Are You Crazy? He's only an Intern Lawyer?-Chapter 35 - Prosecution’s Move, Zhang Wei’s Trump Card

Say, are you here today to watch that new lawyer face off against the Procuratorate Headquarters?”

“Yeah, how could I not come to see?

That newbie is said to be really impressive, even managing to suppress Prosecutor Xiao Baihe!”

“I heard that Prosecutor Xiao Baihe is the secondary prosecutor, though, and the lead prosecutor seems to be a newbie too?”

“So what if it’s a newbie?

Doesn’t it still represent the Procuratorate Headquarters?”

“That’s true…”

It turned out all the attendees were colleagues in the same line of work—each one a lawyer.

Clearly, they were there for the spectacle, having heard about his own clash with the prosecutors from the Procuratorate Headquarters, they all wanted to see for themselves.

Bang!

At that moment, the door to the courtroom was flung open with great force, and everyone inside looked toward the doorway.

Leading the pack was Guo Wufeng, the Minor Crimes Department Director, followed by all the prosecutors from his department.

The crowd automatically made way for Guo Wufeng and his colleagues to pass through.

The lawyers along the way didn’t dare to look directly at Guo Wufeng, as the authority of the Procuratorate Headquarters was still significant, and not something these lesser lawyers could challenge.

Guo Wufeng entered the venue and chose a spot towards the front.

His subordinates naturally lined up on either side, all taking their seats.

“Hmph!”

Guo Wufeng saw Zhang Wei and snorted coldly.

“Trying to intimidate me?” Zhang Wei just smiled slightly, not minding the other’s cold demeanor at all.

After a short while, Zhang Hui also arrived.

However, as she entered the courtroom, she immediately felt an atmosphere that was completely different from the day before.

When she saw that everyone from the minor crimes division of the Procuratorate Headquarters had shown up, she felt even weaker in the knees from Guo Wufeng’s stern gaze.

Zhang Hui finally made her way to the defense’s seats, trembling.

“Junior, junior brother, why are all the people from the minor crimes division here?” At that moment, Zhang Hui’s voice seemed to tremble.

“Calm down, what does it matter if they are here?” Zhang Wei replied indifferently, speaking at a normal pace.

To Zhang Hui, Zhang Wei’s composure seemed truly exaggerated.

Those were people from the Procuratorate Headquarters.

So many of them had shown up, and you’re not scared at all?

Zhang Wei was not afraid at all, vividly remembering in his past life when he had gone abroad to defend a mob boss in court where the enemies even brought weapons to the courtroom, turning the trial scene into a melee, and he, Zhang Wei, was not afraid then either.

Luckily, the public order in Dragon Country was excellent, and such exaggerated incidents would not occur.

If real weapons didn’t scare him, then a bunch of nobodies’ glaring certainly couldn’t hurt him either.

Soon, more and more people filled the courtroom, and the spectator seats became lively.

However, because of Guo Wufeng and his entourage’s dominance, there was a large “no-go zone” in the spectator seats, silent in their proximity.

Before long, Prosecutor Tan Yingying entered the courtroom accompanied by Xiao Baihe.

Guo Wufeng and Xiao Baihe acknowledged each other with a nod that served as a greeting, then Guo Wufeng fiercely glared at Tan Yingying, frightening her so much that she didn’t dare to raise her head the entire way.

The trial started punctually.

“All rise, Judge Wang entering the courtroom!”

As the judge entered, the entire venue fell silent.

Judge Wang stepped onto the bench and scanned the room with his gaze.

“Isn’t that Guo Wufeng?

You’re here too?”

When he saw Guo Wufeng in the spectator seats, he looked surprised.

Afterward, he sighed, “Oh well, don’t put too much pressure on the newbies.

You folks from the Procuratorate Headquarters need to be mindful of that.”

Guo Wufeng did not respond, clearly disagreeing with Judge Wang’s words.

“Let the trial begin!”

After Judge Wang struck the gavel, he looked towards the defense bench, “Now it’s your turn, defense, to call your witness!”

Zhang Wei stood up, “We call the defendant’s wife, Chen Lan, to testify!”

This witness was unsurprising to anyone; everyone had anticipated Chen Lan would testify in court.

The defendant, sitting beside Zhang Wei, watched his wife stand from the spectators’ section and slowly nodded.

She nodded back and then took her seat in the witness stand.

