Judge of Souls - Chapter 56

Was there really a will?

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly put down what they were doing and sat down to listen carefully.

Hu Xi herself had never specifically seen the contents of the will. When her mother passed away, the family experienced a major upheaval, and she was emotionally depressed and in a weak state, finding it difficult to adjust. She even took more than half a month’s leave from school.

She entrusted all subsequent matters to Mr. Wang, only knowing to sign documents and follow arrangements.

The lawyer said, “The student I contacted found the two witnesses who helped your mother write her will. One was a nurse at the hospital, and the other was a business friend who was visiting her at the time. Because the amount was substantial, both still had some recollection of the contents.”

“Your mother had previously made a prenuptial property agreement, including real estate such as houses and cars, company stocks, and valuable jewelry like jade and diamonds,” the lawyer said. “Most of the real estate under her name was left entirely to you. Including the jewelry she bought.”

Hu Xi nodded.

Mrs. Hu was a rational and practical person who had considered everything thoroughly for Hu Xi. She liked Mr. Wang, so she allowed him to marry into her family, helped him establish connections, and openly let him assist in managing the company. But at the same time, she didn’t forget to secure a backup plan. Her family education had taught her not to place all her trust in one man.

The prenuptial property agreement was detailed and rigorous. For Mrs. Hu, it was strictly business, but to outsiders, it seemed like she was guarding against theft by a family member.

Perhaps it was this that damaged his self-esteem, leaving Mr. Wang with lingering resentment and making it difficult for him to truly commit to the marriage.

The lawyer said, “The will was originally prepared in duplicate, and after writing, they planned to have it notarized. However, before the appointed notary could arrive, your mother’s condition deteriorated, and she passed away after a failed surgery. Since the person making the will was no longer alive, and the handwritten will itself had legal validity, no notarization was performed. One copy of the will was kept with your father, and the other was left with the nurse who wrote it.”

Kong Su clapped his hands forcefully, saying excitedly, “Then why don’t we just find that nurse?”

The lawyer shook his head. “We contacted the nurse, but she said she couldn’t remember where she put it. So the only copy of the will now is with your father.”

Kong Su pouted. “What a coincidence.”

“Whether it’s a coincidence or not, that’s how things are. There’s no point in seeking reasons now,” the lawyer said. “Do you know where your father might keep the will?”

Hu Xi’s lips parted slightly as she thought, then finally sighed and said dejectedly, “Then it’s over.”

Kong Su asked, “What if there’s no will? How would things be divided?”

The lawyer reminded them, “The spouse is the first in line for inheritance. There’s also a portion that’s considered jointly owned marital property.”

“Oh no…” Kong Su slumped his shoulders and said, “Then he definitely wouldn’t keep the will.”

The lawyer smiled and said, “No, the witness said your mother wrote the will in a place where it definitely wouldn’t be destroyed.”

Everyone was shocked. “What?”

The lawyer said, “On the back of the stock transfer agreement. Your mother left all company shares to Mr. Wang. She didn’t specify the distribution of all the cash, leaving it by default under your father’s management. But there was an additional provision that these financial assets could only be sold after you came of age.”

Kong Su tried to understand, then suddenly said cheerfully, “Oh, so Mrs. Hu left most of the property to Hu Xi, and if the company failed, Mr. Wang would get nothing, right?”

“That’s how it appears on the surface, but it’s not actually the case,” the lawyer said. “After they married, Mrs. Hu, with great foresight, purchased several properties when there were no purchase restrictions, and put them all in Mr. Wang’s name as gifts to him. In her will, Mrs. Hu didn’t claim any of the joint marital property acquired after marriage, only distributing her premarital assets that had been notarized. To be precise, based on the company’s stock price and prospects at that time, Mr. Wang actually received more assets than Hu Xi inherited.”

Put this way, Mrs. Hu had done right by Mr. Wang despite her caution. She hadn’t treated him as an outsider to guard against, nor had she ignored his years of contribution. She had only wanted to leave some security for her daughter.

But she probably never imagined that the husband she had loved never had any genuine feelings for her. Soon after her death, he even brought his longtime mistress into the home while throwing his own daughter out.

“Then my student looked into it and found that Mr. Wang has sold several properties and land that should be under your name to cash out in recent years, which constitutes property embezzlement. He’s already preparing materials and should be coming to see you soon,” the lawyer turned to ask, “Is there something wrong with his company? If there’s suspicion of asset transfer, we can pursue legal action together.”

