Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 560 - 553: First Arrival in Longdu, Saving Old Tie First

Chapter 560: Chapter 553: First Arrival in Longdu, Saving Old Tie First

Monday, at Longdu Airport.

"Attention passengers, the plane has landed at our destination, Longdu. Please check your carry-on luggage and exit your seats under the guidance of the crew. We sincerely thank you again for flying with Dragon Country Airlines..."

The pleasant announcement from the flight attendant echoed inside the plane as, with the help of the crew, the passengers disembarked one by one.

Destination Longdu, we’ve arrived!

Among the passengers, there was a young man who walked amidst the crowd, looking around curiously, glancing left and right.

Passengers with a bit of experience could tell at a glance: this kid must be visiting Longdu for the first time.

They didn’t have the time or inclination to concern themselves with a newcomer, quickly making their way to the airport’s taxi stand to avoid a long wait for a ride.

The young man followed the crowd to where the taxis were, and quickly, using his keen eyes and wits, squeezed into one.

"Where to, young man?"

"To this address."

The taxi driver took the address handed over by the young man, his pupils shrinking slightly.

He glanced at the young man through the rearview mirror.

"Young man, I wouldn’t have guessed, but you’re a lawyer, aren’t you? Your appearance doesn’t look local from Longdu, does it?"

"Mmm, I’m from Dongfang Capital."

"Yo-ho, that’s a nice place indeed. I’ve heard Dongfang Capital is quite the spot for nightlife and luxury, an absolute spectacle..."

Upon hearing where the young man was from, the taxi driver couldn’t help curling his lip slightly, a trace of longing in his eyes.

"Big brother, what do you mean... isn’t Longdu also great?"

"Longdu is great, of course, but how to put it, it’s a place with a deep heritage, not quite as youthful and vibrant."

The taxi driver said, suddenly perking up with interest, "That’s right, I heard there are lots of beauties in Dongfang Capital, even foreign gals, is that true?"

"Yeah, there are loads of foreign gals. Walking down the street, you see legs and curves everywhere that’ll make you blink and stare."

"Tsk tsk tsk..." The taxi driver couldn’t resist smacking his lips, the look of yearning on his face even more apparent.

"Foreign gals, huh? Are they any good?"

"All I can say is their headlights are big and bright, their driving skills fast and fine, and the bodywork, both exterior and interior, is all top-notch."

As the young man said this, he wore an expression of a man with much experience, smiling as though savoring fond memories.

That smile, the taxi driver could tell at a glance, was the kind that only comes with experience.

A fellow connoisseur indeed.

"Tsk tsk tsk, young man, you must have had your fair share of fun in Dongfang Capital. Watching you walk earlier, your legs seemed a bit wobbly, huh?"

"It’s alright, my girlfriend knew I was going on a business trip, so she wanted a full four hours last night!"

"Four hours!"

The taxi driver’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, nearly jolting.

He took another look at the young man in the rearview mirror and, seeing his pale face, understood without further words.

It looked like he really had stayed up all night before coming here.

Four hours, that’d make even an iron man’s legs wobble.

"So, young man, what brings you to Longdu? Is the law firm sending you on business?"

"I’m mainly here to get someone out of trouble, what can I do since I’m a criminal defense lawyer."

"Criminal defense lawyer?" The taxi driver took another glance in the rearview mirror, a look of surprise on his face.

A kid your age is a criminal defense lawyer?

Isn’t it usually the more calm and seasoned folks who do criminal defense, or at least people with some experience?

Looking at how young you are, you’re probably still an intern, aren’t you? How can you dare to come all the way from Dongfang Capital alone, and still plan to fight a case in Longdu?

Don’t you know the prosecutors in Longdu are very formidable?

"By the way, big brother, I’ve heard that the prosecutors in Longdu are really tough, but do you know who’s the toughest?"

"The toughest?"

The taxi driver thought for a moment, then casually said, "I don’t know who’s the toughest, but the one that shows up most often on interviews must be Qin Yang, Senior Procuratorate Qin, right?"

"Qin Yang?!" the young man muttered under his breath with a strange expression.

"Yeah, Qin Yang, the Senior Procuratorate Qin, he’s the one who deals with the big cases. I heard he even went to your Dongfang Capital for a significant case recently. But it seems he lost one case."

