Fog City Detective

Chapter 5: Encounter

The first person Liang Xi met was David. After expressing condolences, Liang Xi got straight to the point. He took out the old will, also sealed, from the borrowed assistant's briefcase, and the seal was broken. Placing the will on the table, Liang Xi asked, "Mr. David, didn't they say that Lawyer Cooke would read the will tomorrow night?"

David didn't quite understand. "Isn't it supposed to be Lawyer Cooke who reads the will?"

Liang Xi replied with a question, "Mr. David... Mr. Davis, let me explain. Have you ever heard any rumors about a slight disagreement between your father and Lawyer Cooke?"

David pondered for a while. "No, Lawyer Cooke was my grandfather's lawyer at the time. I haven't heard of any disagreements between them."

Liang Xi continued, "There's a rumor that Lawyer Cooke had dinner with your second brother once. Since then, the well-managed by the lawyer has turned into a sealed will. As the executor of your father's will, someone who knows the content of the will, according to industry rules, Lawyer Cooke should not have any private dealings with any interested parties."

David questioned, "Mr. Liang, may I ask what exactly you do?"

Liang Xi explained, "As I mentioned before, I am a psychological assessor."

David clarified, "Isn't it an emotional assessment?"

Liang Xi elaborated, "Different terms are used within and outside the industry. Internally, we commonly refer to ourselves as emotional assessors. For example, before notifying the relatives of the deceased, we conduct an assessment of their emotions first and then decide how to inform them. It's a people-oriented approach."

David seemed to understand Liang Xi's point and said, "Mr. Liang, I personally respect my father's will, and I can accept any terms. To be honest, I'm not even interested in inheriting the title. My focus is elsewhere. Even if I go bankrupt and lose my job, our family trust fund is enough to ensure our living standards won't be too bad."

Liang Xi stood up and shook hands with David. "I appreciate your cooperation. If possible, please keep the details of our conversation confidential for now."

...

The second person Liang Xi met was David the Second. Following the customary condolences, Liang Xi retrieved the unsealed old will from his briefcase. David the Second seemed surprised and hesitant, asking, "What does this mean?"

Observing his reaction, Liang Xi explained, "Mr. David, based on my understanding of nobility, the eldest son usually inherits the title, while the second son often chooses a military career."

David the Second nodded casually. "Is that what Cooke asked you to inform me about the will?"

Liang Xi shook his head. "No, this is the old will. According to the old will, Mr. David, you received some favorable treatment. It specifically states that considering your twelve years of military service and significant sacrifices for the family, you are entitled to an additional 2% of the assets compared to others."

David the Second was surprised. "Is that so?"

Liang Xi chuckled, "Apologies, Mr. David. I am a mood evaluator..." What was the term again?

Forgetting the title, Liang Xi went on, "Therefore, I need to tell some lies to understand the expectations of each potential heir regarding the will."

David the Second ignored Liang Xi's irritating dialogue and asked eagerly, "What is the content of the will?"

Liang Xi responded, "Although it's the old will, I still need Lawyer Cooke's consent to review it. Thank you for your cooperation. I appreciate your time."

After a handshake with David the Second, Liang Xi called Cooke immediately. Cooke had not informed Liang Xi about the stolen will, brushing it off when asked. After hanging up, Cooke contacted Liang Xi, asking, "Does David the Second have any suspicions?"

Liang Xi answered, "I don't believe David the Second stole the will, Lawyer Cooke. Is there a problem?"

Cooke hastily replied, "No, no."

...

The third son Liang Xi met was David the Third, the calmest and quietest among the siblings. Seeing the old will without much reaction, David the Third informed Liang Xi proactively, "I will donate all the inheritance, excluding the land, to charity. I don't care about the will's content, and I don't need a psychological assessment."

Liang Xi asked, "Why not donate the land?"

David the Third replied, "Because the land is part of the limited inheritance, and I hope the Davis family can continue to pass down the estate for generations. I personally expressed this wish to my father. I don't want him to divide the limited inheritance of land. Our ancestors left the Davis family estate to us, and it's our duty to protect it for our descendants."

Liang Xi smiled, "I talked to your elder brother before, and I think your family values are quite strong. You are more suited to be the heir to the title and the estate."

David the Third disagreed, "Primogeniture is a tradition and also a law. Without this rule, potential heirs of each family could do many despicable things to please the family head. For example, betraying their own brothers or having private dealings with lawyers."

Liang Xi remarked, "Is Mr. David referring to your second brother?"

David the Third shook his head, "I am not pointing fingers at anyone. I can ensure that I am not a greedy person, but I cannot advise others to be devoid of desires."

Liang Xi stood up and shook hands with David the Third. "Thank you." You didn't ask why I mentioned David the Second, indicating that you were aware of this matter.

...

All three sons had good temperaments, especially the eldest and the third, who were very polite. David the First and David the Third were unwilling to discuss family conflicts with Liang Xi. On the other hand, David the Daughter had a somewhat arrogant demeanor and spoke without courtesy.

Liang Xi asked a crucial question, "Among your brothers, who do you think cares most about the content of the will?"

David the Daughter answered without hesitation, "My second brother. He is the most ambitious among us. After leaving the military, he ventured into business, suffered heavy losses, and even applied for personal bankruptcy. My father, for the sake of the family's reputation, had to pay off his debts. A few months ago, he suffered significant losses from investing in a hedge fund and borrowed a considerable amount of money. Now, the whole family relies on the trust fund for sustenance."

Liang Xi asked, "What about your second sister-in-law?"

David the Daughter responded, "She is a very vain woman. To match her status as a wealthy daughter-in-law, she spends extravagantly. My second brother is in dire straits because of her. I've heard they suffered severe losses a few months ago due to investments in a hedge fund, and they borrowed money from outside. Now, the entire family depends on the trust fund to get by."

David the Daughter added, "My second brother and his wife are the ones in our family most eagerly anticipating the contents of the will."

It was evident that David the Daughter disliked her second sister-in-law, and her assessment of her second brother's character, based on her words, was relatively lenient. Throughout the conversation, she never spoke ill of the eldest and the third, displaying a positive attitude towards them.

Considering the family dynamics, there seemed to be some conflicts within the family. David the First and David the Third were unwilling to discuss family conflicts with Liang Xi. David the Daughter was cultured, but her dislike for her second sister-in-law was evident, indicating that she had tolerated it for a long time.

Liang Xi asked several old housekeepers, each of whom had worked on the Earl's estate for at least fifteen years. They informed Liang Xi that David the Daughter was the Earl's favorite. She behaved well in her daily life and always thought of the Earl and his late wife when good things came to her attention. In the ten years since the Earl's wife passed away, she spent at least one day a week accompanying the Earl on the estate.

Analyzing the old will, David the Daughter did not receive a larger share of the assets. The old will stated that the limited inheritance estate would be handed over to David the First, with the four children equally sharing the remaining assets.

Given the differences between the old and new wills, it was evident that the new will had altered the asset distribution. The gap between the two wills was only one month, during which only David the Daughter had seen the Earl. Her companionship might have influenced the asset allocation in the Earl's will. Judging from David the Daughter's attitude, David the Second was likely a victim of the new will.

However, based on the meeting with David the Second, Liang Xi believed he was not the one who stole the will.