Chapter 13 Closing Argument, Trial Concludes

(Starting today, there will be two updates. Author Germ will try to keep this up until the end of the month. If readers have any votes, please throw in a few more. Thank you all. As for the update times, the first update will always be at 9:00, the old time, and the second update is tentatively set for 14:00. That's all from Author Germ!)

...

"Jia Meili, do you really intend to keep playing dumb?"

"I, I don't know what you're talking about…"

Watching Zhang Wei close in step by step, Jia Meili panicked, her tone becoming increasingly feeble in her responses.

But just then, the anger on Zhang Wei's face rapidly dissipated, and he smiled.

"Alright then, I'll change the question."

Zhang Wei didn't intend to press further; instead, he took another document from Luo Xiaobu's hands again.

He held the document and walked back in front of Jia Meili, interrogating her word by word, "So, witness, have you ever been to the Four Seasons Hotel on Xiuyelou?"

This question made Jia Meili even more panicked, feeling the piercing stares from all around as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

"Classmate Jia Meili, this isn't a difficult question to answer. If you've been there, you've been there, if you haven't, you haven't…"

"I…" Jia Meili opened her mouth but couldn't continue.

"Eh, can't answer it now?"

Zhang Wei raised the document in his hand and shouted to the surrounding crowd, "This is a testimonial from the front desk waiter of the Four Seasons Hotel. This testimony can prove that from the first year of school, Miss Jia Meili went to the Four Seasons Hotel 2 to 3 times a month, and each time with different men by her side."

"Together with the identification from Feng Li and the pharmacist's testimonial, I have reason to suspect that Jia Meili is engaged in some kind of shady transactions. As for what they specifically are, please don't keep asking me, it's difficult to say without being '404-ed'!"

With that said, everyone understood: Jia Meili was indeed shameless, pretending innocence while committing indecency.

You can't touch her as your girlfriend, but others can if they pay.

Truly shameless!

"No—"

"None of this is true, Zhang Wei is slandering me, what he says is all lies!"

Seeing her biggest secret exposed, Jia Meili finally broke down, hysterically shouting at Zhang Wei.

In the defendant's seat, Zhang Hui lowered her head.

She knew she had lost, lost to that cousin of hers on the stage.

"What, you say I'm slandering?"

Zhang Wei's eyes turned cold as he countered, "Then I ask you, why did you choose to engage in a sideline job? You could have studied hard, aimed to get good grades, and after graduating, joined a major law firm to become an outstanding lawyer. Isn't that a thousand times, ten thousand times better than the path you're on now?"

"Why do you degrade yourself so? How can your actions live up to East University, to our Law School? You are only bringing further shame to our Law School!"

"Who would have thought that among my peers, there would emerge someone as shameless as you? To think that I, Zhang Wei, was once obsessed with you – it's utterly preposterous. I'd rather die on the spot!"

Zhang Wei pressed on relentlessly, his words turning into sharp blades that pierced through the last line of defense in Jia Meili's heart.

Under such pressure, she finally collapsed!

"What do you know, I need money, I need money for bags, for jewelry, for luxury cosmetics!"

"Is it wrong for me to earn money with my body? Do you know how tough it was before I got together with Yuan Dong? What's wrong with using my own talents to make money? Tell me, tell me!"

Jia Meili dropped the act completely, openly confronting Zhang Wei with a roar.

And Zhang Wei wasn't the type to indulge her.

He shot back, "Yes, you're not wrong, whatever sideline job you do in secret is not wrong, nor is it wrong to debase yourself – that is your own choice, and it has nothing to do with me!"

"But your mistake lies in not treating me as a human being, taking my devotion to you for granted, treating me as a tool at your disposal. Just because I am an honest person, you think you can treat me like a dog?"

"I am a human, my name is Zhang Wei, and I'm also a person with dignity, not a dog! Yet you've never looked at me properly, and it's your disdain, your arrogance, that led to today's situation. You were not born more noble than others. My actions today are to reclaim the dignity I deserve, the dignity owed to me!"

"And you should never have, especially not in a sacred and serious place like a courtroom, flaunted your superficial wisdom. Every sentence you spoke, every lie you told, made me and everyone else despise you even more!"

Zhang Wei paused for a moment here, took a deep breath, and finally berated her with fury, "Jia Meili, you've treated all of us like fools. You are not worthy of being a student of the Law School; you are not even worthy to stand here, in this sacred courtroom!"

"You, do, not—"

The last three words were practically roared out.

