Chapter 896: He—Death Sentence!

In the Liang family compound, Li Yi watched the groom-to-be, who was the center of everyone’s attention, and his expression instantly changed, a hint of pity unconsciously flickering in his eyes.

Ah, another unlucky soul!

Jiang Longcheng, who had been sitting beside Li Yi the whole time, felt a jolt of unease upon seeing that expression.

To be honest, these days he wasn’t afraid of his own father whipping him with a belt—he was terrified of his brother-in-law Li Yi even raising an eyebrow.

A beating from his father would at most cause some physical pain, but a frown from his brother-in-law—that could be deadly.

Jiang Longcheng still remembered the first time he met his brother-in-law. The guy had stared at him with a furrowed brow and bluntly called him a short-lived wretch.

He hadn’t taken it to heart at first, but before long, he’d been mugged by a desperate criminal. If his brother-in-law hadn’t stepped in to save him, he’d probably be two years older by now.

What left the deepest impression on him, however, was Li Yi’s bold prediction regarding the fate of that bastard from the Du family. The phrase, “Why bother quarreling with a dead man?” remains etched in his memory to this day.

The whole incident with Yang Laowu had already been shocking enough, but now his brother-in-law was giving those men across the table that same look.

Although he didn’t know who that frown was directed at, it still sent a chill down Jiang Longcheng’s spine.

After all, the people across the table were no ordinary folk; no matter who met with misfortune, it would cause quite a stir.

Immediately, he silently resolved that after the banquet was over, he would have to have a serious talk with his brother-in-law.

In truth, Li Yi was feeling a bit conflicted—or rather, a bit uneasy—at that moment.

Just now, when he saw the Liang family’s new son-in-law, the hair on the back of his neck had stood on end!

Although this man came from humble origins, and barring any surprises, he was slated to be executed next year,

However, his death would set off a chain reaction—one that would even directly spark the massive political movement of his past life.

Um… it was just like that young man in Sarajevo—a single gunshot from him sparked the entire First World War.

Although the analogy isn’t quite accurate, it’s roughly the same idea.

The deaths of Yang Laowu and Ye Jianhua, as well as Ye Jianhua’s sentencing, were also influenced by this—or rather, they were the result of the chain reaction triggered by the death of the Liang family’s new son-in-law.

In fact, the number of people affected by this incident was by no means limited to just Yang Hua and Ye Jianhua—it amounted to as many as several million.

In truth, before coming here, Li Yi had wondered whether this new son-in-law of the Liang family might be the unlucky soul who had set off that massive upheaval.

After all, not much information has been disclosed to the public about that incident; some say the deceased was the Liang family’s new son-in-law, while others claim it was the Liang family’s nephew.

The various reports are a mix of truth and fiction, with conflicting accounts.

Fortunately, the authorities issued a special report on the incident. Although they did not disclose the victim’s exact identity, they did mention that he was a soldier, recently married, and had been beaten to death by thugs while trying to protect his wife.

Most importantly, the authorities also released some photos of him taken before his death.

So, the moment the groom-to-be appeared, Li Yi recognized him!

At the same time, Li Yi began to have his doubts; things seemed to be getting increasingly off.

As for his plans for the next two years, Li Yi was very clear: “Survival above all.”

Unless something extraordinary happened, he and those around him had to keep a very low profile.

This wasn’t because he was cowardly, but because everyone had underestimated the intensity and determination of the authorities in cracking down on public order.

It could be said that anyone who didn’t toe the line was targeted—regardless of background or position—and they were truly getting beaten to a pulp or injured.

In fact, to resolve the deteriorating public order as quickly as possible, a new criminal charge had even been created; any offense that didn’t fit or couldn’t be found in the Criminal Code was simply slotted into this category.

Can you believe that hundreds of thousands of people are all guilty of the same “crime”?

Under these circumstances, don’t even think about anything—just lay low and get by. Who needs a bicycle!

But after returning this time, things took a strange turn. First, my third sister’s husband unexpectedly opened four new branches, putting him in the hot seat.

Right after that, at this engagement party, I ran into Yang Hua—a guy with a special background—and also met the Liang family’s new son-in-law.

You have to realize these guys are all unlucky souls—running into them one after another isn’t exactly a good sign.

After all, people standing under a big tree are more likely to get struck by lightning—let alone when you’re surrounded by gleaming lightning rods.

Thinking of this, Li Yi’s mood took a turn for the worse!

Feeling a bit down, he paid little attention to the engagement ceremony itself. He didn’t even notice when Liang Qiuyue, the Liang family’s youngest daughter, brought her fiancé over to toast their table.

When the banquet finally ended, Li Yi couldn’t wait to leave the Liang family’s home.

But just as he was about to leave with Jiang Xue, his mother-in-law called him back, saying she wanted Jiang Xue to come to the old family home that afternoon.

Seeing this, Jiang Longcheng casually invited Li Yi and Ye Jianhua over to his house for tea.

Although Li Yi wasn’t particularly interested, he realized it had been a while since he’d visited, so he agreed.

So, after leaving the Liang residence, the group drove straight to Jiang Longcheng’s courtyard house.

Upon entering, Zhang Xinyao was holding her child and chatting with Lin Ying in the living room about women’s private matters.

Jiang Longcheng, however, couldn’t wait to pull Li Yi and Ye Jianhua into a room at the back of the house.

Although the room looked like a study—and indeed was one, if you ignored the mahjong set still lying on the square table in the middle—

Once inside, Jiang Longcheng quickly cleared the mahjong tiles from the table, then brewed a pot of tea and brought over a few cups.

After pouring a cup of tea for each of them, Jiang Longcheng asked with an expression that was three parts curiosity and seven parts gossip, “Brother-in-law, can you tell us what’s really going on with Yang Laowu?”

Li Yi knew this guy had called him over specifically to ask about this. He didn’t really want to talk about it, but considering this unreliable fellow was Yang Laowu’s childhood friend—they’d grown up together—and that Ye Jianhua was also on good terms with him,

If he didn’t say anything, there was no telling if the two of them might get dragged into that guy’s mess.

Besides, in their eyes, he was already nothing short of a charlatan, so revealing a little “divine secret” didn’t seem like a big deal.

With that in mind, Li Yi paused briefly before saying, “Your friend has the ‘adultery, gates, taboos, chains, and spots’ in his fortune—he’s bound to face legal trouble…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Jiang Longcheng asked, looking completely baffled, “What do you mean by ‘legal trouble’?”

“It means legal trouble!” Li Yi explained.

“Are you saying Yang Laowu is going to get into legal trouble?”

“Exactly!”

Li Yi continued, “Plus, the area between his eyebrows is red with a hint of black—and the black outweighs the red. That’s not a good sign!”

“What do you mean? Are you saying Yang Laowu is going to be sentenced to prison?” Jiang Longcheng asked again.

Li Yi shook his head and said, “A person’s complexion can very directly reflect their luck. There are four types of complexions: the first is red, which signifies legal trouble; the second is black, which signifies a death omen; the third is yellow, which signifies bringing prosperity to one’s husband and wealth; and the fourth is blue, which is related to illness and misfortune.”

“In a normal person, the area between the eyebrows has a slight pinkish tint, just like the rest of the face. But your friend’s brow ridge is inexplicably red, which indicates recent legal trouble. A red hue tinged with black signifies a life-threatening crisis!”

Hearing this, Ye Jianhua said, his voice trembling slightly, “So you’re saying the legal trouble Yang Hua has gotten himself into is no small matter—he might very well lose his life because of it!”

“That’s right. Barring any surprises, he’ll face the death penalty!”

At these words, both Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua were stunned.

However, after the initial shock, Jiang Longcheng shook his head and said, “That’s impossible. Setting aside the fact that Yang Laowu is unlikely to have committed a capital offense like murder or arson, even if he had committed such an unforgivable crime, given his status, he could never be sentenced to death!”

Ye Jianhua chimed in, “That’s right, Xiao Yi. You might not be aware of Yang Hua’s background—his grandfather is…”

“I know who his grandfather is, but that doesn’t change the fate that awaits him!” Li Yi said firmly.

Instantly, the room fell silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy…

………

Beijing. The Liang Family!

Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua both looked utterly stunned. To others, Li Yi’s words seemed rather baffling.

But they had both witnessed Li Yi’s capabilities firsthand. He wasn’t the type to speak without reason; on the contrary, when he did speak, there was certainly a reason behind it.

And more often than not, it wasn’t good news.

After the initial shock subsided, Jiang Longcheng immediately whispered, “Brother-in-law, will Yang Laowu try to harm us?”

“He certainly won’t!” Li Yi replied.

Hearing this, Jiang Longcheng’s expression changed again. If Yang Hua wouldn’t harm them, and considering what his brother-in-law had just said, it meant that Yang Hua was in for trouble—and serious trouble at that.

If they remained close to him, they might get dragged into it.

With that thought, Jiang Longcheng swallowed hard. He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then cautiously asked, “Brother-in-law, is that Yang Laowu guy… involved with that Du family kid…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi nodded, but said nothing.

Some things are best left unsaid—voicing them would ruin the point!

But Li Yi was confident that Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua would understand what he meant.

Actually, the moment Yang Hua walked in, Li Yi had felt he looked familiar, but he couldn’t place where he’d seen him before.

But once he heard his name, Li Yi knew it was him, and he realized where that inexplicable sense of familiarity had come from.

The newspaper—specifically, the report on his execution!

That’s right—the reports on Yang Hua’s execution.

As a prime example of the crackdown during that special operation, the death sentence handed down to Yang Hua—the son of a high-ranking official—was undoubtedly a major national event. In his previous life, the media had covered the incident in great detail.

Yang Hua’s photo had graced the front pages of major newspapers more than once and had even appeared on the national news broadcast. Whether by choice or circumstance, Li Yi had seen his photo before.

He just never imagined that one day he’d actually meet this “privileged son” in person—and alive, at that.

By then, Jiang Longcheng had recovered from his shock and looked at Li Yi, asking, “Brother-in-law, is there any room for leniency in Yang Hua’s case?”

“Third Brother, let’s discuss this later, but no matter what, you must stay far away from him!” Li Yi warned once more.

It was no wonder Li Yi was so serious. Back then, the Yang Hua case had far-reaching consequences—not only did it affect his colleagues, friends, and classmates, but a whole group of third-generation Beijing elites had suffered collateral damage as well.

Although Yang Hua’s actions were indeed deserving of death, there were certainly innocent people among those around him—at the very least, a large portion of them didn’t deserve to die.

In fact, if one were to be honest, Ye Jianhua’s conviction in his previous life was, to some extent, connected to that man—though not in a direct way.

To prevent Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua from being implicated, Li Yi had no choice but to warn them.

“Alright…”

Knowing this wasn’t the place for a detailed discussion, Jiang Longcheng immediately changed the subject and began talking about the situation at their Second State-Owned Cotton Mill.

Li Yi was actually quite interested in this, as the performance of State Cotton Mill No. 2 directly affected his own interests.

Upon learning that State Cotton Mill No. 2 had opened 180 new branches in a single year, bringing the total number of branches nationwide to 500, and that total profits for the first seven months had exceeded 64 million yuan, Li Yi was very pleased.

After all, according to the agreement he had signed with the Beijing Municipal Government and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, he was entitled to 12% of that 64 million yuan.

More importantly, this was just the profit from the first seven months; at this rate, State Cotton Mill No. 2’s total profit by year-end would very likely reach 100 million yuan.

He had previously promised Jiang Longcheng that he would help him build a company with annual profits exceeding 100 million yuan—he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

As they chatted, guests kept arriving, and before long, the courtyard was filled with people.

As time went on, the guests’ ranks grew higher and higher, and even senior military and political leaders from the older generation began to appear.

As the clock neared twelve, amid a burst of commotion, Old Master Jiang and Old Master Ye arrived, accompanied by Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun.

Seeing this, Li Yi, Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and the others immediately stood up to greet them.

