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"I have something to tell you."
Just as Leonard was complaining, Kalinda came over. Leonard fell silent instantly, only daring to glance at her.
"Leonard, go find Mike."
Kalinda looked at Leonard.
"Do you know me?"
Little Leonard's face flushed slightly. Seeing Kalinda's knowing expression, he simply nodded and agreed, "Oh, okay."
Kalinda waited until little Leonard left, then sat down next to Chuck. Looking at Chuck's lunch, she sarcastically said, "I didn't expect you'd like Mexican food."
Chuck frowned at Kalinda, who was so close to him, and said calmly, "All food has different quality levels."
"...Let's get down to business."
Kalinda's face darkened, staring at Chuck. "You've been watching the jury for so long. Have you figured out anything?"
"Did you see that guy?"
Chuck, seeing that they were getting down to business, gestured for her to look at a white-bearded old man on the jury. "He may not be the wealthiest, smartest, or most charismatic, but he's the jury foreman. His decision will largely determine the outcome of this trial."
"How much do you make a year as a detective?"
Kalinda had researched this beforehand, so she naturally knew this. Once again, her expression was speechless, and she couldn't help but ask the question that concerned her most.
Most people wouldn't proactively ask someone such a personal question; it was considered extremely rude.
But she could tell Chuck wasn't just anybody. As an investigator, she sometimes had to ask these intimate questions to elicit the answers she needed.
Now she felt she had to know this, or else it would be incredibly frustrating.
"You think I can make a lot of money doing this, so you can do it too?"
Chuck glanced at her.
"How dare I compare myself to Dr. Wolfe?"
Kalinda scoffed. "You started college at 15, earned your doctorate in accounting from UT Austin, the nation's top-ranked accounting program, at 20. Now, at only 22, you've already made a name for yourself in the accounting industry. You're a genius. Of course, ordinary people like us can't compare."
Even so, she emphasized the word "accounting," clearly still unconvinced that Chuck, an accountant, could challenge them as investigators and still earn far more than them.
"A modest request for a raise can lead to success, but asking for too much will get you fired."
Chuck lowered his eyes. "For your own good, it's better for you not to know."
He wasn't surprised that Kalinda had investigated him and casually shared his resume.
When people live in society, they must have a clear and verifiable background that can be checked by others.
Otherwise, wouldn't they become suspicious individuals with no paper trail?
"..."
Kalinda paused.
She was indeed planning to use Chuck's detective income as a benchmark to ask her boss for a raise. She had an estimate in her mind before, thinking that although Chuck's fees were so outrageous, it would probably take several years to find such a generous client.
But now it seems that she still greatly underestimated Chuck.
She really wanted to continue asking questions.
However, thinking about the current economic recession and the sluggish market, even their law firm was laying off a lot of staff. If she really knew a number that would completely unbalance her mindset, she really didn't know what to do.
She couldn't bear not getting a bigger raise.
If her boss thought she was asking for more than she was worth, he'd fire her outright. Finding the same job again would be difficult, and she'd already worked at this law firm for years, familiar with every aspect.
And her best friend was there too...
"What does the jury foreman think?"
Kalinda finally agreed, reluctantly, with Chuck's suggestion that it was better not to know, and changed the subject.
"He hasn't made up his mind yet,"
Chuck said calmly. "But they generally have sympathy for Mrs. Florrick, and that's had a positive impact on Mr. Bauer. You made a wise choice by choosing Mrs. Florrick as your defense attorney."
The American jury system determines guilt and the judge sentences.
The jury typically consists of 12 people, and they must all agree on either guilty or not guilty, otherwise the trial begins again with a new jury.
People tend to follow the crowd, and under the persuasion of influential figures, or under pressure from public opinion and other factors, they tend to unanimously decide on either guilty or not guilty.
If found guilty, the judge will impose an appropriate sentence according to the law.
Of course, the judge has the right to overturn the jury's verdict of guilty or not guilty, but that would be controversial and rarely happens.
When Kalinda heard her best friend's name, she immediately turned her head away, pretending to look at the jury, not daring to make eye contact with Chuck.
She was genuinely worried Chuck would reveal her innermost secrets again.
"The law firm chose Alicia more for her ability than her status,"
Kalinda countered, arguing with the underlying meaning in Chuck's words. "Alicia is an excellent lawyer."
"Status is also a form of ability,"
Chuck said calmly.
Who doesn't know the famous Florricks?
The husband is a renowned Chicago State's Attorney, known as the city's "white knight." He recently resigned after a sex scandal involving payments to a call girl was exposed.
After more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom, the wife left her suburban mansion behind and returned to work for the sake of her family. With the help of her former law school classmate and admirer, Will Gardner, she joined the law firm, taking on case after case.
Public opinion generally sympathizes with Mrs. Florrick, who, despite being humiliated by her husband's very public infidelity, refuses to divorce and instead works to support the family.
Another crucial reason why Diane, a senior partner of the law firm, agreed to hire Mrs. Florrick is that her husband, after many years as State's Attorney, has world-class connections in Chicago.
For lawyers like her, who often deal with prosecutors and the courts, these connections are an invaluable resource.
Even though the attorney's husband was indicted and awaiting trial for allegedly misusing public funds after resigning, his close connections remain committed to supporting him, contributing financially and politically to his defense and allowing him to run for State's Attorney again and even Governor.
With this potential comeback, it's believed that this fallen politician could become a future Presidential candidate, a figure who has the potential to become a national leader.
All of this is possible thanks to the support of his wife, the attorney.
Therefore, the potential power of an attorney's connections is unimaginable.
These connections are far more crucial than a lawyer's courtroom ability.
Otherwise, no matter how outstanding she was back then, how could she have the opportunity to appear frequently in major cases and become a legal superstar after returning to the scene after more than ten years of focusing on her family?
Besides, she couldn't have been that outstanding back then, otherwise she wouldn't have chosen to give up her career to support her husband.
People who are outstanding naturally have their own pride and ambitions. Unless they are the template of the heroine in movies, TV shows or novels, it is impossible for them to sacrifice their talents like this.
(End of this chapter)
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