What kind of divination am I doing?

Cui Cui explained, "My husband and I reviewed this matter privately. The Luqiao brothers helped a lot, so we certainly can't let you work for nothing. Once the money comes through, we'll give you the same amount of money for the lawyer's fees in a red envelope. I hope you won't mind."

Cui Cui clearly intended to befriend Lu Qiao, after all, she understood from Liu Bo and Zhao Chengpeng's descriptions that Lu Qiao was a remarkable person.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiao remained expressionless.

Zhao Chengpeng and Cuicui thought they had said something wrong.

No one could have imagined that Lu Qiao was working on math problems at that moment.

Assuming a compensation of ten million, a 7% bonus would be awarded.

There was a $700,000 red envelope, and the key point is that Black Cat didn't even know about this money, so it's his private property, and he made it all himself!

"Then I won't stand on ceremony," Lu Qiao blurted out, regaining his senses.

Zhao Chengpeng didn't say much, quickly adding, "I won't say anything more, it's all in the wine!"

"Drink, we have to drink!" Liu Bo said with a smile, raising his glass.

Wang Ming then spoke up: "A settlement of ten million is not difficult. I'm not bragging; just watch my performance!"

Luqiao, who was feeling sour just a second ago, picked up the red wine on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

This glass of wine is the most enjoyable wine Luqiao has ever had.

Three or four more main dishes were served, and the group, having eaten their fill, chatted and drank.

After getting away with the late self-punishment of drinking three cups of wine, Luqiao kept picking at his food.

After several rounds of persuasion to drink, Lu Qiao accepted every toast offered, since it was free money.

Wang Ming raised his glass again, and Lu Qiao, having finished eating, remembered the black cat's advice, raised his glass and walked over.

Lu Qiao sat down next to Wang Ming, clinked glasses with him, and explained, "Attorney Wang, I have something to discuss with you."

Wang Ming, blushing, retorted, "I've already been expediting the process for your house."

"No, what I mean is, I don't want to sell anymore. I want to stay in the United States for a longer period of time!" Lu Qiao explained.

Wang Ming was taken aback and wiped his face: "You're not going to sell it? I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Ming, true to his professional ethics, knew this was a private matter and hesitated to continue.

Liu Bo and the others immediately understood, and they pulled Zhao Chengpeng and Cuicui to raise their glasses and chatted and laughed.

Wang Ming leaned close to Lu Qiao's ear and whispered, "I got you a tourist visa, you have to leave within six months! Staying for six months won't cause any problems, but if you leave after six months, the house price might change. The key issues are the lawyer fees and the inheritance tax we advanced—we can't afford to delay that for six months!"

"Don't worry about the money. Whatever it is, that's what it is. You calculate it and I'll give it to you tomorrow," Lu Qiao replied.

Wang Ming paused for a moment, thought about it carefully, and then smiled and said softly, "That's true. It wouldn't be right for me to kick you out. You've only been here two days, and you've already given out hundreds of thousands in bribes. If you're this capable, the money we advanced is really nothing. Besides, if you have any more cases like this, we can give you a cut from the lawyer's fees!"

Lu Qiao nodded and smiled, knowing that Wang Ming thought he was here to make money, and of course, with this excuse, Lu Qiao didn't intend to expose him.

Wang Ming smiled as well, which meant that a deal had been struck privately.

"By the way, does Attorney Wang have any way to let me stay longer?" Lu Qiao asked, making no attempt to avoid suspicion.

Seeing that Lu Qiao was speaking directly, Wang Ming didn't hold back: "I have connections. After six months, my university degree can be kept for another five years. Then I can switch to a work permit and go through the H-1B visa for permanent residency. Actually, if you have money, it's too easy to stay."

Liu Bo understood: "Brother Luqiao, you came on a tourist visa to help your aunt with her business. I understand if you want to stay permanently."

"I thought something was wrong. It's good that you're staying! Don't worry, we'll back you up if anything happens," Zhao Chengpeng said, putting his arm around Liu Bo's shoulder.

Wang Ming was completely confused: "This aunt isn't...?"

"Yes, they asked me to open this shop!" Lu Qiao quickly whispered in Wang Ming's ear, "You told me, don't say you're dead. If the house doesn't sell well, I'll say my aunt has returned to China and I'll take care of the business."

Wang Ming nodded after listening, clearly understanding everything.

From Wang Ming's perspective, ever since they sat down to eat and drink, he had heard Zhao Chengpeng and Liu Bo boast about Lu Qiao's amazing calculations and even that Lu Qiao deserved the most credit for the newly opened hotel.

How could Wang Ming not know what was going on? Lu Qiao had previously said that his aunt was a charlatan, and now that he himself was acting like a charlatan, the effect was truly exaggerated.

Of course, since everyone has a stake in this and can make money from it, there's no need to expose it.

