Chapter 10: Provocation

Seeing the expressions of the crowd, Philip felt much more at ease; this is what a normal reaction should be!

Beth said softly that she also knew the limits, only sharing some publicly available information about the case with Bruce

Bruce furrowed his brow and glanced at Beth with some concern: "You are in charge of this case"

When someone probes into his past life or topics he does not understand, he diverts the conversation to other subjects

Philip wore a look of shock, yet there was a hint of secret delight in his eyes

Are you out of your mind? Getting involved in such a complicated case, you are facing a prosecutor's office under pressure from the church! For a case of this level, not to mention us, even our partners would think twice before deciding whether to take it on, and it is a pro bono case!

Although the question was directed at Beth, Bruce's gaze kept drifting towards Gu Zheng, clearly indicating that his true intention was not merely to inquire about the wine

Initially, there was a certain degree of familiarity and affection towards the newly arrived lawyer, Gu Zheng, among the crowd

Hiss!

During the conversation, Philip was constantly assessing Gu Zheng. Although he was not close to Bruce, Bruce preferred to resolve cases through negotiations before the trial, which led him to frequently interact with his former colleagues.

As soon as Beth sat down, Bruce eagerly asked, "How was your day out? What case did you handle?"

Philip had a smile at the corner of his mouth: "No, this case involves a member of the clergy. Our district attorney has a good relationship with the church, so this time I am the second chair. The one in charge of this case is our district deputy prosecutor, and she is quite a tough character, much tougher than I am!"

After taking a few sips of alcohol, Bruce, with a slightly flushed face, defended himself, insisting that he was not afraid of competition at all

As Beth slowly recounted the case summary, everyone present was immediately plunged into a state of shock

They hold the autonomy to negotiate charges with lawyers and decide whether to prosecute, yet this group also exhibits the greatest variability in competence, as the number of cases in district attorney's offices is exceedingly high, with a single district having hundreds of law firms but only one DA's office

After a moment of silence, everyone began to chat again, continuing the discussion along the same topic as before

With such a brilliant resume, Gu Zheng only needs to continue working diligently, and within two years, he is certain to be promoted to partner

He discovered that when he provoked the district attorney and the deputy district attorney, Gu Zheng's expression did not change at all, as he calmly enjoyed his iced red tea, exuding a somewhat frightening composure

In reality, he did not know that Gu Zheng was not terrifyingly calm, but rather terrifyingly ignorant

However, if Gu Zhengru fails in this case, then the points added to his original resume will be reduced by half

However, after listening, they immediately extinguished this thought, for in their view, Gu Zheng was simply courting death

I have heard that the assessment for the partners is about to begin. If your case concludes a bit sooner, there might still be a chance to catch up

Here, here

After Beth finished discussing the case chosen by Gu Zheng, the atmosphere in the small bar began to change.

After the shock, Bruce quietly advised Beth

As for the other things they hold and their defense strategies, they will not be casually disclosed to those who do not belong to the defense team, so Bruce naturally feels that they are facing the prosecutors of the prosecution office

I believe there is no relationship with www.hetushu.com. Since there is such a great opportunity to take on the second seat, I would like to give it a try

The District Attorney's Office, commonly referred to as the DA in American television dramas, is undoubtedly the most significant among them. This position is nearly akin to that of a politician, and the District Attorney typically does not appear in court unless it is to enhance their public image for political gain

Bruce quickly introduced him, and it was only then that Philip, amidst the puzzled expressions of the crowd, began to explain: "I just overheard your discussion about the case next door, so I came over to investigate the situation of the opponent."

As a bar where members of Gardner & Goldstein Law Firm often gather, it naturally does not resemble those bars on television filled with frenzied electronic music

Gu Zheng listened to their conversation and began to understand that Bruce's hostility towards him stemmed from the upcoming partner evaluation.

A few days ago, during a gathering of assistant prosecutors, he had already heard Bruce's complaints, and combined with what he had just overheard, he had some understanding of Gu Zheng.

Previously, Beth, who had an indifferent expression, also looked astonished

As the two individuals entered the bar, Bruce, who was seated inside, quickly waved to attract their attention

Bru stood up in surprise and said, "Philip, I didn't expect to see you here!"

At that moment, a man's voice came from behind Gu Zheng.

Haha, it seems that Bruce has to pray for your case to fail, as he is currently the one among us most likely to be promoted to partner

The regional deputy prosecutors, on the other hand, are all elites among elites, each having been tempered through thousands of cases. They are the most outstanding lawyers in the region

Philip walked over from the adjacent bar and approached everyone, smiling as he glanced at Gu Zheng: "Aren't you going to introduce your new colleague?"

Most of those present are first- and second-year lawyers, who are much easier to handle than partners Josh and Kate

Beth glanced at Gu Zheng and, noticing that he did not care, slowly recounted her experiences with him from today

Had it not been for Gu Zheng's involvement, he would have been almost certain to pass. However, with Gu Zheng's arrival, the situation suddenly became ambiguous. He certainly did not wish for his two years of hard work to go to waste, and naturally, he felt a strong hostility towards the unexpectedly arrived Gu Zheng

They have all heard of Gu Zheng's dazzling resume and know that even though Gu Zheng joined the firm a year later than they did, he might become a partner even earlier than they will. When the time comes for the partner meeting, they will still need to count on Gu Zheng's vote.

Gu Zheng paid no attention to Bruce's subtle thoughts, instead engaging in conversation with the other lawyers in the seats, playing the role of a newcomer well integrated into the group

Do not be misled by the title of assistant prosecutor; the autonomy of an assistant prosecutor is significantly higher than that of the lawyers within their firms

Below are the regional deputy prosecutors and assistant prosecutors

However, they are still unaware that Gu Zheng and Beth have chosen a much more difficult path. The competence of prosecutors varies, but the lawyers hired by the wealthy church will undoubtedly be of high caliber

Bruce

You and Bruce are two extremes; as soon as you enter, you seek out cases to handle yourself, while Bruce avoids the courtroom whenever possible. He was previously an assistant prosecutor, and in the past year, he has not had a single case that went to formal trial as chief; all of them were resolved before the hearings.

The people from Gardner Gold & Associates inside the bar counter gasped in shock

On the contrary, the environment here is very tranquil, somewhat reminiscent of the Starbucks that Gu Zheng frequently visited in the past, though the lighting cannot be compared to the abundant use of floor-to-ceiling windows in Starbucks, making it relatively more private