Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 603 - 596: Prosecutor Zhu Arrives? Xiao Zou Faces Retaliation

Chapter 603: Chapter 596: Prosecutor Zhu Arrives? Xiao Zou Faces Retaliation

Qing Jiao had already confessed everything that needed to be confessed.

From the current situation, the jury had also taken in all this information.

If there were no surprises, the defendant Guan Yuhong would be acquitted.

After all, the real murderer wasn’t him, but Lin Berte.

Although Lin Berte was silenced, the murderer who silenced Lin Berte was now confessing his crimes in the courtroom.

The Lin Berte from 12 years ago was the real culprit behind the murder of Sun Mou. To prevent the case from being reopened, Qing Jiao had silenced Lin Berte to cover up all the evidence from that year.

Now, as the person who destroyed the evidence, I’ve confessed everything, so the rest is not important.

Zhang Wei was very satisfied with Qing Jiao’s response and proactive confession.

And now, his questioning was over, and it was time for the prosecution’s cross-examination.

"Prosecutor Zou, it’s your turn. Do you need to cross-examine?"

Judge Bao looked at Xiao Zou with an odd expression on his face.

With the case being what it is, if you still want to struggle, you may come up.

But if I were you, I would choose to speak less to avoid further embarrassment.

Xiao Zou naturally couldn’t understand the meaning behind Judge Bao’s gaze, and cross-examination was definitely something he had to do.

He certainly had no issue with witness Lu Officer, but he had many questions for witness Qing Jiao.

So, in fact, Lu Officer was just going through the motions, currently sitting in the first row of the spectator’s bench, completely an audience member.

And Xiao Zou was walking to the courtroom with a stern face, approaching the witness stand.

"Xiao Zou, I must remind you," Zhang Wei suddenly issued a warning. "The witness is seriously injured at the moment, so don’t get too worked up!"

Xiao Zou frowned. You dare call me Xiao Zou; you used to address me as Prosecutor Zou.

But since Xiao Zou’s identity had been fully exposed, Zhang Wei no longer planned to be falsely polite with the other side. Naturally, the address also had to change.

"Witness, do you know what I just heard? I only heard a duet between you and the defense attorney, attempting to divert the court’s attention through some so-called false testimonies, shifting all the blame onto that person called Dragon Lord, who we don’t even know exists!"

Xiao Zou’s words caused Qing Jiao’s gaze to pause slightly, showing a hint of confusion.

He clearly did not know Xiao Zou and did not understand why the latter would defend Dragon Lord like this.

"Made-up stories?"

Zhang Wei, however, laughed and then on the projection screen, appeared the footage of President You and Dragon Lord going to a hotel "to get a room."

"This is Dragon Lord. Mr. Jiang here can testify. He’s the mastermind behind everything!"

"Yes, Lawyer Zhang is right. This is Dragon Lord. He gave me the orders, and because of that, I’ve committed so many illegal and criminal acts over these 12 years!"

Qing Jiao turned with difficulty to look at the man on the projection screen, but his expression remained rather calm.

After all, he had moved on. Dragon Lord had also sent the Tyrannosaurus after him, ending their original partnership completely.

"A mere photo and so-called surveillance from a dashcam don’t prove anything!"

Xiao Zou began to "argue forcefully," pointing at Qing Jiao and Zhang Wei’s noses, agitatedly saying, "And those things the witness said, who knows if they are true or just made up?"

Sitting in the defense’s seat, Zhang Wei showed a hint of a cold smile, glanced at Zhao Xiaoxiao beside him, and nodded.

Instantly, dozens of different photos appeared on the projection screen, all showing people being shot in the head with a sniper rifle, though some of the more gruesome parts were blurred with mosaics.

Next to the photos were details related to the cases and news reports.

"Xiao Zou, you doubt Mr. Jiang’s words are true, so let me tell you now, everything he said are real cases, all accompanied by related reports, and even in your prosecutor’s system, you can look up the case files!"

Zhang Wei walked calmly up to the courtroom, raising a finger towards the projection screen, and started coldly mocking Xiao Zou.

"Are you wondering why I didn’t display these photos earlier, instead waiting until your cross-examination to release them?"

"You..." Xiao Zou looked at Zhang Wei, his eyes filled with both anger and urgency.

