Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 85 - 84 Qiu Tiantian’s Testimony, Zhang Wei and Li Qinghe Fall Out (2 Updates on Shelves)

Chapter 85: Chapter 84 Qiu Tiantian’s Testimony, Zhang Wei and Li Qinghe Fall Out (2 Updates on Shelves)

Zhang Wei had not anticipated that Li Qinghe would stab him in the back.

Her questioning of Wang Fugui seemed to protect Wang Xi on the surface, but beneath the guise, she was sabotaging Kong Hang and Zhang Wei.

Furthermore, Li Qinghe, who had made such a move, hadn’t even planned to offer an explanation to Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei had kindly addressed her as "aunt," and what an unreliable "aunt" she proved to be.

"Hahaha, so it turns out this way, a betrayal by a teammate..."

From the witness stand, Xiao Baihe couldn’t contain her laughter.

Although she enjoyed watching Zhang Wei fall flat, she found it amusing, yet she never expected the trial to be this entertaining.

Zhang Wei was not being suppressed by Fang Wenbin but was backstabbed by his own "comrade."

If she knew that Li Qinghe was going to be Zhang Wei’s future aunt, she would probably be rolling on the floor laughing.

No, she must retain composure...

She had to holding back her laugh, not let her expression be too exaggerated, for she was a prosecutor from the Procuratorate Headquarters.

Although Xiao Baihe tried her hardest to restrain herself, her wildly upturned lips could not be suppressed.

Watching Zhang Wei in discomfort, she felt exhilarated for the first time, and the irritation she had felt from Fang Wenbin vanished into thin air.

In the courtroom.

Judge Qi also noticed the discord between the two defense attorneys, but he would not remind them as it was not his duty to do so.

His only duty, perhaps, was to preside over this trial.

"Does the prosecution have any more witnesses to call?"

"Of course, Your Honor, the defense is prepared to call the third witness!"

Fang Wenbin stood up, shook his black suit, and looked at Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei with pity in his eyes.

You’re already at odds now, let’s see what you do when this witness comes on the stand!

He estimated that once this witness testified on the stand, Li Qinghe would definitely plunge the knife into Zhang Wei’s back!

"The prosecution calls witness Qiu Tiantian to testify!"

Upon hearing this name, Zhang Wei remained composed.

But apart from him, on the defense bench, Kong Hang, Wang Xi, and Li Qinghe all reacted to varying degrees.

Wang Xi looked angry, while Li Qinghe’s expression was one of disdain.

Kong Hang’s reaction was the most exaggerated, his eyes filled with regret, unwillingness, and helplessness.

Fortunately, he did not panic, a response that pleased Zhang Wei.

It’s rare for a man to remain unflustered when facing an ex-girlfriend, especially when she’s testifying against him in court.

This proved that Kong Hang hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about.

If he had panicked and the jury had seen it, that would have been a big problem.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the courtroom, Qiu Tiantian took the stand.

Qiu Tiantian might have a sweet name, but she was not a girl with a sweet appearance.

She had a purple Mohawk hairstyle, wore black eye shadow, donned a black jacket, black leather pants, and sported multicolored nail polish.

This style involuntarily reminded Zhang Wei of the New Trend Bar.

"Wait, the New Trend Bar..."

In his mind, he suddenly recalled several photos hanging on the wall of the New Trend Bar.

In those photos, there appeared a woman with purple hair, seemingly the very Qiu Tiantian standing in front of them.

"Witness, please introduce yourself to everyone!"

After Qiu Tiantian took the stand, Fang Wenbin immediately asked a question.

"I’m Qiu Tiantian, the ex-girlfriend of that man!" she said, pointing at Kong Hang and letting out a contemptuous laugh.

The words "ex-girlfriend" alone were enough to set imaginations running wild.

Paired with her "alternative" hairstyle and outfit, it evoked the image of a youthful, troubled couple in the minds of all present.

"Witness, you approached the Chengbei District Public Procuratorate’s Office of your own accord, so I’d like to know, considering your relationship with one of the defendants, Kong Hang, what information do you intend to prodvide to the court today?"

"I want to say that Kong Hang is nothing but a hypocrite, or should I say, a scumbag!"

As soon as Qiu Tiantian spoke, it was as if a bomb had gone off.

On the jury bench, many married individuals nodded in understanding.

However, those who were unmarried looked at Kong Hang with astonishment and skepticism, wondering what he had done to have a woman testify against him like this in court.