The two elders didn’t linger long with the younger generation; after a brief exchange, they were escorted inside by Old Liang, who had come out personally to welcome them.

However, Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun stayed behind and took seats at Li Yi’s table.

As soon as Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun took their seats, Li Yi noticed that more people were paying attention to their table; quite a few were glancing their way, whether intentionally or not.

After a short while, someone came over to greet his in-laws.

This seemed to serve as a signal, as a steady stream of people began to approach to greet them—including representatives from local families and socialites from Beijing whom his mother-in-law knew.

Actually, Li Yi didn’t mind people coming over to greet his in-laws, but what he hadn’t expected was that every time someone approached, his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, would introduce him to them.

Before long, Li Yi realized he had seemingly become the center of attention.

And indeed, that was the case. The Jiang and Ye families were already formidable in their own right, and their growth over the past two years had been nothing short of meteoric.

The Jiang family, in particular, had seen its second-generation members receive promotions one after another since last year, while the third generation had also made significant strides.

With Old Master Jiang serving as the family’s rock, the Jiang family’s future looked limitless.

With the family at its peak, everyone naturally paid close attention to the other members of the Jiang family as well.

More importantly, rumors had been circulating since the year before last that the third son of the Jiang family had found his long-lost daughter and brought back a son-in-law.

However, since both Li Yi and Jiang Xue are exceptionally low-key, aside from those closest to the family, most people have only heard their names but never seen them in person.

That’s just how people are—the more something is kept hidden, the more everyone wants to know about it.

Regarding the Jiang family’s strict secrecy about their only son-in-law, the Beijing social scene was abuzz with all sorts of rumors. Some claimed the Jiang family’s son-in-law was a lowly peasant with little education, and that he wasn’t approved of by the family.

Others say the Jiang family considers him incompetent, but since the young couple already has a child and their relationship is strong, the family doesn’t want to break them up, so they plan to keep him as a son-in-law living in their home.

Still others claim the Jiang family keeps the mysterious son-in-law’s identity under wraps because they’ve secretly sent him to serve in the military…

In short, the major aristocratic families of the capital were quite curious about Li Yi’s identity; the flames of gossip burned fiercely, yet very few people actually knew the truth about him!

Of course, aside from Li Yi and Jiang Xue’s own discretion, the more significant reason was the information blackout imposed by higher authorities.

After all, Li Yi is the Foreign Exchange Bureau’s cash cow, bringing in over a billion dollars in foreign exchange for the country every year—his influence is immense, so naturally, no one can just go around prying into his affairs.

However, what no one expected was that at today’s Liang family engagement banquet, not only did Jiang Shiying attend in person, but she also brought along that mysterious son-in-law of the Jiang family.

This inevitably sparked speculation: could the Jiang family be preparing to officially bring this son-in-law into the public eye?

As for Li Yi, although he was no stranger to rough waters, being the center of attention—especially with so many familiar faces among the crowd, including some well-known veteran generals—still made him feel somewhat uneasy.

It wasn’t exactly like sitting on pins and needles, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable!

Fortunately, Old Master Jiang, who was the star of the show, had arrived late. Shortly after he arrived, the engagement banquet began.

Since it was merely an engagement banquet, it didn’t involve the same complex rituals as a wedding.

When the time was right, the high-ranking dignitaries inside, accompanied by Old Master Liang, stepped outside and took their seats at the table at the very front.

Immediately afterward, the soon-to-be bride and groom emerged from the room, accompanied by Jiang Xue and several other young women.

However, when Li Yi saw the groom-to-be in his military uniform, his expression changed once again…

………

After wrapping up his work, Li Yi entrusted Yun Rui and Yun Jin to his eldest sister’s care, then set off for the Liang family residence with Jiang Xue, Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and the others.

Li Yi had already thoroughly investigated the Liang family’s background.

Old Master Liang was also a veteran general with distinguished military achievements. Back in the day, while working as a child laborer in a coal mine, he had been inspired by Old Master Jiang to join the local Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Guard, thus embarking on the path of revolution.

Later, he served under Old Master Jiang for many years. The two had fought side by side for so long, each having saved the other’s life on multiple occasions, which forged a deep bond of friendship between them.

Consequently, for the engagement of his youngest daughter today—though the celebration was a small, intimate gathering—he had invited quite a few members of the Jiang family.

The Jiang family, in turn, was giving the Liang family great face; not only would Old Master Jiang attend, but representatives from the second and third generations of the Jiang family would also be present, demonstrating the enduring friendship between the two families.

The Liang family lived in Xicheng District, which wasn’t too far from Li Yi’s home, but it wasn’t exactly close either.

The car drove through the city for over twenty minutes before arriving at the destination.

As soon as they reached the entrance to the alley, they saw that quite a few cars were already parked there, with several security guards directing traffic.

After all, the streets and alleys of Beijing are narrow to begin with, and if people parked haphazardly, it would easily cause a traffic jam.

Following the guards’ instructions, Li Yi and his group parked their cars in the courtyard of a government office on the right, then walked to the nearby Old Liang residence.

As soon as they reached the entrance, Li Yi and the others heard the sounds of laughter and merriment coming from inside the courtyard.

Since the main gate was wide open, the group didn’t announce their arrival but simply walked right in.

Upon entering, they saw more than a dozen large round tables set up throughout the courtyard, with people already seated at some of them.

The arrival of this group of young people immediately caught the attention of everyone in the courtyard, and soon a booming voice rang out: “Hahaha, it’s Longcheng’s nephew! Come on in and take a seat!”

Immediately afterward, a tall, burly figure was seen walking toward them.

Upon seeing the man, Jiang Longcheng snapped, “Big Head Liang, if you call me ‘Big Nephew’ one more time, I’ll knock your teeth out!”

Zhang Xinyao, standing nearby, quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “They’re celebrating a happy occasion. Don’t go making a scene like that—it doesn’t look good to others!”

Jiang Longcheng retorted indignantly, “What do you mean, ‘making a scene’? That kid is a year younger than me, yet he’s always taking advantage of me just because he’s a generation older!”

Seeing this, Liang Bin laughed and said, “It’s true I’m his senior, but even if you don’t like it, he’s still my nephew!”

Ye Jianhua, who clearly knew Liang Bin as well, chimed in, “You two are something else—you always have to bicker the moment you see each other, no matter the occasion!”

“Hahaha, it’s just because he’s always butting heads with me!” Liang Bin chuckled.

“Alright, let me introduce you. This is my cousin from my aunt’s side, Jiang Xue, and her husband, Li Yi!” Ye Jianhua said.

Upon hearing Li Yi’s name, Liang Bin quickly dropped his playful demeanor and said earnestly, “I’m Liang Bin, the fifth son of the Liang family. I’ve long heard of your couple’s reputation. We must definitely stay in touch!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “Sure, let’s keep in touch!”

No sooner had he spoken than Jiang Longcheng chimed in with a hint of displeasure, “Big-headed Liang, what the hell is your game? You’re always trying to take advantage of me, but you’re all polite and formal with my sister and her husband?”

“Hahaha, if you had Comrade Li Yi’s skills, I’d be impressed too!”

Listening to the two of them bicker, Li Yi couldn’t help but smile.

He could tell that although these two were fiercely bickering, their relationship was actually quite good.

After a brief round of banter, Liang Bin led the group to an empty table and said, “Grab some sunflower seeds and have some tea. The engagement banquet won’t start for a while yet!”

“Got it, go get back to work!” Ye Jianhua said with a smile.

Liang Bin smiled, then turned to Jiang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, Qiu Yue just told me to bring you to see her as soon as I spotted you!”

Jiang Xue’s eyes lit up instantly. She nodded immediately and said, “Hmm, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Teaching Assistant Qiuyue!”

As she spoke, Jiang Xue glanced at Li Yi.

Knowing she was seeking his opinion, Li Yi nodded immediately and said, “Go ahead, and take the gift you prepared with you!”

“Okay!”

With that, Jiang Xue took the gift she’d prepared for Liang Qiuyue and followed Liang Bin toward the main hall.

After Jiang Xue left, Jiang Longcheng asked, “Brother-in-law, did you prepare a gift for someone else as well?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Assistant Professor Liang looked after Xue quite a bit when she was in school. We didn’t know our families were related like this before, but now that we do—and since it’s her engagement—Xue prepared a small gift for her!”

“Why didn’t you say anything? We didn’t prepare anything at all!” Jiang Longcheng said with a hint of exasperation.

“It doesn’t matter whether you prepared something or not. After all, this is just an engagement, not a wedding.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, this is a personal matter between Xiao Xue and that Miss Qiu Yue—it doesn’t really have much to do with you guys.”

“You’re right…”

Just as they were speaking, several young men walked in through the door, led by a handsome young man.

After entering, they glanced around the courtyard. When they spotted their table, the young man’s eyes lit up, and he immediately strode over.

Soon, Jiang Longcheng noticed the group as well and stood up from his seat.

“Yang Laowu, aren’t you in Tianjin? What brings you here?”

“The Liang family is celebrating a joyous occasion, so naturally the Yang family had to be here. Besides, Tianjin isn’t that far from Beijing, and since I work for the railway bureau, it’s no trouble at all to make the trip!”

He then glanced at Zhang Xinyao beside Jiang Longcheng and continued, “So this must be my sister-in-law. I’m Yang Hua—a brother who grew up with this guy, running around in diapers, peeing and playing in the mud. I was out of town on a business trip when you got married, so I didn’t make it to your wedding…”

Before he could even finish, Jiang Longcheng rolled his eyes and snapped, “Damn it, could you stop being so gross? Peeing and playing in the mud—I can’t believe you actually remember that!”

“Hahaha, doesn’t that just show how tight our bond is?”

“That’s certainly a unique way of putting it!” Jiang Longcheng said helplessly.

Yang Hua smiled and said, “Alright, you guys sit tight. My dad asked me to bring a little something for the Liang family’s daughter. We’ll chat later!”

With that, Yang Hua led the three young men who had come with him into the house.

After Yang Hua and the others had left, Jiang Longcheng noticed that his brother-in-law’s gaze was fixed on Yang Hua’s retreating figure, his brow deeply furrowed.

“Brother-in-law, what’s wrong? Why are you staring at that guy?”

Li Yi glanced at Jiang Longcheng and asked, “Third Brother, are you on good terms with him?”

Seeing that he was surrounded by his own people, Jiang Longcheng replied immediately, “We used to be pretty close, but after his family moved away, we drifted apart!”

“Have you been in close contact with him in recent years?”

“No. After he graduated, he was assigned to Tianjin and doesn’t come back often!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “He has invited me to Tianjin a few times, but I’ve politely declined. After all, I’ve been really busy these past couple of years—especially since your sister-in-law got pregnant. I’ve had to juggle factory work and taking care of the family. I just haven’t had time to go running around!”

“That’s good to hear!”

Then, Li Yi glanced at Ye Jianhua and Lin Ying standing nearby and said, “You two should keep your distance from him from now on!”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua exchanged a glance, and their expressions instantly changed…

……..

The Li Family Courtyard!

When Li Yi arrived in the living room, fully dressed, he found that besides Jiang Longcheng, Zhang Xinyao, and her son, Ye Jianhua and Lin Ying were also there.

What surprised Li Yi the most was that An Hong had actually shown up as well.

According to what he’d learned yesterday when he visited the branch office, An Hong had been in the south with his second older sister, Li Lan, overseeing a trade show—she hadn’t even been in Beijing. How had she suddenly shown up here?

“Huh, so many people?”

Li Yi then looked at An Hong and said, “Sis-in-law, weren’t you down south? When did you get back?”

An Hong smiled and said, “I got back last night. I heard you were back too, so I gave Director Jiang and Comrade Jianhua a call, and we all came over to talk to you about something!”

Hearing this, Li Yi knew it must be work-related and immediately said, “Let’s go to the study and talk.”

“Sure!”

