Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 92 - 91 Qingmu Is Not Qualified, My Target Is Jincheng (Only one update today)

Chapter 92: Chapter 91 Qingmu Is Not Qualified, My Target Is Jincheng (Only one update today)

(Yesterday’s massive update was too intense, and the aftermath has hit. Author Germ truly didn’t have any drafts saved! And this afternoon, my friend invited me to a meal, so I could only manage to write one Chapter for everyone... emmm...)

...

Qingmu Law Firm.

Li Qingmu’s office.

"Chuo!"

Li Qingmu roared in anger and suddenly let go.

Bang!

The tablet in his hand flew out, crashing heavily onto the office floor.

Looking at the shattered casing and the separated components of the tablet, Li Qingmu’s face was filled with rage.

He had absolutely not expected the case to end this way.

This case had been a key step for Qingmu Law Firm to expand their clientele in the Chengbei District, yet it had been disrupted by another defense attorney.

Li Qingmu’s grand blueprint, his future development plans, all came to a premature end!

Thud thud thud!

Outside the office, an assistant knocked on the door.

"Lawyer Li, I’ve brought the editor from Chengbei Evening News. When would you like to schedule the interview?"

Hearing the assistant’s words, a shadow of gloom passed over Li Qingmu’s face.

He called out to the outside, "They’re here, aren’t they?"

"Yes, Lawyer Li, the editor is waiting in the downstairs office right now."

"Hmm, alright, tell them to go back then!"

"Okay, Lawyer Li, I’ll let them know right awa—Ah?"

The assistant replied instinctively, about to head down, but then suddenly realized that something about that response was wrong!

Wasn’t it supposed to be an interview? Why send them away?

"Lawyer Li, the interview..."

"Interview my ass, it’s not like it was Qingmu that won the case. Tell them to leave, and quickly!"

Li Qingmu waved his hand dismissively from inside the door, his tone impatient.

The assistant had no choice, after all, the person inside was their boss.

The assistant could only run back downstairs again, profusely apologizing to the guests from Chengbei Evening News, and on behalf of Li Qingmu, cancelled the interview.

Upstairs, inside the office.

"Zhang Wei, Zhang Wei, it’s actually that Zhang Wei!"

"Li Qinghe said he’s the prospective son-in-law of the third sister. So, it seems this kid has a connection with Xiao Yue Yue."

Li Qingmu was making a tough choice, because he remembered Li Qinghe mentioned inviting Zhang Wei to join Qingmu Law Firm.

But due to the stance they had taken in court, Li Qinghe had to backstab Zhang Wei, hence the recruitment had to be postponed.

Now, however, Li Qingmu was beginning to consider how to get Zhang Wei to join Qingmu.

Even though he was extremely annoyed that Zhang Wei had disrupted his grand endeavors, he had to admit that Zhang Wei was an impressive lawyer.

To be able to turn around such a case, even Fang Wenbin from the Chengbei District Public Procuratorate’s Office was defeated by him.

And the kid was just how old? He had just graduated from law school. Where could you even begin to reason with that?

Given time, after being cultivated by him, this kid could totally match the top lawyers of the Top Ten Firms!

There’s a saying in the lawyer community about how to judge a lawyer’s prowess.

A great lawyer isn’t someone you know the best but the one who defeats you in court!

Zhang Wei defeated Qingmu and also defeated Fang Wenbin, which was already proving a point.

"No, I can’t let such a promising young talent go to another law firm. He must join Qingmu!"

Thinking this, Li Qingmu quickly took out his cell phone and dialed Li Qinghe’s number.

Zhang Wei, he was determined to try and secure him, preferably to win him over.

...

Chengbei District Court.

"Thank you so much, Lawyer Zhang. You’ve proven my innocence!"

Kong Hang was overwhelmed with emotion at this moment, embracing Zhang Wei tightly.

He was overjoyed, for there was nothing more gratifying than having gone from universally condemned to being publicly vindicated.

"Haha, just stay cool. It’s not such a big deal!"

Zhang Wei indeed remained very composed, without even a change in expression.

Then, he saw Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, who had also just stepped out of the courtroom.

"Just wait for me a moment!"

Zhang Wei said to Kong Hang and immediately walked over.

"Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, thank you for this time!"

"Lawyer Zhang, please mind your attitude. I helped you only in the interest of justice, nothing more!"

Xiao Baihe’s attitude was quite chilly, almost as if she had "Don’t come and greet me; I’m not familiar with you" written all over her face.

