Insert the memory card into the card reader, connect it to the computer, and the video file will appear on the screen in the living room.
Under the camera, the chairman looked in good spirits. He said clearly: "Today is January 31, 2022. I have decided to make my own will. The witnesses are Lawyer Cai and Lawyer Wang."
Lawyer Cai and an older female lawyer appeared on camera to testify that the will was authentic and valid.
The living room was completely silent, everyone stared at the screen nervously and anxiously. Jian Jing glanced at them, but no one noticed her gaze.
They were all very... very in awe of the Chairman.
Looking at the elderly man in the camera, he is already quite old, with gray hair, and his body appears very weak due to chemotherapy, but his expression is firm and his tone is tough, completely the image of a dictator.
Chairman, yes, he is not only the leader of the group, but also the authority who has the final say in the family.
"My will has two conditions: first, all my daughters must be present. I have six biological children, Jiang Lian, Jiang Qi, Jiang Ou, Jiang Yue, Jiang Xun, and Jiang Xue. Not one can be missing. Second, you must have reached a mutually agreed outcome on my death."
The chairman's tone was very calm, and he did not shy away from talking about his affairs after death: "In the last few days, I will tell you to change the will, but in fact, there has always been only one will, and I never planned to change it."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
The color on Jiang Lian's face faded completely, and she was so shocked that she almost stood up. For a moment, she even forgot that her father had passed away, and blurted out: "What do you mean?"
As if anticipating the young woman's question, in the video, the chairman calmly revealed the answer: "Even brothers can become enemies over money, not to mention that the six of you do not have the same mother. After I die, you will not be able to work together to manage the group's affairs, and this is what I least want to see."
"Unfortunately, as a father, I cannot be too partial to one over the other, especially since Jiang Xun and Jiang Yue are not with me all year round, and I have hardly fulfilled my responsibilities as a father." He softened his tone, revealing a rare warmth.
However, the next moment, the illusion was shattered, and the curve of his mouth was flat again, with a strong sense of oppression: "So, I have no choice but to use this method to solve all problems."
Having said this, the chairman paused for a moment, as if gathering his energy. Outside the video, the air was so tense that it became stagnant.
Even Jian Jing, an outsider, couldn't help but breathe lighter.
The chairman said: "I know that once I say I want to change my will, someone will try to stop me, and the easiest way is to shut me up."
Even though they were mentally prepared, the people present still couldn't hide their shock when they heard the deceased confess it himself.
"Who took action?" A sneer appeared on the chairman's lips. "I don't care. Since you have reached a consensus, then Lawyer Cai can announce the contents of the will."
"Okay." Lawyer Cai appeared on camera, took out a signed document, and began to read, "Mr. Jiang Guangze's will is as follows:
"If the person concerned dies of natural causes, the estate will be distributed as follows: the real estate will be divided equally among the children and spouse Ms. Yin Meng at market prices; the shares of Jiangshui Group and its subsidiaries will be divided equally among the six daughters; the water company will be divided equally among Jiang Xun, Jiang Yue, and Jiang Xue; the communications company will belong to Jiang Qi; the energy company will be divided equally between Jiang Lian and Jiang Ou; and the remaining movable property and jewelry will be given to Ms. Yin Meng."
Mrs. Jiang gave a mocking sneer.
Everything was just as she expected. The chairman's real inheritance would definitely be given to the children, and she, as his spouse, could only get something expensive but with no future.
But this is not the final result.
Lawyer Cai in the video turned over another page of paper, while Lawyer Cai outside the video kept his mouth tightly shut, trying his best not to reveal any emotion.
"If the death of the party concerned is unnatural, then, by consensus of all the heirs, the person or persons who murdered the party concerned shall lose the right to inherit except the real estate, and the rest of the estate shall be distributed in the manner described above."
Lawyer Cai paused the video and explained: "Let me give you an example. If someone loses the right of inheritance, then the shares of Jiangshui Group will be divided equally among the remaining five people, and the same goes for other shares."
Everyone was stunned, and then quickly exchanged glances.
Jiang Baiyan received the most attention, but he himself did not show any joy, instead he seemed to be thinking about something.
At this time, the chairman in the video spoke again: "I think at this time, maybe someone wants to go back on their words. You can choose another way to verify the truth. I will install cameras in the room and upload the monitoring content in real time. But—"
He said meaningfully: "After checking the surveillance, if the person is identified as the murderer, he will lose the inheritance rights. If not, then he will get all the inheritance."
Without waiting for everyone's reaction, he added: "But to check the surveillance, we must obtain everyone's consent."
Jian Jing didn't understand at first and thought it was a contradictory condition, but after thinking about it again, she suddenly understood.
She understood.
The chairman probably didn't expect that she would be able to reconstruct the case so completely. In his expectation, the murderer who was pushed out was most likely not the real murderer.
The investigation process is actually a process of forming an alliance, so we say "reaching a consensus".
People can choose to push forward a scapegoat, making him lose most of his inheritance rights and only retain the property as a backup option for making a living.
And in the process, others became accomplices.
What alliance is unbreakable
People who commit a crime together.
Therefore, even if they are daughters from different mothers, in order to obtain the inheritance, they have to "live in harmony". Everyone has something against each other, so no one dares to really turn against each other.
