Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 618 - 611: The First Witness, Drunk or Not?

Chapter 618: Chapter 611: The First Witness, Drunk or Not?

Civil court, live scene.

Zhang Wei slowly stood up and then announced:

"The prosecution calls the first witness—please, Mr. Yao, take the stand to testify!"

In response to his call, a man dressed in a red suit with a bizarre tie walked to the stand.

"Eh, isn’t that the eccentric bartender? I’ve seen his videos before."

"Now that you mention it, I do have a bit of an impression; isn’t he that internet celebrity?"

"Right, I’ve seen his videos too. I heard he started by imitating foreign sommeliers and became famous after posting several videos, he has quite a few followers!"

On the spectator seats, many people started whispering among themselves as they saw the man approach the stand.

"Hello, Mr. Yao."

"Hello, Lawyer Zhang."

Having greeted each other, Zhang Wei smiled and signaled, "Mr. Yao, please introduce yourself and describe your connection to this case and the defendant."

Mr. Yao glanced at the defendant then swept his gaze across the entire court and said, "I’m a celebrity bartender. Last Saturday the organizers of the ’Young Elites’ gathering invited me to be the bartender at the event."

Upon hearing this, Wu Renjie and Xiao Mo Moji, who were seated at the defense table, exchanged glances—one with a dawning realization, while the other looked utterly baffled.

"It is him, I knew that red suit looked familiar!"

Wu Renjie had now come to terms with the fact that he indeed had seen the other party at the event that Saturday night.

Mr. Yao, the bartender specially invited for the ’Young Elites’ soiree by the organizers, was also present that evening and had witnessed both Wu Renjie and Xiao Mo Moji.

"They drank a lot that night, really a lot. They kept ordering drinks from me non-stop!"

"Mr. Yao, do you remember what the condition of these two men was like that night?"

Zhang Wei asked, pointing towards Xiao Mo Moji and Wu Renjie.

"Of course, they were the main guests I served that night. No one else drank as excessively as they did. How could I possibly forget?"

Zhang Wei nodded and then pointed to Xiao Mo Moji, "How much did this gentleman drink that night?"

The witness glanced at Xiao Mo Moji before shaking his head with a sigh, "At least 15 glasses, perhaps even more. By the end, he was completely out of it..."

"So in your opinion, could a person like that drive away from the evening’s event?"

"Drive? Don’t make me laugh. He couldn’t even walk properly, let alone drive a car!"

Mr. Yao laughed and raised a finger as he explained, "Ordinarily someone who has had 15 drinks, if you ask them how many fingers you’re holding up, guess what they’d answer?"

Many in the jury blinked curiously, but a few middle-aged men, clearly with experience of heavy drinking, nodded knowingly.

"After 15 drinks, especially mixed by me, they wouldn’t answer one, two, three, but straight to four, five, six—drunk to that extent, who would dare let them drive!"

As he spoke, the witness spread his hands in a gesture and chortled.

"So you’re saying, in your view, it was absolutely impossible for Mr. Xiao Mo Moji to drive, right?"

"Yeah, unless you were bold enough to head out with the intention of taking flight, otherwise, how could you let him drive?"

The answer of the witness got quite a few people in the courtroom to laugh.

Clearly, Xiao Mo Moji that night had been so intoxicated as to be almost unconscious—who would dare to let such a person drive? That would be like pressing the accelerator to the floor, taking you up to 300km/h, right?

What does that speed signify?

It signifies you’d be turned to ashes!

"Objection, hearsay evidence!"

At the witness’s words, Ren Xingzhou could no longer stay seated, standing up to interject.

"Ob..."

"Objection overruled, because this statement falls under an exception to the hearsay rule!"

At the bench, Judge Ni was about to speak, but Zhang Wei cut her off.

After the interruption, Zhang Wei looked at Judge Ni and hastily added, "The witness is giving an account about the defendant’s intent to commit an illegal act. Mr. Yao was present on the scene; he saw it with his own eyes. This is a direct statement about the defendant’s illegal act which should be exempt from hearsay objections."

Following the addition, Zhang Wei winked towards the bench, "Old Ni, don’t mention it—I’ve said it for you!"

"Thank you, Lawyer Zhang!" Judge Ni gritted her teeth, articulating with emphasis.

