Chapter 466: When You Don't Understand the Situation, It's Best to Stay Still

"Don't be ungrateful. I'm reminding you to be careful. There are some things you should check for yourself, and if you find any issues, deal with them in time," Wilson said, giving William a sidelong glance.

If it hadn't been for discovering that the woman beside the Earl of Oxford had connections to the former 007, and that this former agent, who was hiding somewhere, had deep ties to William's family—possibly even connected to his mother—Wilson wouldn't have bothered getting involved in someone else's business.

"Hmm?"

William wasn't stupid; the message was clear. He pulled out his phone and activated a signal-blocking feature, then shouted to the four bodyguards standing seven or eight meters away, "You four, back off a bit."

The four bodyguards looked to Wilson for confirmation, and when he nodded, they retreated further.

"Go on, since you're playing the good guy, tell me what you know," William said seriously. "I can investigate it myself, but I'd rather hear what this is all about first."

"Alright, but I can't get into too much detail," Wilson said in a low voice. "That woman with the Earl has ties to the former 007, and some things hint that 007 has connections to someone in your family.

Buddy, that's all I can say, to avoid you questioning my intentions," Wilson added, shrugging helplessly.

William immediately understood that the "someone" Wilson was referring to was his mother. He patted Wilson on the shoulder and said, "Got it. Let's head back for lunch."

With a squeeze of his legs, his horse bolted towards the castle. 

In less than two minutes, William had reached the castle, his mind racing with two clear options: either take out the Earl immediately or leave things alone. Any interference could disrupt the ongoing plan and expose actions that wouldn't have been suspicious if left to play out step by step.

It didn't take much thought to figure out the likely plan to deal with the Earl: send a woman to charm him, drain his fortune, and when he's out of money, she could either break up with him or, better yet, donate the jewelry and gifts he gave her to charity before leaving. The blow might be so hard that the ailing Earl wouldn't survive long after that, possibly meeting his end within days.

William didn't care about the Earl's money and would even prefer the old man to squander everything, leaving behind a pile of debt. By the time William inherited the title, the public would see that he'd been handed an empty title weighed down by debt. Instead of jealousy, they'd likely sympathize with him. 

And when creditors came knocking, if William openly acknowledged all legitimate debts, it would only improve his public image.

There was a quicker, more direct solution, but William didn't want to resort to it unless absolutely necessary.

Shaking off thoughts of getting rid of the woman directly, William decided that necessary surveillance was still required.

With these thoughts in mind, William ordered Sunday, "Send some spider robots to keep an eye on the woman with the Earl. Report any unusual behavior immediately."

"Understood, sir."

Back at the castle, William dismounted and handed the reins to a maid who had come to meet him. "Call the stables and have them send someone to take the horse back."

"Yes, Mr. Devonshire."

After waiting for a few seconds, Wilson and his four bodyguards arrived on horseback.

William smiled at the slightly uneasy Wilson. "Let's get you changed, then we can have lunch. What kind of wine do you want? I'll take you to the wine cellar to pick."

"OK." Seeing William's calm demeanor, Wilson relaxed a little but still regretted letting his nerves get the better of him, blurting out things he shouldn't have.

"Don't worry about it," William whispered, putting his arm around Wilson, who was about the same height as him. "Just sit back and watch."

"Alright," Wilson nodded firmly, hesitating for a moment before adding, "A month or two ago, my grandfather mentioned something cryptic about 'a few months being too long.' I didn't quite get it."

"Hehe, yeah, a few months is indeed a long time," William chuckled, patting Wilson on the shoulder. He understood that this was Wilson's way of showing his family's stance—they were firmly on William's side in this matter.

"Forget about all that. I'll handle it."

"OK."

The two of them went to the castle to drop off their hunting rifles and change clothes. William then took Wilson to the wine cellar, where they picked out a bottle of '82 Latour before heading to the dining room.

During lunch, Wilson made small talk. "Why is it that all the wine in your collection is Latour? You don't have any Lafite, Margaux, Haut-Brion, or Mouton Rothschild?"

"The wine dealers I know mainly focus on whiskey. Apart from being able to get large quantities of Latour, their connections with the other vineyards aren't as strong. Plus, I don't drink much wine, so I haven't put much effort into expanding that collection."

Wilson shook his head, giving William a disdainful look. "You won't buy wine unless you can buy in bulk? My God, I didn't realize that everything you do is an investment first and foremost."

"Hehe, I suggest you go home and stock up on this year's Latour. I've heard that, besides having perfect weather for growing grapes, the new brewing techniques have resulted in wine of exceptional quality this year. It's going to be a great investment."

"Really?" Wilson asked excitedly, pleased that his casual question had led to an unexpected bonus. "I'll have people start buying it as soon as I get back."

When it came to investments, Wilson had complete faith in William.

They chatted for about twenty minutes while the wine was being decanted. When it was ready, William had the food served. After lunch, the two of them went to the small lounge, but before they could start talking about selling bulletproof suits in desert regions, they noticed something on the TV.

The news was reporting on Wilson's visit to the castle.

At first, Wilson didn't think much of it. His friendship with William was well-known throughout England, and visiting the castle for a hunt didn't seem like anything worth hiding. But as he watched, the broadcast started showing a series of photos of him, all focusing on his left wrist. Some even showed close-ups of him wearing and not wearing a watch.

"Oh, God, they're definitely going to make a big deal out of this," Wilson muttered. His experience told him that someone was about to stir up trouble over him removing the tracking watch.

Sure enough, the commentators started speculating about why Wilson had taken off his watch after entering the castle. 

Some suggested that the watch was too bulky and interfered with shooting while wearing hunting clothes. Others, however, hinted that perhaps the device had some flaws in its design, forcing William to recall it for further testing or improvements.

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