The Li Family Courtyard!
Old Chen had left, but Zhou Rui and Old Xu stayed behind.
Li Yi invited the two into his study. As he poured them tea, he smiled and asked, “Did the two of you come here with Old Chen, or did you just happen to run into him?”
Zhou Rui replied immediately, “We came together. This afternoon, Old Chen called Old Xu and me in for a meeting. After the meeting, he asked us to stay and inquired about what you’ve been up to in Hong Kong, and then he brought us over to your place!”
“So that’s how it is. I was wondering why you two came together—I thought something major must have happened!” Li Yi said with a laugh.
“Actually, there was a big deal—thanks to you, both Old Xu and I received commendations this time!” Zhou Rui said.
“Promoted?”
“Not exactly. After all, we were just promoted last year—it wouldn’t happen that quickly. But our benefits have been upgraded!”
“What kind of pay?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.
Old Xu immediately chimed in, “It’s a pay raise. Before, both Zhou and I were on Grade 11 pay, but now we’ve both been bumped up to Grade 10. That means we get an extra 17 yuan a month!”
Only then did Li Yi remember that the current system was a 24-grade pay scale, ranging from the lowest Grade 24 at 45 yuan per month to the highest Grade 1 at 594 yuan per month.
“Just 17 yuan more a month, and that’s a big deal?” Li Yi said with a laugh.
Zhou Rui shook his head and said, “The point isn’t the 17 yuan, but what it signifies. You have to understand that Grade 11 administrative status corresponds to a full division-level or deputy department-level official, while Grade 10 corresponds to deputy corps-level or full department-level status!”
Hearing this, Li Yi immediately understood—didn’t this mean the two of them were not far from becoming full-fledged department-level officials?
After all, all the benefits and perks had already been secured; the only thing missing was the corresponding position. No wonder the two of them were so excited.
“What about Daqiangzi, Awen, and the others?” Li Yi asked.
“They’ve all been promoted. Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, Yang Zhiwen, and the others have all been promoted one rank, from full company-level to deputy battalion-level. As for our two female comrades, Zhang Feng and Yang Miao, they’ve been promoted from deputy company-level to full company-level!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Xu chimed in, “And Comrade Yang Qian has also been promoted from deputy division-level to full division-level cadre.”
“What about my brother-in-law and Team Leader Yan? Did the higher-ups give them any commendations?” Zhou Yang asked again.
“Yes. Originally, they were all veterans, but now they’ve all been incorporated into the secret division of State Security. Comrades Yang Wenguang, Yan Guangming, and the others are now our official field agents!”
“Agents?”
“That’s right!”
Li Yi’s mouth twitched as he said, “Old Zhou, are you sure this is a reward and not retaliation?”
“What do you mean, retaliation? Our National Security Bureau isn’t just any ordinary agency. Even the elite from the military find it hard to get into our organization… Never mind, you wouldn’t understand anyway. If you get the chance, ask your brother-in-law and hear what he has to say!”
“Haha, isn’t it enough that I believe you? Why are you getting so worked up?” Li Yi said with a laugh.
“By the way, what did you ask Old Chen for? Tell me about it,” Zhou Rui asked.
“How do you even know about this?” Li Yi asked curiously.
“This was actually an opportunity Old Xu and I secured for you. Originally, according to Old Chen’s plan, he was going to promote you one rank and put you in charge of a department. But Old Xu and I knew you weren’t interested in that, so we suggested Old Chen ask for your input. Don’t you think you should thank us for that?” Zhou Rui said.
“If that’s really the case, then I’m incredibly grateful to you both!” Li Yi said earnestly.
“Whether you thank us or not is beside the point. Just tell me, what did you ask Old Chen for?” Zhou Rui asked with a smile.
“Nothing much—just asked for some policy support!” Li Yi replied.
“What a waste! With such a great opportunity, all you asked for was that? You’re squandering a golden chance!” Zhou Rui said with a look of deep regret.