The group followed Li Yi into the study, while Jiang Xue stayed in the living room to entertain Zhang Xinyao and Lin Ying, and keep an eye on Yun Rui and Yun Jin.

In the study, after everyone had found a seat, Li Yi asked, “Sis, is this about the project?”

“Yes, I’d like to discuss the profit distribution for the trade show with you!” An Hong said.

“Profit distribution?”

“Yes. Over the past few months, we’ve held over 200 trade shows across the country, generating more than 8 billion in revenue. After deducting various taxes and costs, the net profit still amounts to a solid 1.14 billion.”

An Hong continued, “According to our previous agreement, the four of us each take 10%, and the remaining 60% goes to the company. If we distribute it according to this agreement, each of us would get at least 114 million yuan. That’s far too much—we feel uneasy about taking that much!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng chimed in, “That’s right, brother-in-law. I originally just wanted to make a little money with you—I’d have been perfectly satisfied with a share of a million or two. I never imagined that your 10% profit would be worth over 100 million. I really can’t accept that!”

Ye Jianhua added, “If we actually accept this, we won’t be able to get past the old man’s approval…”

Before they could finish, Li Yi turned to An Hong and said, “Sis, I heard from General Manager Lan that the company has already received its share of the profits. Surely the investor dividends haven’t been distributed yet, have they?”

“Not yet. The money is still frozen in the company’s account. We plan to make a decision after discussing it with you!” An Hong replied.

Li Yi smiled and said, “There’s nothing to discuss here—just follow the rules!”

“What rules? Brother-in-law, you’re not seriously going to give us a hundred million, are you?” Jiang Longcheng asked, wide-eyed.

“Exactly!”

Li Yi continued, “I know what you’re thinking, but business is all about honoring contracts. Once an agreement is signed, it must be carried out. It doesn’t matter if it’s 100 million—we’d have to do the same even if it were a billion.”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, An Hong couldn’t help but feel her heart race. Her voice trembling slightly, she asked, “Are… are you really going to split it?”

“We’re splitting it!” Li Yi declared with absolute certainty.

An Hong’s heart raced even faster. At that moment, she didn’t even know how to describe her feelings—excitement, anxiety, relief, gratitude…

To be honest, An Hong truly hadn’t expected that organizing trade shows could be so profitable. A single seven-day event could bring in 20 to 30 million yuan for a modest one, while a successful one could easily rake in several hundred million.

Even though they only took a cut of the sales, they still made a fortune. In just a few short months, the entire team’s revenue had surpassed 1.1 billion.

When all the funds were settled and she saw that she, Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and the others would each receive 110 million, An Hong felt both thrilled and a little uneasy.

To say she wasn’t tempted would be a lie—this was a whopping 110 million yuan!

Compared to her previous monthly salary of 38 yuan, she couldn’t have earned that much even if she’d gone without food or drink for several lifetimes.

But because the sum was so enormous—so much so that it exceeded her psychological threshold—she had intended to discuss it with Li Yi. To her surprise, however, Li Yi did not adjust the profit-sharing ratio as she had expected.

After a long pause, An Hong finally said, “Alright, I’ll distribute this money to everyone over the next couple of days!”

“Great!”

Then Li Yi changed the subject and added, “The success of this project is undoubtedly due to the joint efforts of our frontline staff. Since we’ve made a profit, we mustn’t forget their contributions.”

“Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll set aside 10% of the profits as a bonus for all the project team members. You’ll be in charge of handling that, Sister-in-law!”

An Hong nodded immediately and said, “The employees have indeed been working very hard lately. Many of them haven’t been home for months on end, and they’ve been working around the clock every day—some have even collapsed from exhaustion and had to be hospitalized!”

“Since you’re setting aside 10% of the profits to reward the employees, I’ll contribute 10% as well to reward them!”

Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua also chimed in, agreeing to set aside 10% of their profits as employee bonuses.

Li Yi did not refuse their request.

Once the matter was settled, Li Yi looked at the group and said, “After the money is distributed, keep a low profile—especially you, Third Brother. Don’t get too cocky; it’s easy to make enemies that way!”

Having gone through so much, Jiang Longcheng had matured considerably. He immediately smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’m a father now, after all—I certainly won’t be as reckless as I used to be!”

“That’s good to hear. Besides, while a hundred million sounds like a lot, it’s really not much compared to those tycoons out there!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Longcheng immediately grinned and said, “Bro-in-law, we all know what you’re saying—no need to beat around the bush. If there’s nothing else, let’s hurry over to Old Liang’s place. I want to see just what kind of guy Liang Qiuyue has set her sights on!”

“Alright…”

Just then, An Hong suddenly spoke up, “Wait a minute, Xiao Yi. I… I…”

Seeing An Hong hesitating like that, Li Yi immediately smiled and said, “Sis, we’re all family here. Just say what’s on your mind—there’s no need to be shy!”

An Hong nodded and said, “Xiao Yi, could you transfer An Guo to Beijing? We haven’t seen each other for nearly half a year now…”

Although An Hong didn’t say the rest, Li Yi understood the pain of living apart.

Fortunately, Wang An Guo and An Hong shared a deep bond, and with their son, their family structure was solid enough to withstand the test.

If it had been a couple whose bond wasn’t as deep, such a long separation might have strained their relationship—or even led to a breakup.

He recalled that he had previously promised An Hong he would help transfer Wang Anguo to Beijing if the opportunity arose. It seemed the time had come to fulfill that promise.

“Sis, I’ll see what I can do about this. But Brother Wang is currently a deputy division-level official in the public security system. I’m not sure if there’s a suitable position for him here, so you’ll have to give me a few days!” Li Yi said.

“All right, all right… Don’t worry too much about it. We’ve already made it this far, so there’s no need to rush!” An Hong said.

“Okay, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!” Li Yi said.

“Thank you, Yi!”

“No need to thank me, Sister-in-law…”

After wrapping up the business discussion, An Hong left Li Yi’s home and hurried off to distribute the profit shares to everyone.

Meanwhile, Li Yi and the others were getting ready to head to the Liang family’s house to attend their engagement party.

What Li Yi didn’t know, however, was that today’s engagement party was no ordinary affair—a storm was brewing, waiting for him…

………

Hanging up the phone, he went to the living room and sure enough, saw his father-in-law playing with the two little ones.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately stepped forward and said, “Dad, why are you here?”

“I came to drop off an invitation for you and Xiao Xue, and I’d like to talk to you about a few things while I’m here!” Jiang Shiying said with a smile.

“An invitation?”

“Grandpa Liang’s youngest daughter is getting engaged tomorrow. The Liang family and our Jiang family have a good relationship, so they’ve invited quite a few of us—you and Xiaoxue are on the list too!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then turned to Jiang Xue and asked, “Xiao Xue, do you know that Liang girl?”

“I don’t think so…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Shiying chimed in with a laugh, “Of course you do! Her name is Liang Qiuyue—she goes to the same school as you!”

“Is she Teaching Assistant Liang?”

Jiang Xue then turned to Li Yi with a look of delight and said, “Teaching Assistant Liang is a senior in our class. She’s been our teaching assistant since last year and has always looked out for me at school. I just never expected she’d have this connection to our family!”

At that moment, Jiang Shiying turned to her daughter and asked, “That invitation was specifically for you from that girl Qiuyue. Do you want to go?”

“Sure…”

At that moment, Jiang Xue suddenly looked at Li Yi, as if seeking his opinion.

Li Yi didn’t think much of it. Seeing his wife like this, he immediately said, “Since you want to go, I’ll go with you!”

“Mm! You’re so sweet!”

Jiang Shiying couldn’t stand watching this couple constantly showering each other with affection. When she saw it in others, it was sweet; but when she saw it with her own daughter, it was heartbreaking.

After all, in any father-in-law’s eyes, his son-in-law is just the pig that’s snatched up his precious little cabbage.

Who would actually praise a pig for munching on their own cabbage? It’s not like he has a masochistic streak!

At that moment, Jiang Shiying’s gaze fell on Li Yi. The young man was indeed quite a handsome fellow.

Add to that the extraordinary abilities Li Yi had demonstrated, and even Jiang Shiying—despite judging him with the harshest possible standards—couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Hmm, he’s a fine pig…”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his father-in-law’s scrutiny, Li Yi gave an awkward smile and asked, “Dad, don’t you have other things to do? Why don’t we go to the study to talk?”

“Alright!”

With that, Jiang Shiying picked up Yunrui and headed toward the inner room.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately picked up Yun Jin, who was babbling in her own little language nearby, and followed them inside.

Once in the study, Jiang Shiying said straight away, “The old man doesn’t approve of you setting up a family fund. He’s worried it’ll just breed a bunch of good-for-nothings!”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “Grandfather has a point, but if a large family wants to have a long-term future, financial support is essential.”

“Looking at both the Jiang and Ye families, whether it’s the second or third generation, not a single one is cut out for business. If we don’t establish this family fund, it won’t bode well for our future development!”

Jiang Shiying looked at his son-in-law, then asked with a serious expression, “What are your expectations for the Jiang and Ye families? Or rather, how far do you hope these two families can go?”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, “Father, how far the Jiang and Ye families can go depends on both individual ability and fate. All I hope for is that everyone stays safe and sound.”

As he spoke these words, he couldn’t help but think of his past life.

In his previous life, not only had Jiang Xue and the children died unjustly, but the Jiang and Ye families had also suffered a string of misfortunes.

First, Jiang Longcheng died tragically in an accident, marking the second time the Jiang family had to bury their children before their parents. Then, his mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun, passed away from illness, and his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, turned white-haired overnight.

Then, within a couple of years, the old patriarch’s health collapsed. After Jiang Shirong and Jiang Shiming retired, and before Jiang Longyin and Jiang Longze had matured enough to take over, the Jiang family was left with only his father-in-law to hold it together.

The Ye family faced a similar fate. First, Ye Jianhua’s wife, Lin Ying, took her own life. Then, Ye Jianhua fell victim to the revenge of his brother-in-law, Lin Yi, was arrested and imprisoned, and ultimately sentenced to seven years in prison.

Next, the second generation of the Ye family was affected: some were dismissed from their posts, others resigned. Within just a few short years, this once-powerful family was completely driven out of the capital.

So, for Li Yi, the future was all an illusion; ensuring everyone’s safety was the only reality that mattered.

Seeing that Li Yi truly had no intention of using the Jiang and Ye families to climb the ranks, Jiang Shiying breathed a sigh of relief.

That position, though tempting, was fraught with danger. Even if the Jiang and Ye families had harbored such ambitions, they might have been wiped out in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, this young man’s ambitions weren’t that lofty, which put his mind at ease!

He then decided not to dwell on the matter any further and changed the subject: “I heard from Xiaoxue that you were on the phone with Long Yin just now?”

“Right!”

“Did he ask you any questions about economic development?”

“No, he didn’t!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“That’s strange. That kid called me earlier and said he wanted to ask your opinion on domestic economic trends, and even wanted you to write it down for his reference. Why didn’t he just talk to you directly?”

Then Jiang Shiying changed the subject again and said, “I see. That kid must have been too shy to bring it up. If you have time, do give him a hand!”

Hearing this, Li Yi felt something wasn’t quite right.

But he didn’t dwell on it. After all, Jiang Longyin had asked him about these things plenty of times before, and that guy was definitely quite image-conscious—so it made perfect sense that he’d be too shy to ask directly.

With that in mind, Li Yi replied, “Alright, I’ll write something up for Second Brother based on my own ideas later!”

“Alright!”

Jiang Shiying then glanced at his watch and said, “It’s getting late. I’ll head back now. Since you don’t know where the Liang family lives, Longcheng will come pick you up tomorrow!”

“Alright!”

With that, Jiang Shiying reluctantly handed Yunrui, who was in her arms, to Li Yi. After saying goodbye to her daughter, she left the Li family’s courtyard…

……..

The night passed without incident!

