I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

The lights in the Gu family's house were indeed on.

As the car pulled into the Gu family's old house, Lin Ye glanced out the window.

The yard is very large.

The wall is very high.

There are also many lights.

Everything was reminding him of one thing.

This is not a suitable place for cemetery security guards to roam freely.

Lin Ye sat in the back row, his palms slightly sweaty.

The most formal place he had ever been to was the school's career guidance center.

The wall there is decorated with the words "A Promising Future".

When the car stopped, Gu Wantang got out first.

Attorney Shen followed behind, carrying the file folder.

Lin Ye was the last to come down.

As soon as he landed, he saw two men in suits standing at the door.

The other person's gaze was subtle.

It doesn't look like they're looking at guests.

It's like looking at a package that shouldn't have been delivered here.

Lin Ye silently looked down at his clothes.

Fortunately.

It's not a security guard uniform.

Otherwise, he might be assigned to stand guard at the entrance on the spot.

Gu Wantang didn't explain who he was and walked straight inside.

Lin Ye had no choice but to keep up.

It's quieter inside the old house than outside.

The floor was so shiny you could see your reflection in it.

Several calligraphy and paintings are hanging on the wall.

Lin Ye glanced at it and immediately looked away.

Now, whenever he sees calligraphy and paintings, he thinks of the coffee shop owner who hung famous paintings on the toilet door.

As Lin Ye walked through the corridor, he vaguely heard people talking ahead.

The voice wasn't loud, but it had a smell commonly found in conference rooms.

The fire was being suppressed.

Pretend it's stable.

Everyone was talking like they were discussing family matters, but in reality, every word they uttered was about settling accounts.

Gu Wantang walked to the door and paused for a second.

Attorney Shen said in a low voice, "Ms. Gu, after we go in, I'll explain the results of the retrieval."

Gu Wantang looked at the door.

"No."

Attorney Shen paused.

Gu Wantang said, "I'll go first."

Lin Ye stood behind, silently taking a breath.

This girl looks like she's really about to flip the table.

He subconsciously touched the small notebook in his pocket.

After touching it, he quickly let go.

This is obviously not a suitable occasion for taking notes in a notebook; it's too dangerous.

The door was pushed open.

Everyone in the conference room looked over at the same time.

A dozen or so people were sitting around the long table.

Lin Ye spotted Gu Mingyuan at a glance.

He sat next to the head of the table, wearing a dark gray suit, his expression still gentle.

It was as gentle as if the coup attempt at the cemetery had never happened.

The rest of the Gu family were also there.

A middle-aged woman advising Gu Wantang to "stop making trouble" in front of the grave.

They said she, a girl, couldn't manage the men in the company.

There were also a few relatives whose names Lin Ye couldn't recall, but who clearly knew how to divide the inheritance.

When they saw Gu Wantang, their expressions became slightly unnatural for a moment.

Gu Mingyuan was the first to speak.

"Wantang, you've arrived."

His tone was like that of a kind and generous elder.

"We're going to contact you again later. Today's meeting was mainly to discuss the group's next steps."

Gu Wantang went inside and put her bag on the table.

"Perfect."

Her voice was not loud.

"I also have something to talk about."

The meeting room quieted down a bit.

Gu Mingyuan glanced at Lawyer Shen behind her, then at Lin Ye.

His gaze lingered on Lin Ye's face for half a second.

In that instant, Lin Ye's back tensed up.

He finally understood why Gu Wantang had brought him along.

Gu Mingyuan will find out about him sooner or later.

Rather than letting the other party investigate in the dark, it's better to make him stand in the light now.

But things weren't much better in the open.

It's brighter in the bright areas.

Makes it easier for others to aim.

Gu Mingyuan smiled and asked, "And who is this?"

Lin Yegang wanted to say that his surname was Lin.

Gu Wantang had already spoken.

"Linye."

She paused for a moment.

"The person who accompanied me to Nanxi today. He was also present when the pocket watch was unsealed."

All eyes in the conference room immediately fell on Lin Ye.

Lin Ye felt as if he had been scanned by a group of wealthy people.

Someone frowned.

Some people have doubts.

Some people even had obvious disdain written in their eyes.

The general meaning is:

Who is this person?

What gives you the right to enter the Gu family's conference room?

Lin Ye really wanted to reply, "I'd like to know too."

But Lu Zhixia's words of advice echoed in his mind.

talk less.

Don't sign anything.

Don't be too clever for your own good.

He chose to stand quietly.

Gu Mingyuan's smile faded slightly.

"A pocket watch?"

Gu Wantang didn't beat around the bush.

