Legal Intervention
1410 Words
Wu Min was a little taken aback—Jinzhong Law Firm? That name carried considerable weight in Zhonghai. It was known to represent only the wealthiest and most influential families. How could that brat possibly have a connection there? There must be some mistake, she thought, still unwilling to believe it.
But Attorney Han swiftly shattered the last of her wishful thinking. “There’s no mistake. My client is indeed Zhang Ziwen.” He then turned to the man seated in the specially designed chair. “You are Mr. Zhang Ziwen, correct?”
Zhang Ziwen nodded, still unsure of the situation unfolding before him.
Attorney Han, noticing the handcuffs on Zhang’s wrists, frowned and addressed Wu Min. “Officer, this doesn’t appear to be a particularly hospitable environment. Why is my client still handcuffed even inside the interrogation room?”
Wu Min responded quickly, her instincts honed from years of experience. “We have reason to believe he poses a threat of violence—this is a precautionary measure.”
“Reason to believe?” Han shook his head slowly. “Well, now I have reason to believe your department is engaging in abusive practices. This borders on coercive interrogation. I reserve the right to file a formal complaint.”
His voice grew stern. “Now, I must insist—remove the cuffs immediately.”
Wu Min exchanged a glance with the officer beside her, both inwardly acknowledging the sharpness of Han’s rhetoric—typical of someone from Jinzhong Law.
She signaled to the crew-cut officer to unlock the handcuffs. A complaint from a prominent lawyer would be far more trouble than it was worth, even if she loathed the idea.
Seeing their cooperation, Han nodded in approval. “Now, I intend to post bail for my client. From this point forward, all inquiries shall go through me.”
“What? You want to bail him out? Absolutely not.” Wu Min didn’t hesitate in her refusal.
“I’m afraid I must insist,” Han said coldly. “Given my suspicion of coercive treatment, I have no choice but to secure his release. Furthermore, if my client’s wrists show any significant bruising from the handcuffs, I will document it as evidence for a potential court proceeding.”
“Do as you wish. But I will not approve his release.” Wu Min’s tone turned frosty, her elegant features hardened by indignation.
Unfazed, Han replied coolly, “Very well. Since you are unable to authorize it, I request to speak with your superior.”
“Seeing my superior won’t change anything. My word stands—he will not be released.” Wu Min remained firm.
Sensing the situation spiraling, the crew-cut officer gave a discreet tug on his superior’s sleeve, silently urging her not to act rashly.
Ignoring Wu Min’s resistance, Han calmly retrieved a camera from his briefcase, walked over to Zhang, and began snapping photographs of the bruises on his wrists. Zhang cooperated, deliberately raising his hands to better display the deep, purplish welts left from the night before.
At that moment, the heavy iron door creaked open, and a rotund officer entered. One glance at the insignia on his shoulder confirmed he was a high-ranking official.
“Superintendent Chen,” Wu Min and her subordinate greeted him respectfully.
Zhang watched curiously—could this corpulent figure be someone even Attorney Han couldn’t outmaneuver?
Chen gave them a curt nod, then noticed Han taking photos of Zhang’s injuries. With a lighthearted chuckle, he called out, “Oh, Han! Why didn’t you stop by my office for a chat? And what’s all this? Taking photos?”
His tone suggested a certain familiarity with the lawyer.
Han smiled in return. “No choice. I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t have genuine concerns about my client’s treatment. I have a duty to my clients, after all.”
“Mistreatment?” Superintendent Chen’s expression grew serious. “Impossible. That kind of thing would never happen in my precinct. This must be a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Han raised Zhang’s wrist for him to see. The injuries were unmistakable.
“My goodness, how careless can you be?” Chen turned to Wu Min and the other officer. “Haven’t I told you a thousand times to be careful when restraining suspects? Now look what you’ve done.”
Faced with their superior’s reprimand, Wu Min and her colleague could only nod silently, feigning humility.
After venting, Superintendent Chen turned to Han again with a chuckle. “See? I’ve scolded them already. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill. Let’s call it what it is—a misunderstanding.”
Han, however, wasn’t easily placated. “Still, I can’t rest easy unless my client is released.”
“Bail? Of course, no problem. I’ll arrange everything right away,” Superintendent Chen said with surprising eagerness.
Zhang felt a surge of relief. Though he had no idea why a lawyer was suddenly helping him, anything was better than rotting in this place.
Wu Min tried to object, alarmed at her superior’s easy concession. “Superintendent Chen—”
But he waved her off, silencing her without a word.
With the superintendent’s approval, the process moved quickly. Zhang was freed from the special chair, and Han packed up his camera without a fuss.
Zhang watched him stow the camera so easily, a faint suspicion crossing his mind—was there even film in that thing?
From being dragged in like a criminal to being personally escorted out with apologies, Zhang felt as though he were in a dream. Catching sight of Wu Min’s furious expression, he couldn’t resist a smug glance in her direction. His triumphant smirk only deepened her anger, making her bite her lip in frustration.
Han’s car turned out to be a sleek BMW 5 Series. Zhang leaned back into the soft leather seat, studying the lawyer in silence, his face full of questions.
Noticing his gaze, Han smiled. “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
Zhang gave him the address and waited, eager for answers.
But Han simply shook his head with a rueful smile. “Don’t look at me like that. My client has instructed me to keep your identity confidential. As a lawyer, professional ethics forbid me from disclosing anything. But rest assured—my client means you no harm. They only wish to help.”
Zhang figured that if Han wouldn’t say, there was no point in asking. He’d find out eventually. Besides, as long as it wasn’t hurting him—and it had clearly just helped him—he might as well enjoy it. With that thought, he closed his eyes and settled into the ride.
The drive was quiet. In less than half an hour, the BMW pulled into the familiar neighborhood of Xiangheli.
Han gave him a nudge. “We’re here.”
Back in his own place, Zhang felt a faint sense of warmth. The apartment was small and a little messy, but it was his sanctuary.
He eyed his familiar bed and, too lazy even to shower, flopped down onto it. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it, inhaled deeply, and exhaled with satisfaction. Few things in life compared to the sheer comfort of a post-chaos smoke.
Suddenly, the phone shrilled, dragging him out of his blissful haze. Sunlight filtered through the curtains—it was already morning.
“Who is it?” he mumbled groggily.
“You little punk! Where the hell were you yesterday? You didn’t pick up the phone, and your mobile was off!”
Zhang winced, holding the receiver away from his ear. Only his cousin, He Li, dared to yell at him like that.
Once her tirade ended, he chuckled nervously. “Sis, what’s up so early?”
“Are you stupid? I wouldn’t call unless I had something important. Get over here now.”
“Can’t you come to me instead? Your place is kind of inconvenient for me right now…”
“Try not showing up and see what happens! You’ve got one hour to be in front of me. Don’t test me!”
Click. The line went dead.
Zhang sighed and shook his head. There was no getting out of it. When He Li got mad, peace was no longer an option.
He dragged himself to the bathroom, splashed through a quick shower, got dressed, and headed out the door.
- Writer
