Chapter 886: The Family Fund!
Hearing Li Yi say he’d gotten himself into trouble, Jiang Shiying felt a slight shock, but mostly curiosity.
He knew his son-in-law’s character fairly well; he knew that although he was young, he went about his business with great method and precision—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was meticulous to a fault.
“What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into that you need me to handle it?”
Suddenly, Jiang Shiying’s eyes widened, and he said, “You haven’t done anything to hurt Xiao Xue, have you? If that’s the case, I can’t help you!”
Li Yi grinned and immediately replied, “No, don’t jump to conclusions. I just made a bit of a mistake by putting some assets under Xiao Xue’s and my mother’s names!”
“Xiao Xue and your mother?”
“Yeah!”
Li Yi then explained, “While I was in Hong Kong, I transferred shares in quite a few companies to Xiao Xue’s name. At the time, I thought it didn’t violate the shareholding restrictions for listed companies, but after I got back, I realized it might not have been the best move!”
Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “How much are those shares worth?”
“A few billion Hong Kong dollars, I’d say!”
“And what about Lingyun? Why did you put assets in her name as well?” Jiang Shiying asked, puzzled.
Li Yi replied, “It was mainly to make it easier for Xiaoxue and my mother to spend money there, so I opened bank accounts for them in Hong Kong and deposited some money into each one. It’s just that the amounts are quite large, which might cause unnecessary misunderstandings!”
“How much is in your mother’s account?” Jiang Shiying asked again.
“I think it’s about 2 million Hong Kong dollars. It was mainly to make it easier for Mom to shop over there. I don’t even know if she’s spent any of it!” Li Yi replied.
To be honest, this really was Li Yi’s mistake. At the time, he’d been so focused on convenience that he’d forgotten their special status.
Although the “Regulations on the Management of Business Operations by Spouses, Children, and Their Spouses of Leading Cadres” hadn’t been officially enacted yet, as a family member of a high-ranking official like Jiang Shiying, opening bank accounts overseas at will and holding massive amounts of assets without proper reporting and approval was far more than just a matter of bad publicity. If this were to be exposed, it might very well drag Jiang Shiying down with it.
One must remember that there are no minor matters when it comes to international affairs, especially given Jiang Shiying’s current high-ranking position—who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching him from the shadows!
Even a minor misstep could lead to irreversible consequences.
Jiang Shiying paused to consider the matter, then said, “The situation with Xiaoxue isn’t that serious. For one thing, she hasn’t graduated yet, and for another, she’s already married, so it won’t have much impact on me!”
“But your mother is a different story. She’s not only my wife but also a government official. Under normal circumstances, she’s not allowed to open a bank account overseas!”
“What should we do then?” Li Yi asked immediately.
“I’ll report this to the relevant authorities as soon as possible. Barring any surprises, they’ll review those funds. They might even contact you for clarification—just be cooperative,” Jiang Shiying said.
“Alright, thanks for taking the trouble!” Li Yi said.
“It’s no trouble at all. I just wanted to ask—you’re willing to shell out 2 million for Lingyun, but aren’t you going to show a little appreciation to your father-in-law?”
Hearing this, Li Yi was instantly dumbfounded. What kind of demon had possessed his father-in-law to say something like that?
“I’d love to show my appreciation, but I’m worried people might gossip and tarnish your reputation,” Li Yi said.
“A son-in-law showing respect to his father-in-law—who would dare to gossip about that? If they’re so capable, let them find a son-in-law who’s both wealthy and capable themselves!” Jiang Shiying said with a touch of pride.
Li Yi smiled and said, “I wouldn’t leave you out. Not only have I prepared a gift for you, but everyone in the Jiang and Ye families will receive one too!”
“Huh?”
Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi with a puzzled expression and asked, “Everyone gets a share? What are you up to?”
Li Yi’s expression turned serious as he replied, “Father, I plan to set aside funds to establish three family endowments—one each for the Jiang, Ye, and Li families. Each endowment will have a principal of 100 million yuan, all registered under the mainland branch of Star Investment Company and managed by dedicated professionals!”
“From now on, every year, every direct descendant of the Jiang, Ye, and Li families will receive a living allowance!”
“There’s no need to give it to everyone—your money didn’t just fall from the sky!” Jiang Shiying frowned.
“Father, I’m doing this not just because I’ve become successful and want to help my own relatives, but more importantly, to preserve the foundations of the Jiang and Ye families!” Li Yi said.
“What do you mean by that?”
Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Father, you should know that political families like the Jiangs and the Yees have deeply entrenched networks of influence. They’re usually hard to wipe out. Even if someone picks the wrong side, there’s still a chance to turn things around—provided the family’s foundations remain intact.”
“Yet this is often the hardest thing to guarantee, especially for some of the younger clan members. Faced with the temptations of power, money, and women, many find it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow. I established this family fund precisely to make our own children understand that members of the old Jiang and Ye families can live a prosperous and dignified life even without resorting to corruption!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiying fell silent immediately.
He recalled the conversation he’d had with Li Yi when he’d just reclaimed his daughter. At the time, he’d wanted Li Yi to pursue a career in government service and had even considered sending him to college, but Li Yi had refused both offers.
At the time, Li Yi had clearly stated his intention to go into business, adding that he intended to become a solid financial pillar for the Jiang family in the future.
At the time, although Jiang Shiying thought his son-in-law was quite ambitious, he hadn’t taken it seriously. Yet in less than two years, the young man had made it happen.
This forced him to seriously consider whether it was necessary to establish this family foundation.
After a long pause, Jiang Shiying finally spoke: “Thank you, Yi. With this family fund, we can at least ensure the prosperity of the Jiang and Ye families for the next fifty years!”
“So, does that mean you agree to my establishing the family fund?” Li Yi asked.
“Yes! If you want to set it up, go ahead. I support you!”
In the past, Jiang Shiying might have refused; after all, he was a proud man who didn’t want to take advantage of his son-in-law.
But since taking on the role of head of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Jiang Shiying had been involved in investigating so many cases of official corruption that it had deeply affected him.
Often, official corruption stems not only from personal weakness of will or a loss of conviction, but also from problems with those close to them—such as spouses, children, parents, or personal secretaries.
Family members, in particular, were a major target of corruption.
Moreover, if one person in a family cannot resist temptation, the others will soon be drawn in—whether willingly or unwillingly—and it is rare for anyone to remain unsullied by the corruption.
Jiang Shiying did not want the Jiang family to produce such descendants in the future, so he agreed to his son-in-law’s proposal to establish a family trust.
After all, from now on, the Jiang and Li families are deeply intertwined—there’s no shame in taking advantage of one’s own son-in-law!
“Alright, I’ll start making arrangements as soon as I get back!” Li Yi said.
“Good. If you have time, you should talk to the two elders about this and hear their thoughts,” Jiang Shiying said.
“Alright…”
Just as they were speaking, a series of sharp knocks came from the door, interrupting the conversation between the father-in-law and son-in-law.
Jiang Shiying immediately said, “Come in!”
With a creak, Zhang Ziqiang pushed the door open and walked in, then said to Li Yi, “Brother Yi, Director Zhou is here. He says he’d like to see you!”
“Alright, I’ll be right down!”
Li Yi then stood up with Jiang Shiying and went downstairs…
……….