Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 98 - 97: Joining Jincheng, Teammates and the Office

Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Joining Jincheng, Teammates and the Office

Jincheng Building, at the main entrance.

"Finally, it’s over!"

When Lin Yumeng stepped out of the building, she let out a sigh of relief to calm her nerves.

"How was it, were the interviewers okay?"

Standing aside, Zhang Wei smiled lightly, very interested in the young lady’s interview.

"It was alright, they didn’t ask any strange questions—just about work and thoughts, and I had all my answers drafted up in my mind beforehand!"

The young lady smiled sweetly, giving Zhang Wei a confident look that said, "I was prepared; there won’t be any problems."

"Then congratulations, we might become colleagues soon!"

Zhang Wei extended his right hand.

"Mhm!" Lin Yumeng reached out her hand as well.

The two happily shook hands under the watchful eyes of the other interviewees around them.

Seeing their excitement, it was clear they were the people who had passed the interview, and this made the others around them envious.

"By the way, they said they would get back to us within three days. I wonder how long we’ll have to wait?"

"Hehe, I bet the interviewer will reach out to us tonight. Don’t worry, we won’t have to wait too long."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Of course, because I figured it out a long time ago!"

Zhang Wei looked around, leaned in close to Lin Yumeng, and whispered, "Although he tried to hide it from us, I could tell that the criminal section is really short-staffed and urgently needs reinforcements!"

"Ow~"

Lin Yumeng was somewhat skeptical but still adorably nodded.

Although Zhang Wei’s words seemed reasonable, Lin Yumeng was unsure how one could deduce there was a shortage in the criminal section from an interview. She remained skeptical.

"Let’s go, go home and rest well. Maybe we’ll start working tomorrow."

With that, Zhang Wei waved and left.

Lin Yumeng glanced back at the highest floor of Jincheng Building, seemingly pondering something, but she soon left as well.

That evening.

Jincheng Law Firm.

Litigation Department, Criminal Section Office.

Tie Ruyun looked at the four resumes in front of him. These belonged to the candidates he interviewed that day who were more or less qualified.

Although just four, Tie Ruyun still approached the decision seriously.

He picked up the first resume and began analyzing.

"This fellow named Jin Mingming has been somewhat opportunistic. He studied civil law but is trying to join my criminal section. I can roughly guess what he’s scheming."

Tie Ruyun felt a measure of disdain for the young man.

It was hard to say how this man’s interview performance would fare. If he were interviewing for another group in the litigation department, it would be uncertain if he would even pass.

So this man chose the criminal section, probably because he heard some news about it and therefore targeted it for his interview.

There have been previous instances where lawyers used his criminal section as a stepping stone, to later transfer to other groups.

Compared to an external hire, once you’re inside, it’s certainly easier to transfer groups. This is the kind of calculation these people make.

Setting down Jin Mingming’s resume, he took up the second one, Lin Yumeng’s.

"A student from Jinnan University, she’s from a prestigious school, and her mentor is the famous Professor Mo Mingchuan. One would expect a gifted student, but why does this girl seem so naive?"

As he looked at the resume, Tie Ruyun recalled the interview scene with the big-eyed, adorable girl.

She was fine when answering questions, but after each answer, she would sneak peeks at him to gauge his reaction.

Such obvious behavior, he couldn’t help but notice.

That’s a sign of a lack of confidence.

However, for a newcomer, the fact that Lin Yumeng could fluently answer the questions was already not bad.

"Next is the third one, this girl named Li Yueqin, a graduate of Longdu University, also a top student!"

Seeing the third resume, Tie Ruyun perked up as well.

This girl was quite capable, having studied criminal law, and was precisely what the criminal section currently needed most.

During the interview, she demonstrated enough professional knowledge that even he couldn’t fault her.

Moreover, Li Yueqin’s background was not bad either, with a letter of recommendation from a judge at Dongfang Capital City Court, who was also her father.

Tie Ruyun had to respect the face of a city court judge.

After placing Li Yueqin’s resume aside, Tie Ruyun opened the last one.

"And finally, this guy... this Zhang Wei..."

Upon seeing the name, his facial muscles twitched, and a bitter taste filled his mouth.

If Jin Mingming had his little schemes, Lin Yumeng was the clueless newbie, and Li Yueqin performed well and was a refreshing presence among the interviewees, then the last one, Zhang Wei, was a downright headache-inducing mudslide!

