Chapter 716: The Profits of State Cotton Mill No. 2!

The Li Family Courtyard!

In the living room, Li Yi’s eyes lit up the moment he heard Jiang Longcheng’s words.

“Third Brother, tell me right away—what were the factory’s sales revenue and net profit last year?”

It was no wonder Li Yi was so interested in this matter. After all, according to the cooperation agreement he had signed with State Cotton Mill No. 2, if the mill’s net profit reached 20 million, the factory would have to pay him a 12% royalty.

Although Li Yi was now quite wealthy, most of his money was in US dollars and Hong Kong dollars, and much of it was held overseas.

More importantly, the official exchange rate set by the government was currently quite low—one US dollar could only be exchanged for less than 2 of our currency, and the exchange rate for Hong Kong dollars was even lower.

Under the current circumstances, exchanging foreign currency for local currency is highly unprofitable, which makes the money earned domestically all the more crucial.

Jiang Longcheng didn’t beat around the bush and said immediately, “According to the finance department’s calculations, the factory’s total sales revenue for the past year reached over 75.896 million yuan. After deducting all expenses, the factory’s net profit came to around 48.7 million yuan!”

“So that means I’ll get about 5.84 million?” Li Yi asked.

“That’s right—that’s what the finance department reported!”

Hearing this, Li Yi said with satisfaction, “Not bad… not bad. That’s a bit better than I expected.”

“With these results, State Cotton Mill No. 2 should be able to rank among the most profitable enterprises in the Beijing area this year. It looks like we’re in for some recognition from higher-ups.”

Jiang Longcheng burst out laughing. “Of course! From what we’ve gathered so far, over 580 enterprises in Beijing have submitted their performance reports during this period, but only 329 were profitable—a profit rate of less than 60%!”

“Of those, 266 made over 100,000 yuan in profit, only 76 exceeded one million, just 12 surpassed ten million, and currently only three have exceeded 40 million—and we’re ranked third.”

“Which factories took first and second place?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“First place goes to the Capital Steel Plant, with profits of 73.85 million yuan. Second place is the Capital Eighth Machinery Plant, with profits of 51.8 million yuan!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “However, there are still over 800 enterprises that haven’t finalized their profit figures yet, so there are certainly some whose profits are better than ours. But among textile enterprises, our factory is absolutely number one in both sales revenue and net profit. This year, we’ve even left the renowned National Cotton Mill No. 1 in the dust!”

“With results like these, all your hard work this year has certainly been worth it!” Li Yi said.

“It was worth it!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “Brother-in-law, you know I’m not one for sentimentality, but today, on behalf of myself and the more than 5,000 employees and managers of the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill, I want to say thank you!”

“Third Brother, you’re being too formal!” Li Yi said hurriedly.

Jiang Longcheng shook his head and said, “Brother-in-law, you have no idea—when the finance department released the profit figures, the workers and staff were absolutely ecstatic. They were crying and jumping for joy, acting like they’d gone mad!”

“It’s been over twenty years since State Cotton Mill No. 2 was founded, and we’ve never felt this proud—especially during my time as plant manager. You set the stage, Brother-in-law, and let me, Jiang Longcheng, and all the employees of State Cotton Mill No. 2 put on a great show. Thanks!”

“Come on, you’re being too dramatic. I came up with the idea, and you paid me a commission—that’s what we call a win-win partnership. Nobody took advantage of anyone!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Jiang Longcheng knew Li Yi’s temperament, and seeing him speak this way, he didn’t press the matter further.

“By the way, brother-in-law, you’d better go to the factory and collect your share of the money right away, before things get complicated!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“What do you mean?”

“After the profit calculations came in, some higher-ups found out they’d have to pay you over five million yuan in one go and started objecting. While the money’s still in our factory’s accounts, you’d better go collect it right away!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Alright, I’ll head over right away!” Li Yi replied.

“Alright!”

“Oh, and Third Brother, could I borrow one of your factory’s cars for a few days?” Li Yi asked again.

“Sure, how many do you need?”

“I’ll take two,” Li Yi said.

“Sure. Do you want me to provide drivers for them too?”

“Yes, please. Drivers are hard to come by these days!”

Li Yi continued, “But it’d be best to find some experienced, seasoned drivers. I plan to have them make a trip back to Nianzishan Village to pick up my dad and my brother-in-law. The roads out there are rough!”

“No problem. Most of our factory’s drivers are former military personnel—their driving skills are second to none!” said Jiang Longcheng.

“Alright!”

After agreeing on the pickup time, the two wrapped up their conversation.

After seeing off Jiang Longcheng and An Hong, Li Yi said goodbye to Jiang Xue and headed out with Zhang Ziqiang and Yang Zhiwen.

……..

Beiguan Village. Hot Pot and Grill Restaurant!

Long Zhanjun was sitting at the bar writing when he suddenly felt the light dim. He instinctively looked up and was surprised to find Li Yi—the owner and his brother-in-law—standing right in front of him.

“Whoa, when did you get back?”

“Last night!”

“You’re not leaving before the New Year, are you?”

“No, I’ll stick around until after the New Year celebrations!”

Then Li Yi asked with a smile, “How are the preparations for my sister and my wedding coming along?”

Long Zhanjun replied immediately, “With my mom and my sister-in-law helping out, everything’s almost ready. All that’s left is to buy the ingredients we’ll need for the wedding banquet!”

“You’d better get that done quickly. People in town have already started stocking up on New Year’s supplies these past few days, and many items are in short supply. It would be a real embarrassment if you couldn’t find what you need when the time comes!” Li Yi said.

“Right. I’m just figuring out how many guests we’ll have and making a list of the dishes we’ll serve on the day of the ceremony!”

As he spoke, Long Zhanjun pointed to several sheets of paper covered in writing on the bar counter—presumably the list he’d compiled.

“So, how many people do you estimate there’ll be?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

Long Zhanjun replied immediately, “Probably not many. As you know, ever since my dad’s accident, most of our relatives back home have cut off contact.”

“The only ones attending my wedding with Nana are the few friends I brought from back home, plus the staff from our shop and your whole family. All told, it’ll be no more than thirty or forty people!”

“I think there’ll be more than that!”

Li Yi continued, “To put it simply, there are nearly 30 of us brothers and sisters across these three stores alone. Add my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law to that, and forty people definitely won’t be enough. We’d better prepare plenty!”

“Alright, let’s prepare a bit more. The New Year’s holiday is coming up anyway, so we can just treat the extra as part of our holiday shopping!” Long Zhanjun said with a smile.

“Do we have enough money? If not, just draw some from the account for now—we’ll deduct it from your salary later!”

Li Yi knew Long Zhanjun was a man of principle, so he didn’t offer to give him anything.

“It’s enough for now. I’ll let you know if it runs short!”

“Alright!”

Then Li Yi added, “By the way, I plan to take my family back to our hometown for the New Year after your wedding. What are you and my sister planning to do?”

“I’ve discussed this with Nana. She thinks we should stay in Beijing and keep the shop open after the wedding, take a break starting on New Year’s Eve, and reopen on the eighth day of the New Year!” Long Zhanjun said.

“I thought you’d at least make a trip back to Yong County after the wedding!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Long Zhanjun shook his head and said, “We won’t be going back. Now that my mother and younger sister are here, there’s nothing left in our hometown to keep me tied down—just a few dilapidated houses.”

“Alright then. Whether you go back or not is up to you and my sister. I’ve got some business to attend to at the Second State Cotton Mill, so I’ll head over there first!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, go ahead and take care of your business. The shop is about to get busy, so I need to check on the kitchen too!”

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi turned and walked out…

…….

Li Yi glanced at An Hong, who looked anxious, and Jiang Longcheng, who was full of anticipation, then cleared his throat and said, “It’s a good idea, but we can’t do it the way we did this time!”

Before An Hong could say a word, Jiang Longcheng hurriedly asked, “Brother-in-law, I think we did a pretty good job this time. Why won’t it work?”

Li Yi replied earnestly, “I told you guys before this project started that I was just helping you make a quick buck. So while a lot of things might seem to have gone smoothly on the surface, they weren’t actually done by the book!”

“Um… Brother-in-law, what exactly do you mean by ‘not up to code’?” Jiang Longcheng asked again.

“First, regarding policy: although the government now allows individuals to set up street stalls for small-scale trading, it hasn’t authorized the hosting of large-scale exhibitions like this. If authorities were to investigate, this project wouldn’t comply with regulations!”

