Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 553 - 547 None of You Can Escape, Old Tie Is Troubled

Chapter 553: Chapter 547 None of You Can Escape, Old Tie Is Troubled

Friday, a workday.

Jincheng Law Firm, Criminal Division Office.

On this busy Friday, Zhang Wei was sitting alone in his office... reading the newspaper.

"Men’s Silence, Women’s Tears, the First-Ever Crash for the Lisa’s Talk Show Team?"

"Killing the Body as Well as the Soul, Director Gao Tianri’s On-Set Fury, the Silent Scream!"

"What Made the Show Team Go Silent, What Caused the Live Broadcast Barrage to Explode, Let’s Go Inside Last Night’s Scene"

"Hmm, not bad, not bad!"

Zhang Wei was very satisfied as he looked at the newspaper headlines.

These media outlets had all been warned by him, and the content of the headlines was all targeted at the Lisa’s Talk Show team.

Yesterday, as a special guest, Gao Tianri had accepted an interview with the show team.

However, after Gao Tianri came on the show, he hardly spoke and spent the entire time using his phone to play the episode of "Lisa’s Interview" where Wang Lisha interviewed Gu Shimang.

"Shi Man, as a woman, I can understand your pain, but I hope even more that you can persevere, adjust your mindset, and be prepared to fight."

"Please rest assured, whether it’s me or the fans in the live stream or the audience who see our program, I believe they are truly supporting you from the bottom of their hearts!"

"At the same time, I, Wang Lisha, also appeal to our viewers, to our female compatriots, to support Shi Man, a woman of integrity who perseveres against all odds!"

Especially when the video played the part where Wang Lisha raised her arm and called for all women to stand up in support of Gu Shimang, it directly caused the program team’s barrage to explode.

The viewership during that period, I reckon, must have set a record high for Dongfang Capital in the past decade!

However, I imagine the entire program team, especially Wang Lisha, is probably not in the best of spirits.

After the opening, Gao Tianri said nothing throughout the whole show, let the video play out completely, and then walked off without a word.

I suppose the faces of Wang Lisha and the entire show team must have burned painfully.

But, it was their fault for picking the wrong side.

They insisted on supporting Gu Shimang, and now they’ve been slapped in the face. This is what you call getting what you deserve!

Anyway, Zhang Wei was in a great mood.

As for the "Lisa’s Talk" show’s biggest crash ever, what did that have to do with him?

"Anyway, this matter is pretty much settled, but the follow-up claims still need to be dealt with!"

Zhang Wei muttered to himself, looking towards the big office area of the Criminal Division across his office.

He saw the rookies of the Criminal Division, each busy making phone calls, arguing and babbling away. Some were even red in the face from arguing.

Li Yueqin, acting as the temporary supervisor of the office, was patrolling the big office area. She would occasionally walk over to the rookies to help them negotiate better with their adversaries.

"Remember, Zhang Wei said that this time we’re going against the wind, so don’t be timid, just go straight for it!"

"Do you still remember the basic routine for negotiation? Always quote higher than the actual price, aim above the figure we’re expecting!"

"Mark up 30%-50%, or even 100% if you’re bold enough. Don’t hesitate, just do it. Make sure our quotes scare them, instill fear in them!"

"After quoting, don’t take it easy. Wait for their legal team to come over, and then we’ll have a tough negotiation. But don’t worry, we have Zhang Wei backing us, they certainly won’t dare to take us to court!"

Under Xiao Li’s urging, all the rookies of the Criminal Division were spiritedly negotiating claims against all the media, public figures, and self-media that had published defamatory articles about Gao Tianri in Dongfang Capital.

According to Zhang Wei’s intentions, the sum of money had to make them feel the pain, to make them realize the cost of misspeaking, to serve as a lesson for the future.

So the next time they think about following trends for clout, they will remember the scene of being fleeced today, and understand the principle that speaking too much leads to mistakes.

Once they fear us, Zhang Wei’s goal will have been achieved.

Zhang Wei, looking at his colleagues busily working outside, nodded in satisfaction.

"Whether it’s big shots, major media outlets, or the ’little guys’, self-media personalities, none can be spared."