Wang Ming turned his head and whispered, "I'll go to the boss tomorrow to waive the handling fee, since you brought this deal in. But we're paying the inheritance tax in real money. I'll calculate it and send it to your phone tomorrow. You should pay as soon as possible. Since the castle isn't in a hurry to sell, I can't delay the payment for long."

Lu Qiao nodded: "Don't worry, I'll give it to you when we get back!"

Wang Ming raised his glass again: "It's all good news, let's have another drink."

Everyone took another sip, and the deal was done.

Later, in Luqiao, although he refused to drink the three cups as punishment, he still drank quite a lot.

But in his hazy state, he forgot how much he had drunk, and couldn't even remember what happy thing had made him raise his glass.

By the time Lu Qiao realized he had drunk too much, he had unknowingly downed a bottle and a half of red wine.

Although it wasn't as strong as Uncle Chen's Jiannanchun, this group of people drank it quickly and in a very fast manner.

The road and bridge collapsed. Before the collapse, I vaguely heard Wang Ming laughing.

"The kid's already lying down. I'll head back now. Let me know as soon as there's any news about your situation. Contact me via WeChat..."

……

When Luqiao woke up, he found himself in a large bed.

Trying hard to recall, Luqiao only remembered that he received a large red envelope.

The moment I remembered this, I woke up; the wine I drank was well worth it.

Lu Qiao, who had just gotten up, looked around and realized that this seemed to be a hotel room.

It's called a hotel room because it has a private bathroom.

Lu Qiao walked to the window and looked down, where he could see the entire Chinatown, all laid out before him.

I counted, and this is the third floor, so this is still the Sheraton.

Lu Qiao went into the restroom to wash up and then went out, glancing at the room card on the wall before taking it down.

As soon as I stepped out of the building, I saw cleaning staff tidying up the other rooms.

The third floor is the hotel's accommodation floor, and Lu Qiao groped his way to the elevator.

As Luqiao walked down the elevator, he looked at the control panel and saw that the purpose of each floor was clearly written.

This Sheraton hotel has a dining hall on the first floor, wedding banquets on the second floor, and hotel accommodations on the third floor, except for three private rooms on the third floor: 666, 777, and 888.

When we arrived at the lobby, the Sheraton was serving morning tea.

Luqiao saw that the hall was full of guests, including regular customers and tourists, and he could faintly hear the sound of opera.

Lu Qiao grabbed the room key and went to the front desk, handing the key to the receptionist.

The receptionist took it, swiped it, and handed it back.

"Huh? I'm checking out! Zhao Chengpeng booked this room for me." Lu Qiao explained, afraid of making a mistake.

"Yes, the boss instructed that this card is for you!" the receptionist replied.

Lu Qiao was taken aback, holding the room key and looking bewildered: "Huh? Why are you giving it to me?"

"This is our Sheraton Black Card, which grants you a one-year hotel stay. It was activated yesterday. For the entire year, we'll reserve a private room for you, and you can use this card to dine here, with a limit of 300 per meal. You also have the right to treat guests to a private room free of charge once a month," the receptionist explained with a smile.

The receptionist's words brought Luqiao's memory back to the previous gambling game.

That's right, I won. I won a year's worth of meals.

Now that these things are being told by the receptionist in front of me, it feels like this is more than just a year of eating and drinking for free.

Thinking of this, Lu Qiao asked, "Then, can I take some food back with me?"

"Your order, I'll place it right away."

Lu Qiao smiled helplessly: "For breakfast, just grab whatever's on the menu. I can eat about one and a half people's worth of food."

Lu Qiao originally wanted to say one person and one cat, but then he thought that Zhao Chengpeng probably just wanted him to freeload off the food.

Although cats don't eat much, it's still not appropriate to say it out loud.

I can only emphasize that I can eat a lot so that the cat can get some.

Logically speaking, given the black cat's behavior, let alone cat food, Luqiao would rather feed it pig feed directly.

Sprinkle some palatability enhancer, take it or leave it.

The receptionist tapped the screen: "Our shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and steamed spare ribs are all quite good, and the chicken feet are especially flavorful. If you can eat, I'll also serve you a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork."

"This is troublesome." Lu Qiao smiled awkwardly.

"You're welcome. This is my business card. If you're hungry and don't want to make a trip, you can call me," the receptionist explained.

Lu Qiao hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took the business card.

After a wait of about five minutes, the receptionist came out carrying bags in both hands.

"He who eats another's food is bound to be grateful; he who takes another's money is bound to be obliging." Lu Qiao thanked him profusely and left with a flushed face.

We walked back to the castle, and unexpectedly, the banquet lasted from evening until daytime.

During this time, Luqiao glanced at his phone to see if Black Cat had contacted him, only to realize that even if Black Cat was anxious, he wouldn't have his number.