The next morning, Li Yi woke up after another night of being worn out, only to find it was already nine o’clock.

Rubbing his aching lower back, he pulled on a pair of shorts and made his way to the bathroom inside.

However, as he stood there holding his penis to relieve himself, he was startled to discover that his stream had split.

More importantly, one of the streams was falling weakly in free fall, landing right on the top of his foot.

Instantly, a phrase popped into Li Yi’s mind: “Back in the day, I could pee eight feet against the wind; now, with the wind at my back, I’m soaking my shoes!”

Was he… losing his edge?

A massive “Holy shit” surged through his mind…

He realized he hadn’t been as vigorous these past few days as he used to be. Before, it was always Jiang Xue who gave in first, but now he was the one surrendering first.

Then, reflecting on how the two of them had been constantly cuddling together for over a month now, with absolutely no restraint, Li Yi realized with sobering clarity that his “plow ox” had been worn thin.

For the sake of a happy future together, Li Yi decided to give up sex starting today!

Just as Li Yi was pondering what excuse to use to hang up the “No Sex” sign that night, Jiang Xue’s voice came from outside: “Where are you?”

“In the bathroom. What’s up?”

“Third Brother and Third Sister-in-Law are here!”

Li Yi immediately pushed aside his wandering thoughts and replied, “Alright, I’ll just wash my face and be right there!”

He quickly washed up, then returned to the bedroom to get dressed.

Then he headed toward the living room!

But when Li Yi arrived in the living room, he realized that the visitors weren’t just Jiang Longcheng and Zhang Xinyao’s family…

………

Ever since leaving his third sister’s place, Li Yi had kept his brows tightly furrowed, and his mood had been somewhat affected.

Ever since he learned that Long Zhanjun had opened four branches in Pengcheng all at once—and that it was all at Jiang Longyin’s instigation—Li Yi knew trouble was coming.

Third Sister and Long Zhanjun only saw the profit in opening a restaurant, but failed to recognize the risks involved.

Li Yi knew full well that running a restaurant these days was indeed profitable… no, it was actually a way to make a fortune.

Although ordinary people’s incomes aren’t particularly high these days, there are countless businesses of all sizes, not to mention government agencies at every level—and no shortage of officials of every rank and file.

And these people who hold power in government and business certainly have significant spending power.

With their organizations footing the bill, they’ll splurge without restraint.

It’s fair to say that the problem today isn’t a lack of consumers, but a lack of a sufficiently large consumer market.

Under these circumstances, even selling tea eggs in the city would earn you far more than the average government official.

The saying that “selling tea eggs is better than making mushroom bombs” isn’t just empty talk—it’s a reality.

But high returns often come with high risks. Reform and opening-up have now entered their fourth year, and the first hurdle in the process of “crossing the river by feeling the stones” has already emerged.

On one side are the rapidly sprouting buds of the private economy; on the other, an overheated national economy and intractable ideological disputes.

In the newly established Pengcheng Special Economic Zone, the slogan “Time is money, efficiency is life” hung prominently at Shekou Port; in places like Daqiu Village in Tianjin and Huaxi Village in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, a group of local officials—including Yu Min and Wu Bao—emerged, quietly encouraging villagers to set up factories and generate income.

In Anhui Province, individual entrepreneur Nian Guangjiu registered the “Shazi Sunflower Seeds” trademark and, ignoring his wife’s pleas, upgraded his operation by setting up a factory.

In fact, this business tycoon had earned his first million as early as 1976.

In contrast, state-owned enterprise reforms were moving forward with great difficulty, “speculators” were running rampant, smuggling and trafficking were rampant, and speculation and fraud were becoming the norm. Coupled with the fact that some of the early “get-rich-first” individuals were indeed too flashy, the booming private economy suddenly became the scapegoat…

Consequently, from 1982 to 1983, policies regarding individual businesses fluctuated.

Under these circumstances, many unlucky individuals were dealt a severe blow: not only were their earnings confiscated, but they were also arrested and sentenced to prison.

The most typical example of this was Wenzhou, where the private economy first took root. Just this year, Wenzhou’s infamous “Eight Kings” suffered a severe blow: some were arrested, some fled, and some were sentenced—not a single one met a good end.

Precisely because he was aware of this, Li Yi understood very clearly that now was not the time to let loose and go all out.

At present, “speculation and profiteering”—a peculiar relic of the planned economy era—still exists, and the definition of this crime is extremely vague; one misstep could land him in trouble.

This is why Li Yi would rather travel all the way to Hong Kong, or even London and New York, to invest than return to China to set up a factory as an individual.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be a hero who revived the nation’s industries; rather, he didn’t want to be labeled a capitalist.

More importantly, 1983 was just around the corner, which meant that momentous campaign was about to begin.

Sticking your neck out at this time—no matter your motives or how powerful your connections—meant you could be sent to a labor camp with a single word.

Therefore, even if these two Li Yis were to invest, they would do so under the name of Starry Sky Investment Company.

Moreover, he personally took almost no part in the branch’s operations, precisely to give no one any grounds to attack him.

This time, he didn’t want to meet with the higher-ups—he simply didn’t want to be the one to stick his neck out.

To be honest, if Jiang Xue and the kids weren’t in Beijing, Li Yi would have wanted to live in Hong Kong—or even New York—for the past two years.

In short, the situation in the mainland has been too dangerous these past two years; one misstep could lead to serious repercussions.

But what he never could have imagined was that Long Zhanjun had actually opened four branches in Pengcheng all at once. Combined with the ones in Beijing, that made a total of eight stores.

To Li Yi, this was like a ticking time bomb.

After all, if you apply certain people’s rigid standards, the number of people he employs has far exceeded eight—making him a bona fide member of the exploiting class, a capitalist.

No one was paying attention to this now, so it wasn’t a major issue, but if someone were to use this against him, even with the Jiang and Ye families stepping in, they might not be able to protect him.

What puzzled him even more was that Jiang Longyin was actually meddling in this—did he have nothing better to do?

……….

Back home, the children were already awake. Jiang Xue was sitting on the kang, teaching the two little ones to identify animals.

Seeing Li Yi push the door open, looking rather glum, Jiang Xue immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Li Yi sighed and said, “I need to make a call first. I’ll talk to you in a bit!”

With that, Li Yi hurried off to the study, leaving Jiang Xue feeling inexplicably worried.

Once in the study, Li Yi hesitated briefly before dialing his second older brother, Jiang Longyin.

“Ring ring…”

After a few rings, the call was answered, and Jiang Longyin’s familiar voice came through: “Who is this?”

“Second Brother, it’s me, Li Yi!”

Jiang Longyin immediately chuckled and said, “What a rare visitor! What brings you to call me?”

“Second Brother, I wanted to ask about my third sister’s husband’s business in Pengcheng. Do you know anything about it?”

Perhaps sensing the seriousness in Li Yi’s tone, Jiang Longyin replied, “As far as I know, your third brother-in-law has opened four stores here—one near City Hall and one near the train station, with the other two on Zhongying Street. Business at all of them is booming, and I’ve actually been thinking about encouraging them to open two more branches!”

Li Yi’s mouth twitched as he said, “Second Brother, you’re really putting me on the spot here!”

“Why do you say that?” Jiang Longyin asked.

Li Yi didn’t answer his question right away, but asked in return, “Second Brother, have you heard about the ‘Eight Kings of Wen City’ incident?”

Jiang Longyin had naturally heard of such a high-profile incident, and he immediately caught on.

“Brother-in-law, are you worried you might become the next ‘Eight Kings’?”

Li Yi replied with certainty, “If things keep going this way, it won’t be a matter of ‘might’—I’ll definitely become a target!”

“Impossible. You’re different from them. Given your current standing, who would dare touch you?” Jiang Longyin said with a smile.

He knew just how much influence his brother-in-law wielded.

Someone capable of influencing the promotions of provincial and ministerial-level officials—how could he possibly be criticized for running a few small restaurants? That’s ridiculous.

Besides, the Jiang and Ye families weren’t just for show. If anyone dared to use this against Li Yi, the Jiang and Ye families wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Second Brother, nothing is set in stone. The situation is constantly shifting, especially in the last year or two—policies have been fluctuating frequently. We don’t need to give others ammunition over such trivial matters; it’s not worth it!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Longyin fell silent on the other end of the line. He understood what Li Yi meant, and he also understood how Li Yi was feeling right now.

After all, he was already a billionaire; there really was no need to take risks over such a small sum.

But thinking of the situation in Pengcheng, he could only sigh and say, “Brother-in-law, to be honest, it was our municipal government’s request that Comrade Long Zhanjun open so many branches in quick succession!”

“A request?”

“That’s right. A large number of businesspeople from Hong Kong are coming to Pengcheng to invest, and with the country’s strong push to develop Pengcheng, over 200,000 people have flocked here this year alone.”

Jiang Longyin continued, “Pengcheng used to be just a small fishing village. There wasn’t a single decent restaurant in the entire city. The municipal government had no choice but to entertain out-of-town businesspeople at the government canteen, which was extremely inconvenient.”

“Ever since your barbecue and hot pot restaurant opened a branch here in Pengcheng, the problem of having nowhere to eat has improved significantly. To enhance Pengcheng’s service quality, we had no choice but to let Comrade Long Zhanjun open branch after branch!”

Hearing this, Li Yi fell silent.

After a moment, he finally said, “Second Brother, since there’s a reason behind this, the municipal government needs to take a clear stance. You can’t just ask for help when it’s convenient and then pretend you don’t know anything when problems arise!”

“Alright, I’ll discuss this with the other comrades in the city right away to see how we should handle this matter!” Jiang Longyin replied.

“Alright…”

Just as they were speaking, the study door creaked open. Jiang Xue poked her head in and said, “Dad’s here. He’s waiting for you in the living room!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi quickly excused himself to Jiang Longyin and hung up the phone…

………

After spending over an hour in Lan Xinyi’s office, Li Yi left the branch office, figuring that Third Sister’s place would be opening soon.

Although he had only scratched the surface of the branch’s situation, Lan Xinyi suggested that since he had time today, they might as well gather all the company’s leaders—big and small—to brief him, the big boss, on their work.

However, Li Yi rejected this suggestion. After all, he had no plans to leave anytime soon now that he was back, and there would be plenty of time for such reports later—there was no rush.

After leaving the branch office, Li Yi headed back to the Dong’an Market store with two bodyguards.

Sure enough, upon arriving, he could see from a distance that the restaurant’s doors were already open.

Although it wasn’t mealtime and no customers were coming or going, he could see that the staff had already started their shifts.

After parking the car, Li Yi and his group immediately walked into the restaurant.

As soon as they pushed open the door, a young woman addressed them: “Comrade, we won’t be serving meals for another half hour. Would you and your companions like to wait inside for a bit?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Where’s your manager? I need to speak with her.”

“You… you know our manager?” the young woman asked in surprise.

“I do. Go tell her that Li Yi is here!”

“Sure, please wait a moment…”

With that, the young woman hurried toward a room in the back.

While the young woman was off to inform Third Sister, Li Yi took a closer look at this branch.

Compared to the main branch in Beiguan Village, this branch was much smaller—roughly two hundred square meters—but the decor was far more luxurious than the one in Beiguan Village.

Even the tables and chairs here had been specially decorated, giving them a rather upscale look.

Plus, being located in the city center—a far superior location compared to the urban-rural fringe in Beiguan Village—it was obvious that business here wouldn’t be too shabby.

Just as Li Yi was looking around, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him: “Xiao Yi!”

Li Yi turned around and immediately saw his third older sister, Li Na, standing behind him, looking at him with a delighted expression.

Today, his third older sister was wearing a white women’s blouse paired with black pants, and a pair of black-and-white flat canvas shoes on her feet; she looked fresh and capable.

His gaze drifted downward and settled on his third sister’s belly. He asked in surprise, “Sis, where have you been hiding my little nephew? You must be five or six months along by now.”

