First-Class Lawyer

Chen Zhang made good on his word. After he talked about the grey channels for genetic modification, he didnt speak a word more. Somehow or other, even though the intern before him looked very gentle and polite, he felt that this intern could swallow people whole the moment he opened his mouth.

He kept feeling that a single misstep and he would be played like a fiddle by the other person. Therefore, he simply shut up, putting up a determined front not to speak of what happened that night on Yaba Island. Or, put another way, that he was determined to bear this crime.

So, for the last three minutes, the visiting room was pindrop silent.

He didnt say anything and unexpectedly, that intern didnt grow anxious. He didnt even attempt to pry further. Instead, he looked the picture of calm as he sipped his water, gazing down at his own fingers.

And now, it was instead Chen Zhang who felt particularly awkward.

He totally didnt expect that he would end up being the one fidgeting in silence, while the intern seated opposite him, ever so calmly, admired his fidgeting.

In the end, the person to rescue him was the warden who came in.

That tall and sturdy warden wore a tiger-fierce face, saying gruffly, Hey! Times up, stop talking

Right after he shouted this, he then realised that no one in the visiting room was talking in the first place

And the weirdest thing was that the suspect, Chen Zhang, had goddamnit youre finally here written all over his face, gazing upon at him like he was the saviour of the world, more than eager to get back to his cell.

The warden, What did you two talk about?

He asked you two, but his gaze only fell upon Yan Suizhi.

Yan Suizhi stood up. He pushed his glass of water forwards, saying with a smile, We had a very interesting conversation. But, Mr Warden, if you keep asking, youll be breaking the law.

Over here, the meetings between lawyers and their clients were not monitored by wiretaps. Naturally, there wasnt any need to divulge the contents of their conversation to the warden. On the contrary, if the warden insisted on asking too many questions, he would be sent to the interrogation room for tea.

The wardens face immediately grew fiercer. Oh. I was just casually asking, youd better not tell me. I dont want to know.

With this, he patted Chen Zhangs shoulder. Lets go.

Chen Zhang raised his head, giving him a despairing look like he was in mourning.

The warden,

Im not dead, whose grave are you visiting? He reprimanded in a less forceful tone, feeling that the suspect looked too pitiful.

Chen Zhang meekly bore the rebuke, never saying anything back nor showing any expression he shouldnt have. He obediently stood up. His motions were a little slow, as stiff as the way he had gotten up from bed in the cell earlier.

Before taking a step, he subconsciously touched his hip before following the warden out of the door.

Yan Suizhi was packing up the paperwork he had brought with him. These were the only things that he could bring into the visiting room.

He didnt even lift his head nor was his attention even on Chen Zhang. Nevertheless, just before Chen Zhang left the room, he suddenly raised his eyes and asked, Is a chronic illness acting up again? A hereditary disease?

Precisely because of these words, Chen Zhang almost tripped over the low doorstep, his head whacking hard into the warden in front of him, consequently causing the warden to stumble a few steps. Unable to pull the brakes in time, the warden slammed loudly against the wall.

Yan Suizhi laughed as he went out, even telling Chen Zhang before he left, Ill still be waiting for you in the visiting room at this time tomorrow. I dont mind sitting in awkward silence with you for an hour. You can prepare yourself mentally in advance.

Chen Zhang,

Standing by the wall, the warden felt that this intern was even better at threats than some suspects. However, all of that was done with a particularly polite smile; no one could bring themselves to scold him.

Once outside the detention centre, Yan Suizhi took his ring-shaped smart device from the transparent pouch. He went through it for any new notifications, pulled up the map of the interstellar alliance, selected De Carma, and marked out the location that Chen Zhang had just mentioned.

As he slipped the smart device back onto his finger, all of a sudden two figures simultaneously leapt out of the alleyway at the side of the road, rushing straight towards him.

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Yan Suizhi said in his head, People actually have enough guts to come like this right in front of the detention centre?

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Yan Suizhi, in his head, Misunderstand what? Do you think Id believe you just because you said so?

He turned around and was about to leave, but that round-faced guy immediately whirled around, blocking his path and hastily whipping out his press card.

