Are You Crazy? He's only an Intern Lawyer?-Chapter 79 - 78 Jewelry Store Robbery Case, Chengbei District Fang Wenbin

After entering the detention room, she kept a poker face throughout.

“Cut the crap and quickly go over the details of the case!”

As she spoke, she spread out the case files and began to explain the situation.

“Last Thursday evening at 10:30, the ‘Fugui Jewelry Store’ on Fuyu Road in Chengbei District was robbed by two armed felons.

When the store owner, Wang Fugui, resting in the side room inside the store, heard the commotion and sounded the alarm, but was immediately discovered by the felons and severely assaulted.

By the time the Martial Association officers arrived at the scene, the jewelry store had already been ransacked, not only the jewelry in the display cases was gone but also the cash in the safe.

The store owner was found unconscious and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.”

“Based on the subsequent financial audit of the account books, the loss of Fugui Jewelry Store amounts to 850,000 yuan.

Store owner Wang Fugui is still in a coma in the hospital due to severe injuries.”

“According to the Martial Association Investigation Department’s on-site investigation, the two felons didn’t leave behind any fingerprints.”

As Li Qinghe spoke, she looked at Wang Xi and Kong Hang with skepticism, causing them to feel nervous.

“Auntie, this case is a bit strange.

If no fingerprints were left, why were these two identified as the culprits?”

Zhang Wei pointed at Wang Xi and Kong Hang, clearly confused.

Li Qinghe turned to the second page of the file and explained, “According to the Martial Association’s investigation at the scene, the safe inside Fugui Jewelry Store is secured with an 8-digit unique password.

The store owner and another clerk each hold four digits of the password, and the safe can only be opened when the 8-digit password is correctly entered.

Feedback from the Martial Association’s Investigation Department indicates that the safe was not forcibly breached; the felons opened it using the password!”

As she said this, she looked at Wang Xi with suspicion.

Because the store clerk was her!

This meant that only she and the store owner knew the stand-alone password, and only she and Wang Fugui could have opened the safe to take the cash inside.

Since Wang Fugui was the victim, currently, Wang Xi was the only suspect.

Moreover, according to the surveillance footage, there were two robbers.

Based on these clues, the Martial Association designated Wang Xi and her boyfriend Kong Hang as the primary suspects; there was nothing theoretically inappropriate about it.

“Niece, be honest with your auntie.

Did you commit this crime?”

Li Qinghe asked coldly, her gaze fixed intently on her niece.

It was no wonder she had such a thought; the evidence indeed pointed toward Wang Xi, and people are naturally inclined to be suspicious.

“Auntie, it really wasn’t me.

Ah Hang and I had just returned from our trip to ‘Nandao’ on Wednesday.

We rested at home all day on Thursday.

How could we possibly have committed the robbery?”

Wang Xi quickly denied the allegations and added, “Plus, the store owner is such a nice person, he gave me this job.

Why would I do such a thing?”

“If it wasn’t you, then who could it have been?”

Li Qinghe glanced at Wang Xi, then Kong Hang, with suspicion still remaining in her eyes.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Zhang Wei quickly interjected, “May I ask, were your passwords solely reliant on memory, or was there anywhere it was recorded?”

“Yes, there was,” Wang Xi nodded eagerly and said, “The password for the safe changes weekly.

The store owner is almost 80 years old, and his memory is declining, so he would write down his part of the password on a piece of paper.

My part of the password, on the other hand, was noted in my phone’s memo app, but I set a password lock on my phone.

If anyone accessed the memo, I would be able to see the memo app’s access records.”

“Does anyone know that you kept the password in your phone?” Zhang Wei continued to inquire.

Wang Xi shook her head, “No.

The store manager thought I had a good memory and memorized the password.

In fact, no one other than me should know that the password is in my phone’s memo app.”

“I see…”

Zhang Wei did not get the answer he was hoping for and felt somewhat disappointed.

Since the password was 8 digits and Wang Xi had only 4 digits, as did Wang Fugui.

If it wasn’t Wang Xi, then the felons would need to know where Wang Fugui stored his password and also break into Wang Xi’s phone lock to obtain the complete 8-digit password.

Furthermore, since the password changed weekly, the likelihood of a stranger committing the crime was extremely low.