Just thinking about the test of wits he had had with Zhang Wei during the interview, with himself getting the short end of the stick, almost made Tie Ruyun want to toss the resume into the trash can.

In fact, several interviewing lawyers in the next office had already started throwing some resumes into the trash can.

They’d received hundreds of resumes and were now rushing to do a second round of screening.

As for Tie Ruyun, he didn’t have to work that hard, after all, he only had four resumes to look at, and it wasn’t his turn to pick people.

"This Zhang Wei, he’s unconventional in his approach, and from talking to me, his courtroom capabilities should be very strong, especially since Luo Feixiang recommended him, let’s... keep him!"

In the end, Tie Ruyun weighed the pros and cons and chose to keep Zhang Wei.

He took out a notebook, wrote down the names of the four individuals, and then wrote the interview scores next to each name.

Jin Mingming: Pass.

Lin Yumeng: Good.

Li Yueqin: Excellent.

Zhang Wei: Situation unclear?

Three people, three evaluations.

Only Zhang Wei’s evaluation and conclusion were inconsistent with the previous three.

"Alright then, I hope you are as I expect, a newcomer who’s not just all talk!"

Tie Ruyun didn’t waste too much time, and immediately picked up the first resume to start dialing the number.

...

That evening.

Along the banks of Dongjiang, in a luxurious duplex apartment with a stunning river view.

Lin Yumeng had just finished showering and was blow-drying her damp hair when suddenly her phone rang.

"Ah, it really is the interviewer!"

The moment the call connected, she exclaimed in surprise.

Then she heard Tie Ruyun’s instructions on the other end, roughly saying to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow on the first floor of the Jincheng Building and so on.

Lin Yumeng naturally responded to each point, then hung up the phone.

"Zhang Wei was right, he’s so impressive."

Unconsciously, Zhang Wei’s image suddenly grew in Lin Yumeng’s mind.

At the main door, the sound of a key turning in the lock could be heard.

"Daughter, we’ve just come back from playing mahjong!"

The landlady appeared.

Upon entering, she saw Lin Yumeng.

"Come on, tell me, how was it at the law firm today?"

As a mother, the landlady naturally showed concern, taking Lin Yumeng’s hand and eagerly asking.

"Mom, I’ve successfully passed the interview, and I start work tomorrow!"

"Really, that’s great! Was it your brother who interviewed you?"

The landlady was very happy upon hearing this, grasping her daughter’s hand and smiling, "My little girl has grown up, Mom no longer has to worry about anything."

Lin Yumeng naturally nodded, but thought to herself.

Although I didn’t go to my brother, I passed the interview on my own, and in the future, I must grow into a great lawyer by myself.

At the same time, at Lin Mansion.

Zhang Wei also received a call from Tie Ruyun.

"Understood, Group Leader, I won’t be late tomorrow!"

"Hm, you’re asking how I knew you are the group leader?"

"Do I even need to guess? We both know the size of the criminal division; you told me all about it during the interview, didn’t you?"

"See you tomorrow, goodbye!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wei looked at his mobile and chuckled to himself.

On the other end, Tie Ruyun looked astonished.

He wondered whether Zhang Wei was deceiving him or had really figured out something.

Of course, Zhang Wei had seen through it; he’d learned this during today’s interview.

Jincheng might be powerful, but that didn’t mean all Jincheng lawyers were impressive, at least not the scale of the criminal division.

He was prepared to do the grunt work at Jincheng the next day, thinking the worst scenario would just be that.

"Tomorrow then, do I start from the law firm again, climbing up step by step?"

He stared blankly out the window at the night sky.

Unfortunately, the night in Dongfang Capital was too bright with neon lights, hardly a star in sight.

...

The next day, bright and early.

Knock, knock, knock!

"What is it~"

On the second floor, Zhao Xiaoxiao complained incessantly.

"I’ve only had a few days of comfort, can’t this miss get a good sleep-in, why is it starting again today?"

"Second daughter, I’ve made you porridge, come down and eat it yourself. Also, I want to tell you that starting from today, I’ll be going to the law firm to work, so I won’t be coming back for lunch, can you handle your lunch by yourself?"

"Go on, go on, this miss won’t starve to death!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao hurriedly urged, almost expressing the sentiment "Get out of here quickly for this miss!"

"Alright!"

