Chapter 715: Make Money, but Follow the Law!

Li Yi glanced at An Hong, who looked anxious, and Jiang Longcheng, who was full of anticipation, then cleared his throat and said, “It’s a good idea, but we can’t do it the way we did this time!”

Before An Hong could say a word, Jiang Longcheng hurriedly asked, “Brother-in-law, I think we did a pretty good job this time. Why won’t it work?”

Li Yi replied earnestly, “I told you guys before this project started that I was just helping you make a quick buck. So while a lot of things might seem to have gone smoothly on the surface, they weren’t actually done by the book!”

“Um… Brother-in-law, what exactly do you mean by ‘not up to code’?” Jiang Longcheng asked again.

“First, regarding policy: although the government now allows individuals to set up street stalls for small-scale trading, it hasn’t authorized the hosting of large-scale exhibitions like this. If authorities were to investigate, this project wouldn’t comply with regulations!”

Li Yi continued, “Take this, for example: we’re currently under a planned economy, where all goods are produced according to demand. In principle, as long as they aren’t unsellable inventory, you can’t just haul them to a random location and sell them freely!”

“Also, this trade fair has mobilized a large number of workers from State Cotton Mill No. 2. Do you think that’s appropriate?”

“But didn’t we get away with it this time?” Jiang Longcheng said.

“We got away with it because we acted quickly—we made our money and pulled out. Plus, everyone involved benefited, so no one reported us.”

Li Yi continued, “If you try organizing a few more events like this, officials from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Tax Bureau, and even the Public Security Bureau will definitely come knocking on our door. It won’t be easy to handle then!”

“But…”

Before Jiang Longcheng could finish, Li Yi cut him off and said bluntly, “There’s no ‘but’ about it. Besides, with the handful of people you have right now, you simply can’t handle an operation like this!”

“You saw for yourselves at this trade show just how difficult it is to pull off a successful event. And if a single trade show is this complicated, have you considered how much manpower and resources it would take to hold rotating exhibitions simultaneously in multiple major cities across the country?”

An Hong hurriedly replied, “We’ve thought that through. In the early stages, we can choose major cities where there are FlySnow Apparel stores, and if necessary, we can ask their sales staff for help!”

“That’s too simplistic—it won’t work!” Li Yi said.

“Why isn’t it feasible?”

“After all, Feixue Apparel is affiliated with State Cotton Mill No. 2, whereas this is our private enterprise. Using their resources once or twice might be acceptable, but if we do it too often, it’s bound to invite gossip—and it could even affect Third Brother’s career as the factory director!” Li Yi explained.

“So what if people talk? What harm could it do?” Jiang Longcheng said dismissively.

“Third Brother, a lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth. A single person’s words may mean nothing, but when everyone is talking, it’s enough to destroy a man!” Li Yi said.

“Well… what should we do? This business is so profitable—it’d be a shame to give it up!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“It doesn’t have to come to that. We need to make money, but we also have to follow the law. We absolutely can’t give anyone a reason to accuse us!” Li Yi said.

It wasn’t that he lacked resolve; rather, Li Yi knew that next year would be 1983—a year of extraordinary significance.

The most significant impact was that, starting this year, a new term had been added to China’s legal system: “yan da”!

Whether you’re an ordinary citizen or the descendant of a meritorious figure, if you dare to act recklessly, you’d better be prepared to face the consequences. Once an investigation is launched, not even the heavens themselves could save you.

Furthermore, starting next year, a new criminal charge would be introduced—the crime of hooliganism!

This was a virtually catch-all charge: anything that couldn’t be prosecuted under the existing criminal code but violated social norms and public order could be charged under this offense.

For example, there were women with loose morals, men urinating in front of women, and others who were keen on throwing so-called house parties.

At the height of the crackdown, such behavior was punishable by imprisonment, and some people even ended up behind bars because of it.

