Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 516 - 512 Checking and Pressuring, Someone Else Behind the Scenes?

Chapter 516: Chapter 512 Checking and Pressuring, Someone Else Behind the Scenes?

A one-hit kill!

At least in Zheng Fenyong’s view, the testimony presented by Dr. Ding was a true strike that could kill the defense’s case!

First, he was himself a technical professional, an expert witness.

Next, he could prove that there was an error in the DNA report from 20 years ago.

Last, and most crucial, there was a problem with the evidence itself—the DNA comparison results were totally different from those of Mr. Li.

This last point was key.

"Dr. Ding, please repeat that, I’m afraid some people didn’t hear it clearly!"

After getting the answer he anticipated, Zheng Fenyong still repeated the question, "Are you saying that the DNA extracted from this single hair is completely different from the DNA of the plaintiff in this case, Mr. Li?"

"Yes, the DNA comparison results show a huge error. Generally speaking, only when the DNA match rate is 99.99% can it prove to be the individual’s DNA!"

"So, the DNA match rate between the hair you tested and the plaintiff’s DNA is not 99.99%, is it?"

"Yes!"

Dr. Ding nodded and admitted, "The match result isn’t even up to 80%!"

Upon hearing this, the courtroom was in an uproar once again.

This time, everyone sensed there was a problem.

With such a large discrepancy in the match rate, could there be an issue?

And could there also be a problem with the timing of the evidence discovery?

In the previous seven victims, no evidence was found, and the serial killing case dragged on for two years without finding the murderer.

When the eighth victim appeared, in less than a week, a very "coincidental" decisive piece of evidence was found, and the suspect, Mr. Li, was apprehended.

But now, 20 years later, you’re telling me that the evidence found at the time doesn’t match Mr. Li’s DNA at all!

What kind of situation is this?

If there’s no issue here, then that would really be suspicious!

All eyes in the courtroom were focused on the defense.

This time, it was complete mistrust.

Everyone was looking at Yang Chunyuan, waiting for an explanation.

You, woman, are the top forensic expert of Dongfang Capital, yet the court tells us your reputation may not be deserved!

Especially considering the first major case you cracked had such a huge issue, could there truly be a problem here?

Suspicion!

Distrust!

Even some conspiracy theorists were now giving the investigative department and even the judge dubious looks.

What they were thinking in their minds, even if you were not one of them, you could guess somewhat.

"Ahem, the court hereby announces that today’s hearing is temporarily adjourned!"

Judge Liu, possibly sensing the jury had been influenced, ended the hearing directly.

He knew that the jury, affected by the testimony of Zheng Fenyong and Dr. Ding, would have doubts about everyone.

If defense were allowed to speak at this time, it was very likely to have no effect at all.

In that case, it was better to give the jury a night to cool off.

"Everyone go back and rest, we will reconvene tomorrow afternoon!"

The court adjourned temporarily, and people began leaving the courtroom one after another.

However, as the jury left, their glances toward the defense were filled with malice and suspicion.

This was something that anyone even slightly experienced could see the reason for.

The jury, evidently, was not inclined to believe the defense.

That’s why Judge Liu adjourned early; he even refrained from allowing cross-examination by the defense, obviously fearing that the jury wouldn’t listen.

All in all, many people left the courtroom, but they all shared the same thought.

The verdict was clear!

The defense was certain to lose!

"Lawyer Zhang, Forensic Yang, what are you planning now?"

Just then, Zheng Fenyong, along with Black and Mr. Li, approached Zhang Wei and his group.

"My suggestion is to admit guilt and reach a settlement with us!"

Zheng Fenyong said, addressing Yang Chunyuan directly, "Although I’m not from Dongfang Capital, and I don’t serve Dongfang Capital Procuratorate Headquarters, it doesn’t prevent me from hearing about the great reputation of Forensic Yang!"

"To show our gratitude for your assistance to the investigative department over these twenty years, we have negotiated the greatest concessions for you. If you reach a settlement with us, we can reduce the sentence to less than 10 years!"

A sentence of less than 10 years’ imprisonment, and with good behavior, there might even be a sentence reduction.

years, 6 years?

At this time, if handled properly, the sentence could still be further reduced.