In public, she addressed Zhang Wei as Lawyer Zhang, and in private, she even called him scum. Xiao Baihe’s attitude was telling.

"Still, thank you. Now we’re on the same team!" Zhang Wei laughed it off as if he hadn’t noticed her attitude.

"Teammate?" Xiao Baihe showed disdain. Who would want to be teammates with you?

If it weren’t for her distaste for Fang Wenbin’s attitude, she wouldn’t have helped Zhang Wei this time!

"Alright, the matter is settled, and I need to get back! The real burglar still needs to be sentenced. Even though he’s signed a plea bargain, I still have to carefully discuss the sentencing with the judge!"

"Fine then, you’re busy!"

Seeing Xiao Baihe about to leave, Zhang Wei quickly made way.

"By the way, since we’re so familiar with each other now, you don’t need to call me Lawyer Zhang; it makes us seem distant. Why not just call me Zhang Wei?"

Distant?

Xiao Baihe pondered internally, are we really that close?

"Hmph, as for you, I have nothing to say to scum!"

"Alright, then. Whatever you call me doesn’t matter, but if you call me scum, then I’ll have to call you Baihe..."

"Get lost! I have a name, call me Xiao Baihe, and if you dare use those two words, I swear you’ll be lying at the missing daughter’s workstation tomorrow!"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Xiao Baihe almost flew into a rage, giving a morgue warning on the spot!

"Okay then, Xiao Baihe, thanks for this time!"

Zhang Wei, however, sported the look of someone who had achieved his goal, waving goodbye.

"What’s happening? I feel like I’ve been played by him!"

Seeing the triumph in Zhang Wei’s eyes, Xiao Baihe finally caught on.

The great philosopher Lu Shuren once said, "Human nature always favors harmony and compromise." For instance, if you say, "This room is too dark, we need to put a window here," everyone will certainly not allow it; but if you suggest tearing off the roof, they will come to a compromise and agree to the windows.

The real aim of Zhang Wei was to be called Xiao Baihe. The latter "Baihe" was just an unreasonable chip proposed by the other party.

"Damn it, he succeeded!"

Xiao Baihe couldn’t help stomping her foot right where she stood, inwardly cursing that she, too, had a day when she could be manipulated by someone else.

But thinking about the work awaiting her back at the office, she could only grit her teeth and let Zhang Wei go, returning to the Procuratorate Headquarters.

After his banter with Xiao Baihe, Zhang Wei was in high spirits.

He saw Kong Hang speaking with Wang Xi, and Wang Xi was accompanied by Li Qinghe and her entourage.

Zhang Wei sneered inwardly and as he walked over, he didn’t even spare a glance at Li Qinghe.

"Little Zhang is here!" Li Qinghe abruptly switched from her previous attitude and suddenly warmed up to Zhang Wei.

"Aunt and Uncle!"

Zhang Wei brushed off Li Qinghe’s attitude, instead nodding in greeting to Wang Dayang.

"What are the two of you planning to do next?" he asked, looking at Kong Hang and Wang Xi.

"Lawyer Zhang, Xiao Xi has already forgiven me, all thanks to you for clearing up our misunderstanding!"

Kong Hang was particularly excited that day. Not only had he cleared his name, but he had also regained his girlfriend’s love; he felt his life was complete.

"Lawyer Zhang, thank you. If it hadn’t been for you..."

"Stop, don’t get so worked up. I just did what a lawyer should do!"

Seeing Kong Hang about to shake his hand again, Zhang Wei quickly interrupted.

"By the way, I have a gift for you!"

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and took out a small plastic bag containing a ring.

"This is, my grandmother’s engagement ring!" Kong Hang was nearly moved to tears upon seeing the ring.

"Correct, I got it back for you from Qiu Tiantian!"

Zhang Wei said, handing the ring to Kong Hang.

"Well, then, this case has concluded, and I bid you farewell!"

He said, preparing to leave.

"Hey, Zhang, wait a moment!"

But just as he had taken a few steps, Li Qinghe called out to him.

As for Li Qinghe, Zhang Wei had always felt a hint of contempt for her.

She had stabbed him in the back, and he had even called her ’auntie’ so many times—is this how you treat your juniors?

"Zhang, auntie admits that she did something wrong during the trial, but now that the case is closed and all’s well that ends well, how about this—let’s go to Qingmu afterwards and complete your onboarding process."

Li Qinghe said, motioning with her eyes to Lawyer Zhuo standing beside her.

