CH 130

Joe had it set on proportional scale, so the projection from the smart device occupied most of the living room.

When the audio and video appeared, it was as though they had been pulled into the scene of those many years ago, viewing the happenings on a certain afternoon from several decades ago from the videographer’s perspective. aHuf7b

Joe was momentarily stunned, emotion flashing past his dazed face.

He had only watched the dynamic photo on a small screen yesterday, focusing his attention on a few primary figures, hence he didn’t feel much. Now that he used the mode that optimised scene reconstruction, he was getting the illusion that he had flashed back to his childhood, and an indescribable emotion surfaced in his heart.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

The mansion was situated at the opposite end of the living room, a facsimile of the original.

Although only the ground and lower edge of the second floor entered the frame, one could still imagine the sophistication and the dignity of the complete manor. U 6vLF

A rack of flowers was set in front of the building, amidst lush green grass and shaded by tall, luxuriant fruit trees.

A high table with a sumptuous spread of afternoon tea was placed under the tree canopies. Tables and chairs were arranged in picturesque disorder in a loose circle, and men and women dressed to the nines were conversing over afternoon tea. The atmosphere was idyllic at first glance, for peals of cheerful laughter could be heard.

In the vicinity of the shot, which was also where they were seated on the sofa, was a chicly trimmed hedge and garden swing. It was discernible that the person carrying the lens was seated on the swing.

“This is—” Joe swept his hand over, wanting to introduce the scene, but his brain suddenly hiccuped.

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“The Mansons’ old estate,” someone finished his words for him.

“Ah… yes, that. It’s the Mansons’ old estate.” Joe unconsciously turned his head over before processing that it was Yan Suizhi who had spoken.

“Dean Yan, you recognise it?” Joe was surprised.

While articles would occasionally feature the various manors that the Manson family owned, this old manor was an exception, practically never appearing in any article before. It was because its estate was the venue for the occasional social gatherings that the Mansons placed such high security on it. dO7xGS

Unless the Mansons had extended an invitation, people wouldn’t normally recognise the grounds.

“Have you been there?” Joe asked.

Yan Suizhi shook my head. “I just happen to know of it.”

His glass was still half-filled with milk, but he didn’t continue to drink. His hands loosely clasped the glass, setting it on his knee. He leaned back into the sofa, looking elegant and relaxed, whilst his gaze fell into the distance, sweeping across the guests in the shade. The expression on his face was very light. hepPxT

Joe didn’t have to struggle to survive in the law school, so he didn’t have as much of an understanding of Yan Suizhi’s temperament as Gu Yan, Ke Jin, Laura, and the others had. But he could still sense that while Yan Suizhi wasn’t in a terrible mood, he wasn’t in much of a good mood either.

At least, it was unlike his mood just now, just after rising from bed.

After the lens stabilised, a female voice rang out in the room: “May 22, 1227 of the Emma Gregorian calendar, still at the Manson Manor. I got duped by my own dad into attending this ridiculously dull gathering. After pretending to be a noble lady for two hours, the newly bought high heels don’t fit as well as when I tried them on, so both my ankles are bleeding. And I still had to keep smiling through the pain. I suspect that in the last half-hour, I was smiling like I wanted to eat someone…”

Joe laughed drily, explaining during the pause in the female’s narration, “Ms Eunice was crazy about shooting this type of dynamic diary when she was young, because she insisted that she would want to relive bits and pieces of her past after she turned 170. Who doesn’t have their moments of idiocy? Just bear with it for now.” rPkDuR

Eunice’s voice in the recording didn’t sound as crisp and as clear as it did now. Twenty or so years ago, she had only just become involved in the family’s affairs. Her tone was still flush with a vivacity that she had brought out of school, and some of her complaints trailed off a little petulantly.

“I took advantage of the intermission just now to make a break for it. I’m now—” The lens swivelled to show the wide garden and the nearby ropes of the garden swing. “I’m chilling on the swing here, hiding a bit. I hope that those brats tumbling around the garden don’t come close to me, including my idiot brother.”

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Joe, “…”

He was starting to regret that he had skipped through it yesterday and hadn’t reviewed the bit at the beginning. PXCvHK

Sure enough, Ms Eunice would only slander him.

The lens cut back to the guests, focusing on a man sitting in the shade. It was a slightly younger Devore Yves. His elbows were relaxed on the arm of his chair, unhurriedly polishing his glasses.

Kb tlr ifoa, j qevus-ojmfv wjc kjr ufralmeijalcu jr tf rqbxf ab tlw.