Its okay, were not bad guys, dont worry! The round-faced guy pointed to the photo on the press card, putting it next to his own face as a basis of comparison. Reporters, were just reporters. Jim Bens. He then pointed to the young man with a freckled nose following behind him. Norman Hersey, the junior reporter assisting me. Were from Honeycomb Media, look. Weve the files to prove this.

So what? Even Shithouse Media is no business of mine. Professor Yan thought this in his head, but nodded and said warmly, Nice to meet you. Excuse me.

Zero mercy.

The two reporters,

That round-faced guy called Bens continued to chitter, We only need a moment of your time. Can we just have a short chat? He forcibly waved his press card before Yan Suizhis eyes, as if that would make a difference.

Unexpectedly, it did.

Because Yan Suizhi found the website logo on the press card familiar to the eyes.

He briefly sieved through his memories, fishing out a scene. It was back in the office at Southcross; Gu Yan had just received news that something had happened to George Manson, and he had searched for news with his photon computer. There was only a clickbait article on a minor, unremarkable website, but it was deleted in the blink of an eye.

If he didnt misremember it, the logo of that unremarkable website was exactly the same as the one on this press card.

That so, it was clear as day what these two reporters were stopping him for.

When the round-faced Bens saw that he wasnt in a hurry to leave, he immediately revitalised, striking while the iron was hot and pointing to the cafe across the road. There are open-air seats over there. We are very proper, we really only want to have a simple chat with you. If it really bothers you, we can sit outside so that you can leave anytime you want. How does that sound?

Yan Suizhi gave it a thought, then readily agreed.

Of course he wasnt going to hand them any information. Bushy-tailed Dean Yan wasnt that kind. He wanted to wheedle information out of the reporters.

Since this website was actually able to be the first to get the news out, they surely had a certain standard. Even if they hadnt, it wouldnt harm him to sit there for a couple of minutes. More importantly, while that freckled young man at the back wasnt an issue, he could easily tell that the round-faced one called Bens was one of those stalker paparazzi and might be slightly troublesome to lose.

The three of them each ordered a coffee. Yan Suizhi even ordered dessert. His blood sugar was running a bit low; he needed to eat a little something to give himself a buffer.

If you dont mind? He asked very primly as he picked up a thin fork.

Go ahead and eat, of course its fine! Bens tended to speak in a loud voice, and he always liked to chuckle first to make him seem friendlier. It was a little exaggerated, but many times it did manage to force some friendliness into his demeanour.

However, while laughing, his hands were blindly typing out a message at rapid speed under the table.

Immediately after, the smart device next to the young freckled Norman Hersey vibrated. He looked a little shy. Aside from the occasional dry laugh, he never spoke from start to end.

So, this time, he merely smiled bashfully at Yan Suizhi, lifted his finger, and turned away to tap open a hologram to read the message.

And so he found that the person who messaged him was, none other than, Jim Bens.

Who was seated less than half a metre away from him.

Hersey,

Bens, [This legendary intern lawyer is easy to deal with! Look at him, hes even so particular with etiquette when eating his dessert. Its obvious that hes the kind who has a rich upbringing; those usually cant pull their weight. Hes even a student, so he must be a very honest guy.]

Hersey,

Putting it all together, the message ended up looking like a backhanded compliment at Bens own lack of manners and shamelessness.

Hersey blinked. Pursing his lips, he closed the hologram with a straight face and sat back properly, not daring to answer.

Yan Suizhi took two unhurried bites of his dessert, suppressing the vague feeling of giddiness that was looming over him.

He wasnt in any hurry at all. Instead, Bens was the one who turned anxious.

Bens gaze see-sawed for a moment between Yan Suizhis fork and dessert. He grinned widely.

Yan Suizhi, He wasnt in a hurry, but the way this reporter smiled at him was affecting his appetite.

I can still put up with it if you had a face like Gu Yans, but please take a good look at yourself in the mirror, hm?

Professor Yans inner psyche had always been more caustic than what came out of his mouth, only that he very seldom expressed it. Or, if he did, it would be wrapped up in an assortment of polite pleasantries and elegant smiles.