As for people like them, who were raking in money through unscrupulous means, the consequences were obvious if their activities were reported to the authorities.

“Bro-in-law, we’re just organizing a trade fair—is it really such a big deal?” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

“If you’re just going to call it quits now, there’s no problem. But if you want to turn this into a business, you have to follow the country’s laws and regulations—that’s the bottom line!”

Li Yi continued, “I know you’re probably thinking, ‘What’s the big deal? The younger generation of other prominent clans can get away with anything.’ But let me tell you this: we can’t control what others do, but when lightning strikes, it won’t drag us down with them!”

Jiang Longcheng’s chubby face twitched, and he replied, “Brother-in-law, just tell us what to do. We’ll follow your lead. But please don’t keep bringing up lightning strikes and such—it’s too scary!”

“Good—fear is a virtue. A person shouldn’t fear poverty or a lack of ambition, but they must fear being fearless!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi was genuinely a bit worried about Jiang Longcheng.

The guy was nearly thirty, yet he acted with no sense of responsibility whatsoever. On top of that, he was incredibly loyal, often sticking his neck out for some worthless friends and so-called “brothers.”

Things had been fine these past couple of years, thanks to the Jiang family’s connections.

But starting next year, things would be different. The higher-ups were determined to clean up social mores, and with his reckless personality, he might just get dragged down by someone else one day.

So Li Yi couldn’t help but give him a little lecture to warn him.

Hearing Li Yi’s lecture, Jiang Longcheng gave a wry smile and said, “Bro-in-law, why do I feel like you’re starting to sound more and more like the old man? I was actually a little scared when I didn’t see you. Just tell me how we’re supposed to handle this trade show!”

“Start a company!” Li Yi declared, startling everyone.

“Whoa! Brother-in-law, you’re not joking, are you? Since when has our country allowed private companies?” Jiang Longcheng asked in surprise.

“It’s definitely not possible for an individual to start one, but we can use a foreign company’s shell!” Li Yi explained.

“How do we do that?” An Hong couldn’t help but ask.

“Simple. I’ll have our company in Hong Kong set up an investment firm specifically for this purpose. Then, we’ll use that company’s name to invest in the mainland. We’ll hire my sister-in-law to serve as the head of that company and handle this project exclusively!”

Li Yi continued, “Once we’ve made a profit, we’ll distribute the money to you through bonuses and dividends. That way, it’ll be completely legal and compliant!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng asked anxiously, “An Hong can go work at that company, but what about me and Jianhua? We can’t just quit our jobs and go there too, can we?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “No need for that. We’ll have Third Sister-in-Law and Sister-in-Law Lin Ying take nominal positions there. You and Brother Jianhua will do the actual work, and the money will be paid out in the two sisters-in-law’s names. It’s just that…”

“But what? Brother-in-law, just get to the point!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“It’s just that we’ll have to set aside a portion of the profits—including the company’s profit share and the taxes paid to the government—so the amount each of us actually takes home might not be as much as it is now!”

Li Yi then shifted the subject and continued, “But the upside is, with the shell of a foreign-invested company, we can officially hire workers domestically. Plus, the company can cover the workers’ wages, venue rental fees, and renovation costs. This way, we can scale up the project, so the money we actually take home might end up being more!”

An Hong nodded and said, “That’s actually a good idea. I think it’s feasible!”

“If you two agree, I have no objections!” said Jiang Longcheng.

Seeing that neither of them had any objections, Li Yi added, “In that case, let’s invite Brother Jianhua over the other day and plan this out properly!”

“Alright!”

Just then, Jiang Longcheng suddenly said, “Oh, right, brother-in-law. We’ve been so caught up in talking about the project that we’ve completely forgotten the main business!”

“What’s the main business?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Last year’s factory revenue and profit figures have been tallied. You’ve already exceeded the terms of our bet. It’s time for the factory to honor that cooperation agreement!” Jiang Longcheng said.

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly…

……..