Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 550 - 545: Wu Yuanzong Testifies, Gu Shimang’s Defense Crumbles!

Chapter 550: Chapter 545: Wu Yuanzong Testifies, Gu Shimang’s Defense Crumbles!

Everyone was shocked when Wu Yuanzong admitted it in court.

He was the father of the child!

The child in Gu Shimang’s belly was his!

Did that mean that from beginning to end, it had been Gu Shimang who was lying?

Everyone’s gaze shifted away from the "adulterer," turning toward the "promiscuous woman."

Gu Shimang!

You woman, truly a fine actress!

You’ve been deceiving us all along, playing with our emotions, toying with our conscience!

So, when you claimed it was all for the sake of the child, we never imagined it was for someone else’s child, and you’ve treated Gao Tianri like a cash cow!

Intolerable, absolutely intolerable!

At that moment, the crowd truly became agitated.

Everyone knew that they had been deceived by Gu Shimang; naturally, their anger could not be held back.

"Mr. Wu, I would like to ask, when did you start your affair with Gu Shimang?"

"We’ve known each other for about a year and a half; we met at a cocktail party."

"Who approached whom first?"

"It was her!"

It wasn’t until this moment that Wu Yuanzong looked at Gu Shimang, yet his gaze was void of any emotion.

After all, his feelings for Gu Shimang were not that deep.

Moreover, he knew that after today, she would be a discarded pawn.

Why invest feelings in a pawn?

"Oh, so it was Gu Shimang who took the initiative to talk to you?"

"What’s so surprising about that? At the cocktail party, many women approached me, probably attracted by my status or perhaps the resources at my disposal."

Seeing Wu Yuanzong say this, Zhang Wei immediately gave Zhao Xiaoxiao a look from the defendant’s bench.

The latter quickly returned an "OK" gesture and started working on a notebook.

Instantly, the projection screen displayed additional photos from cocktail parties and other important functions.

In these photos, Wu Yuanzong appeared multiple times, always accompanied by important figures.

"Mr. Wu, this must be the legendary Dongfang Capital City Council Head Zhang Tianlong, right? In these photos, Councilor Head Zhang seems to be the most prominent figure. Are you close to him?"

"Of course, we’ve been close friends since childhood, our families are old friends."

As soon as these words were spoken, many in the jury and audience understood.

No wonder then.

This Wu Yuanzong happens to be the dear friend of Dongfang Capital City Council Head.

Moreover, from these photos, he himself seemed to be a person who was well-connected, able to greet many important figures, so it seems he belonged to that small group at the pinnacle of Dongfang Capital.

Such a person, with such status, could definitely attract the attention of women.

Thus, his claim about Gu Shimang initiating the interaction could indeed be plausible.

Hmph, a woman who ingratiates herself with those in power!

Now, those who harbored hostility toward Gu Shimang felt even more animosity.

"So, since that cocktail party, you two have been secretly involved for a year and a half?"

"Yes."

"Aside from a physical relationship, was there any other connection between you two?"

"Yes, several months ago, Gu Shimang proposed to hand over Gao Tianri’s entire fortune to me; of course, I didn’t mind her generosity."

"Does this mean Gu Shimang orchestrated a plan to seize Gao Tianri’s family wealth, and you entered into some sort of partnership with her?"

"Yes, but she was the one who planned it all; I simply provided some people to protect her."

Wu Yuanzong admitted generously.

But in fact, both Zhang Wei and he knew that it was Wu Yuanzong who actually plotted and provided resources for the plan, not just Gu Shimang.

Without Wu Yuanzong’s backing, even with a hundred times the courage, she might not have taken such a step.

It could only be said that Gu Shimang was the one Wu Yuanzong pushed forward to take the blame.

But... isn’t that the role of a pawn?

"You protected her?"

Zhang Wei caught on to a bit of information and pressed for details.

"Yes, I arranged for several bodyguards for her, all from my Wu family."

As Wu Yuanzong spoke, he explained leisurely to the jury: "When I first met Shi Man, she always complained to me about her husband, and even shared her plan to take over her husband’s wealth. She expressed her worry that Gao Tianri might retaliate against her if he ever found out."

"If that’s the case, then it’s perfect that my Wu Family has plenty of people. I’ve arranged a few of them to be at her disposal, responsible for her safety,"

"Is that so?" Zhang Wei’s face expressed surprise, then he raised his hand and pointed towards the projection screen.