"No need to thank me, Old Ni, it’s the least I could do!" Zhang Wei shamelessly retorted.

Little bastard!

Judge Ni cursed silently in her heart, but still maintained composure, and said to Ren Xingzhou, "Lawyer Ren, you heard what Lawyer Zhang said about the ’hearsay exception,’ didn’t you?"

"When a piece of hearsay evidence has sufficient credibility and necessity, it can be admitted as evidence to prove the truth of the case! Clearly, Mr. Yao, the witness, was at the scene mixing drinks all night, and the defendants Mr. Xiao Mo Moji and Wu Renjie were the two main guests that night. How much they drank, the bartender knows best. Therefore, the court believes that this hearsay evidence can be admitted as court evidence!"

Ni Qiuping, in order to silence everyone, directly explained the basis of Zhang Wei’s argument in court.

For a moment, many people in the courtroom nodded subconsciously.

Some of them had actually never heard of it, but the reasoning is simple: the witness’s testimony is true and can be admitted as evidence.

After understanding the meaning, everyone looked at Mr. Xiao Mo Moji, who was clearly drunk that day.

So according to the witness, this dude was almost dead drunk, who would dare let him drive?

Thus, the actual driver must be someone else...

The jury, the audience, almost everyone’s gaze was fixed on Wu Renjie.

There were only two people in the car at the time, Mr. Xiao Mo Moji could not drive, so the one who could drive was you, wasn’t it!

So, the person who injured the victim Lu Ma in this case was you, Wu Renjie!

At that moment, this idea formed in everyone’s minds.

"Excellent!" Zhang Wei understood; this was the purpose of summoning the first witness.

His gaze shifted to Lawyer Ren’s side, noticing the flicker in their eyes.

"You didn’t expect it, did you? The Wu Family managed to take care of the street surveillance, even the dash cams of vehicles nearby that evening, as well as the cameras and eyewitnesses, but they forgot the most important party scene!"

It has to be said, the Wu Family, being warriors, are not meticulous enough in their planning.

The accident occurred on Sifang Gate Street, so they mobilized people to sweep all the evidence nearby.

But they overlooked the scene of the gathering of young elites; some people actually saw Xiao Mo Moji and Wu Renjie at the scene, and witnesses here are also significant.

"Judge Ni, we have no further questions for Mr. Yao, the witness!"

Zhang Wei said as he walked back to the prosecutor’s bench.

"Zhang Wei, you’re really amazing; you proved their guilt with the first witness!"

Zhang Xinwu was very excited, her face full of joy.

"Sister Xiao Wu, could you please stay calm? This is just the first witness; do you really think they can be knocked out with a single blow?"

Zhang Wei chuckled, Zhang Xinwu, have you not been in a courtroom enough to witness the sophistry of professional lawyers?

In a courtroom, even if you have proved the truth, a good lawyer can always find loopholes.

They can make black look white, so what of this so-called truth?

Therefore, Zhang Wei’s eyes, cold and sharp, watched the defense bench, eager to see how Lawyer Ren’s side would respond.

At this moment, Lawyer Ren was preparing to take the floor.

"Boss Ren, why don’t you let me handle this?"

One of the trio, Lawyer Shen, volunteered eagerly.

"This is just the first witness. If Boss Ren you personally take action now, wouldn’t that be devaluing yourself? I’m confident I can refute the witness’s allegations!"

"Alright, go ahead!"

Ren Xingzhou thought it made sense. After all, he was the boss of the lawyer team. Although Bai Meiqi was not there, he still had three people who could take the lead.

It wouldn’t do for the general to charge into battle as soon as the fight began, would it?

"Go and teach them a lesson!"

Ren Xingzhou gestured broadly, and Lawyer Shen stood up to approach the bench.

"Hello everyone, I am Lawyer Shen, one of the defense lawyers, head of the litigation department at Jincheng Law Firm!"

After introducing himself, Lawyer Shen walked up to the witness stand.

"Witness, were you the bartender at the scene of the young elites’ gathering?"

"Yes."

"Were there any other bartenders at the scene besides you?"

"No."

"Then how many guests were there at the event?"

"I didn’t count, but roughly estimating, there must have been at least a hundred people!"