The taxi driver said, looking incredulous, "I heard he was defeated by a young lawyer from Dongfang Capital. Man, you guys must have some impressive figures over there!"

"Speaking of which, you’re from Dongfang Capital, right? Who’s the guy who beat Senior Procuratorate Qin? Do you know him?"

"Of course, I know him, the famous ’Homicide Lawyer,’ who in the legal circles of Dongfang Capital hasn’t heard of the other party."

"So, the young lawyer who defeated Senior Procuratorate Qin also has that nickname? He didn’t actually kill someone, did he?"

"Not at all, it’s just exaggerations that got more and more mysterious as they were passed on." The young man said, waving his hand dismissively as if to say don’t take it seriously.

"I thought so!" The taxi driver also smiled, clearly not taking it seriously.

"Right, Mr. Driver, at the Longdu District Procuratorate Office, aside from Senior Procuratorate Qin Yang, are there any other formidable figures?"

"Other than Senior Procuratorate Qin? That would probably be Prosecutor Zhu."

"Prosecutor Zhu?"

"Yes, Prosecutor Zhu Yuansi, one of the leading figures of the Longdu District Procuratorate Office, a person who carries great weight!"

As the driver spoke, he gave a thumbs-up. "Don’t be fooled by the fact that Prosecutor Zhu is a woman; she’s been deeply involved in the inspection and criminal investigation system for over 20 years and is quite skilled!"

"Oh, is that so!" The young man said, nodding involuntarily and making a mental note of the name "Zhu Yuansi."

This time, after all, concerned old cases, and if there was an intent to dig into the past, there would definitely be resistance.

Even if the General Procuratorate didn’t deploy Qin Yang, they would surely send another formidable figure, and this Prosecutor Zhu might well be his next opponent.

I must remember this!

"Young man, you seem keen to know about the strong figures at the Procuratorate Headquarters, why is that? By the looks of you, you’re not planning to cross swords with them in court, are you?"

The driver, noticing the young man’s interest, asked curiously.

"Nothing of the sort, I’m just in Longdu to spring someone, not to spar with any legal heavyweights in court."

The young man waved his hand in a show of feigned weakness.

"That’s good then." The driver was not suspicious and continued to drive.

"By the way, Mr. Driver, do you know Lawyer Chen Xiao?"

"Know her? Of course, I do!"

The driver said as he slowed down the cab because there was a red light ahead.

When the car stopped, he pointed to a billboard on the side of the road, "That is your so-called Lawyer Chen Xiao."

On the billboard was a woman in a suit, arms crossed, exuding a confident smile.

[Specializes in managing all kinds of litigation cases, partner at Longteng Law Firm, Chen Xiao!]

That was the advertisement on the billboard!

"A partner at Long Teng?"

"Yes, Lawyer Chen Xiao is reportedly the youngest partner at Long Teng, and she is said to be very capable."

The driver lowered his voice and said, "The niece of my wife’s aunt’s husband’s colleague had her case handled by this Lawyer Chen Xiao. I heard she did a terrific job on the case and secured a hefty compensation for their family!"

"So, Lawyer Chen Xiao’s professional skills must be really kick-ass, right?"

"Oh, definitely, otherwise how could she become a partner at Long Teng at such a young age?"

The driver boasted, going on about how Longteng International in Longdu is top-notch, with elite capability, filled with experts and brimming with talent. Other big law firms from different cities essentially come across as trivial in comparison to Longdu’s stature.

"I remember, Lawyer Chen Xiao, from the end of her internship to now, has only about 10 years of experience. Becoming a partner at Long Teng is really impressive!"

"Yeah, good thing you’re a criminal defense lawyer and she is a litigation lawyer, you two probably won’t be up against each other."

Hearing the driver’s comments, the young man nodded in agreement.

"Right, Mr. Driver, I heard the head of Long Teng has the surname Qin?"

"Oh, you mean Qin Lu, the Head Shopkeeper?"

The driver was very familiar with him.

Qin Lu, the current head of Longteng International. President of the Longdu Law Association, an executive director of the Longdu Lawyers Association, a standing committee member of the Longdu Judicial Committee...

He had just as many titles that would take more than five minutes to list, which reminded Zhang Wei of the Fatty Lin.

In fact, Qin Lu’s status in Longdu was nearly the same as Lin Xiangtian’s status in Dongfang Capital.