But Luqiao saw a message from Wang Ming.

Lu Qiao looked at the message Wang Ming had written: "You are the nephew who inherited the property, not a direct descendant. This is subject to the highest tax rate of 16%, amounting to 327,000. There's nothing we can do about it."

The payment information for Wang Ming Law Firm was listed at the bottom of the message.

It should be noted that Lu Qiao only had 650,000 RMB in his domestic bank account, while his old, dilapidated apartment building could be sold for 800,000 RMB.

Even if you manipulate things a bit, selling everything would only net you 1.5 million RMB.

The inheritance tax alone amounts to US$320,000, or RMB 2.3 million.

Luqiao was actually somewhat relieved; if it weren't for the gold shop incident, they really wouldn't have been able to hold on.

As soon as Luqiao entered the castle, he began to whine about being poor: "The sky has fallen! I managed to get them to waive my legal fees with my silver tongue, but the inheritance tax alone is 327,000."

Lu Qiao was stunned after shouting. At that moment, several foreign customers were queuing to pay, and some were even still making selections.

How can business be so good in broad daylight?

Are they all lining up to pet the cat? Does this black cat have that much magic?

As Lu Qiao was thinking this, he looked towards the cashier and saw a strange scene.

Is someone at the cashier?

It was a girl helping with the cashier; she was very tall and wearing a purple cloak, but even that couldn't hide her stunningly beautiful face.

So what are these men in the shop doing right now?

They're not here to pet the cats, they're here to see the pretty girls!

Who is this beautiful woman? Her appearance has changed slightly, but Luqiao recognizes her.

"Monica? What are you doing here?" Lu Qiao blurted out instinctively.

Monica smiled and told everyone to continue lining up to pay, then pointed to the recliner by the door: "Manager, you can rest first, I'll talk to you when I'm done."

Lu Qiao then realized that Monica must have applied concealer foundation to prevent the sunlight from reflecting off her body.

The makeup actually made Monica even prettier.

Lu Qiao reluctantly took the food he had brought and sat down at the door.

But they found that no customers left at all; they bought their things, walked to the door, and then turned around and went back inside.

Not only that, but people were even coming towards the castle from outside. Lu Qiao heard him sending a voice message on his phone:

"Bro, there's a hot girl here! Come quick!"

That's so weird. Could Luqiao have been drunk for two nights?

I glanced at the time on my phone; it was indeed only one night.

Lu Qiao didn't understand what had happened that night.

The black cat jumped off the front desk, trotted out, leaped onto the table in front of the recliner, and meowed at the things Lu Qiao had brought, saying, "I can smell it all. What good stuff did you bring back?"

Lu Qiao opened the plastic bag, took out stacks of pre-packaged morning tea, pointed inside the castle, and asked, "Monica, what are you doing? You're not managing the Outland Tavern anymore, are you working as a receptionist here? Did you call her in to help?"

The black cat poked its head out, a shrimp dumpling in its mouth: "That greedy woman got fired from the Outer Realms Tavern."

"Huh? Didn't I hear you say last night that you would give a lighter punishment?" Lu Qiao looked puzzled.

Black Cat then spoke helplessly: "I didn't mention Monica directly, but the tavern patrons saw something related to Monica when they found the gold. It's hard to explain, so they sent an investigation team down. Who knew this guy was a repeat offender, with seven serious crimes and twenty-three charges! Things like lying, bribery, accepting bribes, insider trading, running a betting platform, issuing fake missions..."

The black cat proceeded to elaborate on each charge and accusation.

Lu Qiao was completely bewildered and said, "Are you reciting a menu?! Just get to the point! How... how do we handle this?"

"Handle? What can we do with it? It's all capital offenses! When the investigation team came down, Monica had already disappeared. All the gold she helped dump is now stuck in inventory!" Black Cat sighed.

Lu Qiao's eyes widened: "What do you mean by 'stagnant'? How am I supposed to pay inheritance tax then! That's twenty pounds of gold worth three million US dollars!"

"Don't worry, the gold is still mine. We've discussed this matter clearly, but because she helped me dump these twenty catties of gold, her disappearance from the Outer Territory Tavern can't close the case. The gold can only be held as part of the evidence against her, and it will only be returned to me after the case is closed."

"What? How am I supposed to explain to Wang Ming that I'm broke? I can't exactly say I have gold in a gold shop that I have to wait for an elf to be captured before I can get it back. If I say that, Wang Ming will probably send me to a mental hospital!" Lu Qiao said anxiously.

The gold that was already in hand is now stuck? That means there's no money left for Wang Ming. What about the inheritance tax?

Lu Qiao was clearly panicked, but he immediately reacted and pointed at Monica inside the castle: "Wait, what? What do you mean, 'closed case'? What do you mean, 'she disappeared from the Outer Lands tavern'? Isn't she right here with us?"