Chapter 256: Interrogation
Xu Youyou stared at the locked gate, hesitating for a moment whether to scale the wall and break in.
However, there were too many bodyguards around her, and she felt it was inappropriate to cross the line in front of them.
“Step back a few paces,” Xu Youyou instructed the others.
Xu Fang immediately led the way, stepping back several paces and looking at Xu Youyou with questioning eyes, as if asking if it was okay to retreat this far.
Once the group had backed up at least twenty meters, Xu Youyou nodded toward them from a distance.
Making sure no one could hear her voice, Xu Youyou lowered her tone and said to the lacquer plate, “Ask your old friend what I need to do to acquire this castle?”
Before the lacquer plate could respond, a gentle voice from inside the castle seemed to have heard Xu Youyou’s question and answered, “The Glück family has no direct heirs left. The only heir has not completed the inheritance process for the property. The castle is now essentially ownerless.”
Xu Youyou was puzzled. “Why hasn’t the inheritance been processed? Is it because the house is unlucky?”
The gentle voice chuckled softly and replied, “That is part of it. People in this area are spreading rumors that the castle is haunted. But the bigger reason is that the sole heir cannot afford the inheritance tax.”
Looking at the grand, majestic castle in front of her, Xu Youyou could almost imagine how glorious the Glück family had once been. It was hard to believe that the current heir was in such a poor state that she couldn’t even pay the inheritance tax.
“The heir came here with a lawyer for a look, but she hasn’t fully decided whether to inherit the house or give it up, which has put the situation at an impasse,” the gentle voice explained.
Xu Youyou asked, “Has she considered selling it?”
“This is a haunted house, and not many are willing to buy it. The price offered doesn’t satisfy her.”
Xu Youyou suddenly felt that the castle’s current state of decay seemed quite reasonable.
“I will try my best to find the heir,” Xu Youyou said.
From the perspective of Xu Fang and the other attendants, Xu Youyou was simply standing outside the castle’s gate, looking inside. Since she had her back to them, they couldn’t hear her quiet mutterings.
When Xu Youyou turned around to walk back, Xu Fang didn’t have time to ask anything before Xu Youyou spoke up, “Get in touch with the owner of the house. I want to buy it. We need to complete the deal as quickly as possible. The price will start at five hundred thousand euros and go up to two million euros. It needs to be done within three days.”
Though the castle covered a large area, Europe had many abandoned castles, so Xu Youyou’s offer was already a high premium.
Even though they were in a foreign country, Xu Fang, as a capable assistant, got a response within half a day.
However, the news wasn’t quite what Xu Youyou had hoped for.
“Boss, the original owner’s direct descendants have all passed away. The current heir is a young woman in her twenties, and she is not in Germany right now.”
Xu Youyou frowned. “Not in Germany? Then have her come back. I can cover the cost of her flight.”
Xu Fang gave an awkward smile. “The young lady doesn’t have a proper job. She makes a living online by talking about her love life, and she’s currently vacationing in Hawaii. It’s her first time there, and she doesn’t want to return so soon. She originally planned to come back in ten days, and she wants you to wait.”
Xu Youyou paused. The system had given her a ten-day deadline, and three days had already passed. She didn’t have that much time to spare.
“Just tell her, whether or not the deal goes through, I’ll compensate her for the loss of her trip,” Xu Youyou said, but then felt it wasn’t strong enough and quickly added, “Forget it. Just compensate her with one hundred thousand euros for her travel loss.”
Less than half an hour later, Xu Fang returned with some good news. “Boss, she has agreed to come back immediately, but the journey isn’t short.”
Xu Youyou nodded. “Make sure she comes back within three days, flying first class. I’ll reimburse the ticket.”
Xu Fang could sense Xu Youyou’s urgency regarding this property deal, and she had already prepared everything for the real estate transaction in Germany. She had even arranged for a real estate agent and checked the working hours of the property office to ensure that once the owner arrived, the property could be transferred immediately.
While waiting for the owner to arrive, Xu Youyou finally had a chance to explore a bit in Germany.
Though this small town wasn’t particularly famous as a tourist destination, the scenery wasn’t bad. Looking at the beautiful colorful houses, Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel a little more relaxed.
When the owner of the castle arrived in town, she wasn’t alone. She was accompanied by a middle-aged white man, in his forties, who looked like an elite.
“Hello, I am Miss Becker’s attorney, representing her in this property transaction negotiation.” The middle-aged white man introduced himself as a lawyer, speaking in English, implying he was American.
Over the past couple of days, Xu Youyou had done some research about the property heir, Miss Becker. Interestingly, the surname “Becker” in German originally meant “baker,” while the original owner’s surname was “Glück,” which means “luck” in German. The Glück family, symbolizing luck, had died out, and now the family fortune had passed on to the descendants of the bakers.
The Miss Becker standing before her was heavily made up, dressed provocatively, and didn’t appear well-educated. The way she exchanged glances with the lawyer indicated that their relationship was likely more than just professional.
“It’s not unreasonable for the lawyer to add an extra layer of protection, but can you trust your lawyer?” Xu Youyou asked with a smile.
Miss Becker, clearly not adept at handling such situations, raised her head slightly and said, “Don’t think you can bypass the lawyer and trick me. Since you want to buy my house, it must be really valuable.”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow, realizing that the two of them were probably preparing to take advantage of her.
“Tell me your terms,” Xu Youyou said with a light smile.
The lawyer’s eyes darted around, then he said, “Ten million euros.”
Ten million euros—around one hundred million RMB. Spending that much on a haunted old castle in a remote town in Germany was clearly an attempt to fleece an unsuspecting buyer.
Xu Youyou stood up immediately and said, “I don’t have time for jokes. If you’re not serious about doing business, then forget it.”
Her decisive departure left the two of them stunned.
Miss Becker hurried out to catch up with her, demanding, “You rushed me back from Hawaii to close this deal, even offering to cover my travel expenses—why are you so reluctant to pay this small amount?”