While Lin Xiangtian was called Boss, Qin Lu was referred to as the Head Shopkeeper.

It is said that the older generation of the Lin Family and the older generation of the Qin Family were also ’old friends.’

Lin Jincheng once mentioned his old rival Old Man Qin, who happens to be the father of Qin Lu and Qin Yang.

"I won’t hide it from you, but Qin Lu, the Head Shopkeeper, and Senior Procuratorate Qin Yang are actually brothers. One is a top prosecutor, and the other a top lawyer, both of them are outstanding!"

"I see, that truly is impressive!"

The young man couldn’t help but nod, indicating his acknowledgement.

"Oh, young man, here is your stop!"

The driver parked the taxi in front of an imposing building, then pointed at the sign over the entrance and reminded the person behind him.

"Okay, thank you, big brother, here is the fare!"

The young man said, handing over five red bills.

"Young man, you’ve given too much for the fare, from the airport to here, it’s at most 200 yuan!"

"This is for your company during the chat, the actual fare is correct, but the information you provided is equally valuable!"

"Ah, young man, you’re so generous, could it be that..."

The driver wanted to say more, but the young man had already paid and promptly left the taxi.

No matter what the driver said behind him, the young man was unmoved and walked straight into his destination.

...

Longdu Lawyers Association.

Reception desk.

"Hello, may I ask who you are looking for?"

"I am Lawyer Zhang Wei from Dongfang Capital, and I am looking for my friend whose name is Tie Ruyun!"

"A lawyer from Dongfang Capital?"

The receptionist glanced at the business card handed to her.

"Ace lawyer Zhang Wei from the Jincheng Law Firm Criminal Department!"

Seeing the words "Jincheng Law Firm" and "ace" on the business card, the receptionist immediately sensed the extraordinary status of the visitor.

Jincheng Law Firm is the top firm in Dongfang Capital, ranked first among the Top Ten Firms there.

Although this is Longdu, as a member of the Lawyers Association reception staff, she naturally had heard many things about the legal circles.

Longdu and Dongfang Capital are both super-large cities in the north and south of Dragon Country, respectively.

Both Longdu and Dongfang Capital have their Top Ten Firms, which are symbols of status as well as divisions of strength.

The top firm among Longdu’s Top Ten is Longteng International.

Although Longteng’s presence in Dongfang Capital is only strong enough to rank third, the top-ranked Jincheng is naturally not weak.

An ace lawyer from Dongfang’s number one firm coming to the Longdu Lawyers Association was surely not for a simple matter.

"Lawyer Zhang, please wait a moment, I will look up the information right now."

The receptionist began operating immediately.

Soon, she found information about "Tie Ruyun" in the personnel system.

"Uh, Lawyer Zhang, your friend is currently in a confinement room on the second floor, corner, undergoing an internal investigation by our association. If it’s convenient for you, you could wait here for a little while."

"An investigation by the Lawyers Association?"

Zhang Wei looked serious and asked, "Is it an ethics investigation or an investigation into improper conduct?"

"Well, both!"

"Both?"

Zhang Wei inwardly exclaimed, "Good lord."

"Then please take me to Old Tie, I want to be his defense lawyer!"

"But this is an internal inquiry, not a court prosecution..."

"Actually, you can have a defense lawyer for an internal inquiry, and of course, most of the people being investigated are lawyers, who usually choose to defend themselves because no one likes to use outsiders, everyone trusts themselves the most, so many people overlook this point."

Zhang Wei brought out the argument he had prepared in advance and emphasized it again to the receptionist.

Clearly, he intended to help Tie Ruyun handle the Lawyers Association’s internal investigation, not letting Tie Ruyun to defend himself.

"Alright, Lawyer Zhang, please follow me!"

Since the visitor’s purpose was clear and everything complied with standard procedures, the receptionist had no reason to obstruct.

She led Zhang Wei up the stairs, and after entering the second floor and passing through a checkpoint, they arrived outside a room guarded by someone.

"This is Lawyer Zhang Wei from Jincheng Law Firm, he wants to see Tie Ruyun."

"Tie Ruyun is currently undergoing an internal investigation and cannot meet anyone at the moment!"

The guard maintained an unwavering expression and coldly replied.

"But..."

The receptionist wanted to say more, but Zhang Wei had already stepped forward to the guard.