Unless the culprit was an international thief equipped with a full set of tools for cracking safes or bypassing phone locks.

But if possessing such criminal costs, the expense on equipment alone would already surpass a million, why bother robbing an ordinary jewelry store on the streets of Chengbei District?

After looking over the case file, Zhang Wei, like Li Qinghe, also doubted that Wang Xi and Kong Hang were the perpetrators.

“I want to confirm, are both of you certain you didn’t do this, and have never even entertained the thought?”

Without waiting for their response, Zhang Wei added, “Right now you are only a couple, but in the future, getting married is definitely something to consider.

If you want to live in Dongfang Capital, just the housing prices are a major problem.

Are you really telling me you never coveted the jewelry store?”

As he asked this, his gaze locked onto Kong Hang.

Because Wang Xi might truly not have thought about it, but Kong Hang was a man, who needed to take care of a woman, facing tremendous pressure in life and work—it was hard not to have some little ideas.

“Lawyer Zhang, I really haven’t thought about it, although I made some mistakes when I was younger, but I know that only by staying grounded can one…”

Kong Hang spoke, firmly gripping Wang Xi’s hand, and the two exchanged a smile.

“Only by staying grounded can we truly be steady.

Wang Xi and I would never do such a thing,” he said with conviction.

“Alright, I got it.”

Seeing Kong Hang’s behavior, Zhang Wei was certain that the perpetrators were not Wang Xi and Kong Hang.

Unless Kong Hang was a Gold Man Award-winning actor who could deceive even him, Zhang Wei.

“But if it wasn’t you two, then who could it be?”

“My girl, my girl, where are you?

I’ve come to see you!”

As Zhang Wei contemplated, ready to continue questioning, the detention center outside erupted with noise.

They hurriedly looked toward the entrance and saw a man who bore a three to four-part resemblance to Wang Dayang, but with a bigger belly and a slightly taller frame, walking in anxiously.

“Big brother!” The previously silent Wang Dayang rushed to greet him.

“Oh, it’s my uncle’s family; Wang Xi’s father is here!”

Zhang Wei knew who had arrived—the elder brother of Wang Dayang, Wang Dahai, and Wang Xi’s father as well.

“Brother… and sister-in-law, you’re all here…”

Wang Dahai’s expression was normal when seeing Wang Dayang, but it changed slightly, a bit panic-stricken, when he saw Li Qinghe’s cold face.

However, when he saw Wang Xi, the panic on his face was replaced by concern, and he quickly stepped forward.

“My girl, are you alright in the detention center, have you been mistreated…”

Due to Wang Dahai’s interruption, the subsequent questioning couldn’t continue.

And Zhang Wei felt, there was no more information to be gained from Wang Xi and Kong Hang.

In his mind, the case wasn’t their doing—what more could they know?

So, the perpetrator had to be someone else!

“Auntie, what do you plan to do next?” Zhang Wei quickly asked.

“I’m going to apply for bail soon, let’s see what the bail court says,” she replied.

“Then alright, I’ll go too!”

Zhang Wei nodded, thinking Li Qinghua was right—first, they should apply for bail for the two of them.

…

2 hours later.

Chengbei District Court, bail hearing.

“Old Fang, why are you personally involved today?”

When the bail judge saw Fang Wenbin, he was astonished.

This famous prosecutor from Chengbei District Public Procuratorate’s Office was actually attending his bail hearing, which was quite unexpected.

“What else could it be but this case I’m holding—right before the new year I was thinking of making a final push!”

Fang Wenbin smiled at the judge and then pointed toward Wang Xi and Kong Hang standing by his side.

Standing behind Wang Xi, Li Qinghe showed no reaction, but Zhang Wei sensed something unusual.

“Aiming for an achievement before the new year, huh?

Planning to end the year on a high note—it seems this case won’t be an easy one!”

He could tell that Fang Wenbin intended to deal with this robbery case as his work wrap-up before the end of the year, resulting in a satisfying conclusion.

After all, although the case didn’t cause a sensation, robbery was still a felony, and the amount stolen was particularly large.

If Wang Fugui hadn’t survived the incident in the hospital, there would have been an additional charge of second-degree murder, turning it into a truly significant case.

