Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 535 - 530: Three Wives? Likes Using Tricks?

Chapter 535: Chapter 530: Three Wives? Likes Using Tricks?

The direction of the courtroom favored the plaintiff from the start.

This was largely due to the strong support from last night’s "Lisa’s Interview" program.

And now, as the plaintiff produced an "Artist Joint Statement," the momentum in the court was unstoppable.

Though in the end, the judge denied the plaintiff’s request to admit the statement as evidence.

But the signatures of over fifty celebrities on that statement were indeed substantial.

There is a saying, "Three men make a tiger!

When one person claims there is something wrong with Gao Tianri, others may not be moved.

When ten people say there is something wrong with Gao Tianri, then others start to wonder if it’s true.

When over fifty stars, and subsequently more join in, amounting to over two hundred stars pointing fingers at Gao Tianri, well then, it must be acknowledged.

Thus, the thoughts of the jurors and the spectators in the hearing seats were entirely transparent to both parties.

Gao Tianri is guilty!

If there is any good news now, it’s probably that this case isn’t a criminal prosecution.

Otherwise, Gao Tianri would have to pay not just money but possibly serve jail time as well.

And now, the biggest problem is nothing more than a clean break.

Financial and reputational downfall, handing all his assets over to Gu Shimang, but at least not facing jail time.

"Lawyer Zhang, these people, they..."

"Director Gao, stay calm. These people are like this; just treat them like a bunch of fence-sitters."

Zhang Wei knew Gao Tianri’s worries and quickly tried to reassure him.

However, his reassurance had limited effect because the current situation was very grim.

"Cough cough, the plaintiff’s side, please prepare, let’s begin!"

On the bench, Ni Qiuping at last reminded them.

Since I have rejected your minor request, you should quickly prepare your opening statement!

Quickly, hurry up, immediately!

Being named by Ni Qiuping, Laura immediately gave Grey a look.

The latter stood up at once.

"Your Honor, our side requests that three witnesses be called to testify in succession!"

"What?"

Judge Ni was astonished. The plaintiff’s side could really make a scene, huh? Not summoning any witnesses, and then suddenly wanting to summon three at once?

"Who are these three witnesses, and why do you need to call them all at once to testify successively?"

"Your Honor, these three witnesses are all Mr. Gao Tianri’s former wives!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room erupted.

Even Judge Ni was startled, her eyes widening as she looked from the plaintiff’s side to the defendant’s.

Good heavens!

Indeed, good heavens! In a civil suit like this, it was expected to have one of the parties’ former spouses testify, but to invite three at once was a bit much.

"Is this outrageous?"

Zhang Wei was also taken aback, then turned to look at Gao Tianri beside him.

Buddy, your three ex-wives are about to arrive.

Gao Tianri gave an awkward smile.

No help for it; I do have three ex-wives, and there’s not much I can do.

Judge Ni once again rubbed her forehead and then nodded to Grey.

"Thank you, Your Honor!"

As everyone watched, the courtroom doors swung open, and three women entered.

These three women, likely between the ages of thirty and forty, were now dressed in elegant and sumptuous attire. Although time had left its marks on their faces, one could tell they must have been quite beautiful in their youth.

The three women entered the courtroom and glanced at Gao Tianri on the defendant’s bench with a look of intense aversion in their eyes.

Indeed, to a woman, the ex-husband is always the enemy!

All that talk about remaining friends after divorce, sending greetings after an amicable split, and still being able to collaborate despite the end of the romance, are lies.

Zhang Wei watched the three women enter the courtroom, his mind recalling information about them.

Gao Tianri had four wives.

The first was a female celebrity, the second was also a female celebrity, and the third was yet another female celebrity.

Gu Shimang was the fourth wife, also an actress.

From this, it is clear that Gao Tianri is actually a "faithful" man; he is only interested in young and beautiful actresses and doesn’t fool around with other women.

Gao Tianri’s first wife was a third- or fourth-tier actress, but at that time, Gao Tianri was just a third-rate director.

His second wife was a second-tier actress, and by that time, Gao Tianri had become an up-and-coming director with several box office hits to his name.

His third wife, reportedly, was a popular idol-turned-actress. By then, Gao Tianri had successfully graduated to a top-tier director, making a name for himself in the industry.

As for Gu Shimang, the fourth wife, she was a top-tier celebrity, and Gao Tianri had also elevated to a renowned director with fame both domestically and abroad.

It has to be said that as Gao Tianri’s status rose, so did the status of the women by his side in the entertainment circle.

All three former wives were present in court, ready to take turns testifying.

Grey gave a meaningful look to his subordinates, Brown, Reed, and Kelin.

The three of them stood up, ready to start their questioning.

One minute later, the questioning began.

"May I ask, madam, your relationship with the defendant is..."

"I’m his wife, specifically his first wife!"

"The defendant Gao Tianri, your impression of him is..."

"To put it bluntly, he’s a scoundrel, a devil, a beast!"

"Was it very stressful being with him?"