It must be said that the conditions offered by Prosecutor Zheng, if someone truly guilty were considering, might agree after some thought.

"Sorry, I have no intention of pleading guilty because I definitely did not wrong him!"

Yang Chunyuan rejected the offer, pointing at Mr. Li with righteous indignation.

"Forensic Yang, do you know that my client is innocent? Due to the so-called evidence you submitted, he has spent 20 years in prison. Who will be responsible for his loss?"

Black, however, scoffed, questioning Yang Chunyuan with a cold voice, both his words and attitude extremely unfriendly.

"Both of you, the case has not yet reached a final verdict, and here you are appearing triumphant—isn’t that a bit much?"

Zhang Wei seemed relatively calm by comparison, as he stepped in front of Black and Zheng Fenyong, retorting coolly.

But at this moment, Zheng Fenyong already felt he had the upper hand, naturally unafraid of Zhang Wei.

"Lawyer Zhang, and Forensic Yang, I believe the terms we’ve offered are already the most favorable. I’m giving you 24 hours to consider. If we don’t receive a response before tomorrow’s hearing, then we will not wait any longer!"

With those words, Zheng Fenyong left promptly, not dragging his feet.

Black and Mr. Li followed behind Zheng Fenyong, leaving together.

"Not waiting any longer, huh? It looks like they believe they have already won!"

Zhang Wei watched the three leave with a slight frown.

This was a typical prosecutorial tactic: offer a slight concession, then apply psychological pressure with the aim of forcing the defendant to compromise.

From the current situation, the prosecution indeed seemed to have the advantage and was indeed in a position to exert pressure on the defense.

"I absolutely, absolutely will not plead guilty because I haven’t done anything wrong!"

Yang Chunyuan was adamant in her belief that she had made no mistake, and pleading guilty was out of the question.

"Then let’s go too. Let’s head back first!"

Zhang Wei accompanied Yang Chunyuan and her family of three back to their residence at the villa.

However, once they reached the villa, Mo Juren said he was tired and went to his room to rest first, leaving Yang Chunyuan and Mo Yuzhu outside.

The mother and daughter weren’t in the mood to pay him any attention either, instead starting to discuss with Zhang Wei.

"The biggest issue we need to resolve in this case is the so-called evidence, why there’s a problem with the DNA comparison results from the hair!"

Zhang Wei spoke as he took out the report, handing it over to Yang Chunyuan and Mo Yuzhu for their inspection.

"This is the evidence presented by the prosecution. They’ve run multiple DNA comparisons on the hair. Do you two see anything?"

"This report seems fine; new sequences were discovered in the DNA, clearly not Mr. Li’s sequences!"

Mo Yuzhu said as she looked at the data in the report.

This indicated that the DNA from the hair might not have come from Mr. Li.

"Impossible. Even 20 years ago, I couldn’t have made such a mistake!"

But this result was something Yang Chunyuan evidently could not accept.

This was her first case, the first time she had apprehended a serial killer.

It was since then that she had thrown herself into her work with all her heart, trying to help the investigation department catch the real culprit as much as possible.

But now you’re telling me that the reports I worked on are all wrong, that even the wrong person was caught.

Doesn’t this deny all the effort I’ve put in until now?

"So why does this DNA comparison result differ from what it was 20 years ago?"

Zhang Wei pondered the comparison report carefully, glancing over at Yang Chunyuan and Mo Yuzhu.

"In that case, should Classmate Mo and I make another trip to the First Forensic Office and run another comparison on that hair?"

After all, seeing is believing, hearing is not.

The comparison results were all done by others; neither Mo Yuzhu nor Zhang Wei had been involved.

They wanted to see for themselves if there would still be discrepancies when they watched the whole process.

"There’s no other choice."

Knowing her daughter was also a forensic investigator, Yang Chunyuan sighed with resignation but agreed nonetheless.

Zhang Wei and Mo Yuzhu exchanged a glance and set off directly.

Soon, they arrived at the First Forensic Office.

After stating their purpose, the staff did not make it difficult for them and generously allowed them to use the laboratory.

The key evidence in the case, the *hair, had been taken by the prosecution, but some of it was left in the office.

