Chapter 932: The Iron Lady Is Coming!

Upon returning to the capital, Li Yi’s life suddenly picked up pace.

Back in the village, he had lived a carefree and leisurely life, minding his own business and staying out of trouble.

But now, in addition to managing company and store affairs, he also had to drive Jiang Xue and the children to and from school every day.

On top of that, he occasionally had to deal with the two old men. So, although Li Yi didn’t have any specific work projects during this period, he was exceptionally busy, with his schedule packed every day.

Amidst all this busyness, time flew by, and before he knew it, it was already late September.

Over the past month and a half, quite a few things have happened in both Hong Kong and Beijing.

Starting with Hong Kong, the most significant event was undoubtedly the investigation into Jianing Group.

Originally, Li Yi hadn’t intended to get deeply involved in the matter. He simply wanted to short their stock before the Jianing Group’s sinking ship went down, making a small profit—essentially turning a loss into a gain.

But unexpectedly, Cheng Qingsong and the financial backers behind him actually tried to pin the blame for Jianing Group’s bankruptcy on him and Star Investment. How could Li Yi possibly tolerate that?

Immediately, while continuing to short Jianing Group’s stock, Li Yi filed a complaint alleging defamation, demanding a formal investigation into the individuals and companies involved.

At the same time, Li Yi mobilized members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to pressure the British Hong Kong government and the police department, insisting they not brush the matter aside.

Consequently, the police had no choice but to launch an investigation into Cheng Qingsong, Jianing Group, and the various unscrupulous tabloids, large and small.

They didn’t know until they looked into it, but once they did, they uncovered a shocking secret behind Cheng Qingsong’s 20-billion-yuan business empire.

Through the police investigation, authorities discovered that the renowned billionaire Cheng Qingsong was nothing but a shell—his bank deposits and assets were pitifully meager, nowhere near the 10 billion widely rumored.

What alarmed the police even more was that Jianing Group, with a market value of 7 billion Hong Kong dollars, was in a similar situation to Cheng Qingsong himself—the massive company actually held very few assets.

Furthermore, the company was actually saddled with massive debts owed to banks and other companies, and was already insolvent.

This discovery sent shockwaves through the police force and the British Hong Kong government. After all, in the preceding years, Jianing Group had been considered one of the fastest-growing companies on Hong Kong Island with the strongest financial reports—it was the last fig leaf for the island’s economy, and hundreds of thousands of people had purchased shares in the company to varying degrees.

However, the company was now essentially a shell. If this were to be exposed, it would not only send shockwaves through Hong Kong’s business community but could also spark public protests and destabilize the political landscape.

Consequently, the Governor personally ordered the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to form a special task force to investigate both the Jianing Group and Cheng Qingsong himself.

At this point, the case has shifted from a routine civil tort dispute to an investigation into economic crimes, completely altering its nature.

Hong Kong is a place where secrets rarely stay hidden. With the establishment of the task force and the initiation of investigations into Cheng Qingsong and the Jianing Group, news of the matter quietly leaked out.

The quickest to react were the companies doing business with Jianing Group, especially its creditors.

They rushed to pursue debt collection from Jianing Group, instantly causing the company’s already precarious cash flow to collapse completely.

Immediately afterward, the Hong Kong stock market reacted as well, and Jianing’s stock price—which had been on a downward trend—plummeted instantly.

Before the incident came to light, Jianing Group’s stock price stood at HK$25.60 per share. After Star Investment liquidated its holdings, the price plummeted directly to HK$21.

After Star Investment shorted Jianing’s stock, the price plummeted again to a low of HK$17, a drop of nearly 30%.

Investors had initially believed this was the bottom, but once the investigation was made public, Jianing’s stock price plummeted from HK$17 per share to HK$9, nearly returning to its initial public offering price.

But it didn’t end there. Over the next two weeks, as the task force’s investigation deepened, a flood of negative news emerged, driving Jianing’s stock price all the way down to HK$3 per share.

On September 20, feeling that the time was right, Li Yi gave Pang Feiyan the order to close the net.

Subsequently, Star Investment began aggressively buying up Jianing shares on the market, temporarily driving the price up from HK$3 to HK$5, sparking a brief flurry of excitement in the market.

Unfortunately, this was merely a last gasp for Jianing Group. Once Star Investment had acquired enough shares and returned them to the institutions, the sinking of the Jianing Group’s ship was only a matter of time.

As Jianing Group’s collapse unfolded, numerous companies on Hong Kong Island that had business dealings with it were dragged down. Stock prices plummeted, investor confidence evaporated, and some companies even went bankrupt before Jianing Group did.

The hardest-hit were the unlisted small and micro-enterprises. When Jianing Group previously partnered with these smaller firms, it frequently defaulted on payments, taking advantage of its dominant position in the partnerships.

Now that Jianing Group has suddenly collapsed, these small companies—already lacking resilience—are completely finished.

Given the way events have unfolded, Li Yi couldn’t help but wonder if Hengtai Xu Belts, decades later, had learned its tactics from these very people. The situations of the two companies were strikingly similar, except that Hengtai was far larger in scale than Jianing.

In just half a month, the bankruptcies of dozens, even hundreds, of small companies have had a massive impact. Hong Kong Island’s economy, which had shown slight signs of recovery, has now been knocked back to square one!

However, it wasn’t all bad news. Amid this chaos, because the police intervened early, a significant portion of Jianing Group’s assets—which should have been completely drained—had not yet been transferred.

Furthermore, some of the funds that had already been transferred were discovered and promptly frozen, raising hopes that they could be recovered.

Most importantly, because the police intervention was so sudden, Cheng Qingsong and his backers were completely caught off guard. As a result, much of the evidence of their irregularities—and even illegal activities—was not properly disposed of, introducing significant variables into this meticulously planned “perfect crime.”

Aside from the troubles involving Cheng Qingsong and Jianing Group, an event capturing the attention of the entire population unfolded on Hong Kong Island: Star Investment Company repaying principal and interest to investors and distributing dividends.

On the very same day that the investment team concluded its short-selling campaign against Jianing Group, Star Investment Company made a high-profile announcement that it would settle principal and interest for investors in the Dahai Private Equity Fund.

To the astonishment of Hong Kong residents, according to data released by Star Investment, the settlement involved 186,000 investors, with the total principal and interest reaching 128.8 billion Hong Kong dollars—an average of nearly 700,000 Hong Kong dollars per person.

Of this amount, 47.8 billion was principal, while the remaining 81 billion was entirely profit dividends, representing a staggering profit margin of 169%.

As soon as the news broke, the entire Hong Kong Island erupted in a frenzy. Television, newspapers, and other media outlets all rushed to provide comprehensive coverage of the story.

Overnight, Star Investment once again became the hottest topic of public discussion, even overshadowing the buzz surrounding the Jianing Group’s financial collapse.

Li Yi, who was far away in Beijing, was also paying close attention to these developments, as this settlement directly affected his own finances.

Although his financial struggles had been resolved after his trip to New York with Jiang Xue a few months prior, who would ever complain about having too much money in their wallet?

However, aside from the matter of dividing the money, what made Li Yi even happier was that the charitable foundation he had previously asked Lan Xinyi to look into had finally been established.

The foundation’s full name is the Ruijin Charitable Public Welfare Foundation, headed by Jiang Xue, with a total endowment of 103 million yuan.

One hundred million yuan came from Li Yi, while the remaining three million yuan was Jiang Xue’s personal savings.

In her own words, as the head of the foundation, she couldn’t just be a figurehead—she had to contribute some money herself.

Li Yi had no objection to this; his wife’s charitable spirit was certainly worth encouraging.

After the foundation was established, Li Yi recruited a professional team from Hong Kong to assist Jiang Xue with fund management, while also recruiting a group of people from the mainland to form a project review and evaluation team.

The two teams are currently in the process of integrating; once that’s complete, they’ll be ready to launch operations.

Just as Li Yi was helping Jiang Xue get acquainted with the charity foundation’s operations, he suddenly received a call from the Foreign Ministry—the Iron Lady was on her way…

……….

It was late at night, and all was quiet!

On the large heated bed in the main hall of the Li family residence, the two lay tightly embraced, panting heavily after their passionate encounter.

Li Yi, now in “sage mode,” suddenly remembered something. As he gently caressed his wife’s chest, he asked, “By the way, Xiao Xue, did anyone come to the house last night?”

“Yesterday… no, not at all!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Then how did Old Chen and the others get my photos?”

If it were any other photos, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

But Li Yi clearly remembered that the photo on his work ID had been taken in Qingshan County; the negative was still back home, and the only copy in Beijing was the one at the courtyard house.

If Old Chen hadn’t taken this photo from his home, where else could he have gotten it?

“You mean that photo? Grandpa asked me for it!” Jiang Xue said.

“When did that happen? How come I didn’t know about it?” Li Yi asked, sounding slightly surprised.

“It’s been a while. What’s the matter?”

Li Yi sighed, then shook his head with a wry smile.

The old man really went to great lengths to get me into the system. I suspect this work ID was prepared long ago, just waiting for the right moment to be handed to me.

Last night’s dinner party was clearly arranged specifically for him. Sigh!

Seeing the look on her husband’s face, Jiang Xue couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety. She immediately asked, “What on earth happened?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “Don’t jump to conclusions. I was just outmaneuvered by Grandpa and Old Chen!”

“Tr… tricked?”

“Yeah, those two old men found me a job!”

Li Yi then went into detail about how the two old men had set the trap and arranged for him to be assigned to the National Development and Reform Commission.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xue frowned and said, “How could they do this? That’s asking too much of anyone. I… I’ll go back to the old family home tomorrow to talk to Grandpa…”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “Forget it. It’s not like I have to be in the office anyway. Let’s just leave it at that!”

“That’s not right. You’ve already done so much for the country—how can they force you to work for them like this…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi interjected, “It can’t be helped. It’s not just Old Chen keeping an eye on me now. Minister Wang from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Director Zhou from State Security, and Old Xu from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange—they’re all watching me just as closely. Compared to that, this part-time advisory role is actually pretty easy!”

“How can they treat you like this? You’re not their tool!” Jiang Xue frowned.

“Heh, well, what can you do? Your man’s got talent!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“You’re full of yourself… With everything that’s happened, you still have the nerve to laugh…”

“What else can I do? Should I just break down and cry at the top of my lungs for a while?”

Then Li Yi added, “With great power comes great responsibility. Since some things are inevitable, let’s just gear up and move forward!”

“But that’ll wear you out!”

“For a man, a little hardship and fatigue are nothing!”

Seeing that Jiang Xue was about to say something else, he quickly changed the subject: “By the way, there’s something serious I need to talk to you about!”

“What’s so serious that we need to talk about it?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.

“Here’s the thing. Today I had General Manager Lan from our branch office consult the relevant departments about setting up a charitable foundation. If all goes as expected, we’ll have news in the next few days. I plan to have you step up and serve as the head of this foundation!” Li Yi said.

“That soon? But I… I’m not mentally prepared for this yet. Besides, I’m only a sophomore in college—I don’t have that much time to handle the foundation’s affairs!” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi smiled and said, “What’s the big deal? As the head of the charity foundation, you just need to set the overall direction. Leave the rest to the professionals!”

“But… is that really going to work?” Jiang Xue asked, sounding a bit unsure.

“Why wouldn’t it work? You’ve been interning at the company for over half a year now. Look at Lan Xinyi, the general manager—when does she ever have to get her hands dirty with the actual operations herself?”

