Chapter 1: A Will from Canada

A mere penny can thwart even the greatest of heroes, and now Qin Shimao has been driven to such a dire predicament.

He has been in this city for eight years, having attended university here, and then stayed after graduation

After completing all of this, Auerbach said solemnly: "Mr. Qin Shiao, hello, I am Shikeman-Auerbach, a senior lawyer at the Famingde Law Firm, entrusted by Mr. Qin Hongde. I am now submitting his will to you. Additionally, I will disclose his estate to you..."

What left Qin Shiao puzzled was that among the two people on the sofa, one was a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner. This foreigner appeared to be quite old, at least in his fifties or sixties, with a snow-white beard, yet his robust frame stood straight and tall, exuding a commanding presence

Qin Shiyou attended the best university in Haidao City, Central Ocean University. After graduation, with the help of his upper bunkmate Mao Weilong, he secured a position in the human resources department of a branch of CNOOC, the best state-owned enterprise in Haidao City, as an HR.

Auerbach reached out to take the Heart of the Sea God, then said to Luo Yongzhi, "Sir, may I borrow a paper cup from your place?"

Upon arriving at his small apartment, he was astonished to find a considerable amount of items piled up outside the door. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was all his luggage, primarily consisting of bedding, books, and a computer.

Qin Shiyou suppressed his anger and opened the door, only to find that the landlord was accompanied by a police officer wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a uniform

When it rains, it pours; this month coincides with the day he is supposed to pay the second quarter's rent for the apartment. Currently, he can barely scrape together enough for a meal, which is absolutely insufficient to cover the rent.

Qin Shiyou nodded, and the police officer said: "Alright, please come with me; someone is looking for you"

Qin Shiyou furrowed his sword-like brows, unsure of what this old ghost was up to. Nevertheless, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and pulled out a heart-shaped pendant, entirely in deep blue, attached to a red string.

Under the notarization of Luo Yongzhi and Li Xin, Qin Shiou signed the inheritance receipt, and then left the police station with Li Xin and Auerbach, heading towards his rental apartment

When Qin Shiyou opened the door, the landlord's serious face appeared before him. There was no doubt that the landlord had come to find him for only one purpose: to collect the rent.

Upon meeting, the police officer asked: "Are you Mr. Qin Shiao?"

There is no way out. Qin Shiao can only accompany a smiling face to plead with the landlord to be lenient. The landlord, quite displeased, finally said sternly: "I will give you two days. I will come to collect the rent the night after tomorrow. If you still cannot pay, you will have to get out!"

Qin Shiyou was unaware of what had actually transpired and thought that there might have been an issue with the previous case, so he followed the young police officer to the police station in a daze

Upon entering the office, Qin Shiao cast a glance around and saw two impeccably dressed men sitting on the sofa, while a middle-aged police officer, portly and unkempt, was preparing tea for the two.

Old Ghost Auerbach nodded and then asked, "You should have a Heart of the Sea on you—a small blue pendant, particularly beautiful. May I ask if you could take it out for me to see?"

At that moment, the door was suddenly knocked on again, and the landlord's piercing voice rang out: "Xiao Qin, open the door, hurry and open the door!"

Without a doubt, that middle-aged police officer is the director of the police station. As expected, he first extended his hand to Qin Shiou and said: "You must be Mr. Qin Shiou, right? I am Luo Yongzhi, the director of the Shuanghe Street Police Station in Luoshan District. It is a pleasure to meet you"

Although Haidao City is located in the north, its proximity to the ocean makes it a naturally excellent port, resulting in rapid economic development. It can be considered a second-tier city in the Celestial Empire, with high housing prices and expensive rents

He is approaching thirty, yet he is a person with no career, no house, and no car. Thinking of his aging parents with graying hair at home, Qin Shiao feels a deep sense of frustration and discomfort

Suddenly, Qin Shiao woke up

Li Xin was about to translate when Qin Shiao had already instinctively responded in fluent English: "Qin Hongde? That is my second uncle, well, he is my grandfather's second older brother"

This setback was quite significant; Qin Shiao not only lost all his wealth but was also dismissed from the company as a result

Upon arrival at the police station, the young officer directly escorted him into the chief's office

After paying the rent, Qin Shiao lay on the bed, exhausted and weary, filled with confusion about the future and frustration with the current situation

As Qin Shiyou was about to explain, the landlord coldly continued, "There is no need to say anything. Just pack your things and get lost. I will not rent the house to someone like you who is neither here nor there."

