After a long time, Henry Bennett finally spoke: “I’ve already spoken to your mother, she’ll be waiting for your call tonight.” William Carter nodded. Ever since arriving in Taipei, he hadn’t called his mother yet. He’d thought about picking up the phone several times, but in the end, he always gave up. It seemed that physical distance hadn’t eliminated the estrangement between him and his mother; perhaps only time could slowly fade everything away.

The car passed through Nangang District and entered a mountain road. William Carter hadn’t expected his father to choose such a tranquil place to live. Henry Bennett’s voice sounded again: “Mr. Xiao started practicing Buddhism six years ago, so he built a residence by Yuemang Lake behind the mountain. He liquidated all his other properties!”

The car turned around two bends, descended along the mountain, and after about fifteen more minutes, turned left onto a small road. Tall coconut trees lined the roadside, and at the end of the road, an estate appeared.

The two iron gates opened automatically. The first thing that caught the eye was a massive two-story European-style building, with red brick walls complemented by white wooden panels. If it were anywhere else but Yuemang Lake, it might be called the most charming house in Taipei. But this luxurious mansion, sitting on the shore of Yuemang Lake, looked even more out of place than a spaceship from another galaxy. This estate needed elm trees, not pines; a gloomy sky, not endless blue; and the occasional cold drizzle, not a warm downpour.

William Carter suddenly realized that his father must have been very lonely when he was alive, and at this moment, his father’s image gradually became clearer in his mind.

The living room was filled with all kinds of people, some he knew, some he had never met. The two elderly gentlemen, Foster Reed, were naturally among them. Henry Bennett immediately found his place and joined the other four lawyers. William Carter noticed that his father’s inheritance had attracted a lot of attention, and he vaguely felt that the so-called inheritance might not be as simple as Henry Bennett had said.

Mr. Reed coughed lightly: “The seven family heads and all those mentioned in the will, please go to the study!” Everyone’s eyes were on William Carter; he was Charles Carter’s only legal heir. Tonight, whether he wanted to or not, he had been pushed to the center of the stage.

The study was large. Besides a long table in the center, the walls were lined with tall bookshelves. Although the windows were big, because they faced north, sunlight rarely shone in. Even during the day, the lights were on, and the silver light made everyone’s expressions look even stiffer, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

All the relevant people sat around the long table. Mr. Reed and Mr. Foster sat at the head, and William Carter sat at the other end. He suddenly felt as if he were being judged by everyone, and he became even more anxious for the moment the will would be read.

Henry Bennett and the other four lawyers conferred quietly, and finally decided that Henry Bennett would read the will: “Mr. Charles Carter leaves his shares in the association to his adopted son Thomas Carter; the Maoxiang Logistics on Taipei’s Chinatown to Stephen Ward and Andrew Reed; bank deposits and bonds totaling 23.3 billion TWD to his legal heir, his biological son William Carter. There are seven private properties in total: the property in Xinyi District goes to William Carter, and the remaining six are to be divided among the three adopted sons. When Mr. Xiao made his will, he added a clause: if for any reason William Carter cannot come to Taiwan or is unwilling to inherit, all assets will be donated to charity. If anything happens to William Carter during his stay in Taiwan, the inheritance will also be donated to charity!”

He paused, his gaze falling on William Carter, then took an appraisal report from his briefcase: “This is the paternity test proving that Mr. Xiao and William Carter are indeed biological father and son. There is no doubt about William Carter’s identity.” He distributed copies to everyone, and finally came to William Carter, placing the will in front of him: “William Carter, if you agree to inherit, please sign here!” William Carter carefully read the terms of the will, made sure there were no loopholes, and then cautiously signed his name. His heart was pounding with excitement—23.3 billion TWD meant he would never have to struggle for a living again.

Henry Bennett gently patted his shoulder and, along with the other four lawyers, was the first to leave the room. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly it was hard to believe. William Carter looked at the others; no one seemed to have any intention of getting up. Suddenly, he realized that from this moment on, he was the master of this mansion. Maybe it was time to say that everything was over.

But before he could speak, the usually quiet Mr. Foster began to talk: “William Carter... do you know your father’s identity when he was alive?” William Carter shook his head.

Mr. Reed smiled and interjected: “Charles was the boss of the association. Our association is called the Sanlian Gang!”

William Carter’s eyes widened. Even in Beijing, he had heard of the Sanlian Gang. The Sanlian Gang was the largest triad organization in Taiwan. He had long suspected that these people weren’t quite right, and now it turned out they really were gangsters. William Carter vaguely felt a sense of danger closing in on him from all sides. These people were telling him his father’s identity for a reason.

Mr. Reed was still smiling: “Charles was an elite of the association. For more than a decade, he managed the association in an orderly fashion, and the business flourished. All of us have witnessed his achievements!”