With Zhao Xiaoxiao’s operation, two black-clad men who had attempted to approach Gu Shimang appeared on the screen.

"Are these your Wu Family’s men, or are they not, in fact, Director Gao’s subordinates sent to monitor Gu Shimang?"

"Of course not; these are our Wu Family’s men. The one with the crew cut is called Ah Jin, and the one with a scar on his chin is called Ah Qian. I arranged for them to protect Shi Man,"

Wu Yuanzong pointed at the two men in the photo and casually explained.

His explanation clarified for the jury and those in the hearing that these men were not from Gao Tianri’s camp.

"And what about the so-called sworn testimony?"

"The orders I gave to Ah Jin and the others were to obey Shi Man in everything. I assume they didn’t think too much about it. After all, neither Ah Qian nor Ah Jin has much education; how would they know the power of sworn testimony?"

"Oh, I see, so this is essentially deceit and falsification, isn’t it? Isn’t this considered perjury?"

Zhang Wei’s eyes narrowed, then turned to look at Laura in the plaintiff’s bench.

"Lawyer Laura, concerning the fabrication of sworn testimony, are you aware of it?"

With these words, Laura felt immense pressure.

Because if she answered a single word incorrectly, the court reporter would certainly record all this information, and Ni Qiuping said she would submit it directly to the Lawyer’s Association after the recess.

If things didn’t go well, it meant losing her license and being expelled by the Lawyer’s Association.

Luckily, Laura had taken precautions.

"Regarding the issue of sworn testimony, I entrusted Grey and his team to handle it!"

Passing the buck!

Laura had foreseen these issues and had her subordinates deal with these dangerous matters in advance.

It has to be said, this preemptive move was incredibly astute.

"Oh, so it was Lawyer Grey and his team who managed this matter!"

Zhang Wei naturally accepted this answer with a smile and looked meaningfully at Grey and his colleagues.

That look made the four people from Grey’s team feel a bit panicky.

"Please record this, court clerk: concerning perjury with the sworn testimony, the informed individuals are Lawyer Grey from William International and the members of his divorce litigation team: Lawyers Kelin, Reed, and Brown. A total of four suspects!"

How did we become suspects?

The four from Grey’s team were now very nervous, incredibly nervous.

They wanted to rebut, but they didn’t know how to begin.

Moreover, Ni Qiuping on the judge’s bench was staring at them "ferociously," causing the words that reached the tip of their tongues to be carefully swallowed back.

"Let’s skip over the issue of sworn testimony then. After all, it’s all fabricated. The plaintiff’s side attempted to deceive and muddle through. We don’t have to care about these falsities, what’s fake is fake, and we just need to see it for what it is. I believe everyone here has been duped by fakes before. Learn from the mistake and move on, the fake things..."

"Cough, cough!"

Just as Zhang Wei was about to gloss over the matter, albeit with a strong emphasis on the plaintiff’s fraudulent behavior, he was interrupted by Ni Qiuping’s cough.

Are you messing with me here?

We agreed to skip this part, and you keep repeating and emphasizing it, afraid the jury didn’t understand, right?

"Old Ni, I understand my mistake; I shouldn’t have repeatedly brought up the plaintiff’s mistake. After all, they only made one error, I..."

"Then please go on and ask the next question, and stop dilly-dallying!"

Ni Qiuping interrupted Zhang Wei for the second time.

You have more to say, huh? Don’t you believe I’d strike my gavel right now?

Alright, Zhang Wei believed her.

"Cough, cough, Mr. Wu, let’s continue."

Zhang Wei approached Wu Yuanzong again with a smile and asked, "Since you’ve arranged for protection, doesn’t it mean that Director Gao had no chance to threaten Gu Shimang’s personal safety, let alone commit acts of force, assault, or even unilateral rape?"

"Of course not. After all, when all’s said and done, Gu Shimang is my woman, and if I, Wu Yuanzong, couldn’t even protect a woman, what would I amount to in the eyes of others?"

"Oh, I see,"

Zhang Wei nodded, then smiled at Gu Shimang in the plaintiff’s bench.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s smile, Gu Shimang’s face grew utterly sullen.

"My client has also said that they saw many black-clad individuals near the villa, at the company, and even at the film set, plotting against them. Those must have been your men, right?"

"In theory, they are my men. But if someone else had hired bodyguards for Shi Man..."

"Understood."