As the ace prosecutor of Chengbei District Public Procuratorate’s Office, it was Fang Wenbin himself who took charge of this case.

The judge nodded and then said, “Defendant, please come forward for the bail hearing!”

Wang Xi and Kong Hang stood on the stand, followed by Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei as their legal representatives.

“Let me see, it’s the Wang Fugui Jewelry Store robbery case, right?

What does the prosecution propose?”

“The prosecution believes that neither defendant should be granted bail.

The Investigation Department has not yet recovered the stolen money, and if they were to be released on bail, isn’t there a risk of them absconding due to fear of punishment?

Eight hundred and fifty thousand is a huge sum, enough for them to smuggle themselves out of the country!”

“And the defense’s position?”

The judge looked towards Li Qinghe and Zhang Wei.

“Your Honor, I am Li Qinghe, partner of Qingmu Law Firm.

I assure you, my niece and the others are innocent; they are law-abiding citizens who would never commit the actions described in the case.

Although they have been listed as suspects, I’m willing to vouch for the fact that as Qingmu Law Firm, they won’t resort to escaping due to fear of their crimes…”

Observing Li Qinghe’s statement, Zhang Wei silently shook his head.

He realized that this aunt of his probably had never attended a bail hearing before, making such a mistake.

In applying for bail, being rational and flaunting powerful connections is the least effective approach; winning sympathy is far more effective.

Unfortunately, Zhang Wei had yet to uncover any merits in Kong Hang, whereas Wang Xi’s clean background could be exploited to their advantage.

His guess was correct; Li Qinghe was a senior partner at Qingmu Law Firm, only responsible for handling major cases.

For bail hearings like this, she would delegate her subordinates to deal with them.

Bail hearings were crowded and entailed waiting in line, not befitting her status as a senior partner.

Besides, with so many subordinates, why wouldn’t she, as a leader, make use of them?

“Lawyer Li, I know you’re Li Qingmu’s sister, but I have the final say in Chengbei District’s bail hearings.

Are you trying to pressure me with Qingmu now?”

The bail judge looked at Li Qinghe, a hint of displeasure on his face.

Although Li Qingmu had some fame, this was a bail court, completely unrelated to her work; he wasn’t afraid of Qingmu Law Firm at all.

“Your Honor, I have something to say!” Just then, Zhang Wei interjected.

“You are…?” The judge glanced at him.

“Your Honor, I am the lawyer for one of the defendants, Kong Hang!”

Zhang Wei quickly introduced himself and then hastened to say, “I believe that Miss Wang Xi fully meets the conditions for bail; she has a clean background with no criminal record.

Furthermore, Lawyer Li Qinghe is her aunt, and as a member of Dongfang Capital Lawyers Association, Lawyer Li is willing to vouch for Miss Wang Xi’s character and requests that her application for bail be approved!”

Hearing this, the judge looked at him in surprise.

So using Qingmu to pressure me was ineffective, and now you’re resorting to the Dongfang Capital Lawyers Association?

However, this time the mention carried too much weight; he indeed could not withstand it.

You can disregard Qingmu Law Firm because you are the bail judge, but you cannot ignore the entire Dongfang Capital Lawyer Circle.

Zhang Wei certainly had a knack for leveraging influence greater than Li Qinghe’s.

“Alright, this court approves…”

“Wait a moment!”

Just as the judge was about to approve the bail, Fang Wenbin promptly objected, “Since defense lawyer Zhang has put it that way, Wang Xi can be granted bail, but his client Kong Hang cannot be!”

“Kong Hang has a criminal record, and he does not have a full-time job in Dongfang Capital, which doesn’t meet the conditions for bail!”

The judge also sensed something odd, “There are two defendants in this case, and they have different lawyers, but they are both on trial together?”

“Yes, Your Honor, this case involves a joint trial of the two defendants!”

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“Understood!”

The judge nodded and announced, “Defendant Wang Xi is granted bail with bail set at 150,000 due to the large amount involved in the case, while defendant Kong Hang will not be granted bail.”

As the judge made the decision, Zhang Wei wasn’t surprised.

Although his client wasn’t granted bail, it was already very difficult to bail him out in the first place.