"Hahaha, because I expected you would act out of desperation, I knew you would question my witness, so I kept these photos and information hidden, waiting for your cross-examination to reveal them. I believe I would definitely be able to see your spectacular reaction."

Zhang Wei, with a smile on his face, said, "Indeed, Xiao Zou, you really haven’t let me down, hahaha..."

The mockery in Zhang Wei’s voice, along with that final laugh, felt like a fire was smoldering in Xiao Zou’s chest.

You actually dare to mock me in court?

"Xiao Zou, I know you’re angry, but haven’t you noticed something strange?"

"What’s strange?" Xiao Zou clearly hadn’t caught on.

Zhang Wei pointed at the case information on the projector screen and said, "Many of these archival records are information sealed by the Investigation Department and the prosecution. Do you think I, a mere lawyer, could have access to these documents, to these old cases?"

"This..."

Xiao Zou finally caught on, and then looked towards the projector screen.

Indeed, as Zhang Wei said, many of the photos here were taken directly at the crime scenes, and these photos are generally used by the Investigation Department for evidence collection, to be entered into their system.

Although Zhang Wei was a lawyer, he was a lawyer from Dongfang Capital, and it was impossible for him to obtain internal case information from the Longdu Investigation Department.

So the question arises, how did he get these pieces of information?

"How did you get your hands on this information? Did you have hackers hack into the Investigation Department’s database? Lawyer Zhang, your actions..."

"Xiao Zou, what are you talking about? I’ve told you about this information upfront, do you think I wouldn’t anticipate you trying to frame me?"

Seeing Xiao Zou about to make an issue of the photos, Zhang Wei waved his hand and laughed.

Didn’t you think carefully about why I would dare to bring this up in court? Do you really think I’m that foolish?

"Then who exactly gave you the material..."

"I gave it to Lawyer Zhang!"

Just then, the courtroom doors were pushed open once again.

And this time, the person who walked in surprised the entire courtroom.

The old person walked past the witness stand, causing many people to whisper among themselves.

Chen Xiao and You Dalei also saw the newcomer, and their faces revealed a trace of astonishment.

"Why is she here? Isn’t she under investigation?"

"Impossible, that woman should be entangled by Internal Affairs, and she shouldn’t be able to come to court?"

Neither of them had expected the person to be Zhu Yuansi.

At that moment, Zhu Yuansi confidently strode towards the prosecutor’s bench.

And as she drew nearer, the incredulous expression on Xiao Zou’s face became even more apparent.

"Xiao Zou, here comes your sister Zhu. Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?"

Without knowing when, Zhang Wei had come next to Xiao Zou and nudged him with his elbow.

Only then did Xiao Zou belatedly react, but his face still hadn’t lost its look of astonishment.

He couldn’t believe Zhu Yuansi would show up in court. Was the Internal Affairs Investigation Department just slacking off?

Zhu Yuansi seemed to sense Xiao Zou’s unusual gaze and a hint of veiled sarcasm flickered in her eyes.

In her mind, countless scenes flashed by.

The carousel begins!

Several days earlier.

Zhu Yuansi was taken away for investigation by the Internal Affairs Investigation Department because she coincidentally made contact with a hacker who was being monitored by the cyber investigation department and had the hacker secretly look into the internal data of Longxiang Construction Company.

These materials obviously couldn’t be obtained through normal channels; therefore, unconventional means were necessary, and naturally, this behavior was illegal.

By a remarkable coincidence, the cyber investigation department immediately locked onto Zhu Yuansi, and after learning that the contact with the hacker was a prosecutor, they contacted the Internal Affairs Investigation Department right away.

That was why Zhu Yuansi was taken away.

But Zhu Yuansi, after being interrogated by the investigators at Internal Affairs, unexpectedly met a person that evening.

"Prosecutor Zhu, someone is here to meet you; they said it’s to discuss a settlement agreement for the case. However, I must remind you that although you’re currently working on another case, you should still transfer it to someone else as soon as possible. Otherwise, once you’re detained, who will take responsibility for the loss of rights suffered by both parties in the case?"

The Internal Affairs Investigation Department was keeping an eye on Zhu Yuansi, but as long as she wasn’t convicted, she still had to manage her cases.

Therefore, Internal Affairs permitted the visitor to enter and arranged an office for the two to discuss the case.

