Chapter 42 41

February 27, 1924 Hiobard Road Central London, Bloomsbury * Ashley held an umbrella in his right hand, although it was raining, he did not open it.He walked so fast that the sidewalk felt slippery under his leather gents. He saw a figure sitting against a building in front of him. He waited for a car to pass by the side of the road and went to the opposite street.Suddenly, Ashley turned and walked towards the disabled man.The opponent's crutches were leaning against the wall, one foot had been amputated below the knee, and the extra trousers were folded up and fastened with a large safety pin.Beside him was a tin can full of matches for sale.

Ashley found a coin in his coat pocket.His fingers touched the telegram with a sudden pang of pleasure. Where did you get hurt? The man pushed his hat back with his thumb and looked at Ashley, the rain hitting his face. Ypres.A ghostly place called Castle Forest. Ashley found a half-crown coin in another pocket and put it in the man's hand.He turned onto Bedford Street, rain pouring into a side gutter. (The mudguard on the ground,) he thought. (The slats, the pillars above the mudflow in the castle forest.) Ashley suppressed the thought, but he found that the more he suppressed it, the stronger the feeling, so he let it be.

He walked past a row of brick houses to the building addressed at Number Eighteen and entered through a doorway lined with white columns.The front office was quietly busy: rows of clerks copying on large pages, a young woman clicking away at a typewriter.A bald man in a bow tie and vest walked back and forth between the clerks.As soon as he saw Ashley, he raised his eyebrows. Mr Worthingham.Good morning.Mr Downing is waiting for you A clerk carried Ashley's raincoat, hat, and umbrella.Ashley followed the bald man upstairs.Once upstairs, they pass a padded phone booth and enter Downing's office, a half-lit, half-lit space with damask-patterned wallpaper and tall mahogany bookshelves.Papers were strewn about, and books and ledgers piled high on the floor and on the mantelpiece.

Tangning got up from the table and shook hands with Ashley.He wears a three-piece suit and has a trim beard.Hair is parted with a shiny pomade. Sit down, sit down.Although we have been busy from morning to night since Monday, I think we succeeded.While those files are complicated, I checked and they look great.Mr. Hutchkins, would you please bring me both the copy and the original. Ashley sat on a leather chair with decorative buckles.Tangning cleared the space in the center of the desk, and put a stack of papers into another pile of documents behind her.He shook his head. Ashley, I have to say, I thought we had a consensus.God knows, I'll try not to bother you when you're not around.But that doesn't mean I should handle things completely unaware of your intentions and have you show up at the last minute to make such a drastic change.when are you leaving

Friday.Tomorrow we will have dinner at the Wayfarers Club in Liverpool before sailing the next morning. Tangning sighed.Look, it's your money, do what you want with it.But my job is to make these arrangements perfect, but no matter how we arrange it, at this time, it will be suspicious for any reason.This will be very disadvantageous in litigation.What's your family's take on the matter? I didn't tell them. Are you not going to do this? right. Tangning tapped the notepad with a pen.He shook his head and said: Ashley, it may surprise you to say this, but I don't want to create the twentieth-century Jadice v. Jadice5.Was that expedition really so dangerous?I didn't know you could think you might not come back.

5. Jarndyce and Jarndyce.It is the main plot of Charles Dickens's classic "Bleak House". profit. No climbers died on the previous two expeditions.Yes, some porters died.I thought you'd always be on the lookout for the latest news. Tangning flashed a smile.I don't dispute that.To give her a handsome inheritance, no problem.When you put her in years ago, I didn't object a word.But IMHO what you're going to do now raises legal and moral issues. Moral issues? A clerk came in with a black metal file safe with G.Risley typeface.Tang Lin took out the folder from the safe, untied the ribbon, and placed the documents on the table.He looked up at Ashley. :

Do you think he intends to dispose of assets in this way?Toss it to someone outside the family after only one generation? I don't know what he's going to do.I guess he will be surprised?Will there be any legal issues? Tangning threw an empty folder on the table. Making such a drastic change on the eve of the activity you are about to engage in will call into question the content of your will.And the beneficiary you choose makes it worse.Some would say you're not in a sound state of mind Who would say that?my mother? She can say that. she won't. But if she does, it will be very troublesome.