She took the old tin box out of her bag and placed it on the table.

The sound of the metal box hitting the table was not loud.

This brought the conference room to a complete silence.

Gu Mingyuan's gaze fell on the iron box.

His expression remained composed.

But his finger paused slightly on the table.

Lin Ye saw it.

Gu Wantang saw it too.

Attorney Shen stepped forward and opened the file bag.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Gu Wantang has located Mr. Chen Guoxing today, based on clues left by Mr. Gu Huaizhang. Mr. Chen Guoxing was once the steward of the Gu family's old residence and was entrusted by Mr. Gu Huaizhang to keep an old pocket watch."

A family-oriented man frowned.

"What Chen Guoxing? Someone who hasn't shown up for so many years suddenly claims to be keeping the things safe, and we can just take that seriously?"

Attorney Shen was not in a hurry.

He took out a document.

"We have Mr. Chen Guoxing's video explanation, testimony on the preservation process of the old pocket watch, and a complete record of the opening process."

The middle-aged woman gave a cold laugh.

"What a coincidence! Wan Tang just said she wanted to see the original will, and the next day she found some old pocket watch."

Lin Ye stood to the side, thinking that it was indeed quite a coincidence.

Ironically, even he, as someone who experienced it firsthand, felt guilty.

But Gu Wantang felt no guilt.

She just looked at that woman.

"Auntie, do you think it's a coincidence, or are you scared?"

The middle-aged woman's expression changed.

"How can you talk like that, child?"

Gu Wantang ignored her.

She took the pocket watch out of the tin box and placed it on the table.

"Some of you have seen this watch before."

No one spoke in the meeting room.

Gu Wantang opened the watch cover.

"My birthday is engraved on the inside of the watch case. Not many people know this."

Gu Mingyuan finally spoke.

"Wantang, a pocket watch doesn't prove anything."

"I know."

Gu Wantang looked at him.

"That's why I didn't just bring my pocket watch."

Attorney Shen placed the retrieval record and photocopy issued by the notary office on the table.

"Based on the reduced-size index file retrieved from the pocket watch's inner compartment, we applied to access the notary office's records. The serial number is authentic, the document is genuine, and the retrieval process was compliant."

Some people in the conference room sat up straight.

Some people's expressions changed.

Gu Mingyuan's expression remained gentle.

But Lin Ye felt that the gentleness was like a layer of paper stuck to his face.

The paper is still there.

The bottom has already started to crack.

Attorney Shen continued, "This document shows that Mr. Gu Huaizhang made clear arrangements for his shares, assets, and related rights and interests in Gu's Cultural Tourism. The content conflicts significantly with the version of the will currently released internally by the Gu family."

The moment the words "major conflict" were uttered, the meeting room fell completely silent.

Lin Ye stood to the side and suddenly felt that this word was very civilized.

In layman's terms:

The document you presented was completely fake.

Gu Wantang pushed the photocopy to the center of the table.

"This is on file kept by the notary office."

She looked at Gu Mingyuan.

"Now, I want to see the original document in your hand."

Gu Mingyuan did not speak immediately.

He glanced down at the document.

He looked up at Gu Wantang again.

"Wan Tang, you brought a lawyer, strangers, and some suddenly appearing documents home today just to publicly question me?"

Gu Wantang spoke calmly.

"It's not a question."

She paused.

"Verification is required."

Gu Mingyuan sighed softly.

"Your grandfather just passed away, and you're already making such a scene at home?"

As soon as he said that, someone next to him immediately chimed in.

"Wantang, your uncle is doing this for the sake of family stability."

"Why can't we talk about this behind closed doors?"

"Do you really want to become a laughingstock in front of outsiders?"

Upon hearing the word "outsider," Lin Ye silently lowered his head.

This must be referring to him.

He really wanted to explain that he didn't actually want to see it.

It was your family who insisted on bringing him here.

Gu Wantang looked at those people and suddenly smiled.

It's very light.

"You said the same thing yesterday at Grandpa's grave."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

She continued, "For the sake of family stability, they made me accept a will I'd never seen the original of. To avoid being ridiculed by outsiders, they told me not to investigate. For my own good, they made me hand over what my grandfather left me."

She looked at Gu Mingyuan.

"Uncle, how come your 'for my own good' always ends up benefiting you?"

After saying this, Lin Ye silently applauded in his heart.

stable.

quasi.

It still hurts.

Gu Mingyuan's expression finally darkened slightly.

"Wantang, you're too emotional right now."

Gu Wantang pushed the file bag over.

"I am very calm."

Attorney Shen then spoke.