"Anyone who does wrong must pay a price, we have to take a slice from them, make them afraid, make them understand that everything has its consequences!"

"Especially those dozens who signed the declaration together, did you think of today when you were sticking the knife in? Did you think that Gao Tianri could turn the tables? Each and every one of you damn well better be prepared because I have tailored a claims amount just for you!"

The so-called tailor-made, naturally, is a figure specific to each artist on that list, a number that will forever be etched in their memories.

Thinking this, a glimmer of cruelty appeared in Zhang Wei’s eyes.

Knock knock knock~

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Master, I need help!"

The one who opened the door was Lin Yumeng, his lowly apprentice. She entered the office carrying a pile of documents and immediately sought help from Zhang Wei.

"What’s up?"

"It’s about Ah Jun, right? Didn’t he get exposed in front of the whole courtroom for being kept by a rich woman? Now his agency says that Ah Jun has been fired, and they’ve issued a statement saying that everything he did was personal behavior and has nothing to do with the agency!"

"Oh, shirking responsibility?"

Zhang Wei understood in an instant. They plan to abandon Ah Jun and cut him loose to save themselves.

But it makes sense. Ah Jun’s image has collapsed. I heard that his fan club has dissolved, and online there are people announcing they are unfollowing and abandoning him as a fan. Ah Jun’s reputation is probably in ruins; it’ll be hard for him to return to his former status in the industry.

As for the agency, seeing Ah Jun in this state, they naturally gave up on him.

So, as a capital side, the agency is probably not bothering to hide its profit-driven nature anymore.

We’ve fired Ah Jun, and any financial disputes or claims for compensation related to him, you can go straight to him. It has nothing to do with our company, okay!

I guess that’s the agency’s excuse.

"Hmph, they think they can walk away just like that, no chance!"

Zhang Wei chuckled coldly, looking at Lin Yumeng, "Apprentice, what do you plan to do?"

"Well, we obviously have to invite them over to our law firm for a chat~"

The young apprentice said, occasionally glancing at Zhang Wei, looking hesitant to speak.

As the master of the person in front of him, Zhang Wei could say he knows his cute apprentice inside and out.

The moment that look appears in the apprentice’s eyes, he knows what they intend to do.

"What’s up, apprentice? You want to do more?"

But Zhang Wei didn’t point it out. He wanted Lin Yumeng to say it herself.

"It’s that... Master... I was wondering, when they come for negotiations this afternoon, could you... help me out?"

"Of course, I can. Do you want me to provide support?"

"Yes, yes, but don’t worry, I’ll be in charge of the negotiations. You just need to sit there and exert pressure on them~"

"Got it. I’ll keep this afternoon free. You go and get ready."

"Thank you, Master~"

The young apprentice said sweetly in gratitude before rushing out to prepare with a happy face.

Watching his apprentice like this, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but shake his head in reflection.

The girl has finally learned to solve problems on her own, even starting to give orders to her master.

"However, speaking of which, aren’t these matters usually handled by the direct leader of the department?"

Zhang Wei suddenly thought of something. This kind of task should be handled by Old Tie, right?

Speaking of which, where’s Old Tie?

Zhang Wei looked towards the back of the criminal department to the department leader’s office.

He vaguely remembered that this morning during the early meeting, Old Tie received a phone call and then stayed in the office all morning without showing up.

What’s up? Did he receive a call from Captain Lin?

Is their "negotiation" at a stalemate?

"The affairs of men and women are really complicated. Could it be that Old Tie and Captain Lin’s chances are gone?"

Zhang Wei murmured to himself, then thought about his own situation.

"My relationship with Silly is simpler; mainly because Silly doesn’t overthink and is innocent and easier to influence... no, that’s not right. It’s called being pure, a rare and excellent quality!"

Zhang Wei decided that this weekend he had to ask Xia Qianyue out. After all, the mission to protect Gao Tianri was over, and Xia Qianyue probably wouldn’t receive a new task immediately, so she should be able to rest for a while.

This weekend is the perfect opportunity to invite her out!