Li Yi continued, “Take this, for example: we’re currently under a planned economy, where all goods are produced according to demand. In principle, as long as they aren’t unsellable inventory, you can’t just haul them to a random location and sell them freely!”

“Also, this trade fair has mobilized a large number of workers from State Cotton Mill No. 2. Do you think that’s appropriate?”

“But didn’t we get away with it this time?” Jiang Longcheng said.

“We got away with it because we acted quickly—we made our money and pulled out. Plus, everyone involved benefited, so no one reported us.”

Li Yi continued, “If you try organizing a few more events like this, officials from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Tax Bureau, and even the Public Security Bureau will definitely come knocking on our door. It won’t be easy to handle then!”

“But…”

Before Jiang Longcheng could finish, Li Yi cut him off and said bluntly, “There’s no ‘but’ about it. Besides, with the handful of people you have right now, you simply can’t handle an operation like this!”

“You saw for yourselves at this trade show just how difficult it is to pull off a successful event. And if a single trade show is this complicated, have you considered how much manpower and resources it would take to hold rotating exhibitions simultaneously in multiple major cities across the country?”

An Hong hurriedly replied, “We’ve thought that through. In the early stages, we can choose major cities where there are FlySnow Apparel stores, and if necessary, we can ask their sales staff for help!”

“That’s too simplistic—it won’t work!” Li Yi said.

“Why isn’t it feasible?”

“After all, Feixue Apparel is affiliated with State Cotton Mill No. 2, whereas this is our private enterprise. Using their resources once or twice might be acceptable, but if we do it too often, it’s bound to invite gossip—and it could even affect Third Brother’s career as the factory director!” Li Yi explained.

“So what if people talk? What harm could it do?” Jiang Longcheng said dismissively.

“Third Brother, a lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth. A single person’s words may mean nothing, but when everyone is talking, it’s enough to destroy a man!” Li Yi said.

“Well… what should we do? This business is so profitable—it’d be a shame to give it up!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“It doesn’t have to come to that. We need to make money, but we also have to follow the law. We absolutely can’t give anyone a reason to accuse us!” Li Yi said.

It wasn’t that he lacked resolve; rather, Li Yi knew that next year would be 1983—a year of extraordinary significance.

The most significant impact was that, starting this year, a new term had been added to China’s legal system: “yan da”!

Whether you’re an ordinary citizen or the descendant of a meritorious figure, if you dare to act recklessly, you’d better be prepared to face the consequences. Once an investigation is launched, not even the heavens themselves could save you.

Furthermore, starting next year, a new criminal charge would be introduced—the crime of hooliganism!

This was a virtually catch-all charge: anything that couldn’t be prosecuted under the existing criminal code but violated social norms and public order could be charged under this offense.

For example, there were women with loose morals, men urinating in front of women, and others who were keen on throwing so-called house parties.

At the height of the crackdown, such behavior was punishable by imprisonment, and some people even ended up behind bars because of it.

As for people like them, who were raking in money through unscrupulous means, the consequences were obvious if their activities were reported to the authorities.

“Bro-in-law, we’re just organizing a trade fair—is it really such a big deal?” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

“If you’re just going to call it quits now, there’s no problem. But if you want to turn this into a business, you have to follow the country’s laws and regulations—that’s the bottom line!”

Li Yi continued, “I know you’re probably thinking, ‘What’s the big deal? The younger generation of other prominent clans can get away with anything.’ But let me tell you this: we can’t control what others do, but when lightning strikes, it won’t drag us down with them!”

Jiang Longcheng’s chubby face twitched, and he replied, “Brother-in-law, just tell us what to do. We’ll follow your lead. But please don’t keep bringing up lightning strikes and such—it’s too scary!”

“Good—fear is a virtue. A person shouldn’t fear poverty or a lack of ambition, but they must fear being fearless!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi was genuinely a bit worried about Jiang Longcheng.

The guy was nearly thirty, yet he acted with no sense of responsibility whatsoever. On top of that, he was incredibly loyal, often sticking his neck out for some worthless friends and so-called “brothers.”

Things had been fine these past couple of years, thanks to the Jiang family’s connections.

But starting next year, things would be different. The higher-ups were determined to clean up social mores, and with his reckless personality, he might just get dragged down by someone else one day.

So Li Yi couldn’t help but give him a little lecture to warn him.

Hearing Li Yi’s lecture, Jiang Longcheng gave a wry smile and said, “Bro-in-law, why do I feel like you’re starting to sound more and more like the old man? I was actually a little scared when I didn’t see you. Just tell me how we’re supposed to handle this trade show!”

“Start a company!” Li Yi declared, startling everyone.

“Whoa! Brother-in-law, you’re not joking, are you? Since when has our country allowed private companies?” Jiang Longcheng asked in surprise.

“It’s definitely not possible for an individual to start one, but we can use a foreign company’s shell!” Li Yi explained.

“How do we do that?” An Hong couldn’t help but ask.

“Simple. I’ll have our company in Hong Kong set up an investment firm specifically for this purpose. Then, we’ll use that company’s name to invest in the mainland. We’ll hire my sister-in-law to serve as the head of that company and handle this project exclusively!”

Li Yi continued, “Once we’ve made a profit, we’ll distribute the money to you through bonuses and dividends. That way, it’ll be completely legal and compliant!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng asked anxiously, “An Hong can go work at that company, but what about me and Jianhua? We can’t just quit our jobs and go there too, can we?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “No need for that. We’ll have Third Sister-in-Law and Sister-in-Law Lin Ying take nominal positions there. You and Brother Jianhua will do the actual work, and the money will be paid out in the two sisters-in-law’s names. It’s just that…”

“But what? Brother-in-law, just get to the point!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“It’s just that we’ll have to set aside a portion of the profits—including the company’s profit share and the taxes paid to the government—so the amount each of us actually takes home might not be as much as it is now!”

Li Yi then shifted the subject and continued, “But the upside is, with the shell of a foreign-invested company, we can officially hire workers domestically. Plus, the company can cover the workers’ wages, venue rental fees, and renovation costs. This way, we can scale up the project, so the money we actually take home might end up being more!”

An Hong nodded and said, “That’s actually a good idea. I think it’s feasible!”

“If you two agree, I have no objections!” said Jiang Longcheng.

Seeing that neither of them had any objections, Li Yi added, “In that case, let’s invite Brother Jianhua over the other day and plan this out properly!”

“Alright!”

Just then, Jiang Longcheng suddenly said, “Oh, right, brother-in-law. We’ve been so caught up in talking about the project that we’ve completely forgotten the main business!”

“What’s the main business?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Last year’s factory revenue and profit figures have been tallied. You’ve already exceeded the terms of our bet. It’s time for the factory to honor that cooperation agreement!” Jiang Longcheng said.

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly…

……..

The night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, Li Yi was still half-asleep when he heard someone calling his name.

He opened his eyes to find Jiang Xue standing beside him, holding several thick garments—judging by their style, they were meant for him.

Looking at Jiang Xue, who was freshly washed and neatly dressed, Li Yi rubbed his eyes and asked, “When did you get up? How come I didn’t notice at all?”

“I’ve been up for a while. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you!”

Li Yi turned around and looked around, realizing that Yun Rui and Yun Jin were both gone. He immediately looked up at the wall clock.

“Oh, it’s already ten o’clock?”

Jiang Xue smiled and said softly, “Yes, it really is ten o’clock!”

Li Yi looked surprised and said, “I didn’t drink yesterday, and I didn’t go to bed late. How did I sleep until this late?”

“Maybe you just sleep more soundly at home, or maybe, like Mom said, you were catching up on lost sleep!” Jiang Xue said.

“That makes sense. I really couldn’t sleep soundly over there. Even at Cloudtop No. 1, I had to keep one eye open while sleeping. It’s much more peaceful here in Beijing!”

Li Yi said, full of emotion, as he got dressed.

They say the business world is like a battlefield. Even with his unfair advantage, Li Yi had to tread carefully when facing the backstabbing and scheming of the bigwigs.

Take his recent clash with Dolsen, for instance. If it weren’t for the warnings from Zhou Rui, Powell, and Li Futiao, along with the military’s assistance, he wouldn’t have been able to break through the underhanded tactics employed by Dolsen and the Governor’s Office.

Moreover, given his current status and the responsibilities he carried, any single misstep could result in incalculable losses.

That’s precisely why, during his time on Hong Kong Island, Li Yi’s mind was in overdrive most of the time, and his nerves were inevitably on edge.

