Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 551 - 545: Wu Yuanzong Testifies, Gu Shimang’s Defense Crumbles!

Chapter 551: Chapter 545: Wu Yuanzong Testifies, Gu Shimang’s Defense Crumbles!

Everyone was taken by surprise when Wu Yuanzong admitted in court.

He was the father of the child!

The child in Gu Shi Man’s belly was his!

Does that mean from beginning to end, it was always Gu Shi Man who was lying?

All eyes shifted from the "adulterer" to the "promiscuous woman."

Gu Shi Man!

This woman, how spectacular her acting has been!

You have been deceiving us all along, playing with our emotions, taking advantage of our conscience!

So all the while when you claimed it was for your child, who would have thought you actually meant someone else’s, fooling Gao Tianri as if he were a naive scapegoat to be taken advantage of!

Unbearable, absolutely unbearable!

At this moment, the crowd truly became incensed.

Everyone realized that they had been duped by Gu Shi Man, and naturally they could no longer contain their anger.

"Mr. Wu, may I ask, when did you start your affair with Gu Shi Man?"

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

"Who initiated the conversation?"

"She did!"

It wasn’t until that moment that Wu Yuanzong looked towards Gu Shi Man, though his gaze was devoid of any emotion.

After all, his feelings for Gu Shi Man were never deep to begin with.

Besides, he knew that after today, she would be nothing more than a discarded pawn.

Why invest emotions in a pawn?

"Oh, so it was Gu Shi Man who approached you first?"

"What of it? At the cocktail party, many women approached me, probably attracted by my status or perhaps by the resources I had at hand."

Zhang Wei, seeing Wu Yuanzong’s response, immediately gave Zhao Xiaoxiao in the defendant’s seat a meaningful look.

She quickly responded with an "OK" gesture and began working on her laptop.

Suddenly, the projection screen displayed several photos from cocktails parties and banquets with important figures.

In those photos, Wu Yuanzong could be seen repeatedly, always accompanied by a prominent figure.

"Mr. Wu, that must be Councilor Head Zhang Tianlong of Dongfang Capital City, right? In these photos, Councilor Head Zhang seems like the most influential person present, and your relationship with him is quite close?"

"Of course, we grew up together as good friends. Our families have been acquainted for generations."

With these words, many in the jury and the audience seats began to understand.

No wonder.

This Wu Yuanzong was indeed a close friend of the Dongfang Capital City Council Head.

And judging from these photos, he himself was an adept socializer, greeting many VIPs, which positioned him among the elite of Dongfang Capital.

Such a man, with such status, could absolutely catch a woman’s eye.

Thus, the so-called initiative taken by Gu Shi Man might not have been impossible after all.

Hmph, a woman who curries favor with the powerful!

This, then, only intensified the hostility of those already predisposed against Gu Shi Man.

"So, since that cocktail party, you’ve been clandestinely involved for a year and a half?"

"Yes."

"Besides the physical relationship, was there any other kind of relationship between you?"

"Yes, a few months ago, Gu Shi Man proposed to transfer all of Gao Tianri’s assets to me, which I naturally did not mind accepting."

"Does that mean Gu Shi Man devised this whole scheme to seize the Gao Tianri Family’s assets, and you entered some sort of partnership with her?"

"Yes, but it was all her planning. I was just responsible for providing some people to protect her."

Wu Yuanzong admitted generously.

But in reality, Zhang Wei and he both knew that while Gu Shi Man had the idea, the actual schemer and the one who provided resources was Wu Yuanzong.

Without Wu Yuanzong’s backing, even with a hundred times the courage, Gu Shi Man wouldn’t have dared to make such a move.

It simply meant that Gu Shi Man was the one Wu Yuanzong had pushed out to take the blame.

But... isn’t that precisely the role of a pawn?

"Protect her?"

Seizing upon this piece of information, Zhang Wei pressed for more.

"Yes, I arranged a few bodyguards for her, all from the Wu Family."

Wu Yuanzong said, leisurely explaining to the jury, "When I met Shi Man, she constantly spoke ill of her husband to me and even shared her plan to take over her husband’s assets, expressing concern that Gao Tianri might seek revenge if he found out."

"Given that situation, it just so happened that my Wu Family has plenty of people, so I arranged for a few to be at her disposal, responsible for protecting her safety."