It was no wonder Li Yi was so taken aback; his third sister’s belly was indeed quite small. Although she did appear slightly pregnant, she certainly didn’t look like a woman five or six months along.

Li Na smiled and said, “It is a bit small, isn’t it?”

Li Yi nodded and replied, “It’s not just small—you don’t even look as big as Xiao Xue did when she was three months along!”

“Xiao Xue was carrying twins—of course it wouldn’t be the same!”

Then Third Sister added, “Don’t worry. I go to the hospital for a checkup every month. The doctor says the baby is healthy. He also said that a flat belly doesn’t mean the baby is small—it’s just how women’s bodies work!”

“Really?”

To be honest, even though Li Yi was a reincarnated person, he didn’t know much about pregnancy.

“Of course it’s true. By the way, when did you get back? Where are Xiaoxue and Big Sister?”

“I just got back a little while ago. They’re all at home putting the kids to bed!” Li Yi replied.

“You little rascal! You didn’t even call to let us know you were coming back—you just love pulling these surprise visits!” Li Na scolded playfully.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I didn’t want to disturb you at work. By the way, Sis, where’s Third Brother-in-Law?”

“Him? He’s still over in Pengcheng, busy with opening a new branch!”

“Hasn’t he come back at all?” Li Yi frowned.

“He came back for a visit at the beginning of the month, stayed at home for about ten days, and then left again!”

“So who’s taking care of you now? Or are you running around all by yourself?”

“Ling’er usually helps out at the shop, and my mother-in-law takes care of me at home. Today, my mother-in-law wasn’t feeling well, so I had Ling’er take her to the hospital—that’s why you didn’t see her!” Third Sister explained.

“Is Auntie all right?” Li Yi asked with concern.

He knew that Long Zhanjun’s mother wasn’t in the best of health; according to the original course of events, she was supposed to have passed away this year.

Although Long Zhanjun’s mother and sister had undergone surgery two years ago with his financial support, hearing that she was suddenly unwell still made Li Yi a little worried.

“Ling’er called around noon. The doctor said it’s gastroenteritis; she’ll be fine after resting for a while!” Li Na said.

“That’s good!”

Then Li Yi asked again, “Did the doctor say when your due date is?”

“Mid-November!”

“That’s great. By then, the harvest in the village will be over, and Mom will be able to come and help you during your postpartum recovery!” Li Yi said.

Third Sister smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. We can bring Dad to Beijing this year too, so our whole family can celebrate the New Year together in the capital!”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. You know Dad’s temperament—I doubt he’d be willing to come to Beijing for the New Year!” Li Yi said.

“No problem. None of us will go back then. We’ll leave him alone in the village and see if he comes!”

“We can only do our best to persuade him—we can’t force him!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

Then Third Sister changed the subject and said, “By the way, since you’re here today, I’ll tell you about how things are going at the shop!”

“Sure, I haven’t been involved in the shop’s affairs for a long time, so I have no idea how things are going now!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Li Na smiled, immediately pulling Li Yi over to the bar counter. She unlocked the drawer with a key and pulled out a thick notebook.

Just as Li Yi thought she was about to brief him on the shop’s situation, he found Third Sister leading him toward the back of the restaurant instead.

Following Li Na through a series of twists and turns, they arrived at a private room tucked away in the back of the restaurant. The room wasn’t large—only four or five square meters—and aside from a single bed, there was barely enough space for a small wooden table.

“This is a rest area my brother-in-law had specially partitioned off for me during the renovation. I usually come here to rest for a while when things aren’t busy!”

“Looks like Long Zhanjun treats you pretty well!” Li Yi remarked.

“What do you mean ‘Long Zhanjun’? Call him Third Sister’s husband!”

Faced with Third Sister’s domineering defense of her husband, Li Yi could only shrug helplessly.

After all, he’d spent his entire previous life calling him “Long Zhanjun” or “Big Long,” but in this life, because of Third Sister, he had to switch to calling him “Third Brother-in-Law”—and the worst part was, he hadn’t even received any compensation for the name change.

This often made Li Yi feel like he’d shot himself in the foot!

Despite all that, seeing his third sister like this made him quite content.

Ever since he walked through the door, a smile had been plastered on his third sister’s face. That alone was enough to show that she was very satisfied with her current life.

To be honest, Li Yi didn’t really care whether Long Zhanjun could make money—as long as he treated his Third Sister well.

Clearly, he’s done just that!

After the laughter died down, Li Na immediately opened the ledger and said, “Here are the store’s total accounts for the past few months. We currently have eight stores in total, with a monthly turnover of at least 300,000 yuan. After deducting costs and the bonuses for the branch managers, you’ll receive a little over 80,000 yuan each month…”

“Huh, when did we get up to eight stores?” Li Yi asked, somewhat surprised.

“Your brother-in-law opened four stores in Pengcheng all at once, and we opened another branch here in Beijing near Dongzhimen, so that makes eight in total!” Third Sister explained.

“Four stores in Pengcheng?”

“Right. I heard from your brother-in-law that he originally only planned to open one store, but then Xiaoxue’s second older brother approached him and encouraged him to open a few more, so he went ahead and opened several more!”

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly…

….banbanhaobang….

The Li Family Courtyard!

The house had been unoccupied for a month and a half, so naturally it was filthy, with dust everywhere inside and out.

So the first thing Li Yi and the others did upon returning home was to clean up.

Many hands make light work. Although the courtyard was quite large and had many rooms, thanks to everyone’s joint efforts, they finished cleaning in less than two hours.

After tidying up the house, the little ones were all exhausted, so Jiang Xue and the eldest sister took the children back to their respective rooms to rest.

Li Yi, on the other hand, called Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen to join him, and they drove straight from home to the Dong’an Market branch where his third older sister worked.

That’s right—Li Yi planned to visit his third older sister.

When he left in March, his third sister had been pregnant for over a month; now that it was late August, she was well into her pregnancy.

He wondered what his pregnant third sister looked like now and whether her fiery temper had mellowed at all.

The Li family’s courtyard house wasn’t far from Dong’an Market; with a car, it took no more than ten minutes to get there.

When he arrived at the Dong’an Market branch, the doors were tightly shut—clearly, it was closed for the day.

Anyone who’s worked in the restaurant industry knows that lunch service usually runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., though some places might extend it to 2:30 p.m.

The period from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM is the staff’s break time, and after 5:00 PM, they begin preparing for the evening service.

Realizing that Third Sister was likely already resting, Li Yi decided not to disturb her. Instead, he had Zhang Ziqiang drive to the mainland branch of Star Investment Company in the city center.

Before long, the car arrived at the branch office.

Since Jiang Xue had often used this car to come to work before, the security guard at the entrance recognized the boss’s wife and let Li Yi and the others in without much scrutiny.

However, once inside, Li Yi and the others were a bit taken aback.

When they had traveled to Hong Kong, the branch’s headquarters was still at its original location, meaning this was their first time at this particular site.

Just as Li Yi was thinking about finding someone to ask where Lan Xinyi’s office was, he spotted a familiar face walking toward him from a short distance away.

“Yang Qian…”

Just as Li Yi recognized her, Yang Qian spotted him too and immediately quickened her pace toward him.

“Boss, you’re back?” Yang Qian asked, sounding a bit surprised.

“I’m back. Where is General Manager Lan’s office? It’s my first time here, and I don’t know my way around!” Li Yi said.

“It’s in the courtyard on the east side. I’ll take you there!”

“Great!”

Then, led by Yang Qian, the group walked along the colonnade toward the east side of the small lake.

Since there was no one else around, and the only others present—Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen—were both aware of Yang Qian’s true identity, Li Yi didn’t pay them any mind.

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked the question on his mind: “Yang Qian, I’ve been meaning to ask—why did you stay in the country? Was that Old Xu’s idea?”

Yang Qian shook her head and said, “Not really. It was General Manager Lan’s idea!”

“Huh? Why would she want to keep you here on the mainland?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

“It’s partly my fault. Earlier, the company was selecting staff for an important mission. I volunteered to gain recognition from senior management, and I was actually chosen.”

Then Yang Qian added with a sigh, “What I didn’t expect was that this ‘important mission’ turned out to be setting up a branch office on the mainland. By the time I found out, it was too late to back out!”

“So you basically dug your own grave?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“I suppose so. But staying in Beijing isn’t so bad. Since I’m familiar with how things work here and the social dynamics, plus I have some connections, I’ve helped the company handle quite a few matters over the past few months. That makes me feel a lot better when I get paid!” Yang Qian laughed.

“Doesn’t that mean your cover has been blown?” Li Yi frowned.

Yang Qian shrugged it off. “So what if it’s out in the open? I wasn’t a spy to begin with. At first, I was just there to ensure the safety of that fund. Now that you’ve recovered so much money for the country, my mission is complete.”

“Besides, the whole world knows you’re part of that faction now. It makes perfect sense to have a few more Chinese nationals in your company!”

Hearing Yang Qian’s explanation, Li Yi immediately laughed and said, “Right, that makes perfect sense!”

“By the way, what’s your current position at the branch office?”

“I used to be a team leader and deputy director in the Investment Department. Now I’m the General Manager’s Assistant, and I occasionally fill in for the PR Department!” Yang Qian said.

“I didn’t realize you were such a jack-of-all-trades!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Not really. It’s mainly because the team General Manager Lan brought over from Hong Kong isn’t very familiar with how things are done here. Some of them are too rigid and inflexible, while others look down on the local staff. As an ‘outsider,’ I happen to understand both sides, so General Manager Lan has no choice but to rely on me!” Yang Qian said with a touch of resignation.

“Regarding your return to work here, has Old Xu given any other instructions? Has he asked you to find a way to go back?” Li Yi asked again.

“Yes, after all, if I’m here, I can’t keep up with the headquarters’ investment situation in real time. But that’s something I can’t control—there’s nothing I can do about it!” Yang Qian said.

“So, do you want to go back to Hong Kong Island? If you do, I can transfer you back!” Li Yi said.

“It doesn’t matter to me. As long as the country needs me, I’m fine staying here or returning to Hong Kong!”

Hearing this, an idea suddenly popped into Li Yi’s mind, and he immediately said, “Here’s what we’ll do: get your things together over the next few days, and I’ll have someone send you back to Hong Kong in a few days!”

“Once you’re back, select a group of people from the company to form an independent team. You’ll be given control of a fund, and you’ll be solely responsible for managing it!”

Yang Qian was very sharp; she understood immediately upon hearing Li Yi’s words. She then asked cautiously, “Is this money from the mainland?”

“Hmm…”

Li Yi was just about to explain his plan in detail when Yang Qian suddenly said, “General Manager Lan’s office is right up ahead!”

“Alright, we’ll discuss this in more detail later!”

“Alright…”

After saying that, Yang Qian led Li Yi into a courtyard directly ahead.

In the office, Lan Xinyi was sorting through a pile of documents on her desk when she saw Yang Qian push open the door and walk in.

Before she could ask what was going on, Yang Qian spoke up: “Sister Lan, the boss is here!”

Lan Xinyi then noticed Li Yi standing behind Yang Qian. She immediately stood up and said with a smile, “Boss, you’re back?”

“I just got back and came straight over to check on things here at the company!”

“Please, have a seat!”

Seeing this, Yang Qian promptly poured a cup of hot water for each of them, then tactfully excused herself.

Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen hadn’t stayed in the office either; after confirming that Li Yi was safe, they followed Yang Qian out.

Soon, only Li Yi and Lan Xinyi remained in the office.

Li Yi glanced at the office’s entirely Chinese-style design, smiled, and asked, “Are you getting used to working here?”

“I wasn’t used to it at first, but it’s much better now. It actually feels better than Hong Kong—after all, the place there is so small, and everything feels cramped!” Lan Xinyi said with a smile.

“That’s true. Having a small courtyard all to yourself like this—I couldn’t even imagine that over there!”

Li Yi then asked, “How is the company doing now? Are our funds still sufficient?”

