The person Joseph waited for was someone Ethan had never expected.

The famous lawyer, Duval.

Sandro's once closest ally.

In fact, after Sandro's death, Ethan had tried to reach out to this renowned lawyer.

However, he always avoided meeting.

With his special status and significant influence in the legal circles from Wenster to the northern part of the Kingdom, Ethan couldn't really do anything to him.

Who would have thought he'd be waiting here?

When did he team up with Joseph?

Duval, still as stern as ever, was led into the garden by Ethan's subordinates. He sat down without uttering a word.

"Ethan, do you like solving multiple-choice questions?"

Facing Duval's arrival, Joseph merely nodded slightly before turning his gaze to Ethan and posing a strange question.

"It seems Director Joseph wants to test me," Ethan looked at Joseph.

Joseph snapped his fingers lightly, "Smart, listen to the question."

"Suppose, just suppose, one day, all your money is deposited in a bank, and it turns out that this bank is accused of laundering money for you. Your funds are frozen, and many of your core industries are found to have contract issues as well as massive tax evasion. What would you do at this point?"

"The options?" Ethan asked again.

"Very well, option A, you can choose to cooperate with the local Kingdom Statistical Bureau, fully admitting to your crimes, pay back all your owed taxes, and donate your ill-gotten gains to the Kingdom. Moreover, you will return all your industries to their original owners or hand them over to a suitable person to manage, maybe a member of the Evans Clan that you once oppressed. You would bear all the consequences alone and go to prison, where you'd repent for decades. So, do you choose A?"

After speaking, Joseph thoughtfully repeated himself, looking like he's truly considering Ethan's welfare.

"Then what about B? What's option B?" Ethan did not choose.

"Option B?" Joseph nodded as if reminiscing about it, then shook his head, saying, "There isn't one, no option B."

"There isn't?"

"No."

"But you said this was a multiple-choice question." Ethan laughed.

"Yes, but it's a single-choice question," Joseph laughed too.

Ethan laughed louder until tears almost came out, finally clapping his hands, "Director Joseph, that's the real joke, much funnier than the previous one."

"Is it? Funny?" Joseph slowly withdrew his smile and leaned forward, "So, will you choose A?"

"Director Joseph, you really like telling jokes, don't you?" Ethan leaned forward too, "Let me tell you one."

"Oh?"

"This joke goes like this: A man visits another's home, the host courteously entertains him, yet he thinks the host fears him, so he demands the host hand over all his property and kneels to beg him, feeling entitled to it. How could such a person exist in this world?"

Joseph listened, putting on an exaggerated fake smile and glanced at Duval beside him.

"Amusing?"

"Let's not waste time, Director Joseph. I told you, he's a stubborn one. Just arrest him. Here are all the contract issues and evidence of tax evasion." Duval said, placing the black leather briefcase he had been holding on the table.

"Of course, it's a duplicate," Joseph added, as if worried Ethan might grab it.

Ethan didn't look at the box, nor did he look at Duval. Instead, he asked a question.

"Since when did it start?"

"What?"

Joseph initially seemed confused, then as if realizing something, said, "Oh, you mean the bank, right?"

"It's simple. Didn't I tell you? The bank was set up by robbers."

Butan City Plain Bank, Butan City.

"Have you thought of it? Yes, I stayed at the Northern Fortress for a long time, figuring out how to trap you. I found out you didn't have a bank, so I sent you one."

John Hott had issues?

No, it's unlikely. John Hott's core interests align with his, and as Ned's frontman, he wouldn't side with Joseph.

Everything was a foreshadowing laid by Joseph in advance.

His planning runs so deep that it began before he even arrived in Wenster.

Knowing he had no banking connections, he specifically planted one right in front of John Hott.

"Actually, I was really worried you'd figure it out, but fortunately, my useless brother managed to do something right." Joseph said, patting his chest lightly as if reliving a fright.

His brother, Frank.

When the Kingdom Statistical Bureau first arrived in Wenster, they aggressively targeted the evidence against the Evans family provided by Frank.

"Ethan, honestly, I do admire you. You're talented. Let's do this; I'm quite soft-hearted, and I can't bear to see talent like yours go to waste. Serve three years in prison first. After three years, I guarantee you'll come out and regain control of your business. I promise that apart from you, your family and subordinates will be fine. What do you say?"

Joseph's words seemed genuinely sincere, especially with his gentle demeanor, as if he's truly compassionate.

But after three years, when Ethan is released, could he really regain everything and not just become a lifelong lackey for the Evans family?

"So, was that earlier joke not funny?" After confronting Joseph, Ethan's tone seemed to shift sporadically.

Joseph leaned back, placing the cane in front of Ethan.

"I've heard your lawyer Bob's interesting remarks on contract law, right? But you should understand, the Kingdom Statistical Bureau has the right to arrest or even shoot tax evaders on the spot. Do you think you can be faster than the Wenster typewriters you designed?"

When Joseph said this, throughout Bolita Manor, members of the Bolita Clan had already gripped the guns inside their trench coats, both openly and covertly.

"Haha, I'm joking," Joseph laughed to himself again, "Ethan, you're now a renowned painter, a great philanthropist, a big businessman, and a celebrity in Wenster. Your reputation has even spread to the Royal Capital. If I kill you directly, what achievements would I have? So rest assured, I will explain everything to you in the most fair and transparent place."

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