"Is that so?" Zhang Wei looked surprised and then raised his hand to point at the projection screen.

Under Zhao Xiaoxiao’s operation, the screen showed two black-clad men who had attempted to attack Gu Shimang.

"These are your Wu Family’s men, aren’t they? Aren’t they actually arranged by Director Gao to monitor Gu Shimang?"

"Of course not, they 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, both of whom I had arranged to protect Shi Man."

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

His explanation made it clear to the jury and the audience that these men were not Gao Tianri’s.

"What about the so-called declaration testimony?"

"The orders I gave to Ah Jin and the others were to listen to Shi Man’s commands in all situations; I guess they didn’t think too much about it. After all, neither Ah Qian nor Ah Jin has much education. How would they understand the significance of declaration testimony?"

"Oh, so that’s how it is. Doesn’t that amount to outright deception and fabrication? Would that be considered perjury?"

Zhang Wei’s eyes narrowed, then he turned his gaze toward Lawyer Laura at the plaintiff’s bench.

"Lawyer Laura, were you aware of the forgery involving the declaration testimony?"

These words put Laura under immense pressure.

Because if she answered incorrectly, the court stenographer would surely record the information, and Ni Qiuping had said she would certainly submit these details to the Lawyer’s Association after the recess.

If things went wrong, it meant losing her license to practice and being expelled from the Lawyer’s Association.

Fortunately, Laura had been prepared for this.

"Regarding the declaration testimony, I had delegated that matter to my subordinate Grey and his team!"

Shifting the blame!

Laura had foreseen these issues and had proactively instructed her subordinates to deal with these risky matters.

It must be admitted that her defensive move was played with utmost finesse.

"Oh, so it was Lawyer Grey and his team who handled this affair!"

Zhang Wei naturally accepted this response with a smile, casting a meaningful look at Grey and his colleagues.

That look made the four Grey Law attorneys somewhat panicked.

"Please, court clerk, record this: regarding the possibility of perjury in the declaration testimony, the informed parties are Lawyer Grey from William International, and his Divorce Litigation Department team members Kelin, Reed, and Brown, with a total of four suspects!"

How did we become suspects?

The four Grey attorneys were now very anxious, extremely anxious.

They wanted to defend themselves, but didn’t know how to begin.

Moreover, Ni Qiuping on the bench was glaring at them "ferociously," causing the words they had on the tip of their tongue to be carefully swallowed back.

"Alright, let’s skip over the part about the declaration testimony then. After all, it’s all fabricated, and the plaintiff’s side is trying to deceive and sneak by. We don’t need to pay attention to these falsehoods; what’s fake is fake, and it’s best if everyone sees it clearly. I believe everyone gets tricked by counterfeit goods from time to time, so let’s just learn from it, anything fake..."

"Cough cough!"

Just as Zhang Wei was about to gloss over it, actually placing undue emphasis on the plaintiff’s deceptive actions, he was interrupted by Ni Qiuping’s cough.

You’re trying to pull one over on me here?

We agreed to gloss over it, but you just keep harping on it. Are you worried the jury didn’t understand?

"Old Ni, I realize my mistake. I shouldn’t repeat the plaintiff side’s error repeatedly, after all, they only made the mistake once, I..."

"Then please proceed with the next question; stop beating around the bush!"

For the second time, Ni Qiuping interrupted Zhang Wei.

You’re not finished yet, huh? Do you believe I will just bang the gavel straightaway?

Fine, Zhang Wei believed her.

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

Zhang Wei leaned in towards Wu Yuanzong again, asking with a smile, "Since you arranged for people to protect her, doesn’t that mean it’s impossible for Director Gao to pose any threat to Gu Shimang’s personal safety, let alone engage in violent coercion, assault or even unilateral sexual assault?"

"That would be impossible. After all, Gu Shimang is my woman, and if Wu Yuanzong can’t even protect one woman, what face would I have left?"

"Oh, I see."

Zhang Wei nodded, then turned toward Gu Shimang in the plaintiff’s bench and smiled.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s smile, Gu Shimang’s expression darkened completely.

"My client also mentioned that they had seen many black-clad men near the villa, their company, and even on the set. These men were also plotting against them. These must be your subordinates, right?"

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

"Understood."