Zhang Wei looked back at Gu Shimang coldly and smirked, "There is an interesting conversation between two bodyguards. They talked about dealing with my client, even making them disappear from the earth. It seems like these ideas all belong to Miss Gu Shimang!"

"Objection, hearsay evidence!"

Laura, after all, was Gu Shimang’s lawyer, and she immediately interjected to break up Zhang Wei’s "misleading statements."

"Hmm, I retract my recent statement, as it was just a private conversation between two bodyguards, not necessarily representing Miss Gu Shimang’s intentions."

Zhang Wei immediately waved his hand in apology, but his face showed not the slightest bit of regret.

And his words made the jury and the audience struggle to restrain themselves, their gazes towards the plaintiff’s bench becoming increasingly hostile.

The venomous woman!

Who would have thought, Gu Shimang, that you would turn out to be such a venomous woman!

No sooner had you hooked up with a stranger than you planned to poison your own husband.

This... wait, why does this plot sound so familiar?

"Dalang, get up, it’s time to take your medicine~"

What the heck!

Thinking about it, turns out there were similar venomous women hundreds of years ago.

"Ahem, please do not misunderstand, ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Gu Shimang isn’t necessarily the modern-day Pan Jinlian, so don’t let your imaginations run wild!" Seeing the reaction, Zhang Wei hurriedly interjected to "stop" them.

But the more he talked, the more everyone’s minds were filled with that line, conjuring up one particular image in a frenzy.

"Dalang, get up, it’s time to take your medicine~"

A stunning young wife helping a short-statured man sit up and feeding him a bowl of poisonous brew.

Tsk tsk tsk...

How many minds within the courtroom were clicking their tongues in wild imagination, they probably didn’t even know themselves.

"Alright, let’s continue!"

Zhang Wei said, then signaled to Zhao Xiaoxiao.

Once again, a series of photos appeared on the projection screen.

"Please have a look at the big screen, these are the photos of Ms. Gu Shimang’s injury examination at the hospital!"

The photos showed a woman with her back to everyone, her body bearing several bruises.

There were also close-up shots, of her neck, arms, and other parts, all showing pinch marks, ligature marks, and so on.

"Now, everyone, please look over here, let’s review what Ms. Gu Shimang stated. She claimed my client, Director Gao, beat her, attacked her, and raped her."

"So, I’m puzzled, with several burly bodyguards accompanying you, how could my client have beaten and raped you?"

"And, I’m very curious, how exactly were these wounds inflicted? After browsing an unregulated website, I finally understood!"

A number of people in the courtroom perked up their ears, it seemed someone mentioned an unregulated website.

Brother, can I borrow a moment for a word?

"Ladies and gentlemen, please look at the big screen!"

At Zhang Wei’s cue, the photos on the big screen began to change, turning into various images of bondage, BDSM, etc.

The women in the photos all wore black latex suits, tied with ropes and cloth strips to specialized wooden chairs.

"Have a look, everyone, do these tools and the areas bound by the ropes look familiar?"

Everyone took a closer look at the photos, thanking their lucky stars there were no children in the courtroom; otherwise, these pictures might not have been so readily displayed.

"Wait, these ropes around the joints, around the legs..."

"That cloth tied around the neck, the methods of binding hands and feet..."

Everyone began to realize, could the way of this bondage possibly cause some ligature injuries?

Most of these wounds seem to correspond with the injuries on Gu Shimang’s body.

Well, I’ll be!

Truly, I’ll be!

So Gu Shimang wasn’t just cruel-hearted, she played quite the diverse game.

BDSM, restraint, bondage—who would have guessed you were so open to experimentation!

"Mr. Wu, although all of us can see it for ourselves, we still would like to hear from you, the person involved."

Wu Yuanzong took a deep breath, then admitted with a smile, "What else is there to say, didn’t you all see it already?"

"But I must admit, among all the women I know, Shimang is the one who knows pleasure best, many women can’t let go, but she doesn’t seem to have that problem, hahaha..."

The answer ended in Wu Yuanzong’s laughter, leaving much to the imagination.

How open was this "letting go," really?

All these injuries on your body, were they all thanks to your wild antics?

So, looking at it that way, you two really must have been quite intense...

"Well, I’ll be, truly, I’ll be!"

Zhang Wei also shook his head, expressing his sentiment.

"So my client, Director Gao, is almost inhumane, relying on medication just to barely function, and that’s why you went to find someone else, is that it?"