As for the other method, it is an insurance policy and also the most brilliant part of this game.
If the person identified as the murderer is not the real murderer, he will definitely try to overturn the case and ask to see the video. But others will never allow him to do so.
Only by having a common enemy can the alliance be maintained and the group avoid internal strife and disintegration.
In other words, the chairman used his own death to forcibly bind the women who were not of the same mind as him and clear the obstacles for the company's future.
Similarly, if the identified person can turn the tide on his own in such a situation, it proves that he has the means to suppress others.
It was a good result that he had put half his life's work into the hands of this man.
Either way, the group is protected.
Jian Jing couldn't stop sighing.
In fact, the chairman doesn’t care about the truth, who will kill him, or whether he will be punished.
The only thing he really cares about is Jiangshui Group.
This is my biological child.
But the current situation seems to have exceeded his expectations—the chairman doesn't care about the truth, but the truth has already surfaced.
Jiang Lian asked: "Lawyer Cai, who is responsible for the current situation?"
Lawyer Cai was also in a dilemma, and said carefully: "According to the inference just now, Miss Jiang Lian and Mrs. Jiang may have caused the chairman's death. Mr. Jiang Ou, Miss Jiang Xue, Miss Jiang Yue, and Mr. Jiang Qi should have rescued them, and they could have rescued them, but they did not. This is a crime of omission, and they should also bear part of the responsibility."
After a pause, he continued, "Ms. Jiang Xue is not an adult yet, so the situation is different."
"After talking for so long, is there only one person who is the most innocent?" Jiang Ou said coldly, "Why don't we watch the surveillance video? I want to see if he really did nothing."
Jiang Baiyan complained: "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Jiang Qi said: "Father, do you have anything else to say?"
Lawyer Cai said: "After the will is finalized, the chairman will also write a letter to the heirs separately."
Jiang Yue had been silent the whole time, and only now said, "So how should the distribution be done? Lawyer Cai, please give us a definite answer."
Lawyer Cai took a deep breath and said, "Unless it can be concluded that the chairman's death was caused by a certain person, for example, the chairman was already dead before Miss Jiang Yue arrived, she can be exempted from responsibility. Otherwise, she should be regarded as an accomplice."
Jiang Yue opened her mouth and almost wanted to say that the person was dead.
But Mrs. Jiang immediately said, "When I went there, he was still breathing."
Jiang Yue couldn't help but look at her, her eyes full of regret - if they could be given a little more time, the two of them would just need to coordinate their statements and things would be simple.
As if she saw through her thoughts, Mrs. Jiang sneered: "Do you think I will help you hide it? Why? You framed my daughter! Besides," she looked at Jiang Qi and raised her chin, "there is also him."
A trace of gloom flashed across Jiang Qi's face.
At this moment, he was not sure whether he would expose them. If they could reach an agreement, he would be cleared of any involvement.
Too late.
He did not understand his father's intention. From the beginning to the end, the truth was not important. What was important was how much ability they could exert in this test.
The amount of inheritance is actually decided by themselves.
After all, a father is still a father, and the chairman is still the same chairman.
He sighed softly, shook his head, and asked, "Jiang Xun, did you really not make a move?"
"Second brother, do you think it's strange that I disappeared in this matter?" Jiang Baiyan asked in surprise.
Jiang Qi said calmly: "Isn't it?"
Jiang Baiyan curved his eyebrows and smiled as cutely and sweetly as when he was a child. But his tone no longer sounded like that of a pitiful puppy.
"It's not strange at all. I'm the invisible person in my family." He asked, "You've never seen me before. Why can you see me now?"
Jiang Qi was silent.
"Because of money, right? You don't want to see me, but you can only see me." Jiang Baiyan smiled again. He always thought that his second brother was not worldly, but in the end, they were all worldly people.
So what if it's a bastard born to a mistress? When it comes to money, we can still talk about brotherhood.
How ironic! Money can buy love.
"Xiao Xun." Jiang Lian slowed down her tone and played the family card, "No one will recognize this result. You have never been in the group for a day. The people in the company don't even know who you are. You will get nothing."
"Sister, I just starred in a super hit movie, how come no one knows who I am?" He asked back aggrievedly, looking as if he didn't understand at all.
Jiang Lian held back her anger: "You know that's not what I meant, I meant the company..."
"Don't say that." Jiang Ou interrupted her sister and sneered, "Let him take it. I wonder how much he can take away."
Jiang Xue couldn't help but look at her mother. Mrs. Jiang watched the show with an expressionless face.
Lawyer Cai rubbed his forehead and said with difficulty: "Here is a document. If you all reach an agreement, please sign it here. Of course, if you don't sign it, it will not affect the validity of the will."
The three Jiang siblings remained motionless, protesting with actions.
"Lawyer Cai," Mrs. Jiang said, "It's already late today. Can we talk about it tomorrow so that everyone can digest it and think about it? What do you think?"
Lawyer Cai quickly agreed: "Of course, no problem, I'll come back tomorrow morning... uh, at 1pm."
No one tried to stop me.
"You guys take your time to discuss it, I'm going to sleep." Jian Jing was also tired of eating melon, so she yawned and went back to her room to sleep.
No one in the Jiang family moved.
They all knew that next, it was time to trade.