Bens, naturally, had no idea. He barrelled on heedlessly, So its like this. Were reporters from Honeycomb Media, and weve been keeping a close eye on George Mansons accident. Of course, wed like to start by expressing our condolences on the matter

He even lowered his gaze as he spoke. Next to him, Hersey couldnt keep up with his tempo at all, watching it all play out with a dumbfounded look on his face.

But, condolences aside, this doesnt mean that we will give up on tracking down the truth. Bens looked up and added, We know thatyou

No need for such courtesies. Yan Suizhi suitably said.

Alrighty, you. Bens chuckled and changed to a less formal address, thinking that this intern was unusually well-mannered. Youre the defence counsel this time. To be frank, Ive rarely seen an intern assigned such an important case; you must be a particularly outstanding young lawyer with great prospects.

Yan Suizhi listened to his praises with a calm face, putting on a humble smile at the end of it.

Hersey drank his coffee in silence. He knew this skit by heart. Teacher Bens would first put honey in the others mouth until the other is dizzy with praise, then take a turn and say that the other is good in every aspect, but was just lacking a little bit of assistance. Afterwhich, he would say that he just so happened to have something with him that could lend some help

Sure enough, after an lavish stream of praises, the topic took a turn. Bens said, Actually, I know a bit of what really happened, but

His gaze scanned their surroundings. He lowered his voice. Sheesh, forget it. Anyway, I can guarantee you that it wasnt Chen Zhang who did it. Weve been camping the hospital in the past few days. Even though we couldnt get access into the ward, we still harvested a lot.

As he spoke, he cast out a hologram from his smart device, turning off the default privacy settings so that Yan Suizhi, seated across from him, was also able to see what was on the screen.

Look at these photos, look! There are so many! Bens said, We took all of these animated photos in the recent days, and even some videos for a more complete visual to top it off. There are a lot of key information inside that could really give you a leg up.

He glanced at Yan Suizhi to confirm that the others attention was indeed drawn to the photos, pride welling in his heart. He said, Weve even rolled out the real culprit. I know that this trial is very important to you. More precisely, the first trial is very important to every lawyer. Youll want to make a splash, thats for sure. So how about it? Ill give you the photos and videos.

Yan Suizhi didnt rush to answer him. Instead, he said, Its hard for me to judge the contents of the photos when you flash it like this. Its a little out of bounds to say this, but

Bens immediately understood what he meant. I get it, of course I get you. Youre afraid that I only took some useless stuff to fool you, right? Here, you can take a look at them.

Saying this, he extended his wrist to Yan Suizhi, magnifying the screen so that the other could see it clearly.

Yan Suizhi looked at the photos so quickly that it only took him five minutes to go through the hundred or so photos. As Bens said, he had captured quite a few people and quite a few things. Joe was there, as well as Zhao Zemu, and Laura and the other lawyers, all of whom were photographed when they visited Joe in the hospital after their release.

There were several more interesting pictures within them. One showed Joe and Zhao Zemu leaving the hospital, each wearing a cold expression. It appeared as if they werent getting along well, or if they had an argument over something.

There were also several shots of the two of them standing together as they confronted the Manson family.

A hundred or so photos, depicting a wide range of relatives and friends. Among which, the ones who looked the most dejected were Joe and Zhao Zemu, and the ones who appeared the coldest were the Manson family. However, this fell within what Yan Suizhi had expected; none of these really surprised him.

There were even several more shots that werent of the hospital. It showed a grey, drab house, crammed inconspicuously between other similar looking houses.

Wheres this? Yan Suizhi asked simply.

Bens scanned it and said, Oh, its the where that diving instructor, Chen Zhang, lives. But there isnt much to see there. No one came by in the few days that we took these videos.

Yan Suizhi nodded. He quickly skimmed through those recordings, taking no more than five minutes, and he nodded again. Thats enough, Ive more or less looked through them, thank you. Right, you mentioned that you know who the true perpetrator is?

Bens took back his smart device, lowering his voice and saying mysteriously, Yeah.