Meanwhile, Li Qinghe seemed somewhat surprised, feeling that Zhang Wei didn’t seem like a novice lawyer.

At least in this bail hearing, the other party seemed to be completely in their element.

“Lawyer Zhang, why can’t I get out?” However, his performance did not satisfy Kong Hang.

Zhang Wei leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “You can’t get out because the prosecutor is determined to keep you here.

I’ve done my best just to guarantee one release.

Besides, even if you could get bail, could you afford the 150,000 yuan bail money?”

Kong Hang opened his mouth but could not refute; he truly did not have 150,000 yuan.

However, he had a doubt; wasn’t Zhang Wei his defense attorney?

Why wouldn’t he help him?

On the other side, the fact that Wang Xi could be bailed out was naturally a cause for celebration.

“Take this to pay!” Li Qinghe handed a bank card to Wang Dayang, instructing him to go to the court to pay the bail money.

The latter’s elder brother, Wang Dahai, was continuously expressing his gratitude, nearly venerating Li Qinghe like an ancestor.

It seemed that the Wang Family could not afford the money, so Li Qinghe had to pay.

However, the bail money was actually a deposit which could be refunded once the case was closed, or if the suspect did not abscond out of fear of punishment.

Li Qinghe was willing to pay because she believed Wang Xi could be acquitted and did not place much importance on the 150,000 yuan.

“Lawyer Li, I look forward to facing off with Qingmu!”

Prosecutor Fang Wenbin approached the two, greeting them with a smile, “By the way, send my regards to your brother Li Qingmu, and hopefully, sometime next year, I can have a good battle with him in court.”

“Old Fang, you better worry about this case first.

If you lose to me, there won’t be any talk of facing my brother!”

At that moment, Li Qinghe was the epitome of a formidable woman, her presence in no way weaker than her opponent’s.

“Hahaha, Lawyer Li is right, I should focus on the case at hand.”

After saying this, Fang Wenbin gave Zhang Wei a glance, slightly moderating the disdain in his eyes.

He did not linger any longer and left the bail hearing, leaving only his retreating figure behind.

“Auntie, I need to go to the scene now, so I won’t stay either.

We’ll get in touch when it’s time for the trial!”

Zhang Wei also timely suggested his departure, preparing to head to the Wang Fugui Jewelry Store to conduct an on-site investigation.

This was his habit; though the Martial Association Investigation Department would release the evidence, he preferred to see things firsthand.

“Alright, Xiao Zhang, let’s get in touch on Wednesday then!”

Wednesday, the day set for the preliminary hearing, was already confirmed.

Zhang Wei did not wait for Li Qinghe and the others; he took a taxi to Fugui Road on his own.

Elsewhere.

After Wang Dayang and Wang Dahai posted bail, they left the courthouse with Wang Xi.

Kong Hang was left behind in the detention center, unable to come out.

When Li Qinghe stepped out of the Chengbei District Court, she looked up at the sky.

Behind her, Wang Dayang, noticing the hasty complexion of Wang Dahai, asked, “Big brother, how did you get here?

Do you have a place to stay?”

“Wang Dayang, you don’t need to worry about your big brother’s affairs anymore.

Let him go back early, we at Qingmu will handle this matter!”

Possibly detecting Wang Dayang’s intentions, Li Qinghe suddenly spoke out, her words filled with a hint of warning.

To have Wang Dahai stay meant he could only stay at their house.

But having an outsider at home, even if he was her husband’s elder brother, was something Li Qinghe just did not like.

“No way, my daughter is still bearing a case.

How could I leave?” Wang Dahai refused hurriedly, his face full of worry as he looked at his daughter.

“Dad, why don’t you stay at my place?

Let’s not trouble Auntie.

Besides, Ah Hang isn’t there, and my rented apartment can accommodate two people!”

Wang Xi considerately gathered the meaning behind Li Qinghe’s words and also provided a place for Wang Dahai to stay.

“Then, alright…” Wang Dahai nodded, and Wang Dayang did not object.

Wang Xi’s behavior surprised Li Qinghe, causing her to take a second look at this niece.

“Alright then, we’ll head back first and see each other on Wednesday for the preliminary hearing!”

Li Qinghe and her group split into two and made their way back separately.