In contrast, life in Beijing was much less hectic. Not only were there fewer demands, but the people were far more down-to-earth, so the quality of his sleep was naturally much better!

Listening to her husband’s words and thinking about his life over there, Jiang Xue felt a pang of sympathy.

After a brief silence, she couldn’t help but say, “Anyway, the money we’ve earned now is enough for our children to live on for several lifetimes. Why don’t we just leave things over there alone? It’s too dangerous and exhausting!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not so bad. The hardest times are behind us. No one dares to cause us trouble anymore.”

“Besides, given the current situation, even if I wanted to quit, I couldn’t—the higher-ups would never agree to it!”

Jiang Xue’s eyes widened, and she frowned. “We haven’t taken a single penny in wages from them. This is purely helping out—how did we end up stuck with this?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “It’s not a matter of being stuck with it or not. The country genuinely needs me, and it needs a massive amount of development funding.”

“I’m not just a key channel for the country to earn foreign exchange; I’m also a window for attracting investment. With reform and opening-up just getting started, my importance goes without saying. How could the higher-ups possibly let me go home to live the life of a wealthy man so easily?”

Jiang Xue immediately retorted, “But they can’t just keep milking one person dry! Look at your life over there—not only are you busy as a top, but you’re constantly on edge, unable to even get a good night’s sleep…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi cut in: “Xue, I know you’re worried about me and feel I’m being treated unfairly, but what I’m trying to say is, in this life, there are always things worth fighting tooth and nail to protect, and there are always things worth throwing caution to the wind for!”

“The things I’m determined to protect in this life—besides you, the kids, and my parents and relatives—include this land beneath our feet and our great motherland. As long as I’m capable, I hope to do something for the country. Even if it means hardship and exhaustion, I’ll be happy to do it!”

Jiang Xue fell silent. In her eyes, alongside the pain and worry, there was now a hint of admiration.

“I can’t argue with you, but please don’t push yourself too hard. There are many people working on national development, but for me and the children, you’re the only one we have!”

“Yeah, I get that. I can contribute money and effort, but I’ll never put myself in danger—safety comes first!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“All right, hurry up and get dressed and washed up. Third Brother just called to say he’s coming over. He’ll be here before you’re even off the bed!” Jiang Xue said.

“If Third Brother’s coming over, I’d better hurry!”

With that, Li Yi hurried to get dressed and then got off the kang to wash up. Meanwhile, Jiang Xue climbed onto the kang to help him fold the blankets…

Li Yi had just finished washing up when the sound of someone knocking on the door ring rang out from the front gate, followed immediately by Jiang Longcheng’s booming voice: “Brother-in-law, open the door!”

Hearing the noise, Li Yi was about to go answer the door when he saw his second sister had already stepped out of the side room, followed by his eldest nephew, Ningning.

Soon, the courtyard gate swung open!

Through the windowpane, Li Yi saw Jiang Longcheng leading An Hong as they strode in with the air of strangers.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately went out to greet them.

As soon as they met, Jiang Longcheng gave him a big, hearty hug and laughed heartily, “Brother-in-law, you’re finally back! I missed you so much!”

Li Yi playfully punched him in the chest and said, “Speak normally—you’re being way too sappy!”

Jiang Xue, who had followed them out, ignored the two men and said to An Hong, “Sister-in-law, don’t pay them any mind. Let’s go inside and talk!”

An Hong smiled and followed Jiang Xue into the house.

Once inside, they all sat down in the living room of the main hall. Jiang Xue made tea and poured water for everyone, then brought out some chocolates and specialty pastries she’d bought in Hong Kong for them to enjoy.

“Third Brother, Sister-in-law, how come you two had time to come over today?” Li Yi asked as he sipped his tea.

Jiang Longcheng replied with a smile, “We stopped by the old family home this morning and saw Auntie. We heard that you and Sister had returned from Hong Kong, so we decided to drop by. It just so happened that Comrade An Hong needed to discuss something with me, so we came over together!”

An Hong, meanwhile, took a thick ledger out of the briefcase she was carrying and placed it in front of Li Yi. “Brother Li Yi,” she said, “here are the financial results for our trade fair project. Take a look!”

Li Yi didn’t look at the ledger. Instead, he smiled and said, “I won’t look at the ledger. I trust you all. Sister-in-law, just tell me the basics of the project!”

An Hong replied immediately, “Based on the plan you left us, after nearly two months of preparation, we officially held a light industrial products trade fair, inviting only the most prominent organizations from the northern regions to participate.”

“Thanks to our thorough preparation and effective promotion, the results were outstanding. In just one week, our exhibition generated over 90 million yuan in sales, stunning the entire capital.”

“According to the contracts we signed with the participating companies, after deducting all expenses, we made a profit of over 10 million…”

Before An Hong could finish, Li Yi interrupted her: “Xiao Xue told me that you and Third Brother have already sent over the profit share. You don’t need to mention it, Sister-in-law—consider this project wrapped up.”

“What I want to ask now is, have you and Third Brother thought about what path to take from here on out?”

An Hong replied immediately, “Yes, we came here today specifically to discuss that with you!”

“Oh, so you’ve already discussed it. Tell me what you’re thinking,” Li Yi said with a smile.

An Hong gathered her thoughts and said, “Ever since the light industrial products trade fair ended, quite a few organizations have contacted us, wanting us to organize another similar event, and they’re willing to raise the commission rate to over 20%!”

“The three of us discussed it and decided that sales-oriented exhibitions like this are worth doing, but we can’t limit ourselves to just one location—after all, people don’t have that much money to spend—and we can’t focus on just one product category either!”

“Our idea is to find a few key cities across the country and rent dedicated venues for the fairs. We’d hold a light industrial goods fair in one city, a clothing and footwear fair in another, and a children’s toys fair in yet another. We’d rotate the same exhibitors and products among these locations. I’m not sure if this would work?”

After hearing An Hong’s idea, Li Yi’s eyes lit up.

True to her reputation as the self-made marketing queen from her past life, she was indeed a creative thinker—and this was an excellent idea. It not only solved the problem of repeatedly milking the same local community dry but also prevented the waste of resources.

After all, this way, the previously renovated venues and the factories they’d already inspected could be put to immediate use, eliminating the need for a second round of site visits.

If planned properly, this could indeed be developed into a long-term business venture.

However, they were still thinking too simplistically. These days, pulling off a big venture like this wasn’t easy, and he had to give them a reality check.

With that in mind, Li Yi cleared his throat and spoke…

……….

Beijing. The Li Family Courtyard!

By the time they returned home after dinner, it was already 7:30 p.m.

The children had been on the go for so long that they were all exhausted; they’d been yawning nonstop during the meal at the restaurant, and even Yun Rui and Yun Jin—who were usually quite well-behaved—had thrown a brief tantrum.

Realizing the children were tired, Jiang Xue went to the main room to put them to bed as soon as they got home.

Li Yi was just about to head to his study to sort through the items he’d brought back from Hong Kong—mainly the gifts. He needed to separate those intended for his immediate family from those for relatives and friends, and get them delivered to everyone as soon as possible.

Once his third sister’s wedding was over, he planned to take his parents and his wife and children back to their hometown—after all, the Lunar New Year was just two weeks away.

That’s right—this year, Li Yi planned to spend the Lunar New Year back in his hometown!

For one thing, his parents weren’t used to living in Beijing, and for another, he wanted to visit his hometown himself.

But just then, he saw his mother push open the door and walk in from outside.

Seeing Jiang Xue lying on the kang, holding the child as she slept, she immediately beckoned to Li Yi, signaling for him to come out.

Li Yi threw on a thick coat and then went into the main room.

“Mom, what’s up?”

“If you’re not busy, come with me to the side room. I need to discuss something with you,” Zhang Yuehong said.

“Sure!”

Li Yi then opened the door and followed his mother to the west side room.

But the moment he pushed open the door to the west side room and saw the scene inside, he was instantly stunned.

The large wooden bed in the west side room was piled high with all sorts of items.

In addition to bed sheets and pillowcases, toothbrushes and toothpaste cups, there were towels, soap, slippers, and even bowls, chopsticks, and wooden trunks.

Moreover, everything was red. With so many festive items piled together, the scene was quite a sight.

Most importantly, his second older sister, Li Lan, was still pulling things out of a burlap sack. Before long, the bed was completely covered, and even the few chairs were piled high.

“Mom, Second Sister, what are you two doing?”

Zhang Yuehong stepped forward to help as she said, “Your second sister and I are putting together Nana’s dowry. We’re just a bit undecided about a few things and wanted to ask your opinion!”