The accountant nodded. “I suspect he’s been transferring assets through related-party transactions and has been falsifying financial statements. We’re now waiting for the results of investigations by the National Tax Bureau and the Securities Regulatory Commission. But I can confirm that there are major problems with his company’s books. He must have been preparing for this for a long time.”

Hu Xi suddenly stood up, gasping. “Not good!”

The lawyer looked up. “What?”

Hu Xi said, “That company has already become an empty shell, and the Securities Regulatory Commission has ordered it to suspend trading for investigation. He definitely knows what’s going on. If that’s the case, does he even need the will?”

The biggest advantage for Mr. Wang in the will was the stock transfer. But over the years, he had been secretly transferring assets.

He knew that the company was already riddled with problems, and trouble was inevitable sooner or later.

If he could sell the shares when the time came, he would make a substantial profit. But if the company collapsed before Hu Xi came of age, his losses wouldn’t be too great. At that point, whether or not he had these shares would seem to matter little.

If he simply destroyed the will and had all the inheritance distributed according to legal order, then how the property would be divided and whether Mr. Wang’s selling of Hu Xi’s real estate constituted embezzlement would become difficult to determine.

As Hu Xi realized this, she rushed out the door, twisted the handle, and ran out, bumping head-on into a middle-aged man in a suit.

The man was carrying a small bag and grabbed her arm with his free hand, pulling her back a bit. After seeing her face clearly, he asked, “Are you the client, Hu Xi? I’m Lawyer Zhang. Someone from your side contacted me earlier, and I accepted the case. I’m here now to understand the situation better.”

Hu Xi’s nose hurt from the collision, and she asked indistinctly, “Did you drive here?”

Lawyer Zhang was momentarily confused, then nodded and said, “Yes.”

Hu Xi said, “Take me home first, quickly!”

****

Ever since Mr. Wang received notification from the Securities Regulatory Commission, he had been feeling extremely uneasy. Planning was one thing, but actually facing the consequences was another. No one could remain absolutely calm after doing something wrong.

He could only console himself that he had covered his tracks well, that everyone did business this way, and that there surely wouldn’t be any problems.

But when his mind unexpectedly flashed to Hu Xi’s online attacks against him, and to Wang Xian being exposed for framing her own sister, indescribable emotions erupted from deep within him.

Guilt on one side, anger on the other, and some resentment as well.

His mouth twitched involuntarily, and his expression became uncontrollable.

Frustration. A desire to destroy. A desire to wash his hands of it all. Yet there were still a pile of matters waiting for him to handle, and he had to stand up and face them.

Maintaining a mask for so long was such a difficult thing for a person.

Why couldn’t Hu Xi understand him? He had so many difficulties that couldn’t be spoken of!

He sat back down in his leather chair, the muscles of his drooping right hand trembling unconsciously. He felt that his body needed to see a doctor.

As for dealing with Hu Xi, he was unwilling to face it or reflect on it, as if by pretending to know nothing, he could be at peace with himself.

Just then, his wife called again.

The missed call log already showed over a dozen records. He let out a sigh, brushed his hair back, and answered.

As soon as the call connected, he heard her aggrieved, tearful voice. “Honey, what do we do now? Have you seen the news? How could they be so vicious? What will happen to Xian Xian in the future?”

Mr. Wang’s face instantly darkened, but he restrained himself and said, “I need to watch over the company and can’t leave right now. You hurry home, take the will document out of the safe at home, and destroy it directly.”

Mrs. Wang exclaimed in shock, then cried. “What? You still kept that thing? Why didn’t you ever tell me? Are you… are you still planning to leave the inheritance to that ungrateful brat? Isn’t Xian Xian your daughter too? You can’t be so biased.”

Mr. Wang couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted. “Shut up!”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Mrs. Wang said in a muffled voice, “But I’m… I’m getting a spa with our daughter right now. There are people coming and going outside, and someone has recognized us. I don’t dare to go out.”

Mr. Wang let out a cry and forcefully threw the phone to the ground. He stood with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily.

Why had he married such a woman?

Besides spending money, shopping, and causing him trouble, she seemed to have no use whatsoever. She never understood him, could never help him, and wasn’t even presentable enough to take out.

Compared to his ex-wife, she was vastly inferior.

He should divorce her.

He’d had enough.

Mr. Wang picked up his phone, took his car keys, and decided to go home himself.