Now Mo Yuzhu began to manipulate the First Forensic Office’s experimental equipment, starting the procedure.

Since he was not a professional, Zhang Wei could only watch from outside the lab, looking at Mo Yuzhu as she worked intently.

Mo Yuzhu needed time for her task, while Zhang Wei began to ponder on his own.

Where exactly did the problem in this case lie?

Obviously, William International was problematic.

Why did they have to find Mr. Li? Was it really just because Laura Campbell wanted to be a city councilor, and Mo Juren was in her way?

Black was clearly serving Laura, so there was only one possibility left.

But did William International really need to go this far?

"Speaking of which, this Mr. Li seems completely uninterested in whether he is guilty or not. He must be the culprit."

"After all, if I could find information about Black communicating with his own young master, maybe I could prove that there are problems with the case itself. Perhaps it could even turn the tide."

After thinking it over, Zhang Wei sent a message to Zhao Xiaoxiao, passing on the information about Black to her.

In the end, he conveyed a request to his second daughter.

In short, it was two words: Do him!

After assigning the task to his second daughter, Zhang Wei returned to the lab to exchange a few words with Mo Yuzhu.

Learning that it would take a day to get the lab results and that they wouldn’t be ready until the next morning, Zhang Wei had no choice but to go back to Lin Mansion to rest.

...

The next day, in the morning.

Zhang Wei was woken up by a series of phone calls.

"Classmate Mo, what did you say, the DNA comparison results are inaccurate, but you have new findings?"

"Okay, okay, it just so happens I’ve discovered a bit too. I’ll be right there!"

Zhang Wei, after checking the new email in his inbox, immediately left Lin Mansion and headed to the First Forensic Office.

Upon meeting with Mo Yuzhu at the office, Zhang Wei saw her with dark circles under her eyes like an Iron-Eating Beast, looking extremely exhausted and continuously yawning as he approached.

Apparently, she had been up all night and returned to her usual bereaved state.

"The DNA comparison results turned out to be inaccurate, so I changed my approach. If the current test method is producing errors, what would happen if we verified it using the detection methods from 20 years ago?"

Mo Yuzhu said, handing a report to Zhang Wei.

"This is the DNA verification of the hair according to the testing items from 20 years ago, and the results are...ha~~~"

She yawned a long yawn while speaking.

"The results don’t match either!" Zhang Wei could only flip through the report himself to see the outcome.

"Yes." Mo Yuzhu looked sleepy and listless. "So I think it’s not a problem with the test methods but because the hair itself has been tampered with!"

"Someone really tampered with the evidence?" Zhang Wei was astonished.

Who would have the audacity to secretly alter key evidence!

"I think this can help you!"

Mo Yuzhu handed another report to Zhang Wei.

"If there’s an error with the hair, then it’s very likely it’s not Mr. Li’s. However, I conducted several other tests and found a part of the DNA in the hair matches Mr. Li’s genetic markers, which means the hair is indeed his."

"But if the hair is Mr. Li’s, why is there a discrepancy in the DNA match results when it’s tested? This question arose, and in the end, I found out it’s because there’s an interfering factor in the hair!"

"Interfering factor?" Zhang Wei was puzzled. What on earth was that?

"It’s a type of pollen... the pollen comes from... I’m so sleepy... I want to sleep..."

Mo Yuzhu spoke, her face overtaken by sleepiness, and her whole body began to sway.

"Classmate Mo, you..."

Zhang Wei reacted quickly, supporting Mo Yuzhu, but his hand inadvertently touched something soft.

Without thinking much at the moment, his hand had unintentionally grasped two "big steamed buns."

Zhang Wei had to admit, though Funeral Mourning Mo Yuzhu had an irregular sleep schedule and seemed somewhat dreary, she had a really great figure.

"I’m sorry, Classmate Mo, you..."

He hurriedly apologized, only to realize that Mo Yuzhu had already fallen asleep.

It seemed that staying up all night for the tests was extremely draining, and she couldn’t resist sleep any longer.

"This..."

With no other choice, Zhang Wei looked at the bereaved daughter leaning against him, already deep in slumber, and reluctantly helped her, leaving the office.

Knock, knock, knock!

With a familiar knock at the door, when Yang Chunyuan opened the villa’s door, she saw Zhang Wei carrying her daughter on his back again.

