Chapter 4, Meeting
Liang Xi observed and said: "Mr. Davis, based on my understanding of the nobility, the eldest son inherits the title, while the second son usually chooses to serve in the military"
Dai Er was very surprised: "Is that so?"
My second brother, he is also the most ambitious person among us. After retiring from the military, he ventured into business and suffered significant losses, even applying for personal bankruptcy. My father paid off his debts for the sake of the family's reputation. It is said that a few months ago he suffered severe losses in a hedge fund investment, borrowing a considerable amount of money from outside, and now the whole family relies on the trust fund to make ends meet
Overall, there are some conflicts within the family. Dai Da and Dai San are unwilling to discuss the family disputes with Liang Xi. Dai Nu's upbringing is not considered poor; her inability to refrain from speaking ill of her second sister-in-law indicates that she has endured it for quite some time.
The second person to meet was Dai Er. As per the usual practice, after expressing condolences, Liang Xi took out the unsealed old will from his briefcase. Dai Er appeared somewhat surprised and hesitant, asking, "What does this mean?"
... ...
Liang Xi stood up and shook hands with Dai San: "Thank you." You didn't ask why I mentioned Dai Er, which indicates that you are aware of this matter
Dai San responded: "Because the land belongs to a limited inheritance estate, I hope that the Davis family can continue to inherit the estate from generation to generation. Additionally, I have expressed this wish to my father; I do not want my father to divide the limited inheritance land. Our ancestors left the estate to the Davis family, and it is our descendants' duty to protect the family estate"
... ...
Dai Er casually nodded: "There is such a saying, that Cook asked you to inform me of the contents of the will"
Cook quickly replied: "No, no."
Liang Xi chuckled and said: "I apologize, Mr. Dai, I am an emotional evaluator..." What is that title again?
Aren't you an emotional assessment person
Liang Xi replied: "I do not believe that Dai Er stole the will, Attorney Cook, is there a problem?"
Liang Xi inquired with several elderly maids, who had worked in the Earl's household for at least fifteen years. They informed Liang Xi that among the four children, Lady Dai was the Earl's favorite. Lady Dai consistently exhibited the best behavior and always thought of the Earl and his wife first when it came to good things. In the ten years following the death of the Earl's wife, she made it a point to stay at the estate for at least one day each week to keep the Earl company
Liang Xi did not answer but instead asked: "Mr. Dai... Mr. Davis, the situation is as follows. Have you heard that there is a slight discord between your father and Lawyer Cook?"
Liang Xi smiled and said, "I have spoken with your elder brother before, and I believe that your sense of family values is quite strong, making you more suitable to become the heir to the title and the fief."
Mr. Dai seems to be referring to your second brother
Liang Xixian asked the key question: "Among your brothers, who do you think cares the most about the contents of the will?"
The new will is certainly different from the old will; otherwise, there would be no need to establish it again. The new and old wills were only separated by one month, during which only Lady Dai met with the Count. Lady Dai's companionship likely influenced the distribution of assets in the Count's will. From Lady Dai's attitude, it is highly probable that Lady Dai is a victim of the new will
Liang Xidao: "There is a rumor that Lawyer Cook once had a meal with your second brother. Following that, the will managed by the lawyer was transformed into a sealed will. As the administrator of your father's will, and someone who is aware of its contents, according to industry regulations, Lawyer Cook should not have any private dealings with any interested parties."
My second sister-in-law is a very vain woman. In order to match her status as a wealthy daughter-in-law, she incurs enormous expenses, which causes my second brother great distress. They are the couple among us who most eagerly anticipate the will
... ...
Dai Da thought for a while: "No, Lawyer Cook was my grandfather's lawyer at that time. I have not heard of any discord between them"
Liang Xi stood up and shook hands with Dai Da: "I apologize for the interruption. If possible, please keep the content of our conversation confidential for the time being."
The third person Liang Xi met was Dai San. Dai San is the most emotionally stable among his children and also the quietest in temperament. Upon seeing the old will, he remained unfazed and proactively informed Liang Xi: "I will donate all my inherited assets, except for the land, to charitable organizations. I will not concern myself with the contents of the will, nor do I require a psychological evaluation"
Mr. Liang, may I ask what exactly it is that you do
Liang Xi reviewed the old will, which indicated that Dai Nu did not receive a larger share of the assets. The old will specified that the inherited estate would be granted to Dai Da, while the other assets would be equally divided among the four children
Dai Er did not pay attention to Liang Xi's annoying dialogue and asked with concern: "What is the content of the will?"
Liang Xi forgot and simply glossed over it: "Therefore, it is necessary to tell some lies to understand each prospective heir's expectations regarding the will"
The three sons have relatively good temperaments, especially the eldest and the youngest, who are very polite. In contrast, Dai Nü is somewhat overbearing and speaks without any courtesy
However, based on the meeting with Dai Er, Liang Xi believes that Dai Er did not steal the will
Dai San shook his head: "I have no specific reference. I merely state that I can assure you I am not a greedy person, but I cannot persuade others to be individuals with few desires"
Liang Xi explained: "The different terms used within the industry and outside of it; within the industry, we commonly refer to ourselves as emotional assessors. For instance, before notifying the relatives of the victims, we first conduct an assessment of their emotions, and then decide on a certain way to inform them. It is all about being people-oriented"
Dai San disagrees: "The primogeniture system is a tradition and also a law. If this rule did not exist, the prospective heirs of each family could engage in many despicable acts to please the family patriarch. For example, betraying their own brothers, or secretly contacting lawyers."
Liang Xidao: "I have previously introduced myself; I am a psychological evaluator"
Liang Xidao: "Although it is an old will, it still requires the consent of Lawyer Cook to be reviewed Thank you for your cooperation, and I apologize for the disturbance"
Liang Xi shook his head: "No, this is the old will. From the old will, it can be seen that Mr. Dai received some relatively favorable treatment. The will specifically states that, in light of your twelve years of military service and the significant sacrifices made for the family, you will receive 2% more of the assets than others"
Liang Xi asked: "Why is the land not donated?"
The first person to meet was Dai Da. After expressing condolences, Liang Xi got straight to the point. He took out the old will, which had also been sealed, from the borrowed assistant's briefcase, the seal having been broken. Liang Xi placed the will on the table, and Dai Da glanced at it, somewhat confused: "Isn't the will supposed to be read by Lawyer Cook tomorrow evening?"
Liang Xi主动握手与 Dai Er, 让 Dai Er 感到有些困惑。回到自己的房间后，他立刻给 Cook 打了电话，Cook 并没有告知遗嘱失窃的事情，而是随便敷衍了事。挂断电话后，Cook 联系了 Liang Xi，问道：“Dai Er 有嫌疑吗？”
It is evident that Dai Nu dislikes Er Sao, while her comments about Er Ge are relatively mild. Throughout, she has never spoken ill of Da Ge or San Ge, and her attitude towards them is consistently positive.
Dai Da seems to understand Liang Xi's meaning and said: "Mr. Liang, I personally have great respect for my father's will, and I can accept any clause. To be honest, I have no desire to inherit the title; my interests do not lie in that. Moreover, even if I were to go bankrupt and become unemployed, our family trust fund is sufficient to ensure that our standard of living will not be too poor"