I See through Everything

Chapter 115: Chapter 92: Muddying the Waters

Hearing the voice and tone on the other end of the line, Noah A. Locke knew who it was. But he was in a foul mood and spoke coldly, "Uncle? I wouldn’t dare claim an uncle like you. When are you planning to make your move?"

"Noah, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding? Ha ha ha... You’re telling me this is a misunderstanding?"

"Noah, I know you’re furious right now, but the others and I had nothing to do with this. David’s death has nothing to do with us."

Noah A. Locke laughed in his fury. "Heh, then tell me, why were the Locke Consortium’s operations around the globe so severely crippled almost overnight? In this entire world, is there any power that knows the Locke Consortium’s situation better than you people?"

"..." The person on the other end of the line fell silent for a moment. "Noah, calm down. Even with the losses to your global operations, your family is still a first-rate consortium on home soil and in the American Region. I promise I will not target you, and I’ll convince the others not to, either."

Evidently, James was worried the Locke Consortium would drag everyone down with them in a final, desperate struggle.

In truth, James and the others had held an internal video conference over an hour ago. Someone had indeed proposed that they join forces to carve up the Locke Consortium.

But James and two other consortiums from the top five had rejected the idea.

After all, the Locke Consortium wasn’t so weak that it was completely defenseless. If they were pushed too far and opted for mutually assured destruction, that would be a real disaster.

That was why James had called so quickly, hoping to placate Noah A. Locke.

"I can’t trust you."

"Noah, don’t do anything rash. I’ll come visit you at Locke Manor this evening. If the other consortiums really try to make a move, they’ll have to get through me first."

"..." Noah A. Locke was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t expected James to do this, and his thoughts of mutual destruction instantly faded. "Uncle James, are you really coming over?"

"I told you, this has nothing to do with the major domestic consortiums. I know you’re still not entirely convinced, which is why I must come see you in person."

"Fine. I will await you at Locke Manor, Uncle James."

He hung up the phone.

Noah A. Locke’s brow furrowed once more, a hint of self-doubt flickering in his eyes. ’Could it really not be the major consortiums in North America? If that’s the case, then who’s targeting the Locke Consortium from the shadows?’

At this thought, he looked up and asked grimly, "Bain, has the consortium offended any other major powers in other regions recently?"

"Well..." Bain searched his memory, running through recent events in his mind, but he couldn’t recall the consortium making any major moves lately.

After a moment, Bain suggested, a bit uncertainly, "Mr. Noah, when the master was alive, he used to keep a daily memorandum to note down his schedule. Perhaps you could take a look at it."

"A memo? Where is it?"

"It’s in the safe in the study, but only the master knew the combination."

Noah A. Locke glanced at the oil painting on the wall behind him. He knew his father’s safe was behind it, but he didn’t know the combination either. Unwilling to waste time on it, he gave a direct order, "Bain, find a professional locksmith to open this safe."

"Of course."

「An hour later.」

Inside the study, an old man with a white beard held a specially made stethoscope against the safe, slowly turning the combination dial.

Fortunately, it was a simple five-digit combination lock.

After about forty minutes, the veteran locksmith finally opened the safe. Bain the butler paid the man ten thousand US dollars and sent him on his way.

Meanwhile, Noah A. Locke carefully examined the safe’s contents. In addition to various documents proving ownership of assets, bank safe deposit box account details and passwords, there was also some gold, silver, jewelry, and over a dozen memo notebooks.

He pulled out the most recent notebook.

He flipped to the entries from the last six months.

Noah A. Locke went through it page by page, entry by entry, circling any potential targets that would have the power to move against the Locke Consortium.

He started with the entries from the last few days.

’...Buy back 0.6% of Standard Oil Company shares...’

’...Support the environmental organization Blue Atlantic, donate 30 million...’

’...Replace the head of the Greater China Region. Have the former head of the Southeast Asia Region, Vine, take over. Clear out the previous head, Li Rongyao...’

’...Instruct Vine to acquire an eel farm...’

’...Meet with Ryan DuPont in Orleans...’

Noah A. Locke read for a long while but found no trace of any major power that could pose a threat to his family.

After all, a small company like Hailufeng Company was, in Noah A. Locke’s eyes, utterly beneath notice. If the head of the Greater China Region hadn’t run into trouble right after visiting them, David would never have bothered to note down such small fry.

Therefore, the first possibility he ruled out was that Hailufeng Company was responsible.

Having eliminated the correct answer.

He continued to sift through the remaining recent business for over an hour, finding only three major powers that were plausible culprits.

But when he looked at the incidents involving those three powers, the connection felt tenuous.

For example, his father had sponsored several media outlets on the Xiangjiang River. This was something their family and other major consortiums did every year. To attack the Locke Consortium over something so minor would be a massive overreaction.

Then there was the acquisition of an agricultural company in Lucia, accomplished with the help of an inside agent. They had used some underhanded tactics during the acquisition, but it was unlikely the other party would resort to such extreme retaliation.

No matter how he racked his brain, Noah A. Locke still couldn’t figure it out.

He couldn’t figure it out, nor could he have ever imagined that the true mastermind was the very Hailufeng Company he had so disdained.

Before he knew it, night had fallen outside.

And James’s motorcade slowly pulled up to the gates of Locke Manor.