Who?

Bens, Joe.

Yan Suizhi,

He should let Gu Yan listen to this. His expression would be a beautiful sight to behold.

Of course, this didnt mean that Yan Suizhi and Gu Yan had preconceived notions that caused them to directly rule out Joe as a suspect. It was just that the expression and tone of this reporter was too theatrical. If Young Master Joe saw it, hed press Bens face into the doghouse.

Joe had an altercation with Manson before. It was the very messy sort, the kind where teeth were knocked out, Bens said. And Zhaos family is too weak, he had to latch onto Mansons influence, so he wouldnt pull such a thing. As for these lawyers, theres either too much or too little at stake. Most importantly, there isnt any motive. They also havent made any suspicious movements. Only Joe has; his emotions these days are on his sleeve, hes acting weird.

Bens said, Hes a little abnormally pleased and enraged. How should I put it. I dont know if you can imagine that kind of psychologylike Ive done something really terrible, but Im not scared because Ive confidence that I can escape punishment. However, when the police really come searching, I still feel a little anxious.

This reporter even illustrated his narrative with photos, picking out a few and saying, Check these out. This ones when a policeman is searching him. Doesnt he look especially tense, look at his expression.

After that, the policeman wasnt able to sniff out anything. The reporter pointed to the other photos. And he visibly relaxed. The puffed up cockerel expression from earlier has vanished, amirite?

The clincher comes right after this; doesnt he look like the cat that got the cream? The reporter said, See that look in his eyes behind the policemans back, doesnt it look like hes picking a fight?

Yan Suizhi,

Leaving all else aside, once this round-faced guy named Bens spun a spiel around it, even unimportant things would look interesting.

He considered it before saying to Bens, Tell me your conditions. You wouldnt help me for no reason, right?

Bens laughed, then said, I like talking to smart people. That said, its just a small thing were asking for. Due to the Manson family meddling in it, the trial isnt open to the public; we dont have the entry clearance to listen in. Plus, the checks are very strict. The only exception is that lawyers can bring their assistants.

As a matter of fact, despite nominally calling it assistants, it did not specifically refer to people with so-and-so assistant in their job titles. Rather, it referred to who the lawyers deemed necessary to accompany them in court. The usual quota was up to two.

Bens words ended here. Yan Suizhi wore an expression of enlightenment.

You understand me, right?

Yan Suizhi nodded. You hope that I can take you in under the guise of accompanying me to court?

Bens said, Yeah. We promise not to bring any recording equipment and to strictly follow the requirements of the court. Once we get in, well just be sitting in a corner.

Ill be damned if I believe you.

If it was the lost and shy-looking Hersey next to him who had said something like that, Yan Suizhi might have swallowed down a few sentences. It was very apparent from just one look that Bens wasnt an honest man. Especially when he was talking, Hersey kept his head lowered the whole way through, his eyes darting from side to side, obviously not particularly approving of Bens approach either.

Yan Suizhi, Got it. He slowly and unhurriedly finished the last bit of his coffee.

Bens felt that with so many photos and videos in hand, there was no way that this intern wouldnt be tempted. He already had it in the bag.

However

Yan Suizhi put down his coffee cup and got up. He said, Thank you, have a good day.

Bens, ????

Are you really leaving just like that after fucking putting your fingerprints all over the goods? Can you be any more shameless?!

Three minutes later, Hersey tugged Bens. Mr Bens, he has already gotten in a car and left. Wed better go back. I dont really think that this is a good case to stick our fingers into, how about

Stop with all that how about! Bens rolled his eyes at him. Youre going to bring up that explosion case again, arent you? That was goddamn ages ago, the public interest is long gone. With the amount of effort, why dont you find a column to write yet another memorial piece for the dean, if you drop his picture you might even be able to get more eyes on it.

After Bens was done scolding, the more he thought about it, the unhappier he felt. He grunted, Nope, Im so pissed that I cant breathe easy. I cant believe an intern just upped on me.

Hershey frowned slightly. Are you going to do anything?

Cmon. Were going to tail him, said Bens.