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Chapter 391
Old Mr. Cooper withdrew a key from his pocket and handed it to Joseph.Joseph accepted it and stepped forward, inserting the key into the lock on the box.After inserting the key into the lock, Joseph turned it twice.Click!The wooden box unlocked easily.With both Old Mr. Cooper and Old Mr. Morgan watching intently, Joseph slowly lifted the lid.Inside, wrapped in a piece of brocade, lay a bundle that felt surprisingly heavy in Joseph’s hands. Beneath it was a folded letter. Judging by the weight and care of the wrapping, the items inside were likely the Dragon, Tiger, and Golden Horse Seals.Joseph set the bundle on the table and carefully unwrapped it.As expected, within the brocade lay the three golden seals—each engraved with a different emblem: a dragon, a tiger, and a golden horse.He placed them gently on the table. The carvings, though exquisite, showed signs of wear—the once-sharp edges of the animal motifs had dulled with time and use.After laying out the seals, Joseph p
Chapter 390
He hadn’t visited the Cooper estate many times, but he was familiar enough with the layout to find his way without issue.A few minutes later, he arrived outside the rear hall and could already hear voices from within.Judging by the sound, it was Old Mr. Cooper and Old Mr. Morgan chatting.Joseph stepped up to the doorway and entered.“Old Mr. Cooper. Old Mr. Morgan.”He greeted the two elders respectfully.“Speak of the devil,” Old Mr. Cooper chuckled. “We were just talking about you.”“Joseph,” Blake Morgan said, giving him a meaningful look. “Since you’ve been here, I hope the Cooper family has treated you well?”"Everything's been fine, Mr. Morgan," Joseph responded calmly."Old Morgan, must you always speak in riddles and sarcasm? Are you trying to get under my skin? Do you think the Cooper family would mistreat him under my watch?" Old Mr. Cooper’s tone was tinged with irritation."Who knows? The members of your family don’t always listen to you. Your descendants—each of them h
Chapter 389
“Huh? Really?”Heidi instinctively touched her flushed cheeks, her voice tinged with panic.The moment she recalled her intimate moment with Joseph, she instantly understood what Bianca was referring to.“Of course. Your face is bright red,” Bianca replied with certainty.“Maybe it’s just the heat in the room. I was just helping him turn on the air conditioner.”Heidi’s mind raced, quickly crafting a reasonable excuse.“Ah, I see. It is a hot day after all.”Bianca nodded, momentarily convinced.“Well, you go ahead and deliver the blanket. I’ve got something else to take care of.”Not wanting to linger, Heidi hurriedly excused herself and made a quick escape.If the conversation kept going, Bianca might start to get suspicious.Watching Heidi flee like a guilty kitten, Bianca couldn’t help but find her behavior odd—like someone who had just done something shameful.Still, she didn’t dwell on it. Turning toward Joseph’s room, she knocked politely on the door.“Who is it?” Joseph asked
Chapter 388
“Bullshit! I don’t want to hear your nonsense.”“In Grandpa’s eyes, you’re the best man there is. And in my heart, you’re the best too.”“So don’t tell me to find someone better—because there’s no one better than you.”“You’re just trying to get rid of me, to hurt me.”“And besides, you weren’t saying that the other day. You already promised me. Now you want to back out?”Heidi’s voice trembled with emotion. As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.Joseph felt a sharp tingle on his scalp.“Hey, don’t cry!”He said helplessly, feeling a headache coming on.“Alright, alright—I promise. I won’t try to back out again.”With no other option, Joseph gave in.The moment he said it, Heidi stopped crying.“You said it. If you ever say something like that again and make me cry, you're done for.”She wiped her tears away, asserting herself with that familiar fire in her eyes.Joseph looked at her, a little suspicious. Was she faking those tears?“Fine, I won’t say it again. I’m already getting
Chapter 387
“Grandpa, what are you saying? Just driving them out was already more than merciful.”“My mother nearly cost you your life that day. Even if you'd taken harsher action, I would’ve found it completely justified.”Heidi shook her head, her voice steady.In her mind, her parents had brought it all upon themselves. They were adults—adults who needed to be accountable for their own actions.“I’m glad you see it that way.”“Your mother… she’s too cruel, too greedy, too ruthless.”“I’ve already handed the family affairs over to your sister. Even if there are changes in the future, the next in line would be you.”“So why was she in such a hurry to see me dead?”Old Mr. Cooper’s tone was tinged with anger.If it weren’t for Fiona and Heidi, he might have taken Maria Long’s life himself.“I understand your intentions, Grandpa.”“But I’m really not cut out for family matters. With Sis managing things now, I think it’s working just fine. Let her continue.”Heidi smiled awkwardly.Lately, her gran