“What exactly are you two undecided about?”

As he spoke, Li Yi’s gaze drifted to the items on the bed; he too wanted to see what dowry his mother had prepared for his third sister.

After taking a look, Li Yi felt somewhat disappointed.

Although there were quite a few items on the bed, the most valuable were likely those four red wooden chests; the rest were just ordinary household items of little value.

Just then, his mother’s voice rang out: “It’s this dowry money—your second sister and I just can’t decide how much to put in!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Just put in as much as you want—as long as it’s not too meager, right?”

According to the customs of North Sai Province, when a daughter gets married, her family is expected to prepare several trunks, regardless of whether they provide a dowry.

Those with limited means usually prepare two, while those with more resources might prepare four or eight—in any case, the number must be even.

Inside the trunks, besides her daily clothes and the outfit for her post-wedding visit to her parents’ home, there must also be “trunk money.”

This “chest money” is private spending money given to the daughter by her parents; the exact amount depends on their financial situation—tens or hundreds of yuan is considered generous, while even a few yuan is appreciated.

In Nianzishan Village, villagers usually put in 6.60 or 8.80 yuan; those with more means might put in 88 or 188 yuan, but very few give more than 100 yuan.

“I was actually planning to put in 888 yuan, but then I thought it might not be quite appropriate!” Zhang Yuehong said.

“Mom, what’s wrong with that?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

Zhang Yuehong explained immediately, “The dowry is usually based on the groom’s betrothal gift. Xiaolong was quite sincere—he gave Nana 666 yuan as a betrothal gift. Logically, our dowry should either be 666 yuan or double that amount!”

“But when they were furnishing their new home, I bought them over 5,000 yuan worth of furniture and appliances. And while the bedding isn’t worth much, it still cost four or five hundred yuan. If we add another 888 yuan to the money we’re saving for her dowry, the total would likely exceed 6,000 yuan—that’s ten times the betrothal gift!”

“Six thousand it is, then. Our family isn’t short on that kind of money. If you and Dad don’t have enough…”

Before Li Yi could finish, his second older sister, Li Lan, cut in: “It’s not that Mother is being stingy—it’s that she’s afraid of what people might say!”

“Uh, what kind of gossip?”

“You know as well as I do that only girls who can’t find a husband give the groom such a large dowry. If we give a dowry ten times the bride price, people will inevitably say that Nana is paying out of her own pocket to get married!”

Then Second Sister continued, “That’s the least of it. Anyway, we’re strangers here and don’t care what others say, but I’m worried your brother-in-law might read too much into it!”

“Second Sister, are you worried about hurting Third Brother-in-Law’s pride?” Li Yi asked.

“Exactly. You know what kind of person he is. He used to be in the military—he’s got a lot of pride. Mom’s worried that giving ten times the dowry might make him feel uncomfortable!” Li Lan said.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Mom, Second Sister, you’re overthinking it. Dalong may be a bit of a chauvinist, but he can still tell right from wrong!”

Li Yi knew Long Zhanjun’s character all too well. He was sharp-witted and had a keen insight into people’s hearts; he could tell who was genuinely looking out for him.

Besides, Long Zhanjun had some understanding of his family’s situation. Given the Li family’s current assets, offering 888 yuan—let alone 88,000—would be perfectly normal.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Zhang Yuehong asked in a low voice.

“It’s fine. You could even put in a little more and it’d be just fine!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“888 is already quite a lot. If it’s really no problem, then Xiao Lan and I will start packing!” Zhang Yuehong said.

“Wait a moment!”

With that, Li Yi turned and left the west wing.

When he returned, he was holding several boxes.

Li Yi then handed one of the boxes to his mother and said, “Mom, put this in too. It’s a gift I prepared for Third Sister—it counts as part of her dowry!”

Zhang Yuehong took the box and remarked, “This box is quite pretty. What’s inside?”

“Jewelry!”

“What kind of jewelry? It feels pretty heavy.”

“Gold!”

Hearing this, both his mother and second sister froze, then stared intently at the jewelry box in front of them.

Li Yi, unaware of their thoughts, immediately said, “If you want to see it, just open it. We’re all family—there’s nothing to be shy about!”

Before his mother could react, his second older sister opened the jewelry box. The moment the exquisite rosewood box swung open, both women were stunned by the gleaming gold inside.

Inside the half-foot-square box lay two gold bracelets, a pair of gold earrings, a gold ring, two gold necklaces—one thick and one thin—and two gold ingots the size of a thumb.

My goodness, so much gold—at least a pound, no less!

“Xiao Yi, is… is this really for Nana?” his mother asked, her voice faltering slightly.

“Yes!”

“Does Xiao Xue know about this? I know you’re close to Nana, but you can’t do this behind Xiao Xue’s back…”

Before his mother could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Mom, this is what Xiao Xue picked out for my third sister!”

“Really?”

“Yep, and it’s not just for my third sister. Xiaoxue has also prepared a set for you, as well as for my eldest and second sisters!” Li Yi said.

“We have some too?” Second Sister asked in surprise.

“That’s right!”

With that, Li Yi handed the other two jewelry boxes to his mother and second sister.

Zhang Yuehong took the jewelry box Li Yi handed her with trembling hands, then opened it carefully.

Inside, they were filled with gold jewelry, gleaming so brightly it was almost blinding.

However, compared to Li Na’s set, every piece of jewelry in this box seemed a bit heavier, more suitable for the elderly to wear.

At that moment, Li Lan also opened her box. Hers was quite similar to Li Na’s, except that the two small gold ingots were gone, replaced by two small gold locks meant for children—clearly intended for the family’s little ones.

Looking at the priceless jewelry before them, Zhang Yuehong and Li Lan were both thrilled and deeply moved.

For a moment, the entire west wing fell into an unusual silence…

……..

The next morning!

Li Yi had just gotten out of bed when he was told that Zhou Rui had arrived.

When Li Yi came downstairs, he was surprised to find that, in addition to Zhou Rui, his older sister’s husband, Yang Wenguang, was also there.

Clearly, his brother-in-law had come over with Zhou Rui.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Zhou Rui immediately said, “Comrade Li Yi, the higher-ups have approved the color TV production line project. Both the equipment and the personnel over there can be shipped over at any time!”

“That’s great news. I’ve already put Wen in charge of this; I’ll have him get in touch with you, Director Zhou, when the time comes!” Li Yi said happily.

“Alright!”

Zhou Rui continued, “Also, regarding that business delegation you mentioned, the higher-ups are taking it very seriously. They asked me to let you know that, if possible, after the Hong Kong businessmen finish their tour of Guangdong Province, they should come to Beijing for a visit!”

“Alright, I’ll bring it up with them. I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Li Yi replied.

“Then it’s settled!”

“Alright!”

At that moment, Zhou Rui added, “Oh, by the way, Comrade Zhang Ziqiang mentioned that you plan to return to Beijing as soon as possible. There are no flights to Beijing today, but the military has a plane heading there. I’ve already arranged it for you—they’ll send a special vehicle to pick you up when you arrive!”

“When?”

“It should be around noon. They’ll call you here with the exact details, so just make sure to answer the phone!” Zhou Rui said.

“Alright, thanks, Zhou!”

“Heh, you’re welcome. If anyone should be thanking anyone, it’s me!” Zhou Rui said with a smile.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll talk about that later. You go chat with Comrade Yang Wenguang for a bit; I’ve got some business to take care of!”

“Alright, Chief Zhou, go ahead and take care of it if you’ve got something to do!” Li Yi said.

After seeing Zhou Rui off, Li Yi looked at the pale-faced Yang Wenguang and asked, “Brother-in-law, did you get it done?”

“It’s all taken care of. The funds have been successfully transferred to the comrades at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange!”

Yang Wenguang grinned, his face beaming with excitement.

Since retiring from the military, he never imagined he’d have another chance to serve the country—it was the highest honor for him.

Li Yi nodded, then said, “Brother-in-law, you don’t look too well. Why don’t you…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Yang Wenguang hurriedly interjected, “Little Yi, I’m fine. I’m in great shape!”

“Fine my ass! Just look at your complexion—it’s way worse than it was before you went to Hong Kong!”

Li Yi continued, “My sister told me there’s still a piece of shrapnel inside you that hasn’t been removed. I don’t mean anything by it—I just want you to go to a good hospital in Hong Kong and get a thorough check-up to see if they can remove it!”