Zhang Wei nodded, this was exactly the sort of enthusiasm he wanted to have all day.

He took the subway and experienced the rush hour for the first time after the Chinese New Year.

When he arrived at the Jincheng Building, he felt his vision swaying a bit.

"This is too crowded, I felt like the subway was about to flip over in each carriage just now, it’s terrifying!"

The rush hour had left a psychological shadow on Zhang Wei, taking the subway with a crowd of desperate people was only describable as terrifying.

Fortunately, he safely arrived at the Jincheng Building.

Looking at the skyscraper standing in the city center, which was much more understated than the surrounding buildings, he briskly walked in.

In the lobby on the first floor, Zhang Wei saw Tie Ruyun and a somewhat short and plump woman next to him.

"Zhang Wei, over here!"

Tie Ruyun hurriedly waved his hand.

"Group Leader, what should I call you?"

"My surname is Tie, call me Tie Ruyun!"

Zhang Wei quickly extended his right hand, and Tie Ruyun subconsciously reached out his too, and they shook hands firmly.

"Oh, Group Leader Tie!"

Zhang Wei nodded in understanding, but inside he felt a bit odd; this name sounded like a hero from a martial arts novel.

"Who is this?"

"This is my cousin, Tie Cuilan, the assistant from our criminal division; from now on, she will be helping you guys with clocking in and submitting it."

Tie Ruyun introduced the woman to Zhang Wei; surprisingly, she was his cousin.

"Hello Sister Cuilan, my name is Zhang Wei, I’m a new member of the criminal division."

"Hello, hello!"

Tie Cuilan greeted him with a beaming smile and handed over a white magnetic card to Zhang Wei, along with a green plastic card holder.

"Access card?" As Zhang Wei took the card, he wasn’t surprised.

"Yes, I’ll explain to you all later once everyone’s here!"

Tie Ruyun didn’t say much else, instead he continued to look around the entrance.

Zhang Wei was the first to arrive, which pleased him.

If Zhang Wei had a bad attitude or was late on his first day, or if he didn’t comply with his management, then he would have a headache.

Soon, the second new member of the criminal group also arrived.

"Li Yueqin, this way!" Following Tie Ruyun’s wave, Zhang Wei quickly looked over.

Li Yueqin was a rather aloof-looking girl; although her features weren’t stunning, she was quite appealing.

She wore a ponytail with a side-swept fringe, black high heels which made her look tall, and she carried a delicate-looking bulging purse, which must have contained quite a lot.

"Neat and efficient hairstyle, steady walking gait, sharp eyes, her glances at us are mostly scrutinizing; this is a rookie lawyer with a bit of capability. The only flaw would be that her gaze is too overt, too revealing, not knowing how to conceal her brilliance..."

Zhang Wei observed Li Yueqin and formed an internal evaluation.

Given 5-10 years, Li Yueqin would certainly grow into a well-known lawyer.

The future looked promising!

Li Yueqin approached Tie Ruyun and just nodded slightly; she glanced at Zhang Wei before swiftly shifting her gaze.

"Okay then, this woman seems a bit too proud, as if I’m not qualified enough for her to get to know..."

Seeing her action, Zhang Wei downgraded his opinion of Li Yueqin by a notch.

To put it nicely, that’s called pride.

To put it harshly, that’s called arrogance, conceit, looking down on everyone except oneself.

If she couldn’t change this attitude, it might affect her future achievements.

"Jin Mingming, over here!"

The third teammate arrived, a guy who was fairly fair-skinned.

But his eyes occasionally glanced around, similarly sizing up Zhang Wei and the others.

"Strange, he looks at Old Tie without much respect, huh?"

Zhang Wei found this guy peculiar.

Tie Ruyun was supposed to be the future leader of their group, but this guy didn’t seem to show much respect towards him.

When Jin Mingming joined the group, he seemed more interested in looking around than in his future "teammates."

His reaction left Zhang Wei puzzled.

But Tie Ruyun noticed, and he was well aware of Jin Mingming’s intentions, choosing not to spell them out.

"Oh no, I’m gonna be late~"

At last, with a loud shout at the door, Lin Yumeng rushed over, jogging her way through.

The big-eyed cutie’s bouncing chest, due to her running, became a spectacular sight amidst the morning rush in the Jincheng Building.

Zhang Wei watched Lin Yumeng in a daze, wondering if the cute girl was really lacking in intelligence.