"Lawyer Zhang, after witnessing your performance in court, we were deeply impressed. Therefore, Qingmu Law Firm has decided to hire you as a formal lawyer. You won’t need to intern, and as soon as you get your license, you can become a full-time lawyer. I believe our treatment at Qingmu will definitely satisfy you!"

Seeing that Zhang Wei’s expression did not change, Lawyer Zhuo quickly added, "Oh, and if you join our litigation department, I can make you the deputy supervisor and assign you 3-4 assistant lawyers. I believe they would also be eager to work under Lawyer Zhang!"

Speaking of which, he started to feel a bit excited himself.

He reminisced about the days when he had joined Qingmu Law Firm. Starting as an assistant lawyer under Li Qinghe, it took him over two years as her assistant before he independently won a lawsuit.

However, if Zhang Wei were to join, he would be a junior leader of the litigation department, able to handle cases independently, with at least three lawyers at his disposal—the treatment was indeed better than what some lawyers acquired from other firm’s poaching attempts.

"That’s a hefty investment!"

Having heard what Lawyer Zhuo had said, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but nod.

"However..."

But this would not shake his convictions.

"To tell you the truth, I’ve never really considered joining Qingmu. The offer you’ve given is indeed tempting, and I know that if I were to speak directly with Li Qingmu, he would promise me even more benefits. Yet even so, I’ve never thought about joining Qingmu!"

"How about this, auntie, you go back and tell my future uncle that I’m touched by his sentiment, but Qingmu just isn’t the right fit for me!"

"Zhang Wei, what do you mean by that!"

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s rejection, Li Qinghe couldn’t hold back anymore.

How could this youngster speak like that? She was getting irritated just listening.

Although Qingmu wasn’t a top-tier law firm, it was still a well-known mid-sized firm in Chengbei District, with over 50 resident lawyers, and they carried substantial weight there.

In your words, Zhang, why is Qingmu something that isn’t presentable?

Zhang Wei approached Li Qinghe and, without caring about respect for an elder, he replied with a cold laugh, "Auntie, I already have plans for what comes next. I have decided which law firm I want to join. Compared to them, Qingmu really isn’t in the same league!"

"Which law firm are you talking about? How could our Qingmu not measure up?"

Seeing that Li Qinghe wasn’t giving up, Zhang Wei leaned in close and whispered, "Jincheng!"

As soon as these words came out, Li Qinghe’s expression froze in that instant.

The name "Jincheng" resonated within the legal circles of Dongfang Capital like the pealing of thunder.

Number one among the Top Ten Firms, the strongest law firm in Dongfang Capital. This was not just a large law firm; it was a top-notch law firm.

"Impossible, how could a graduate from a law school just jump straight into joining a Top Ten Firm? Don’t they all work their way up from lesser firms?"

"Even with a recommendation from the law school, you could only get into one of the lower-ranking Top Ten Firms. For the leading ones, your chances of success are non-existent!"

Li Qinghe, unable to hold back, questioned Zhang Wei as he was about to leave.

"That’s my concern. Anyway, if Zhang Wei is going to choose, he will choose the very best!"

With these words, he left only his silhouette for Li Qinghe.

"Jincheng..."

Lawyer Zhuo, standing nearby, also stood there stunned upon hearing Zhang Wei’s words.

"This guy really dares to say it, aiming to join Jincheng. Isn’t he afraid of being knocked back down?"

Thinking of Zhang Wei’s manner of refusal, Lawyer Zhuo felt irked, "So, he’s won a few cases. What’s there to be proud of? We offered such generous terms, and he doesn’t accept. He doesn’t know what’s good for him!"

"What do you know? Although Zhang is young, look at the cases he has won!"

Although Li Qinghe was annoyed, she had just spoken on the phone with Li Qingmu, who had told her about the cases Zhang Wei had handled before.

A fresh law school graduate who had beaten the Procuratorate Headquarters three times, defeated Fang Wenbin from Chengbei District Public Procuratorate’s Office, and two prosecutors from the Procuratorate Headquarters.

Is that something ordinary people can accomplish?

Li Qinghe felt that missing out on Zhang Wei today was a huge loss for her and Qingmu.

If only she hadn’t backstabbed Zhang Wei in the first place.

...

In Dongfang Capital, on the subway.

Watching the busy office workers in the subway car, Zhang Wei blended in as one of them, following the crowd back to Central Ring.

Although he had won the lawsuit, he had long ago achieved a state of unflappability.