"So, serving drinks to over a hundred people, weren’t you overwhelmed?"

"Not at all, because there were many self-supplied drinks at the event. The guests who actually drank the mixtures from the scene, apart from those two in the defendants’ bench, were only a few, so I was not that busy that day."

The witness explained, adding: "That evening was a gathering for young elites, a place for those young elites to network, not a bar scene. Many people were expanding their social circles, so not many were actually there to drink."

Lawyer Shen frowned, obviously, the witness’s answer wasn’t what he wanted.

He turned his head and saw Ren Xingzhou’s eyes looking somewhat unfriendly towards him.

He knew he had to show some results!

Catching a glimpse of Wu Renjie from the corner of his eye, Lawyer Shen had an idea in mind.

As Lawyer Shen rolled his eyes in thought, he continued to ask, "Witness, you were the bartender that evening. According to your statement, you served Mr. Xiao Mo Moji and our client, Master Wu Renjie, all night long?"

"Pretty much," the witness replied, looking towards the defense’s bench.

Hearing this vague response, Lawyer Shen immediately tensed up and intensified his tone, "I am asking you whether it was or it wasn’t; you just need to answer yes or no!"

Questioned in such a manner, the witness’s tone became somewhat panicked, yet he still managed to answer, "Yes, I suppose..."

"Then I’ll ask you, how many drinks did Mr. Xiao Mo Moji have?"

"At least 15 drinks. He didn’t stop once he sat down, and he drank everything I mixed."

"And what about our client, Master Wu Renjie? How many drinks did he have?"

"That..."

The witness fell into reminiscence.

He remembered that night; the two men hardly ever stopped. Xiao Mo Moji drank a lot, and it seemed that Wu Renjie, sitting next to him, also had his fair share.

"At least 13 drinks, because I remember he went to the restroom once, so he had two or three drinks less."

"So, you’re saying not only did Mr. Xiao Mo Moji have a lot of alcohol, but Master Wu Renjie also drank quite a bit?"

"Yes."

"Thirteen drinks. To what extent would a normal person be drunk if they consumed this amount?"

"Considering the strength of the alcohol provided at the party, let’s not even talk about 13 drinks; it’s questionable whether a normal person could handle 10."

"Then why did both of them surpass 10 drinks?"

"That, I don’t know..." the witness spread his hands, looking puzzled.

This question was indeed beyond the scope.

One could only say that individual tolerance varies from person to person.

"Could it be that the drinks you mixed weren’t that strong, and you thought they could make people drunk, but you overestimated yourself?"

As Lawyer Shen spoke, he pointed to Wu Renjie in the defense’s bench and asked, "After drinking at least 13 drinks, did our client show any signs of intoxication?"

"It didn’t seem like it."

The witness glanced at Wu Renjie and shook his head, "I remember complaining that night, your client’s tolerance is indeed remarkable; despite drinking so much, he didn’t even stagger when he walked!"

"If Master Wu Renjie wasn’t drunk, then how can you judge that Mr. Xiao Mo Moji was intoxicated?"

"That can’t be right; he was truly drunk. He staggered as he walked, and if no one had supported him, he would have fallen to the ground in just a few steps. How can you say he wasn’t drunk?"

"Maybe Mr. Xiao Mo Moji has a unique constitution. Perhaps his legs were just numb from sitting too long, and he adjusted after a few steps!"

Saying this, Lawyer Shen didn’t give the witness a chance to rebut and quickly asked, "Witness, were you working at the bar all night?"

"Yes, the whole time."

"So after Mr. Xiao Mo Moji and Master Wu Renjie left, you didn’t see them again?"

"Definitely not."

"There you have it. After they left, you didn’t see Mr. Xiao Mo Moji unable to move, nor did you see Master Wu Renjie drunk, so how can you dare say they were both intoxicated?"

"But they drank so much, they..."

"Individual tolerance cannot be generalised!"

Lawyer Shen brought out the excuse he had prepared earlier and argued, "Whether Mr. Xiao Mo Moji was drunk or not, you really don’t have a clue, do you?"

"This..." The witness now didn’t know how to respond.

"Witness, did you see Mr. Xiao Mo Moji showing signs of confusion, or even feeling nauseous?"

"No."