“Come on, Old Zhou. Everyone has their own aspirations. You know Brother Li Yi’s situation better than anyone. Let’s get down to business!” Old Xu said.
“What business?” Li Yi asked immediately.
“I heard from Old Zhou that you have a new investment plan. Is that true?”
“I do have a plan, but I haven’t decided whether to go through with it yet. What’s this? Is the State Administration of Foreign Exchange interested?” Li Yi asked with a smile.
“Exactly. Brother Li Yi, you have no idea how hard my life is right now. The higher-ups just keep signing off on requests, while the ministries below are using those requests to come after me for money. They don’t care at all about where I, the Director of the Foreign Exchange Bureau, am supposed to get all that foreign exchange…”
Seeing Old Xu’s complaints growing louder by the minute, Li Yi hurriedly cut him off: “Hold on… hold on… Old Xu, let’s talk this out calmly. What kind of scene is this—snot and tears all over the place? Someone who doesn’t know the situation might think I’ve been bullying you!”
“But let me be clear from the start: the next phase of investment will be divided into two stages. It’s a long-term project involving significant capital, so you’d better be prepared.”
“How long will the investment cycle be, and how much capital is required?”
“At least six months. And of course, the more capital, the better!” Li Yi replied.
“Alright, I’ll do my best to raise the funds. When do you plan to use them?” Old Xu asked.
“In about six months,” Li Yi replied.
He estimated that in another six months, the exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and the US dollar would correct. Although the correction wouldn’t be significant, as long as the capital was substantial enough, the returns would still be quite substantial.
After cashing in on this wave, the privatization reforms in the British Isles would be about to begin. He could go over there for another round of profits then, and by next year, he’d be all set.
“Alright…”
No sooner had Old Xu finished speaking than Zhou Rui suddenly interjected, “I heard about the Liu family situation. What do you plan to do?”
“How come you all know about it? Is there nothing I do that’s a secret to you?” Li Yi frowned.
“Heh, maybe it’s a secret to others, but not to us at State Security!”
Zhou Rui continued, “Actually, if you want to investigate the Liu family, I can help you. Relying on Wang Anguo, Yin Jianping, and the like won’t work at all. Their ranks are too low; at best, they can only scratch the surface, and they’re likely to tip off the target.”
“What? You’re going to help me?”
“Yeah, as long as you’re willing, I can step in anytime!” Zhou Rui said.
“Why… the Liu family isn’t someone to mess with,” Li Yi said.
“The Liu family is indeed a force to be reckoned with, but we’re comrades-in-arms now—we rise and fall together. If you fail, we’ll suffer the consequences too. So your business is our business!” Zhou Rui said with a serious expression.
Hearing this, Li Yi fell silent instantly.
After a long pause, he replied with equal seriousness, “In that case, help me investigate the Liu family—especially Liu Dongping. I want every detail of his misdeeds. Don’t worry about whether there’s evidence or not!”
“Alright, give me three days!”
“Alright!”
“Should we have Wang Anguo and his team hold off for a bit, so as not to alert the Liu family?” Zhou Rui asked.
“No need. I never intended to handle this on the sly anyway. If the Liu family doesn’t know someone’s investigating them, how will they slip up?” Li Yi said coldly.
“You want to lure the snake out of its hole?”
“No, this is called testing the waters!”
Li Yi continued, “Investigating the Liu family’s criminal activities is certainly important, but it’s even more crucial to secure concrete evidence of their crimes. Based on what we know, the Liu family has already forced the victims to flee. It’ll be difficult to track down where they’ve hidden them in the short term.”
“But if they know someone is investigating them, they’re bound to take action—whether it’s checking on the victims or silencing them. In any case, they won’t just sit idly by. At that point, all you have to do is follow the trail, and you might just find those victims.”
“What do we do once we find them?”
“Wait for my instructions!”
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements right away!”
“Alright…”
………..