brunette lawyer, which led him to ponder over Mr. Li.

Could it have been him?

The person urging the General Procuratorate to prosecute Yang Chunyuan could likely be him, right?

If Yang Chunyuan is convicted, he would be exonerated on the grounds of receiving a wrongful conviction based on false forensic testimony, thus securing his freedom.

Zhang Wei felt that his speculation made a lot of sense.

Pulling Yang Chunyuan into this mess would benefit no one more than the mastermind himself.

Mr. Li had come from an affluent family. Although his parents had passed away, he was the sole heir to their estate.

He certainly had the finances to support these actions.

A ruthless criminal, in order to regain freedom, framing the forensic scientist who provided key evidence at the original trial; it was indeed a cunning move.

Zhang Wei thought that he might have untangled the web of events.

With that in mind, what Zhang Wei needed to do was to meet Mr. Li.

So, he took out his mobile phone.

"Hello, Guider Zhou? This is Zhang Wei. I have a small favor to ask. Is it convenient for you right now?"