Zhang Wei looked back at Gu Shimang with a cold smile, "The conversation between two bodyguards was particularly interesting; they talked about dealing with my client and even making them disappear from the face of the earth. It seems all these were Gu Shimang’s ideas, weren’t they?"

"Objection, hearsay evidence!"

After all, Laura was Gu Shimang’s lawyer, and she promptly interrupted Zhang Wei’s "delusionary provocation."

"Alright, I retract what I just said. After all, it’s just the whispering between two bodyguards; it doesn’t necessarily reflect Miss Gu Shimang’s intentions."

Zhang Wei immediately waved his hands in apology, yet his face showed no sign of regret.

And his words made the jury and the spectators restless; their glances toward the plaintiff’s bench grew increasingly unfriendly.

Vile woman!

Who would’ve thought, you Gu Shimang, turned out to be such a vile woman!

No sooner had you hooked up with another man than you planned to harm your own husband.

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

"Dalang, get up and drink your medicine~"

Holy shit!

Thinking about it this way, it turns out there were such vile women hundreds of years ago.

"Ahem, please don’t misunderstand, ladies and gentlemen, Miss Gu Shimang is not necessarily a modern Pan Jinlian*, so don’t jump to conclusions, haha!" Zhang Wei interjected hurriedly to "stop" the train of thought.

But the more he spoke, the more the same phrase resonated in everyone’s mind, and they all began to wildly imagine a scenario.

"Dalang, get up and drink your medicine~"

A beautiful young woman helps a short man sit up and feeds him a bowl of poisonous soup medicine.

Tsk, tsk, tsk...

How many people in the courtroom are silently clicking their tongues in amazement, they themselves might not even know.

"Let’s continue!"

Zhang Wei said, making a gesture to Zhao Xiaoxiao.

On the projection screen, a new set of photos appeared.

"Please look at the big screen, these are the photos of Miss Gu Shimang going to the hospital for an injury assessment!"

In the photos, a woman with her back to everyone had multiple bruises on her body.

There were also several close-up photos of her neck, arms, and other places, all showing marks of strangulation, pinching, and so on.

"Now, turn your attention this way, let’s review what Miss Gu Shimang stated, shall we? She claimed that my client, Director Gao, beat her, assaulted her, and raped her."

"So, what puzzles me is how he could have beaten you and raped you, considering the several burly bodyguards you have at your side?"

"Moreover, I’m very curious how those wounds were inflicted. It finally dawned on me after browsing an unofficial website!"

Many in the courtroom perked up their ears as they heard mention of an unofficial website.

Brother, may I borrow a moment to speak?

"Look at the big screen, please!"

Following Zhang Wei’s indication, the photos on the big screen began to change, showing images of bondage, SM, and the like.

In the images, the women, all dressed in black leather bodysuits, were bound with ropes and cloth strips to specialized wooden seat structures.

"Now, everyone, look at these tools and the parts of the body they are binding, do they look familiar?"

Everyone took a closer look at the images, thankful there were no children in the courtroom because these might not have been acceptable.

"Wait, the ropes that bind around the joints, around the legs..."

"The cloth strips that tie around the neck, the way the hands and feet are bound..."

Everyone started to make the connection: could these binding methods possibly cause some bruising?

Most of these injuries seemed to match up with those on Gu Shimang’s body.

Goodness me!

Truly amazing!

Not only does Gu Shimang have a wicked heart, but she also has quite the flair for exotic play.

SM, restraint, bondage — I never would’ve imagined you, a woman, would be into such open practices!

"Mr. Wu, although we can all see it, we still want to hear what you, the person concerned, have to say."

Wu Yuanzong exhaled deeply and then, smiling, admitted, "What’s there to say that you haven’t already seen?"

"However, I must admit, among the women I know, Shi Man is the one with the most flair for such things. Many women can’t let go, but she doesn’t seem to have this problem, hahaha..."

The reply ended amidst Wu Yuanzong’s laughter, leaving much to the imagination.

Just how open was she, to let loose such an extent?

All those injuries on her body, were they all results of your playful antics?

In that case, it must have been quite intense, your play...

"Good Lord, truly astounding indeed!"

Zhang Wei also couldn’t help but shake his head and utter a remark.