Yang Wenguang sighed and said, “It’s not that easy. Back then, the army doctor said the shrapnel was in a particularly sensitive location. If we try to remove it forcefully, it could easily be life-threatening!”

“Medical facilities here are limited. Besides, it’s been so many years, and medical technology has advanced so rapidly—there might be a solution now!”

Li Yi continued, “Brother-in-law, you have to understand that you’re not just looking out for yourself anymore. You have my sister and little Ruirui. If you’re not in good health, how can I possibly let you keep doing such dangerous work?”

“I get what you’re saying. I’ll go to the hospital for a checkup when I get back. If they really can’t remove it, then I’ll quit my job in Hong Kong!”

“That won’t be necessary. If things don’t work out in Hong Kong, I’ll transfer you to Zaiying. If it really can’t be removed, just switch to a management position—just stay off the front lines!” Li Yi said.

“Alright…”

Just then, Li Yi saw Big Sister walking over with a tray, carrying several bowls of millet porridge and a few steamed buns.

“You must be hungry after talking for so long. Let’s eat first!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Sis, my brother-in-law is about to head back to Hong Kong. Why don’t you keep him company for a bit?”

With that, Li Yi stood up from the sofa, grabbed a bun, and headed upstairs while eating…

……..

Beijing Military Region Airport!

As an Ilyushin Il-14 passenger plane slowly touched down on the runway, Li Yi and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Man, that journey had really kept them on edge.

This fighter pilot was truly extraordinary—taking off like a rocket and landing with a series of “thuds”—giving Li Yi and the others a real taste of an ace fighter pilot’s prowess.

This wasn’t piloting a passenger plane—it was flying it like a fighter jet!

Although it was a bit uncomfortable, the benefits were obvious: what normally takes four and a half hours to fly from Guangzhou to Beijing took them only two and a half hours.

According to the crew, the captain had already been very considerate of them, given that there were children on board.

Otherwise, the flight wouldn’t have taken more than two hours.

Hearing this, Li Yi was completely dumbfounded. Aside from muttering, “Thank you for sparing my life,” he didn’t know what else to say!

Even with the captain’s “special consideration,” both Li Yi and Jiang Xue felt their legs trembling as they stepped off the plane!

Fortunately, the biting cold wind of the north forced the palpitations and nausea in their hearts to subside.

The military district had clearly been notified as well and had vehicles ready for Li Yi and his group well in advance.

As soon as the plane touched down, an officer approached. After a brief exchange with Zhang Ziqiang, he led Li Yi and the others to several jeeps parked next to the airport.

The vehicles then set off toward the city center!

By the time Li Yi and his group returned to the courtyard house in the city, it was already 5:30 p.m.

By then, the sun had set, and the city was already dotted with scattered lights!

Pushing open the gate to enter the courtyard, Li Yi saw the light on in the main hall. He immediately walked in with Yun Jin in his arms, followed closely by Jiang Xue, who was holding Yun Rui.

As for the others, some were holding children while others carried gifts bought in Hong Kong; they all entered together.

As soon as they stepped inside, Li Yi saw his mother, his second older sister, and his eldest nephew, Zhang Ning, getting ready to eat. The bowls and chopsticks were already set out, but the food hadn’t been served yet.

Seeing them come in, his mother let out a gasp: “Oh my goodness! Why are you back at this hour?”

Then, reaching out to take Yunrui from Jiang Xue’s arms, she said, “Why didn’t you give us a heads-up? Xiao Lan and I were just about to make do with some leftovers from lunch—there’s only two and a half steamed buns and a bowl of stewed vegetables left in the pot…”

Before Mother could finish, Li Yi said with a smile, “Mom, don’t worry about dinner—we won’t go hungry!”

“You and my second sister shouldn’t have to eat leftovers either. Let’s all go out for a meal together in a bit!”

“Eating out is too expensive. We still have some dried noodles at home. Let me cook some for you!” Zhang Yuehong hurriedly said.

Li Yi immediately replied, “Mom, making noodles means you have to heat the pan, boil water, and cook the noodles—it’s too much trouble. Let’s just eat out; it’s easier!”

“You silly boy, how much trouble could making some noodles possibly be…”

Jiang Xue knew her mother-in-law was always frugal, but she was very kind to her as a daughter-in-law; basically, whenever she asked for something, her mother-in-law rarely refused.

With that in mind, she immediately said, “Mom, we didn’t get to eat our fill at lunch today because we were rushing to catch our flight. We’re starving now—our stomachs are growling. Let’s just go out to eat; it’ll be faster!”

Li Yi seized the moment to add, “Besides, with so many of us at home, even if we just have a bowl of noodles each, that’s still a lot. We might not even have enough noodles at home!”

“Well… all right then!”

Zhang Yuehong never refused her daughter-in-law’s requests.

After all, in her heart, she knew her son had taken advantage of his daughter-in-law while drunk, and the Li family owed Jiang Xue a debt of gratitude.

Plus, her daughter-in-law had given the Li family two smart and adorable children—she was a true hero to the family.

Never mind going out for a meal—even if she asked for the stars and the moon, as long as they could manage it, they’d agree without hesitation.

After Li Yi and Jiang Xue had put away the things they’d brought back from Hong Kong, the whole group set off in a grand procession from the courtyard house!

Late at night, all was quiet!

In the small bedroom on the second floor of the villa, Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun lay side by side on the wooden bed, chatting.

Though they were an old married couple, having wed as teenagers, their love remained as strong as ever.

Plus, since they hadn’t seen each other for a while, they had endless things to talk about.

As they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to their son-in-law, Li Yi.

“By the way, what did you think of your trip to Hong Kong this time?”

Hearing her husband’s question, Ye Lingyun froze for a moment, then fell deep in thought.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiying hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong? Why that look?”

After a long moment, Ye Lingyun sighed and said, “All along, I’ve been very grateful to Xiao Yi for helping us find our daughter, and I appreciate everything he’s done for Xiao Xue. But I still can’t help but feel that Xiao Yi is a bit out of his league with our Xue’er…”

Before Ye Lingyun could finish, Jiang Shiying interjected, “In terms of family background, Xiao Yi certainly can’t compare to our Jiang family, but we mustn’t look down on him because of that.”

“From what I’ve learned, if it weren’t for Xiao Yi, Xue’er would likely have been driven to her death by those demons from the Tang family. He’s not just a son-in-law to our Jiang family—he was the only ray of light during Xue’er’s darkest days!”

Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “I don’t look down on Xiao Yi. It’s just that sometimes I wonder—if we’d found Xue’er sooner, she might have married into one of those distinguished families. But after this trip to Hong Kong, that whole line of thinking has been completely overturned. In fact… in fact, I feel like our Xue’er is the one who’s out of her league with Xiao Yi.”

“Um… well… how could you think that?” Jiang Shiying stared at his wife in utter shock.

It was no wonder he was so shocked. The Jiang family was one of the most steadfast families of merit in the entire Eastern Superpower, though they did indeed lag slightly behind a few other major clans.

However, looking across the country, there were certainly no more than a handful of families stronger than the Jiang clan.

It wasn’t just because the Jiang family’s pillar of strength was still standing; more importantly, the second and third generations had already come of age. As long as the Jiang family didn’t mess things up in the future, they were guaranteed at least fifty more years of prosperity.

And as the only girl in the third generation of the Jiang family—a true heiress of a distinguished clan—even marrying into the first or second most powerful families in the country as a young mistress wouldn’t be considered a stretch. So how could marrying Li Yi possibly be a stretch?

Ye Lingyun glanced at her husband and said with a smile, “Do you think Little Yi is just a bit capable, good at making money, but otherwise nothing special?”

“Not exactly. That kid’s abilities are beyond comprehension—I know that much. But as for Xue’er marrying above her station? I don’t buy it!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Then you have no idea just how terrifying Xiao Yi’s true strength is!”

“Terrifying?”

Jiang Shiying looked at Ye Lingyun in astonishment; he hadn’t expected his wife to use such words to describe their son-in-law, Li Yi.

“Exactly. Do you know how much Xiao Yi’s personal fortune is?”

“How would I know? But I imagine it’s quite a lot—after all, he once told me he made several billion Hong Kong dollars over there…”

“Billions? That was back then. To be honest with you, Xiao Yi just received 12.8 billion Hong Kong dollars in dividends from that company this time alone…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Shiying suddenly sat up in bed and exclaimed in shock, “How much?”

Seeing her husband’s reaction, Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “12.8 billion. Are you shocked?”