"Mr. Gu Mingyuan, since the will you hold has been used for the internal asset arrangement of the Gu family, we have the right to request to see the original and verify the handwriting, paper, ink date, and notarization process."

Gu Mingyuan looked at Attorney Shen.

"Attorney Shen, this is an internal matter for the Gu family."

Attorney Shen adjusted his glasses.

"When it comes to the authenticity of a will and inheritance rights, it's not something that can be avoided by simply saying it's an internal matter."

Standing to the side, Lin Ye suddenly felt that being a lawyer was a very safe profession.

At least I feel safer than him.

He only listens to dead people cursing.

Attorney Shen can turn the content of a dead person cursing into a compliant process.

The two are very different.

Several of Gu's relatives began to whisper among themselves.

Someone is looking after Mingyuan.

Someone is looking after Wan Tang.

Someone took out their phone, but was stopped by someone next to them.

The atmosphere in the conference room began to shift.

It's very light.

But things have indeed changed.

Yesterday, they surrounded Gu Wantang's grave like a group of people surrounding a bird without an umbrella.

Now, Gu Wantang has a knife in her hand.

They began to calculate which side they should stand on so they wouldn't get splattered with blood.

Lin Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

The bonds of kinship within wealthy families are truly exquisite.

Even the grass on the wall grows more exquisitely than ordinary people.

Gu Mingyuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The smile was no longer as gentle as before.

It got a little colder inside.

"I can understand your doubts about the will."

He looked at Gu Wantang.

"But what do you mean by bringing this person here?"

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

coming.

He knew he couldn't stay quiet for too long.

Gu Mingyuan's gaze fell on Lin Ye.

Why would a cemetery security guard accompany you to Nanxi?

All eyes in the conference room turned to Lin Ye once again.

Lin Ye instantly recalled Lu Zhixia's three pieces of advice.

talk less.

Don't sign anything.

Don't be too clever for your own good.

So he chose the simplest answer.

"I was just helping out."

The meeting room fell silent for a second.

Attorney Shen glanced at him.

Gu Wantang also glanced at him.

That look probably meant:

You'd be better off not saying anything.

Lin Ye forced himself to add a sentence.

"Miss Gu asked me to go, so I went."

After he said that, the room became even quieter.

Gu Mingyuan looked at him, his gaze deepening.

Why did she let you go?

Lin Ye remained silent.

This brings us back to the same point.

You can't exactly say, "Because your dad cursed you from his grave last night."

Although this is true.

Gu Wantang spoke.

Why Lin Ye went is not the point tonight.

Gu Mingyuan said softly, "The fact that someone of unknown origin provides clues of unknown origin is certainly important."

Gu Wantang looked at him.

"The pocket watch is real, Uncle Chen is real, the notary number is real, and the retained documents are also real."

She paused for a moment.

"You shouldn't be staring at Lin Ye right now."

Gu Mingyuan asked, "Then what should I be keeping an eye on?"

Gu Wantang pushed the photocopy forward.

"The original document you have."

Gu Mingyuan remained silent.

The meeting room fell silent again.

It was so quiet in the woods that you could hear your own heartbeat.

After a long while, Gu Mingyuan finally spoke.

"The original is not here."

Gu Wantang looked at him.

"Where?"

Gu Mingyuan said, "A safe."

"Let someone else get it."

Gu Mingyuan smiled.

"So urgent?"

Gu Wantang's voice was very soft.

Aren't you in a hurry?

This question stumped everyone in the conference room.

Lin Ye looked at Gu Mingyuan.

He finally saw a crack in Gu Mingyuan's face.

It's not a panic.

It's not that I'm afraid.

Rather, it was the somber mood that came when the situation was not fully under control for the first time.

Just then, Gu Mingyuan's gaze fell on a photocopy on the table.

That page was a miniature index from the pocket watch's inner lining.

Gu Wantang did not cover up the faint handwritten words at the bottom.

Lin Ye noticed that her finger had paused briefly next to that line of text.

It looks like it was left there on purpose.

A17.

Gu Mingyuan's gaze had only swept over them initially.

But the next second, he stopped.

A very brief moment.

It was so short that an average person might just think he was looking at a number.

But Lin Ye saw it.

Gu Wantang saw it too.

Gu Mingyuan didn't feel the same displeasure as when he saw the fake will and was questioned.

When he saw A17, what flashed in his eyes was more like something deeply hidden, suddenly being dug out of the ground.

Lin Ye's back slowly tensed up.

He suddenly realized.

What truly frightened Gu Mingyuan about the situation left behind by Old Master Gu was probably not the will itself.

It was the number that was pressed under the will.