As a native of Shanghai, the name "Baoze Group" is absolutely familiar to me. As a super conglomerate that tramples the Black Cat and punches the Grey Dog, William Thompson had once thought that if he could join Baoze after graduation, it would be a champagne-worthy celebration.

Lowering his head, he gazed at the black bead in his hand. It was about the size of an egg, completely black, opaque, with a smooth and glossy surface, showing no signs of wear, and felt icy cold to the touch.

It definitely wasn't an ordinary stone—probably some kind of gemstone. He wondered if it was valuable. William Thompson had limited knowledge of jade and jewelry and couldn't tell what it was. Maybe he could find the answer in his biological father's will.

He opened the first letter from his late father:

"Son, greetings as you read this letter!

By the time you open this letter, you should already be twenty years old. It's a pity I can't see you grow up into an adult—such a regret. I wonder if you're as handsome as me, or as beautiful as your mom."

Is it appropriate to describe a son as beautiful?

I must be the latter, William Thompson thought.

He had a delicate face; with smoky makeup, colored contacts, and a wig, he could play the role of an online female streamer and earn millions a month.

"Your mom is from Zhejiang, a gentle and graceful woman. When our eyes met, we knew we'd found the right person, and quickly fell in love. Then we had you. When I found out your mom was pregnant, your dad cried with joy for three days and nights. I thought I'd never have a child."

William Thompson: "..."

This kind of flamboyant, unserious tone felt awfully familiar.

Birds of a feather flock together, after all. No wonder his biological father and adoptive father were sworn brothers.

"Unfortunately, though we have the bond of father and son, we don't have the fate to be together. When I wrote this letter, I didn't have much time left. Old Li is my sworn brother, and I feel at ease entrusting you to him—especially since his surname is also Li. Although our father-son bond is deep but our time together is short, I still fulfilled my duty as a father. I left you an apartment and two hundred thousand yuan. The apartment is nothing, the two hundred thousand is the key. Two hundred thousand, son! You're a respectable Shanghainese now, wherever you go you'll be envied. In ancient times, you'd be the son of a landlord, with three wives and four concubines."

William Thompson: "..."

Two hundred thousand isn't the key, the apartment is the key, okay?

Two hundred thousand in the early nineties must have been a lot, but Dad, you died too early. Your two hundred thousand from back then can't even buy a toilet in today's Shanghai.

You probably didn't invest it either...

"Now that you've grown up, there are some things I, as your father, need to tell you personally. By now, you should have received the inheritance I left you. Everything else is unimportant; that bead is the true treasure passed down in the Li family. It will be your foundation in the new world. Eat it, and you'll have a snail maiden."

Signed at the end: Edward Thompson.

William Thompson: "???"

The will suddenly turned unserious at the end.

Shouldn't it be "Sell it for money and marry ten wives" or something?

Why eat it? Is this thing even edible?

But since the will said so, surely his biological father wouldn't joke around in his will, right? With a "might as well try" attitude, William Thompson picked up the bead and gave it a lick. It was icy cold, not sweet at all.

Hmm, this thing can't be eaten!

Just as the thought arose, the bead seemed to come alive, slipped into his mouth on its own, turned into a warm current, and rolled down into William Thompson's stomach.

William Thompson: "!!!"

He frantically stuck his fingers down his throat, gagging, trying to throw it up.

A scorching heat surged in his lower abdomen, as if a ball of fire was burning inside. Accompanied by intense pain, William Thompson curled up on the ground, sweating profusely from the agony.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part. William Thompson found his lower abdomen swelling at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within seconds, it looked like he was nine months pregnant, and the intense pain made him suspect he might give birth at any moment.

"My... my stomach is going to explode..."

The swelling reached its peak, and just as William Thompson thought he was about to burst, his lower abdomen emitted waves of black light. The shifting black light projected into the air, twisting into a flickering humanoid silhouette.

The black light gradually stabilized, and the humanoid shadow solidified. When the black light faded, the figure was indistinguishable from a real person.

It was a baby girl—no, a girl, tall and slender, with long hair down to her hips, almond-shaped eyes, rosy cheeks, and a tear-shaped mole at the corner of her right eye.

The girl was completely naked, yawning as she looked around curiously. When her gaze landed on William Thompson, the confusion in her eyes disappeared.

"I've slept for twenty years, finally awake." She stretched lazily, strode over to William Thompson on her long legs, bent down, brought her face close, and examined him carefully, humming, "Are you Edward Thompson's son?"

She probably had no idea how seductive her posture was—her charms were barely contained.

William Thompson: "..."

There really is a snail maiden?

Damn, Dad, are you handing your harem over to your son?

Now that the snail maiden had really appeared, William Thompson wasn't happy at all. He even wanted to run away. Even the most thick-skinned person would be scared by this scene—and not because of her chest.

But the "childbirth" had drained all his strength; he didn't even have the energy to move a finger, let alone escape.