He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Vienna, the city hailed as the "City of Music," was blanketed in snow in the depths of December. The Danube flowed serenely, its banks lined with Baroque buildings that appeared particularly solemn and dignified under the silvery landscape. This is the heart of Europe, and the last bastion of the old world order.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, a huge Boeing 747 pierced through the thick clouds and landed on the private tarmac of Schwechat International Airport with a huge roar.

The hatch opened, and a cold wind howled.

Waiting there was a black convoy of twenty Rolls-Royce Phantoms. Instead of ordinary license plates, the cars all bore the Rothschild family crest of five arrows, symbolizing the supreme glory of the Rothschild family.

Alice Rothschild stood in the cold wind, dressed in a solemn black coat. Behind her were a group of family servants in tailcoats and white gloves, as well as several middle-aged white men with different expressions, their eyes filled with scrutiny and hostility.

They were representatives of a collateral branch of the Rothschild family, namely the cousins ​​of the current patriarch, Karl. Regarding this suddenly appearing "illegitimate daughter from the East," they felt not only suspicion, but also fear and murderous intent.

Jiang Che was the first to descend the spiral staircase.

He wore a pure black cashmere trench coat, the collar turned up to cover half his chin, and carried in his hand the black gift box that had been prepared in Jianghai City, exuding an ominous aura. His steps were steady, and his eyes swept over the crowd below like a hawk. The invisible pressure he exuded made even those self-proclaimed noble European aristocrats feel a little suffocated.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Qingge led Su Xiaoruan down the street.

Today, Su Xiaoruan didn't wear any flashy trendy brands. Instead, she changed into a white silk dress with oriental elements that Jiang Che had specially chosen for her, draped with a thick white fox fur coat. Against the backdrop of the pure white fur, her oriental face appeared exceptionally delicate and pure, while the "Thorn Rose" badge on her chest, shimmering with a blood-red light, stung the eyes of all the collateral members present.

That's the mark of an heir.

It is the power totem they have always dreamed of, yet have never been able to reach.

Welcome to Vienna.

Alice stepped forward, offering a proper curtsy, her tone respectful and excited: "Miss Su, Mr. Jiang, Miss Shen. Karl has been waiting at the manor for quite some time. His health... is not good, and he hopes to see you as soon as possible."

"Let's go then."

Jiang Che nodded slightly, but his gaze lingered for a second on the faces of the several gloomy-looking members of the collateral branches, a playful smirk playing on his lips:

"It seems some people aren't very welcoming to us."

When Jiang Che's gaze swept over them, those people involuntarily avoided his eyes, their shirts instantly soaked with cold sweat.

……

The convoy left the airport, drove through Vienna, and finally entered a private estate deep in the Vienna Woods.

Here stands an ancient castle built in the 18th century – the "Schloss Rothschild".

It is the headquarters of the Austrian branch of the Rothschild family and one of the most mysterious and prestigious mansions in Europe.

The castle gates slowly opened, and the convoy drove in. The courtyard wasn't filled with the expected blooming flowers; instead, it exuded a desolate and somber atmosphere. Armed security personnel in black uniforms, leading Dobermans, were everywhere—the family's private army, the "Iron Cross."

Entering the castle hall, a overwhelming sense of historical weight is almost suffocating. The walls are covered with oil paintings of the family's ancestors, and a huge crystal chandelier casts a dim, yellowish light.

"This way, please."

Alice led the group through the long corridor to the master bedroom on the third floor of the castle.

The room reeked of medicine and disinfectant. On a huge four-poster bed lay a emaciated old man.

He was Karl Rothschild. This Jewish elder, who once dominated the European financial world and controlled trillions of dollars in wealth, was now at the end of his life.

Hearing footsteps, Karl struggled to open his cloudy eyes.

When his gaze fell on Su Xiaoruan and on the familiar nine-dragon jade pendant around her neck, his previously lifeless eyes suddenly shone with a last glimmer of light.

"So much like...so much like..."

Karl stretched out his withered hand, trembling, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible:

"My...little angel...is that you?"

Su Xiaoruan looked at the unfamiliar old man on the bed. Although they had never met before, perhaps it was some kind of magical connection in their blood, but tears instantly streamed down her face.

She stepped forward uncontrollably and grasped that withered hand:

"It's me... I'm here."

"well……"

Karl was overcome with tears, gripping Su Xiaoruan's hand tightly as if he were holding the whole world in his grasp.

"God has been kind to me... allowing me to see you before I die..."

"My child, I'm so sorry...and I'm so sorry to your mother..."

"These past years... you've suffered so much..."