“P’ii rajga ogbw atf ifoawbra. Ktja lr Zg Dfnlc, j wfvlmji mjqreif wjceojmaegfg. Lf’r jaafwqalcu ab mbcnlcmf er ab gfqijmf jii bo atf wfvlmji mjqreifr lc Vqglcu Pns, fnfc atbeut kf tjv bcis pera rklamtfv ab atlr yjamt ijra sfjg, jirb bgvfgfv ogbw tlw.” Ktf ifcr olzfv bc atf qevus-ojmfv wjc obg j ofk rfmbcvr. Seclmf ktlrqfgfv lc glvlmeif, “Gjv wera yf rjslcu lc tlr tfjv, ‘Vmgfk sbe, lc sbeg vgfjwr.’ Dea Zg Dfnlc lrc’a vblcu abb yjv. Coafg jii, atf Zjcrbc ygbatfgr bgvfgfv jcbatfg rtlqwfca bo atf ijafra wfvlmji mjqreifr ogbw tlw bc atf rqba pera cbk, ab yf qijmfv lc fjmt bo atflg gfrlvfcmfr, rjslcu atja atfrf mbeiv yf erfv ab mjgf obg atflg ojatfg, gfjvs ab yf erfv ja jcs alwf. Ktf gfra kfgf ab yf ulnfc ab fjmt bo atf uefrar lc jaafcvjcmf jr j uloa.” MwKgqc

Before the lens turned away, Joe continued from where Eunice left off, saying, “Didn’t I mention that Old Fox helped the Mansons get connected with people involved in medical technology and medicinal mines? Bevin is one of them. He’s been to about three gatherings from what I recall. His family upgrades their medical capsule every year, and the Manson brothers also order a shipment on the spot every year as a gift to Old Manson and the guests. Actually, it isn’t that many; 40, at most. Eunice later found out something after getting access to the delivery order through some channels. There was nothing amiss about the quantity stated; there were 40. But the transport used to deliver the goods every time was Silver Snake. You know, it would have no problem carrying 200 medical capsules. Don’t you find it strange that those merchants, who were so meticulous in their calculations, would leave the more suitable transportations unused?”

He hesitated for a moment, then said, “The medical capsules in Spring Ivy Hospital were pretty much all from him. Afterwards, Old Fox had a falling out with him. I heard Old Fox mention that he wanted to stop ordering from him and change to another manufacturer, but there wasn’t any logic behind it. And not long after that… maybe two or three months later? He… died. And then all the medical capsules in Spring Ivy were changed.”

“Cause of death?” Gu Yan asked.

He would have been around four or five those many years ago. Countless in the alliance passed on every year, some of which were merchants. He didn’t have much impression, if any, of these matters of age-old. OTFGiW

Joe said, “Drug overdose; a type of painkiller.”

“Painkiller?”

“He had a history of severe nerve pain.”

During their exchange, Eunice had swivelled the camera to a few different guests, all of whom they were somewhat acquainted with. NEg17y

“…Mr Cliff, unsurprisingly, is dragging my dad and Mr Manson into another one of his thank you speeches. ‘Without the two of you, it would have taken me at least sixty more years to catch this assembly line of space shuttles and those Grade A shipping routes. Blah, blah. He uses the same opening every year; I can recite it already.”

“Ah, his son is sitting next to him. He’s a bit older than me. I can’t quite remember his name; I’ll just call him Cliff Junior for now. I don’t really like the way he looks at the back of his father’s head. I can practically hear him saying ‘when are you old farts going to step aside’. And the way he looks at dad is even nastier. I don’t think he likes any of the high society families. Maybe he’s jealous? He’ll probably inherit the family business in twenty years. I mourn for myself twenty years into the future. It’ll be hell to have to deal with people like him.”

Yan Suizhi’s expression was still very light, yet his eyebrows arched.

The one staying in Hanjin Hotel now was this so-called Cliff Junior. After more than twenty years, the new generation superseded their predecessors, and the head of the family had changed. g8K7EB

“He doesn’t like socialites?” Yan Suizhi asked in passing.

Joe said, “I have limited contact with him. Eunice would know better, but according to her, it seems to be so. When chatting with him, she could tell from certain tones and glances, as well as minute gestures, that he doesn’t like those families, especially mine.”

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Yan Suizhi nodded.

“Why?” 0Sph5W

“It’s nothing much,” Yan Suizhi said mildly. “I just thought of the way he was playing with the cards previously. I found it just a bit curious.”