"Heh, it wasn’t just stressful. He used to frequent hotels and clubs with actresses I knew and didn’t know, sometimes even more intimate than when he was with me!"

As the first wife spoke, she cast a meaningful glance at the second wife.

Clearly, among these actresses, there was the second wife.

"Hmm, are you saying that during your marriage, the defendant Gao Tianri was already entangled with other women?"

"Yes!"

"And his explanation was?"

"Business, just playing around with those women!"

Said the first wife with a hint of scorn on her face, "He said he was just playing around with those women, but what about with me? Was our time together also just playing around?"

This statement indeed provokes deep reflection.

Looking at the current outcome, it’s very likely that Gao Tianri’s marriage with you was also just a fling.

"Madam, when you divorced, what did Gao Tianri do to you?"

"He sent a lawyer to threaten me, saying that if I dared to take a penny from him, he would make sure I could never work in the entertainment industry again!"

"So, what did you get from the divorce?"

"I got a severance pay of 100,000 yuan, which seemed like his pity for me. I was very angry!"

As the first wife spoke, she looked at Gao Tianri, her eyes filled with resentment.

Reed, who was responsible for the questioning, saw this and looked at Grey inquiringly, who then nodded his head.

"My questioning is over!"

The first wife stepped down from the witness stand, and the second wife took her place.

Similarly, Reed returned to his seat as Brown stood up, ready to question.

"May I ask, madam, your relationship with the defendant is..."

"I’m his wife, to be precise, the second!"

"The defendant Gao Tianri, your impression of him is..."

"Since my predecessor has put it so plainly, I’ll just be direct as well; he’s a scoundrel, a devil, a beast, and moreover, a bastard!"

The second wife’s words caused many in the courtroom to exclaim in surprise.

You have outdone your predecessor; that accusation is quite harsh.

"So, may I ask, was it very stressful being with him?"

"So stressful that I could hardly breathe because every day I saw him arm in arm with different women, acting even more intimate than with me!"

As the second wife spoke, she also shot a meaningful look at the third wife.

Clearly, she was one of those women!

"Madam, are you saying that during your continuing marriage, the defendant Gao Tianri was always involved with other women?"

"Yes!"

"Did he give any explanation for this?"

"The same old story, just playing around with those women!"

Said the second wife with a sneer, "Honestly, I have the same question in my mind: he claims to be playing with those women, so was he doing the same with me?"

Her words made the jury and many in the spectator seats exchange glances.

Well, it seems like you guys are stuck in a loop, the issues are almost exactly the same.

"Ma’am, when you divorced Gao Tianri, what did he do to you?"

"He hired a damn impressive lawyer to threaten me, claiming if I dared to take anything from him, he would blacklist me in the entertainment industry!"

Alright, even the breakup routine is exactly the same.

The jury thought, you really do like to stick to one trick, huh?

Is it because it worked the first time that you thought you could use the same strategy over and over?

"So, what did you get from the divorce in the end?"

"I only got a severance fee of 500,000, which felt like his pity on me. I wanted to refuse, of course, but I was afraid of his threats to blacklist me, so I just had to bear with it!"

The second wife said this, her eyes towards Gao Tianri filled with resentment and hostility.

Seeing this, Brown, who was asking the questions, glanced at Grey, and the latter nodded again.

"Your Honor, my questioning is over!"

Again, the witness was changed.

The second wife left the stand, and Brown returned to his seat.

The third wife took the stand, and Kelin also stood up and moved in front of the witness seat.

"May I ask, ma’am, your relationship with the defendant is..."

The third wife rolled her eyes.

You really do ask some interesting questions, do I even need to answer it?

"Ma’am, this is a necessary procedure in court, although everyone knows who you are, you have to let the clerk record it."

"Alright, I’m his third wife, but as to whether I was his third woman, I can’t be sure of that."

"Defendant Gao Tianri, your impression of him is..."

There she went, rolling her eyes on the spot again, so you like using the same routine too, huh?

Even the questions asked during the hearing don’t change at all?

The woman shook her head, then smirked, "I might as well be blunt - he’s a jerk, a devil, a beast, an absolute scumbag!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the courtroom was again taken aback.

Turns out you three ex-wives like to use the same script when hurling insults, and like to add your own twist to it?

"So, ma’am, did you feel pressured while you were with him?"

"If I said there was no pressure, that would be lying; I was under enormous stress every day!"

The woman said, glancing at Gu Shimang at the plaintiff’s bench.

Everything was left unsaid, but the implication was clear to those who understood.

The jurors and spectators, many got the point.

Gao Tianri was fooling around with other women during your marriage, wasn’t he, and one of them was the plaintiff Gu Shimang?

Kelin turned to look at Gu Shimang and decided to skip the next question.

Because it seemed like everyone already knew the answer.

"Ma’am, would you also like to claim that the defendant was unfaithful during your marriage?"

"Oh, there’s a whole lot of that, from hotel stays, trips for ’business,’ even in the trailers on set - his traces were everywhere with other women!"

The third wife’s grudge was heavy, and while speaking, she even flipped the bird towards Gao Tianri in the defendant’s area.

