"Trash." Old Beck's voice held a trace of sarcasm as he turned to Zhou Qingfeng and asked, "Is this guy trying to be friends with you?"
"Yes." Zhou Qingfeng quite liked this straightforward Q&A.
Old Beck sneered a few times and advised in a seasoned tone, "Young man, I can teach you a golden rule: any lawyer who wants to be friends with you is unreliable."
Richard was even more dissatisfied and retorted loudly, "That's too absolute and discriminatory. Lawyers are human too, and they can have friendships.
I must state again, five million US dollars is too expensive. Even including subsequent investment fees, it shouldn't cost that much."
Old Beck couldn't be bothered with Richard. He continued to stare at Zhou Qingfeng and said, "Remember, no lawyer gets rich by making friends with their clients.
Lawyers are legal vampires, cold-blooded creatures who twist the truth. Indifference is a lawyer's motto.
Young man, as a billionaire, you should abandon cheap personal feelings because wealth affords you dazzling power.
But as long as you have money, a door to the upper class will open for you, unveiling a whole new world.
And I, Beck Hughes, will be your best friend, safeguarding your wealth and power.
Don't worry about the FBI; they are just power's lapdogs. It's not hard to bribe them if the stakes are high enough.
You don't need to bother with this senior officer. I can directly connect you with his superiors and legally shut him out."
Old Beck's presence was so strong it made some people at the scene shudder. Zhou Qingfeng, however, liked this raw dominance, devoid of friendship and emotion.
Jennifer took the initiative to further their relationship, "Victor, let me introduce you.
Smith & Beck Law Firm is not big, not well-known, but they charge high fees, dealing primarily with clients whose assets exceed ten million.
Mr. Beck has been in practice for half a century, known for his cold efficiency. For this reason, his firm has served my father for over twenty years.
You are bound to face numerous lawsuits. Without a good legal team, the complex legal affairs will leave you exhausted.
If you want a good lawyer to protect your rights, choosing Smith & Beck is the right decision.
Of course, while the FBI may be difficult, five million a year is indeed too steep. I suggest an 80% reduction."
Seeing Jennifer openly support him while subtly bargaining for Zhou Qingfeng, Old Beck couldn't help but laugh heartily. He ignored the stern FBI agent and sat down to chat slowly.
On the small table before the sofa lay a stack of documents Richard wanted Zhou Qingfeng to sign.
Old Beck glanced at them, pointed with his cane, and one of his subordinates stepped forward to examine them—Richard hurried over, anxious, "Wait, you have no right to inspect those documents."
Zhou Qingfeng immediately followed up, "Those are the papers I am to sign. I authorize Smith & Beck's lawyers to review them."
There was no way around it.
Richard's face turned dark, and he closed his mouth.
It took the lawyer only two or three minutes to find several issues in the documents.
Old Beck glanced over them and sneered, "Full power of attorney? Ten-year contract? Fifty percent commission? Unilateral interpretation rights? Is this a slave contract?"
Zhou Qingfeng didn't understand much about law, but seeing Richard remain silent, unable to even argue, he knew he'd be in big trouble if he signed.
Old Beck threw the stack of documents directly into the trash can, picking up only the few pages about Zhou Qingfeng's identity and scanning them quickly.
"Foreigners winning US lotteries must pay an additional six percent federal tax. Victor, are you willing to change your nationality?"
Zhou Qingfeng shook his head, "No, I'm not."
Old Beck had anticipated this response and nodded lightly, "That's fine. We can set up a proxy and create a trust fund to collect the winnings for you."
"Richard also suggested that," Zhou Qingfeng said softly, glancing at the lottery commission's chief legal advisor.
Richard's expression was somewhat embarrassed, obviously displeased with Old Beck's strong intervention.
Old Beck snorted disdainfully, "His suggestion would eat up half your prize and make him the actual manipulator of your trust fund.
The trust fund I establish for you will belong to you. The winnings will be collected by the trust fund, and you can remain anonymous."
Old Beck's tone made Zhou Qingfeng feel at ease. He nodded, signaling the other to continue.
"There's also personal tax, around three hundred million."
Old Beck continued, "You can offset this tax by investing in US infrastructure and setting up a charitable foundation, meanwhile securing a green card.
Infrastructure investment has low returns but is steady.
The charitable foundation will be controlled by you. By donating a few million each year to the homeless or LGBTQ charities, you can freely manage the remaining funds.
Control of more than three hundred million is itself a form of immense power."
Jennifer nodded subtly at Zhou Qingfeng, indicating this was common practice among the wealthy. With Old Beck's shrewdness and experience, completing these tasks would be a piece of cake.
Ordinary people could never imagine the complex and covert maneuvers wealthy individuals undertake to control their wealth.
"I guarantee, other than the unavoidable twenty-four percent federal tax, you can actually control funds exceeding not ten billion, but fifteen billion,"
Old Beck's voice was confident; everything was under his control.
Zhou Qingfeng felt very satisfied. He knew he was at a major crossroads, and Old Beck was the one pointing him in the right direction.
"Jennifer suggests an 80% discount; that's fine. I accept this proposal but only for the first year.
For just four million US dollars, Beck Hughes will be your legal advisor for the coming year, ensuring all your rights are protected.
Of course, certain specific matters require additional fees, and the firm will send you separate invoices.
But I guarantee with my half-century of professional integrity that every penny you spend will be worth it."
"Expensive? Expensive is good." Zhou Qingfeng relaxed, a small smile playing at his lips. "I only want the best of the best."
In the time that followed, the two sides discussed some details.
Eventually, Zhou Qingfeng signed the agency agreement with the aid of AI, authorizing Smith & Beck to collect his Power Ball winnings and handle subsequent matters on his behalf.
The signed lottery ticket was also handed to Old Beck's subordinates for safekeeping.
"You don't need to pay immediately; settle everything after you have the winnings in hand," Old Beck said to Zhou Qingfeng with seasoned composure.
Thus, the news of Zhou Qingfeng winning the jackpot was kept within a limited circle. Running through all the processes would take no more than half a month.
In the end, Old Beck turned to look at Chief Inspector Karl, who represented the FBI, "Do you have an arrest warrant? Or any evidence that links my client to the case you are investigating?"
Karl looked like he'd eaten something nasty, his face contorted, and he glared angrily at Zhou Qingfeng. If he had any evidence, he would've taken him away already; why wait until now?
"We have surveillance from the lottery point and the exact purchase time of the winning ticket. We can prove that the buyer wasn't this Asian kid."
"So what? The buyer may have lost or discarded the ticket, which was then picked up by my client. Is picking up something illegal?"
Old Beck looked at the office's bald supervisor and handed over the signed ticket, "On behalf of my client, I request to redeem this jackpot ticket worth over $2.2 billion.
I demand the redemption process be completed within two weeks. Whether the FBI wants to use this ticket as evidence is up to you."