Chapter 4: My Heart of the Sea God

Due to the early spring, this small island, not far from the Arctic Circle, is still experiencing winter weather. The island is covered with unmelted snow, and there is also a small snow-capped mountain occupying half of the island's territory, which is blanketed in white snow.

Auerbach sent him to rest at a quaint little inn in the town, saying that he would take him in the afternoon to file taxes and handle the necessary procedures

As the fishing boat moved forward, the appearance of the small island became increasingly clear, yet Qin Shiao's once fervent heart grew colder and colder

Auerbach explained: "You need to adjust to the time difference now, so you cannot sleep during the day. Even if you are very tired, you must endure it. At night, you can sleep well, and I swear to God, after that you will adapt to the time in Canada."

"It is unfortunate, young man." Auerbach did not look down on him after hearing his words, but instead laughed, "It seems you have not studied your grandfather's will carefully. His will states one thing clearly: the fishing grounds must not be sold. If you insist on selling them, the government of St. John's will forcibly expropriate them!"

The blue light flashed and vanished in an instant, right before Qin Shiao's eyes, as the Heart of the Sea God transformed into a dense blue light and drilled into his body

In his dream, Qin Shiao was enjoying a luxurious cruise, surrounded by beauties from all over the world, commanding the scene with great flair, when someone shook him awake. Upon opening his eyes, he was met with the imposing visage of Auerbach.

Qin Shiyou wore a mournful expression, feeling as if a thousand alpacas were galloping through his mind: What good is it to have faith in Laozi!

The lake scenery is graceful, with emerald green aquatic plants and pure white ice blocks. Occasionally, water birds flap their wings and fly about, and fish leap out of the water, creating a scene that is both beautiful and abundant

Auerbach chuckled, "Yes, Canada does not have an inheritance tax, but there is a probate tax."

Suddenly, he saw the Heart of the Sea God floating in the water, and the blue light in his eyes was emanating from the Heart of the Sea God

"Do I still have to pay taxes? When I was in the country, I asked you about this, and you said Canada has no inheritance tax!" Qin Shiao exclaimed

Qin Shi O fell exhausted and, upon arriving at the inn, collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Auerbach smiled and took out his large-screen Nokia phone to show him a photo. The photo depicted a stunning beauty with gentle eyes and a smiling face, the very flight attendant who had comforted Qin Shiyou on the plane earlier.

Since it was just for relaxation, Auerbach took Qin Shiyou onto the fishing boat and introduced, "Fishing is an activity that has only recently emerged in North America, come on... Oh, damn!"

Auerbach shook his head and said, "When you reach my age, you will understand, young man, that women are like white bones! However, I believe this photograph can cure your tendency to oversleep."

Qin Shi O scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile: "Mr. Auerbach, I don't think it's necessary. Hehe, I mean, hehe, I plan to sell this fishing ground and then take the cash back home"

Auerbach informed Qin Shiyou that the tax rate standard in Newfoundland is that inheritance tax is only levied on estates exceeding 25,000 CAD. The tax is 14,000 CAD for every 1,000,000 CAD, 28,000 CAD for 2,000,000 CAD, and so forth, following the same pattern. In other words, Qin Shiyou is required to pay an estate verification tax of 520,000 CAD, which converts to 3,000,000 RMB

As he fell into the water, Qin Shiao felt as if he were surrounded by a vast expanse of blue, as if he had entered not a clear and green lake, but a great sea. The lake water rushed into his nostrils, and he could even smell the briny scent of the sea.

Upon arriving at the fishing grounds, Qin Shiao was unable to check in, as the houses inside had not been tidied up for a long time

Indeed, upon seeing the gentle and beautiful flight attendant, Qin Shiao woke up

"Damn it, it's so primitive," Qin Shiao said with a bitter smile

Qin Shiyou was enraged and shouted, "You deceived me!"

His words were not finished when a fishing boat startled a carp that was at least one meter long. The carp, frightened, leaped out of the water, catching the three people on the boat off guard. The fisherman and Auerbach instinctively dodged, while Qin Shiao stood dumbfounded at the stern of the boat, and was swept into the lake by the fish's tail, which resembled a large fan.

Qin Shiyou said: "Do you think I want to embarrass him? But I have less than 20,000 yuan to my name, and my family's total assets amount to at most 200,000 yuan. How can I pay a tax of 3 million?"

Auerbach introduced: "People only know that Ontario has many lakes, but in fact, Newfoundland has quite a few as well. This small lake is called Lake Shenbao, and it is said that many treasures have sunk in it..."

Qin Shiyou is not a coward; since there is still a glimmer of hope, why not take the plunge and fight for it

"Did you steal it?" Qin Shiyao exclaimed

I will sleep a little longer; I am so sleepy that I could die from it. Qin Shiao holds onto the pillow tightly.