His voice resonated like thunder, echoing through the auditorium!

For a moment, there was dead silence, a pin drop could be heard.

All eyes were on Zhang Wei, who had just vented his fury, and on Jia Meili, who had collapsed and could no longer speak.

At that moment, they all knew something.

Zhang Wei was truly a stand-up guy, publicly denouncing Jia Meili, that scourge of a woman – he did men everywhere proud!

...

Due to Jia Meili's breakdown, the cross-examination ended early.

Jia Meili was the defense's last witness. Once the questioning was over, the trial entered its final phase.

Both defense attorneys presented their closing arguments.

Zhang Hui had lost the confidence she had at the beginning, and even her closing argument was rushed.

Her morale had been crushed, and from the inside out, she emanated a lack of confidence, evidently not having recovered from her defeat.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei was reciting his own closing statement.

"Through the court's investigation and debate, the facts of the case have become largely clear. The various pieces of evidence submitted by the prosecution show that the core issue of this case hinges on whether Miss Jia Meili lied. As for the outcome, I'm sure you all have seen it for yourselves…"

"I am also grateful that I could see through a woman's nature in advance through this mock trial and thank East University Law School for giving me this opportunity to show the true side of myself that I am meant to live. I am a lawyer, and I use the law to uphold my legal rights, which is what I am doing now. In the future, I will wield the weapon of the law even more, to strike fear into the bad and make the wicked wary, and to uphold justice for the good..."

"Lastly, I want to say to my former self: Zhang Wei, you were a fool, choosing the most irrational approach when faced with such difficulties. If I could go back, I'd really like to kick myself and yell: 'You damn Zhang Wei, you're just a coward, a coward who only knows how to flee, a useless piece of trash, content to be that woman's lapdog!'"

"So now, I have come to my senses. Rather than being someone else's lapdog and getting nothing in return, it's better to use my own strength to land a strong counterpunch, to ensure that the other party truly remembers me!"

"At the same time, I also want to tell myself that the world is beautiful, and one should apt at discovering even more wonderful things. Perhaps the person you care about the most... is right beside you..."

Upon saying this, Zhang Wei looked toward the plaintiff's bench.

Xia Qianyue felt his piercing gaze, her cheeks flushed red, and she involuntarily lowered her head.

"This damned Zhang Wei, saying such things in front of so many people!"

I'm done for, I'm done for!

So embarrassing... nobody saw me, nobody saw me...

...

Zhang Wei's closing argument concluded.

On the bench, Geng Hongxia struck the gavel and announced a recess.

This recess, the jury would deliver the final verdict.

As the 12 jurors followed the presiding officer into the backstage preparation room, Zhang Wei's expression was completely calm, without a hint of excitement.

In the witness area, all the teachers and students began to whisper amongst themselves, discussing the possible outcomes.

"Dean Yang, what do you think?"

Because he had been proven wrong once, the previously untouchable Yang Qingquan was surrounded by people once again.

Yang Qingquan did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment before finally saying, "This lad Zhang Wei has completely outplayed defense attorney Zhang Hui in terms of courtroom tactics and experience, leaving his opponent powerless. The outcome of this trial is no longer something we need to guess!"

This statement was nearly a complete endorsement of Zhang Wei.

Indeed, after only a few minutes of deliberation, the judges reached a conclusion.

The auditorium once again fell silent; everyone was waiting for this moment.

Some students were so anxious that they felt as if they were Zhang Wei themselves, awaiting the announcement of the decision.

Geng Hongxia sat at the bench and nodded at a female student, "Lead juror, please announce the verdict!"

The girl stood up, holding the documentation, and read aloud: "After discussion, the bench has come to a conclusion. As the lead juror, I announce that in this civil suit, the defendant, Jia Meili, is to pay the plaintiff, Zhang Wei, 80,000 yuan for supplementary class fees and compensate 20,000 yuan for emotional distress... Furthermore, considering multiple violations by the defendant during the trial, the defendant is ordered to pay punitive damages of 50,000 yuan to Zhang Wei. Given the substantial amount, it will be tentatively paid by the school."

"Yay, we won!"

"Zhang Wei, we won!"

On the plaintiff's bench, Luo Xiaobu and Xia Qianyue both leapt up, overcome with excitement.

However, Zhang Wei was not at all surprised by the result of the trial; in fact, he was incredibly calm.

Just another victory.

He had seen many, and his heart had long been numb to them.

But this victory stirred a different feeling within him.