Zhang Wei began his questioning.

“Mrs.

Chen Lan, please tell everyone your identity and your relationship with the defendant.”

“I am the defendant’s wife, we got married last spring.”

“Ah, newlyweds.” Zhang Wei nodded, then asked, “So then, do you remember what happened last Thursday night?”

“Of course, I could never forget it!” Chen Lan said as she nodded and began to recount the incident: “It was around 8 o’clock at night, my husband and I were shopping in the Dongfang Capital City Center…”

Chen Lan began to narrate the course of the incident, describing it from the viewpoints of a participant and a bystander, covering several aspects of what had happened.

In the incident, she and Lin Xiao were simply a couple out shopping, having happily come to the city center.

However, while strolling down Jinnan Road, they encountered four drunks.

The initial altercation was just a minor collision with Wei Hong, but even so, tension arose between the two parties, which escalated from an argument to a physical conflict.

Lin Xiao, trying to protect her, was slapped by Wei Hong, and, unable to contain his anger, pushed Wei Hong, who was extremely drunk and could barely walk straight.

Wei Hong stumbled and fell.

Afterwards, Chen Lan screamed for help, and the Martial Association’s field agents finally arrived.

But when they did, they didn’t respond to Chen Lan’s calls; instead, they reported back to headquarters, and all five men, including Lin Xiao, were taken into custody.

What followed was the bail hearing.

Chen Lan’s narrative was complete.

There were no dramatic twists; she simply recounted the facts—but that was enough.

“So you’re saying, my client pushed Wei Hong in order to protect you?”

“He was very drunk, extremely drunk.

I was really scared at the time,” Chen Lan expressed, with a trace of fear on her face.

“I can imagine, four strong men completely inebriated, barely able to comprehend anything.

Who knows what they could have done!”

“Objection!” Tan Yingying stood up and argued, “Defense counsel is leading the witness to speculate!”

“Sorry, I withdraw the question,” Zhang Wei said apologetically, reacting even before Judge Wang could remind him.

But both Tan Yingying and Prosecutor Xiao Baihe knew that Zhang Wei had posed the question deliberately.

“Then, one last question.

The deceased, Wei Hong, was he pushed to the ground by your husband, or did he fall on his own, did you see?”

Chen Lan pondered for a moment, then shook her head, “I didn’t see it, but I think it’s more likely he fell on his own.

He couldn’t even stand properly at that time; if it weren’t for the group of four, he probably couldn’t even have walked out of Jinnan Road.”

“Objection, leading the witness to speculate!”

“Sorry, Your Honor, I got carried away,” Zhang Wei immediately apologized, seeing the judge’s displeased face.

“Objection sustained.

Jury, please disregard the witness’s last statement!”

“One last question, Mrs.

Chen Lan, did you drink that day?”

“That day we had dinner at a restaurant in the city center, the beverage was fruit tea.

Neither my husband nor I had any alcohol!”

“Oh, so neither of you had been drinking, it looks like the deceased’s companions are framing you.

They really are bad!”

Saying this, Zhang Wei looked at the jurors with a smile.

“Objection!”

“My apologies, Your Honor, I have no further questions,” Zhang Wei said.

Tan Yingying objected, but Zhang Wei had already preemptively ended his questioning and returned to the defense bench.

The jurors’ expressions varied, but all of them were pondering the testimony, a scene that greatly increased the pressure on the prosecutors.

“Ying Ying, take this, and show your full capability!”

Prosecutor Xiao Baihe handed a document to Tan Yingying, then encouraged her with a phrase.

“Mhm, I’ll do my best, Sister Baihe!”

Tan Yingying ran to the witness stand.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei observed the document in Tan Yingying’s hand.

“Junior brother, how do you feel, I think we’ve got this in the bag!” Zhang Hui glanced behind her before whispering cautiously.

“Senior sister, what are you talking about?

In a trial, victory or defeat remains uncertain until the very end.

I’d advise you not to be overconfident,” Zhang Wei did not let confidence get the better of him.

Giving it one’s all in hunting a rabbit, no matter how weak the opponent, he would not be arrogant and conceited—this was his experience with trials.

Zhang Hui clearly had not yet been hardened by the challenges of society!

“If nothing major happens, this should be secure, but what I’m concerned about is Prosecutor Xiao Baihe; she seems prepared today.

I wonder what kind of attack this ace prosecutor will launch!”