"Did you see Mr. Xiao Mo Moji sleeping off a hangover, or talking nonsense after drinking?"

"Also no."

"Did you see Mr. Xiao Mo Moji think he was too drunk to drive, so he asked our client to take over?"

"Of course not. I was at the bar; how could I see what was happening in the parking lot."

"Well then, you couldn’t see anything; making a judgment based solely on the amount of alcohol they drank, isn’t that a bit too arbitrary?"

Lawyer Shen said, his face tightening, his tone becoming unfriendly, "It seems to me that you are deliberately using lies to guide the jurors, attempting to attack my client!"

"I am wronged!"

The witness was now thoroughly intimidated, quickly shaking his head in denial.

"Hmph, who knows? Maybe you were threatened by the famous Homicide Lawyer and had no choice but to come here and give false testimony!"

Lawyer Shen finished with a cold laugh, giving Zhang Wei a meaningful glance.

"Judge Ni, what exactly is the defense attorney trying to do, slandering me in front of the entire courtroom? That’s outright defamation!"

"I apologize, Your Honor, I retract my last statement!"

Seeing Zhang Wei appeal to Judge Ni Qiuping for justice, Lawyer Shen naturally apologized immediately.

However, the corner of his mouth still bore a cold smile, clearly showing that he had dealt with this first step.

Judge Ni Qiuping gave Lawyer Shen a look that seemed to say: Keep it up, young man, but cross the line again, and you’ll really feel my wrath!

"There won’t be a next time, we have other people on our team!" Lawyer Shen replied with a dismissive smirk, clearly unconcerned.

After all, he was merely the spearhead, and he had achieved a remarkable effect. This performance was certainly enough to make the Boss Ren remember him.

Perhaps the proceedings of today’s trial would even reach the ears of the big boss, then he would have made an impression under the big boss’s scrutiny, which was a win-win situation by any measure.

"Your Honor, my cross-examination of this witness is finished!"

Lawyer Shen ended the cross-examination with a sense of accomplishment and returned to the defense bench.

"Boss Ren, Master Wu, I have not failed you!"

"Hmm, Lawyer Shen, you did well!"

Ren Xingzhou was naturally very pleased with Lawyer Shen’s performance.

True to being one of his own, the cross-examination not only perfectly defused the accusations against Xiao Mo Moji and Wu Renjie but also seriously undermined the credibility of the witness’s testimony.

And this was just the beginning; Zhang Wei’s momentum had been severely dampened.

With Lawyer Shen’s good performance, Ren Xingzhou as the team leader could also take credit for effective leadership.

This incident, once known to the big boss, would be another chance for him to gain favor.

Wu Renjie and Mr. Momoji both nodded unconsciously.

The two had to admit that the lawyers from Jincheng Law Firm were indeed skilled.

Zhang Wei might be formidable, but our side is not weak either; let’s see who can stand against whom!

The defense was brimming with confidence this time, as they did not believe Zhang Wei had any other potent witnesses.

Bring it on, let’s see what you’ve got, Zhang Wei!

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

"Yes, we summon our second witness to the stand!"

Upon Judge Ni Qiuping’s inquiry, Zhang Wei stood up promptly, summoning the second witness.

Soon, a young man dressed in a waiter’s uniform and with a face full of restraint walked into the courtroom.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire court, he took his place in the witness stand.

"Hello, witness, please introduce yourself."

"I am a doorman at the Dongfang Capital International Hotel."

After hearing this, Zhang Wei explained to the jury, "The Dongfang Capital International Hotel is the very venue where the elite event took place!"

"So, witness, I want to ask you, were you on duty at the hotel entrance last Saturday evening?"

"Yes, I was in charge of welcoming guests and stood at the hotel entrance the whole time."

"Okay, can you tell me, did you see the two defendants that evening?"

"I did!"

"They went to the parking lot to get their car that evening. Their vehicle was a red Ferrari sports car. May I ask who took the driver’s seat at that time?"

"It was him!"

The witness glanced at Xiao Mo Moji and Wu Renjie, then raised his hand and pointed decisively at Wu Renjie.

That night, he indeed saw it; it was Wu Renjie who drove the car.

The witness’s testimony took the entire courtroom by surprise.

There really was a witness!