The girl named Bonnie, realizing that their plan to hide the rooster head in the balloon had been exposed, felt panic rising. Seeing Jack Chen and the other two accomplices frantically signaling her, she muttered, "Damn it," and reluctantly handed the balloon to the bodyguard who had already surrounded them.
"You can leave now." Handing the rooster head to Anthony, William chuckled as he headed into the castle.
"Wait, wait, Mr. Devonshire! I know where the snake and goat heads are! If you're interested, we could work together," Jack Chen quickly called out as William was about to leave. He had just gotten leads and wasn't ready to give up.
"I know where the clues are, so why should I need you?" William glanced back at the disappointed Jack Chen, then looked at Catherine, who was red with anger, wanting to speak but too scared to do so. Suddenly, something occurred to William, and he asked Anthony, "Who does a ship found on the high seas legally belong to?"
"Well," Anthony thought for a moment before replying, "Theoretically, if there's no clear evidence of ownership by a country or individual, it belongs to whoever finds it."
Remembering that the ship in question might have a recorded name and history, William frowned slightly.
Seeing William's expression, Anthony reminded him, "Boss, if the ship you want to salvage has a registered name and an ownership record, I'd advise against creating trouble. If you really want to proceed, just recover the gold and jewels, but don't touch the ship itself. That would cause a lot of legal complications."
William understood the logic of recovering only valuables. As long as he claimed that the gold and jewels were salvaged from the ocean floor, no one could challenge him.
"What if the ship was stranded on an island or pushed onto land?"
"Then buy the island outright. When you sign the contract, make sure to secure all possible rights. Anything you find on that island would legally be yours. But…" Anthony trailed off, lost in thought, which made William anxious enough to want to punch him.
After a few seconds, Anthony continued, "If the ship is privately owned, the descendants of the owner might come after you, or demand a share. I suggest buying the ownership rights from the owner's descendants first to avoid future trouble."
"Yes," William muttered. If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to legitimize the recently acquired rabbit and rat heads, he wouldn't have to go through all this trouble. He could have just gone after the ship directly.
Thinking about Da Vinci's Rose, William looked at Jack Chen and Catherine. "Let them in."
Anthony nodded and ordered his men to bring everyone inside the castle.
After some introductions, they all sat down. The original staff of the castle served tea and snacks. William looked at Catherine and said, "Interested in making a deal?"
"What?" Catherine was taken aback, her angry expression turning into a bright smile. "Are you planning to return the castle to me? I'll give you everything I have, even myself if necessary."
Watching Catherine smile seductively at him, William chuckled. "Catherine, while you're certainly beautiful, I suggest you go home, get some sleep, and then talk to me afterward. How about that?"
Rolling her eyes at William, Catherine realized there was no way he would return the castle. "What kind of deal are you proposing?"
"I heard you're looking for your great-grandfather's remains, correct?" William asked.
"That's right," Catherine replied quickly. "Are you trying to find The Immortal, Mr. Devonshire?"
"Yes," William nodded. "I help you recover your great-grandfather's remains, and you transfer the ownership of The Immortal to me. How about that?"
"Hah, I suggest you wait until you've slept before trying to con me," Catherine sneered. "You bloodsucker! The Immortal is bound to have loads of antiques, relics, and even gold and jewels. There's no way I'm handing it over to you for free."
"Alright, deal's off. You can go search for it yourself, Ms. Catherine. You may leave now," William said, pointing to the door. "Get out."
"Fine, I'm leaving! You're no gentleman!" Catherine didn't budge, but the girl who came with Jack Chen angrily stood up and walked over to Catherine. "Let's go, Catherine. I'll help you find it."
"Ah," Catherine was stunned by the girl's offer. "Thank you, Coco, thank you."
Catherine stood up and hugged Coco. "I'm sorry, my friend, but I must find my great-grandfather's remains. It's the wish of my grandmother, my father, and myself.
If my family hadn't gone bankrupt, I'd leave immediately. But unfortunately, even though I have a job, my salary isn't nearly enough to fund a search for The Immortal. So, please forgive me for turning down your kind offer."
"Alright," Coco sighed, understanding that when it came to recovering an ancestor's remains, no one would give up even the slimmest of chances. She turned to Jack Chen and the others. "Do you guys have any other solutions? Or are we really going to rely on that cold-blooded money-grubber?"
"Idiot," William rolled his eyes and, speaking in Chinese, addressed Coco. "Take the exit to the right. Thank you. And tell your teacher he's in trouble."
Coco froze. "What do you mean? What trouble is my teacher in?"
"If I were your teacher, I'd expel you from his school to avoid being dragged down by you," William sneered. "Some people harm their fathers; you harm your teacher."
"What are you talking about?" Coco looked at William, suddenly anxious.
Annoyed by this oblivious girl, William turned to Catherine. "Ms. Catherine, would you mind stepping out? We have some private matters to discuss. Or you can just leave altogether."
"Don't even think about kicking me out to claim The Immortal for yourself!" Catherine hesitated for a long moment before finally storming off toward the restroom.
Once Catherine left the room, William waved for Anthony and his men, as well as the bodyguards, to clear out.
"Considering that you're Chinese and I also have some Chinese blood, I'll give you some face and send everyone else away. So, are you going to tell me, or should I spell it out for you?"
After a brief silence, seeing that Jack Chen and the others were still not talking, William smirked at Coco. "Did you ask your teacher for the details on the rooster head? Heh, some people don't even realize when they're being sold out."
Pointing at the rooster balloon on the table, William said, "Open it."
"No, don't!" Unable to keep up their act any longer, Jack Chen and his companions hurriedly tried to stop her.
"Boss, why are we even wasting time talking? He's alone now. We can just take the rooster head and leave, and the cops won't have any evidence against us."
With that, Jack Chen's two companions moved toward William, intending to grab him.
"Alvin, Ayu, stop! Stop right now!" Jack Chen quickly grabbed his subordinates, whispering urgently in their ears, "Don't you dare. There are hidden guards protecting Devonshire in this room. I can sense them, though I haven't been able to see where they are. They must be highly skilled."
His two companions looked at him in surprise, and Jack Chen gave a serious nod.
Meanwhile, Coco, taking advantage of the distraction, had already opened the balloon. The rooster head appeared before her eyes, and she turned to look at Jack Chen and his group in shock.
What she said next left everyone stunned.
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