In April, White Wave Island City still carried the lingering chill of spring. At seven-thirty in the morning, Eddie, unable to sleep, pulled a coat over his shoulders and leaned against the headboard, staring blankly out the window.
He had lived in this city for eight years—arriving first for university and remaining after graduation. He studied at Central Ocean University, the finest institution in White Wave Island City. After earning his degree, his dormmate Gao Xueqiang helped him secure a position in the HR department of a subsidiary of CNOOC, the city's leading state-owned enterprise.
For four years, Eddie worked diligently and without incident. However, trouble began last month when the HR department welcomed a new archivist—an extraordinarily beautiful woman who immediately drew the attention of many, including a wealthy heir within the company. Eddie was assigned to train her, and though that in itself was routine, their frequent interaction soon became a source of jealousy.
The situation escalated in a sadly predictable manner. The heir grew increasingly hostile, warning Eddie to stay away from the woman. Eddie, refusing to back down, eventually found himself in a heated argument that turned physical. In a moment of anger, Eddie struck the man—a blow that humiliated him deeply.
But it didn't end there. The heir, leveraging his connections, conspired with a few allies in the finance department to falsely accuse Eddie of embezzlement.
The trap worked. Eddie was left devastated—his savings wiped out, and his job terminated.
Leaving CNOOC might not have been the worst outcome in itself. Eddie had long dreamed of stepping beyond his comfort zone. But reality proved harsher than he imagined—he was left penniless.
As if matters weren't already grim, this month marked the deadline for his second-quarter rent payment. He could barely afford a meal, let alone the three thousand yuan he owed for his modest one-bedroom apartment.
While Eddie was agonizing over his desperate financial state, a knock came at the door.
When he opened it, his landlord stood outside, his expression stern and unmistakable in intent—he had come to collect the rent.
Although White Wave Island City sat in the north, its coastal location made it a naturally advantageous port. It had grown rapidly into a thriving second-tier city with soaring property prices and high rental costs.
Eddie's apartment cost one thousand yuan a month, paid quarterly. At this moment, however, he didn't even have three hundred yuan to his name.
Left with no choice, Eddie tried to plead with the landlord. But the man was unmoved.
"I'll give you two days," he snapped. "I'll be back the evening after tomorrow. If you haven't paid by then, pack up and move out."
The words stung, but Eddie lacked the strength to argue.
Poverty had reduced this once-proud young man to silent resignation.
After the landlord left, Eddie collapsed onto the bed, his mind spinning with thoughts of his bleak future. Nearing thirty, he had no career, no property, no car—nothing. Thinking of his aging parents, their hair streaked with gray, brought an ache to his chest.
Before despair could fully consume him, another knock interrupted his thoughts, followed by the landlord's voice—sharp and commanding:
"Eddie, open the door! Now!"
Eddie's frustration flared. How could the man return so soon? Hadn't he promised two days?
Suppressing his anger, Eddie opened the door—only to find a police officer standing beside the landlord.
Wearing a peaked cap and crisp uniform, the officer asked, "Are you Eddie?"
Eddie nodded, wary. "Yes. What is this about?"
"Please come with me. Someone wishes to speak with you," the officer said evenly.
Before Eddie could respond, the landlord quickly added, "Officer Du, I have no connection with him. If he's done anything illegal, it has nothing to do with my property."
Eddie, confused and uneasy, followed the officer to the local police station, assuming the matter related to the previous allegations.
To his surprise, the officer led him directly to the station chief's office.
Inside were two impeccably dressed men seated on a sofa while a middle-aged policeman served them tea.
One of the men was tall and blond, with striking blue eyes and a white beard. Though clearly in his fifties or sixties, his bearing exuded vitality and authority.
The middle-aged officer extended a hand. "You must be Eddie. I'm Luo Sen, chief of the Shuanghe Street Police Station in Luoshan District. Welcome."
Still shaken from his prior encounters with law enforcement, Eddie responded with humble caution.
After their handshake, the second gentleman stood and took Eddie's hand warmly.
"Eddie, I'm Mason, a judge at the White Wave Island City Intermediate People's Court. And this is Mr. Derozan Creeper, a senior attorney from the Canadian law firm Freeman-Taylor."
Derozan, the blond gentleman, asked in fluent English, "Mr. Eddie, do you know Jason?"
Before Mason could translate, Eddie instinctively replied in English, "Jason? Oh, he's my great uncle—my grandfather's older brother."
Derozan nodded. "Then you may have a small blue pendant—Poseidon's Heart. A beautiful item. Could you show it to me?"
Puzzled, Eddie hesitated, then unbuttoned his collar and pulled out a star-shaped pendant strung on a red thread.
Taking the pendant, Derozan turned to Luo Sen and asked, "Could I trouble you for a glass of water?"
Moments later, a staff member delivered a crystal cup. Derozan placed Poseidon's Heart into the water. Instantly, the liquid turned a deep, oceanic blue, with shimmering ripples that seemed to radiate energy.
Everyone in the room was taken aback—even Eddie had never imagined the pendant had any unusual properties.
Once the moment passed, Derozan turned serious.
"Mr. Eddie, I am Derozan Creeper, senior counsel at Freeman-Taylor. On behalf of Mr. Jason, I present his final will, and hereby declare the inheritance."
He opened a document and read aloud:
"As of this moment, you—Jason's eldest grandson, Eddie—are the sole inheritor of BE Fishery in Farewell Town, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The enterprise is currently valued at 42 million Canadian dollars—approximately 233.1 million yuan."
Eddie's heart pounded, his hands trembling. "Mr. Creeper… are you serious? My great-granduncle left me an inheritance worth over two hundred million yuan?"
Derozan nodded, then explained the legal process. He was now Eddie's personal attorney and would guide him through the transition in Canada.
After signing the necessary documents in the presence of Luo Sen and Mason, Eddie returned to his apartment with them.
To his shock, his belongings—bedding, books, and his computer—had been dumped outside his door.
The landlord stepped out and shut the door firmly behind him.
"You're back?" he said coldly. "Let me make one thing clear—have you been involved in something questionable? Why else would the police come knocking?"
Eddie opened his mouth to explain, but the landlord cut him off with an icy glare.
"Spare me the details. Just take your things and leave. I don't rent to people like you."
In that moment, as disbelief began to fade, Eddie finally began to grasp the truth of what had just happened.