Chapter 386
At her grandfather's words, Heidi’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.She could clearly hear the underlying meaning in his teasing tone.Why was Grandpa suddenly poking fun at her?“Grandpa, what are you talking about? What do you mean by ‘the one before me’ and ‘the one in my heart’?”She stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment. As she spoke, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Joseph, only to find that he too looked slightly awkward.Surely someone as sharp as her brother-in-law could tell that Grandpa was teasing the two of them?“Hahaha…”Old Mr. Cooper burst into hearty laughter at the sight of her flustered expression.“Grandpa, I’m going to the kitchen to help Grandma. I’ll talk to you later!”Heidi said quickly, her voice tinged with nervousness, and then all but fled the room.Watching her embarrassed retreat, Joseph couldn’t help but find it a little endearing.This girl, who usually feared nothing and no one, seemed almost timid for the first time. He ha
Chapter 385
“Uncle, Auntie, please don’t worry—I won’t let Fiona and Heidi be without a home.”“As long as you don’t mind, my home is your home. Treat it as your own.”“Once you're in my house, think of it as yours. You’re not outsiders.”Charles Martin spoke with visible emotion.“Good, good! Our Charles really comes through when it counts.”Maria Long clung to his words like a drowning person grabbing at a lifeline.“Then Charles, we’ll stay at your place for the time being. As for food and utilities, we’ll cover our share.”Stephen Cooper spoke with quiet gratitude.“Stephen Cooper, what nonsense are you spouting? Charles is a professor at Nova University now—do you think he cares about a few bills?”“Offering him money—are you trying to insult him?”Maria Long’s smile vanished the moment Stephen Cooper spoke. She glared at him with thinly veiled contempt. As expected, this man was hopeless. What was he thinking? Why pay for something you could have for free? Was he out of his mind?“Uncle Coo
Chapter 384
“Master Cooper, where did you hide the key?” Joseph asked.“Take me to your old room.”“Alvarez, go find something—maybe a hammer,” the old man added.Joseph nodded and began wheeling Old Mr. Cooper toward his former bedroom.Outside, Maria Long was still wailing and cursing.“It’s over. The old man’s already inside. What’s the point of all this now?” Stephen Cooper said quietly.“This is all your fault, you useless coward! Now we don’t even have a place to live!” Maria sobbed, her face swelling from Joseph’s slap.“What’s the use of complaining now? We should think about where to go next. We can't sleep on the streets.”Stephen Cooper sighed.“Where else? Didn’t we say we’d go stay at Charles’s place?”“You see? Even now, you’re relying on me to think of everything. You’re pathetic,” Maria sneered.Stephen didn’t respond. Instead, he took out his phone and dialed Charles Martin’s number.Charles Martin’s phone rang for quite some time before someone finally picked up.“Give me that.
Chapter 383
After about eight minutes, he finally stopped.“What are you writing?” the locksmith asked, puzzled.“There’s a method in operations research that helps quickly narrow down the most likely solutions,” Joseph explained. “I’ve tested the lock a few times. I now have a rough grasp of its internal structure. Based on that and some quick calculations, I’ve come up with twelve likely combinations.”“Take a look. Can you make sense of it?”He handed the notebook over. The locksmith stared at the strange symbols, his brows knit in confusion.“These squiggly worm-like things... I don’t get them.”“But your diagrams—I can read those. You’re saying the lock’s internal mechanism matches one of these configurations?”“Exactly. Try those twelve methods. One of them should work,” Joseph said confidently.The locksmith looked skeptical. “Kid... this sounds like nonsense. I didn’t study much, so don’t try to pull a fast one on me. You’re saying you figured out the internal design of this lock with jus
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