"You’re uncooperative at home, but with others, you’re willing to do any position, even eagerly participate in wild exploits, tsk tsk tsk, for my client, you’re just heartless, playing the whore while pretending to be a pillar of virtue?"

Zhang Wei’s words left everyone in the courtroom speechless.

Then, their looks towards Gu Shimang were filled with contempt and disdain.

You woman, you really are something.

At home, you won’t even let me touch your hand, but you satisfy all kinds of positions for others?

You really are quite the "virtuous wife and good mother."

So, all eyes in the room converged on Gu Shimang.

At this moment, she felt as though the sky above her had collapsed.

Why?

Why does my brother Wu not choose to help me, but instead chooses to help Zhang Wei, to help Gao Tianri?

Why on earth is this?

"One last question!"

Just then, Zhang Wei drew all attention to himself again and raised a finger.

"Mr. Wu, what kind of feelings do you have for the plaintiff Gu Shimang?"

This question made everyone prick up their ears.

Under everyone’s gaze, Wu Yuanzong sighed deeply, shook his head, and said, "If I were to say what my feelings for Shimang were at the beginning, it might have been attraction to her temperament."

"But as time went on, after she revealed her ambition, her plans, my feelings for her included fear, because if she could treat her own husband this way, could she one day betray me for another man?"

This statement did make sense.

Many people nodded in agreement.

Today Gu Shimang is willing to go against Gao Tianri for you, Mr. Wu; is it possible that tomorrow Gu Shimang might betray you, Mr. Wu, for another man?

"So, my feelings for Shimang are nothing more than fleeting sympathy and..."

Wu Yuanzong paused, then looked towards Gu Shimang in the plaintiff’s seat, "Shimang, you and I are destined to be impossible because you’ve made me afraid!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shimang’s body trembled, and then tears began to fall uncontrollably.

In her mind, she replayed the times she had spent with Wu Yuanzong.

When I said I would embezzle Gao Tianri’s assets and offer them to you, Mr. Wu, you whispered so many sweet nothings to me.

But today you are so merciless, ready to cast me aside.

Who is really the one who feels afraid?

"No, no, no—"

"That’s not true, he’s lying, he’s lying!"

Gu Shimang finally couldn’t hold back any longer, her mentality exploded, and she screamed out loud in court.

"Wu Yuanzong, you son of a bitch, you agreed to this plan, I was supposed to act pitiful in court, get all of Gao Tianri’s family assets, and then give them all to you, you agreed to this, why, why are you backing out now!"

"Wu Yuanzong, you scum, you’re not human, you’re planning to bail after playing around, to completely abandon me, treat me like a disposable piece, you..."

Gu Shimang’s loss of control shocked many people.

"Wow, so you actually admit to the plot of embezzlement?"

But Zhang Wei had anticipated this and immediately seized the key point.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is out, Gu Shimang was responsible for acting pitiful in court, attempting to use the sacred courtroom for her own wicked plans, and gain vast benefits, and I, the victim, am but a sufferer!"

While speaking, Zhang Wei moved to the front of the plaintiff’s seat.

"Madam, you truly have a venomous heart, capable of such malicious scheming; it’s honestly frightening!"

He said this as he stepped closer to Gu Shimang and Lawyer Laura, then whispered in a voice only they could hear, sneering, "You lose, bitch!"

With these words, Gu Shimang’s eyes bulged, and then her face contorted ferociously.

And Lawyer Laura, too, had her breath catch, as she was thrown off balance.

Zhang Wei, how dare he mock me, insult me, absolutely intolerable!

But now the advantage was with him, and it seemed fighting back against the wind wouldn’t work.

Damn it!

Lawyer Laura was at a loss.

"You damn, it’s all because of you, if you hadn’t refused to be my lawyer, none of this would have happened, I’ll kill you, I swear I’ll kill you!"

But due to Zhang Wei’s taunt of "bitch," Gu Shimang’s defenses were broken once more, and this time they were shattered, causing her to completely lose her sanity.

"Court Guard, restrain her!"

Seeing Gu Shimang’s breakdown, Ni Qiuping immediately called for help.

Immediately, Court Guards rushed up and pinned down the clawing and snarling Gu Shimang.

And all of this was witnessed by the entire courtroom.

"Handled!"

Seeing Gu Shimang neutralized, a smile crept onto Zhang Wei’s face once more.

He had won this round!