As Zhang Wei thought this, he also turned to look at a certain “simple-minded” person in the spectators’ stand.

The latter happened to look back, their eyes meeting.

The simple-minded person smiled, and Zhang Wei smiled back.

“I hope we won’t have to use that trick.

Otherwise, it would be too unfriendly to this new prosecutor…”

In the court, cross-examination began.

As the prosecutor, Tan Yingying naturally had to question Chen Lan.

She comforted herself with a thought and then took a deep breath before she began, “Mrs.

Chen Lan, your statement was quite eloquent, but I doubt the words you have said.”

“What do you mean?” Chen Lan asked, slightly furrowing her brows, puzzled.

“It’s simple, you are Lin Xiao’s wife.

How can I be sure that you are not lying to help your husband get away with the crime?”

“I am not lying; everything I said is the truth!”

“Nobody can guarantee that, because none of us were present at the scene!”

Tan Yingying spoke and then opened the file she was holding, pulling out a document.

“Mrs.

Chen Lan, while your husband, Lin Xiao, was kept in detention, did you go to visit him?”

“Yes, I did visit him once.”

“Then you must remember that the day after your husband was detained, because the Martial Association thought he had a violent temper, the two of you were separated and could only contact each other through the internal phone system.”

“Yes, I remember that.”

“Are you aware that there is a written record of this meeting?”

Tan Yingying said and lifted the file in her hand.

Clearly, this was the written record.

“Objection!” Zhang Wei immediately stood up and contested in court, “Your Honor, this record is not on the list of evidence, and our side has not even seen this record before.

This clearly violates the principle of evidence disclosure and cannot be admitted as evidence!”

Startled by Zhang Wei’s rebuttal, but still gathering her courage to retort, Tan Yingying said, “Your Honor, this document can prove the witness’s credibility.

Please approve it.”

The judge considered for a moment and eventually nodded, “Objection overruled, the record can be admitted as evidence.”

Zhang Wei reluctantly sat down, aware in his heart that things would not end well today.

“Mrs.

Chen Lan, could you please do me a favor and read this out loud?”

The document was handed to Chen Lan, and her complexion changed slightly.

But in the end, she read aloud,

“Honey, I will find a lawyer to get you out.

Be careful in there; I will explain things to my parents…”

“If possible, I will definitely find a way to save you…”

“Otherwise, we tell the Martial Association that it wasn’t you who pushed that person to his condition…”

“Stop!” Tan Yingying suddenly interrupted Chen Lan’s reading.

“Right here, in the call record with the defendant, Lin Xiao, you clearly indicate your intention to give false testimony!”

Tan Yingying’s demeanor changed from her previous timidity, speaking firmly, “Since you planned to give false testimony, what reason do we have to believe anything you’ve said in court today?”

“Objection, the prosecutor is testifying on her own.

My witness did not intend to give false testimony, yet the lawyer is confidently speculating on the witness’s words and actions!”

“Objection sustained!” Judge Wang stated, then looked towards the juror’s box, “Please disregard the prosecutor’s last remarks, jury!”

Although the judge said this, Zhang Wei knew that the jury might not ignore those words.

“Your Honor, I have no more questions,” Tan Yingying hurried back to the prosecutor’s bench, her legs nearly giving out, almost collapsing into her seat.

Her performance drained days’ worth of courage, and the daunting task of questioning in front of the judge scared the novice prosecutor.

However, the result was good.

The jury was already contemplating her words.

“Ying Ying, you did well.

The jury is starting to doubt!” Xiao Baihe quickly offered words of encouragement.

Her eyes turned confidently to Zhang Wei, “Next, this guy can only have the defendant testify himself, but we’ve already pulled all the defendant’s records.

If she takes the stand, show that person what cruelty means!”

The defense’s only remaining witness was the defendant themselves, testifying on their own behalf.

This could be said to be a real checkmate!

As long as Zhang Wei took the bait, falling into the trap that Xiao Baihe had prepared, this trial would be a complete victory for the Procuratorate Headquarters!

But would Zhang Wei take the bait?

“Your Honor, we would like to call the next witness to testify!”

“Alright, the defendant shall prepare,” the judge permitted.

“Your Honor, the witness we wish to call is not the defendant,” Zhang Wei clarified.

Judge Wang: “Hmm?”

Not only the judge was taken aback, but many in the hearing room were as well.