"Objection!"

This time, Zhang Wei stood up.

Since Li Qinghe had stabbed him in the back, he didn’t plan to show any consideration for his own aunt.

His client was Kong Hang, not Wang Xi who stood by Li Qinghe’s side, so all his actions in the courtroom must strive for the greatest benefit for Kong Hang.

"The witness’s identification is vague, and now is the prosecution’s case statement stage, but the words ’scumbag’ do not constitute a specific statement!"

"Objection sustained!" Judge Qi nodded and looked towards the witness stand.

"Please, witness, do not include any subjective emotions in your statements. Your words will affect the jury’s verdict on the two defendants; please be cautious with your words!"

"Sorry, Judge Qi, it was my lack of specificity in questioning that led to this result, I apologize on behalf of the witness to everyone here."

Fang Wenbin still showed sufficient grace by apologizing on behalf of Qiu Tiantian.

He organized his thoughts before continuing his questioning:

"Witness, you used the word ’scumbag’ to describe the defendant Kong Hang because of what he did that led you to this understanding. Can you please share the specifics with us?"

"He has been harassing me for the past few months, not only calling me but also occasionally coming to my place to cause trouble!" Qiu Tiantian pointed at Kong Hang, her face full of scorn.

At this moment, Kong Hang felt as if he was on pins and needles, not only from the stares of the jurors but even Wang Xi beside him now looked at him with a hostile gaze.

Zhang Wei quietly leaned closer and pointed to the witness stand, asking, "What’s the situation with this woman? Are you really still entangled with her, as she said?"

"It’s not really entanglement, didn’t I tell you? I wanted to get the engagement ring back, so I called her a few times, and finally arranged to meet her at the bar to discuss the ring."

"I swear, I really just wanted to get the ring back, since Xiao Xi said she always wanted an engagement ring, so I contacted her..."

Zhang Wei was aware of this matter, as Kong Hang had previously confessed, but he hadn’t revealed the details.

Now that his ex-girlfriend had testified in court, the effect was completely different.

This would leave the image of a womanizing scumbag of Kong Hang with the jury.

Once Kong Hang’s image is cemented among the jurors, no amount of defense will suffice, it would be tough for the jurors to believe a scumbag is innocent.

On the witness stand, Qiu Tiantian continued her accusations against Kong Hang.

"He not only harassed me with phone calls, but he also asked me to go to the bar, where he even tried to get me drunk..."

More and more hostile gazes surrounded them.

On the defense’s side, both Wang Xi and Li Qinghe looked almost murderous.

Zhang Wei caught Kong Hang’s eye, who sighed.

"She was the one who wanted to drink, saying that seeing me made her angry, and that she wouldn’t feel as angry after drinking a bit..."

Zhang Wei believed in Kong Hang’s explanation.

But his belief was useless; the jury had to be convinced.

And now, in the eyes of the jury, Kong Hang had already become a total scumbag.

Having a new girlfriend, yet still not being able to forget his ex, repeatedly harassing her, and even arranging to meet at a bar with the intention of getting her drunk...

"Scumbag!"

From the spectator’s gallery, Xiao Baihe scoffed.

It wasn’t clear whether she was scoffing at Kong Hang or Zhang Wei.

But in her eyes, there was no difference; there was certainly a scumbag in the defense area!

Not just her, but many women in the spectator’s gallery, including the new female lawyer from Qingmu Law Firm, looked at Kong Hang with disdain.

Men who change affections at the drop of a hat are the worst!

The surrounding gazes had moved from initial suspicion to disdain and contempt, and were now closing in with revulsion and hostility.

Zhang Wei knew he could not let this continue; it was no different from sitting ducks.

"Objection, the witness’s testimony is extremely inflammatory!"

He directly interrupted Qiu Tiantian’s statement and looked toward the judge’s bench.

"Your honor, you must have felt it too, my client is under enormous psychological pressure from the witness’s testimony. I request your approval of my objection!"

"Hmm, objection sustained. I also feel that the witness’s story can lead the jury to develop a bias, which would compromise the fairness of the court!"

Judge Qi knocked on his gavel, warning Fang Wenbin, "Prosecutor Fang, please try to avoid similar lines of questioning in the future. I don’t like to interrupt the witness abruptly, but if this little girl keeps telling stories with such a tone, I will have to dismiss her from the stand!"

"I’m sorry, I will remind the witness. I also apologize for any negative impact this may have had on the jury!"