“That’s true, but I don’t know the first thing about how a charity foundation operates. What if I mess things up?” Jiang Xue said again.

“You won’t. Our charity foundation’s main focus is building schools and supporting underprivileged students. As long as the money is put to good use, nothing else matters!” Li Yi said.

“I see. By the way, how much are you planning to contribute to this charity foundation?”

“One hundred million!”

“Hong Kong dollars?”

“No, RMB!”

“Whoa… that much?” Jiang Xue said, looking astonished.

“That’s just the seed money. From now on, our family will set aside one-tenth of our annual profits and contribute it to this charity foundation,” Li Yi said, making a startling announcement.

Jiang Xue gasped in astonishment once again. She knew full well her husband’s earning power—without even going back too far, he had made at least tens of billions just in the first half of this year.

If they really set aside one-tenth for charity, that would amount to at least a few billion—and that’s in US dollars.

Seeing the dazed expression on his wife’s face, Li Yi couldn’t resist pinching her cheek.

Instantly, Jiang Xue’s body trembled as a tingling current coursed through her, and a shy, soft moan escaped her lips!

Stimulated by her reaction, Li Yi’s “sage mode” instantly went into cooldown, and his body was instantly revitalized…

Hong Kong!

Just as Li Yi and Jiang Xue were making love at home, the Hong Kong Police Department was struggling with a case.

It wasn’t that the case was particularly complex, but the parties involved were somewhat special, which made things difficult for the police chief.

That afternoon, the police station suddenly received a report from Star Investment Company, claiming that their CEO, Li Yi, had recently been defamed by multiple parties, causing severe damage to his reputation and adversely affecting the company’s business. They requested that the police investigate the case to clear the company and Li Yi of any wrongdoing.

Along with the report, Star Investment submitted a portion of the evidence to the police station, including dozens of unscrupulous tabloids and magazines, as well as some clearly incriminating remarks made by Cheng Qingsong, the chairman of Jianing Group.

Upon receiving the report, the police station did not take it seriously.

After all, incidents like this occur countless times every day on Hong Kong Island. Given the island’s limited size, there simply aren’t enough fresh stories to report on.

Consequently, many unscrupulous tabloids reported on nothing but wild speculation. Often, a story might start with a celebrity sustaining an injury while filming, but after these media outlets’ “artistic embellishment,” the resulting report might claim that the celebrity had been beaten to death.

Moreover, the more outlandish the story, the more people bought it. Compared to these unscrupulous tabloids, the so-called “UC Sensational Style” that emerged later in mainland China was nothing but a mere amateur.

Even some major newspapers engage in this practice, openly or covertly—they just aren’t as brazen as those tabloids and small publications.

Because such incidents were so commonplace, the police didn’t take them very seriously. When they received reports of this nature, they would usually drag their feet as long as possible; if that wasn’t an option, they’d conduct a perfunctory investigation just to tick the box.

Even when the complaint came from the renowned Star Investment Company, the police department didn’t take it seriously. After all, even if such cases were thoroughly investigated, the outcome would amount to nothing more than an apology from the infringing party and a token compensation for damages.

However, what the police didn’t anticipate was that, seeing no action on their part, Star Investment actually mobilized a large group of Chinese business leaders to put pressure on the police.

At the same time, Li Futiao had his brother, a member of the Legislative Council, step in and approach the Governor directly.

With various factions fanning the flames and applying pressure, the situation suddenly began to spiral out of control.

Faced with this situation, the police department immediately felt unprecedented pressure and promptly announced their intervention in the case.

This investigation proved to be a game-changer, as a shocking major scandal soon came to light…

After leaving the Jiang family’s old mansion, Li Yi felt a slight heaviness in his heart; the documents in the file folder felt like hot potatoes in his hands.

He knew full well that this so-called “consultant” position had absolutely nothing to do with his drunken state from the night before.

Li Yi wasn’t much of a drinker, but he was confident in his composure when he drank.

Even if he had a few too many, he wouldn’t ramble on endlessly like a typical drunkard, nor would he act out—instead, he’d simply go to sleep quietly.

If anyone could wake him up, he’d consider it a loss.

So, in this matter, he was definitely set up.

Or perhaps this was the result of Old Master Jiang and Old Chen working together to make it happen.

Getting drunk was just an excuse; even if he hadn’t gotten drunk last night, those documents would still have been delivered to him on time this morning.

It’s just a different excuse—but that doesn’t change the outcome.

As for the reasons why Old Chen and Old Jiang were so determined to secure an official position for him, Li Yi could guess a little. One wanted to make a name for himself, while the other sought an additional layer of identity protection.

Although he wasn’t entirely keen on the idea, Li Yi knew that at his current level, it was only a matter of time.

Even if these two elders hadn’t brought it up, the higher-ups wouldn’t let a super-rich tycoon like him remain outside the system—who knows, he might just up and leave the country one day and never come back.

Since things had come to this, he had no choice but to accept it!

Once they got in the car, Zhang Ziqiang immediately asked, “Brother Yi, where are we going now?”

“Home… Never mind, let’s go to the office first!”

It was Thursday; Jiang Xue and the kids would surely be at school by now. Going home would be pointless, so he might as well check in at the office.

“Right…”

Soon, the car arrived at the branch office, and Li Yi headed straight for Lan Xinyi’s office.

In the general manager’s office, Lan Xinyi stood up as soon as she saw Li Yi push the door open and said with a smile, “Boss, you’re here! I was just about to call you!”

“Oh, what a coincidence!”

Then Li Yi asked, “What did you need me for?”

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “We’ve received another update from headquarters. We started shorting Jianing Group yesterday, and today they announced that their cash flow has hit a snag. The market has been open for less than an hour, and Jianing’s stock has already dropped 8%!”

“Huh, they announced cash flow problems that fast?” Li Yi asked, somewhat surprised.

As far as he knew, Jianing was supposed to announce its cash flow difficulties in mid-September—logically, it should have taken at least another week.

He hadn’t expected them to come clean so soon; it seemed they’d been caught off guard by his sudden decision to liquidate his entire position in the company’s stock yesterday.

“Jianing has indeed announced that the company is facing problems. Mr. Cheng even publicly stated that the cash flow difficulties stem partly from the stock market crash over the past two years, and partly because he’s offended someone!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “Although he didn’t name names, the finger was clearly pointed at you, Boss!”

Li Yi furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s the reaction from investors and the general public?”

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “It’s hard to tell for now, but according to Feiyan, many people are attributing Jianing Group’s difficulties and the drop in its stock price to our company. Some are even openly claiming that you’re deliberately trying to undermine Cheng Qingsong and Jianing Group!”

“If this continues, public sentiment toward our company will inevitably decline. That’s why Feiyan is asking for your guidance—should we step forward to clarify the situation…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi said coldly, “Clarification alone won’t suffice. Immediately file a police report citing damage to my and the company’s reputation, and request that the police open an investigation into this matter.”

“Open an investigation?”

Lan Xinyi paused for a moment, then said, “Isn’t that a bit unnecessary?”

Lan Xinyi had seen far too many of these baseless rumors; after all, the streets of Hong Kong were flooded with all sorts of unscrupulous tabloids.

One could even say it had become a normal part of life for the people of Hong Kong.

Apart from Li Yi, which of Hong Kong’s wealthy celebrities hadn’t been the target of rumors and slander? People usually just put up with it and let it pass.

“No, it’s absolutely necessary. We must act quickly and make a big splash—but most importantly, we need to conduct a thorough investigation into Jianing Company!”

Li Yi was well aware of what lay behind Jianing’s broken cash flow, and he understood that Cheng Qingsong was merely a front man pushed to the forefront to take the fall.

Now that the backers have already drained Jianing Group dry, they’re figuring out how to self-destruct and shift the blame.

Normally, this wouldn’t have much to do with him, Li Yi, but since those “clever” people were trying to pin the blame on him, he couldn’t stand for it.

That’s right—the people at Jianing Group were trying to make him, Li Yi, take the fall. They wanted the people of Hong Kong to believe that he, Li Yi, had been undermining Jianing Group both openly and covertly, so that when Jianing Group eventually went bankrupt, he would be the one blamed.

If their scheme succeeded, and Jianing Group actually went bankrupt in a few months—leaving hundreds of thousands of investors with nothing but losses—those desperate to vent their anger would turn their wrath on Star Investment, and on him, Li Yi.

Although Li Yi wasn’t afraid of any of this, he certainly wasn’t willing to take the fall for someone else!

Moreover, for an investment firm, those investors are all potential clients.

If the company’s public image were damaged, it would hinder future fundraising efforts.

But no one would believe their company’s own explanation of the situation; it would be far more convincing to have the police step in.

More importantly, Li Yi wanted the police to use this opportunity to investigate Jianing Group in advance. While clearing his name, it would be best if they uncovered all the company’s dirty secrets.

After all, in his previous life, Jianing Group’s stock trading was suspended in January 1983, and it was only September 1982 now—Cheng Qingsong and the backers behind him might not have had their scheme fully prepared yet.

In short, the sooner the police get involved, the better. Who knows, they might even be able to save some of the investors’ money.

“Yes, boss. I’ll have Manager Li handle this right away!” Lan Xinyi said.

Although she didn’t understand why the boss was so insistent on calling the police, she knew that Li Yi wasn’t the type to stir up trouble for no reason.

Take yesterday’s incident, for example: he suddenly liquidated all his shares in Jianing Group. It seemed like a whim, but it turned out he was actually safeguarding the company’s assets.

“Hmm, have Yunbao personally follow up on this matter and mobilize all of the Li family’s connections to put pressure on the Governor’s Office and the police!” Li Yi instructed again.

“Yes!”

“Anything else?” Li Yi asked again.

“Yes. Headquarters expects to settle dividend payments to investors and shareholders in November, and Vice President Huang would like you to preside over the proceedings!” Lan Xinyi said.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “I can’t confirm that just yet. If I have time by then, I’ll definitely be there!”

“Alright, I’ll let Vice President Huang know!”

“Hmm, by the way, Xinyi, there’s one more matter I need you to handle!” Li Yi said.

“What is it? Please tell me.”

“I plan to set aside some funds to establish a charitable foundation dedicated to providing public assistance in the areas of cultural education, regional poverty alleviation, and social welfare. Please contact the relevant departments to find out what requirements are needed to establish this charitable foundation!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, but first, please tell me how much you plan to contribute and who will manage it,” Lan Xinyi said.

“The funds are tentatively set at 100 million yuan. Initially, the focus will be on improving local educational conditions and providing scholarships. My wife, Jiang Xue, will serve as the foundation’s manager for now,” Li Yi said.

“Understood. I’ll get in touch with the local government departments right away!” Lan Xinyi said.

“Alright…”

……….

The next morning!

In his sleep, Li Yi was jolted awake by an intense, gnawing sensation.

Opening his eyes, he instinctively headed for the bathroom, then got out of bed, stepped off the kang, and put on his slippers—only to discover there was no door on the right side of the room.

Upon closer inspection, he realized this wasn’t his own home—it was the Jiang family’s old mansion!

Had he stayed out all night last night?

Rubbing his dizzy, throbbing head, he tried to recall last night’s events. First, he had spent over an hour chatting with Old Chen and his own grandfather in the study. Later, his stomach had made an embarrassing rumbling sound, so his grandfather had suggested they eat first.

