Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 601 - 594: Out of Options? Qing Jiao Testifies in Court

Chapter 601: Chapter 594: Out of Options? Qing Jiao Testifies in Court

Facing Zhang Wei’s questions, You Dalei denied everything.

He was confident that Zhang Wei would not be able to find any evidence, so his denial carried no psychological burden.

Even if you are capable, do you think you can summon Dragon Lord?

Besides, even if Dragon Lord really appeared, he could simply deny everything as well.

At worst, we’d just say, back 12 years ago, the two of us went to play international chess at the hotel.

I, You Dalei, might not have many hobbies, but I do have a ranking in international chess. It just so happened that Dragon Lord wanted to learn at that time, so we played chess together.

This explanation, although sounding ridiculous at first, who among you can refute it and present evidence?

Clearly, no one can produce any evidence.

You Dalei walked back to the witness seat under Zhang Wei’s gaze and sat down next to Chen Xiao.

He even exchanged glances with Chen Xiao, inquiring whether there was any problem with the answers just given.

Chen Xiao naturally did not notice anything amiss, and their confidence was restored in an instant.

On the judge’s bench, Judge Bao didn’t look at You Dalei anymore, but turned his attention to Zhang Wei.

"Lawyer Zhang, do you have any other witnesses you need to summon?"

"Of course, I would like to summon the information broker I mentioned several times just now in my questions!"

Hearing Zhang Wei mention this person, both You Dalei and Chen Xiao revealed a hint of surprise.

"Does that person know about your affairs?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Rest assured, I had my people make the contact. I definitely did not get involved personally, and to deal with Zhang Wei, I have prepared a contingency plan; that broker cannot make it today!"

"That’s good!"

After exchanging looks, a sinister gleam passed through the eyes of both Chen Xiao and You Dalei.

Just as Zhang Wei provided the information of the person to summon, a court guard opened the door, entered the courtroom, and approached the judge’s bench.

After whispering a few words to Judge Bao, he quickly left, exiting the courtroom.

Judge Bao glanced at Zhang Wei with a look of helplessness.

"Ahem, the court has just received news that the information broker, a witness in this case, accidentally hit his head last night before going to sleep and has since fallen into a coma, making it impossible for him to testify in court!"

Upon this statement, Guan Yuhong on the defense’s side was taken aback, then turned to look at Chen Xiao and You Dalei.

Seeing their sinister smiles, he could no longer keep his composure.

"These people, they actually dare to go so far!"

To deal with him, they had actually made a move inside the prison.

Guan Yuhong was well aware that buying off prisoners in jail didn’t require sophisticated means; there were plenty of people willing to become someone’s lackey for a bit of money.

After all, the people locked up there were desperadoes.

However, he had not expected that, although he had temporarily come out, his friends were still inside the prison and had become the targets of the opponents.

As for the so-called head injury while going to bed, that excuse was simply too flimsy; it was clear that he had been attacked by fellow inmates and they had fabricated the scene of the attack.

Yet, as things stood, the information broker couldn’t testify in court.

"Lawyer Zhang, I’m very sorry, the prison management feels remorseful for their lack of proper supervision; they have decided to move the witness to a better environment, but today is really..."

Judge Bao also appeared a bit helpless, as this was a case he was responsible for, and now a witness could not appear in court.

"Judge Bao, please don’t worry. In anticipation of such an event, my side has prepared a declaration from the witness in advance, only we didn’t expect the opponent not to give us a chance and even plan to silence the witness!"

Zhang Wei said, turning his head to glance at You Dalei and Chen Xiao, then smiling at Xiao Zou.

You think you’re prepared with countermeasures, but I anticipated this, so I had the information broker provide a declaration in advance to prove the authenticity of those issues.

As Zhang Wei spoke, he returned to the defense bench and took a statement from Tie Ruyun’s hand.

"In my hands is the declaration provided by the information broker, a witness in this case!"

"This statement can prove that 12 years ago, Longxiang Construction found him and asked him to contact a gang capable of cooperation. He provided the contact for Qing Jiao Gang to Longxiang Construction, facilitating the first collaboration between the two parties."