Zhu Yuansi had not expected that the person who would visit him late at night would turn out to be Zhang Wei.

"Prosecutor Zhu, the situation is urgent, so I’ll cut to the chase. Your subordinate Xiao Zou has betrayed you; he’s the mastermind behind the scenes!"

Initially, Zhu Yuansi found this outcome impossible to accept.

After all, Xiao Zou had been with him for a year and a half, starting from his internship. Zhu had personally mentored him. Now you’re telling me that he’s a traitor—how could that be possible?

"I guessed someone would betray you, and I also guessed that using the Internal Affairs Investigation Department was the fastest way, but I never imagined that the person would be your unremarkable lackey. However, sometimes the most inconspicuous cards can have the most crucial effect!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei directly threw out an internal whistle-blower record.

The time was precisely after the first round of court hearings between Zhang Wei and Zhu Yuansi ended, and Zhu returned to his office to begin the investigation of You Dalei and Chen Xiao.

Regarding the timing, Zhu also noticed it coincided exactly with when he had contacted the hacker—in fact, right after he had made contact, the whistle-blower report was filed.

"Xiao Zou has been monitoring you all along. His backer has invested too much manpower and resources into this case, so there’s no room for error. Xiao Zou’s move must have been a hidden trump card they’ve held onto for a long time, not to be used unless absolutely necessary. Now that they have played it, they naturally won’t let you get in their way!"

"Lawyer Zhang, why are you coming to see me?"

"Because in this case, you and I are actually teammates!"

After Zhang Wei said this, he began to lay out a plan.

"In fact, have you ever suspected something?"

"What is it?"

"It’s about the existence of the black umbrella as evidence, at Lin Berte’s death and during Guan Ping’s hearing."

Zhu Yuansi understood at once what Zhang Wei was referring to.

"The person who brought the black umbrella into your office might not necessarily be Qing Jiao. He only entered the Procuratorate Headquarters, but getting into a senior prosecutor’s office isn’t that easy!"

"Haven’t you considered that after Qing Jiao infiltrated the Procuratorate Headquarters, he handed the black umbrella to someone else to deliver on his behalf? And that this someone could freely enter your office without raising any suspicion?"

Reminded to this point, Zhu Yuansi almost understood.

This person must be someone who frequently enters his office, otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to deceive the staff outside his office.

It is highly likely that this person is Xiao Zou!

At this moment, Zhu Yuansi understood all too well that he had been stabbed in the back by someone close.

"Prosecutor Zhu, I have some evidence in my hands, but it is not enough to extricate you from the Internal Affairs investigation. However, rest assured, once we confirm the person is Xiao Zou, I have a plan."

"The day before the second hearing, I will hand over enough evidence to free you from the Internal Affairs investigation. Then, it will be up to you to decide how to deal with Xiao Zou."

In the end, Zhang Wei told Zhu Yuansi a plan.

"Lawyer Zhang, why do you want to help me like this?"

And Zhu Yuansi was puzzled as to why Zhang Wei would help an opponent like herself.

"Prosecutor Zhu, have you misunderstood? We are not really opponents; rather, we are comrades striving for the truth, just standing in the positions of defense and prosecution but sharing the same goal. Since we both aim to uncover the truth of what happened 12 years ago, why can’t we work together!"

"Do you really believe your client is innocent?"

"Prosecutor Zhu, at this point, do you still believe there was nothing amiss with the case back then?"

Zhang Wei did not directly answer Zhu Yuansi but left her with that rhetorical question and then directly left the Internal Affairs office.

That night, as Zhu Yuansi rested, that question lingered in her mind.

She knew there must be something wrong with the case.

The day before the hearing had arrived.

In the evening, someone came to the Internal Affairs office again and handed over a stack of evidence to Zhu Yuansi.

This time the evidence was much more substantial. It included the information that Xiao Zou had betrayed Zhu Yuansi, reporting to Internal Affairs and even to the Cyber Investigation Department—this made Internal Affairs doubt whether the investigation into Zhu was an act of framing.

And the fact that Xiao Zou had planted fabricated evidence in Zhu Yuansi’s office was also corroborated by an eyewitness account and testimony—a staff member in the office had seen Xiao Zou carrying a box into Zhu’s office. When Xiao Zou emerged, he had the box squashed into a lump hidden in his sleeve cuff, indicating he had removed the contents.