Afterward, the three of them moved to the dining room, eating and chatting.

After a while, the old man had someone bring out a bottle of Maotai aged over twenty years. He couldn’t resist having a sip, and after that… he couldn’t remember what happened next.

Realizing he’d blacked out, Li Yi didn’t bother racking his brain over it.

After taking care of his bodily needs, he splashed some water on his face and headed next door to find the old man, just in case he’d said something foolish while drunk last night, so he could make amends in time.

When he entered the main living room, Li Yi saw the old man sitting in a traditional armchair, eyes closed, listening to the radio.

A small teapot sat on the coffee table beside him, and the old man would occasionally pick it up for a sip.

He simply blew directly into the spout of the teapot; the gesture looked rather dashing and carefree, though one couldn’t help but wonder if the tea was too hot for his mouth!

“Click!”

Li Yi walked straight over and turned off the radio!

Immediately, the old man opened his eyes.

Seeing it was Li Yi, he immediately smiled and said, “You little rascal, you’re awake?”

“I’m awake!”

Then Li Yi asked cautiously, “Grandpa, I didn’t say anything crazy last night, did I?”

“What do you think?”

Seeing the old man’s ambiguous expression, Li Yi’s heart sank. Could it be that he really had spoken some reckless words last night?

Drinking really does lead to trouble—the ancients were certainly right!

The old man chuckled and said, “Actually, you didn’t say much. You just said our country has a bright future, that we’ll soon surpass countries like Britain, France, Italy, and Germany, and that we…”

“What else did I say?”

“None of that really matters. What matters is that thing you promised Old Chen!” the old man said.

“What did I promise Old Chen? I don’t remember a thing.”

As he spoke, a sense of foreboding crept into Li Yi’s heart.

“You promised Old Chen you’d take a position at the National Development and Reform Commission!” Old Man Jiang said, his words coming as a shock.

Crack!

Li Yi felt as if his whole body had split open; this was truly a bolt from the blue for him.

How could he have agreed to take a position at the National Planning Commission? Wasn’t that just digging a hole for himself?

After all, once he took a position in a government department, he would be considered a government official.

And while the management of officials wasn’t as strict as it would be in later years, there were still all sorts of restrictions on traveling abroad. What would happen to his business then?

He’d been planning to go and “harvest” the “foot-basin chicken” in a couple of years, “stomp on the Koreans,” and then set up a “Bear Alliance” to fight with the “Big Americans” over the spoils.

But now, with this move, it was like putting a muzzle on himself. This whole situation…

Seeing the look of frustration on Li Yi’s face, the old man smiled and said, “What’s the matter? Regretting it?”

“Well, you know I don’t want to be a bureaucrat. This conflicts massively with my career plans. Could you please have a word with Old Chen…”

“If anyone’s going to talk, it’s you who needs to talk to Old Chen. I tried my hardest to stop you last night, but I just couldn’t hold you back. If I speak up for you, Old Chen will think I’m the one sabotaging things!”

“Well…”

“I think the National Development and Reform Commission isn’t a bad place to work. Not only is the workload light, but it’s a ministerial-level agency. With Old Chen looking out for you, who knows—by the time you’re Shiying’s age, you might even make it to a provincial or ministerial-level position!” the old man said with a laugh.

“What’s the point of that? You know as well as I do that I’m not cut out for a career in government.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, I have assets in Hong Kong, the US, and the British Isles now. I have over ten thousand employees working directly for me—I have to take responsibility for them.”

Old Man Jiang immediately asked, “Is there a conflict between being an official and running a business?”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then replied, “Don’t they? I recall there are quite a few restrictions in our country’s cadre management regulations—like not being allowed to travel abroad freely, or to socialize with foreign guests without authorization…”

Before he could finish, Old Master Jiang laughed and said, “Those rules are meant to regulate full-time officials. You’re just a part-time consultant—they shouldn’t be that strict with you!”

“Part-time advisor?”

“Yes. Actually, Old Chen invited you yesterday to serve as deputy director of the Policy Research Office, but I put a stop to it. In the end, you and Old Chen agreed that you’d serve as a part-time advisor to the Policy Research Office. You don’t have to be in the office regularly—just drop by when there’s something to discuss!” Old Master Jiang explained.

Hearing this, Li Yi let out a long sigh of relief and said, still feeling a bit nervous, “An advisor is fine… an advisor is fine!”

“What’s so great about that? An advisor is just a deputy division-level official with a formal position but no real power, while the deputy director of the Policy Research Office is a deputy department-level position. Don’t you know the difference between the two?” the old man said.

“I know, I know. But if I had to choose between a vast forest and a lopsided tree, I know which one I’d pick!” Li Yi said.

Old Man Jiang was momentarily at a loss for words. “You young man, you’re taking your blessings for granted. So many people struggle their whole lives in the bureaucracy, only to end up as section-level or division-level officials. You’ve started so high and yet don’t know how to cherish it. Sigh…”

“Don’t get all sentimental, old man. That’s not my calling. Sure, as a leader you’re surrounded by people and sit high and mighty, but you have to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. Every word and deed is under public scrutiny—how could that compare to being a wealthy man?” Li Yi said.

“Never mind… You can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do. At least our family doesn’t need another official!” the old man said with a touch of resignation.

“Heh, that’s true. Fifth Brother came to see me yesterday…”

Just as he was speaking, a series of heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door, and moments later, the old man’s secretary walked in with a young man.

As soon as they entered, Secretary Song addressed the old man: “Sir, Old Chen sent this young man to see Comrade Li Yi!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Looking for me?”

“Are you Comrade Li Yi?” the young man Secretary Song had brought in asked, looking at Li Yi.

“Yes, I’m Li Yi!”

The young man immediately took a file folder from the briefcase he was carrying and handed it to Li Yi, saying, “The Chief asked me to give this to you!”

Li Yi took the file folder with a hint of puzzlement.

Just as he was about to open it, the young man exchanged a brief greeting with Old Master Jiang and turned to leave.

Only after the other man had left did Li Yi open the folder.

Inside were several forms and a few red-covered booklets.

Taking everything out, Li Yi examined it carefully. The forms were all statements regarding his personal circumstances, such as a cadre registration form and a special circumstances statement, among others.

But those red booklets were interesting!

The first red booklet turned out to be an employee ID card. Upon opening it, he found not only his name, age, and place of employment, but also a stamped photo of himself—he had no idea where they’d gotten that photo from!

When he saw the words “State Planning Commission, Deputy Division-Level Advisor” printed in black on white, Li Yi’s expression turned somewhat dazed. Had he actually become an official?

Although it was just a part-time advisory role, this “Cadre Work ID” was no fake.

And with a specific title, a formal position, and a rank, it was clear they were treating him as a genuine official. Li Yi felt he had truly gotten himself into a sticky situation this time…

………

The moment Li Yi turned, he saw an elderly man dressed in a black Zhongshan suit walking in from outside, followed by a middle-aged man in his forties.

The elderly man was in his seventies, thin but alert and vigorous.

Upon seeing the old man enter, the elderly gentleman immediately stood up and said, “Hahaha, I thought you’d be a bit late. I never expected Old Chen to actually clock out on time!”

“What can I do? It’s rare for a young comrade to be willing to see me. I had to make the most of the time—you never know, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Old Chen said with a teasing smile.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Li Yi’s face, and he hurriedly said, “Old Chen, I’m sorry—it’s my fault!”

Even though he considered himself thick-skinned and didn’t care what others said about him, this man’s status was different. Being teased by such a veteran leader, he simply couldn’t remain completely unfazed.

“You’re a bold one, aren’t you? Not only did you dare to refuse me, but you also ran off in the middle of the night. You’re definitely one of a kind among the younger generation!”

Just as Li Yi was about to explain, Old Chen spoke again: “But judging by what you just said, you really are a straightforward young man who hates evil with a passion. Not bad!”

Old Master Jiang chuckled and said, “Old Chen, don’t go praising him—young people can’t handle it!”

“Hahaha, others might get into trouble the moment they’re praised, but not this kid—he’s sharp as a tack!” Old Chen said with a laugh.

Old Master Jiang didn’t dwell on the topic but asked, “Old Chen, dinner’s ready. Shall we eat first, or would you and Yi like to chat a bit?”

“Let’s chat first!” Old Chen replied.

After reading the document Jiang Shiying had passed on to him, he had been both surprised and delighted, and deeply impressed. Upon learning more about Li Yi’s situation, he was even more astonished.

It was truly hard to imagine that a young man in his twenties who hadn’t even attended college had made so much money abroad in just two short years.

According to National Security estimates, Li Yi’s combined domestic and international assets totaled at least 30 billion US dollars, placing him firmly among the world’s top ten wealthiest individuals.

He had intended to have a good chat with this young prodigy to see how the young generation viewed reform and opening-up, but he never expected the other party to refuse to meet him and even flee to the countryside overnight.

After finally waiting for the young man to return, Old Chen had no appetite for dinner; getting down to business was the priority.

“Then let’s talk in my study—it’s quieter there!” Old Master Jiang said.

Old Chen smiled and said, “Old Jiang, you should come along too, so you don’t have to worry about this old man taking advantage of your granddaughter’s husband!”

“It wouldn’t be easy for you to bully this young man. Plenty of people have tried to do so over the past couple of years, but none of them succeeded!” Old Master Jiang laughed.

Old Master Jiang had thoroughly investigated every aspect of Li Yi’s background, inside and out, so he was well aware of everything Li Yi had done.

In his view, this son-in-law of his was a tactical genius—meticulous in his thinking, always one step ahead of his opponents, ruthless yet knowing when to hold back. He either didn’t act at all, or once he did, he struck with a single, decisive blow to the throat, leaving his opponents unable to retaliate.

Whether it was dealing with the provocations and bullying of those educated youths back in the village, or facing off against those Westerners in Hong Kong, this young man always handled himself with ease.

Even when facing the British Hong Kong government, he could calmly set traps for them, forcing the Governor to back down and admit defeat.

That’s why, among the third generation of disciples in the family, Old Master Jiang was least worried about Li Yi. It was already a miracle that this kid didn’t bully others—who could possibly bully him!

“Then let’s go in together. Don’t you want to hear what this kid has to say?” Old Chen said.

“Alright, let’s go together then!”

The three of them then walked into the old man’s study together.

After sitting down around a small round table, Li Yi immediately stood up to pour tea for the two of them, but Old Chen stopped him: “Alright, don’t bother. Let’s get down to business first!”

Hearing this, Li Yi stopped immediately and said, “Go ahead, sir. I’m all ears!”

“I’ve reviewed the document you submitted a few days ago and had the issues you raised investigated. The results confirm exactly what you said—in fact, the situation is even more serious than you described!”

Old Chen continued, “We old-timers have been discussing how to resolve these issues for some time now. We’ve come up with solutions for some of them, but for others, we still haven’t found a proper way to handle them. That’s why we’d like to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

Li Yi didn’t offer his own opinion, nor did he ask which specific problems remained unsolved. Instead, he said directly, “Old Chen, actually, the issues I mentioned earlier were all minor details. They aren’t difficult to resolve.”

“Not difficult?”

“Right. The higher-ups don’t have a suitable solution right now; it’s just that they’re struggling to make a choice between certain options. For example, the high deficit and the impending high inflation—these problems seem serious, but there are many ways to solve them. It’s just that any one method might trigger a variety of chain reactions, so the higher-ups can’t make up their minds for the time being!” Li Yi said.

