Chapter 72: The Funeral

If the value of a person in the material world is measured by the wealth they possess, then the value of a person’s spirit is determined by the number of people who shed sincere tears at their funeral, rather than merely the number of attendees. After all, some attendees may not come to mourn. For instance, a creditor might attend the funeral of someone who passed before repaying a debt, just to have one last word over the body.

By this standard, Montreux was clearly a man of mixed reputation and considerable controversy.

At the front row stood members of the Defoe family, while Montreux’s friends or business partners occupied the rows behind them. Compared to the indifferent expressions of most family members, those at the back—the so-called outsiders—seemed visibly more grief-stricken. Among them, Masashi noted several men and women dabbing away tears.

As Montreux’s only daughter, Amy naturally sat in the front row with Rolando and his brothers, along with several so-called family elders. Yet, as an innocent child with little knowledge of social norms, Amy refused to leave the side of the young Asian man she clung to, who claimed to be just a traveler. In the end, Rolando had to ask Ailin to sit with Amy in the front row, as she was another person the girl was willing to approach, which solved the situation.

Although the beautiful, mixed-race woman had been Montreux’s most trusted aide in life, her youth and beauty attracted plenty of unsavory speculation. The idea of a widower and a close, beautiful companion—an old cliché—easily sparked many people’s imaginations.

The funeral took place in the serene and beautiful Joyce Cemetery. The Defoe family was a Christian household, so the funeral was conducted by a priest in accordance with Christian traditions.

Death extinguishes life’s light, leveling the great and the small alike on this day.

For Masashi, life and death had become so numb that he felt nothing. While death may hold significance for most people, to him, it was utterly meaningless. If he had to draw a comparison, he was simply one who enjoyed the process of fishing without caring for the outcome.

Since taking on his current form, his original intention was to live an ordinary life. However, he slowly realized that he was incapable of it.

Perhaps due to his restless nature, he had already done countless things that an ordinary person would never do.

So, in the end, he gave up. Ordinary or extraordinary—it didn’t matter. As long as he did what he wanted, that would be enough. He had the right and the ability to do so. And so, he had come all the way to Switzerland to get involved in this mess, all for a young girl he barely knew who trusted and depended on him completely.

At the funeral, Masashi caught sight of Montreux’s youngest brother, Murphy Defoe.

Compared to Adamss’ exuberance, Murphy appeared much more low-key. Though he shared Adamss’ striking good looks, Murphy had the demeanor of a quiet university professor, showing no sign of the transnational corporate manager he was.

The title of manager at Diabo Group held a vastly different meaning than that of a manager seen on every street.

Diabo Group had only three managers in total: Rolando, Murphy, and another family member named Odik. Adams, though not bearing this title, still held considerable influence within the family.

Each of the three managers owned a share in Diabo Group, making them technically co-owners. However, family tradition dictated that only one person could be president of all family assets, and that position naturally went to the family head. If, however, the current head failed to lead the family well or caused significant loss to the family’s assets, the family members held the right to depose the president and head. Although each family head held the largest individual share of the estate, if two-thirds of the family members united, their combined shares would be enough to gain complete control.

Diabo Group, though a multinational enterprise, remained strictly a family business; it hadn’t gone public like other corporations. All shares of the family assets were held within the family. The proud members of the Defoe family explained that the success of a business lay in the leadership’s correct guidance and everyone’s cooperation, not in how much money it could raise on the stock market.

Before inheriting shares, each family member, including the family head, had to sign an agreement. The agreement, which had remained largely unchanged over the decades, stipulated that inherited shares could not be transferred to anyone outside the Defoe family. Refusing to sign this agreement would forfeit the right of inheritance, and the shares would be divided equally among the other family members.

To many, the Defoe family’s practice seemed strange. Yet this agreement effectively preserved the integrity of the family’s assets, proving to be a reasonable strategy.

Two hours later, the funeral ended, and as the attendees gradually dispersed, the cemetery returned to its peaceful silence.

Rolando invited Amy, Ailin, and Masashi to visit the family home. Joining them were Adams, Murphy, and several other younger family members.

Shortly after getting in the car, Amy leaned her face against Masashi’s chest, clutching his waist tightly. After a while, Masashi felt a dampness spreading across his chest.

“If you want to cry, just let it out,” Masashi sighed, gently stroking her hair.

Not long after he said that, a soft, sobbing sound rose from the little girl in his arms, her body starting to tremble.

Although Amy had autism, her intelligence was similar to that of her peers. She understood clearly that she would never again see her father, who, though often busy, had always cared for her quietly.

Ailin, sitting beside them, watched in silence, not speaking for a long time.

Over an hour later, four luxury cars arrived at a grand six-story residence with a classic charm in the old town on the northern bank of the Limmat River.

Ailin quietly explained to Masashi that this mansion was the former residence of Montreux’s father, Siro Defoe, and now belonged to Rolando.

Once everyone got out, Adams immediately approached Ailin with a grin, accompanied by a young man and woman.

“Ailin, long time no see,” Adams smiled charmingly.

“Mr. Adams, if I remember correctly, we saw each other just two days ago,” Ailin replied coolly.

“So it’s already been two days? No wonder I’ve missed you so much. Ailin, are you free for dinner with me tonight?”

“Sorry, Mr. Adams, I’m really quite busy.”

“Diema, look, I’ve been turned down again. Maybe I should reconsider my invitation style?” Adams remarked to the young man beside him.

The young man smiled and said, “Maybe Ms. Ailin really is very busy.”

At this, the blonde woman standing nearby cast Ailin a challenging look, then turned to Adams. “Adams, did you forget we have a date tonight?”

“How could I forget, sweetheart? I just thought things might be more lively with more company,” Adams said, glancing meaningfully at Ailin.

“Ailin, Mr. Rolando and the others have already gone inside. Let’s hurry in too,” Masashi, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke up.

“Alright.” Ailin looked at him gratefully.

“Excuse us, everyone,” the mixed-race woman nodded at the three before entering with Masashi and Amy.

“Adams, who was that boy? Is he a member of your family?” the blonde woman asked curiously.

“He’s just a meddling tourist,” Adams sneered, watching Masashi’s retreating figure.

Seeing Adams’s expression, the man named Diema showed an intrigued look.