It was their first day at work; they hadn’t even registered for attendance. How could they possibly be late?

"Lin Yumeng, stop running, be careful not to fall. You guys aren’t punching the clock today!"

Tie Ruyun hurriedly called out to stop the cutie in her tracks.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was my first time taking the subway today, and I got a bit lost..."

Lin Yumeng showed a face full of apologies and repeatedly bowed to Tie Ruyun in acknowledgment of her mistake.

"Alright, it’s fine as long as you made it!"

Tie Ruyun quickly waved his hand and had Tie Cuilan distribute the access cards and holders.

"These are your access cards to enter the Jincheng Building. You can go anywhere except some special floors; everywhere else should be accessible!"

"However, I advise you not to go beyond the 25th to 30th floors because those are Jincheng Group’s floors. If you are caught there, it will affect your internship evaluation!"

Zhang Wei and the others nodded, making a mental note of this information.

"I’ll show you around the building first!"

Tie Ruyun said as he led the group towards the elevator.

After entering the elevator, he pressed the button for the basement level one.

"First, we’ll go to the employee dining room on basement level one. If you don’t cook your meals, you can eat here. It’s affordable at 10 yuan a meal, with two meat dishes, three vegetarian ones, and free rice and soup. The taste may not be exceptional, but don’t set your expectations too high."

Truth be told, the employee dining room in the basement was not much different from those in universities, fundamentally a benefit for the employees.

After all, in the center of Dongfang Capital City, even a simple takeaway order starts at 30 yuan, so it’s better to eat here for a good deal.

"Below basement level two is the underground parking garage. Since you all are interns, even if you have a car, you can’t park here. When you become regular employees, I can help you apply for a parking spot!"

Tie Ruyun briefly mentioned the floors below and soon pressed the elevator button for the 25th floor.

Ding-dong~

The elevator doors opened, and a wave of luxury hit them.

The 25th floor housed Jincheng Law Firm’s reception hall, a vast and transparent space.

To the left were verdant green walls, followed by the reception desk.

Two well-poised receptionists with exquisite makeup smiled at each visitor, and although their smiles might seem a bit stiff, they were still welcoming.

The golden ceiling and white lights made the place look spectacular.

As Zhang Wei and his group exited the elevator, they saw the area by the windows to their right was designed as a lounge, with many sofas in a household style, where many lawyers were conversing with clients.

Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows lay the skyscraper-filled view of Dongfang Capital City Center.

From the 25th floor of Jincheng Building, one could enjoy a pretty good view.

"Not a bad office environment!"

"What do you mean ’not bad’? It’s absolutely beautiful. I’m definitely going to work here one day!"

Zhang Wei gave his opinion but was interrupted by Jin Mingming.

The latter looked around, especially at the lawyers coming and going, with a yearning expression, as if fantasizing about such a future.

"Follow me, the litigation department’s office area is on the 26th floor above!"

Tie Ruyun allowed everyone a few glances before heading with Tie Cuilan towards the public staircase adjacent to the reception hall.

The entire 25th floor was a reception area; Zhang Wei estimated it could host hundreds of visitors at once, befitting of Jincheng Group.

Then they went up to the 26th floor.

The style on the 26th floor was comparatively simpler; the floor was divided into several office areas, each marked with a sign.

Civil Litigation Division, Commercial Litigation Division, Family Division, management offices, and so on.

After turning a couple of corners within, Zhang Wei and the others finally arrived at an office area situated at the far end.

This area seemed to be around 40 square meters, with a large office desk to one side, which clearly belonged to the group leader.

In front of the group leader’s position were desks that faced one another, closely adjacent, a total of six spots.

"Please, take a seat wherever you like; these will be your spots from now on!"

Tie Ruyun pointed to the six spots, inviting Zhang Wei and the others to sit down.

"I can’t help feeling that the office of our criminal division seems a bit shabby!"

Zhang Wei looked at the spartan office area, which was completely different from the exterior decor, feeling as if he had arrived at the Office of Minor Crimes at the Procuratorate Headquarters.

The only difference might lay in the absence of screens blocking the view so that colleagues could see each other from across the desks, creating a livelier atmosphere.

He could clearly see that the criminal division was not well-regarded within the litigation department, relegated to the most remote corner of the floor and equipped with the most worn furniture—many of which were missing feet or even cracked.

The start seemed somewhat disadvantageous!