Fang Wenbin hurriedly apologized, but his gaze towards the defense bench was filled with triumph.

After all, Qiu Tiantian’s story had achieved his objective, and that was enough for him.

"Witness, when you contacted my office, you told me something. What was it? Please tell everyone here in the court," he asked.

Without any hesitation, Qiu Tiantian pointed at Kong Hang in the defense area, "On Thursday, he said he had something important and wanted to meet with me."

"Thursday, that’s the day after the defendant returned from his trip to Nandao, and also the day Fugui Jewelry Store was robbed."

Fang Wenbin revealed a sudden realization, then immediately asked, "Did you meet that day?"

"He came out, and I saw him!"

"Is ’he’ referring to the defendant, Kong Hang?"

"Yes!"

"Then may I ask when did you meet?"

"Around 9 p.m."

"Where did you meet?"

"In the house I rented!"

On hearing this reply, Fang Wenbin nodded and turned to explain to the jury:

"According to one of the defendant’s testimony, Kong Hang said he was with Wang Xi the whole time after returning from Nandao. Considering this witness’ testimony, it seems like he lied."

Seeing Zhang Wei wanted to object, Fang Wenbin quickly added, "I am done questioning the witness!"

This move naturally cut off Zhang Wei’s chance to object, causing his face to darken once again.

Meanwhile, after sitting down, Fang Wenbin sneered to himself.

The knife has been prepared for you; now ask yourselves whether to use it or not.

Whether to wait to be stabbed by the opponent or to strike proactively, it’s all down to your own skills.

Leaving Fang Wenbin’s self-satisfaction out of the picture, undercurrents were stirring on the defense’s side.

After the prosecution finished asking questions, it was time for the defense’s cross-examination. Zhang Wei only needed to...

Just as he was preparing to stand up, Li Qinghe stood up without a word of notice, walking to the witness stand.

Seeing his future aunt step forward before him, Zhang Wei was helpless.

Although he could also speak, cross-examination can only be conducted by one person, which is the rule of the court.

"Witness, you claim you met with the defendant Kong Hang at 9 p.m. last Thursday, is that correct?"

Though Qiu Tiantian was aware that the woman before her was Wang Xi’s lawyer, she nonetheless replied with disdain: "Yes, not only did I meet him, we did a lot of things too!"

That statement left much to the imagination.

A man and a woman, alone in a house, what could they possibly be doing?

And the pair were ex-partners at that—were they sitting together watching TV, playing cards, or perhaps playing Ludo...

After saying this, Qiu Tiantian looked sarcastically towards Kong Hang and Wang Xi.

"Witness, is your testimony credible?"

Li Qinghe asked again, her eyes shining with a cold gleam.

"Damn, she’s preparing to..."

On the defense’s bench, Zhang Wei could only inwardly curse at Li Qinghe’s expressions.

"Of course, why would I lie!"

Qiu Tiantian in the witness stand was completely unaware of the trap set by Li Qinghe’s questioning.

"So, besides yourself and Kong Hang, did anyone else see you together?"

"How could there be anyone? I live alone in the rented house, and why would I tell anyone else about meeting him!"

"When did you two part ways?"

"Around 10 p.m., I suppose."

"The same question, did anyone see you parting ways?"

"No!"

Agitated by Li Qinghe’s pressing, Qiu Tiantian replied with displeasure, "What’s wrong with you, lawyer? Why are you asking like that, making it seem as if I’m the criminal!"

"Aren’t you though?"

But Li Qinghe finally bared her fangs.

"The previous witness, Wang Fugui, stated that the robbers were a man and a woman, corroborated by testimony from Group Leader Zhao of the Martial Association. Moreover, we know that the male robber hit the store owner, Wang Fugui, during the robbery. When he wanted to continue the assault, he was stopped by his accomplice. Wang Fugui said the woman was not my client, so it’s very likely that it was you!"

"Objection!"

Seeing Li Qinghe attempting to divert the blame, Zhang Wei stood up and objected loudly, "The lawyer is testifying!"

"Zhang, shut your mouth, it’s my turn to ask questions!" Li Qinghe snapped back at Zhang Wei’s interruption, visibly annoyed.

On the prosecution side, Fang Wenbin almost laughed out loud.

As he had planned, the two lawyers on the defense’s side were indeed starting to fight among themselves.

Next, he only needed to wait for today’s adjournment and then proceed with the next step of the plan, and the case could be closed.

"Order in the court!"

