The booklet wasn’t very thick—it looked like it had only a few dozen pages—but its contents were truly shocking.
Every page of the booklet followed the same format: a product photo on the left, and handwritten specifications and prices on the right.
It contained not only color TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, but also radios, digital watches, and luxury timepieces—the sheer variety of products was jaw-dropping.
But that wasn’t the most surprising part. What astonished Li Yi the most was that the booklet categorized the products by their country of origin—some from Europe and America, others from Japan and South Korea.
It was clear that the other party had put a great deal of effort into this booklet; all the photos were in color and looked very clear, and the person who wrote the text had clearly practiced calligraphy, as the regular script was exceptionally beautiful.
Although it fell somewhat short of the machine-printed brochures of later generations, for its time, it could certainly be described as exquisite.
After carefully flipping through the booklet, Li Yi took another look at the shop owner standing before him.
He was clearly getting older, but with his unkempt beard, it was hard to tell exactly how old he was.
However, his gaze was piercing, and the exposed skin on his face was covered in scars—it was clear at a glance that he was a tough character.
As Li Yi sized him up, the man was observing Li Yi as well.
Though he didn’t know Li Yi’s identity, he could tell this young man was no ordinary person—after all, the three young men following him were clearly trained fighters.
Just then, Li Yi spoke up: “Can you get your hands on the stuff up there?”
“Yes!”
“The real thing?”
“Of course they’re genuine—ten times the price if they’re fake!”
“How do you guarantee the quality? After all, what I want isn’t cheap,” Li Yi said.
“What do you want?”
“A color TV, a refrigerator, and a radio!”
“Which brands? We’re currently out of stock on some European and American products, but you can pay a deposit first and settle the balance when the goods arrive!” the shop owner said.
“Do you have any items from Xiao Ri Zi in stock?”
“Yes, we generally have items from Japan and South Korea in stock, and you can inspect the goods before paying!” the shop owner said confidently.
“Alright!”
With that, Li Yi opened the catalog, flipped to the “Little Days” page, and pointed to several items, saying, “I’ll take this… this… and this. When can I see the goods?”
“Those three items come to six thousand yuan in total. Are you sure you can come up with that much?”
Li Yi gave the shop owner a casual glance and said, “That’s too much!”
“Then how much do you suggest, boss?”
“2,500 for the color TV, 1,800 for the refrigerator, and 200 for the radio—that’s 4,500 in total!” Li Yi said.
“The price is negotiable—provided you have the money!” said the middle-aged owner.
Realizing the other party wanted to see proof of funds, Li Yi immediately gave Zhang Ziqiang a nod.
The tough guy immediately caught on and opened the shoulder bag he was carrying. The moment the bag opened, it was seen to be stuffed to the brim with a wad of cash.
Seeing this, the middle-aged shop owner’s throat involuntarily moved.
Although he wasn’t sure exactly how much was in that pouch, it was certainly over ten thousand.
Realizing the man was carrying such a large sum of cash, the middle-aged shop owner concluded his sincerity in purchasing the appliance was undeniable. He immediately said, “Wait ten minutes!”
With that, he hurried out the door!
After the middle-aged shop owner left, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen looked around to make sure no one was watching, then asked, “Brother Yi, are we really going to spend that much money on these things?”
“Of course! Haven’t you seen that my father-in-law’s little villa doesn’t have a single decent appliance? This is the perfect chance to get him a few!” Li Yi said.
“I can’t help but feel like you have an ulterior motive here!” Zhang Ziqiang remarked.
Li Yi smiled but said nothing!
Seeing that Li Yi didn’t want to elaborate, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen didn’t press the issue, and the room fell silent.
A short while later, the middle-aged owner returned and said enthusiastically to Li Yi, “Sir, the goods have arrived. You can inspect them now!”
“Alright, take us there!” Li Yi said.
“Please follow me!”
Led by the middle-aged owner, the three of them walked deeper into the alley.
After walking for four or five minutes, they finally stopped in front of a courtyard near the main road.
The middle-aged owner walked up to the gate and knocked in a specific rhythm. After the person inside verified their identities, they ushered Li Yi and the others into the courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t very large. In a side room near the entrance, Li Yi finally saw the goods he was looking for: a Hitachi color TV, a Toshiba refrigerator, and a Panasonic radio.