That evening, Zhu Yuansi faced off with the people from Internal Affairs.

"I, Zhu Yuansi, conduct my work openly and fairly, and I have a good reputation within the Investigation Department and at the Procuratorate Headquarters. You’ve caught me on a rare mistake."

And now, within the Procuratorate Headquarters, there is a traitor colluding with outsiders, yet the Internal Affairs have not captured them but instead are dealing with me—a Prosecutor General who has worked tirelessly and meticulously on cases. Is that not unjustifiable?

Under pressure, and with the "evidence" presented by Zhu Yuansi, the Internal Affairs eventually weighed the pros and cons and chose to stand on the side of justice.

The time comes to the present.

"Xiao Zou, I never imagined it would be you who stabbed me in the back!"

Zhu Yuansi looked at Xiao Zou in front of her, her gaze icy, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"Sister Zhu, weren’t you under investigation by Internal Affairs? How did they release you so quickly?"

"Xiao Zou, you should understand, the mistake I made is nothing significant. Sometimes, the methods of Internal Affairs themselves are not clean. It was a minor error on my part; they knew there was no merit in pursuing it, so naturally, they wouldn’t make things too difficult for me. But you... it’s different,"

As Zhu Yuansi spoke, a group of people emerged once again from the entrance to the courtroom.

These people were dressed in suits, their expressions cold and terrifying. The one leading them had a glint in his eye, looking at everyone as if they owed him money.

This was the Internal Affairs Investigation Department—the least popular group within the entire investigation system, because they specialized in investigating their own.

The leader, along with his subordinates, approached the prosecution bench.

"You must be Prosecutor Zou. We have a duty-related crime and require you to come with us for assistance in the investigation!"

As he spoke, his subordinates surrounded Xiao Zou, seemingly ready to take him away right there.

"Ahem!" Judge Bao coughed from the bench, as a sign of his presence.

"Judge Bao, we from Internal Affairs do not wish to disrupt your trial, but we fear that this new prosecutor might abscond after the case concludes in fear of punishment. Therefore, we must exercise necessary control over him!"

"But in this trial, he serves as the prosecutor!"

"That’s not a problem. Prosecutor Zhu has been cleared by our Internal Affairs, and to my knowledge, she was originally the representative for this case. Prosecutor Zou is merely a replacement. Now that the principal is here, the substitute can step aside!"

The head of Internal Affairs said, gesturing broadly, and Xiao Zou was immediately taken into custody by Internal Affairs.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, Zhang Wei suddenly raised his hand to interject.

"Although Xiao Zou has issues, I believe the case should be seen through to the end. It’s good that Prosecutor Zhu has arrived, but as a participant in the case, I also hope that Xiao Zou can witness the conclusion of this case with his own eyes."

Zhang Wei approached the head of Internal Affairs, smiling, "Group leader, rest assured, Xiao Zou won’t be able to run away. Why not let him meet his end with a bit more peace of mind?"

Upon hearing this, the head of Internal Affairs pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

"Take him to the side and control him!"

With a grand wave of his hand, Internal Affairs officers escorted Xiao Zou to one side.

"Prosecutor Zhu, congratulations on your return!"

"Thank you, Lawyer Zhang, but I must say, in this case, we are still opponents!"

"Indeed, we are opponents!"

Zhang Wei laughed heartily, as if he understood the reminder from the other side.

Judge Bao, observing this scene from the bench, could only helplessly gavel down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, Prosecutor Zou is no longer fit to serve as the prosecutor for this case. Fortunately, Prosecutor Zhu has returned. If there are no objections from either side, the court hopes this farce can come to an early end!"

"We have no objections!"

"The prosecution has no objections either!"

Zhang Wei and Prosecutor Zhu had no intention of adjourning, and Judge Bao nodded in acknowledgment.

"Very well, let the trial continue. Does the prosecution wish to cross-examine the witnesses further?"

"We conclude our cross-examination and hope that the court can arrange a verdict quickly, to reveal the truth of this case!"

Zhu Yuansi also made her position clear. Naturally, Xiao Zou, witnessing this turn of events, was utterly devastated, consumed by indescribable fury and pain.

All his schemes, all his efforts, had been shattered by Zhang Wei and Zhu Yuansi.

He was finished!

Even Dragon Lord would be affected by this!