“A little. That… that’s a bit too much, isn’t it? How could he…”

“Don’t be so surprised just yet—that’s only part of it!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “According to Xue’er, Xiao Yi received a commission of 500 million US dollars even before the company’s dividend payout. On top of that, he’s invested in quite a few businesses in Hong Kong and with Zai Ying. A conservative estimate puts his total assets at over 30 billion Hong Kong dollars!”

“Whoa!”

Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but gasp. 30 billion Hong Kong dollars equated to roughly 10 billion RMB, while the country’s GDP for the entire previous year had been less than 200 billion.

In other words, her son-in-law Li Yi’s personal wealth was equivalent to one-twentieth of the nation’s total national income.

At this thought, Jiang Shiying felt a chill run through his entire body!

However, his wife’s next words shook him even more.

“The money is one thing, but what I never expected was Xiao Yi’s prestige and standing over there!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “Can you imagine? The governor sent by the British government paid a late-night visit to Xiao Yi, but he didn’t even bother to acknowledge the man—he flat-out refused to see him. Yet early the next morning, that same governor came knocking again, begging for an audience, and he was groveling at his feet!”

“And then there’s this: the very day we arrived on Hong Kong Island, nearly half of the island’s wealthy Chinese families came to welcome us. The scale of the reception was beyond anything we could have imagined.”

“During our stay on Hong Kong Island, almost every day, wives of wealthy families and socialites would either come to our door or call to invite Xue’er to their various balls and cocktail parties, and every time she attended such events, she was treated like a queen.”

“The reason she was treated with such honor wasn’t because she was a daughter of the Jiang family, but because she was Li Yi’s wife!”

Hearing his wife’s words, Jiang Shiying fell into a deep silence.

Li Yi’s capabilities—or rather, the speed of his rise—far exceeded his expectations.

All along, Jiang Shiying had believed that as a father-in-law, he should be the one to protect and support his son-in-law, Li Yi.

But now it seemed that this was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part; perhaps that young man had never needed the Jiang family’s support at all.

On the contrary, the Jiang family—from himself to everyone else—had benefited greatly from Li Yi.

After a long while, Jiang Shiying looked at his wife and said, “So do you think Yi has changed? Toward Xue’er…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, Ye Lingyun interjected, “I know what you’re worried about, but from what I can see, there’s no sign of that yet!”

“Really?”

“No!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “During this trip to Hong Kong, not only did Xiao Yi arrange for us to stay in a top-tier villa worth hundreds of millions, but he also openly took us on a tour of his company.”

“More importantly, he had Mrs. Huang frequently take Xue’er to all sorts of events there. It’s clear he genuinely wants everyone to know that Xue’er is his wife! If he had any ulterior motives, he certainly wouldn’t have done that!”

“That’s good!”

Jiang Shiying then changed the subject and added, “But at his level, he has little control over many things—especially when it comes to women. Who knows how many are trying to get into his bed, or how many are trying to curry favor by sending women his way? Xue’er is bound to live in constant fear for the rest of her life!”

Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “I don’t think so!”

“What do you mean?”

“Xiao Yi has been taking Xue’er to all sorts of events lately, and every time he makes a point of formally introducing her. Besides putting her at ease, he’s probably using this as an opportunity to let others know he’s a married man!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “As long as he doesn’t harbor any impure thoughts and remains consistent, I don’t think the kind of situation you’re worried about will happen!”

“Let’s hope so!”

Then Jiang Shiying spoke again, “But in any case, it’s a good thing our son-in-law is capable. I used to think about how I could support him a bit, but it looks like that won’t be necessary now.”

“Hmm, you’re right—it’s no longer necessary. Let’s put the question of helping him aside for now. We must make sure to remind the younger ones at home not to hold Xiao Yi back!” said Ye Lingyun.

“Alright, I’ll bring it up with the old man later and have him talk to the eldest and second sons!”

Then Jiang Shiying added, “Enough about that. Tell me, what have you two been up to over there these past few days? What’s it like being the mother-in-law of a billionaire?”

“Haha, you have no idea what kind of life we’ve been living over there. ‘Luxurious’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. Every day, all we did was eat and go shopping, spending money left and right. We’ve already blown over a million Hong Kong dollars in just a few days!”

Then, Ye Lingyun began recounting the details of their recent trip to Hong Kong to her husband…

………

By the time he saw Zhou Rui off, it was already 5:30 p.m., and the sun had set outside.

As soon as he returned to the villa’s living room, Li Yi saw his older sister and mother-in-law, having changed into their evening attire, about to head out.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately asked, “Mom, big sister, where are you two headed?”

“It’s almost dark. We’re planning to go to the grocery store to buy some groceries. Otherwise, with our whole big family gathered tonight, we won’t know what to eat!” said Ye Lingyun.

“Mom, you really shouldn’t go. The kitchen here at my dad’s place is just for show—there are only a few pairs of chopsticks and a few bowls, nothing else. We won’t be able to cook anything even if we buy groceries!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Then what are we going to do for dinner? Are there any restaurants nearby?” Ye Lingyun asked.

“There are! Besides, this is Guangzhou—restaurants are the one thing we’ve got plenty of here…”

Just as they were speaking, the sound of a car engine came from the main gate outside, followed immediately by the clanging of the villa’s heavy iron gate.

Soon, the familiar figure of Jiang Shiying came into view.

As soon as Jiang Shiying stepped into the courtyard, he saw the lights on inside the house. Through the window glass, he could make out the silhouettes of several people—it seemed there were quite a few of them.

He knew immediately that his wife, daughter, and son-in-law must have returned.

Recalling how he’d missed seeing his wife, daughter, and grandchildren the last time, he couldn’t help but quicken his pace!

Pushing open the door, he indeed found his wife, son-in-law, and the others there. He exclaimed happily, “When did you get back? Why didn’t you even give me a call?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “We’ve been back for a while. We just didn’t want to disturb you while you were working, so we didn’t call!”

“Don’t tell me you were worried about disturbing my work—I think you just forgot, you rascal!”

Jiang Shiying then scanned the crowd and asked, “Where are Xue’er and the kids?”

Ye Lingyun replied, “Yunrui and Yunjin are sleepy. Xue’er is upstairs putting them to bed…”

Just as they were speaking, soft footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs, and moments later, Jiang Xue appeared, straightening her clothes as she walked down the stairs.

Upon seeing Jiang Shiying, she said happily, “Father, you’re back?”

“I’m back. Are the kids asleep?”

“Yes, they’re asleep!”

“I’ll go check on Yunrui and Yunjin first!”

With that, Jiang Shiying hurried upstairs, not even pausing as he passed by Jiang Xue.

Watching her own father’s back disappear upstairs, Jiang Xue immediately turned to her mother and said, “Mom, why do I feel like Dad cares more about Yunrui and Yunjin than he does about me? He didn’t even stop to check on me just now.”

Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “You’re a mother yourself now—why are you still competing with the kids for attention?”

Li Yi also chuckled, “Isn’t it normal for a father to be close to his grandchildren? Haven’t you heard of the bond between grandparents and grandchildren?”

“I’ve heard of grandparents doting on their grandchildren, but Dad’s being way too obvious about it…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi chimed in, “That’s nothing. Look at my old man—he’s always scowling and glaring at me. If he’s really upset, he’ll whip me with a riding crop, giving you a real taste of what ‘a father’s love is as steady as a mountain’ means!”

“But look at him when he sees Yunrui and Yunjin—he treats them like they’re made of porcelain, afraid they’ll break if he holds them too tightly, or melt if he puts them in his mouth. Even if the two little ones pee on him, he’s still all smiles!”

Hearing this, everyone burst out laughing!

Jiang Xue was no exception. Don’t let Li Yi’s reputation as a formidable investment genius and business tycoon fool you—in front of his father-in-law, Li Shankui, he’s always just that good-for-nothing son, and his father never has a kind word to say to him!

Amid the laughter, Jiang Shiying finished checking on the children and came downstairs.

They chatted for a little while longer, then left Zhang Feng and Guo Mingyue behind to watch over the sleeping children at home.

The rest of the group headed out to a nearby restaurant for dinner…

……..

By the time they finished eating, it was already 7:00 p.m.!

Upon returning to the villa, Li Yi immediately called Zhang Ziqiang over and asked him to contact the airport to see if there were any flights back to Beijing the next day.

After all, it was already January 8th, and Third Sister and Long Zhanjun’s wedding was set for the 18th day of the 12th lunar month—January 12th. With only three or four days left, he needed to return to Beijing as soon as possible!