Perhaps it was because he had been involved in every aspect of this lawsuit, every strategy had been his own doing, every courtroom exchange had been orchestrated by him, so this feeling...

"Is it nostalgia, or something else? It makes me think back to the first courtroom battle of my life."

In his previous life, he had won over 2000 lawsuits and remembered each one, especially every detail of the very first one, which he remembered clearly.

But as he was about to reminisce, Dean Yang Qingquan had walked over to Zhang Wei.

"Zhang Wei, I didn't see it coming. You're quite capable, lad. Your performance was beyond my expectations!"

Yang Qingquan rarely praised anyone, especially not with such unabashed commendation.

But Zhang Wei's performance in court today had earned it.

"Thank you for the compliment, Dean."

Zhang Wei just smiled, as a sign of respect for Yang Qingquan.

"Hmm, good lad, keep up the hard work, I hope to hear of your great reputation in the Dongfang Capital Lawyer Circle in the future!"

Yang Qingquan nodded and then left.

As he had been a mere observer throughout this trial, he had no intention of expressing any opinions.

As for the students remembering the details of today's trial, the students from the law school would have that sense of responsibility.

Even without his prompting, many students had already filled their notes with scribbles.

"Zhang Wei, you won the trial, do you want to go out for a big meal?" Luo Xiaobu asked, his face beaming as he smiled at Zhang Wei.

"No, I'm going to the cafeteria for dinner, and then I plan to rest." Zhang Wei glanced outside; the trial had ended in the late afternoon.

The day had passed before he knew it.

"Oh, alright then, I guess I'll have to celebrate the victory myself." Despite feeling disappointed, Luo Xiaobu was still happy about winning the lawsuit.

Unable to celebrate with Zhang Wei, he might as well go find other acquaintances to enjoy the time with.

Zhang Wei shook his head and was about to leave the auditorium; the trial had been physically draining, and he needed to quickly eat something to replenish his energy.

"Zhang Wei, wait for me!"

Xia Qianyue suddenly called out to him, approaching with a cheerful face.

As the most supportive person of Zhang Wei in the audience, she was currently the happiest.

If it weren't for the crowd, she would have jumped onto Zhang Wei and made a big fuss.

"Zhang Wei, I'm hungry too, shall we go have something to eat together?"

"Sure!"

Zhang Wei naturally wouldn't refuse Xia Qianyue.

Although Luo Xiaobu had invited him as well, dining with a little fatty couldn't compare to the allure of dining with a beautiful girl.

Poor Luo Xiaobu was completely unaware that he had been disliked.

"Where shall we eat?"

"The cafeteria, of course. It's clean and cheap."

"You're not going to have the same vegetarian set meal again, are you? You won the trial today; don't you think you should treat yourself?"

"Silly girl, do you know there's a saying, 'Beauty is a feast for the eyes'? As long as I'm going to eat with you, it doesn't matter what we eat."

"You're teasing me again, go to hell!"

The two of them bantered and quickly exited the auditorium.

"Junior Brother Zhang Wei!"

But they hadn't gone far when someone called out to them again.

"Oh, it's Senior Sister Zhang!"

This time, the individual approaching was Zhang Hui, the defense lawyer representing Jia Meili's side.

Hearing Zhang Wei mention "Senior Sister from the same household," Zhang Hui knew he still remembered her provocations from before the trial.

"Junior Brother is joking. This time I was thoroughly defeated by you!" Zhang Hui said with a forced smile, her expression somewhat embarrassed, but she admitted her defeat.

Even though it was shameful to lose to a junior, it was even more shameful for one not to admit defeat.

Zhang Hui realized that she needed to reflect on her loss in the trial that day.

However, after seeing Zhang Wei, she couldn't help but want to come over and ask for clarification.

"Junior Brother, did I fall into your trap from the very start of this trial, and did you plot it all along?" she asked, fixating her gaze on Zhang Wei.

Unfortunately for her, Zhang Wei just laughed and feigned innocence, "What are you talking about, Senior Sister? It was just good luck, nothing planned at all."

In all honesty, he had only wanted to outwit Jia Meili, not Zhang Hui.

It was just unfortunate that Zhang Hui turned out to be his opponent.

Seeing Zhang Wei playing innocent, Zhang Hui believed her own perception to be quite good, yet she could not detect any hints.

Nevertheless, that didn't stop her from revealing her suspicions.

"Zhang Wei, initially, when you mentioned Feng Li, it was to lead me to investigate Xia Qianyue by your side, then to bring it up in the court. Instead, you used it against me, making it a power play. You arranged the transfer records over the weekend, anticipating that I would mention it, right?"