Tangning walked to the window and clasped her hands behind her back. Not to mention the one we haven't even discussed yet.Why on earth would you want to leave money with a missing person?Even assuming she is still alive, it seems extremely unlikely that she will come to claim it. She is still alive. Tangning looked at Ashley.are you sure?If so, you must tell me.Otherwise, frankly, it would be delusional and would become a legal controversy.i mean seriously if you know anything about her whereabouts I do not know anything.But I don't think she died. If we can't find her and Tangning continues to insist, then it will make no difference whether she is alive or dead.

Can't you put in a trust? Can.It's all planned.But it's complicated.A lot of paperwork is required.And even if it is not challenged in court, as long as the trust continues, there will always be expenses required to manage the assets.I'm okay.I don't think your family would like that though. They already have enough money. Doesn't she have enough money?Assuming she's still alive? Ashley looked at Tangning.Thank you for your legal advice.Your suggestion is very good, I also understand.Can I sign the document now? Tangning shook her head.I really don't understand why this should be done at the last minute.Why didn't you tell me sooner?Why did you say it yesterday?

I also suddenly thought that I should deal with these things well. God, Ashley, you can't be serious.If she shows up and asks you to do this she didn't. Or if she ever showed up and asked you to do it, you must tell me too. she didn't. Even if she didn't show up, and was still alive, forgive me for saying this, maybe she'd have a castle of her own.No need of your money at all. Can I sign it? Tangning sat on the chair beside Ashley.He turned the file around. I should explain to you what we do and how the trust works.But let me reiterate, by the time you've signed these papers, you've created a knot that's hard to untie.Just the thought of its complexity is scary

I see. Tangning sighed.You know it's wrong to do it. I guess so. You still want to do it. That's right. Tang Ning explained the purpose of each document.After explaining, he called in two young clerks, and asked them to witness the execution of the will and trust.Ashley picked up Tangning's pen and began to sign quickly, page after page, with witnesses watching from behind him. I really don't hesitate at all.Tangning muttered. Ashley continued to open the document to sign. Do people often hesitate? It depends.Tang Ning said: It will happen when major changes are made.With an example like yours, I'm not sure.There is no precedent. Witnesses also signed their names.They shook Ashley's hand, wished him a successful expedition, and walked out.Ashley stood up in front of Tangning, showing a happy smile. There are precedents for everything.Just look it up in your records and I'll bet someone has done the same thing as me.Isn't that what you should do? If we have time. Tangning flipped through the signed document and put the copy beside her.Ashley looked around the room with a smile, admiring the silver ink bottle holder on Tangning's desk and the perpetual calendar by the window.Tuesday, February 26.Ashley walked to the calendar and turned the brass knob to Wednesday and the twenty-seventh. Busy in the morning? Tangning sighed, then shook her head.He neatly gathered Ashley's documents into a pile and put them in the office's blue envelope. Not even time for a cup of tea.After all, there are customers like you. He shook hands with Ashley, then handed out the envelope. Send a postcard from Mumbai.You're sailing to Mumbai, right?If you change your mind about the matter, you can also send a telegram across the ocean.We can bring everything back to normal in no time. I will not change my mind. Then take care of yourself.Tangning ignored Ashley's words.I don't like things that change at the last minute.It's not good for you to think this way.When are you coming back? August. Call ASAP.We'll see what you think about this approach then.Also, good luck.I saw your photo in the London Times.They say you might be the first person to finally conquer Mount Everest. Ashley shrugged.The expedition consisted of eight climbers.We're lucky if two of them reach the summit, and I've never been to the Himalayas.Three of them are in good shape and have been there before So can't it be you? Ashley just laughed.The two shook hands again.Ashley left the office and hailed a taxi on the sidewalk. Go to Jermyn Street, please, to Farger Brothers Boots.I don't know the house number. Ashley sat in the enclosed space behind the driver.He lifted the watch cover and wondered if they could change the boots and send them off before he got to Darjeeling.It was only later that he realized that he had forgotten the boots. Driver, he said to the window: Wait a minute, we have to go to the Lansdone apartment first.number nine. OK Ashley stretched out in his seat, yawning contentedly.He took the telegram out of his pocket and opened it to read it.He only watched it for the third time today. □□□ February 25, 1924 AE Worthingham Everest EXPEDITION OBTERRAS LONDON dear ashley don't risk your very Important I will try my best to protect you Yinmozhen