After carefully inspecting the three appliances, he confirmed they were genuine, authentic products from the West.
Li Yi then began negotiating the price with the middle-aged shop owner. After a heated back-and-forth, he finally secured the three appliances for 4,750 yuan.
After paying, Li Yi had Zhou Wen find a flatbed tricycle and instructed him to follow the car to transport the goods to the provincial government compound.
Meanwhile, with a grave expression, he returned to his car and ordered Zhang Ziqiang to drive immediately to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!
……..
At the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Jiang Shiying was discussing the case with several of his trusted aides when his secretary suddenly entered and whispered a few words in his ear.
Jiang Shiying nodded, then stood up and said to the others in the room, “You all continue discussing this. I’m going back to my office for a moment!”
With that, he strode out!
Back in his office, Jiang Shiying indeed found his son-in-law waiting for him inside. He asked immediately, “Didn’t you have something to do today? What are you doing here?”
“Dad, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is in big trouble!” Li Yi suddenly blurted out with startling words.
Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment; the smile on his face vanished, and he asked in a grave tone, “What trouble? Tell me.”
He didn’t doubt whether the trouble Li Yi mentioned actually existed; after all, he knew his son-in-law’s capabilities.
Since Li Yi had come specifically to warn him, he certainly wouldn’t be fobbing him off with mere rumors.
“Smuggling!”
“Smuggling… Isn’t that the job of the Public Security Bureau and the Coast Guard’s anti-smuggling units? What does it have to do with our Commission for Discipline Inspection?” Jiang Shiying frowned.
Li Yi didn’t answer his father-in-law’s question; instead, he simply recounted his recent trip to Zhuhai Road to buy home appliances.
After listening to Li Yi’s account, Jiang Shiying’s brow furrowed instantly.
After a long pause, he said, “You asked for three products from different brands, and the seller had everything ready in just ten minutes or so. Is that correct?”
“That’s right!”
“So you’re saying there’s an organized smuggling ring operating there, and they’re running a large-scale operation? Is that what you mean?” Jiang Shiying asked.
“Not exactly!”
Li Yi then explained, ““Dad, there’s no doubt about the organized nature and large scale of their operations. When I was picking out items, I specifically asked for a Panasonic RX-5030F dual-format single-disc recorder. Not only is this thing expensive, but there are domestic alternatives available, so most people aren’t eager to buy it. Yet they had it in stock—which clearly shows this ring’s smuggling operation is no small affair!”
“But more importantly, how could these people have been operating there for so long, selling these contraband goods in a semi-public manner without fear of being taken down? Could they really pull that off without some connections?”
Jiang Shiying said coldly, “Are you suggesting someone within the Public Security Bureau is backing them?”
“It’s more than that. With something like this, the Public Security Bureau alone couldn’t cover everything up. It’s highly likely that people within the government and the Commission for Discipline Inspection are involved as well. Do you see what I mean now?” Li Yi said.
Hearing this, Jiang Shiying’s breathing grew rapid.
If it were merely a matter of smuggling, then it really wouldn’t have anything to do with their Discipline Inspection Commission.
But if people from their own side were involved, that would be a serious problem.
With that in mind, Jiang Shiying immediately said, “All right, I’ll send someone to look into it right away!”
“An investigation is definitely necessary, but Dad, you’d better report the situation to the higher-ups first, so we don’t get the blame before the facts are even clear!” Li Yi reminded him.
“Alright, I’ll get a handle on the situation and then report to the provincial authorities…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke up again: “You need to report to the provincial authorities, but you also need to report to the central government in Beijing!”
“Surely there’s no need to involve the central government over such a minor matter?”
“I think it’s necessary—and very necessary!”
Seeing how serious Li Yi was, Jiang Shiying paused briefly before saying, “Alright, then I’ll report to both at the same time!”
“Great! Well then, Father, you get back to work. I’ll be on my way!”
With that, Li Yi stood up and walked toward the door.
Just as he was about to step out of Jiang Shiying’s office, he turned back and added, “Father, if you have the time, you really should go take a look at Hai County yourself!”
With that, Li Yi left without looking back…
……..