No sooner had he settled this matter than Li Yi was summoned to the study by his father-in-law.

Same place, same spot—only the person speaking to him had changed from Zhou Rui to his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying.

Jiang Shiying first poured Li Yi a cup of tea, then said, “I’ve heard from Comrade Zhou Rui about what happened to you in Hong Kong. You’ve really been through a lot. If future situations remain this dangerous, let them handle it themselves—don’t get personally involved!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Did Comrade Zhou actually tell you about this? Isn’t he afraid of leaking classified information?”

“What do you mean, ‘leak information’? When it comes to matters involving you, he has to tell me. Otherwise, don’t even think about getting my help in the future!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Dad, it’s actually not as dangerous as you think. Everything is under control!” Li Yi said.

“Don’t be complacent. Even those who can swim drown!”

Li Yi nodded, then asked, “By the way, Father, has the matter in Hai County been resolved yet?”

Jiang Shiying sighed and shook his head. “Not yet. The situation there is far more complicated than we anticipated. Not only have local government officials dipped their hands into the smuggling trade to profit from it, but even the coastal anti-smuggling units, patrol officers, and a large number of ordinary people are taking risks for the sake of huge profits. You could say it’s rotten to the core—Hai County has completely turned into a smuggling kingdom!”

“Do you know what people call Hai County behind its back? ‘The Far East International Market.’ It’s a massive irony. And what’s even more ironic is that our provincial government was completely unaware of something this massive. What a dereliction of duty!”

“So what’s the current situation?” Li Yi asked.

“We’ve arrested quite a few suspects so far, but the interrogations aren’t making much progress. These people realized long ago that their crimes could be exposed at any moment, so they’ve colluded with one another and formed a ‘mutual defense pact.’ They’ve even gone to great lengths to cover up the evidence, which has made solving the case extremely difficult.”

Jiang Shiying continued, “Yet our superiors are demanding we solve the case within a deadline to provide an explanation to the local residents and our veteran comrades. So the pressure on us here at the Commission for Discipline Inspection is immense!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “No matter how cunning the fox, it can’t outwit the hunter. No matter how well these criminals hide, they’ll eventually slip up. Don’t worry too much!”

“That may be true, but the orders from above are non-negotiable. If we fail to solve the case by the deadline…”

At this point, Jiang Shiying changed the subject and said, “Never mind that. In any case, I have to thank you for this!”

“If it weren’t for your warning, we would have been severely reprimanded by higher-ups. In that case, the entire Guangdong Provincial Discipline Inspection System would have faced punishment, and as the top official, I certainly wouldn’t have been spared either!”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “Father, we’re family—let’s not beat around the bush. I may not know much about solving cases, but I do know that ‘the world bustles with people coming for profit; the world teems with people going for profit.’ Those people took such risks solely for financial gain. So when investigating, start by looking into their assets. Once you uncover massive amounts of wealth from unexplained sources, they won’t be able to deny it!”

“If you find nothing on them personally, then investigate the people close to them—their wives, parents, children, and so on. People like them trust no one but their own family!”

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Shiying’s eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately said, “You’re right. We’ll adjust the direction of our investigation tomorrow!”

Li Yi nodded and added, “Oh, and Dad, I’ve co-founded a chamber of commerce with some wealthy Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong. It’s called the Hong Kong Branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and I serve as the vice president.”

“I’ve agreed with them that after the New Year, they’ll organize a business delegation to come here for investment exploration. Their first stop will be Guangzhou. Please let the provincial authorities know so they can make preparations to receive them!”

“Oh, do you know who exactly is coming?” Jiang Shiying asked urgently.

“Virtually all of Hong Kong’s prominent Chinese business tycoons will be there. If we can retain these investors, Guangdong Province will attract at least 5 to 10 billion US dollars in foreign investment annually!”

“Whoa! That much?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, I’ll report the situation to the provincial authorities tomorrow!”

“Alright…”

………

“Ugh!”

The moment Li Yi opened his eyes, a searing headache made him gasp involuntarily.

He knew this was the feeling of a hangover, but today it was particularly unbearable.

He must have drunk a bit too much last night—it had clearly exceeded his limit.

Since yesterday’s event was a grand gathering for all Chinese businesspeople on Hong Kong Island, and as a key figure, he naturally couldn’t avoid others toasting him.

Although Li Yi, due to his limited tolerance, had only taken small sips each time, he simply couldn’t keep up with the sheer number of people.

More importantly, Jiang Xue had also been the focus of special attention from those wealthy ladies yesterday.

Since she hadn’t drunk much before, Li Yi had no choice but to step in and block the toasts for his wife. The end result was that he blacked out completely, not even knowing how he’d made it home.

Struggling to get out of bed, Li Yi realized he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers—and not even the same ones from yesterday.

Clearly, someone had changed his clothes.

But thinking that his wife was nearby—and that she was most likely the one who’d changed them—Li Yi immediately felt at ease.

The room was quiet; there was no one else there.

Jiang Xue wasn’t there, and neither were the kids!

He picked up the watch from the nightstand and glanced at it, realizing it was almost ten o’clock.

Realizing he still planned to return to Guangzhou today, he immediately forced himself to ignore his physical discomfort, climbed out of bed, and headed for the bathroom.

A hot bath made him feel much better!

But his stomach started growling, so Li Yi quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

In the living room on the first floor, several children were crawling around on the carpet, and Juanzi was playing with them.

His older sister and mother-in-law were packing, with several suitcases already lined up nearby, but Jiang Xue was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Li Yi come downstairs, his older sister stood up immediately and asked with concern, “You’re awake? Have a seat for a bit—I’ll bring you some food!”

“Thanks, sis!”

Li Yi then looked around and asked Ye Lingyun, “Mom, where’s Xue? I don’t see her.”

“She just went out with Chen. She said she was going to get her hair done!” his older sister replied.

“Get her hair done?”

“Yeah, since we’re heading back soon, Xiaoxue thinks people might gossip if she goes home with curly hair, so she wants to go back to her original style first!” Ye Lingyun explained.

“Haha, curly hair isn’t really a big deal. We’re in the era of reform and opening up—what’s the harm in getting a perm?” Li Yi said.

Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “Women are different from men—we’re most afraid of people gossiping. Besides, even if no one says anything, we wouldn’t be able to get past Grandpa’s disapproval!”

Thinking of Old Man Jiang’s stern demeanor, he really might not be able to accept Jiang Xue having her hair permed.

Plus, Jiang Xue was a relatively conservative person herself. With that in mind, Li Yi felt relieved…

Just then, Zhang Ziqiang pushed open the door and walked in. He approached Li Yi and said, “Brother Yi, the port called half an hour ago. They said our shipment has arrived!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly. He sat up straight and asked, “Is it the shipment from Corning?”

“Yes, and they brought over a dozen of their technical staff with them!” Zhang Ziqiang replied.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Call Wen and Xiao Wu in here!”

“Yes, sir!”

Soon, Zhou Wen and Wu Jianjun were summoned to Li Yi’s side.

Li Yi didn’t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point: “The advanced equipment we ordered from Zi Ying has arrived in Hong Kong. Now, this shipment needs to be transported back to the mainland through special channels. You two will stay here to handle this. I’ll have the Green Dragon Society and Aegis Security assist you!”

“Yes, sir. We’ll get the job done!”

“Hmm. Aside from that equipment, the most important thing is to bring back those dozen or so Thief Eagle technicians as well. Otherwise, relying solely on our own connections would be far too troublesome!” Li Yi said.

“Understood!”

“You guys start making the necessary preparations. I’ll go back and discuss this with Zhou Chu and the others, then get back to you!”

After all, this is smuggling; we must get the higher-ups’ approval in advance, or things could easily go wrong.

Fortunately, he had already coordinated with Zhou Rui beforehand and had him explain the situation to the higher-ups, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Yes!”

Then, Li Yi turned to Zhang Ziqiang again and said, “Get everything ready. As soon as my wife gets back, we’ll head to the dock!”

“Yes…”

………

Guangzhou. Lotus Pier!

By the time Li Yi’s family returned to Guangzhou, it was already past three in the afternoon.

As soon as they stepped off the ferry, Li Yi spotted Zhou Rui waiting for him at the exit with two young men, and behind them were four or five military jeeps.

As soon as they met, Zhou Rui shook Li Yi’s hand and said with a touch of excitement, “Comrade Li Yi, welcome home!”

Li Yi knew why he was so excited, and immediately smiled, saying, “I’m truly flattered that Director Zhou took the trouble to come pick us up personally!”

