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CHAPTER 6
PART 2
Part 2
After everyone arrived at Li Xueli's home, they found seats in the living room.
Facing them, Feng Zheng introduced himself formally, saying, "I'm Feng Zheng, a senior attorney at the Wuhan Huaxing Law Firm. I used to be the legal counsel for Gong Yamei's company and also her good friend. By her request, I've been entrusted to handle all matters related to her will."
With that, Feng Zheng opened his suitcase and took out an authorized document signed and stamped by Gong Yamei, along with a notarized certificate.
He handed them over to Tan Yong and the others to examine. After Tan Yong finished reading, he raised a question, "Gong Yamei's unexpected passing raises the question of how she had her will prepared in advance."
"The will was drafted a year ago as a precaution," Feng Zheng replied.
Tan Yong acknowledged.
Feng Zheng continued, "Gong Yamei's will was drafted a year ago but has undergone several revisions. I have maintained written records of all our communications, including emails and WeChat messages, in which she expressed her wishes. If there are no objections, I'll begin reading her will now. It's important to note that this latest version of the will was updated just a week ago."
No one had any objections. Feng Zheng took out another document from the suitcase and said, "This will was prepared according to standard format, and I've omitted some trivial details. Let me read the most crucial part."
He cleared his throat and began to read, "I, Gong Yamei, had already grown weary and desperate with life. Fortunately, after coming to Li City, I met a group of friends. With their companionship, I found happiness and joy that I had been estranged from for so long. I experienced the warmth of a family and genuine human emotions. These friends are not relatives, but they are as close as family. Therefore, I've decided to evenly distribute my estate among the members of the 'extended family,' with the specific allocations as follows: Li Xueli, Xia Qi, Fan Lin, Yuan Dong, Shen Fengxia, Wang Xingxing, Han Lei, Tan Yong, Su Xiaotong, and the Gu Leis', totaling nine shares."
Pausing here, Feng Zheng provided an explanation, "In other words, except for Su Xiaotong and the Gu Leis, who share one share, everyone else gets one share each."
"Even I got a share?" Tan Yong expressed with some level of surprise.
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"While I am a member of the 'extended family,' I don't live in this community and only occasionally attend gatherings, unlike the others who are together almost every day."
"In that case, I'm even more surprised," Su Xiaotong said. "After all, my family just moved here less than a month ago. I didn't expect Sister Yamei to include us."
"Yeah," Gu Lei added.
"The time of moving in and the frequency of gatherings are not issues. Because the time we knew Sister Yamei isn't too long, at most just a year," Han Lei said. "In Sister Yamei's heart, regardless of how long we've known her or how often we've met, as long as we're members of the 'extended family,' she treats us all equally."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Wang Xingxing said, "But when it comes to Sister Yamei's estate, I guess the most significant part is this house in Li City. Given the current market prices, it's probably worth around one million."
"No, it's not," Feng Zheng corrected.
"How much is it then?" Wang Xingxing asked.
"Because this situation happened suddenly, I haven't had a chance to make a detailed inventory of Gong Yamei's estate. However, based on my rough estimates of her savings, stocks, bonds, and real estate, if converted to cash conservatively, it should be around 250 million."
A profound silence fell over the living room after this statement. Every person stared at Feng Zheng with frozen expressions. Several seconds later, Yuan Dong, with a voice almost trembling, asked, "What did you just say?"
Feng Zheng repeated slowly, "I said that Gong Yamei's estate, conservatively estimated, is about 250 million."
As they comprehended this statement, Su Xiaotong spasmed as if an electric shock had surged through her. Was she dreaming? She couldn't help but ask herself. No, she was sure she wasn't. 250 million, divided by nine, what was that? Should she pull out her calculator to figure it out, or would that seem too... But she really wanted to know that number.
Someone had already done it; it was Wang Xingxing. He pulled out his phone calculator, did some calculations, and exclaimed, "250 million divided by nine is over 27 million! My God, can each of us really get so much money?!"
"In reality, it might not be that much, considering inheritance tax," Feng Zheng reminded. "But it's still a substantial amount."
"Yes, even after taxes, it's still over 20 million!" Wang Xingxing exclaimed with excitement, jumping up from the couch.
"But how is this possible?" Xia Qi said incredulously. "Sister Yamei told us that her company went bankrupt, leading to massive debts. Where did this over 200 million come from?"
"Bankruptcy refers to the company level and doesn't affect the personal assets of the legal person. After applying for bankruptcy, Gong Yamei liquidated and sold assets, including the company itself, to repay debts. As for her personal assets, she initially had nearly 600 million. After her divorce, her ex-husband took away or rather, grabbed more than 300 million, leaving approximately 250 million," Feng Zheng explained.
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"My goodness... this is truly 'a camel starving to death is bigger than a horse.' I've been with Sister Yamei for so long, and she's always been low-key, never mentioning that she's this wealthy!" Han Lei exclaimed with wide eyes.
"In a situation like this, Sister Yamei was playing mahjong with us for just one yuan per chip..."
NuShen Fengxia shook her head in amazement. "She really kept her wealth hidden well."
"And she played quite seriously. It seems like winning or losing wasn't her concern; she just enjoyed the fun," Fan Lin remarked.
"But Sister Yamei was never stingy, especially in certain aspects. You know what? Most of the time, she sponsored the alcohol for our gatherings. I felt a bit guilty about it back then, suggesting that since everyone loved drinking, we should increase the monthly food expenses. But Sister Yamei said there was no need, and she'd cover the alcohol costs," Li Xueli recalled. "Looking back now, the alcohol she provided wasn't cheap at all, and she was indeed wealthier than us."
