Eddie was truly enraged this time—the landlord had gone too far, and frankly, he deserved a beating!
However, as Eddie glanced back, he caught sight of the Creeper carrying a briefcase. In that moment, inspiration struck—he recalled a common scene in American TV shows and Hollywood films: When trouble arises, call a lawyer.
So, Eddie calmed down. He approached the Creeper, briefly explained the landlord's wrongdoing, and said, "Mr. Lawyer, I'll leave the rest to you. Show this scoundrel the power of the law."
The Creeper listened, then smiled slightly. He pulled out his phone and snapped a few photos of the suitcases outside the door and the locked entrance.
Eddie retrieved the rental contract, and after examining it, the Creeper stepped forward and addressed the landlord, "Good evening, sir. I am Mr. Eddie's attorney. I believe your actions have violated my client's rights. We are now filing a lawsuit against you—see you in court."
Previously, the landlord had noticed Eddie standing in the corridor with the Creeper and Mason, but he hadn't thought much of it—assuming they were simply passing by.
Now, the Creeper was rattling off a long string of English. Although the landlord couldn't understand the words, he could grasp the situation—this was bad.
While the landlord himself couldn't comprehend the language, Mason stepped forward, handed over his judicial credentials, and introduced himself, "I am Judge Mason from the Intermediate Court. This Canadian gentleman is a lawyer, and he is filing a lawsuit against you for breaching the rental agreement and infringing on his client's rights."
Upon hearing this, the landlord was utterly petrified. He had no doubt Mason and the Creeper were serious—after all, Mason's judge's badge, emblazoned with a bright red national emblem, was authentic. And beyond that, Mason's appearance alone—his impeccably groomed hair, his neatly pressed suit, the briefcase in his hand—radiated the aura of an elite professional, far beyond someone the landlord dared to challenge.
Seeing the stunned landlord, Eddie felt exhilarated—like drinking ice-cold sour plum juice on a scorching summer day.
Then, the Creeper pulled out a small notebook—it was his lawyer's license. He showed it to the landlord and turned to leave. Mason followed, leaving behind a final remark, "Sir, please wait for the court summons."
Now, the landlord was truly terrified. He rushed forward and grabbed the Creeper's arm. The Creeper furrowed his thick, gray eyebrows, making the landlord shudder. Immediately, he released his grip and pleaded, "No, no, no—please don't sue me! This is all a misunderstanding!"
Eddie watched coolly, arms crossed. He hadn't spoken a word, but he was absolutely relishing the moment. The life of the wealthy sure was nice—many things didn't require personal effort, subordinates handled everything.
The landlord, intimidated by the Creeper's credentials and Mason's judicial authority, scrambled to find a way to resolve the situation without going to court. After Mason explained Eddie's connection to the Creeper, the landlord nervously approached Eddie with a forced smile. "Little Eddie, don't do this. Have mercy on me—no, wait, I mean, have mercy on this fool. You're a generous person—please don't hold a grudge! Talk to your lawyer and settle this privately. There's no need to go to court, right?"
Eddie glanced at his damaged laptop on the floor and asked, "How do you propose settling this privately?"
The landlord gritted his teeth and said, "I'll return your security deposit. Will that do?"
Eddie looked at the broken laptop and sneered.
The landlord's face twisted into an ugly, pained smile. "Fine, I'll add 5,000 yuan as compensation—you can buy a new laptop!"
Eddie was no saint—he wasn't about to turn down free money. Once the landlord paid up, Eddie ceased pressuring him and had the Creeper delete the photos from his phone.
That afternoon, Eddie used the newfound money to treat Mason and the Creeper to lunch. Then, he packed up his belongings and boarded a long-distance bus back to his hometown, preparing for the formalities needed to claim his inheritance in Canada.
Eddie had to prepare numerous documents to inherit his great-grandfather Jason's estate. These included direct-line family relationship certificates, which required stamps from his village all the way up to the provincial government. Additionally, he needed to apply for a passport.
His sudden return home and announcement about going abroad shocked his parents. Fortunately, Eddie hadn't mentioned being fired from his company, so he conveniently used "overseas training and exploration" as a cover story.
After four full days, Eddie completed all the documents required by the Creeper. Then, they traveled together to the capital to board a flight to Canada—ready to embark on his journey as a wealthy first-generation heir.
Upon arriving at Kyoto South Station, Eddie stepped out and saw a young man with thick eyebrows holding up a huge sign in the crowded reception area: "Welcome, Beast, to wreak havoc in Kyoto!"
The young man was none other than Eddie's former college dorm mate, Gao Xueqiang. Now working at the Kyoto National Tax Bureau, Gao had previously helped Eddie secure his job at CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation) through connections.
"Beast" was Eddie's nickname—while his name sounded normal in his hometown dialect, when spoken quickly in standard Mandarin, it was indistinguishable from the word "beast." As a result, he had carried this moniker since his school days.
At the parking lot, Gao unlocked a large Jeep Grand Cherokee. Eddie kicked the oversized tire and commented, "Nice ride."
Gao shook his head with a sigh, "This belongs to a buddy of mine. My car is just a Chang'an—I got it for 48,000 yuan, after practically begging my dad for money! Originally, I wanted to buy a Camaro, but my dad misunderstood me—he actually went to an insect research institute and brought back a real hornet!"
At the hotel, Gao suggested gathering their old classmates for a reunion. However, given Eddie's rushed itinerary—his flight was scheduled for that very night—a gathering was impossible, much to his regret.
At 11 PM, Gao drove them to the airport, grumbling about how rushed and uneventful Eddie's Kyoto visit had been.
However, Gao did manage one important task—through his father's secretary, he had the Ministry of Foreign Affairs investigate the Creeper's background. The results shocked both of them:
The Creeper was a renowned Jewish-Canadian lawyer, holding degrees in civil law from Princeton University (USA) and Oxford University (UK). After Canada established diplomatic relations with China in 1970, he became Canada's second ambassador to China. Later, he served as chief legal clerk at Newfoundland Provincial Court (1987–1989), represented Canada at the United Nations, and worked at Canada's top law firm, FAKEN-MATINEAU, before retirement.
With the Creeper's identity confirmed, Eddie could confidently proceed with his journey to Canada to claim his inheritance.
This was Eddie's first time flying. The Creeper had purchased a ticket from Beijing to Toronto, with a transfer to Newfoundland and Labrador's capital, St. John's—a 10,000-yuan ticket!
Under the murky night sky, Kyoto's weather was notoriously gloomy—not a single star was visible. On the road, Eddie wondered if it would rain, but Gao assured him that this was just typical Kyoto weather.
The airport was illuminated with powerful halogen lamps, planes constantly landing and taking off. On the tarmac, massive aircraft were parked, some adorned with vibrant orange cloud patterns—stunningly beautiful.