"Cough cough!"

Ni Qiuping had to cough as a warning.

The woman on the witness stand then composed herself a bit, but the hostile gaze in her eyes didn’t change one bit.

Seeing this, Kelin straightened his tie, then asked with a smile:

"Ma’am, although I know you both have divorced, I still have to ask, what did Gao Tianri do to you at the time of your divorce?"

"Haha, of course, it’s the same old trick!"

The third wife rolled her eyes again, "He hired a lawyer who was acting all high and mighty, acting like he was ’the best in the world,’ threatening me face to face, saying if I dared to take anything from him, he would make sure I couldn’t stay in Dongfang Capital!"

Alright, the jury and the spectators had seen enough to not be surprised anymore.

You really do have a liking for the same trick, don’t you, a one-hit wonder that works every time?

No! You did change after all. With your status rising, even the lawyers you hire are getting more and more impressive.

Kelin immediately followed up with, "So, what did you get from the divorce?"

"I only got 2 million in severance pay, which felt like his pity on me. I almost couldn’t resist throwing the money in his face at the time. But that lawyer kept watching me, and reason told me to just take the money and leave quietly!"

The third wife said, looking towards Gao Tianri, her gaze filled with resentment, hostility, and naked hatred.

Kelin looked back at his boss Grey, who also gave a slight nod.

"As for this lady, our side ends its questioning!"

After speaking, Kelin returned to his seat, yielding the stage.

In the defendant’s dock.

"Lawyer Zhang, I feel like I’m doomed!"

Because of the testimonies of his three ex-wives, Gao Tianri felt as if the sky was falling down on him.

"Calm down, I’ll help you turn the tide!"

Zhang Wei patted Gao Tianri on the shoulder, offering consolation.

Then, he walked towards the courtroom.

"How does the defense wish to proceed with their questioning?"

Although the plaintiff’s examination had gone smoothly, allowing three women to take the stand and testify in turn,

it was now difficult for the defense, as lawyer Zhang Wei was the only person on their side.

"Judge Ni, you don’t have to worry, I’ve decided to question the three wives of my client together, so could the Court Guard bring over two more chairs?"

Ni Qiuping nodded to the Court Guard beside her, who immediately understood and brought two more chairs.

Upon seeing this, Gao Tianri’s first and second ex-wives also went to the witness stand, sitting on either side of the third.

With this, Zhang Wei was now facing three women at the same time.

"Good day, ladies."

The three women glanced at Zhang Wei but offered no response.

"While I’d love to question all three of you at the same time, we need to take it one question at a time. However, you can all answer together unless I address someone specifically. Is that okay?"

The three women still didn’t respond, and the third ex-wife even turned her face away disdainfully.

"Alright then, first question, were you happy with Director Gao, were you content?"

As soon as he said this, the courtroom was taken by surprise, and all three ex-wives blinked.

What kind of question was that?

"Sorry, my question was a bit too general."

Zhang Wei seemed to realize his mistake and quickly apologized.

"I should ask this way—when you were with Director Gao, did you have to worry about everyday concerns, such as living expenses, work arrangements, and life and career concerns? Did you have to deal with each and every one of them?"

"Well..." The three ex-wives looked at each other; it seemed they had never worried about these things.

A nanny was hired during the time of the first ex-wife.

An assistant was hired during the time of the second ex-wife.

By the time of the third ex-wife, Gao Tianri was already a famous director; newcomers and assistants from the production crew were eager to help with household chores.

So, none of the three ex-wives had ever had to worry about trivial life matters.

And as for work matters, they had all improved their standing by being connected with Gao Tianri.

The first ex-wife advanced from a third or fourth-tier actress to the upper third tier, the second became almost a top-level actress, and the third published her autobiography using Gao Tianri’s fame, which reportedly sold very well.

"What’s the matter, ladies, is this question difficult to answer?"

Zhang Wei, noticing the women’s confusion, questioned coldly, "When you were with Director Gao, did you enjoy life conveniences and advance in your careers? Is this question hard to answer?"

"We..."

Having no other choice, the three ex-wives nodded subconsciously, "We did receive conveniences and career advancements!"

"Isn’t that settled then?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands, looking puzzled, "After marrying my client, didn’t you avoid the headache of trivial life concerns and receive favoritism at work, with steady career advancements? Doesn’t that count as happiness?"

"But he..." The three ex-wives wanted to point at Gao Tianri.

"Ladies, my question was directed at you, please don’t beat around the bush trying to change the subject!"

Zhang Wei cut off the women’s intentions and displayed a cold smile.

Do you really think I can’t see through your plans? You may be "seasoned actors" in showbiz with your ages, but this is not a film set; this is a courtroom.

This is my turf, Zhang Wei’s home ground!

"So, once again, ladies, when you were with my client, did you or did you not feel happiness and joy?"

"We... we... did feel it, I guess..."

Under Zhang Wei’s gaze, the three ex-wives answered in a very low voice.

And this response surprised many in the courtroom.

How is this different from what we expected?

Could Gao Tianri really be a good person?