Can I just say “softened” instead of “softened up”?

What is the difference between "write" and "write down"?

To "write" is the process of composing sentences made of words. It can be physically writing, typing, or writing something mentally. To "write down" is the act of physically writing words or sentences onto something else, often onto paper. Ex: I have only written down a couple paragraphs in my journal. Ex: What are you going to write about?

What's "Put-in"?

To "put in" in this case is another way to say to spend time working or to contribute. Ex: I'm only part-time but my boss had me put in forty hours last week. Ex: You put in a lot of time at work, you should take some time off.

Can I interpret the sentence as "high risk and high return"?

That seems to be a good way to put it! These court cases are challenging (cases are hard), and there is a lot of money that they could lose if they don't win these cases (stakes are high). You may already know this, but "high stakes" means a situation where a lot of money or something extremely important is at risk. If they win these difficult cases (high risk), they will receive a lot of money (high return).

Is the expression "shoot low aim high" used commonly?

The expression "shoot low aim high" is not commonly used. This phrase appears to be specific to this song and is not a standard English phrase.

What kind of book does "Dorian Gray" is?

The full name of the book "Dorian Gray" mentioned here is "The Picture of Dorian Gray," is a philosophical novel published in 1890 by Oscar Wilde. It's a fantasy story about a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.