“What about it? Super annoying, begging for a spanking?” Joe muttered.

“The Spades and Hearts were very casually thrown a distance away, and the Diamonds were placed in front of him, whereas the Clubs were toyed with in his hand.” Yan Suizhi had excellent memory retention, and could even replicate Cliff’s expression and actions at that time.

“So?” Joe looked at him blankly, poking Gu Yan again, like he was asking to be saved. “Help me out. I feel like I’ve returned to the days that I took that elective.” kHh7Od

Lil’ Young Master Joe had also acted like this back when he’d decided to take a law elective in a brain fart moment. Most of the class were given food for thought under Yan Suizhi’s guidance; only he remained completely clueless and could only poke Ke Jin to his left and Gu Yan to his right for a more straightforward explanation.

So, Gu Yan was used to being poked by now. “Remember the playing card suit symbolism? Clubs represent power and status, referring to families in the upper crust like yours and the Mansons, whereas Diamonds represent wealth and resources.”

“Ohhhhh—” Young Master Joe nodded his head vigorously like a pecking rooster. “I get what you mean now.”

That which was set before him was always dearest to his subconscious.  kcebSz

On the other hand, toying with the Clubs showed that he had no respect for those families. It was even coloured with a hint of condescending disdain and defiance, because he felt that they were living off their forefathers’ glory, not of their own merit.”

Joe, “But he’s quite tight with those Manson brothers. It’s not the sucking up kind, but they have played together since their childhood.”

Yan Suizhi, “Which is why I find it a little curious.”

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Eunice introduced many people. and Joe picked some to expound on.

“The man with a lampshade mustache is Mr Zhou, a professor from the medical school of the University of Batelia. He was an incredible teacher; many famous doctors and researchers from Spring Ivy were once his students. The Manson brothers would have long conversations with him about Old Manson’s sickness every time, including preventive and recuperative measures, and so on. This guy as well… Old Fox suddenly stopped using his students, and within three or four years, all doctors and researchers associated with him were transferred or dismissed. And then not long after that, this professor abruptly came down with the alarm clock disorder.”

This was a type of degenerative dementia that was difficult to treat in the present-day alliance, and elderly were a high-risk group. People affected by this disorder would tend to forget most things, only remembering a few habits at fixed timings and places that would be repeated over and over again every day. They were also extremely sensitive to time and could undergo emotional upheavals if they were a few minutes off.

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“This Ms Lucy is an amazing lady. She should be the youngest amongst the attendees here. According to Eunice, she wasn’t even forty when this was filmed. She was lively and candid, and rather charming. She had several suitors amongst those present, but she ignored all of them only to marry, quite capriciously, an ordinary, obscure teacher in the following year—the type that people don’t even remember the surname of. I heard they had a daughter? She was in possession of two medicinal mining lines. A common batch of medicinal ingredients came from her medicinal mines, which later got her into big trouble. It was said that some drugs in the market were found to be defective, resulting in many people who took them to go insane. It so happened that it affected the sleep medication commonly used by business tycoons as well, and the root cause was traced back to the mine. However, this implicated many others, so the news was kept under wraps and the medicinal mines were quietly scrapped. Ms Lucy was imprisoned and committed suicide in the following year.”

Joe added after a moment’s thought, “It’s a bit of a coincidence, but the painkillers that Mr Bevin, the guy I talked about just now, overdosed on was also from that defective batch of drugs.”

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Eunice’s dynamic diary wasn’t short, the whole episode split into four sections. They watched for about half an hour before the end was in sight. UIb31l

Joe mainly highlighted seven names; when talked about individually, nothing seemed to stand out, but when put into perspective, there did seem to be cause for speculation. Devore Yves had introduced these people to the Mansons, and each of them died in a hasty manner.

“And before things went wrong, Old Fox would more or less have some tells or movements.” Joe said, “The more we find out, the more we can prove that these reactions were not coincidence. There are actually more, involving a few others at this gathering, only that they weren’t under the shade when the video was recorded. Eunice said that some went to the washroom, and there was a married couple who was held up by something and came in late—”

As he spoke, heavy thuds of footsteps suddenly came from Eunice’s recording, like something was running over.

Joe abruptly clammed up. RkTaQp

A puerile voice suddenly emerged from the recording, sounding both distant yet nearby. “Sis! You! Are! Secretly! Taking! Videos! Again! Didn’t they say that you can’t take random videos over here!”

“Shh, shh.” Eunice made shushing noises to warn that brat to lower his voice. The lens turned, and she said, exasperated, “Oh my god, the idiot has found me.”