This was the second time, right?

"This girl, how did she fall asleep again?"

"Classmate Mo was busy all day yesterday. I guess she didn’t get a wink of sleep?"

"This child, just like me!"

Yang Chunyuan nodded, not having any complaints about Mo Yuzhu’s behavior, as she often did the same herself.

Zhang Wei couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Forensic Yang, not to offend you, but this is not a good precedent.

After settling Mo Yuzhu down to rest in a room, Zhang Wei checked the time and, taking Yang Chunyuan with him, hurried directly to the municipal courthouse.

Because the afternoon trial session was drawing near.

...

Courtroom, preparation room.

"What did you say, the evidence has been tampered with!"

When Yang Chunyuan learned of the news that Mo Yuzhu had told Zhang Wei, she completely lost her composure.

"Yes, this report, Forensic Yang, did you notice any issues with it?"

Zhang Wei hastily handed out the report that Mo Yuzhu had given him at the end.

"Eh, this gene sequence, it’s..."

Yang Chunyuan, true to her profession, noticed the content of the report with just one glance.

"Right, Forensic Yang, I can also tell you there seems to be something wrong with this case. But rest assured, I am going to uncover everything today!"

Zhang Wei then told Yang Chunyuan about a possible situation behind the case.

After hearing this, Yang Chunyuan’s face remained unsettled for a long time.

She had originally thought the problem with this case might be a mistake in her work, and although she didn’t think it was possible for her to make a mistake, she could understand if there had been one.

However, as Zhang Wei delved deeper into the investigation, he discovered that this case was not really about Yang Chunyuan anymore.

Even whether Yang Chunyuan had made a mistake at work was no longer important.

Clearly, she was just a breakthrough point, a saving target selected by someone behind the scenes to achieve their purpose.

"Then, Lawyer Zhang, are you saying all these things that happened to me were just because..."

"Exactly, as you are thinking, but as to who is behind all this, I still need to sort out the situation carefully!"

Zhang Wei spoke and walked out of the preparation room with Yang Chunyuan, returning to the courtroom once again.

The hearing on Tuesday was about to begin very soon.

As time approached, not only did the defence arrive, but the prosecution did too.

Then came the audience in the public gallery, followed by the jury escorted by the Court Guard.

After resting for one night, the jurors seemed to look much better, but their hostility towards the defence had not diminished at all.

It seemed that one night was not enough for them to think things through clearly, and the hostility from the day before remained in their minds intact.

"Am I shooting myself in the foot for choosing so many jurors who love conspiracy theories, which makes them suspect conspiracy in my client’s work back then?"

Zhang Wei could only sigh helplessly as he looked at the jury.

After all, he was the one who had chosen this jury.

Once the jury was seated, the courtroom began to quiet down.

"All rise!"

Announced by the Court Guard, Judge Liu briskly walked into the scene.

"Haha, everyone, please be seated!"

After he took his seat, he asked everyone to sit down.

But as he was about to scan the crowd to confirm if anyone was absent, he noticed someone on the defence’s side had not sat down.

Zhang Wei!

"Lawyer Zhang, why aren’t you sitting?"

"Judge Liu, our side requests a pretrial conference!"

These words left Judge Liu astonished.

The trial wasn’t even open yet, and you’re already making moves?

Although he felt somewhat squeamish, he still nodded towards Zhang Wei and Prosecutor Zheng Fenyong on the prosecution’s side.

The two immediately approached the bench.

"Lawyer Zhang, what are you planning?"

"Judge Liu, and Prosecutor Zheng, our side requests the summoning of an urgent witness!"

Hearing this request, Judge Liu’s heart skipped a beat.

You really are causing a stir.

"Who?"

Zhang Wei pointed to Black in the prosecution’s area, speaking with a serious tone, "Laura Campbell from William International!"

"Who?"

Judge Liu had never expected that when Zhang Wei caused trouble, it would indeed be big trouble.

You of all people summon anyone, and you actually summon the representative lawyer’s boss from the original plaintiff’s side.

Indeed, only you, Zhang Wei, could pull off such a move, and what a move you’ve made.

But then, would the prosecution agree to this request?