The heart of Qin Shiyou thumped violently, and after a great effort to stabilize his mind, he asked in a trembling voice: "Mr. Auerbach, you are not joking, are you? My great-grandfather left me a fortune of 230 million?"

The subsequent events were quite simple and clichéd. The wealthy second-generation heir became extremely jealous upon seeing Qin Shiao and Light Beauty getting so close. He warned Qin Shiao several times, but the latter did not take it to heart. Instead, on one occasion, the two ended up in a heated argument that ultimately escalated into a physical fight

Auerbach nodded in confirmation and then introduced him to some matters, mentioning that he was now the personal lawyer of Qin Shiyou and needed to go to Canada as soon as possible to complete the inheritance settlement and related affairs

This has been the case for four years. Last month, a beautiful file administrator joined the Human Resources Department, and the manager assigned Qin Shiao to mentor her. Initially, this was not a big deal, but the file administrator's exceptional beauty attracted the attention of a wealthy second-generation heir in the company

After listening to the police officer, Qin Shiao did not say anything. The landlord hurriedly said, "Officer Du, I have no relationship with Xiao Qin. If he has committed any crime, it has nothing to do with my house."

Speaking of which, leaving CNOOC may not necessarily be a bad thing. Qin Shiao has long wanted to venture out, but the problem is that he currently has no money; all his funds have been lost to the company

The words were harsh, yet Qin Shiao was powerless to feel anger

After both parties introduced themselves, the old foreigner, who had been watching closely, asked in English: "Hello, Mr. Qin Shiao, do you know this person named Qin Hongde?"

Not long ago, Qin Shiyou had been subjected to a harrowing experience at the hands of the police. Upon seeing Luo Yongzhi extend his hand, he hurriedly grasped it, bowing and introducing himself with great deference

Everyone was dumbfounded, and Qin Shiao was also unaware that the small pendant she had been wearing all along possessed such miraculous effects

In April, the island city still experiences a hint of spring chill

At seven thirty in the morning, Qin Shimao, feeling restless, draped a coat over her shoulders and leaned against the headboard, staring blankly out the window

Auerbach took a cup of water and placed the Heart of the Sea God into it. Immediately, the entire cup transformed into the same deep blue color as the Heart of the Sea God. Auerbach shook his wrist, causing the surface of the water to ripple, and surprisingly, it carried a hint of the taste of surging seawater

Just then, the landlord walked out and saw Qin Shiao. He "slammed" the door shut and coldly said: "You’re back? Just in time, I need to clarify things with you. Have you been up to something bad outside? Otherwise, why would the police come knocking at the door?"

A phone call from Luo Yongzhi quickly arranged for the delivery of a crystal cup of the highest specifications

Auerbach opened the will and said: "From now on, you—Mr. Qin Hongde's eldest grandson—Mr. Qin Shiao, will inherit Mr. Qin Hongde's large fishing grounds in Gobe Town, St. John's City, Newfoundland and Labrador Province, Canada! According to the Royal Bank of Canada’s assessment of the fishing grounds, the market value of the fishing grounds is 42 million Canadian dollars, which is equivalent to 233.1 million Chinese yuan"

Indeed, what one fears often comes to pass. Qin Shi Ou is currently troubled by financial issues when suddenly, a knock is heard at the door

Originally, it was merely a women's issue, but after the wealthy second-generation was beaten by Qin Shiao, the situation escalated significantly. He directly contacted a few of his dubious friends in the finance department to devise a scheme to frame him, falsely accusing him of stealing a sum of cash from the finance department

Subsequently, as Luo Yongzhi and Qin Shiyou released their hands, the middle-aged man who had been sitting on the sofa stood up, then shook his hand and said: "Mr. Qin, hello, I am Li Xin from the Intermediate People's Court of Haidao City, and this is Mr. Schumann-Oberbach, a renowned lawyer from the Canadian law firm of Famed Law.

Hearing the landlord's voice, Qin Shiao's feelings of frustration and despair were replaced by anger. The landlord was truly overstepping; it was agreed that he would be given two days to raise the funds, so why had he returned so soon

Qin Shiyou is renting a one-bedroom apartment, with a monthly rent of 1,000 yuan, and the rent must be paid in a lump sum for a quarter, totaling 3,000 yuan. The dire situation is that at this moment, Qin Shiyou does not even have 300 yuan on hand