Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi’s morale in court was so strong that it was extremely mesmerizing to watch her. Gu Yanran, however, was so traumatized that she was akin to a little animal hanging on for dear life.
Usually, for any other person, after being attacked and exposed so continuously like that, they would already be on the verge of giving up. However, Gu Nianzhi brought up the topic of what Gu Yanran cared about the most—the inheritance.
The moment Gu Nianzhi brought up the topic of inheritance, Gu Yanran braced herself once more and felt as ready as ever to take Gu Nianzhi on again. She could give up on everything except for the inheritance! That money was hers! Hers!
For those who did not go through those tough times when they were young, they would never understand her obsession with wealth.
Gu Yanran sat up straight, and her eyes cleared. She glared at Gu Nianzhi and gritted her teeth. “Of course it is a complete list. Why? Lawyer Gu is unhappy with it? It was less than you had expected it to be? Sadly, I apologize. The Gus are not as wealthy as you think we are.” She made it sound as though snatching the inheritance was the only thing that Gu Nianzhi cared about.
Gu Nianzhi calmed down as well. “Oh, really? This… is really all of the Gu family’s inheritance? These are also all the resources that you, Gu Yanran, have been using?” Gu Nianzhi placed the inheritance list that Gu Yanran had submitted onto the defendant’s stand in front of Gu Yanran. “Look carefully again. There are some digits and a total at the back. I left the family when I was 12, so of course I would not know how much inheritance there was in the family. However, you should know very well, shouldn’t you?”
Gu Yanran’s eyelashes batted. She looked at Gu Nianzhi, and the sparkle in her eyes vanished. “Left the family when you were 12? Ha ha… Yeah…” She looked at Gu Nianzhi like she had never seen her before. Her expression was complicated.
It was like she felt evilly comforted but also looked afraid of seeing Gu Nianzhi again.
Gu Nianzhi felt uneasy being looked at by Gu Yanran like that. She tilted her head to the side and did not look at Gu Yanran again. She asked calmly, “Isn’t that the case? Or are you making up stories again? If you are, please make them more convincing. Consider the time, location, and people involved. Do not only make up stories that seem to benefit you and forget about the rest of the characters that were supposed to be in your story.”
Gu Yanran chuckled. She looked straight ahead and stood up behind the defendant’s stand. She leaned forward and waved to Gu Nianzhi. “Lawyer Gu, do you think that you have any right to fight for the inheritance with me?”
Gu Nianzhi turned around and raised her beautiful brows. “The law states that I have the right to fight. So whatever you or I think does not matter.”
“Really?” Gu Yanran stared at Gu Nianzhi’s face, like she was trying to drill a hole in it with her eyes. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Be content. Splitting this inheritance with you equally is already my biggest way of giving in. I feel so apologetic towards mother and father, as I had to give half of their inheritance to someone who is not from the family. However, in order to appease everyone and not let father be sad, I am willing to part with half of the inheritance. Gu Nianzhi, you are still not content?”
Gu Nianzhi’s full lips curled into a seductive smile. However, the moment she spoke, it went straight through Gu Yanran’s heart like a spear. “You said it like you have all the rights to the family’s inheritance. Gu Yanran, have you forgotten why we are here fighting the inheritance lawsuit?”
Gu Yanran’s eyes narrowed immediately. “If not me, then you?! Dream on!”
“Well, I am not dreaming. I am fighting a lawsuit to get the court to decide how much inheritance I should be getting.” Gu Nianzhi did not feel like beating about the bush and wasting time with Gu Yanran anymore. She walked back to the plaintiff’s stand and produced a thick stack of documents. Turning to the judge with the documents, she asked, “Your Honor, may I borrow the projector in this courtroom, please?”
The judge made a wave to signal to the bailiff to help Gu Nianzhi set up the projector.
Gu Nianzhi looked at everyone in the courtroom before her gaze finally landed on Gu Yanran. “Defendant Gu Yanran, I have confirmed with you that the inheritance list that you submitted was everything that the Gu family has. According to this ‘complete list’ of assets, you listed that the inheritance included 11 bank accounts, 23 investment accounts, 45 properties, 103 antiques, 257 patents, and a total of 40 rented safe deposit boxes in different banks.”
Compared to the list that Ye Xuan had provided, the number of bank accounts, investment accounts, properties, antiques, and safe deposit boxes was two-thirds less than what was on Gu Yanran’s list. The number of patents was accurate though, other than the ones that had already been sold. However, the biggest discrepancy was that the list Gu Yanran had provided did not mention anything about the investment company in the Cayman Islands.
Gu Yanran still nodded unwillingly. “This is already a lot. I don’t know why you are still so greedy…”
Gu Nianzhi almost laughed out loud at Gu Yanran’s tone. She was really doing a great job pretending to be innocent. When it came to being greedy, who could surpass Gu Yanran?!
She gave the inheritance list to Gu Yanran and said, “There is your signature here. It’s real, isn’t it?”
Gu Yanran took a look. “It is my signature. If you do not believe it, you are free to go to the banks and investors to confirm it.”
Gu Nianzhi smiled. “I do not have to confirm it. Let’s just assume that they are real.”
“They are.” Gu Yanran, who had always cared about her appearance, rolled her eyes. “Why should I lie to you?”