Judge Qi, angered by the behavior of Zhang Wei and Li Qinghe, shouted loudly.

"You two, get up here!"

He called out to the two of them, and Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei could only step forward.

"Lawyer Li, Lawyer Zhang, do you realize you are both on the defense? Since when does the defense oppose its own counsel’s statements!"

"Your Honor, I believe Lawyer Li’s questions are clearly aimed at shirking responsibility. To help her client escape the charges, she is willing to frame the prosecution witness as a suspect!"

Since the feud between them had been laid bare, Zhang Wei naturally did not give his adversary any face, directly stabbing at Li Qinghe.

"What do you mean by framing? The fact is that my niece is innocent, and the people who robbed the jewelry store were your client and his ex-girlfriend!"

But Li Qinghe was also unyielding, sticking to her argument.

And in her eyes, this was the truth.

Anyway, Wang Xi was innocent, and since Kong Hang had lied, it was very possible that he was the jewelry store robber, with the other accomplice being the witness’s ex-girlfriend in the court.

"Your Honor, Lawyer Li is making the witness incriminate herself. Her questions should not be accepted," Zhang Wei immediately retorted.

"Your Honor, I still uphold my assertion that my client is certainly innocent in this case. Wang Fugui’s testimony has proved this. Therefore, the suspect can only be the defendant, Kong Hang!" Li Qinghe also stood her ground.

Neither party was willing to give in, and their gazes met, with sparks flying and electrical arcs surging in the air.

"Are you two serious?" Judge Qi felt a headache coming on as he saw them.

"Of course!" Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei responded in unison, their voices loud and clear.

"Alright, enough. I’m an old man who has ended up with such a case, truly a suffering at my age," Judge Qi waved his hand, dismissing the two back to their seats.

He then proclaimed in court, "In light of the witness’s inflammatory statements and her hostility towards the defendant, the court declares that the testimony of Qiu Tiantian is inadmissible. The jury may not take the witness’s testimony into consideration in subsequent hearings, nor base a verdict on her statements!"

With Judge Qi’s declaration, the matter was settled.

However, Qiu Tiantian’s testimony had still been heard by the jury, whether they would take it into account or not now remained a mystery known only to the heavens.

This declaration aided Zhang Wei, as without Qiu Tiantian’s accusation, it relieved some of the pressure off Kong Hang.

Judge Qi then looked at Fang Wenbin, "Does the prosecution have any further witnesses?"

"Your Honor, the prosecution concludes its presentation of the case!"

"Alright..."

Judge Qi glanced at the time, then flipped open the schedule before him and announced:

"In that case, the court adjourns for today. Considering the upcoming New Year’s period, the court does not wish to delay everyone’s affairs. We shall reconvene next Monday, at which time the defense will please present its case!"

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, Judge Qi spoke up again, "Oh, and a reminder: defense, please coordinate the order of your statements to avoid such a farce as we had today!"

"Understood, Judge Qi!"

"We got it, Your Honor!"

Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei readily agreed, but the looks they gave each other were still somewhat hostile.

Zhang Wei had even made up his mind that Li Qinghe was no longer an ally.

On next Monday’s hearing, this future aunt of his would be his opponent!

Following Judge Qi’s announcement, the court was temporarily adjourned.

"Niece, let’s go!"

Li Qinghe snorted coldly and left directly with Wang Xi, without even sparing a glance at Zhang Wei and Kong Hang.

Wang Dayang from the audience did nod at Zhang Wei and Kong Hang but quickly followed Li Qinghe out.

Zhang Wei gave a few words of caution to Kong Hang before he had to leave the courtroom as well.

Outside the courtroom, however, he was cornered by Xiao Baihe.

Seeing her face full of mockery, Zhang Wei didn’t even have to guess her next words.

"Who would have thought, our scumbag Lawyer Zhang, would be put in his place?"

"Prosecutor Xiao, since you always call me a scumbag, how about I play the part just once?"

"Get lost!"

Xiao Baihe glared with wide eyes, inwardly thinking that Zhang Wei must be out of his mind to dare to flirt with her.

"Fine, mock me if you wish. But let me remind you, the outcome of a trial is unknown until the final moment!"

"Hmph, still talking tough. If you can win this time, I’ll..."

Xiao Baihe intended to lash out with some harsh words, but upon seeing someone approaching, she had to shut up immediately.

The flag was never firmly planted.

And the person had now arrived behind Zhang Wei.

"Lawyer Zhang, we can talk now."