The secretary, hunched over, hurriedly reminded him, “General Manager, the shareholders are all waiting for you in the meeting room.”

“Let them wait!” Mr. Wang calmed himself and tapped the counter, saying, “I’ll be back in an hour. If anyone comes, make sure they’re well received, don’t say anything unnecessary, and wait for me to return.”

Secretary: “But…”

Mr. Wang didn’t wait for her to finish her “but” and left the company first.

He stepped on the gas all the way, speeding home. A strong sense of unease filled his heart.

His intuition had always been accurate, and now, as he gripped the steering wheel, he began to laugh silently.

As he laughed, his shoulders loosened, and tears flowed. The emotion came so inexplicably that even he didn’t know what was happening to him.

Twenty minutes later, Mr. Wang arrived at his villa. He opened the door with his fingerprint and found a pair of unfamiliar shoes at the entrance. His eyelids twitched, and still wearing his leather shoes, he rushed straight to the study.

Inside, a figure with their back to the door was crouched in front of the safe, tinkering with it.

Mr. Wang blurted out. “Hu Xi!”

Hu Xi jolted violently, held her breath, and turned around, her gaze meeting Mr. Wang’s.

Truthfully, Mr. Wang was quite good-looking, otherwise Mrs. Hu wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. Even in middle age, he remembered to take care of his physique and didn’t become greasy and fat like many men, and his hairline remained thick.

Hu Xi hid whatever she was holding behind her back and called out, “Dad.”

“What are you trying to do?” Mr. Wang saw the open safe door, locked the study door behind him, and said, “Give me what you have in your hand.”

Hu Xi shook her head.

Mr. Wang spoke with heartfelt anguish. “I’m your father… I’m your only family left. Xiao Xi, what’s happened to you?”

Hu Xi held the thick papers in her hand, hesitated for a long time, and asked, “Dad, can I ask you a question?”

Mr. Wang: “Go ahead.”

Hu Xi: “Why did you treat mom’s company like this? It was her life’s work. It grew in your hands and developed to where it is today with such difficulty. Don’t you feel heartbroken about it? I originally thought she had left the company to me, but it turns out she didn’t. Since that’s the case, why did you do this?”

Mr. Wang hadn’t expected her to ask this. His expression distorted for a moment, then he said, “You wouldn’t understand.”

You wouldn’t understand the dignity of being a man.

Even if he was the largest shareholder of that company, even if he had absolute management rights, Mrs. Hu’s imprint was still carved into it.

He couldn’t forget that he had once been the one to marry into the family, and neither could others.

No matter how much he developed the company, how much blood and sweat he poured into it, there would always be people who thought it was the Hu family’s business, that he was a man living off his wife, that he was a nobody who relied on his wife to succeed.

Everyone ignored his talent and effort. If he had to live like this for decades, he couldn’t accept it.

It was better to start over.

“Dad, I used to think you were a good husband and a good father. You were tolerant, handsome, generous, and seemed capable of anything. I was proud of you, but it turns out that all of this was just your condescension, it was fake,” Hu Xi sniffed. “No matter what mistakes you made, you always found reasons in others. You complained about why others didn’t understand you, why they didn’t respect you, why they always caused you trouble. It seemed like if you got rid of these people, you could have a new life. But Dad… the person who was wrong was you!”

Mr. Wang’s lips opened and closed. Seeing her disappointed look, he said guiltily, “…What are you talking about?”

“Dad, you’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met,” Hu Xi raised what she was holding and said seriously, “I won’t give this back to you. It’s time for you to take responsibility for your mistakes.”

Mr. Wang shouted hysterically, “You don’t understand. Your life is different from mine! You got everything easily, while I had to fight for everything myself! Don’t try to ruin me!”

He lunged forward to snatch the document from Hu Xi’s hand.

Hu Xi dodged to the side, huddled in the corner, and shouted, “Jiang Feng! Help!”

At that moment, the balcony door was pulled open. Mr. Wang froze, turned sharply, and looked at the two people standing there.

“Who are you? How did you get into my house?” he quickly pointed at the two and said, “I’m calling the police! This is breaking and entering!”

Jiang Feng walked in wearing shoe covers and said, “We’re Hu Xi’s friends, and she invited us here. This house belongs to Hu Xi, so this certainly can’t be called breaking and entering.”