They all thought Zhang Wei had no choice but to summon the defendant, who would certainly fall into the Procuratorate Headquarters’ trap during cross-examination.

But it seemed Zhang Wei wasn’t following the script at all?

Tan Yingying, Guo Wufeng, Xiao Baihe, and even the other lawyers in the auditorium, all turned their gazes towards Zhang Wei.

“The witness we wish to call is not the defendant, but a new witness!”

“Ying Ying!” Xiao Baihe quickly elbowed the person next to her.

“Object!” Tan Yingying immediately stood up and once again insisted firmly, “Your Honor, the defense did not list this witness on the roster…”

“Your Honor, the witness is here in the courtroom, and I can assure you, she is very willing to take the stand.”

In the courtroom?

The judge was also confused; who exactly are you talking about?

“Both of you, come up here.”

Tan Yingying and Zhang Wei moved forward, approaching the bench.

“Lawyer Zhang, are you sure the witness is in the courtroom and willing to be questioned?”

“Of course.

I am one hundred percent certain, and the witness’s testimony is crucial!”

Seeing Zhang Wei’s confident demeanor, Tan Yingying felt an inexplicable panic in her heart.

“But, Your Honor, is this allowed…?”

“Since the person is already here, let’s have the witness come up.”

Tan Yingying wanted to object, but the judge had made up his mind.

“Prosecutor Tan, don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Zhang Wei smiled at Tan Yingying, who was oblivious to the certain meaning hidden in his smile.

The two returned to their seats, and the judge announced at the right moment, “The defense’s next witness, please prepare to take the stand!”

“Yes, Your Honor!” Zhang Wei straightened his clothes, looked towards the prosecution’s bench with a smile, and said:

“The witness the defense wishes to subpoena is… Procuratorate Headquarters Minor Crimes Department Prosecutor Tan Yingying.

I would like to ask her to testify in court!”

Hearing gallery: ???

Jury box: !!!

Prosecution bench: ?!?

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The courtroom was in an uproar; everyone was stunned after hearing this statement!

“What!”

“Tan Yingying?”

“What kind of move is this?”

“Asking a prosecutor to testify in court!”

“This kid, how dare he?”

The lawyers in the hearing gallery and the Minor Crimes Department prosecutors were all shocked by Zhang Wei’s audacious move.

Subpoenaing a prosecutor to testify, and as a prosecutor for the opposition at that, it was absolutely unprecedented in their decades of career.

Yet this kid, he actually did it!

“Impossible.

Yingying won’t testify in court; she isn’t even related to the case!”

Xiao Baihe immediately stood up, opposing the proposal.

Zhang Wei, however, smiled and said: “There is no rule in trial law that a prosecutor cannot be summoned as a witness.

Since there is no law against it, calling Prosecutor Tan Yingying as a witness presents no problem!”

“Another thing, Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, aren’t you a bit too agitated?

You forgot that you are just an observer, the spokesperson for your side is Chief Prosecutor Tan Yingying.

Why are you jumping out first?”

“You…” Xiao Baihe, infuriated by Zhang Wei’s words, found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

Zhang Wei, however, ignored her and turned to the person next to her.

“Prosecutor Tan Yingying, don’t just stand there in a daze.

Go take your place at the witness stand; everyone is waiting for you!”

Tan Yingying didn’t know how to object and could only stand up from her seat in a daze, walk to the witness stand in a daze, and finally sit down in a daze.

She didn’t even understand why she had to come up or what precisely she was supposed to be questioned about.

“Prosecutor Tan Yingying, don’t be nervous.

I won’t do anything to you.

I just need you to ‘simply and plainly’ answer a few questions, and it will be over quickly.”

Zhang Wei revealed a genial smile, but in Tan Yingying’s eyes, it was somewhat intimidating.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei, once he confirmed Tan Yingying had taken the stand, gave a knowing look to Xia Qianyue in the hearing gallery.

She immediately understood, picked up a piece of cardboard from the floor, and stepped forward.

Clearly, that piece of cardboard was crucial.

Zhang Wei took the cardboard and approached the stand.

“Prosecutor Tan Yingying, can you tell me what exactly is recorded on this cardboard?”

When Tan Yingying saw the contents of the cardboard, her expression showed a trace of astonishment.

How did they get their hands on this thing?

That was the only question in her mind at that moment.