Zhang Wei thought for a moment, took out his phone, and sent Xia Qianyue a message about meeting up over the weekend.

Afterwards, he waited for a reply while keeping busy with work.

Soon, a message came through.

[OK!]

That was Xia Qianyue’s reply. Upon seeing it, Zhang Wei’s lips curved into a slight smile.

Indeed, this weekend would finally be a time for just the two of them.

...

Afternoon.

Ah Jun’s former agency sent a representative, and they even hired a lawyer.

However, when they entered the meeting room of the Criminal Department and saw Zhang Wei sitting next to Lin Yumeng, not cracking a smile, the complexions of their entire group, lawyers included, visibly changed.

"Is this Mr. Zhang Wei... Lawyer Zhang?"

Seeing Zhang Wei, the representative of the agency, who was also a lawyer, began to speak unnaturally, shivering noticeably.

"Oh, my master is really something. I told him I could handle this case, but he didn’t have peace of mind. He even said he was afraid you’d pull some trick, afraid I’d get fooled, so he insisted on keeping an eye on things."

At this moment, Lin Yumeng "complained" about Zhang Wei’s behavior while signaling a frantic warning to their opponents with her eyes.

You all had better watch out, my master is here. If you don’t cooperate properly, you’ll have a tough time!

Zhang Wei remained expressionless and silent throughout the proceedings.

But his mere presence exerted tremendous psychological pressure on the opposition.

Subsequently, the negotiation began.

At first, there was a lot of beating around the bush, but as time passed, Lin Yumeng finally threw out a number.

"What, 20 million!"

Upon hearing the proposed compensation amount, the agency’s representative shook his head like mad.

"This amount is way too high. Besides, Ah Jun has already been expelled!"

The lawyer also spoke out, attempting to absolve their client of responsibility.

"Hehe, incidentally, I heard an interesting little story yesterday that I’d like to share with everyone."

"Little Ming and his father went to a museum. Little Ming, being naughty, accidentally smashed an antique. The staff informed Little Ming and his father that the antique was genuine and demanded several million in compensation. Now guess what happened – the father immediately disowned Little Ming, but in the end, he still had to pay the museum several million. Do you know why?"

The representatives from the agency looked at each other, uncertain.

"Because the father failed to fulfill his guardianship responsibilities. Since Little Ming was his son, it was his duty to ensure his son’s behavior was in order, even if he disowned Little Ming right after the incident. However, before that happened, they were still father and son!"

As Lin Yumeng spoke, the underlying threat became clear, "No matter how ruthless your agency might be afterward, at the time of the incident, Ah Jun was one of your artists; therefore, you must take responsibility for his actions!"

"This..."

The agency’s representatives exchanged glances, all hesitating.

This is 20 million we’re talking about, and on top of that, to issue a public statement, that’s like a slap in the face.

If we were to admit to this, wouldn’t we be telling everyone we failed to manage our artist properly, that we made a mistake, and we accept the penalty?

We wouldn’t want to be embarrassed like that!

"Even if what you say has some merit, we won’t be paying 20 million, nor will we apologize!"

The lawyer huffed, displaying the agency’s haughty and unappealing demeanor for everyone to see.

"Hmph hmm..." Upon seeing this, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but laugh.

His laugh made everyone from the agency tenser.

However, Zhang Wei did nothing else but that single laugh.

"Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing that can be done~"

Lin Yumeng propped her forehead with one hand, adopting a look of "I gave you a chance, but you didn’t appreciate it."

Then, she mumbled to herself, "Oh right, do you know Madame Xu? It seems she’s very dissatisfied with the situation regarding Ah Jun."

"So what if she is? Wasn’t Ah Jun driven to death by you all?"

"But what if we were to tell Madame Xu that it was your company that leaked the information to us, what do you think she would do?"

"Ah, this..."

The agency’s representatives were suddenly alarmed.

What do you mean it was us who leaked the information? We don’t know anything about this.

And besides, Ah Jun was one of our top artists. We’d have to be out of our minds to leak such information.

Wouldn’t that be sabotaging our own agency’s future?

"What are you doing? All actions require evidence!" the agency’s representative exclaimed in a panic.

