The Funeral

A fine drizzle fell silently over the lush, green grass and verdant trees of Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. The leaden sky hung low, the air moist and crisp, mingling with the scents of earth, grass, and the distant, softened strains of mournful music carried on the breeze. Many prominent figures of Seattle rest here; the cemetery is tranquil, solemn, and expensive.

Daniel Crawford's funeral was held here in a family cemetery area with a panoramic view overlooking part of the lake. The black marble tombstone was new and cold, engraved with Daniel's name and dates of birth and death, below which was the Crawford family crest. In front of the tombstone was a large wreath made of white lilies, roses and lush greenery, with a ribbon that read "In eternal love – The Crawford Family." Bouquets from other mourners were piled up around it, trembling slightly in the drizzle and emitting a mixed, somewhat sweet fragrance.

The number of attendees was not small, but not particularly large either. Daniel was a local business tycoon with extensive connections, but he also had many enemies. In addition, his death was sudden and "undignified" (he was killed by falling glass, which is not a good headline), so many close "friends" and business partners found various reasons not to attend in person, only sending representatives or wreaths. Those present were mainly some senior executives of "All-American Express", some long-time business partners who had business dealings with the Crawford family, a few of Daniel's relatives, and a few local politicians (out of courtesy and procedure).

Everyone was dressed in solemn black—the men in dark suits, the women in black dresses or suits—their faces somber, their voices low, occasionally a handkerchief wiping their eyes. The pastor stood beside the tombstone, reciting a eulogy in a steady, moving tone, praising Daniel's business achievements, his contributions to the community, and his love for his family (despite his two divorces and strained relationship with his children), and praying for his soul to rest in peace. A light drizzle fell on the black umbrellas, adding to the somber atmosphere.

Lin Feng was among the mourners.

He was also dressed in a well-tailored, expensive black suit, with a white shirt and dark tie underneath. He wasn't carrying an umbrella, and the drizzle left a fine, glistening layer of raindrops on his thick black hair and broad shoulders. K followed half a step behind him, also dressed in a black suit, expressionless, like a silent, guardian statue. Lü Yi stayed in the car.

Lin Feng stood at the back of the crowd, his face calm, his gaze lowered to the cluster of white lilies before the tombstone. He seemed to be attentively listening to the pastor's eulogy, or perhaps simply waiting quietly for the ceremony to end. His face betrayed no sorrow, no schadenfreude, no relief, only a solemnity befitting the occasion and... an indescribable calm. His youthful face stood out somewhat among the group of middle-aged and elderly businessmen and politicians, but this also attracted some subtle, complex glances.

Many people recognized him. The new owner of NLG, the arrogant and Great East young man from the University of Tokyo who had publicly poured wine over Daniel Crawford's head at the "Night of Enlightenment" dinner and declared his intention to take over its core business. Was he attending Daniel's funeral to watch the spectacle? Or to demonstrate? Or was he forced by social pressure to make a show of it? Various speculations quietly circulated among the crowd, but no one dared to step forward to ask or reveal anything.

The funeral service ended with the pastor's final prayer and the murmured "Amen" from the crowd. Mourners began to disperse in twos and threes, talking quietly as they walked toward the cars parked along the cemetery road. Some approached Daniel's widow (his third wife, much younger than him) and his several expressionless children, offering words of comfort in hushed tones.

Lin Feng did not leave immediately. He stood there and waited until most people had left before slowly walking forward to Daniel's widow.

She was a blonde woman in her forties, well-maintained, but with red and swollen eyes and smudged makeup. Standing next to her was a middle-aged man who looked tired and appeared to be a lawyer or a family trust manager, as well as two executives from "All-American Express" who clearly showed wariness and unease towards Lin Feng.

"Mrs. Crawford, please accept my condolences." Lin Feng bowed slightly, his voice steady, carrying a perfectly measured politeness and detachment befitting a stranger offering condolences. "I am deeply saddened by Daniel's unexpected passing. He was... a worthy opponent."

His words were brief and formal, revealing no particular emotion. There was neither feigned excessive grief nor uncomfortably cold indifference.

Daniel's widow raised her swollen, red eyes and glanced at Lin Feng. She clearly knew who Lin Feng was, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes—was it resentment? Fear? Or simply exhaustion and confusion? She opened her mouth, but ultimately only whispered, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Lin."