Old Chen thought it over carefully and realized that was indeed the case.

They had already studied the issues this young man had mentioned earlier, and indeed, there were contingency plans for each. However, some solutions carried such far-reaching consequences that it felt like choosing the lesser of two evils.

Therefore, the Council was simply having a hard time making a decision at the moment—it wasn’t that they were truly at a loss.

“Interesting. Go on!”

Li Yi didn’t beat around the bush. “In fact, for our country, the biggest problem right now lies in macroeconomic policy. That is the most troublesome issue—and the most critical one.”

Old Chen immediately asked, “Oh, tell me your thoughts. What problems do we have with our economic policies?”

“We are currently in the early stages of reform, and our country faces difficulties on many fronts. We must not only resolve the various issues that have accumulated over time but also explore new paths. This is no easy task; it holds the significance of bringing the past to a close and opening up the future.”

Li Yi continued, “Although we have now clearly established that the nation’s work should center on modernization and prioritize economic development—and we are reinforcing this focus—much of the work remains merely at the level of slogans, lacking concrete policy guidance and enforcement. This is particularly evident in the vast inland regions and remote counties.”

“Consequently, this leads to a contradictory attitude among local officials and the public toward the development of industry and commerce in their regions. On the one hand, people envy those who have made money; on the other, they are filled with jealousy. This not only deals a severe blow to our burgeoning private sector but may also deter foreign investment…”

Li Yi knew that since he had come, he had to deliver some substantive insights today.

Therefore, before arriving, he had summarized the core issues facing China’s economic development during the early stages of reform, and now he laid them all out in front of Old Chen.

The issues extended beyond insufficient policy support and the lack of open-mindedness and firm resolve among leading officials; they also involved considerations regarding the external environment.

In particular, Li Yi mentioned the constraints of the dual-track system, as well as the drawbacks of large-scale money printing and price-fixing, offering a pointed critique of the current ills—which prompted Old Chen and Old Jiang to nod in agreement repeatedly.

At first, Old Chen would interject with a few comments and occasionally ask a question or two.

But as Li Yi delved deeper and spoke more rapidly, Old Chen fell silent, listening intently to Li Yi’s analysis. Whenever he heard something particularly insightful or a point he didn’t fully grasp, he jotted it down in the notebook he carried with him.

For a time, the entire study was filled with the sound of a single voice speaking at length…

………

The Li Family Living Room!

“Ring-ring-ring…”

The sudden ringing of the phone interrupted the group’s conversation. Li Yi immediately walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver.

“Hello, this is Li Yi. Who’s calling?”

No sooner had he spoken than Lan Xinyi’s familiar voice came through the line: “Boss, it’s Lan Xinyi. Is this a good time to talk? I have something important to report!”

Li Yi glanced at the Jiang brothers standing nearby and replied immediately, “Sure, go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind!”

“Boss, here’s the thing. I just received a telegram from Chairman Li Futiao in Hong Kong. He asked me to check with you whether Mr. Cheng Qingsong from Jianing Group has offended you, and he also said…”

“What else did he say?”

“He also said the Hong Kong stock market is in chaos right now. All four major exchanges, including their Far East Stock Exchange, have been affected, and the stocks of over thirty companies have plummeted…”

“Wait a minute. Hold on. How did the Hong Kong stock market get thrown into chaos? Why are so many companies’ stocks plummeting, and what does this have to do with me?” Li Yi asked, looking puzzled.

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “Boss, this is directly related to the order you gave this morning. In fact, all of this was triggered by our Star Investment Company suddenly dumping a massive amount of Jianing Group stock!”

“So you’re saying our company has sold off all of its shares in Jianing Group?” Li Yi asked.

“Yes. After receiving your order, Feiyan personally handled the trade and liquidated all of the company’s Jianing shares in less than an hour. We’re just waiting for the settlement now!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “However, because Feiyan and her group’s actions were so drastic, they directly triggered panic in the stock market. Coupled with rumors that you had rejected Mr. Cheng’s application to join the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, word quickly spread that Mr. Cheng Qingsong was being overly assertive and had offended you, who were at the height of your power.”

“This news spread throughout the entire Hong Kong investment community in a very short time. Subsequently, Jianing Company’s stock price plummeted, and dozens of companies that did business with Jianing were also affected, causing their stock prices to take a nosedive as well!”

After hearing Lan Xinyi’s account, Li Yi was completely stunned.

He knew that Cheng Qingsong was a problematic individual—merely a front man for his financial backers—and that someone like him was indeed unsuitable for admission into the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. That was why he had instructed Lan Xinyi to inform Li Futiao and the others in her report that Cheng Qingsong’s status was “pending.”

But he never imagined that outsiders would draw such conclusions from this incident—people’s imaginations really can run wild!

At the same time, Li Yi hadn’t realized just how much influence he wielded in Hong Kong’s business circles.

Merely an unconfirmed rumor had already caused the stock prices of Jianing and the companies that frequently did business with the Jianing Group to plummet.

After a moment’s thought, Li Yi said solemnly, “Xinyi, send a report to Chairman Li immediately. Tell him that neither Cheng Qingsong nor Jianing Group has offended me. The reason we liquidated our shares in Jianing is that our company is undergoing a business restructuring and needs to repatriate funds to distribute annual dividends to investors!”

“As for halting Cheng Qingsong’s admission to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the main reason is that our investigation has revealed some issues regarding Cheng Qingsong. Until these matters are fully clarified, we cannot allow him to join our Chamber for the time being.”

“If the investigation later confirms he is indeed without fault, we can still allow him to join our Chamber at that time.”

“Understood!”

Lan Xinyi then added, “By the way, Boss, should we still proceed with our plan to short Jianing?”

“Proceed, but we must move quickly!” Li Yi said.

Although Jianing’s stock price has fallen, the market capitalization of tens of billions is still there. For a business empire on the verge of collapse, shorting it carries virtually no risk.

After all, those tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars were bound to turn into bubbles eventually—might as well let them end up in Li Yi’s pocket.

After all, Star Investment’s charitable division was about to launch—wouldn’t it be wonderful to use that money to build roads, schools, and wells?

“Got it, I’ll make the arrangements right away!” Lan Xinyi said.

“Hmm, and please pass a message to Chairman Li for me: tell him to keep a close eye on the British Hong Kong government’s moves during this period and see if they’re planning anything major!” Li Yi said.

“Yes…”

With that, Lan Xinyi hung up the phone.

After hanging up, Li Yi fell into a brief moment of deep thought.

The Iron Lady was about to pay a visit, and she had specifically requested to see him. Although it was unlikely that the British Empire would take action against him at this stage, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

One must never let down one’s guard against those foreign devils with pirate backgrounds.

In their eyes, there was only profit; morality, reason, and the law were nothing more than used toilet paper, ready to be tossed into the trash or flushed down the toilet at any moment…

……….

At 5:30 p.m., Li Yi first went with Zhang Ziqiang and the others to Capital University to pick up Jiang Xue and the kids.

Afterward, he made his way to the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

Since he was scheduled to meet with that big shot that evening—and sensitive topics might come up—Li Yi didn’t bring Jiang Xue or the children along.

When Li Yi and his group arrived at the Jiang family’s old mansion, dinner was already prepared, but the guests hadn’t arrived yet. In the living room, there was only the old man and their secretary.

As soon as he walked in, Li Yi smiled and said, “Grandpa, why are you here all by yourself? Where’s my dad?”

“He’s gone back!”

“Gone… Are you saying my father went back to Guangzhou?”

“Mm-hmm. After all, he’s the provincial discipline inspection commissioner. He’s got a mountain of work to handle every day. If it weren’t for going after you a few days ago, he would’ve been back long ago!” the old man said, sipping his tea.

“You’re right. The moral standards among officials in Guangdong Province have been pretty bad these past two years. We can’t do without the deterrent effect of my dad, the enforcer!” Li Yi said.

“Ah, once people’s hearts have gone bad, deterrence alone is far from enough!” the old man said with a touch of melancholy.

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly into a half-smile. “Killing one certainly isn’t enough, but what if we killed a hundred, or even a thousand or ten thousand?”

As he spoke, Li Yi thought of his father-in-law. In his previous life, he had no children, and his wife had passed away early, leaving him truly alone and isolated—a loner with no one to hold him back when it came to taking action.

He had presided over Guangdong Province for twenty years, truly wielding his blade to exterminate every corrupt official in the bureaucracy.

Wherever the “White-Haired Slaughter God” went, the corrupt officials’ legs trembled. Later, after being promoted to a top disciplinary inspection official at the central level, he took direct action against them; during his tenure, the number of officials dealt with far exceeded ten thousand.

“Killing ten thousand of them—do you think it’s as easy as slaughtering chickens? Those are human beings, and government officials at that!” the old man said, sounding somewhat surprised.

“So what if they’re government officials? If they dare to embezzle, they should be prepared to be arrested and executed!”

Li Yi continued, “The reason today’s officials dare to extort and embezzle with impunity is precisely because they know they won’t face severe punishment if caught. The risk and reward are completely out of balance—one risky move can provide enough money for three or five generations of their family to live on. How many people can resist such temptation?”

“Think back to the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. Old Zhu flayed corrupt officials and stuffed them with straw, and would routinely exterminate three or even nine generations of their families. How many dared to take a bribe then…”

Before he could finish, a hearty voice suddenly rang out from outside the room: “Well said… that’s absolutely spot on…”

The sudden voice startled everyone in the room. Li Yi paused and turned to look toward the doorway…

……….

By the time he left the branch office, it was already 10:30.

Li Yi first stopped by the Dong’an Market branch of Grassland Beef & Lamb to check on his third older sister, Li Na.

Lately, Long Zhanjun had been busy building his business in Pengcheng, leaving Third Sister to run the store on her own while pregnant, and Li Yi was very worried about her.

However, after seeing her, Li Yi realized his worries were completely unfounded.

These days, Third Sister was practically a queen—she only needed to give orders to handle the shop’s affairs; she didn’t have to lift a finger for anything else.

This was partly because Third Sister was already well-versed in the shop’s operations, and partly because she had capable staff by her side.

The staff at the Dong’an Market branch were all young men Long Zhanjun had transferred from Yong County.

To this group of young recruits, Third Sister was like their “big sister.” Now that “big sister” was pregnant, naturally they had to take good care of her.

On top of that, ever since Zhang Xinyao found out Third Sister was pregnant, she’s often come to the store with her baby to keep her company.

So, even though Third Sister was running the shop with a big belly, her days were actually quite pleasant and leisurely.

Li Yi chatted with Third Sister about the situation back home and told her about Eldest Sister’s pregnancy.

He also told her that once the autumn harvest was over, their mother would come to take care of her.

Upon hearing this news, Li Na was overjoyed…

The siblings chatted for nearly half an hour, and it wasn’t until almost 11:30 that Li Yi left the shop with Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others.

Thinking about his meeting with Old Chen that evening—and the inevitable grilling he’d face from that big shot—Li Yi decided to go home and get his thoughts in order so he wouldn’t be caught off guard.

However, when Li Yi reached the entrance of his alley, he spotted a Jeep parked in front of his house from a distance.

As he approached, he realized it was Jiang Longcheng’s car.

After helping his older sister out of the car, Li Yi quickly walked toward the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped through the gate, he saw Jiang Longcheng squatting on the flower-covered wall, smoking a cigarette and muttering to himself.