"Let's discuss this later; the will hasn't been fully read yet," Feng Zheng interjected.
"Alright, please continue," Tan Yong said.
"The amount of this inheritance is substantial, and the way it's inherited is quite unique. Please pay close attention, each person's share of the inheritance won't be paid all at once."
"Ah? It will be paid in installments?" Wang Xingxing asked.
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"Yes, it will be evenly distributed over twenty years."
"Twenty years? Why?" Fan Lin inquired.
Before Feng Zheng could respond, impatient Wang Xingxing had already calculated it on his calculator. "So, if we divide the total by twenty, it's 1.38 million per year."
"Yes, that's approximately the amount. As for why it's divided over twenty years, Gong Yamei explained the reasons to me," Feng Zheng said.
"What are the reasons?" Fan Lin asked.
"Two reasons. First, she considered the issue of inheritance tax. If more than two million is inherited in a lump sum, a significant inheritance tax would be owed. However, by dividing it over twenty years, the tax would be correspondingly reduced. The second reason, which is the main one, is that Gong Yamei told me she truly enjoyed the lively and harmonious atmosphere of the 'extended family.' She hoped that even after she was gone, you all would continue this way of life. In this way, when she looked down from above, she would be pleased. In other words, she didn't want everyone to scatter as soon as they got the money. So, she divided the inheritance into twenty years and added a condition."
"What condition?" Su Xiaotong asked.
"That condition is that during these twenty years, all of you must live in the 'Yuehai Bay' community. If someone moves away midway, it means they've given up their inheritance rights. Starting from the next year, the payment of the inheritance will cease, and that portion of the money will be evenly distributed among the others who remain."
"Wait a minute, what if we want to go on vacation? Or during these twenty years, we need to visit our hometown occasionally, what then? Are we required to stay in this community every day just to inherit this money?" Fan Lin questioned.
"It's not that strict. The will specifically states that as long as 'the vast majority' of the year is spent in this community, it's acceptable. 'The vast majority' means ninety percent of the time."
"365 multiplied by 10%..." Wang Xingxing tapped on his calculator. "That means we have 36 days per year for external travel or visiting our hometown. That's actually quite good, almost like a summer vacation."
"365 multiplied by 10% and you still need a calculator?" Yuan Dong teased. "It's actually 36 and a half days."
"Hey, I got used to using a calculator."
"What about me?" Tan Yong asked. "I'm not a resident of Yuehai Bay."
"That's right. The will specifically states that Tan Yong is an exception—you're the only one who can inherit without any conditions."
Tan Yong remained stunned for a while, unable to express his feelings.
At this point, Yuan Dong raised a question, "Dividing it over twenty years... What if we don't live long enough to receive the full amount? This situation might only apply to me; I have ALS, and I'm not sure how long I have left."
"Don't say that, Yuan Dong You'll be fine," Shen Fengxia said with sadness in her voice.
Yuan Dong held her hand. "I'm just asking about the possibility. Of course, I hope to spend as much time with you as possible. But if I go first, can my share of the inheritance be transferred to you?"
"No, if such a situation occurs, it will be handled the same way as if someone voluntarily gives up their inheritance rights. The money originally intended for that person will be evenly distributed among the others, starting from the next year," Feng Zheng explained.
"Oh... so even if someone passes away, we can't control our own portion of the inheritance," Yuan Dong said.
"Yuan Lao Shi, please, let's not talk like this. You and Fengxia already each have a share!" Han Lei said. "Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei, they are sharing a portion too. What more do you want?"
"We share one portion together, which is already very generous. After all, we've just arrived here recently, and we're a married couple. You and Fengxia aren't married. Sister Yamei probably took that into account," Su Xiaotong added.
"Yes, we share one portion, and that's already amazing. Even the first year's payment of over a million is more wealth than I've ever seen. My parents are in a mountainous area, and they could never earn this much in their lifetimes," Shen Fengxia said, filled with emotion. Yuan Dong nodded in agreement.
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"That covers the main contents of the will," Feng Zheng said as he handed over the printed will for everyone to peruse. "By the way, during these twenty years, even if something happens to me unexpectedly, it won't affect the execution of the will. Our law firm will continue to handle it."
"Lawyer Feng, why didn't Gong Yamei leave a portion of the inheritance for you? After all, you were good friends," Tan Yong asked.
"She did mention it, actually, but I declined. Because when I worked as legal counsel at Sister Yamei's company, she had already treated me generously. Later, when I became her personal legal advisor, she paid me a handsome fee, and I felt awkward about inheriting her estate. Moreover, including myself as the attorney who drafted her will would raise suspicions, so I decided against it. Additionally, during these twenty years when I assist with the distribution of the estate, I will receive compensation, which will be deducted from Sister Yamei's estate, this is specified in the will," Feng Zheng explained with a smile.
Tan Yong nodded in understanding.
After passing the will around for everyone to review, it returned to Feng Zheng's hands, and he said, "I believe no one will give up their inheritance rights, right? So, I'll proceed with the next steps, which involve calculating and liquidating all of Gong Yamei's assets mentioned earlier. This might take about a month, and I'll do it as quickly as possible. After completing that, I can distribute this year's share to each of you."
"You've worked hard, Lawyer Feng," Li Xueli said. Others also expressed their gratitude to the lawyer.
"No need to be polite; it's my duty. Well then, I'll be heading back to Wuhan. Goodbye, everyone." Feng Zheng waved politely to everyone and left Li Xueli's home, carrying his suitcase.
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