"My client, Director Gao, is barely functional; he has to rely on medication just to barely ’stand’ up, so you go off to hook up with someone else?"

"You won’t cooperate at home, but you’ll accommodate any position when outside, and put on a show? Tsk, tsk, tsk. To my client, you’re utterly heartless. You want to play the harlot and yet expect to be seen as a paragon of virtue?"

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

They looked at Gu Shimang with a mix of disdain and scorn.

You, woman, are really something.

At home you won’t let me touch you, but with others, it’s a whole different attitude?

You really are a good "virtuous wife," aren’t you?

So everyone’s gaze converged on Gu Shimang.

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

Why?

Why didn’t my brother Wu choose to help me, but instead chose to help Zhang Wei, chose to help Gao Tianri?

What is the reason for all this?

"One last question!"

Just then, Zhang Wei attracted the attention of the entire courtroom and raised a finger again.

"Mr. Wu, what are your feelings towards the plaintiff Gu Shimang?"

This question also had everyone’s ears perked up.

Under everyone’s gaze, Wu Yuanzong sighed deeply and shook his head, "If you ask about my initial feelings towards Shi Man, I guess I was attracted by her temperament."

"But as time went on, after she revealed her ambitions, after she revealed her plans, I started to feel some fear towards her, thinking if she could treat her own husband like this, could she possibly turn against me in the future for another man?"

This statement seemed reasonable.

Many nodded in agreement.

If today Gu Shimang is willing to go against Gao Tianri for you, Wu Yuanzong, might she go against you tomorrow for another man?

"So, my feelings for Shi Man are just fleeting sympathy, and..."

Wu Yuanzong paused, then looked at Gu Shimang in the plaintiff’s seat, "Shi Man, we are simply not meant to be, because you scare me!"

With these words, Gu Shimang’s body trembled, and tears started to fall uncontrollably.

She recalled every moment she had spent with Wu Yuanzong.

When I talked about embezzling Gao Tianri’s assets and giving them to you, Wu Yuanzong, you had so many nice things to say to me.

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

Who is really the one who feels scared?

"No, no, no—"

"It’s not like that, he’s lying, he’s lying!"

Gu Shimang couldn’t hold on any longer, her mental state collapsed, and she screamed in court.

"Wu Yuanzong, you son of a bitch, you agreed to this plan too. I was supposed to act pitiful in court, grab all of Gao Tianri’s family fortune, and then give it all to you. You agreed to it, so why, why would you go back on your word!"

"Wu Yuanzong, you scumbag beast, you’re not human, you play with people until you’re done and then you plan to leave them high and dry, discarding me like trash, you..."

Gu Shimang’s meltdown frightened many in the courtroom.

"Wow, so you admit to the plan of embezzling the family fortune?"

Zhang Wei, however, had anticipated this and immediately seized on the key point.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is out, Gu Shimang was responsible for playing the victim in court, trying to use the sacred place of justice to obtain huge benefits for her wicked scheme. I, the defendant, am a true victim here!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei approached the plaintiff’s bench.

"Ma’am, you truly have a heart of a snake and scorpion, coming up with such a malignant strategy; it’s really terrifying!"

He spoke as he moved close to Gu Shimang and Lawyer Laura, then with a voice only they could hear, sneered mockingly, "You’re in a mess, you lost!"

As soon as these words were uttered, Gu Shimang’s eyes widened, then her face contorted into a grimace of rage.

And Laura, too, caught her breath, her whole being distraught.

Zhang Wei, who dared to mock and insult her, was simply unbearable!

But now the adversary had the upper hand, and it seemed that firing back while at a disadvantage was not working.

Damn it!

Lawyer Laura was out of options.

"You damn man, it’s all your fault, had you not refused to be my lawyer, none of this would have happened. I’ll kill you, I swear I’ll kill you!"

Because of Zhang Wei’s one use of "mess," Gu Shimang’s defenses once again shattered, breaking down completely and losing her sanity.

"Court Guard, restrain her!"

Seeing Gu Shimang lose control, Ni Qiuping also immediately called for help.

Instantly, court guards rushed forward to hold down Gu Shimang who was flailing wildly.

And all of this was witnessed by the entire courtroom.

"Handled!"

Seeing Gu Shimang lose her ability to move, a smile once again graced Zhang Wei’s lips.

He had won this round!