Lan Xinyi immediately pulled out a document. As she handed it to Li Yi, she said, “This is a summary of the company’s investment activities over the past four months. As of mid-August, the investment department has fully acquired 16 underperforming factories and taken equity stakes in 25 other underperforming or low-profit enterprises. These 41 companies alone have consumed 580 million yuan of the company’s funds.”

“On top of that, the company has established branches in Lin’an, Rongcheng, Chang’an, and Fengtian, and has built a new headquarters office building along with supporting facilities such as housing for employees and their families in the capital. Combined with the purchase of our current office space, these projects have consumed over 200 million yuan…”

At this point, Li Yi interjected, “So, does that mean the company still has over 200 million yuan left?”

“More than that—it should be 820 million!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then asked with interest, “Where did the extra 600 million come from?”

“It was all earned by Vice President An and Ms. Li Lan’s team!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “Ever since you, Boss, left for Hong Kong, Vice President An has led the team to organize trade fairs in 11 major cities, including Lin’an, Rongcheng, Shancheng, Chang’an, Hucheng, and Jiangcheng.”

“Because the products they showcased were of superior quality and offered at competitive prices, backed by the company’s after-sales guarantee, they received overwhelming support from local residents in every city—every event was a sell-out.”

“In just four short months, they generated 8 billion yuan in sales. After deducting various taxes and costs, the company’s share came to 640 million yuan!”

“How did they manage to make that much money?” Li Yi asked in astonishment.

An Xinyi immediately said to Banbanhaobang with admiration, “At first, I found this hard to believe too, but once I learned about how they operate, I was truly amazed!”

“Vice President An’s sales fairs don’t sell just anything; instead, they’re organized by category, one at a time. This week they hold a light industrial goods fair, and next week a children’s toys fair. A single product category can run for a week, and they can basically go two months without repeating a single theme.”

“Sometimes they rotate the events, and other times they hold them simultaneously in several locations across the country. While the revenue for each fair isn’t fixed, it’s guaranteed to be at least 5 million yuan. The most successful one—the home appliance fair—actually sold 200 million yuan worth of goods in just seven days…”

Whoa!

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

Wow. He’d always known that An Hong was exceptionally capable—give her a chance, and she’d bloom into something extraordinary.

But he still felt he’d underestimated her a bit. Just a small sales fair, and she could rake in that much money—Li Yi almost wanted to shout, “Sis-in-law, you’re the best!”

PS: It’s the last day of November, and I’ve finally made it through.

For Old Cang, this month has definitely been the toughest since he started writing. First, he got sick, and he still hasn’t fully recovered—it’s been over a month, and he’s still coughing nonstop.

Then my little girl and my wife both came down with the same cold, the same cough, and the same lingering illness.

In the middle of the month, my mother-in-law fell ill and had surgery; she was only discharged from the hospital two days ago.

On top of that, my workplace hosted several events, including high-level gatherings like the China-Mongolia-Russia Writers’ Symposium, and I attended them all while still feeling under the weather.

With everything piling up at once, this month’s update progress has been less than ideal—I’ve barely managed to hit 100,000 words. I hope to recover fully next month and be able to post more frequently!

I also wish all my readers good health, happiness, and success in everything you do during this final month of 2023!

The Jiang Family Mansion. Study!

Old Master Jiang gently set his teacup down on the table and said, “I’ve given careful thought to what you mentioned on the phone yesterday, and I’ve decided I can’t help that young man!”

Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Father, why is that? I don’t see anything wrong with Yi wanting to take a break and spend time with his wife and children.”

Old Master Jiang chuckled. “Haha, that sly little rascal does want to rest, but the reason he doesn’t want to be so high-profile is simply because he’s afraid of being made a target—and even more afraid of being treated like a fat pig being fattened up!”

“A target? A fat pig?”

“Exactly. The government’s attitude toward the private sector seems to have shifted again, especially after that economic ‘late-spring chill’ at the beginning of the year, which dealt a severe blow to the private sector’s morale. I think Xiao Yi saw all this and fears that if he’s too high-profile, he’ll be made into a target!”

The old man continued, “On top of that, his assets are now massive—combined, his domestic and international holdings are worth as much as the annual output of a dozen provinces. He’s worried that one day he’ll end up like Shen Wansan or He Shen.”

Jiang Shiying was no fool; he quickly grasped the crux of the matter.

After a moment’s thought, he looked at his grandfather and asked, “So will Xiao Yi become that target—or perhaps that fat pig waiting to be slaughtered?”

“No!”

The old man continued, “That kid is seriously underestimating the power of the Jiang family. No matter who it is, if they want to touch him, they’ll have to ask us—the Jiang family—and the Ye family first.”

“Furthermore, Xiao Yi hasn’t fully grasped his current standing. Right now, he’s a figurehead jointly established by the old commander and his colleagues. In this unique position, unless there’s a fundamental shift in national policy, no one will be able to touch him!”

“But at the same time, being in this position doesn’t allow him to keep a low profile. If he’s too low-key, he’ll have no glory above and no achievements below—that’s a sure path to disaster!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “As always, you see things with such depth and clarity. I hadn’t considered any of this. But what should we do now? Should I go talk to Xiao Yi…”

Before he could finish, Old Master Jiang shook his head and said, “No need. That lad is a stubborn one—he’s set in his ways. Even if he understands what you’re saying, he might not listen to you!”

“Then what should we do?”

“It’s time for my grandson-in-law to get a feel for the circles of the Jiang and Ye families. Isn’t Uncle Liang’s little girl getting engaged in a couple of days? Bring that boy along when you attend the banquet!”

The old man continued, “At the same time, have Longcheng, Longze, and the younger generation of the Ye family spend more time hanging out with Xiaoyi and the young people in the compound. They shouldn’t be thinking about making money all day long.”

“Will… will that really work?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Of course it will. That kid is genuinely smart, and he’s always coming up with all sorts of ingenious schemes—most people can’t outsmart him. But he does have his weaknesses!”

“What kind of weakness?”

“He’s deeply loyal!”

Jiang Shiying thought for a moment and immediately understood what his old man meant.

“Father, are you suggesting that Xiao Yi should spend more time with the scions of those prominent families, integrate into that circle as quickly as possible, and then spark his fighting spirit?”

Old Master Jiang shook his head. “No. That kid has never lacked fighting spirit. Just look at what he’s done abroad—if his fighting spirit were any higher, he might have sparked a diplomatic incident.”

“I’m having him mingle with those scions of prominent families precisely so he can become the leader of the younger generation—so that even if he wanted to keep a low profile, he wouldn’t be able to.”

Whoa!

Gasping in surprise, Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but ask, “Can Xiao Yi really become the leader of the younger generation?”

“Do you think Xiao Yi lacks the ability?” the old man countered.

“That’s not it. I’m worried he isn’t interested. Haven’t you noticed that Xiao Yi looks at Longcheng and Jianhua as if they were children? I think he genuinely looks down on that group of scions from prominent families!” Jiang Shiying said.

He knew his son-in-law’s personality very well. That young man possessed both emotional and intellectual intelligence unlike anything he’d ever seen—a true genius.

And in the eyes of a genius, everyone else—except himself—is either an idiot or a childish fool.

Jiang Shiying truly didn’t think it was very likely that his son-in-law would want to associate with a bunch of dim-witted scions of prominent families.

The old man, however, smiled and said, “It’s precisely because he looks down on them that it’s interesting. Think about it: a genius spending every day with a bunch of mediocrities, watching their self-important, foolish antics—what do you think he’ll be like?”

“He’ll keep his distance as much as possible!”

“But what if he can’t keep his distance?”

“Well…”

At that, Jiang Shiying’s eyes lit up, and he said immediately, “Become their leader and mold these young people into something better.”

“Hahaha, exactly. Just like Longcheng and Jianhua did before.”

The old man continued, “And once he’s surrounded by these scions of prominent families—who all look up to him—how could he possibly keep a low profile?”

Jiang Shiying immediately replied, “Father, while that’s a brilliant move, I’m afraid Xiao Yi won’t even give you the chance to pull it off.”

He knew his son-in-law all too well; once this young man made up his mind, not even eight horses could pull him back.

If he’s determined to keep a low profile, he might just go into hiding and avoid everyone.

“Heh, let’s try this first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just have to pull out the big guns!” the old man said with a laugh.

“What kind of big move?”

“Do you remember that the lad has quite a few friends back in our hometown and over in Yong County?”

“I do. There are a few police officers, and some working in other government and corporate units. Why are you bringing them up, Old Man?” Jiang Shiying asked, puzzled.

“If all else fails, we’ll select a few of them and transfer them to Beijing. Given Xiao Yi’s personality, once they arrive, he’ll definitely want to look out for them. If those people get bullied, he’ll certainly stand up for them. You get my drift, right?” the old man said.

Jiang Shiying’s mouth twitched slightly, thinking to himself, “Old hands really do know best!”

If they were to follow the old man’s plan, Xiao Yi wouldn’t be able to keep a low profile—unless he was willing to let his friends be bullied.

Knowing that kid as I do, he would never turn a blind eye.

Once he steps in to defend those friends, he can’t possibly keep a low profile and hide his true abilities.

With that in mind, Jiang Shiying immediately said, “I understand, but I’d still like to talk to Xiao Yi. I don’t want him to harbor any hard feelings!”

“That’s up to you. I won’t interfere!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and asked again, “What do you think about that family trust?”

“Not good!” the old man said decisively.

“Father, you don’t agree with setting up that family fund?” Jiang Shiying asked, frowning.

The old man nodded and said, “Hmm, Xiao Yi’s idea is sound—it’s a way of ensuring integrity through high salaries, guaranteeing that our family’s young members won’t compromise their principles for a few pieces of silver and engage in corrupt practices!”

“But you must know that human nature is never fully good, and greed is insatiable. Those raised on high salaries aren’t necessarily talented—they could very well be good-for-nothings and wastrels! Think of the once-invincible Manchu Eight Banners. If their ancestors had given them just a few taels less, they wouldn’t have turned into the good-for-nothings who spent their days playing with birds and training hawks on the streets!”

“Father has a point. Then let’s just do without this family fund!” Jiang Shiying said with a lighthearted tone.

To be honest, he hadn’t wanted to take advantage of his own son-in-law in the first place. He’d only been persuaded by Li Yi yesterday because he believed it would benefit the family’s future.

But after hearing the old man’s analysis, Jiang Shiying felt it would be better to pass on the family fund after all!

However, the old man suddenly furrowed his brow and said, “Wait a moment. My grandson-in-law is cunning to a fault; he couldn’t possibly have missed such a superficial point. Could there be some deeper meaning behind him setting up this family fund?”

“What deeper meaning?” Jiang Shiying asked, puzzled.

Suddenly, the old man’s eyes widened, and he exclaimed, “Could it be that the young man isn’t aiming to ensure the Jiang family’s peace for generations to come, but rather to make us invincible for all time?”

“Invincible for all time?”

Suddenly, a flash of alarm crossed Jiang Shiying’s eyes, and he instinctively lowered his voice. “Father, do you mean that position?”

“It’s possible… Let’s not bring this up for now. I’ll discuss it with Old Ye later!” Old Master Jiang said.

“Alright…”

Then Jiang Shiying said with a hint of resignation, “Xiao Yi’s mind is too hard to read. If you and my father-in-law can’t figure it out, why don’t I just ask the kid directly if he really means it?”

“We’ll talk about it later!”

Then the old man added, “By the way, Old Chen mentioned a few days ago that he’d like to meet with him and hear his views on economic development.”

“But since the kid isn’t willing to meet Old Chen face-to-face, why don’t you step in and have him write something down?”

Jiang Shiying thought for a moment and said, “Alright, but I can’t ask for it in my own name—after all, I’m in charge of the Discipline Inspection Commission now. I’ll consult him on Long Yin’s behalf!”

