"You're right. It's impossible to overturn that inheritance case … After seven years, all the usable evidence has basically disappeared. No matter what we say here, it can only be inference," Zuo Yan continued, "This is also the reason why you can maintain such a fearless attitude."
"I'm fearless because I have a clear conscience." John's tone carried a hint of pride. "Unlike someone …" As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Sam. "… who's about to go to prison for hiring a murderer."
"That's not necessarily true." As Feng Bujue interrupted, he stood up and poured himself a glass of red wine. "Many times … a matter that doesn't seem suspicious at first glance is actually completely different from what it appears to be."
When he said this, John, Sam, and Doster didn't understand what he meant. They only thought that he was deliberately mystifying things.
However, Zuo Yan … had already sensed a trace of peculiarity in these words. Vidocq, who was hiding in the dark, was startled the moment he heard these words … The feeling of being seen through almost made his hair stand on end.
"Zuo Yan, please continue." Two seconds later, Feng Bujue picked up the glass of red wine that had been refilled. As he walked back to his seat, he looked at Zuo Yan and added.
"Hmm … Okay." Zuo Yan hesitated for a moment before he continued, "At this point in time, the situation is relatively clear. What Miller knows is very fatal to John. As long as Miller reveals that John and Old Herbert are not related by blood, from a legal point of view, he is an outsider who didn't even go through the adoption procedures and lived in the Herbert family without the knowledge of the people involved.
"In this case, even if the so-called 'will' was forged by Sam, it wouldn't affect the order of succession. Old Herbert never left a real will … So, after the existing will is determined to be fake, the Herbert family's property should be distributed according to the general rules of the inheritance law. The only legitimate heir to the property is still Sam.
"Of course, even if that's the case, John isn't really under Miller's control. After all, John has plenty of resources. If Miller spreads the news, John will definitely hire some expensive lawyers to help him fight the lawsuit. Whether it's the legal adoption or the statute of limitations of the inheritance law, it's not impossible to say that there's no chance of winning.
"There's no doubt that when Miller started blackmailing John, John had already calculated this debt. However, he still has a guilty conscience. God knows if there are any loopholes in the inheritance case, so John still paid the money.
"However, he didn't pay much. As a businessman, John naturally knows how to bargain. He also calculated Miller's debt clearly and put it on the table to negotiate with Miller.
"Both of them are involved in the case, and both of them have a guilty conscience. It wouldn't do Miller any good if he exposed this matter. He would just be harming others without benefiting himself. Moreover, there's the new crime of 'blackmail.' If the two of them really fought to the death, Miller would be in a worse situation.
"So, after some 'negotiation,' the blackmail turned into a situation similar to charity.
"For the past three years, John would transfer a sum of money in his personal name to an overseas account every month. The owner of the account was, of course, Miller. The amount of money was neither too much nor too little. It was about a month's salary for a middle-class person.
"For John, this didn't matter at all. His expenses for raising a dog were higher than this. As for Miller, at least in the beginning, this condition was not bad. This was because he was at his lowest point. People who were about to sleep on the streets usually weren't picky about money.
"However, it didn't take long for Miller, who was able to live a life of food and clothing without any effort, to be greedy again.
"After he calmed down, he must have realized that he had such a big secret in his hands, but he only got leftovers in exchange. So, he gradually became dissatisfied with his life. Then, he went to social media to vent. Then, he wanted to go back to his old business. However, he didn't want to risk giving up his stable income.
"In the end, the only thing Miller could think of was to renegotiate with John. However, he was rejected.
"Not long after that incident, he went to Sam."
Zuo Yan was silent for a moment, as if he was waiting for everyone to digest this piece of information.
"I understand Miller's motive for going to John. It's nothing more than money." After a while, Feng Bujue was the first to speak. "But, why did he go to Sam?"
…
"This guy … He's asking the obvious …" At the same time, Vidocq, who was hiding in the ventilation duct, muttered to himself.
"What?" The others couldn't hear this, but Zuo Yan could. He immediately asked Vidocq telepathically, "Are you talking about Brother Jue?"
"I don't know why, but he seems to have been guiding our narration. He wants us to explain the case in as much detail as possible," Vidocq replied. "But, in fact, I can feel that he sees as far as I do."
"This …" Zuo Yan thought for a moment. "Does that mean he wants to help us?"
"I don't know," Vidocq replied. "Anyway, you continue to narrate, and I'll observe a bit more …"
…
The others couldn't hear a word of the inner dialogue between the man and the cat. In their eyes, Zuo Yan was just thinking silently for a while.
Then, he said, "It's very simple. It's also for money, but the amount and the way to get it are very different."
"I understand now!" Suddenly, Doster shouted. He looked like a child who had finally solved a super difficult riddle. "As long as John is killed and the secret that he is not Old Herbert's biological son is revealed, then … there's no need for a lawsuit. At least, the part of his property that originally belonged to the Herbert family will all be inherited by Sam!"
"Actually, it's fine if he doesn't announce it." Zuo Yan continued, "From another perspective … If Miller doesn't reveal the secret, then, in the eyes of outsiders, after John's death, his property will also be inherited by his only 'brother' in the world."
"The truth about John's background … is Miller's trump card." At this moment, Sam, who had a serious expression on his face, continued, "If I'm obstructed in the process of inheriting the inheritance, he can use that to turn the situation around. Also, when he first came to me, he already knew … that as long as he showed me that trump card, I would help him."
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