Qin Shiyou was pulled onto the fishing boat, appearing somewhat dazed, as a hazy image suddenly appeared before his eyes

Qin Shiyou found himself in a perplexing situation, as it seemed that the leaders in Canada were having quite a tough time. This added a layer of concern for him regarding the future of his fishing grounds.

However, he suddenly changed his tone, gazing at Qin Shiao and said, "Do you know how the Daqin Fishery was established? It was your grandfather, a foreigner with yellow skin, who, under the disdain and oppression of countless people, used his wisdom, resilience, hard work, and vision to earn it through immense hardship! Child, your grandfather is the most upright man I have ever seen! Do you understand what I mean? Do not tarnish the reputation of such a man!"

Auerbach sat beside him and said, "This tax is actually nine years overdue; even if it is delayed for another nine years, it does not matter. Do you understand what I mean? You have ample time to make money from the fishing grounds"

Auerbach encouraged, "Keep it up, young man. Your grandfather and I are close friends. He told me that he believes you will definitely transform this fishing ground into a world-renowned super fishing ground, and you can restore the glory of the Newfoundland fishing grounds"

"Let us go; we will first visit the tax bureau in town to confirm the taxes you need to pay." Auerbach finally dealt a heavy blow to Qin Shiou, making him realize that opportunities do not fall from the sky, but rather burdens do!

Qin Shiyou was suddenly flustered, "Second Grandfather, what kind of joke is this? Are you really planning to let your unaccomplished eldest grandson inherit your legacy? That also depends on whether your eldest grandson has the ability and talent for literature!"

Auerbach was driving his vintage Ford around the small town, familiarizing Qin Shiao with the surroundings, and also to unwind.

At that moment, a fishing boat slowly approached, and a stocky middle-aged fisherman waved to Auerbach, saying: "Hi, Mr. Schkman, are you and your friends here to fish at Shenbao Lake? Come on, let's go together"

Around the island, there are six or seven small docks, all of which are, without exception, messy and dirty. A large number of damaged fishing nets are tangled on the rocks by the shore, and there are rough little fishing boats haphazardly moored along the coast

Winding and turning, the vehicle arrived at a lake. The ice surface of the lake had recently melted, and the water was exceptionally clear, with some drifting ice blocks resembling mirrors.

The water ripples gently, and the seaweed sways; several catfish, about the length of a palm, happily emerge from the muddy bottom of the lake. They immediately open their mouths, joyfully searching for food and fragments of algae in the stirred-up muddy water. Furthermore, when one of them raises its head, it sees a torpedo-shaped object floating above—could this not be the fishing boat it is currently on?

His fishing grounds are located at the southernmost tip of the island, where a ring of maple wood pieces of varying lengths encloses an estate. The area is quite substantial, measuring over 10 square kilometers, which is equivalent to over 100,000 acres. If this were in China, it would be quite valuable, but unfortunately, this is Canada, likely one of the places with the cheapest land prices in the world

However, Auerbach did not say anything wrong; the air here is very fresh. After getting used to the faint smell of the sea, there is indeed a sweet taste.

The town's tax bureau surprisingly only operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Auerbach inquired about this, and wwwhetushucomcom stated that the town is poorly managed, to the extent that the government can no longer pay salaries, and has had to reduce civil servants' working hours to cut their wages

The tail of the carp is quite rough, and the tail spines are sharp like small knives, which instantly cut through Qin Shiao's chin

But what is going on? How can he see the scenery at the bottom of the lake and even sense the mood of the catfish?

Auerbach said in a deep voice: "You can abandon this fishing ground, and you will receive a government subsidy of 12.8%, which means you can actually receive a substantial amount of money"

Quick, save him!" Auerbach shouted anxiously

He originally thought that this fishing ground would be a paradise, but what lay before him was a reasonably sized deserted island

From the ship, one can see that there are some bungalows and buildings on the island, but they are sparse in number. Auerbach mentioned that this is Farewell Town. Qin Shiao believed that the population of this town might be comparable to that of two villages in his hometown, estimating it to be less than two thousand.

Qin Shiyou felt as if he had been hit by a small vehicle, performing a stylish somersault and falling into the water. No one noticed, and at that moment, the blood flowing from his chin happened to drip onto the Heart of the Sea God that had been flung from his chest.

"I really want to jump down and take a look." Qin Shiao said with frustration

The probate tax refers to the tax levied when a person with a will passes away, granting legal validity to the will in the management of their estate. Although the executor of the will has the legal authority to handle the estate according to the will, the transfer of assets such as investments and real estate typically requires verification of the will by a court, which is an authoritative institution, and this verification incurs a fee