“Alright, but make it quick. Old Chen is completely blown away by that kid’s incredible investment tactics. If he doesn’t hear back from us soon, he might just go find Xiao Yi himself!” Old Man Jiang said.

“Alright, I’ll go see him tomorrow!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright…”

Just as the Jiang father and son were discussing Li Yi, Li Yi—who had just returned to his own courtyard house—suddenly sneezed several times in quick succession. He couldn’t help but shiver all over, sensing that something was amiss…

………..

Leaving the study, Jiang Shiying didn’t go downstairs but turned a corner and entered the master bedroom where Ye Lingyun lived.

Realizing his father-in-law didn’t want to interrupt his serious conversation with Zhou Rui, Li Yi went downstairs alone.

As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, Li Yi spotted Zhou Rui, who looked worn out and exhausted from his long journey.

Zhou Rui was chatting casually with his nephew when he heard footsteps at the top of the stairs. He immediately stopped talking and looked up.

Upon seeing it was Li Yi, he immediately stood up from the sofa and walked toward him.

“Director Zhou, when did you get back? Did everything go smoothly?”

Zhou Rui knew Li Yi was asking if he’d received the goods, so he smiled and replied, “Everything went smoothly. The goods were delivered last night. I came over right after I dropped them off at Old Xu’s place!”

“You look like you’ve been on the road all day—haven’t you eaten yet?”

“I had a quick bite on the way, so I’m not hungry.”

Then, Zhou Rui glanced upstairs and said, “If it’s convenient, shall we find a quiet place to talk?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Let’s go to my father-in-law’s study then!”

“Sure!”

The two followed one after the other and soon arrived at the study.

Li Yi remained in the same spot as before, only now his conversation partner was Zhou Rui.

As soon as they entered, Zhou Rui said eagerly, “Comrade Zhou Yang, the funds you brought back have really solved a major problem. I’ve already called the Beijing office, and Director Yang said he’ll submit a commendation to higher-ups for you as soon as possible!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “No need—it was just a small favor…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Rui interjected, “It may have been a small effort for you, but for the country, it was a real lifeline. Such a significant contribution—if there’s no recognition at all, wouldn’t that discourage the people?”

Although Zhou Rui knew from his nephew that Li Yi was a very low-key person and understood that he didn’t want to be the one to take the spotlight, Zhou Rui simply couldn’t let him get away with it.

Li Yi didn’t realize that he now represented far more than just himself—he represented a team of thousands.

That’s right—a team of several thousand people!

This team included personnel from the National Security Bureau, banks, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and even the military—for instance, the more than 1,200 retired reconnaissance soldiers at Shield Security had been directly seconded from the armed forces.

Now, these thousands of people revolve entirely around Li Yi; their fortunes are inextricably linked—when he succeeds, they all succeed; when he fails, they all fail.

If Li Yi were to give up on claiming credit today, it wouldn’t just affect him—it would mean that the efforts of thousands of people over the past few months would be wasted. This was something Zhou Rui was absolutely unwilling to see happen.

Li Yi felt a sense of helplessness; he truly did not want to make such a high-profile move.

But at the same time, he knew that there were many matters neither he nor Zhou Rui could decide on their own—this was something that required the Old Master’s intervention!

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “Alright, you handle this as you see fit. Is there anything else?”

“Yes. After reports of your investments in both London and New York reached the country, the higher-ups were quite shocked. Comrade Chen, who oversees economic affairs, personally issued instructions: if such an opportunity arises again in the future, you must inform us in advance…”

“What’s the point? Don’t we have a foreign exchange shortage back home? Does just saying it make the investment capital appear out of thin air?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

He knew the higher-ups were trying to squeeze out a few extra benefits, but the problem was that this was an investment. Li Yi could forgo his commission, but they couldn’t withhold the principal, right?

Even ordinary people know you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the lamb—surely the higher-ups weren’t trying to get something for nothing…

Zhou Rui smiled and said, “Old Chen said that next time there’s an opportunity, he’ll sell everything he owns to get you more principal!”

“We’ll see. I probably won’t make any moves in the second half of the year—let’s wait and see what next year brings!”

Li Yi knew that by next year, the economies of many regions—including Gangdao—would begin to emerge from the slump, and with the global economy entering a recovery phase, there would be plenty of investment opportunities.

If the chance arose, he wouldn’t mind making a killing.

“You really aren’t planning to make a move?”

“Yeah, there aren’t many opportunities in the second half of the year. Even if I did make a move, I wouldn’t make much profit. It’s not worth it for such a small sum!” Li Yi said.

“That’s fine. With these 1.15 billion dollars, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange should be able to hold out for a while!”

Zhou Rui then added, “By the way, when do you plan to return to Beijing? Do you need me to help arrange it?”

“It depends on what my in-laws say. As for arrangements, if we can still get tickets on a regular flight, we probably won’t need any help!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Alright then. If that’s the case, I’ll head back to Beijing this afternoon!” Zhou Rui said.

“So soon?”

“Yeah, I need to go back and report to the bureau, and I also need to brief the relevant leaders on some other developments in Hong Kong!”

“I see. See you in Beijing, then!”

“Alright, see you in Beijing…”

After seeing Zhou Rui off, Jiang Shiying also came out of the room, apparently getting ready to go to work.

“Dad, off to work?”

“Yes, I have a meeting to chair this afternoon!”

Then, as if remembering something, Jiang Shiying asked, “By the way, when are you two coming back to the capital? Have you set a date yet?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “That’s entirely up to you and Mom to decide!”

“What do you mean?”

“Xiao Xue and I are ready to go anytime. If you and Mother want to spend a few more days together, we’ll just delay our return a few days!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying’s face flushed red for a moment, then he said, “No need. We’ll head back tomorrow. You two get ready!”

Li Yi quickly picked up on the key phrase in his father-in-law’s words and asked, “‘We’—are you coming back with us?”

“Yes. I need to return to Beijing to report on some work, and besides, the daughter of a distant uncle in the capital is getting engaged, so I have to go back for that as well!” Jiang Shiying said.

However, Li Yi just grinned and said with a smirk, “You don’t need to explain all that to me. Besides, there’s no shame in wanting to spend time with your own wife!”

Teased by his own son-in-law, Jiang Shiying instantly felt mortified and, in a fit of anger and embarrassment, snapped, “You’re getting bolder and bolder, you little rascal—you even dare to tease your own father…”

Before he could finish his “threat,” Li Yi turned and walked away, leaving Jiang Shiying standing in the courtyard, looking utterly flustered and helpless…

…………

It was another stifling, cramped night, and before dawn the next day, Li Yi was already up.

Looking at his body covered in mosquito bites, he immediately decided to buy a house in Guangzhou as soon as possible.

Although his father-in-law’s villa was fully equipped, the living space was genuinely small—only about 140 to 150 square meters in total, upstairs and downstairs combined.

It was fine for three or five people, but now that he’d arrived with his entire family in tow—plus six male and female bodyguards—his father-in-law’s place was starting to feel a bit cramped.

Realizing he would inevitably have to come here every few days, Li Yi decided to spend his own money on a larger place—after all, he certainly had the means.

After getting up, Li Yi went with Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen to the breakfast stall outside the provincial government compound to buy breakfast for everyone.

By the time they returned to the villa, Jiang Xue, his in-laws, and his sister-in-law were already up, and everyone was busy helping the little ones get dressed and wash their faces.

Perhaps because they’d been woken up a bit too early, the three children weren’t very cooperative and kept crying and fussing.

After a flurry of chaos, everyone was finally ready just before eight o’clock.

Afterward, Jiang Shiying called her office to arrange for a few cars to be sent over.

Immediately afterward, Li Yi and the others, carrying the gifts they’d brought back from Hong Kong, got into the cars and headed straight for the airport…

Zhang Ziqiang had booked the tickets through special channels, so they didn’t even have to go through security; they simply used a special lane to board the plane smoothly.

The rest of the journey went very smoothly as well. The plane took off at 9:30 a.m. and landed safely at Beijing Capital International Airport at 1:00 p.m.

Upon learning that his grandson-in-law had returned home in triumph after another successful mission, Old Master Jiang had sent security guards with a motorcade to wait outside the airport well in advance. As soon as Li Yi and the others stepped out of the terminal, they were driven back to the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

Meanwhile, the Old Master had arranged for a family banquet to be prepared at the estate. Upon their return, Li Yi and his companions were served a hot meal.

Li Yi had assumed that since the old man had sent people specifically to pick him up, there must be something he wanted to discuss with him.

But to his surprise, after the meal, the old master simply sent the entire family back to their courtyard home.

However, after Li Yi, Jiang Xue, and the others had left, the old man summoned Jiang Shiying to his study…

……….

Hearing Li Yi say he’d gotten himself into trouble, Jiang Shiying felt a slight shock, but mostly curiosity.

He knew his son-in-law’s character fairly well; he knew that although he was young, he went about his business with great method and precision—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was meticulous to a fault.

“What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into that you need me to handle it?”

Suddenly, Jiang Shiying’s eyes widened, and he said, “You haven’t done anything to hurt Xiao Xue, have you? If that’s the case, I can’t help you!”

Li Yi grinned and immediately replied, “No, don’t jump to conclusions. I just made a bit of a mistake by putting some assets under Xiao Xue’s and my mother’s names!”

“Xiao Xue and your mother?”

“Yeah!”

Li Yi then explained, “While I was in Hong Kong, I transferred shares in quite a few companies to Xiao Xue’s name. At the time, I thought it didn’t violate the shareholding restrictions for listed companies, but after I got back, I realized it might not have been the best move!”

Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “How much are those shares worth?”

“A few billion Hong Kong dollars, I’d say!”

“And what about Lingyun? Why did you put assets in her name as well?” Jiang Shiying asked, puzzled.

Li Yi replied, “It was mainly to make it easier for Xiaoxue and my mother to spend money there, so I opened bank accounts for them in Hong Kong and deposited some money into each one. It’s just that the amounts are quite large, which might cause unnecessary misunderstandings!”

“How much is in your mother’s account?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“I think it’s about 2 million Hong Kong dollars. It was mainly to make it easier for Mom to shop over there. I don’t even know if she’s spent any of it!” Li Yi replied.

To be honest, this really was Li Yi’s mistake. At the time, he’d been so focused on convenience that he’d forgotten their special status.

Although the “Regulations on the Management of Business Operations by Spouses, Children, and Their Spouses of Leading Cadres” hadn’t been officially enacted yet, as a family member of a high-ranking official like Jiang Shiying, opening bank accounts overseas at will and holding massive amounts of assets without proper reporting and approval was far more than just a matter of bad publicity. If this were to be exposed, it might very well drag Jiang Shiying down with it.

One must remember that there are no minor matters when it comes to international affairs, especially given Jiang Shiying’s current high-ranking position—who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching him from the shadows!

Even a minor misstep could lead to irreversible consequences.

Jiang Shiying paused to consider the matter, then said, “The situation with Xiaoxue isn’t that serious. For one thing, she hasn’t graduated yet, and for another, she’s already married, so it won’t have much impact on me!”

“But your mother is a different story. She’s not only my wife but also a government official. Under normal circumstances, she’s not allowed to open a bank account overseas!”

“What should we do then?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“I’ll report this to the relevant authorities as soon as possible. Barring any surprises, they’ll review those funds. They might even contact you for clarification—just be cooperative,” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright, thanks for taking the trouble!” Li Yi said.

“It’s no trouble at all. I just wanted to ask—you’re willing to shell out 2 million for Lingyun, but aren’t you going to show a little appreciation to your father-in-law?”

Hearing this, Li Yi was instantly dumbfounded. What kind of demon had possessed his father-in-law to say something like that?

“I’d love to show my appreciation, but I’m worried people might gossip and tarnish your reputation,” Li Yi said.

“A son-in-law showing respect to his father-in-law—who would dare to gossip about that? If they’re so capable, let them find a son-in-law who’s both wealthy and capable themselves!” Jiang Shiying said with a touch of pride.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I wouldn’t leave you out. Not only have I prepared a gift for you, but everyone in the Jiang and Ye families will receive one too!”