Gu Nianzhi opened an excel file in the computer. She listed all the things on the inheritance inventory that Gu Yanran had included. There was also another column at the back of each category labeled “Net Profit Then.”
Everyone in court looked at the form filled with numbers and shivered. They did not know what Gu Nianzhi had in mind to attack Gu Yanran with again…
Gu Yanran’s brows furrowed as well. “What do you mean by this?”
“Nothing much, just trying to calculate something for you.” Gu Nianzhi picked up a laser pointer and pointed at the excel sheet on the projector and began analyzing. “According to the inheritance list that was provided by defendant Gu Yanran, I calculated some accounts for her. The ‘Net Profit Then’ over here behind each category is calculated based on the interest rates that the banks have publicized and the net profit made by the investment companies.
“Eleven bank accounts. The total amount is 25 million US dollars. The total annual interest would then add up to one million US dollars.
“Twenty three investment accounts. Each year’s net profit was calculated according to the annual performance report by each company. They all add up to one and a half million US dollars.
“If the antiques are not sold, there will be no profit. The patents would be worth the most. Each year, the patents bring in 30 million US dollars. However, according to my father, Gu Xiangwen’s agreement, these profits from patents are not to be used yet. Therefore, the money could only be placed into funds to be used in investments, and these funds cannot be recorded as annual profit.”
Gu Nianzhi paused and waited for everyone to understand the information before continuing. “Therefore, according to the amount that the defendant, Gu Yanran, provided, the amount that the inheritance could provide per year for spending was only four and a half million US dollars.”
“Only four and a half million US dollars? Gu Nianzhi, how proud must you be to talk like that? How much do you even make a year? And you think four and a half million US dollars a year is so little?” Gu Yanran burst out laughing and had a look of contempt on her face.
“An annual income of four and a half million US dollars would definitely be a lot for an average family. However, for you, the most wealthy lady in Barbados, would it even be close to enough for you per year?” Gu Nianzhi turned the tables around, and her tone became sharp and firm. “Let us look at the most wealthy lady in Barbados, defendant Gu Yanran’s annual expenditures.”
Gu Nianzhi displayed another excel sheet on the projector. “Please take a look, everyone. The most wealthy lady in Barbados, Miss Gu Yanran, would spend at least one million US dollars on fashion, luxury bags, shoes, skincare products, and makeup annually.
“If we were to include the money that you spent on jewelry and luxury cars, it would be close to three million US dollars. On top of that, Miss Gu Yanran has her very own fleet of employees—her personal consultant, helpers, housekeeper, and team of bodyguards. These would cost the most. The salary that you have given them annually is almost three million US dollars annually as well. Which means you are already spending six million US dollars a year.
“Following that, let us look at your annual donations, party organizations, and gifts to political figures. Then, there is still the mansion’s maintenance and upkeep, the salaries of professionals including lawyers, accountants, hairdressers, makeup artists, and fashion designers. Those would be a minimum of four million US dollars a year.”
Gu Yanran turned pale again. Her fingers began to tremble. Her voice did not sound as strong anymore. “How did you get all this insider’s information?!”
“Insider’s information?” Gu Nianzhi tilted her head. “I got all this credit card information from the three biggest credit card companies in Europe and America. I have the statements from the banks, too. As long as I have a letter from the court, these organizations are more than happy to cooperate with me.”
Of course, Ye Xuan provided the credit card and bank statement information. Gu Yanran’s annual expenditures were also one of Ye Xuan’s main job scopes when he was in charge of the family’s finances.
“I shall not touch on the fact that you give some people money illegally. We will just look at the normal expenditures. Your annual spending has already exceeded ten million US dollars.” Gu Nianzhi turned around and went to the defendant’s stand where Gu Yanran was sitting.
“Tell me, according to the list that you have provided, where the annual income is only four and a half million US dollars, how was that amount able to support your expenditure of ten million US dollars a year?!”
Gu Yanran’s eyes sparkled, and she tried to bluff her way through. “You have seen it. I am living in the negative. My savings has already been depleted…”
“Yeah, an expenditure of 70 million in seven years, but the savings account that you provided only contained 25 million. Even if you were to spend all the savings, it would not be able to sustain your seven years of expenditures.” Gu Nianzhi knocked on the defendant’s stand. “I shall be nice and leave the sky high gifting and donations alone. No matter how we calculate it, the inheritance list that you have provided does not jibe with your expenditures to a huge extent.”
Gu Nianzhi estimated the amount on the inheritance list that Gu Yanran had provided based on how Gu Yanran liked things to be. She liked things to be royal and grand, and liked making herself look important. Therefore, Gu Nianzhi was able to estimate these amounts. Then, she compared the amount from the inheritance list, and it was obvious that there would be a huge discrepancy between the amount of inheritance and her spending. With that, she asked, “Where did your money come from?!”
“Why should you care where my money come from?” Gu Yanran still tried to be stubborn about it.
“If you are unable to let us know where the huge discrepancy between the inheritance and your expenditure came from, it will mean that you are laundering money.” Gu Nianzhi looked at Gu Yanran seriously and smiled. “Compared to hiding your inheritance, money laundering is categorized as a major crime in all countries. If your case is too severe, you could be sentenced to death.”