Standing before him was a man dressed in a shirt and slacks.

Since the man had his back to the entrance, Li Yi didn’t recognize him at first glance.

“Thump, thump, thump…”

Hearing footsteps at the entrance, Jiang Longcheng immediately looked out.

Upon seeing Li Yi walk in through the door, he immediately exclaimed happily, “Brother-in-law, you’re back!”

Hearing this, the man with his back to Li Yi turned around.

Only then did Li Yi get a clear look—it was Jiang Longze, the second son of his second uncle’s family.

His second uncle, Jiang Shiming, had two sons. The eldest, Jiang Longtao, served in the military—apparently in a secret service unit—though Li Yi didn’t know exactly what his position was.

In fact, even though it had been nearly two years since Jiang Xue had been reunited with her family, Li Yi hadn’t seen him once.

Among his second uncle’s branch of the family, the person Li Yi interacted with most often was the younger son, Jiang Longze.

“Third Brother, Fifth Brother (Jiang Longze was the fifth son in the Jiang family), what brings you here?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

Jiang Longcheng immediately replied with a laugh, “Hahaha, we heard you were back, so we came to see you. Plus, Longze has something he wants to discuss with you!”

“Alright, let’s go inside and talk!”

“Alright…”

The three of them then made their way to the living room!

After they had taken their seats, Li Yi poured water for the two of them and said, “Third Brother, isn’t the factory busy? Why are you out and about during work hours?”

“Now that the factory’s operations have been split up, each of the deputy directors is in charge of their own section. They only come to me when there’s something they can’t handle on their own—what’s there to be busy about?” Jiang Longcheng said with a laugh.

“Delegating authority is a good thing, but you have to be careful not to go too far. Above all, you need to strengthen oversight of the leadership. Don’t forget the lessons from those corrupt officials like Gao and Kong!” Li Yi cautioned.

“Don’t worry. Your Third Brother here has already taken a tumble over this sort of thing—I won’t be tripping up again!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“That’s good to hear!”

Li Yi then turned his gaze to Jiang Longze and asked, “Fifth Brother, did you come to see me about taking up a post in Qingshan County?”

“Yes. The Party has given me two options: one is to serve as county magistrate in a county in North Ji Province, and the other is to serve as Party Secretary of Qingshan County in North Sai Province. I’m having a hard time deciding, so I wanted you, my brother-in-law, to help me analyze the situation,” Jiang Longze said.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “That depends on why you’re being sent out to work in the first place, Fifth Brother!”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Longze asked, puzzled.

“We’re family, so I’ll speak my mind!”

Li Yi continued, “If you’re just looking to gain some experience in the field to make your resume look better, then I suggest you go to Zheng County.”

“Because Zheng County is located on the Central Hebei Plain. In terms of both population and resources, it’s far superior to Qingshan County, which is situated on the frontier. Plus, Zheng County is right next to Changshan, the provincial capital of North Hebei. Even just by leveraging its geographical advantage, Zheng County’s economy can thrive, and in that case, you’d be credited with making a real contribution as county magistrate…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longze spoke up in a firm voice: “Brother-in-law, I’m going there not just to pad my resume—I want to get some real work done!”

“Then I suggest you go to Qingshan County!” Li Yi said.

“Why?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “Because Qingshan County is poor. It’s a completely undeveloped, untouched territory—a blank slate. If you go there, you’ll be able to fully put your talents to use!”

“Besides, Qing Shan County is my hometown. I know the situation there well. If you take up a post there, you won’t be in the dark.”

Jiang Longze nodded and said, “So, even though Qing Shan County is remote and isolated, it’s not without its advantages!”

“No, it’s true that it’s remote and isolated, and the people are poor and the land barren. But for you, these aren’t disadvantages—in fact, they’re actually advantages!” Li Yi said.

Before Jiang Longze could speak, Jiang Longcheng interjected with a puzzled look: “Brother-in-law, I’m a bit confused by what you’re saying. How exactly are those supposed to be advantages?”

Jiang Longze looked at Li Yi with equal confusion; he couldn’t see what kind of advantage this was either.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It comes down to potential for improvement. Suppose you’re a teacher with two students to teach: one consistently scores above 90 on exams, while the other barely scrapes by with a 30. Which student do you think has more room for improvement?”

“Obviously the one who scores 30!” Jiang Longcheng replied.

Jiang Longze’s eyes lit up as he chimed in, “I get it. Zheng County is like that student who scores 90 on exams. No matter how hard I work, my achievements won’t be very noticeable.”

“Qingshan County, on the other hand, is far behind Zheng County in this regard, but as long as we achieve even a small success, the progress will be very noticeable!”

Li Yi nodded and added, “Also, Qing Shan County is like a patient who’s given up on treatment entirely—how much worse could things possibly get?”

“If you go there and fail to achieve results, no one will say anything. But if you do a good job, it’ll be a major accomplishment—a tangible achievement.”

Jiang Longcheng immediately exclaimed in surprise, “That’s a no-risk, sure-profit deal!”

“Hahaha, that’s exactly right!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Jiang Longze looked at Li Yi with a touch of gratitude in his eyes, then said, “I know what I’ll do. I’ll report my decision to the organization tomorrow!”

“Hmm, if you really do take the post in Qingshan County, I have quite a few friends there. I’ll introduce you to them when the time comes.”

Li Yi continued, “Also, if you get the chance, you should visit Nianzishan Village in Hongqi Commune, where I’m from. It’s a ready-made model for development!”

“Alright, I’ll give you a call once the transfer order comes through. Who knows, I might even have to trouble my brother-in-law to come back with me then!” Jiang Longze said.

“Sure, if time permits, I’ll definitely go…”

Just as they were speaking, the phone next to Li Yi suddenly rang urgently…

………….

Stellar Investment Company. Mainland Branch!

In the general manager’s office, Li Yi sat on a plush sofa, listening to Lan Xinyi report on the company’s operations.

After briefly outlining the branch’s recent operations, Lan Xinyi concluded, “Boss, that’s basically the situation here at the Mainland Branch. Although we’re still operating at a loss overall, each business segment is running fairly smoothly. Once we’ve officially completed the restructuring of those new brands, we’ll be able to turn a profit…”

Before Lan Xinyi could finish, Li Yi cleared his throat to interrupt her: “Xinyi, I’ve got the general picture, but there are a few points I need to bring to your attention!”

“Boss, please go ahead!” Lan Xinyi replied.

“First, don’t worry about the company’s losses. During the expansion phase of a new company, losses are inevitable.”

Li Yi continued, “Second, don’t rush to turn a profit. After we acquire or take a stake in those state-owned factories, we must first sort out all the relationships—especially regarding technical equipment upgrades and personnel management—before we start operations!”

“Finally, and most importantly, our company must strengthen communication and coordination with the government. All operations must strictly comply with laws and regulations—that’s the bottom line. Do you understand?”

Li Yi said all this because he was worried that Lan Xinyi and the others would bring the unsavory practices from Hong Kong Island over here.

You must understand that in Hong Kong, there’s hardly a single company that truly operates within the law. From government agencies at the top to triad organizations at the bottom, everything requires bribes to keep things running smoothly.

This was no big deal in Hong Kong—everyone did it—but if it were discovered here, the consequences would be severe.

Especially in the coming years, when the situation will be extremely tense—Li Yi certainly didn’t want to end up in prison trying to bail them out.

“Understood!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “You can rest assured about the situation here at the branch office. We’ll strictly follow the development plan you’ve laid out and move forward steadily. However, there’s a matter on Hong Kong Island that needs your immediate attention!”

“What’s the matter?” Li Yi asked immediately.

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “Boss, a couple of days ago I received a telegram from the Hong Kong headquarters. The contracts for quite a few investors in Dahai Private Equity have recently expired, and headquarters is preparing to settle the principal and interest with the clients.”

“Since this includes substantial funds from you and Vice President Huang, and the amount involved is so large, it requires your personal approval.”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Alright, contact headquarters shortly and tell them to proceed exactly as outlined in the original contracts.”

“Yes!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “Also, regarding the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, they’re planning to hold a general membership meeting in December to discuss new member admissions and the chamber’s annual conference.”

“Chairman Li sent over a list of applicants yesterday—all those who applied for membership this year. I’d like you to take a look at it.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Yi chuckled and said, “Let them discuss and decide these matters themselves. I don’t really know these people very well!”

“You should still take a look. From what I gathered, President Li is concerned that there might be people on this list who are at odds with our Starry Sky Company. If there are any, we should identify them in advance!”

With that, Lan Xinyi handed him a document.

Although Li Yi wasn’t particularly interested in such matters, since Lan Xinyi had already placed the list in front of him, it would be impolite not to look at it.

Immediately, Li Yi took the document and began to examine it carefully.

The document consisted of five pages, each with identical content and formatting. The first column listed names, the second and third columns indicated gender and age, the fourth column detailed positions within their respective companies or families, and the fifth column provided an assessment of personal assets.

Perhaps due to the nature of the telegram, the information wasn’t particularly detailed, but anyone familiar with Hong Kong’s business circles would know exactly who was being referred to.

“Lin Wenxiong, male, 48 years old, General Manager of Hong Kong Island Shengxiong Paper Co., Ltd., 300 million Hong Kong dollars!”

“Zhang Ping, female, 55 years old, President of Hong Kong Island Fook Kee Catering Investment Co., Ltd., HK$800 million!”

“Leung Fai, male, 44 years old, General Manager of Hong Kong Island Guanghui Apparel Co., Ltd., HK$600 million!”

“Cheng Qingsong, male, 47, General Manager of Hong Kong Island Jianing Group, HK$8 billion…”

Cheng Qingsong… 8 billion Hong Kong dollars?

Li Yi hadn’t originally noticed this person, but when he saw the note at the bottom stating his personal assets were 8 billion, he couldn’t help but be startled.

Back then, the assets of Hong Kong Island’s wealthy businessmen hadn’t skyrocketed as they did after the turn of the millennium; even the renowned billionaire Li Ka-shing, known as “Superman,” had assets of less than 10 billion at the time.

Therefore, this Mr. Cheng, with his 8 billion in assets, was undoubtedly among the most powerful elite of Hong Kong Island’s wealthiest, yet Li Yi had no recollection of him.

He thought about it for a while, but still couldn’t figure out who this big shot was.

Li Yi immediately turned to Lan Xinyi and asked, “Do you know what this Mr. Cheng Qingsong does for a living?”

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “Boss, you’re talking about Mr. Cheng from Jianing Company, aren’t you? He’s the most legendary investor you’ve ever known in Hong Kong. He went from real estate consultant to a billionaire in just a few short years. Two years ago, he made a staggering 700 million Hong Kong dollars from a single real estate project.”

“What’s even more legendary is that after his company went public, its stock price skyrocketed by 250% in just a few months. It’s become the fastest-rising blue-chip company in Hong Kong in recent years, defying market trends, and is also one of the most highly regarded companies by major investment firms…”

Listening to Lan Xinyi’s introduction, Li Yi suddenly felt that Cheng Qingsong seemed strangely familiar.

Cheng Qingsong… Jianing Group… “Golden Finger”…

Damn it, isn’t this the “King of Scams” who single-handedly fleeced Hong Kong investors and took on the entire Hong Kong legal system?