"Furthermore, Longxiang Construction later engaged in a second cooperation with the information broker. The former tasked the latter with finding a contract killer to deal with the competition, Tianma Real Estate, and grocery store owner Guan Yuhong!"

"This contract killer, I believe everyone is familiar with him, is none other than Lin Berte, who carried out his task admirably. He not only used his own murder weapon to kill Sun Mou but also made my client Guan Yuhong take the blame for the homicide."

"In this way, Tianma Real Estate felt threatened and withdrew from part of the market, and my client ended up in prison, unable to continue running the grocery store. Longxiang Construction without any competitors or obstacles to purchasing the supermarket chain could kill two birds with one stone, indeed!"

Zhang Wei said this and passed copies of the testimony to both the bench and the prosecution’s table, then spread out another copy, page by page, on the projector screen.

The jury and those in the public gallery all saw the sworn testimony and heard the intelligence broker’s confession.

He claimed that he had acted as a go-between for Longxiang Construction and the Qing Jiao Gang, and that he had also matched Lin Berte with Longxiang Construction, which led to Guan Yuhong being thrown into prison.

This testimony revealed many details of the time, even disclosing the information of the middleman.

It can be said that the testimony was still effective.

At this moment, many in the jury and public gallery were focused intently on the projection screen, scrutinizing every detail in the testimony.

Especially among the twelve jurors, aside from the engineering male that Zhang Wei was optimistic about, almost half of them had fallen into thought.

Clearly, they had been shaken by this testimony.

Noticing this scene, You Dalei and Chen Xiao’s expressions changed slightly, then both looked towards Xiao Zou at the same time.

You, don’t just stand there, get moving and interrupt Zhang Wei now!

"Objection!"

Xiao Zou indeed wasn’t idle, standing up to interject right away.

"This sworn testimony, the prosecution deems it unreliable!"

"Prosecution, are you sure?"

But Judge Bao, holding the testimony in his hand, appeared somewhat surprised.

He felt that this testimony he was holding still contained a lot of details; surely it couldn’t be fake, right?

"Your Honor, please allow me to cross-examine!"

Xiao Zou, standing as well, approached Zhang Wei.

"Since the witness cannot appear in court, Lawyer Zhang, your evidence is this piece of sworn testimony in your hands, correct?"

"Yes."

Zhang Wei naturally wouldn’t deny it.

"Fine then, since the witness isn’t here, I can’t cross-examine, so please allow me, as the prosecution, to question the origin of this testimony!"

Xiao Zou, holding the testimony, pointed directly at Guan Yuhong sitting at the defense bench.

"Lawyer Zhang, please answer me, what is the relationship between the person providing the testimony and Mr. Guan Yuhong, and do they reside in the same prison?"

"Yes, they are prison mates."

Regarding the facts, Zhang Wei certainly wouldn’t deny them either.

"I’ve heard that the witness often comes into contact with your client in prison, right?"

"The prison is only so big, everybody is prison mates, and when airing out, isn’t everyone together? Just chatting might make you familiar, isn’t it?"

Zhang Wei spread his hands in exasperation.

Longdu Prison might be large, but the witness and Guan Yuhong had been inmates for several years, bound to meet as they crossed paths frequently.

After meeting, chatting for a while might lead to familiarity, and afterwards, gathering together for a chat, this is quite normal in prison.

"What if the witness has received favors from your client?"

"Prosecutor Zou, are you suggesting that you doubt the witness because of some favors, and so he gave false testimony?"

"Exactly!"

Xiao Zou was not vague, following Zhang Wei’s words with his own aims.

"The prosecution believes that the witness has received favors from the defendant Guan Yuhong in prison, thus the testimony provided is subjectively biased and naturally unreliable!"

Saying so, he returned to the prosecution table and extracted a document from his briefcase.

"Lawyer Zhang, I know you like to do background investigations, so please tell me, aside from the work as an intelligence broker, did your witness have a legitimate job before being imprisoned?"

"Yes, he was the manager responsible for expanding overseas business projects at a foreign trade company."

"Then, please tell me, what was the reason your witness was put in prison for!"

"This..."

Facing such a question, Zhang Wei was slightly at a loss for a moment.

"So, Lawyer Zhang, you’re not going to tell me you don’t know, are you?"

"Of course not!"