A lawsuit? He had won over 2,000 of them before and didn’t care much for one more or one less.

He declined the invitations from Kong Hang and Wang Xi, choosing to return to Lin Mansion instead.

Today, he had refused Qingmu; even though the conditions offered were very generous, Zhang Wei still felt uncomfortable.

It wasn’t just because Li Qinghe had betrayed him, but also because of Li Qingmu.

Zhang Wei always believed work should be kept separate from family, else problems were likely to arise.

Moreover, handling affairs with relatives involved dealing with all sorts of interpersonal complexities, which he preferred to avoid.

"In the end, it all comes down to the trip to Jincheng after the New Year. I wonder if Professor Luo’s recommendation will carry enough weight!"

Zhang Wei thought to himself and laughed with self-mockery.

A letter of recommendation was merely a foot in the door; he knew that impressing Jincheng would still depend on his real abilities.

As for the post-New Year matters, he began to look forward to them, too.

He wondered what Jincheng Law Firm would really be like.

...

Zhang Wei returned to Lin Mansion and felt not the slightest joy at winning the lawsuit, instead he rested tranquilly and lived his days in calm simplicity.

On weekends, he would occasionally go to the neighboring Zhang’s Martial Arts School to practice martial arts, though it was more about being trained by Zhang Xinwu.

As the New Year approached, students like the bespectacled Huang Mao had returned to their hometowns one after another, leaving the martial arts school empty.

In the last few days before the New Year, aside from Lu Ma and Zhang Xinwu, only Zhang Wei occasionally came back to practice.

Zhang Wei had inquired about the situation of Zhang Xinwu’s brother, Zhang Xinyan.

But when Zhang Xinwu heard her brother’s name, she just frowned and did not go into detail.

Fortunately, Zhang Wei was able to glean a little information from Lu Ma.

Zhang Xinyan was a typical mischievous child. Having come to a big city like Dongfang Capital, he had long been dazzled by the outside world and had no interest in helping out at the martial arts school.

Lu Ma mentioned that the last time Zhang Xinyan returned, it was for some treasures and martial arts secrets collected by the old master of Zhang family.

The young man wanted to steal these treasures and auction them off in Dongfang Capital, hoping to make a fortune from them.

When Zhang Wei asked what Zhang Xinyan was doing in Dongfang Capital, Lu Ma brought up keywords like "crowd actor" and "live streaming."

"That kid, ah, he wants to be a big star, to earn millions or tens of millions, so he’s always doing some streaming wherever they’re shooting in the city, and he’s been an actor, too. In my view, it seems a bit unreliable."

Those were Lu Ma’s exact words and Zhang Wei understood upon hearing them.

Big stars indeed have high incomes, but they are one in tens of thousands, what’s needed is experience and accumulation.

Zhang Xinyan, this kid, seemed too restless to Zhang Wei, somewhat impractical.

Fortunately, Zhang Xinyan was not his brother, and he couldn’t be bothered to worry about it.

But he found that every family had its own difficult script to read.

Zhang Xinwu did not get along with Zhang Xinyan, Zhao Xiaoxiao did not get along with Zhao Qingyan.

Even when he went to Xia Qianyue’s house to meet her parents, his relationship with Li Qinghua was not good, either.

Just thinking about the one at his own home, and Xia Qianyue’s future mother-in-law, gave Zhang Wei a headache.

"No good, I need to get psychological counseling. Keeping so much bottled up inside can lead to stress and if held in too long, it might result in depression."

Coming to this conclusion, Zhang Wei suddenly perked up, took out his cell phone, and arranged a psychological counseling appointment with Jessica.

For his mental health, this counseling was necessary! It was not about seeing Jessica, it was simply to maintain a joyful mood!

Time slipped away unnoticed...

All across Dongfang Capital, as the year end drew near, different changes were taking place.

The once-busy streets were no longer congested.

The hectic rush hour, the public transportation no longer resembled sardine cans.

In the office buildings at the city center, each elevator no longer issued overload warnings, nor needed to stop at every floor.

The rhythm of life in this busy and bustling city was visibly slowing down.

This was a good thing, but also not so.

A city needs people to have vitality, but if the city develops too quickly, it cannot retain its population.

More than half of the people in Dongfang Capital, like migratory birds, leave the place as the year ends, leaving behind the bustling metropolis for their remote hometowns.

Though there are no crowded convenience stores, lively streets, or thriving commercial districts, there are kind family members and a warm home.

Yet these, Zhang Wei did not have...