The lawyers and executives around her nodded to Lin Feng as a greeting, but the wariness in their eyes did not lessen.

Lin Feng didn't say anything more, nodded slightly again, and turned to leave.

Just then, three figures strode over from the side and blocked Lin Feng's path. They were three men, all around fifty years old, dressed smartly but with anxious expressions. They were some of the shareholders of "All-American Express," holding relatively small but significant stakes. They had been restless throughout the funeral, their eyes frequently glancing at Lin Feng, clearly waiting for this opportunity.

"Mr. Lin, please wait a moment." A bald man with gold-rimmed Glasses stepped forward, a stiff smile—a mixture of obsequiousness, urgency, and worry—applying to his face. He lowered his voice and spoke quickly, "I am James Howard, a director of ' All-American Express.' These two are Mr. Miller and Mr. Watson. I apologize for bothering you at this time, but... there are some things we'd like to discuss with you regarding the company's future direction. Is this a convenient time for you?"

Lin Feng stopped and calmly swept his gaze over the three of them. K silently took half a step forward, subtly blocking the other party from getting too close.

"Mr. Howard," Lin Feng's voice remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger, "I think this is not the right occasion to discuss business matters. Daniel has just been buried."

"Yes, yes, we understand, this is very inappropriate, please forgive us." Howard apologized hastily, but the urgency on his face did not diminish. "It's just... the situation is special. Daniel's passing was sudden, and the company is now... leaderless, and people are in a state of panic. Especially since, before his death, Daniel had already reached an agreement with your NLG regarding some of the company's core businesses... a 'deep cooperation' agreement, and the terms... are very unfavorable to our ' All-American Express '."

He glanced at Daniel's widow and lawyer beside him, lowering his voice to almost Whisper: "We all know that so-called 'cooperation' was nothing but an unequal concession! Was Daniel forced, or...? We don't know exactly what happened. But now that he's gone, this mess, and the company's future direction... we shareholders have no idea!"

The other two shareholders nodded repeatedly, their faces filled with worry for the future and fear of potential losses to their own interests. With Daniel's death, the "agreements of surrender" he had reached with Lin Feng before his death (though only in principle, Daniel had likely already signed some legally binding preliminary documents) became a Damocles' sword hanging over "All-American Express." And Lin Feng, this "partner," wielding such power and displaying such terrifying methods (regardless of whether he was involved, the "accidental" deaths of Daniel and Cohen were enough to chill anyone in the know), how could they not panic?

They approached Lin Feng with a clear purpose: to test his attitude, seek a deal, and even... directly sell their shares and cash out. With Daniel's death, the company's core business had been largely relinquished, the remaining "side businesses" had uncertain profit prospects, and internal power struggles were likely to erupt, potentially causing the stock price to plummet. Rather than waiting to be slowly devoured by Lin Feng, this menacing "partner," or suffering losses in the company's internal strife, they decided to take advantage of the situation now to see if they could sell their shares to this clearly "ambitious" newcomer at a reasonable price, secure their profits, and escape this troublesome place.

Lin Feng listened quietly, his face expressionless, as if the other person was talking about a trivial matter unrelated to him. The drizzle dampened his shoulders and hair, but he didn't care.

After Howard finished speaking and looked at him with expectant and apprehensive eyes, Lin Feng slowly opened his mouth, speaking clearly and deliberately:

"Mr. Howard, Mr. Miller, Mr. Watson."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three anxious faces, then glancing at Daniel's tombstone not far away, and at the few remaining mourners who were secretly watching the scene.

"First of all, I would like to express my condolences once again for the passing of Daniel. He was my friend and a respected business partner." Lin Feng's tone carried a perfectly timed, slightly offended yet solemn tone. "We did have in-depth discussions about some business collaborations, which were based on the long-term development and mutual benefit of both companies. Daniel's sudden departure is a huge loss and regret for our cooperation and for all of us."

His high-sounding words made Howard and the other two freeze, inwardly cursing his hypocrisy, yet daring not to refute him.

"Secondly," Lin Feng changed the subject, his tone becoming colder, even carrying a hint of unquestionable detachment and a sense of "justice," "As for what you mentioned regarding the shares of ' All-American Express '..."

