Manhattan, inside the luxurious Astoria Hotel.
In a quiet private room, Lauren smiled broadly and spoke up. "Long time no see, Liu!"
Looking at the portly figure before him, Liu Ren replied with visible astonishment, "I can hardly believe you actually deceived me, pal!"
"No, Liu, I told you from the very beginning—Astor! You just didn't realize it!"
Beaming at Liu Ren, Lauren poured him a glass of wine. "Care for a drink?"
"Looks like you're living quite well these days!"
Raising his glass, Liu Ren clinked it against Lauren's with a sigh of admiration.
Sipping his red wine, Lauren fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, "I came to ask for your help. I know it's presumptuous, but I have no one else to turn to, Liu!"
"No problem!"
Without asking what troubled him, Liu Ren set down his glass and looked back with a calm smile.
Staring in shock, Lauren paused, stunned, before blurting out, "Aren't you going to ask what it is? It could be massive trouble, my friend!"
"Knowing you tells me that unless you had exhausted every other option, you wouldn't have come looking for me."
Resting his hands on his knees, Liu Ren leaned forward with a smile. "I'm willing to help you not because you're wealthy now, and certainly not because your last name is Astor. It's because you're Lauren—the little kitchen boy I got to know on the Titanic."
"Oh, good God, Liu... you really leave me speechless!"
Lauren looked at him, deeply moved.
"Speak, pal. What do you need me to do?"
Liu Ren smiled, gesturing toward him with his wine glass.
Hearing Liu Ren's words, Lauren hesitated for a long while before slowly confessing, "I want to claim my family's wealth, but my brother—the supposed 'only son'—doesn't care much for me!"
"Say what?"
Staring in bewilderment, Liu Ren froze on the spot.
"My name is Lauren Jacob Astor. I am also the son of John Jacob Astor IV. But my elder brother loathes me, to the point where, in the eyes of the outside world, I don't even exist..."
Facing Liu Ren, Lauren laid bare the secret the Astor family had kept hidden.
After all, among high society's nobility, who would ever present an obese, dull-witted younger son to the public? What was more, the Astor family carried German aristocratic blood.
"So, you want me to help you clear away the obstacle."
Looking at Lauren with a smile, Liu Ren showed not a hint of pity in his eyes.
After all, one should never preach mercy without having walked in another's shoes.
Since Lauren wanted his brother eliminated, he surely had his reasons. As his friend, was Liu Ren supposed to lecture him about brotherly love and cherished kin, telling him not to do it? What kind of idiot would do that?
"Exactly! I've reached the end of my patience! Sooner or later, that fool is going to squander the entire Astor fortune!"
Lauren spoke in a fury, visibly incensed by his brother Vincent.
Ever since their father passed away, Vincent had been throwing the family's fortune away. At this rate, the Astor family would vanish from New York before long!
Listening to Lauren, Liu Ren pondered silently for a while.
Lauren's big brother Vincent wouldn't happen to throw spinning axes, would he? If so, he'd have to be careful!
"Liu, is there anything you want to say?"
Seeing Liu Ren remain silent for so long, Lauren's expression turned solemn.
Liu Ren was the only true friend he could turn to now.
As for why he hadn't hired outsiders with cash, Lauren simply didn't trust people who took money to do dirty work. Back on the Titanic, Liu Ren hadn't known his background, yet he had still come to the kitchen to see him.
With a bond forged in life-and-death circumstances, Lauren knew that even if Liu Ren refused to help, he would never betray him.
"You made the right call. After all, only cowards wait in line to inherit—the strong duel right at the front gate!"
Rising to his feet, Liu Ren patted him on the shoulder. "Prepare to cry your heart out at the funeral! I'll take care of everything for you."
Stunned by the sudden response, Lauren gaped. "Don't you need any help?"
"What could you help me with? Are you planning to poison him with your little pastries?"
Smiling at Lauren, Liu Ren shrugged. "Leave this to me. All you have to do is wait to take over those tens of millions, pal!"
Flashing Lauren an 'all good' gesture, Liu Ren turned and walked out.
Watching Liu Ren's departing figure, Lauren said nothing more. He understood that the trouble that had plagued him for so long was finally about to vanish.
Standing across the street from the Astoria Hotel, Liu Ren smoked a cigarette and couldn't help but sigh. "What an enviable fortune!"
At the thought of the Astors, one of New York's foremost dynasties, a glint flashed in Liu Ren's eyes.
In helping Lauren, wasn't he also helping himself?
Across the ocean in this land that worshipped freedom, wealth could solve more than ninety-nine percent of all problems. As for the remaining one percent, it simply required physical elimination.
"I do love a good conspiracy."
Flashing a radiant smile, Liu Ren dropped the cigarette between his fingers to the ground and ground it out with the leather sole of his shoe.
As his figure melted into the crowd, the sky began to rumble.
Several days later, a steady drizzle fell from the sky.
Emerging from a casino, Vincent Astor was cursing furiously.
His luck had been abysmal today; he had lost a full hundred thousand dollars.
To Vincent, that was merely a drop in the bucket compared to the fortune he had inherited—eighty-five million dollars in total.
For anyone struggling to grasp that sum, one only needed to consider that the average daily wage at the time was three dollars...
Yet as Vincent continued his tirade, his wife, Brooke, seated beside him, spoke up. "I think you need to change your habits, Vincent!"
"Are you lecturing me, Brooke?"
Glaring at his wife, Vincent snapped back in irritation.
Right then, however, the driver slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt halt.
"Fuck! What are you doing?"
Furious, Vincent began to shout at the driver.
The next instant, gunshots rang out.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
A hail of bullets shattered the glass, sending the driver slumping lifelessly over the steering wheel.
Hearing the gunfire, Vincent's wife shrieked in terror.
Panicking, Vincent yanked the door open and scrambled to run.
Before he could take more than two steps, a figure stepped forward through the misty rain, gun already raised.
Aiming the pistol with his right hand, Liu Ren watched him with chilling detachment.
*Bang!*
A bullet tore into Vincent's thigh first, robbing him of the ability to flee. As Liu Ren closed the distance, he pulled the trigger again, aiming straight for his chest.
Twisting in agony, Vincent looked up into Liu Ren's unfamiliar face and immediately pleaded for his life. "No, please, don't! I have money! I can give you money..."
*Bang!*
A bullet punched straight through the center of Vincent's forehead. Liu Ren calmly swung out the cylinder, methodically reloading.
Staring at Liu Ren in horror, Brooke's eyes filled with despair. "No..."
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Squeezing the trigger in rapid succession, Liu Ren watched Brooke collapse, then walked back over to Vincent and emptied the rest of the cylinder into him.
He couldn't risk leaving any chance of survival, so he had to add an extra layer of insurance—smashing the melon to pieces.
With everything finished, Liu Ren turned silently and vanished into the drizzling rain.
Chapter 19