“You’re right, there’s no chance of overturning that inheritance case anymore… Seven years have passed, and almost all the usable evidence has disappeared. Whatever we say here is just speculation.” Zuo Yan continued, “That’s why you can maintain this fearless attitude.”

“I’m fearless because my conscience is clear.” John’s tone had a hint of triumph. “Unlike some people…” He looked at Sam as he spoke, “…who are about to go to prison for hiring a murderer.”

“That’s not necessarily so.” Feng Bujue interjected, getting up to pour himself another glass of red wine. “Many times… something that seems beyond question at first glance is fundamentally different from its appearance.”

When he said this, John, Sam, and Doster didn’t understand what he meant, only feeling that he was deliberately mystifying things.

But Zuo Yan… had already detected a trace of abnormality in his words. And Vidoc, hiding in the dark, was shocked the moment he heard it… The feeling of being seen through made him almost explode.

“Zuo Yan, please continue.” Two seconds later, Feng Bujue picked up his refilled wine glass and, as he walked back to his seat, added a sentence to Zuo Yan.

“Um… okay.” Zuo Yan hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Up to this point in time, the situation is relatively clear… What Miller knew was extremely deadly to John. As long as Miller revealed that John had no blood relationship with old Herbert, then legally speaking, he was just an outsider living in the Herbert family without even an adoption procedure, and without the person's knowledge.

“In that case… even if the so-called ‘will’ from back then was indeed forged by Sam, it wouldn’t have any impact on the order of inheritance; because old Herbert never left a real will… Therefore, after determining that the existing will is fake, the Herbert family’s property should be distributed according to the general rules of inheritance law, and the only legal heir to the property is still Sam.

“Of course, even so, John wouldn’t be completely in Miller’s hands. After all, John had plenty of resources at his disposal. If Miller exposed the matter, John would definitely hire some expensive lawyers to help him fight the case… Whether he started with the ‘legally recognized de facto adoption relationship’ or made a fuss about ‘the statute of limitations for inheritance lawsuits’… it can’t be said that he would have no chance of winning at all.

“Undoubtedly, when Miller began to blackmail John, John had already calculated the stakes. But he was still feeling guilty… Heaven knows if there were any flaws left in that inheritance case, so… John still gave the money.

“However, he didn’t give much. As a businessman, John naturally knew the art of bargaining, and he calculated Miller’s situation clearly, putting it all on the table to discuss with him.

“They were both involved, both feeling guilty, and exposing the matter wouldn’t do Miller any good… It would just be hurting others without benefiting himself. Plus, there was the new charge of ‘extortion’… If the two of them really fought to the death, Miller would be in even worse shape.

“So, after some ‘negotiation,’ the blackmail turned into something like charity.

“For the past three years, John has been sending a sum of money to an overseas account every month in his personal name. The owner of the account, of course, is Miller. The amount of money is neither too much nor too little, about the monthly salary of a middle-class person.

“For John, it doesn’t matter at all; the cost of raising a dog is higher than that. And for Miller… at least initially, the conditions were good, because that was when he was at his lowest point. People who are about to be homeless usually don’t pick and choose when it comes to money.

“However… before long, Miller, who was living a life of warmth and comfort without working, began to be plagued by his greedy heart…

“After calming down, he must have realized… that he clearly held such a significant secret, but only got scraps of benefits in return. So, feeling unbalanced, he gradually became dissatisfied with life, then went to social media to vent, and then thought about returning to his old ways… but he was unwilling to risk giving up his existing stable ‘income.’

“In the end, all Miller could think of was to go back to John to renegotiate, but he was firmly rejected.

“Not long after that incident… he approached Sam.”

At this point, Zuo Yan paused for a moment, as if waiting for everyone present to digest this information.

“I understand Miller’s motive for approaching John, it’s nothing more than money…” After a while, Feng Bujue was the first to speak, “But what did he want to do by approaching Sam?”

…

“This guy… has been asking questions he already knows the answer to…” At the same moment, Vidoc, hiding in the ventilation duct, muttered to himself.

“What?” No one else could hear this, but Zuo Yan could, and he immediately questioned in a mental dialogue, “Are you talking about Jue-ge?”

“For some unknown purpose, he seems to be guiding our narrative, making us explain the case as clearly as possible…” Vidoc replied, “But in reality… I can feel that he sees as far as I do.”

“This…” Zuo Yan thought for a moment, “So, he intends to help us?”

“I don’t know.” Vidoc replied, “Anyway… you continue to recount, and I’ll keep observing…”

…

This inner dialogue between the one person and one cat, no one else could hear a word. In their eyes, Zuo Yan was just thinking silently for a while.

Then, he opened his mouth and said, “It’s simple, it’s also for money, but the amount and the way of obtaining it have become very different.”

“I understand!” Suddenly, Doster shouted, his expression of enlightenment like a child who had finally solved a super-difficult riddle, “As long as John is killed, and the secret that he is not old Herbert’s biological son is revealed, then… there will be no need to fight a lawsuit, at least the part of his property that originally belonged to the Herbert family should all be inherited by Sam!”

“Actually, he doesn’t have to reveal it.” Zuo Yan continued, “From another perspective… if Miller doesn’t reveal that secret, then in the eyes of outsiders, after John’s death, the property should still be inherited by his only ‘brother’ in the world.”

“John’s true identity… is Miller’s trump card.” At this moment, Sam, with a solemn expression, spoke again, “In case I encounter obstacles in the process of inheriting the estate, he can use that to turn the tables. Furthermore, when he first came to me, he had already anticipated… that as long as he showed me that trump card, I would help him.”