“Wait a minute. You said this Jianing Company is the blue-chip firm most favored by major investment firms. Could it be that our Star Investment Company also holds shares in this company?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“That’s right. Our company currently holds 14% of Jianing’s publicly traded shares, worth around one billion Hong Kong dollars!”

Whoa!

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

Wow. Just moments ago, he’d been calling Cheng Qingsong a “scam king” and Jianing Group the biggest trap in this year’s Hong Kong stock market—yet he never imagined his own company would turn out to be the biggest sucker in that very trap.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “Xinyi, send a report to headquarters right away. Tell them to immediately sell off all the Jianing shares we hold!”

Lan Xinyi was taken aback for a moment, then asked for confirmation, “Boss, do you mean all of them?”

“Yes, not a single share. Liquidate the entire position!”

Li Yi then said sternly, “At the same time, have them conduct a thorough investigation to see if there are any other business dealings between our company and Jianing Group. If there are, immediately step up oversight to prevent major losses!”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it!”

Although Lan Xinyi was filled with questions, she knew Li Yi’s temperament—at a time like this, there was simply no room for anyone to question his orders.

“Wait—issue another order to the Investment Department: have Pang Feiyan immediately begin short-selling Jianing Group, with full cooperation from all departments,” Li Yi said.

“Yes!”

After Lan Xinyi left the office, Li Yi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had come today; otherwise, those ten billion Hong Kong dollars might very well have gone down the drain.

Although in his previous life he hadn’t specifically looked into Cheng Qingsong or Jianing Group, the Hong Kong Jianing case had caused quite a stir, and he had picked up some information about it from the sidelines.

As expected, in mid-September, Jianing—a business behemoth with a market capitalization of 10 billion—would suddenly announce that the company was facing financial difficulties, after which its stock price would begin to plummet.

Just as investors were hoping that the company’s leader, Cheng Qingsong, would turn the tide, lead the company out of its predicament, and restore its former glory, Jianing Group’s stock was suspended from trading a mere three and a half months later, and the investments of hundreds of thousands of people—amounting to tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars—were simply wiped out.

What followed was a decades-long investigation and legal battle by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) against Cheng Qingsong.

Li Yi wasn’t interested in the fate of Cheng Qingsong or Jianing Company, but he certainly didn’t want to be the sucker who went down with the Jianing Group.

As for shorting Jianing, aside from killing two birds with one stone, the more important reason was that even if he didn’t act, Jianing Group’s market capitalization of tens of billions would turn into a bubble in a few months anyway.

Rather than letting that happen, he might as well pocket the profits himself—and who knows, he might even be able to help those ordinary people who were stuck holding the bag.

What Li Yi didn’t know, however, was that his order had triggered an unprecedented upheaval in Hong Kong’s business community…

……….

The next morning!

After a night of hard work, Li Yi was fast asleep when a rustling sound reached his ears, jolting him awake.

Opening his eyes, he saw that Jiang Xue was already up, dressing the two little ones.

“Huh, so early?”

“You go back to sleep. We’re heading to school!” Jiang Xue said.

Hearing they were going to school, Li Yi sat up straight on the bed and said, “Wait, I’m coming too!”

“No need. With Zhang Feng tagging along, nothing will go wrong. You were completely exhausted last night—you should get some more rest!” Jiang Xue said.

Exhausted?

Li Yi was taken aback by his wife’s sudden change of pace—she’d practically run him over with her words.

“It’s not that I don’t trust her—I just think this day is pretty meaningful. After all, it’s Yunrui, Yunjin, and Ruirui’s first day of school. I have to document it!” Li Yi said.

That’s right—today wasn’t just Jiang Xue heading to school; Yunrui, Yunjin, and little Ruirui were going too.

In other words, starting today, the three little ones—Li Yunrui, Li Yunjin, and Yang Rui—would be attending daycare, and not just any daycare, but the one on the campus of Beijing University.

Li Yi had originally planned to have his older sister stay home to look after the little ones, but unexpectedly, she was pregnant with her second child. With the situation having changed, he had no choice but to send the children to daycare.

Actually, for a family like the Lis, hiring a few nannies would be quite suitable, but Li Yi didn’t do that.

For one thing, finding a suitable nanny was difficult; given his family’s circumstances, not just anyone could be allowed into their home.

On the other hand, hiring a nanny carried risks. There was no way around it—many things that would be commonplace in later times were considered utterly outrageous in this era.

Take hiring a nanny, for example. Although there was no explicit ban against it, those who could afford to hire one were typically families with elderly relatives who needed care.

If young people like them dared to hire a nanny, word would get out, and it would easily damage his and Jiang Xue’s reputation.

In this day and age, reputation is more important to a person than ability or education. It doesn’t matter if you lack ability or education; as long as you’re willing to work hard, you won’t starve to death.

But if your reputation is tarnished, the consequences are far more severe than the “social death” of later generations. It’s no exaggeration to say that it could endanger not just your job or career, but even your very life.

Especially starting next year, how many people have been inexplicably rounded up and put on government rations simply because of a bad reputation?

So, after discussing it as a family, they decided to send the three little ones to daycare, where they would be looked after by professionals, giving both the eldest sister and Jiang Xue some peace of mind.

To make daily drop-offs and pick-ups more convenient, Jiang Xue decided to have the children go with her to Capital University and attend its on-campus daycare.

Although not just anyone’s child could get into the university’s on-campus daycare, for Jiang Xue—with the Jiang family backing her—it was no problem at all.

After making a phone call to her mother, Ye Lingyun, the matter was quickly settled…

Before long, Li Yi was up!

After washing up and having a simple breakfast prepared by his older sister, the group set off in two cars, a grand procession.

When the cars arrived at the entrance of Jingcheng University, Li Yi and Jiang Xue carried Yunrui and Yunjin, while Zhang Ziqiang carried Ruirui. Accompanied by his older sister, Zhang Feng, and Zhou Wen—who was holding a camera—the group headed straight for the university’s on-campus daycare center.

As they approached, they spotted Li Yi’s mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun, and a woman in her forties or fifties standing at the entrance of the daycare center from a distance.

Upon seeing Li Yi and Jiang Xue, Ye Lingyun immediately came over to greet them.

It was then, through Ye Lingyun’s introduction, that Li Yi and Jiang Xue learned the middle-aged woman beside her was none other than Jiang Chaoya, the director of the daycare center.

After briefly discussing the three children’s situation, Jiang Chaoya asked Li Yi and Jiang Xue to take the children inside the daycare center.

Normally, that would have been the end of it—they would simply come back in the evening to pick the children up.

But what they never expected was that when they handed the children over to the daycare teachers, the kids refused to go along with it and started wailing at the top of their lungs.

This startled Li Yi, Jiang Xue, and their older sister Li Mei. As first-time parents who had raised the children themselves from infancy, they simply couldn’t bear to see them like this.

Seeing this, the three of them immediately stepped forward to take the children and comfort them.

Jiang Chaoya, seeing this, immediately stepped forward to reassure them: “All children react this way on their first day at daycare. Don’t worry—they’ll adjust in just a few days.”

Hearing this, they finally handed the child back to the teacher.

But hearing the children’s cries, Li Yi and the others were still a bit worried.

Fortunately, after Jiang Chaoya repeatedly assured them that everything would be fine, the group finally left the daycare center, looking back every few steps.

After leaving Beijing University, Li Yi turned to Zhou Wen and asked, “Did you get it all on camera?”

“Got it all!”

“Great. Have someone develop the photos later. These are the little ones on their first day of school—we’ve got to keep them safe!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Brother Yi, where are we going now?” Zhang Ziqiang asked.

“Let’s take Big Sister home first, then we’ll head to the company!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

The car then pulled away, heading straight for the Li family’s courtyard house.

Just as he had escorted Big Sister inside, Li Yi was about to head to the branch office when he saw Yang Miao, who had been staying at home, rush out and say, “Brother Yi, wait…”

Hearing Yang Miao’s call, Li Yi stopped immediately and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The Commander just called looking for you,” Yang Miao said. “When he found out you weren’t home, he asked me to tell you to call him back as soon as you return!”

“Which commander are you talking about?”

“It’s the old man from the Jiang family!” Yang Miao said cautiously.

“Oh, I see!”

With that, Li Yi strode back to the main hall, picked up the phone, and dialed the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

“Ring ring…”

The call was answered quickly, and a young voice came through the receiver: “Hello, who’s this?”

“Secretary Jiang, this is Li Yi. Please put the old man on the line!” Li Yi said.

“It’s Comrade Li Yi, isn’t it? Hold on a moment!”

Then, there was a rustling sound over the line, followed by the Old Master’s familiar voice: “I hear you sent the two kids to daycare?”

“Yeah, my older sister is pregnant, and Xiao Xue and I don’t have enough time to watch them all the time, so…”

Before Li Yi could finish, the old man cut him off: “You don’t have time, but I do. Helping you look after the kids is the perfect way to pass the time!”

Li Yi’s mouth twitched. You’re almost eighty years old—how could I possibly ask you to do that!

“Grandpa, let’s not do that. Even though you’ve stepped back from the front lines, you’re still serving as an advisor—you can’t possibly keep an eye on two little kids all the time!”

“Why not? Do you think I’m too old and useless now, you little rascal?”

Li Yi didn’t want the old man to keep harping on this. He knew the old man loved Yunrui and Yunjin and genuinely wanted to help look after them, but it simply wasn’t realistic.

He quickly changed the subject: “No… no. By the way, Grandpa, you were in such a hurry for me to call back—has everything been arranged with Old Chen?”

Hearing this, the old man replied as expected, “Mm-hmm. I spoke with Old Chen on the phone. He’s canceled his plans for tonight. Just be at the old house by six o’clock!”

“Alright, I’ll be there on time!”

“Alright, give some thought to the financial aspects and be thoroughly prepared!” the old man advised.

“Got it…”

……….

On September 6, after spending nine leisurely days in his hometown, Li Yi finally set off on his journey back to Beijing at his father-in-law’s urging.

Over the past few days, after learning that Jiang Longze might be transferred to serve in Qing Shan County, Li Yi had accompanied his father-in-law on a tour of every town, township, and commune in the county.

Compared to Jiang Longyin and Jiang Longcheng from his eldest uncle’s family, Li Yi wasn’t particularly close to the children from his second uncle’s family, but since they were all members of the Jiang family, they were still better than complete outsiders.

Moreover, Jiang Longze was a capable man; having him govern Qing Shan County would be a blessing for the county’s residents.

First, given the Jiang family’s reputation, there was no concern that Jiang Longze would engage in corruption or abuse of power.

Second, the Jiang family’s influence was at its peak; once Jiang Longze took office, he wouldn’t have to worry about others hindering his efforts.

Finally, while Jiang Longze’s appointment here is certainly meant to polish his resume, he genuinely intends to achieve something substantial.

With the Jiang family’s backing, Jiang Longze’s personal abilities, and a little guidance from me, a better life for the people of Qing Shan County is just around the corner…

Therefore, while taking Jiang Shiying to familiarize herself with the basic situation in Qingshan County, Li Yi had a sudden idea: he took her to the Prefectural Party Committee and Administrative Office to meet with Wang Anmin, the deputy director of the Prefectural Party Committee.

On the one hand, since Wang Anmin had previously served as Director of the Qingshan County Revolutionary Committee and was now Deputy Director of the administrative body overseeing Qingshan County, he knew the county’s situation better than anyone.

On the other hand, Li Yi also wanted to lend Wang Anmin a hand.

