Chapter 1

In April, the city of Haishidao still had a chill in the air.

At 7:30 in the morning, Qin Shaou lost his sleep and, wrapped in an overcoat, leaned against the head of the bed, staring blankly out the window.

He had been in this city for eight years, attending university here and then staying after graduation.

Qin Shaou's university, the Central Marine University, was the best school in Haishidao. After graduation, with the help of his upper bunk brother Mao Weilong, he got a job in the human resources department of a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the best state-owned enterprise in Haishidao.

He worked there for four years, and then last month, a beautiful new archivist joined the human resources department. The manager assigned Qin Shaou to train her. This wasn't a big deal, except that the archivist was exceptionally beautiful, attracting the attention of a wealthy second-generation heir.

What followed was a simple and cliché story. The rich heir, seeing how close Qin Shaou and the beautiful new employee were, became extremely jealous. He warned Qin Shaou a few times, but Qin Shaou didn't take it seriously. Eventually, the two had a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical fight.

What started as a personal issue became serious when the rich heir, after being beaten by Qin Shaou, contacted some friends in the finance department to set up a trap. They framed Qin Shaou for stealing a sum of cash from the finance department.

This was a major setback. Qin Shaou not only lost all his savings but was also fired from the company!

In a way, leaving CNOOC might not be a bad thing. Qin Shaou had long wanted to venture out, but the problem was that he was now broke, having lost all his money to the company.

Adding insult to injury, this month was the time to pay the second quarter's rent. Now, he only had enough money for a meal, far from enough to pay the rent.

What he feared came to pass. As Qin Shaou was worrying about money, there was a sudden knock on the door!

Qin Shaou opened the door, and the landlord's stern face appeared. Without a doubt, the landlord was here to collect the rent.

Although Haishidao is in the north, its proximity to the sea makes it a natural and high-quality port, leading to rapid economic development. It is considered a second-tier city in China, with high housing prices and expensive rent.

Qin Shaou rented a small one-bedroom apartment, with a monthly rent of 1,000 yuan. Since the rent was paid quarterly, it amounted to 3,000 yuan, but at this critical moment, Qin Shaou didn't even have 300 yuan!

With no other choice, Qin Shaou had to smile and beg the landlord for leniency. The landlord was displeased and said sternly, "I'll give you two days. I'll come back the day after tomorrow to collect the rent. If you still can't pay, you'll have to leave!"

The words were harsh, but Qin Shaou was powerless to react.

A hero can be brought down by a single coin. Qin Shaou was now in such a desperate situation.

After the landlord left, Qin Shaou lay on the bed, exhausted, his mind filled with confusion about the future and frustration over his current situation.

He was approaching his thirties but was a "triple-no" person—no career, no house, no car. Thinking of his aging parents with gray hair, Qin Shaou felt a deep sense of helplessness!

Just then, the door was knocked on again, and the landlord's shrill voice rang out, "Xiao Qin, open the door, open the door quickly!"

Hearing the landlord's voice, Qin Shaou's frustration and despair turned to anger. The landlord was being too unreasonable, having already agreed to give him two days to raise the money, why was he back so soon?

Qin Shaou suppressed his anger and opened the door, only to find the landlord standing next to a police officer wearing a peaked cap and a uniform.

The police officer asked, "Are you Mr. Qin Shaou?"

Qin Shaou nodded, and the police officer said, "Alright, please come with me. Someone is looking for you."

Before Qin Shaou could say anything, the landlord quickly interjected, "Officer Du, I have no connection with Xiao Qin. If he's involved in any case, it has nothing to do with my property."

Qin Shaou didn't know what was happening, thinking it might be related to the previous case. He followed the young police officer to the police station, feeling lost and disoriented.

At the police station, the young officer took him directly to the chief's office.

Inside the office, Qin Shaou saw two men in suits sitting on the sofa, and a middle-aged, pot-bellied police officer was serving them tea.

What puzzled Qin Shaou was that one of the men on the sofa was a tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned foreigner, who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with a snowy white beard, but his broad and straight posture exuded authority.

Without a doubt, the middle-aged police officer was the chief of the Shuanghe Street Police Station, Luo Yongzhi. He extended his hand and said, "Are you Mr. Qin Shaou? I am Chief Luo Yongzhi of the Shuanghe Street Police Station. Nice to meet you."

Qin Shaou, who had been tormented by the police recently, quickly shook his hand and introduced himself with a bow.

After they released hands, the middle-aged man on the sofa stood up and shook Qin Shaou's hand, saying, "Mr. Qin, nice to meet you. I am Li Xin from the Intermediate People's Court of Haishidao. This is Mr. Schumann-Auerbach, a renowned lawyer from the Canadian law firm Famingde."

After the introductions, the old foreigner, who had been eyeing Qin Shaou intently, asked in English, "Hello, Mr. Qin Shaou, do you know a person named Qin Hongde?"

Before Li Xin could translate, Qin Shaou instinctively answered in fluent English, "Qin Hongde? He's my second uncle, yes, my grandfather's second brother."

The old foreigner, Auerbach, nodded and asked, "Do you have the Heart of the Sea—a small blue pendant, very beautiful? Can you show it to me?"

Qin Shaou furrowed his brows, unsure what the old foreigner was up to, but he still unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and pulled out a deep blue heart-shaped pendant on a red string.

Auerbach took the Heart of the Sea and then asked Luo Yongzhi, "Sir, could I borrow a paper cup?"

Luo Yongzhi made a call, and the logistics department quickly brought a high-quality crystal cup.

Auerbach filled the cup with water and placed the Heart of the Sea inside. Immediately, the entire cup turned the same deep blue as the Heart of the Sea. Auerbach shook his wrist, and the water rippled, giving the impression of surging seawater!

Everyone was stunned, and Qin Shaou was amazed that the small pendant he had been wearing all along had such a miraculous effect!

After completing this, Auerbach said solemnly, "Mr. Qin Shaou, I am a senior lawyer at Famingde Law Firm, Mr. Schumann-Auerbach. I have been entrusted by Mr. Qin Hongde to deliver his will to you. Additionally, I will inform you of his inheritance..."

Auerbach opened the will and said, "From now on, you—Mr. Qin Shaou, the eldest grandson of Mr. Qin Hongde—will inherit the Great Qin Fishery in Goodbye Bay, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. According to the assessment by the Royal Bank of Canada, the fishery is valued at 42 million Canadian dollars, or 233.1 million RMB!"

Qin Shaou's heart pounded violently. After a moment, he managed to steady himself and asked in a trembling voice, "Mr. Auerbach, are you joking? My second grandfather left me 233 million RMB in inheritance?"

Auerbach nodded to confirm and then explained some additional matters, such as becoming Qin Shaou's personal lawyer and the need to complete the inheritance process in Canada.

Under the witness of Luo Yongzhi and Li Xin, Qin Shaou signed the inheritance acceptance document. Then, he left the police station with Li Xin and Auerbach, heading back to his rental apartment.

When they arrived at his small apartment, he was shocked to find a pile of his belongings outside the door. Upon closer inspection, they were all his luggage, mainly bedding, books, and a computer.

Just then, the landlord came out and, seeing Qin Shaou, locked the door with a cold expression and said, "You're back? Well, let me make things clear. Did you do something bad outside? Otherwise, why would the police come looking for you?"

Before Qin Shaou could explain, the landlord continued coldly, "No need to say anything. Pack your things and get out. I won't rent to someone like you."

Suddenly, Qin Shaou came to his senses.