“Huh?”

Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi with a puzzled expression and asked, “Everyone gets a share? What are you up to?”

Li Yi’s expression turned serious as he replied, “Father, I plan to set aside funds to establish three family endowments—one each for the Jiang, Ye, and Li families. Each endowment will have a principal of 100 million yuan, all registered under the mainland branch of Star Investment Company and managed by dedicated professionals!”

“From now on, every year, every direct descendant of the Jiang, Ye, and Li families will receive a living allowance!”

“There’s no need to give it to everyone—your money didn’t just fall from the sky!” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Father, I’m doing this not just because I’ve become successful and want to help my own relatives, but more importantly, to preserve the foundations of the Jiang and Ye families!” Li Yi said.

“What do you mean by that?”

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Father, you should know that political families like the Jiangs and the Yees have deeply entrenched networks of influence. They’re usually hard to wipe out. Even if someone picks the wrong side, there’s still a chance to turn things around—provided the family’s foundations remain intact.”

“Yet this is often the hardest thing to guarantee, especially for some of the younger clan members. Faced with the temptations of power, money, and women, many find it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow. I established this family fund precisely to make our own children understand that members of the old Jiang and Ye families can live a prosperous and dignified life even without resorting to corruption!”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiying fell silent immediately.

He recalled the conversation he’d had with Li Yi when he’d just reclaimed his daughter. At the time, he’d wanted Li Yi to pursue a career in government service and had even considered sending him to college, but Li Yi had refused both offers.

At the time, Li Yi had clearly stated his intention to go into business, adding that he intended to become a solid financial pillar for the Jiang family in the future.

At the time, although Jiang Shiying thought his son-in-law was quite ambitious, he hadn’t taken it seriously. Yet in less than two years, the young man had made it happen.

This forced him to seriously consider whether it was necessary to establish this family foundation.

After a long pause, Jiang Shiying finally spoke: “Thank you, Yi. With this family fund, we can at least ensure the prosperity of the Jiang and Ye families for the next fifty years!”

“So, does that mean you agree to my establishing the family fund?” Li Yi asked.

“Yes! If you want to set it up, go ahead. I support you!”

In the past, Jiang Shiying might have refused; after all, he was a proud man who didn’t want to take advantage of his son-in-law.

But since taking on the role of head of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Jiang Shiying had been involved in investigating so many cases of official corruption that it had deeply affected him.

Often, official corruption stems not only from personal weakness of will or a loss of conviction, but also from problems with those close to them—such as spouses, children, parents, or personal secretaries.

Family members, in particular, were a major target of corruption.

Moreover, if one person in a family cannot resist temptation, the others will soon be drawn in—whether willingly or unwillingly—and it is rare for anyone to remain unsullied by the corruption.

Jiang Shiying did not want the Jiang family to produce such descendants in the future, so he agreed to his son-in-law’s proposal to establish a family trust.

After all, from now on, the Jiang and Li families are deeply intertwined—there’s no shame in taking advantage of one’s own son-in-law!

“Alright, I’ll start making arrangements as soon as I get back!” Li Yi said.

“Good. If you have time, you should talk to the two elders about this and hear their thoughts,” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright…”

Just as they were speaking, a series of sharp knocks came from the door, interrupting the conversation between the father-in-law and son-in-law.

Jiang Shiying immediately said, “Come in!”

With a creak, Zhang Ziqiang pushed the door open and walked in, then said to Li Yi, “Brother Yi, Director Zhou is here. He says he’d like to see you!”

“Alright, I’ll be right down!”

Li Yi then stood up with Jiang Shiying and went downstairs…

……….

Guangzhou. Provincial Government Compound!

It was exactly 10:00 a.m. when they arrived.

As usual, the National Security Bureau had sent people to pick them up at the pier, but Li Yi didn’t see Zhou Rui.

Li Yi knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Zhou Rui should still be in Pengcheng at this hour.

Last night, just before he decided to return to Yangcheng, he had instructed his brother-in-law, Yan Guangming, and others to transport the principal and interest totaling 1.15 billion US dollars—the portion allocated to the state—to Shekou Port via a cargo ship under Huang Lixing’s command.

With such a massive sum of money, Zhou Rui certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable entrusting it to others, so he had gone to Pengcheng himself.

Upon returning to the small villa, everyone seemed to relax instantly.

As soon as they walked in, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, Yang Zhiwen, and the others began carrying their luggage into the house, while Zhang Feng, Yang Miao, and Zhou Rui’s older sister watched over the children as they played in the small courtyard.

Li Yi and Jiang Xue discussed their upcoming itinerary, primarily deciding how many days to stay in Guangzhou.

It wasn’t that Guangzhou had any particularly interesting attractions; rather, they wanted to let his mother-in-law and father-in-law stay a few extra days.

After all, for the entire holiday, his mother-in-law had spent most of her time on Hong Kong Island, helping them look after the children.

Although they were only separated from his father-in-law by the Pearl River, they hadn’t had a chance to meet—it felt a bit like the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

As a son-in-law, Li Yi naturally couldn’t ignore his in-laws’ feelings!

Most importantly, school is set to start in a few days, and my mother-in-law will be busy again, so he wants to take advantage of the fact that they still have some free time and let them stay a few more days.

But he’d still need to discuss the details with his mother-in-law.

At noon, just as everyone was discussing where to go for lunch, his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, returned from work.

After a brief chat, Jiang Shiying personally led Li Yi and the others to a state-run restaurant near the Discipline Inspection Commission compound.

There, he ordered a lavish spread of food, saying it was to welcome his daughter and son-in-law home.

However, Li Yi suspected his father-in-law probably hadn’t come back just to see him and Jiang Xue. Ever since returning from work, he’d been taking turns holding Yunrui and Yunjin, and even during the meal, he couldn’t bear to put them down, fully embodying the affection between grandparents and grandchildren.

After the meal, Jiang Shiying didn’t head straight to the office; instead, he returned to the small villa with Li Yi and the others.

Once back at the villa, Jiang Shiying asked his wife and daughter to go upstairs to put the children down for their afternoon nap, while he called Li Yi into his study.

Knowing his father-in-law must have something to discuss with him, Li Yi naturally didn’t refuse.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi and said, “I read the newspapers from Hong Kong. They say your company made several billion dollars this time. Is that true?”

“It’s true!”

“So how much will you get?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“I haven’t calculated it yet; the dividend payout to shareholders won’t be finalized until the end of the year!”

Then Li Yi changed the subject and added, “But aside from the company’s dividends, I personally made over ten billion US dollars on this trip and acquired a few companies—I definitely didn’t come up short!”

Jiang Shiying was shaken once more. Wow, just one trip netted him tens of billions of dollars—and if you add the company’s dividends, it would likely exceed a hundred billion dollars!

He’d always known his son-in-law was a genius at making money, but such terrifying earning power still left him stunned.

No wonder the young man looked down on the career path his father-in-law had arranged for him. If he had such abilities himself, he wouldn’t bother with the constant backstabbing and scheming either.

With that in mind, Jiang Shiying asked curiously, “So, how much foreign exchange did you bring back for the higher-ups this time?”

“1.15 billion dollars!”

“Does that include the previous 200 million?”

“No, I didn’t!”

“So, in the past six months, you’ve managed to bring back a total of 1.35 billion US dollars for the higher-ups?” Jiang Shiying said, staring intently at Li Yi.

“Two hundred million was the principal; the rest is profit!” Li Yi replied honestly.

Although the plan was classified, there was no need to hide anything from his father-in-law.

First, his father-in-law was already aware of the plan, and there were still many areas where he could use his help.

Second, his father-in-law was a bona fide provincial-level official; given his rank, he was fully entitled to know about this matter, so there was no need to worry about being dragged into a de-classification process.

“Hahaha, another major achievement! Have you thought about what you want in return?” Jiang Shiying said with a laugh.

“What?”

“With merit comes reward. Barring any surprises, someone will definitely want to talk to you once you get back. You’d better be mentally prepared for that!” Jiang Shiying said.

“What kind of talk? Haven’t the State Security people always been the ones contacting me?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

Jiang Shiying smiled and said, “That was because the higher-ups underestimated your capabilities, so it was the State Security people who were in contact with you.”

“But things are different now. Setting aside the fact that you’ve brought in so much foreign exchange for the country and helped solve major problems for the higher-ups, just look at how, under your influence, Chinese and British businesspeople from across the strait have been flocking here to invest and set up factories.”

“In just the first half of the year, their investment here on the mainland reached twenty billion US dollars. This has created a massive influence, both economically and politically. The higher-ups can’t possibly overlook this, so when you go back this time, they’re bound to show their appreciation!”

Li Yi said thoughtfully, “Dad, are you saying the bigwigs at the top are going to reward me?”

“Exactly. As long as your request isn’t too outrageous, they certainly won’t refuse!” Jiang Shiying replied.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Dad, is it possible not to make any requests?”

“What do you mean?”

“If possible, I’d actually prefer it if the leaders didn’t even call me in for a talk!” Li Yi said, making a startling remark.

“You…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, Li Yi cut in, “Dad, I have all the money I need right now. I’ve got luxury cars and mansions out there, plus a massive company. And with the two elders and you looking out for me, I honestly don’t know what to ask for!”

“I know that with great power comes great responsibility, but from last year until now, I’ve spent most of my time traveling. Not only is it incredibly exhausting, but I’ve also missed a significant part of Yunrui and Yunjin’s upbringing. So I’d like to take a break and spend some quality time at home with Xiaoxue and the kids!”

He wasn’t being sentimental, nor was he saying this just to impress Jiang Shiying; it was genuinely what he felt deep down.

For Li Yi, having witnessed the pinnacle of the financial world, making money was nowhere near as important to him as his family.

Not to mention, his current net worth, converted to US dollars, was at least 30 billion.

Excluding those secretive European conglomerates, he was undoubtedly the world’s richest man.

Not only could he never spend it all himself, but even Yun Rui, Yun Jin, and their children couldn’t possibly spend it all—so why bother running around chasing money?

But to Jiang Shiying, his words carried a very different meaning.

Hearing her son-in-law place such importance on family, Jiang Shiying felt deeply gratified.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “I’ll speak to the old man. I’m sure that as long as he steps in, this shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thank you, Father!”

“We’re family—no need to be so formal!”

Just then, Jiang Shiying added, “By the way, Long Yin stopped by a couple of days ago. He told me about how you helped him secure investment. Thanks to your assistance, they’ve started to make headway!”

“That’s great!” Li Yi said.

“Xiao Yi, you’ve done a great job with this. I want to thank you!”

“You just said we’re family and there’s no need to be formal, so why are you being so sentimental now?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Jiang Shiying shook his head and said, “You don’t know what it means for the Jiang family that Long Yin has gained a foothold in Pengcheng.”

“Actually, you might not be fully aware of this, but the old Jiang family has been on a downward spiral these past years. The family had always pinned its hopes on me, but what happened with Xiaoxue had a profound impact on me. So, Grandfather shifted his hopes to your eldest brother, but he was killed in action—and once again, Grandfather’s life’s work went down the drain!”

“The old man once said that unless a special opportunity arose, the Jiang family would inevitably be driven out of the capital within three generations after his passing. But ever since you’ve helped us, not only has the second generation made progress, but the third generation—Longyin and Longze—have also performed exceptionally well…”

Li Yi understood what his father-in-law meant. He immediately smiled and said, “So it turns out I’m the one who revived the Jiang family after all. In that case, you’d better reward me properly!”

“Hahaha, you young rascal wouldn’t even look at a national award—what could I possibly offer you?” Jiang Shiying said with a laugh.

“I don’t care about material things, but it seems I’ve gotten myself into trouble. Could you help me clean this up?” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Jiang Shiying froze for a moment, then immediately asked for details…

………