He had previously spoken with both Wang Anmin and Wang Anguo and knew that neither of the brothers had any powerful backers; in the political arena, they were considered “self-made” officials.

Officials like this rely entirely on tangible achievements and luck to climb the ranks; many may spend their entire careers stuck at the grassroots level.

Therefore, Li Yi wanted to give Wang Anmin an opportunity; if he could align himself with the Jiang faction, it would be of great benefit to Wang Anmin’s future career.

Moreover, with him, the deputy director, here to look after and support him, it would be easier for Jiang Longze to exert his influence once he arrived.

However, Li Yi’s move genuinely took the completely unprepared Wang Anmin by surprise. Although he had long known from his younger brother, Wang Anguo, and his sister-in-law, An Hong, that Li Yi’s father-in-law was no ordinary figure,

But when he actually met Jiang Shiying, he was completely taken aback.

Over the past two years, as Wang Anmin had risen through the ranks, he had met quite a few provincial and ministerial-level bigwigs, gained some understanding of the political landscape in Beijing, and learned about some of the city’s prominent families.

According to his understanding, there were currently more than a dozen influential political families in Beijing, among which the Jiang and Ye families were rising the fastest.

The core of the Jiang family, aside from the elderly patriarch who had already stepped back from the limelight, consisted of three second-generation members holding provincial and ministerial-level positions. Among them, Jiang Shiying—the current head of the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection—showed the greatest potential.

He never would have imagined that a core member of the Jiang family would one day pay a visit to his home.

What shocked Wang Anmin even more was that before leaving, Jiang Shiying introduced him to someone—Yang Shengan, the governor of Saibei Province.

If he has time, he should go report on his work to Yang Shengan.

Although he didn’t specify what kind of work report, Wang Anmin—having navigated the bureaucratic world for so many years—couldn’t help but understand that Li Yi’s father-in-law was simply looking for a powerful backer.

If he actually went to see Governor Yang, it would effectively mean he was aligning himself with the governor—and barring any surprises, the Jiang family stood behind Yang Shengan…

Li Yi didn’t know whether Wang Anmin had gone to report to Yang Shengan; he had merely created an opportunity for him.

As for whether Wang Anmin would seize that opportunity, Li Yi didn’t care…

………..

Beijing. The Jiang Family!

By the time the car returned to the city, it was already past two in the afternoon.

Since the Li household hadn’t cooked in quite some time and they’d have to buy groceries and prepare a meal upon returning, Jiang Shiying simply brought Li Yi’s family—along with Li Mei, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, Zhang Feng, Yang Miao, and the others—back to the Jiang residence.

After all, there were full-time cooks here, and food was plentiful. With just a word to the cooks, a meal would be ready in no time.

While the meal was being prepared in the kitchen, Jiang Shiying took Li Yi over to the main hall to pay their respects to the old man.

When the two entered, the old man was sitting in a traditional armchair, sipping tea contentedly while fanning himself with a palm leaf fan.

Although it was already September, the temperature in the capital was still quite high, and it felt especially sweltering at midday.

Seeing Jiang Shiying and Li Yi walk in, the old master chuckled, “Hehehe, you’ve finally managed to drag this rascal back home!”

Li Yi chuckled and replied, “Don’t make it sound like I was so reluctant to come back. One phone call from you and I’d have come running—there’d be no need for my dad to make the trip himself!”

“I wonder who it was who ran off in the middle of the night the other day without even saying goodbye!”

Then the old man added, “If you’d been a few days late coming back, I might have actually believed that!”

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Li Yi’s face, and he said, “It’s just been a long time since I’ve been back home. I missed my mom and dad a bit, so I left in a bit of a hurry…”

The old man shook his head and said, “All right, no need to explain. I know exactly what’s on your mind, you rascal—you just don’t want to be the one to stick your neck out!”

“You’ve got the Jiang and Ye families backing you, and your relationships with the Lin, Liang, and Yang families are solid too. All those old leaders up top know you—what’s there to be afraid of? What exactly are you worried about?”

Li Yi gave a wry smile and said, “Grandpa, I’m still young. It’s not good to be too high-profile. After all, ‘A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be blown down by the wind; a mound that rises above the bank is sure to be eroded by the current; a person who stands out from the crowd is sure to be criticized by others.’”

Although Li Yi knew his current background was already quite substantial, and he could easily ignore ordinary criticism.

However, a significant portion of the campaign set to begin in a few months was aimed precisely at these well-connected children of officials, and the more prominent one became, the faster they would fall.

In his previous life, there were no shortage of “third-generation reds” who were dragged into the fray and made to “eat peanuts” because of this campaign; even Ye Jianhua, who had the backing of the Jiang and Ye families, was sentenced to seven years.

With such a cautionary tale right before his eyes, how could he dare to act recklessly?

The old man paused briefly, then said, “But there are some things you can’t avoid just because you want to!”

“Take this current situation, for example. You wanted to avoid Old Chen, but you didn’t expect the British Empire to specifically request a meeting with you by name. In the end, you still had to come back.”

Li Yi muttered, “It’s all because you told my dad to come after me. If I’d gotten the message sooner, I would’ve left ages ago!”

Jiang Shiying glared at him, then said with a touch of resignation, “You really wanted to run away, didn’t you?”

Li Yi sighed. “If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have wanted to get mixed up in this mess. It’s a shame…”

The old man chuckled. “All right, now that you’re back, there’s no point dwelling on it. What do you plan to do, you rascal?”

“Are you referring to the Iron Lady wanting to see me?”

“Not entirely. There’s also the matter with Old Chen!”

The old man continued, “You don’t know this, but while you were back home, Old Chen was conducting a thorough investigation into the issues you raised, all while calling me constantly to urge you to come back. He’s been driving me absolutely crazy!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi knew exactly what the old man meant.

After a moment’s thought, he replied, “In that case, I’ll go see Old Chen. But could we avoid a formal setting and keep the crowd small? I don’t want what I say to get out to too many people!”

Li Yi was well aware that some of his views were too avant-garde. At this stage of feeling our way forward, a significant number of correct ideas and perspectives were not accepted.

If there were too many people present, and those views were to leak out, they could easily turn into arrows aimed right at him!

“Alright, I’ll discuss it with Old Chen later and let you know once everything’s arranged!” the old man said.

“Alright. As for that Iron Lady, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it—nothing to be afraid of!”

Li Yi then added, “Maybe they’re just testing the waters—they might not actually meet with me. And even if they do, it might not be her in person!”

“Hmm, knowing you think that way puts my mind at ease…”

Just then, Jiang Xue’s voice suddenly rang out from outside: “Dinner’s ready! Let’s eat!”

Hearing the call to eat, Jiang Shiying and Li Yi immediately said goodbye to the old man and hurried together to the west wing…

………

PS: Another chapter coming around 11:00!

Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family Home!

By the time Li Yi and Jiang Xue returned home, it was already 1:00 PM.

Before they even reached the gate, Li Yi spotted a sedan parked at the entrance from a distance, and he was slightly surprised.

Although it was a bit far away and the license plate wasn’t very clear, he recognized it immediately as a Volga Model 3 sedan.

This model was the most common official reception vehicle in China during the 1960s and 1970s; most were imported from the Soviet Union, with a small number coming from Eastern Europe.

But the Volga Model 3 was generally reserved for high-ranking officials. Not only in a small place like Qing Shan County, but even in the entire province of Sai Bei, there were only a handful of them—so how could one possibly show up right outside his own front door?

In that moment, Li Yi couldn’t help but stomp on the gas pedal a few times, speeding up to get home.

But as he drew closer and got a clear look at the license plate, he froze in his tracks.

Wasn’t this the car assigned to Old Master Jiang? How could it be parked right in front of his own home? Could it be that the old man had come to visit?

Jiang Xue clearly recognized it as her grandfather’s car as well and asked in surprise, “How did Grandpa’s car end up here? Has he come to visit?”

“I don’t think so. It must be someone else—Dad or Mom!” Li Yi replied.

Although the old man had retired, someone in his position wouldn’t travel with just one car—after all, he’d need to bring bodyguards, doctors, secretaries, and so on.

With that, Li Yi pulled over immediately, hopped out of the car, and led Jiang Xue toward the house.

Before they even entered the door, he saw Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun sitting on the kang through the glass of the main house.

Pushing the door open, he indeed saw his father-in-law and mother-in-law each holding a child on the kang, with his eldest sister and father sitting nearby, while his mother was cleaning up after the meal.

Before Li Yi could say a word, Jiang Xue exclaimed happily, “Dad, Mom, why did you come over?”

Ye Lingyun immediately replied with a smile, “Your father had something to discuss with Xiao Yi, so I tagged along to see how you’re all doing!”

Li Yi turned to Jiang Shiying and said, “Dad, you could have just called. Why go to all that trouble to come all this way?”

Jiang Shiying chuckled and said, “It was the old man’s orders—I had no choice but to come!”

Then, Jiang Shiying turned to Jiang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, come here and hold Yunrui. Xiao Yi and I are going to take a walk outside!”

Jiang Xue knew her father must have something important to discuss, so she immediately took little Yunrui into her arms.

After putting on his shoes and stepping outside, Jiang Shiying first exchanged greetings with his son-in-law, Li Shankui, before walking out of the house with Li Yi.

Once outside, the father-in-law and son-in-law began strolling slowly along the village’s country lanes.

Since the matter they needed to discuss involved some confidential information, and given that there was no danger in the village, Jiang Shiying’s secretary and Zhang Ziqiang did not follow them but instead kept their distance, trailing behind several dozen meters away.

“Dad, why did you put your official duties aside and come all this way? What’s this all about?”

Jiang Shiying replied immediately, “Two days ago, the British Empire sent a diplomatic note saying they want to meet with you during their Prime Minister’s visit. The authorities have agreed, and the old man told me to bring you back!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was completely dumbfounded.

But he quickly grasped the crux of the matter and frowned. “It seems 10 Downing Street has taken issue with me. They’re trying to test my limits!”

“Hmm, our analysis is that they’ve set their sights on your steel company…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi cut her off decisively: “Impossible!”

“Why not? Steel is a nation’s most critical strategic resource. It’s vital to industrial and agricultural development—it’s no exaggeration to call it a lifeline industry. It makes perfect sense for them to want to reclaim it from you!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Dad, I think you don’t quite understand capitalist countries. They don’t care who controls these industries right now. If they really need to, they can nationalize the company with a single decree.”

Li Yi continued, “Moreover, the more a sector is controlled by foreigners, the less qualms they’ll have about taking action.”

As he spoke, Li Yi recalled how, in his previous life, these Western nations had shamelessly seized the assets of wealthy individuals in hostile countries under the guise of sanctions.

From large-scale assets like corporations, villas, mineral resources, and sports teams, down to smaller items like cars, yachts, and private jets—once they set their sights on something, it would be seized.

So much for the sanctity of private property and the principles of freedom and equality—the moment Westerners completely tore off their fig leaf, all the lies they had been peddling crumbled instantly.

If they could just take it, there’s no way they’d come looking for him over this.

“If it’s not about that steel company, then what exactly are they after?” Jiang Shiying asked, frowning.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Hong Kong, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce!”

“???”

Seeing the puzzled look on his father-in-law’s face, Li Yi immediately explained, “If my deduction is correct, that Iron Lady has reservations about my expansion in Hong Kong. She’s afraid.”