However, she whirled around at a poor timing, coincidentally whacking into the little hellion that shot over. The lens spun dizzily before crashing loudly to the ground.

“Shit, there’s this bit? Why didn’t I notice it yesterday…” Joe awkwardly scratched his nose. “I have a deep impression of this scene. I didn’t slam my brakes in time and knocked into the back of her knees. Her legs gave way and she went straight down to her knees. Luckily, the hedge was in the way and no one saw her… but she’d probably never been so embarrassed before. She was furious, and I got walloped pretty badly by Ms Eunice afterwards.” ghN4ML

“Sis, m’sorry.”

The blonde, miniature version of Little Young Master Joe flashed into the shot, looking dazed from fright. He hastily helped Eunice up, and as Eunice made to smack him, turned heel and scuttled away, yet coming back stiffly after taking just a few steps.

Eunice picked up the camera, forgetting to turn it off in the flurry. Clipping it to her collar, she hobbled past the hedges and the garden, finding a sink to wash the dirt from her palms and knees.

After cleaning up, she sneered, turning around to catch her stupid brother for a beating. lVSyri

“There’s nothing much to see here. I’m going to turn it off, ‘kay?” Young Master Joe covered his face, intending to turn off this piece of dark history.

But before he could put the hologram away, in the shot, Eunice rushed past a hedge, almost bowling into someone.

That someone was a pretty lady who, startled by Eunice, subconsciously took two steps backwards. The tall man behind her held her shoulders, steadying her.

From the direction that they were walking, they should have come from the main entrance of the Manson Manor; the ‘married couple who was held up by something and came in late’ that Joe was talking about. mJepMV

Eunice’s voice rang out from the recording, sounding apologetic. “Sorry, I was in a hurry and didn’t see you round the corner.”

The lady who had narrowly escaped being knocked into waved her hand, smiling. She pulled a loose lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes curving beautifully, and even the small mole at the corner of her eye turned gentle and animated. “Then I should be apologising as well. The garden is so beautiful that I’ve been looking around instead of watching my way.”

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The tall and handsome gentleman, who was supporting her shoulders, nodded at Eunice in greeting.

Eunice made way for them to pass, then hurried off in pursuit of her brother. However, she glanced back again after no more than a few steps. M0bFqd

The married couple from just now appeared in the lens again, only that it was their back view, and that they were a little further off. They stopped once more soon after.

The lady came around behind her husband, gently pushing his back, saying, “You walk ahead. This way, if I tune out again, others wouldn’t get unlucky.”

The man was very tall and didn’t budge when pushed. He turned his head back to look at her, humming in agreement. “There’s no one behind you, so after the collision you’ll be the one sitting on the ground, and others naturally wouldn’t get so unlucky.”

The woman, “…” YpshNI

Off-camera, Eunice laughed.

As Gu Yan studied the faces of the married couple from the sofa, his brows slowly furrowing.

Eunice finally noticed that the video was still recording and reached up to stop the video.

The virtual landscape suddenly darkened. The fragmented lights and shadows vanished. 6UntrT

The tension had yet to bleed from Gu Yan’s brows, an idea of some sort just about to emerge in his head.

Immediately after, next to him, Yan Suizhi suddenly spoke. “Joe, do me a favour.”

Gu Yan turned towards him and saw that his gaze was still fixated where the husband and wife once stood, looking slightly distracted.

“Huh?” Joe started. “Oh, sure. What is it?” oB8RUx

“Replay the portion just now,” Yan Suizhi said.

“Sure can do,” Joe projected the scene again, and as he slid the progress bar, he said, “Why? Did you notice a detail in this portion that I missed?”

Yan Suizhi didn’t give a response for a time. The virtual landscape was fast-forwarded under Joe’s control, and it was only when the scrubbing video turned Eunice’s voice in the background squeaky and high that he returned to his senses. He answered in a seemingly calm and casual manner, “Oh, there isn’t any of that. I only wanted to look at the two of them another time, and let Gu Yan look at them as well.”

As he spoke, the scene was brought close to the end. The lens shook again. wsV1DE

It was Eunice, chasing her brother who had scurried past the hedge.

And then, again turning around the corner, again a soft, startled cry, and again, flustered footsteps coming to a stop…

Chrysanthemum Garden.

The husband and wife were very close to the lens, and very close to the three people seated on the sofa.

Maybe even just a step away. nCWRLh

There they stood, their eyes curving into crescents in Yan Suizhi’s direction.