Su Xiaoruan shook her head desperately, sobbing uncontrollably.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge stood aside, watching the father and daughter reunite after twenty years, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

Just then, Carl suddenly struggled to sit up. Alice quickly stepped forward to support him.

"Bring...that thing here," Karl commanded, panting heavily.

Alice nodded and took an old black velvet box from the safe by the bedside.

Open the box.

Inside lay a golden scepter studded with diamonds and rubies, and an obsidian seal engraved with the family crest.

"This is... the scepter of the family patriarch."

Karl looked at Su Xiaoruan, his eyes becoming unusually firm:

"From this day forward... you are the new patriarch of the Austrian branch of the Rothschild family."

"All the wealth, all the power... are yours."

"Anyone who dares to disobey... shall be kicked out of the family."

These few words exhausted the old man's last strength. He stuffed the scepter and seal into Su Xiaoruan's hand, then looked at Jiang Che standing behind him.

"young people……"

Karl looked at Jiang Che, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"Alice told me everything...you saved her...you brought her back."

"My old bones... can't protect her anymore."

"From now on... she's in your care."

"Those jackals... haven't given up yet..."

Jiang Che stepped forward, bowed slightly to the old man, and spoke solemnly:

"Don't worry."

"Now that I've brought her here, no one can touch her."

"I will clean up those jackals for you."

……

7 p.m., the castle banquet hall.

Despite Karl's serious illness, the family dinner held to welcome the "heir" still took place as scheduled.

This was an extremely luxurious yet extremely oppressive "Feast at Hongmen".

The long dining table is a full twenty meters long, covered with a white lace tablecloth, and set with sterling silver cutlery and delicacies from all over the world.

Sitting in the main seat was Su Xiaoruan, who was holding a scepter and looked nervous.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge sat to her left, and Alice sat to her right.

On either side of the long table sat members of the Rothschild family's collateral branches. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a small mustache and a sinister gaze—Baron Franz. He was Karl's cousin, the leader of the opposition within the family, and the mastermind behind hiring the "Viper" assassin.

At this moment, Franz was scrutinizing Su Xiaoruan and Jiang Che with the same eye he would use to examine prey.

"snort."

Franz cut a piece of bloody steak, put it in his mouth and chewed, then suddenly broke the silence with a cold laugh:

"That's ridiculous."

"A bastard who has been living away from home, who can't speak a word of German, and can't even hold a knife and fork properly, actually wants to be our chieftain?"

"Karl is really getting senile."

As soon as he spoke, several members of the collateral branch around him echoed his words, letting out harsh laughter.

"Yes, I heard she used to be a homeless child? How could someone of such lowly blood be allowed into our noble family?"

"This scepter is a joke in her hands. I think it would be better to hand it over as soon as possible and let Uncle Franz take care of it."

Su Xiaoruan gripped the scepter tightly, her palms sweating. Although she didn't understand German very well, she could understand the disdain in their eyes and their tone.

"Smack."

Shen Qingge put down her wine glass, about to lash out.

Jiang Che, however, held her hand down.

He slowly wiped his mouth, then stood up, looked at Franz, and wore that signature smile that was both comforting and chilling.

"This... Mr. Little Mustache."

Jiang Che spoke in fluent German with an old aristocratic accent:

"I want to correct two of your mistakes."

"First, she's not a bastard. She's the legitimate heiress with the highest right of inheritance. And you..."

Jiang Che looked around:

"They're nothing but a bunch of parasites who live off their family trust funds and do nothing but wait to die."

"second."

Jiang Che's gaze returned to Franz's face, his eyes suddenly turning cold:

"You're saying she can't hold a knife and fork properly?"

"That's because her hands are meant to hold a scepter, not to eat with beasts like you who want to murder their own niece."

"You...what did you say?!" Franz's face changed, and he slammed his fist on the table, standing up abruptly. "How dare you slander me?! This is the Rothschild castle! What right do you, an outsider, have to speak here?!"

"Guards! Throw this yellow-skinned monkey out of here!"

With his roar, a dozen fully armed Iron Cross guards rushed in. They had clearly been bribed by Franz long ago.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Su Xiaoruan turned pale with fright.

However, Jiang Che remained completely calm.

He bent down, picked up the black gift box he always carried with him from beside his feet, and placed it on the pristine white dining table.

"Trying to kick me out?"

Jiang Che placed his hand on the gift box, looking at Franz:

"No rush."

"Before we resort to force, let's take a look at the...gift I've brought for you all."

"This is something I specially prepared for Baron Franz from the far East."

All eyes were focused on the black box.

For some reason, the box seemed to emit a nauseating, bloody smell.