He looked at the three of them, slowly shook his head, and his voice carried clearly enough for those nearby to hear:

"I'm sorry. My friend Daniel has just passed away; his body is barely cold. At this time, discussing any idea of seizing or acquiring the company he dedicated his life to would be disrespectful to him and an insult to me."

He deliberately emphasized the words "embezzlement" and "disrespect," looking calmly at Howard and the other two as if they had made a despicable and unreasonable request.

Howard and his two companions' faces flushed red instantly, then quickly turned pale. They hadn't expected Lin Feng to refuse so "righteously," and in such a public way that placed them in an "unjust" position! The mourners who hadn't yet left all turned to look at them, their eyes filled with surprise, amusement, and even a hint of contempt for Howard and his companions.

"Mr. Lin, that's not what we meant..." Miller's shareholder hurriedly tried to explain.

"Whatever your meaning," Lin Feng interrupted him, his tone regaining its calmness but carrying an undeniable resolve, "At present, I have no interest, nor any plan, in acquiring any shares or assets of ' All-American Express.' Anything else, we'll discuss after Daniel's funeral arrangements are completed and the company's internal situation stabilizes."

Having said that, he stopped looking at the three men, Howard and his companion, who were pale and extremely embarrassed. He gave a slight nod to K beside him, then turned and walked steadily toward the cemetery exit. His black figure gradually blurred in the drizzle, eventually disappearing at the end of the winding cemetery path.

Howard, Miller, and Watson were left standing there, their faces flushed and paled by the strange looks from the crowd and the drizzling rain. They were caught in a dilemma, filled with shame and indignation. They had wanted to take the opportunity to cash out and leave, but they had been rebuffed and publicly accused of "disrespecting the deceased" and "eager to seize." Lin Feng, on the other hand, successfully maintained a positive image in front of everyone as someone who "values loyalty and righteousness," "respects his opponents," and "does not take advantage of others in distress."

Not far away, Daniel's widow and lawyer witnessed the entire scene. The lawyer seemed lost in thought, while the widow's gaze was even more complex.

Lin Feng had already gotten into the back seat of the Maybach parked outside the cemetery. The car door closed, shutting out the drizzle and his view.

K got into the driver's seat and started the car. Lü Yi turned around from the front seat, grinning, "Boss, those three old guys' faces looked like they'd eaten shit, haha!"

Lin Feng leaned back in the back seat, pulled out a tissue, and wiped the water droplets from his shoulders and hair, his face expressionless.

"Drive your car," he said casually.

The car smoothly drove away from the cemetery and merged into the traffic on the suburban highway. The scenery outside the window rushed past in the drizzle.

Lin Feng gazed out the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

There's no rush. Daniel's "legacy"—those seemingly abandoned "side businesses," the anxious shareholders and management, and the massive shell of "All-American Express" with its attached logistics network, government contracts, industry qualifications... everything is already on his chessboard. The only difference is whether to slowly digest it under the guise of a "partner," or to "save" the crisis as a "white knight," or to wait for a better opportunity to acquire it completely at a lower price and in a more "legal" way.

The initiative was always in his hands.

He didn't need to rush into "taking over" it; that would be too unsightly and leave room for criticism. He just needed to wait patiently, wait for the internal chaos of "All-American Express" to escalate further due to Daniel's death and the "transfer" of its core business, wait for the stock price to fall, wait for the panicked shareholders to come knocking on his door with better terms, or... wait for a more suitable reason to "force" him to intervene.

As for today's performance in the cemetery, it was merely a convenient excuse, a stepping stone to lay a "moral" foundation for future actions.

The drizzle continued to tap against the car window. The city gradually receded into the distance behind us.

The atmosphere inside the car was quiet and calm. Lü Yi stopped talking, but secretly glanced at his boss's calm profile through the rearview mirror, and his awe of his boss deepened.

To kill someone, one must also destroy their spirit. To seize their property, one must also claim to be entirely in the right.

This is a truly ruthless character who will devour people without spitting out the bones.

Like a silent shark in the night, the Maybach sails steadily into the distance, towards its next prey, or perhaps, into the next territory waiting to be explored.