"Moreover, concerning the investigation of Jia Meili and Feng Li, having Han Yu from the room next door, Feng Li's boyfriend, present on the scene, as well as testimonies from the pharmacy and the hotel staff, I cannot believe that in just one weekend, you prepared so much, truly one should not underestimate you!"

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Hui continued, "And your courtroom performance, I admit it was superior to mine, whether it was the preliminary arguments or the quick reactions, I lost to you, so I hope we have the chance to cross paths again in the future!"

"Senior Sister is joking. I really just got a bit lucky," Zhang Wei quickly made his excuses, not daring to explore further.

"Alright, then I won't disturb the two of you having your little world together!"

Zhang Hui looked at Zhang Wei and Xia Qianyue, having no choice but to leave helplessly.

She came quickly and left just as swiftly, without dragging her feet at all.

"Senior Zhang Hui, in terms of court trial skills, there's still a lot of room for improvement!"

Zhang Wei commented, but this was a high EQ way of putting it.

...

The next day.

Early in the morning, Zhang Wei was awakened by the beep of a text message.

He picked up his old flip phone, which had been with him for 4 years, and read the message.

[Your account received a deposit of 150,000.00 on *day at 22:01.]

The transferring account was from East University's finance department, as the school authorities did not believe Jia Meili could come up with such an amount in a short period, so they covered it for her.

150,000 was a huge sum for the original Zhang Wei.

But for Zhang Wei now, it was just an insignificant string of numbers.

In his previous life, he could earn millions just by winning a lawsuit for those tycoons, and even for some complex cases, legal fees could exceed 5 million, reaching up to tens of millions.

If it were a class action lawsuit, the total legal fees could even amount to hundreds of millions, which is where the real big money laid.

Therefore, there was no ripple in Zhang Wei's heart.

"Huh, why isn't Luo Xiaobu oversleeping today, did he come back last night?"

Zhang Wei had gone to bed early yesterday and had not seen Luo Xiaobu return, which made him curious.

Because in his memory, Luo Xiaobu was the epitome of contemporary college students.

Liking to stay up all night online, waking up later than a pig, with no concept of morning even on study days unless the lecturer called the roll, otherwise, he would not appear in the classroom.

If Zhang Wei hadn't tutored Luo Xiaobu and had good academic performance himself, Luo Xiaobu might have been at risk of failing.

"Zhang Wei, are you planning to go out?"

Suddenly, Luo Xiaobu's voice came from outside the door.

"Go out?"

"No kidding, we are seniors now. Didn't you see our roommates have found internships early? We need to start planning for our future law careers too."

Luo Xiaobu spoke with a worried look on his face.

His family was just an ordinary household in Dongfang Capital, and he was admitted to the law school mainly because of some local bonus policies, and even then, he barely scraped by.

Paired with poor academic performance, his future was worrisome.

"Right, I had forgotten about that!"

Reminded by Luo Xiaobu, Zhang Wei then remembered his current "identity."

He was a senior, not yet a practicing lawyer; he still needed to prepare for the bar exam, and even after clearing the exam, he would have to look for an internship.

Thinking about starting his legal career from scratch, the smile gradually faded from his face.

Starting out as a struggling assistant lawyer, clawing his way up step by step, that was the painful experience every law person had to go through.

Suddenly, Luo Xiaobu remembered something and hastily asked, "By the way, the school is preparing to take back our dormitory, do you want to move to my place temporarily for a few days?"

Zhang Wei was slightly stunned, so he was about to lose even his place to stay?

"No need, I do have some money now and can afford to rent an apartment!"

Zhang Wei rejected Luo Xiaobu's kind offer.

Luo Xiaobu didn't insist; his home wasn't big either, and he had asked Zhang Wei out of concern for their friendship.

After declining Luo Xiaobu's suggestion, Zhang Wei also pondered about the future.

Having decided to rent an apartment, he immediately opened his laptop and began searching for rental information in Dongfang Capital.

"What's this? A finely decorated one-bedroom apartment is asking for 5,000 a month?"

"Medium decoration for 3,500/month, and it's a single room?"

He was quickly taken aback by the rental prices in Dongfang Capital.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but he had to save money now. Renting a place could be compromised a bit; he didn't need to go for anything fancy.

"Got it!"

After a moment of thought, Zhang Wei changed his search terms.

This time, he used "haunted house" as his keywords.