"Playing tricks!" Franz scoffed. "Open it!"

Jiang Che smiled slightly and gently opened the lock with his slender fingers.

"Click".

The lid slowly opened.

A strong smell of formaldehyde instantly filled the air.

When you see what's inside the box—

"ah--!!!!"

"Oh my God!!!"

"vomit--!!"

A series of piercing screams erupted in the banquet hall. Several ladies fainted from fright, and even the men, who were used to such scenes, couldn't help but bend over and vomit.

Inside the box.

It is a human head.

A human head that has been preserved, with its eyes still wide open and its expression frozen in extreme fear.

That's Hawkeye, the top sniper from the "Viper" organization.

And inside the head's mouth was a bloodstained check.

The signature on the check was none other than Franz Rothschild.

"This...this is..." Franz stared at the human head, feeling as if struck by lightning. His legs went weak, and he slumped into the chair, his crotch instantly soaked.

He recognized the man. It was the hitman he'd hired for fifty million dollars!

How could... how could I be here?!

"What? Don't you recognize the Baron?"

Jiang Che reached out, pulled the check from the man's mouth, and waved it in front of Franz:

"This check, you signed it, didn't you?"

"Hired a killer to murder the family heir."

"According to the Rothschild family rules, what should the punishment be?"

Jiang Che's voice wasn't loud, but in the deathly silent banquet hall, it sounded like the pronouncement of death.

"You...you..." Franz pointed at Jiang Che, trembling, "You're a monster...This is Europe! I have immunity! You killed him...you can't escape!"

"Kill him?"

Jiang Che shook his head and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands:

"No, no, no, I didn't kill him."

"It's the 'rules'."

The voice just fell.

Rumbling--

Suddenly, a huge roar of propellers came from above the castle.

Immediately afterwards, several blinding beams of searchlight appeared outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the banquet hall.

Through the windows, people were horrified to see that the castle courtyard was now filled with black armored vehicles. Hundreds of fully armed soldiers in unmarked black combat uniforms had surrounded the entire castle.

Meanwhile, three armed helicopters carrying missiles were circling in the sky.

That was the "Black Knights" Legion, the private armed force of "Sky Capital" in Europe.

"Reporting to the boss."

The banquet hall doors were pushed open.

A tall, muscular white man with a scar on his face strode in. Ignoring the so-called "Iron Cross" guards, he walked straight to Jiang Che and saluted.

"The 'Black Knights' Legion has completed the complete blockade of the castle."

"The outer Iron Cross Guard has been completely disarmed."

"Please give instructions."

Jiang Che nodded, turned around, looked at the collateral branch members who were already trembling with fear, and finally fixed his gaze on Franz, who was limp as a rag doll.

"Now, do I have the right to speak?"

Jiang Che walked up to Franz and looked down at him:

"Baron Franz".

"I gave you a chance."

"I mentioned this when you sent assassins to Jianghai."

"Since you're here, don't be in a hurry to leave."

"You want Little Soft's life?"

Jiang Che suddenly grabbed a dinner knife from the table and slammed it into the table in front of Franz, the blade making a buzzing sound.

"Then I'll take your life."

"take away."

Jiang Che coldly gave the order:

"Take him, and everyone involved in this, to the dungeon."

"Trial according to the oldest family law."

"yes!"

With a wave of his hand, the scarred, burly man summoned several fierce soldiers who rushed forward and dragged Franz and his confidants away like dead dogs.

"No! I am a baron! You can't do this! Help—"

Franz's screams echoed down the corridor, growing fainter and fainter until they disappeared.

The remaining members of the collateral branch were all ashen-faced, not daring to utter a sound. They looked at Jiang Che as if he were a grim reaper from the East.

That night.

The Rothschild family's fortunes have changed.

That legendary Eastern "gold digger" established an unshakeable authority in this oldest castle in Europe with a human head and an army.

Jiang Che turned around and looked at Su Xiaoruan, who was still somewhat dazed.

The fierce look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle and doting smile.

He walked over, picked up a napkin, wiped the cold sweat from Su Xiaoruan's forehead, and then put the scepter back in her hand and held it tightly.

"Don't be afraid."

"The trash has been cleaned up."

"Now."

Jiang Che took a step back and gave Su Xiaoruan an elegant gentlemanly bow:

"Your Majesty the Queen."

"You may begin your dinner now."

Su Xiaoruan looked at Jiang Che, tears welling up in her eyes.

She gripped the scepter tightly, took a deep breath, and tried to look like an adult.

She turned her head to look at the trembling family members and said in a slightly immature but unusually firm voice:

"Dinner is served."