“You’re saying that Iron Lady is afraid of you?” Jiang Shiying asked, looking astonished.

“It’s not just me she’s afraid of—she’s afraid of the entire Chinese Chamber of Commerce!”

Li Yi continued, “Dad, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce now has 32 members—all of them the most influential Chinese entrepreneurs and families in Hong Kong. They currently control one-third of Hong Kong’s business resources.”

“More importantly, the British-owned conglomerates that the Hong Kong government relied on have been crippled by us over the past year or so. Their current head, Dolsen, has already made it clear to me that he’s backing down.”

“And our Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s second general meeting is imminent. This meeting will discuss the admission of new members. If all goes as expected, more Chinese business elites will join after the meeting. By then, we’ll be able to control the majority of Hong Kong Island’s business resources through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce alone. Don’t you think that Iron Lady would be worried?”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “That does make some sense. But what exactly does she hope to achieve by approaching you? Does she want you to dissolve the Chinese Chamber of Commerce?”

“That’s a possibility, but more importantly, they want to confirm whether my position here is as significant as the outside world claims. That will determine what tactics they use against us!” Li Yi said.

“What do you plan to do?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“To be honest, I don’t want to deal with them, but since you’ve come all the way here today, Father, I suppose that plan is out the window!” Li Yi said with a touch of resignation.

“If you ignore them, aren’t you afraid the British Empire will resort to underhanded tactics against you?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Haha, if they really try to play dirty, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll come out on top!” Li Yi said confidently.

He knew full well just how many loopholes there were in the Iron Lady’s upcoming economic reforms; if he wanted to, he could take a big chunk out of the British Empire at any time.

Seeing Li Yi’s confident expression, Jiang Shiying sighed and said, “The elders up above don’t want you to take risks; they want you to go back for a while.”

“Hmm, I understand what the elders mean. I’ll go back!” Li Yi said.

“That’s good!”

Jiang Shiying then changed the subject and asked again, “By the way, tell me about Qing Shan County. What do you think of the place?”

“Not great. Other places might be bad because ‘barren mountains and treacherous waters breed troublemakers,’ but here, the mountains are truly barren—there’s nothing up there but rocks. But there are no treacherous waters, because there’s hardly any water here to begin with!”

Li Yi continued, “As for ‘troublemakers,’ that’s not quite accurate. While the locals are known for being a bit rough around the edges, they all have a red heart—they’ve never caused any trouble, so they can’t really be called troublemakers.”

“If I were to serve as an official here, would I have a chance to make a difference?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“Of course there is—and the chances are very good!”

Li Yi knew full well that in his previous life, Qingshan County had leveraged its geographical advantages to vigorously develop agriculture and animal husbandry, effectively transforming itself into the capital’s vegetable garden, while also achieving quite impressive results in industry and services.

Although its economic development was far behind that of the coastal regions, compared to the present, it had still undergone earth-shaking changes.

Serving as an official here might not be enough to turn Qingshan County into a powerhouse, but it would certainly be possible to improve local living standards, promote economic development, and benefit the people of the region.

“Alright, I understand. Take me on a tour of the county this afternoon!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright…”

……….

PS: Chapter 2 is here!

The next day, early morning!

Li Yi was woken up early in the morning by the village loudspeaker—it was Feng Kai calling on the villagers to gather for road repairs.

Although Li Yi didn’t need to go help with the roadwork, he still got dressed and got out of bed after hearing the announcement.

His mother and Matchmaker Zhang had already agreed that they would go to the Cui family’s house this morning to propose marriage for Little Doggie.

Li Yi turned to look at Jiang Xue lying beside him. Feeling the limpness in a certain area, he recalled last night’s passionate encounter and couldn’t help but sigh.

Being handsome isn’t a crime, but my second younger brother is really suffering for it!

His second younger brother had followed him, and he’d really suffered for it.

Especially lately, with his third and eldest sisters getting pregnant one after another, his own wife had gone a bit mad and was working him to the bone without mercy.

It had even driven him to consciously stockpile goji berries, deer antler, and maca—after all, he who fails to plan ahead will surely face trouble soon!

Gently removing the hand that was resting on his wife’s chest and lowering Jiang Xue’s arm from his shoulder, Li BB Xi TR Yi sat up and began to get dressed.

However, the rustling sound of him getting dressed still roused Jiang Xue, who lay beside him. The girl opened her eyes, glanced around, and then mumbled sleepily, “What time is it?”

“It’s just past six. You go back to sleep; I’ll go draw water from the well!”

“No, I’m getting up too!”

As she spoke, she crawled out from under the covers. Li Yi was suddenly met with a blinding white sight—a certain part of him, which had been limp just moments ago, now seemed to be standing at attention.

Seeing this, Li Yi hurriedly fetched his wife’s underwear from the nearby bed and handed it to her, asking, “Why are you getting up so early?”

Jiang Xue’s face flushed slightly as she replied, “I want to wash up, and besides, my older sister is pregnant, so I need to help out a bit.”

“Alright!”

Summer clothes are relatively light, so the two were dressed in no time.

Jiang Xue went to the kitchen to heat water for washing their faces and bathing, while Li Yi carried a bucket and led Zhang Ziqiang to the well.

On the way, both Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen offered to help Li Yi, but he declined.

Although carrying water was tiring, it was also a form of exercise. To keep his body from breaking down prematurely, Li Yi decided to stick with it for the time being.

As soon as they reached the well, Li Yi spotted Erdouzi there.

The twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy was carrying two huge buckets on his shoulders; aside from looking awkward, the sight was actually a bit heartbreaking.

The boy, however, didn’t seem to mind. Upon seeing Li Yi, he even greeted him first.

“Brother Yi, you’re here to fetch water too!”

“Hmm, where’s your brother? Why are you here carrying water today?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“A cow gave birth to a calf at the cattle farm in the middle of the night, so Uncle Feng called my brother over. He hasn’t come back yet, so I came to fetch water!” Erdouzi replied.

“Huh, it’s been hours already. Isn’t he done yet?”

“It probably isn’t over yet; otherwise, my brother would’ve come back!”

“Ergouzi, have you finished writing the marriage contract and everything else? Don’t let it delay today’s marriage proposal,” Li Yi asked again.

“They’re done. My brother got everything ready for the proposal last night. I just don’t know when they’ll be finished over at the cattle farm!” Erdouzi said.

“The cattle farm isn’t far from my place. I’ll go check it out in a minute!”

“Alright…”

Carrying water was truly backbreaking work, and since the Li family’s house was quite a distance from the well, it took him a full hour to make four trips.

Even though Li Yi prided himself on having grown up in the countryside, he was still left panting from the exertion.

After filling the water jar, Li Yi carried two extra buckets out to the courtyard to let them soak up the sun.

Once they’d warmed up in the sun by noon, they could be used to wash the children’s clothes or give them a bath.

After finishing these tasks, he decided to head over to the cattle pen to check on things.

By then, Jiang Xue had finished her bath and was just stepping out of the bathroom. Spotting Li Yi, she immediately asked, “Where are you headed?”

“Just taking a walk over to the cattle pen. Why?”

“Wait for me—I want to go take a look too!” Jiang Xue said.

“It stinks over there. What are you going to do there?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“No way, I just want to go take a look!”

“Fine, then. But hurry up!”

“Okay…”

Jiang Xue was ready in no time, but when Li Yi saw she was holding a small yellow basin, he asked in puzzlement, “What are you going to do with that basin?”

Jiang Xue smiled and said, “I thought I’d see if I could milk a cow. We can make a pot of milk tea tonight!”

“No wonder you suddenly decided to go to the dairy farm today—so you had an ulterior motive all along!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“It’s been nothing but porridge or noodle soup these past few days. I’m getting a bit sick of it. Don’t you want to try something different?” Jiang Xue asked, blushing.

“I do. Let’s go!”

Then, the couple set off with the little yellow basin, heading straight for the nearby cattle farm.

From a distance, they could already smell a pungent stench—the overpowering odor of fermented livestock urine and manure.

Fortunately, Li Yi and Jiang Xue were already well-accustomed to this smell. While they couldn’t exactly call themselves unfazed by it, they didn’t gag or vomit the moment they caught a whiff.

As soon as they arrived, Li Yi spotted Xiaogouwa, Uncle Hailiang, and the others emerging from the cattle farm, their faces worn with exhaustion.

Upon seeing Li Yi and his wife, everyone rushed over to greet them.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yi turned to Xiaogouwa and asked, “So, has it been born yet?”

“It’s born, and it’s already nursing!” Xiaogouwa said with a smile.

“That’s great. Go home and get yourself sorted out—ideally, take a hot shower and put on the new clothes you bought yesterday. I’ll come pick you up at nine o’clock with Grandma Zhang!” Li Yi said.

“Okay…”

Just then, Jiang Xue turned to Yang Genwang, the cattle farm manager, and said, “Uncle Yang, do we have any cows that produce a bit more milk? I’d like to milk some!”

Yang Genwang smiled and said, “Yes, plenty of them. I’ll take you over there!”

With that, Yang Genwang led Jiang Xue deeper into the dairy farm.

Before long, when she came out, the basin was already more than half full of milk…

……..

At nine o’clock in the morning, Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang each got into their cars and drove off with Jiang Xue.

First, they went to the north end of the village to pick up Matchmaker Zhang, and only then did they arrive at Xiaogouwa’s house.

By then, Xiaogouwa had already gotten himself ready. Although he’d been up half the night and looked a bit tired, with bloodshot eyes,

But after changing into the clothes Li Yi had bought for him, he still looked a little dashing.

The group then loaded all the items needed for the engagement ceremony into the cars and set off for the Cui family’s home.

It was only a few kilometers away, so they arrived in no time.

The Cui family had received word the day before, so relatives and friends had been waiting at the veterinary station since early morning.

As soon as they saw Xiaogouwa step out of the car, the Cui family immediately set off firecrackers.

Amid the warm welcome, Matchmaker Zhang led the way, followed by Little Dog, while Li Yi, Jiang Xue, and the others carried various gifts into the Cui household.

It was the first time Cui Cuiping and Old Cui had seen Xiaogouwa dressed so smartly, and they were instantly stunned.

Little Gouwa was wearing a white polyester shirt and black dress pants, with the hem of his shirt tucked into his pants, revealing just a glimpse of the temporary leather belt at his waist.

He had also swapped out his Liberation shoes for a pair of shiny black leather shoes. If it weren’t for his somewhat dark and rough complexion, anyone would have believed he was a city playboy.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Matchmaker Zhang immediately put her professional skills to work and formally proposed on behalf of the Meng family’s son to the Cui family’s daughter.

The proposal ceremony wasn’t complicated, but it was quite impressive.

This was mainly due to the groom’s family’s incredibly generous gesture: in addition to presenting the Cui family with a dowry of 888 yuan on the spot, they also promised to provide the bride with a set of “Three Turns and One Sound” household items, plus a television, before the wedding.

On top of that, the other betrothal gifts were so dazzling and numerous that they left the Cui family’s relatives and the onlookers gathered around utterly envious.

The entire ceremony lasted over an hour. According to local custom, when a suitor from the south presents betrothal gifts, the bride’s family is expected to host a feast with fine wine and food to thank the matchmaker.

So after the proposal, Li Yi and his companions stayed at the Cui household for lunch.

And just as Li Yi and Jiang Xue were dining at the Cui residence, a sedan arrived in Nianzishan Village…

………..