Facing Xiao Zou’s aggressive questioning, Zhang Wei suddenly smiled and looked towards the jury.

"The reason our witness was imprisoned was that he committed a job-related crime by leaking company secrets for personal gain. At the same time, he injured the company security guards while stealing secrets and was also suspected of criminal offenses. Additionally, due to the huge amount involved, including the leakage of trade order data at the national level, he was sentenced to life imprisonment!"

Seeing Zhang Wei’s honesty, Xiao Zou finally couldn’t help but laugh.

"Since Lawyer Zhang has confessed, I’d like to ask, can we really trust the words of someone who is prone to lying and even capable of betraying his own company’s secrets?"

Xiao Zou resorted to a common tactic of attacking the character of the opposition.

Although an old trick, it was effective.

Especially since Zhang Wei’s witness had previously leaked company secrets and even had a criminal record.

The jury and those in the hearing seats shook their heads involuntarily upon learning of these "prior offenses."

Zhang Wei could see that, among the twelve jurors, aside from the one tech-savvy man, the remaining eleven were not focusing on the projection screen.

They instinctively averted their gaze as though they had lost interest in whether the witness’s testimony was credible, almost as if they believed the witness was definitely lying.

Xiao Zou, with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, teased, "Lawyer Zhang, I must say, you really are honest, not even trying to cover up the so many past offenses of your own witness?"

"That’s right, I prefer to tell the truth, rather than act ignorant when asked questions, like some people," Zhang Wei retorted, turning Xiao Zou’s remarks into a counterattack on You Dalei and Chen Xiao.

This unexpected turn of events caused Xiao Zou to falter for a moment before his expression darkened.

You Dalei and Chen Xiao, seated in the hearing area, also looked slightly displeased.

But that was of no concern; their irritation soon disappeared.

Because the impact of the intelligence broker’s testimony was beginning to diminish, meaning that Zhang Wei’s key witness was failing to have the desired effect.

"Now, you’re out of moves, aren’t you!" Chen Xiao’s gaze swept across half the courtroom, fixing on Zhang Wei.

She thought to herself with a cold smile, the intelligence broker’s testimony was weak to begin with, and with the witness’s extensive criminal past, the jury wouldn’t take it seriously!

Unless Zhang Wei calls a new witness, they were sure to win the case.

Moreover, Prosecutor Zou, representing the prosecution, was one of their people, which meant their advantage was enormous.

Chen Xiao felt that she couldn’t see how they could possibly lose.

On the bench.

Judge Bao was also somewhat speechless; he could sense the mood in the courtroom shifting, even noticing the overly smug pair in the hearing area.

However, in the end, he turned his attention back to someone in the courtroom.

"Lawyer Zhang, do you have any more witnesses to call?"

"I need to call one more new witness," Zhang Wei said, and as he spoke, the courtroom doors opened again, and a man in plain clothes entered the courtroom.

Chen Xiao, You Dalei, and even Xiao Zou were all taken aback—who was this person?

A flicker of doubt crossed Xiao Zou’s eyes; he felt like he had seen this man before and that he was from the Investigation Department.

After the witness settled into the witness stand, Zhang Wei immediately approached him.

"Hello, witness, could you please state your identity?"

"I am an investigator with the Beishan District Investigation Department Serious Crime Team from Longdu, my surname is Lu."

"Officer Lu, hello."

"Hello, lawyer," Lu Officer replied, then looked around the courtroom somewhat baffled, his gaze finally resting on Xiao Zou and the jury.

"Officer Lu, are you feeling a bit confused right now?"

"Yes, I received a court summons early this morning to testify, which I found strange and upsetting," Lu Officer said, spreading his hands to indicate his bewilderment.

After all, the case involving Guan Yuhong was managed by the Longdu headquarters, and as part of the Beishan District branch, he had nothing to do with this case.

"So, Officer Lu, have you been busy lately?"

"If it were before the weekend, I’d say no, because Longdu’s public safety is usually very good, and we’re mostly dealing with minor cases like catching petty thieves or lost pets. The major cases are generally handled by headquarters. But this weekend, a major criminal incident took place in our jurisdiction, where some heartless person viciously attacked a rehabilitation center in our area!"

Lu Officer spoke angrily.