"But Madame Xu is still quite upset. If I release this information now, do you think she would care about chasing evidence or being reasonable?"

Lin Yumeng smiled faintly, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, but her smile appeared devilishly terrifying to everyone from the agency.

Madame Xu was a well-known figure in the industry with a massive pool of resources and connections.

Our agency, although somewhat capable, was no match for Madame Xu.

If the other party is still furious and blames everything on the talent agency, aren’t we finished?

All Madame Xu needs to do is spread the word. There will be no shortage of competitors ready to suppress us; at that point, it won’t just be a matter of continuing in the entertainment industry—the question will be whether we can all emerge unscathed.

"Well... it’s just a payment of 20 million and an apology, right? We’ll accept it!"

Finally, under the combined pressure of Lin Yumeng’s threats and Zhang Wei’s tactics, the representatives of the talent agency gave in.

The full compensation of 20 million, along with a public apology, was agreed upon.

In the face of such "unreasonable and overbearing" demands, the talent agency nevertheless shook hands with Lin Yumeng with smiles and laughed as they took their leave.

As for how their expressions might change after leaving, that was no longer Zhang Wei and his team’s concern.

"It’s settled!"

The negotiation won, the junior disciple was happy, and Zhang Wei was also delighted.

Because with the 20 million in compensation, their law office would receive a 30% commission—that’s 6 million in revenue.

And that was just one case. Once all the compensation was received, the criminal department was estimated to shoot to the top of the performance rankings in the law firm.

So, carrying this good news, Zhang Wei knocked on the door of Tie Ruyun’s office.

"Old Tie, good news! Our criminal department might just become the top performer among the law firm’s six major departments this year!"

"Oh, good news?"

There was a trace of confusion on Tie Ruyun’s face, along with an indescribable sadness, leaving Zhang Wei momentarily puzzled.

On such a joyous occasion, why such a gloomy face? That’s far too ominous.

"Old Tie, what’s wrong? Hasn’t Captain Lin replied to your messages?"

"Ah, Captain Lin—I haven’t been in contact with him for several days now."

Tie Ruyun shook his head; his displeasure seemed unrelated to Lin Ruonan.

"Then what’s the matter, Old Tie? Our criminal department is thriving, yet you seem so anxious and concerned."

"Well, there was a case I had earlier, and because of many issues that popped up, it remained unfinished."

"Did the client end up in jail?"

"Yes, they were imprisoned for 12 years."

"So, you want to appeal the case?"

"I’d like to, but unfortunately, I can’t," Tie Ruyun said with a sigh.

Zhang Wei was puzzled; what was so difficult about appealing?

Isn’t it just about approaching the intermediate or higher courts and drafting an appeal?

In the worst case, you would just review previous cases for potential points of contention or arguments. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you can surely find points to support an appeal.

"Old Tie, is appealing that difficult?"

"It’s tough because I’m here in Dongfang Capital, while the case was judged in Longdu."

"I see..."

Zhang Wei muttered to himself in understanding.

No wonder it’s complicated; with the case being in another city, it does indeed make things more challenging.

"But I believe that if you truly want to help your client turn the tide, even if it’s across two different places, you can..."

"It’s no use because after something came up, the responsibility for the case was transferred to someone else, and I’m no longer the defense attorney."

"Oh, I see. Then why worry about it? You’re not the defense attorney anymore, so why fret unnecessarily?"

Upon hearing Tie Ruyun’s explanation, Zhang Wei was speechless.

He had thought it was some old, unresolved case; turns out it wasn’t even his case to begin with.

"Old Tie, cheer up. Everyone’s been successful today; the criminal department is on the rise. Ha!"

Zhang Wei waved at Old Tie and then left the office.

Meanwhile, Tie Ruyun sat silently in his spot, wordless for a long time.

After more than ten minutes, he took out his phone again and dialed a number.

"Prepare for me, please. I plan to go to Longdu this weekend. I have to settle that case—I only know that one must see things through to the end!"

After hanging up the phone, Tie Ruyun looked at the bustling criminal department outside his office but couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.

Because his mind was preoccupied with another matter.