"Even if my client accepts an internal investigation, he also has the right to hire a lawyer to help with his defense, and this is a rule that the Longdu Lawyers Association is well aware of, right?"

"Hiring an outsider for defense?" The guard furrowed his brows, somewhat puzzled.

Because in their impression, those brought here for an assistive investigation would defend themselves.

They had never heard of anyone who would choose to hire an outsider to defend themselves when under investigation.

"What, are you not planning to abide by the rules you’ve set?" Lawyer Zhang Wei raised his eyebrow again, and this time his words carried a warning.

"Wait a moment, I will go in and report!"

With no other option, the guard knocked on the door, entered after receiving permission.

Shortly after, he came out.

"You must be Lawyer Zhang Wei, you may come in now."

The guard opened the door for Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei naturally did not hesitate and walked into the room.

The room was quite spacious but relatively empty, with a few chairs in the middle and a blackboard; however, at the moment, they were all occupied.

Zhang Wei saw Tie Ruyun; two guards in black clothes were watching him as he sat in the middle chair.

In front of him was a row of six chairs, occupied by six individuals who were clearly part of the Lawyers Association, and behind them stood several more guards.

"Zhang Wei!" Tie Ruyun’s expression showed slight relief on seeing the arrival.

"You must be Lawyer Zhang!"

Among the group of six from the Lawyers Association, a woman with a somber face stood up first and squinted at Zhang Wei.

"Correct, I am Zhang Wei, the ace lawyer of the Jincheng Law Firm Criminal Department!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei ignored the scrutinizing gazes from others in the room and calmly walked over to Tie Ruyun’s side.

"Let me clarify one thing first, I am his defense lawyer, and from now on, all internal investigations and accusations from the Lawyers Association regarding my client, Tie Ruyun, will be handled by me. If you wish to summon my client for further investigation in the future, you may inform me by phone, and I will notify my client to accept the invitation."

With that, he took out six business cards from his pocket and handed them out one by one to all six individuals.

"Also, I won’t inquire about the details of the previous investigation, but I want to make it clear that my client is innocent. We reject any and all accusations against him. Moreover, I am very dissatisfied that you subjected my client to unnecessary questioning in my absence. Now, I intend to take my client and leave. As for the investigation, we can schedule it for another time, how about that?"

Although Zhang Wei phrased it as a question, his attitude was quite clear.

He patted Tie Ruyun on the shoulder, signaling him to get up.

But just as Tie Ruyun was about to leave, the guards on either side suddenly stepped forward.

"Oh, is it that you do not intend to let us go?"

"Lawyer Zhang, you think you can come and go as you please. What do you take the Longdu Lawyer’s Association for? This is not Dongfang Capital; this is not a place for you to run wild!"

The woman seemed to be the leader of the investigation and glared at Zhang Wei with her cold eyes as she spoke.

"What’s your name?"

"I am in charge of this investigation!"

"So you’re the ’Big Sister in Charge,’ nice to meet you, Big Sister!"

Zhang Wei looked over the woman and then asked with a grin, "If I decide to take Tie Ruyun with me now, what rule of the Lawyer’s Association am I violating, may I ask?"

"Of course, there is no such rule, but let me tell you, the investigation into Tie Ruyun has just begun. Regarding his actions, the Lawyers Association’s stance is zero tolerance!"

"Is that so? Well then, we shall wait and see. But let me also tell you, I, Zhang Someone, came to Longdu specifically to do three things!"

Upon saying this, Zhang Wei held up three fingers:

"Fairness, fairness, and still f***ing fairness!"

Upon these words, the brows of the six investigators, including the woman, all furrowed.

They had seen arrogant people, but they had never seen someone as arrogant as Zhang Wei.

To be so audacious right in front of the face of their Lawyers Association’s investigation team.

"Alright, I’ve said my piece. I don’t suppose you’ll be keeping us for lunch, right? If so, I’d actually not mind staying a while longer. I’m rather hungry," Zhang Wei said, rubbing his belly with an eager look on his face.

"Should we require Lawyer Tie’s cooperation for the investigation later, we will promptly notify you, Lawyer Zhang. For now, you are free to leave!"

"What, is this the kind of hospitality offered by the Longdu Lawyers Association? Not even a meal?"

Veins throbbed on the foreheads of all six people.

"Escort our guests out!"

With no other choice, they could only shout to have the staff escort Zhang Wei and Tie Ruyun out.