The rehabilitation center had been left in a mess, especially the ground at the front gate, which was nearly cracked open—what kind of force had caused such destruction?

In the dead of night, was someone operating a steamroller right out in front of the rehabilitation center?

"The attack on the sanatorium, it was this officer in charge, huh."

With Lu Officer’s explanation, Xiao Zou quickly caught on.

The sanatorium was exactly where the Tyrannosaurus aimed to strike at the Qing Jiao, and everyone in the Dragon Lord’s circle was aware of this.

You Dalei and Chen Xiao exchanged glances, both realizing the witness’s identity.

The other party turned out to be the investigative officer for the sanatorium attack.

But what did Zhang Wei mean by summoning this person? There shouldn’t be any apparent connection between these two cases, right?

"Officer Lu, may I ask if you have found the perpetrator?"

"As for the investigation progress of the case, we currently cannot disclose any details. However, I can assure everyone here, please trust the investigation team, we will definitely provide a satisfactory explanation!"

Officer Lu’s response was somewhat formulaic.

In fact, the attack that night had destroyed the entire sanatorium, including the surveillance equipment and so on, all ruined, with absolutely no clues left for investigation.

And they were still pondering, what kind of attack could have caused such massive destruction? Could it really have been a steamroller?

"Oh, I see. So then, Officer Lu, if I could tell you directly about what happened during the attack that night, would you want to hear it?"

"Huh?"

Officer Lu was once again flabbergasted and looked at Zhang Wei, somewhat speechless.

How do you know something that even we are not aware of?

Zhang Wei just smiled slightly and snapped his fingers again.

The doors of the courtroom were pushed open once more, and then a nurse dressed lady wheeled a patient wrapped in bandages into the courtroom.

"Officer Lu, this person here is the direct participant in the attack that took place at the sanatorium, Mr. Jiang, who is also known by another nickname, ’Qing Jiao’!"

Upon this declaration, the courtroom erupted into commotion.

Qing Jiao!

Was this person the leader of the Qing Jiao Gang, the direct participant in the Guan Yuhong case?

Zhang Wei had mentioned the Qing Jiao Gang organization numerous times before, which was also a collaborator with Longxiang Construction 12 years ago.

And as the boss, Qing Jiao surely knew a lot of insider information.

"Qing Jiao!"

The moment Qing Jiao appeared, Xiao Zou was shocked.

"How can it be, how did the Tyrannosaurus not kill him?"

Similarly, You Dalei and Chen Xiao were also shocked upon seeing the newcomer, nearly standing up in their surprise.

Qing Jiao was still alive!

This was not good news for them, for Xiao Zou, or even for Dragon Lord!

Under the gaze of everyone in the courtroom, Qing Jiao entered.

Zhang Wei took over the responsibility of the wheelchair from the nurse, pushing Qing Jiao to the witness stand.

"Officer Lu, please step down. Next, we will hear from Mr. Jiang."

"Alright then."

Officer Lu was still bewildered but complied with Zhang Wei’s request and vacated the witness stand.

"Regarding the sanatorium attack mentioned by Officer Lu, I believe Mr. Jiang can clear up his confusion, so my side calls Mr. Jiang to the stand to testify!"

"Objection!"

Right as Zhang Wei finished speaking, Xiao Zou was the first to jump out.

Nonsense, this man was Qing Jiao, how could he possibly let him speak?

"The witness is not on the publicized list, and there are doubts about the witness’s health condition. My side doesn’t even know if he can withstand testifying in court, so I request that the judge dismiss this witness!"

"Prosecutor Zou, don’t be in such a hurry, eh. Although Mr. Jiang is injured, he is very lucid. Furthermore, although he is not on the publicized list, as a key witness in this case, his testimony is crucial!"

As Zhang Wei spoke, he looked towards the bench, "Judge Bao, I believe I do not need to say more about the significance of this witness!"

"Indeed, the court accepts. If Mr. Jiang is able to testify lucidly, then he is permitted to take the stand!"

Judge Bao did not give Xiao Zou any face, but instead directly agreed.

After all, this person might be the direct participant of the case from years ago. Not letting him testify would indeed be problematic.

And thus, Qing Jiao gained the qualification to testify!