“Mr. Wang, I’m Hu Xi’s attorney. From now on, I’ll be helping her resolve inheritance disputes. This will is important evidence, and you have no right to keep it privately,” Lawyer Zhang walked up to him and extended his hand. “Also, if I were you, I’d hurry back to the company. The tax bureau officials should have already arrived for a temporary inspection.”

Mr. Wang felt the world collapsing around him. “W-what?”

Lawyer Zhang said, “Mr. Wang, public officials aren’t as foolish as you think, and you aren’t as clever as you believe yourself to be. I don’t know about the company’s operational issues, but regarding the execution of the will, please wait for the court summons.”

Jiang Feng pulled Hu Xi up and led her away.

Mr. Wang followed behind them, soul-stricken. “Xiao Xi, I’m your father… you can’t do this to me. Xiao Xi.”

Hu Xi gave him a deep look, then shook her head and left with the documents.

****

The National Tax Bureau took over a month to sort out the company’s finances. During this time, Mr. Wang was restricted from travel.

In previous years, he had established a new company under someone else’s name. Using related-party transactions with XX company, he had earned considerable profits, though the new company’s operational situation remained unfavorable.

Doing business wasn’t as simple as he had imagined. His starting point was too high, his foundation too weak, and he wanted quick success. He had invested enormous funds for this, including the property Mrs. Hu had left him, and even sold real estate under Hu Xi’s name to fill the gaps.

But that enterprise was suppressed by larger companies in terms of sales channels, couldn’t open up the market, and suffered losses year after year. Bank loan interest, factory operation costs all became tremendous pressure. He continued to invest in new product development, with large inputs and small returns. Over time, this depleted his savings. He had almost no money left and a pile of external debts from the company.

As for Mrs. Wang and Wang Xian, they knew nothing of his financial situation and had no private savings. They only knew that there was enough cash flow for daily shopping and living expenses. Who would have thought that everything would change overnight?

Mr. Wang now faced multiple charges. For financial fraud and asset transfer, he was likely to face imprisonment. This was followed by disputes over estate division, as well as the divorce case with Mrs. Wang.

It could be said that in one night, he was betrayed and abandoned by all.

However, what the Wang mother and daughter hadn’t expected was that after divorcing Mr. Wang, they wouldn’t receive any of the marital property.

Hu Xi returned to school to resume her classes. Wang Xian was expelled from school due to her previous malicious actions and didn’t know where to transfer. A note was made in her record, and with her real name exposed and widely circulated online, her future days were likely to be difficult.

The catalyst for all this was Wang Xian posting photoshopped pictures of Hu Xi online. If this mother-daughter pair hadn’t been so excessively cruel, perhaps the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this point. Mr. Wang might have been able to wait until Hu Xi turned eighteen, sell the stocks, and then take his people abroad for further education and a fresh start.

It was Mr. Wang’s indifference and ingratitude, along with Wang Xian’s lies and excessive behavior, that truly angered netizens.

However, regrets that came too late were of no use.

When Wang Xian came to school to process her withdrawal, it was the last time Hu Xi saw her. She was walking with her head down, wearing a large hat and a white mask, not daring to show her face. When she saw Hu Xi, her eyes avoided contact, and she immediately turned away.

A bald man whom Hu Xi had never seen before came to pick her up, along with Mrs. Wang. They quickly packed her things into the trunk and hurriedly left the campus.

Afterward, they changed their numbers, and even Hu Xi couldn’t contact them.

Calm was restored remarkably quickly. Within a week, the commotion died down, and forgetful people chose to put the matter behind them.

After the high school third-year second mock exam ended, Hu Xi went to visit Mr. Wang.

As the only person to visit him in his misfortune, Mr. Wang had complex emotions. He sat behind the glass window, looking at his hands, saying nothing.

In just a short time, he had become haggard, lacking in spirit. He had lost so much weight that his cheekbones protruded, and his hair had been cut short and turned white.

Hu Xi sat opposite him, unable to think of a topic to discuss. Before leaving, she said, “I’ve decided to go to Z University, to study the best major. My mock exam results are fine. I want to be someone who can protect myself and others from now on.”

Mr. Wang looked up, tears glimmering in his eyes, hesitating to speak. After much hesitation, he simply nodded.

During this period, everyone said he was wrong and treated him with contemptuous looks.

He no longer had to work, nor did he have to worry about the company’s secrets being discovered. Every day, he reflected on his past life, filled with confusion and unease.

Where exactly had he gone wrong? What had led to the point where he couldn’t even look his own daughter in the eye?