“It’s only right… it’s only right!”

Then, noticing the slightly weary-looking woman and children behind Zhou Yang, Zhou Rui hurriedly said, “Get in the car quickly. We’ll talk about everything once we get back!”

“Alright!”

The group quickly got into the car and headed straight for Jiang Shiying’s small villa!

Back at the provincial government compound in Guangdong Province, after moving their luggage inside, Li Yi and Zhou Rui went up to the study on the second floor.

As soon as they entered, Li Yi couldn’t wait to ask, “Chief Zhou, has the ship detention incident been resolved?”

Zhou Rui smiled and said, “I thought you weren’t interested in that matter at all—you didn’t ask a single question on the way here. Turns out you care about it quite a bit after all!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “How could I not care? It’s just that the timing wasn’t right, so I didn’t bring it up.”

“After negotiations between both sides, we’ve reached a consensus. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the coast guard vessels we’ve detained will be released tonight,” Zhou Rui said.

“Oh, how was this resolved? Could you share the details?” Li Yi asked.

“Certainly!”

Zhou Rui continued, “After multiple rounds of negotiations between our two sides, we’ve finally reached the following agreement: “First, the other party has publicly apologized for their unauthorized interception of our government vessels, agreed to compensate us for our losses, and pledged to severely punish those responsible—especially that arrogant and insolent Director Liang, who must be removed from his post and investigated.”

“Second, their coast guard vessels will no longer appear in our waters without authorization, nor will they arbitrarily intercept Qinglong Society ships. From now on, Qinglong Society ships can operate freely without fear of being intercepted by coast guard vessels.”

“And finally, the most crucial point: the British Hong Kong Government and the Governor’s Office must do everything in their power to ensure your personal safety and that of your family while you are there. If you personally face any danger there, we will automatically hold the Governor’s Office responsible…”

Li Yi asked in astonishment, “With such harsh conditions, how could they possibly agree? They’d lose face big time!”

“Heh, compared to one’s life, face is certainly something one can do without!”

Zhou Rui then explained further: “Although this vessel detention incident was a trap we deliberately set for them, the fact remains that their coast guard patrol boats surrounded our government vessel by force and forcibly boarded it for inspection!”

“As you know, as an extension of territorial sovereignty, ships absolutely cannot be boarded at will. Their actions have crossed the line. We shouldn’t hesitate to seize their coast guard vessels—even sending a fleet directly into Victoria Harbor wouldn’t be excessive!”

“And triggering such a serious diplomatic dispute would have dire consequences for that old geezer of a Governor. If he can’t resolve this promptly, he won’t just lose his position as Governor—he might even lose his life. He has no choice but to stand his ground!”

Hearing this, Li Yi immediately grasped the crux of the matter!

Overjoyed, Li Yi immediately discussed with Zhou Rui the matter of bringing the color TV production line back to China. Upon learning of this, Zhou Rui took it very seriously…

……..

PS: Another chapter coming before 11 PM!

While the meeting upstairs was proceeding in a tense yet orderly manner, preparations for the reception downstairs were in full swing.

At that moment, a red carpet was laid out at the hotel entrance, and media reporters had been waiting there for quite some time.

As the time drew near, luxury cars began arriving one after another, and one by one, high-society ladies and socialites walked down the red carpet into the venue.

Every time a car pulled up, the reporters would frantically snap away with their cameras, capturing the elegant figures of these socialites and high-society ladies—this would make for the best material in tomorrow’s newspapers and magazines.

At 6:15, a motorcade of five luxury cars pulled up to the hotel entrance.

As the doors opened, two beautiful women dressed in luxurious gowns stepped out of the cars.

It was Jiang Xue’s first time attending such a grand event, and her first time walking the red carpet. After getting out of the car and seeing so many reporters pointing their cameras at her, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Chen Chuhong noticed Jiang Xue’s nervousness and immediately patted her hand, saying, “Don’t be afraid, little Xue. Brother Li Yi is a figure who has taken the Hong Kong business world by storm. As his wife, you must possess that same regal bearing!”

Encouraged by Chen Chuhong, Jiang Xue clenched her teeth and silently gave herself a pep talk. After muttering a few words only she could hear, she lifted her head high.

She then nodded to Chen Chuhong and, with confident strides, walked along the red carpet toward the hotel.

The reporters lining both sides of the red carpet couldn’t help but get excited when they saw Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong.

So beautiful!

The one on the left was mature and elegant, with a hint of allure—definitely the epitome of a wife.

And the one on the right was even more extraordinary—not only was she young and beautiful, but she also possessed a mature beauty beneath her innocence. Two seemingly completely different auras were perfectly unified in her, which was truly breathtaking!

The reporters didn’t even have time to ask who these ladies were; they all raised their cameras and kept snapping away, using up as much film as they could, afraid of missing a single beautiful moment!

The red carpet was only a few dozen meters long, but Jiang Xue felt as if she had exhausted all her energy.

After her invitation was verified and she entered the hotel, she couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief!

Seeing this, Chen Chuhong immediately smiled and said, “Don’t be nervous. It’s true that this kind of thing can be very unsettling at first, but you’ll get used to it after attending a few more times!”

“I feel like I can barely handle this one. My legs are already shaking—if I have to do this a few more times, it’ll kill me!” Jiang Xue said with a touch of resignation.

“Sweetie, you have to understand that at high-end cocktail parties or balls like this, men need a date. If you don’t go, what will people think of our friend Li Yi?”

Chen Chuhong continued, “Or do you want him to bring someone else to these events?”

“No way!” Jiang Xue said firmly and decisively.

“Dressing up beautifully and accompanying your man to these events isn’t just about saving face for him—more importantly, it tells all those pretty girls out there that he’s mine, and nobody else is allowed to get close!” Chen Chuhong said with the air of someone who’d been there and done that.

Jiang Xue nodded thoughtfully, then said, “I get it. That’s how you stake your claim!”

“Exactly. Back in the day, there were so many women swarming around your Brother Huang. I used this very tactic to make them back off!”

Chen Chuhong continued, “Brother Li Yi is young and handsome, a renowned investment genius in Hong Kong, and a billionaire. A man like him is like a beacon in the night. I don’t know how many women are like moths drawn to a flame, desperate to climb into his bed. As his wife, you absolutely cannot back down now!”

Jiang Xue looked at Chen Chuhong and said gratefully, “Thank you, Sister-in-law. I’ve really learned a lot!”

“You’re welcome. But don’t worry—I can tell that Brother Li Yi truly cares about you from the bottom of his heart!”

Then she whispered, “Let me tell you a secret: today I took you out to buy clothes and jewelry, and I even hired Hong Kong’s most famous makeup artist and stylist to help you get ready—all at Brother Li Yi’s request!”

Jiang Xue’s eyes lit up, and she asked excitedly, “Really?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Then Chen Chuhong added, “Just think about it—he’s a grown man, and he remembers even the smallest details like this. That really means he holds you dear to his heart!”

Jiang Xue nodded and said, “That’s just the kind of person he is…”

Just then, the elevator came to a stop. Chen Chuhong immediately said, “Little Xue, we’re here. The battle for us women is about to begin!”

Jiang Xue: @#￥%……&

……..

The elevator doors opened, revealing two rows of waitstaff in matching uniforms.

As soon as they spotted Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong, someone came over to greet them and guide them toward the venue.

Upon entering the main hall, Jiang Xue was instantly stunned by the opulent scene.

The vast reception hall was resplendently decorated in gold and splendor, with massive crystal chandeliers everywhere; under the glow of the lights, the entire hall shimmered with radiant hues.

Along both sides of the hall stood two long rows of tables, laden with an array of exquisite food and beverages—many of which were rarely seen in China.

For Jiang Xue, who was accustomed to the sight of people in her village struggling to get enough to eat, this was quite a shock.

What shocked Jiang Xue even more were the people in the hall. It was packed with people—men and women of all ages—all dressed in their finest, exuding an air of opulence.

Seeing them, Jiang Xue suddenly began to understand what Li Yi had meant.

If she had come dressed in those plain clothes, she would indeed have looked out of place compared to them.

“Sis, didn’t you say Little Yi and Brother Huang had already arrived early? Why haven’t I seen them?” Jiang Xue asked.

Chen Chuhong shook her head and said, “I don’t know either. Maybe they’re still busy…”

Just then, the two spotted a young man and woman, both dressed to the nines, walking toward them. It wasn’t until they drew closer that they recognized them—it was actually the siblings Li Yunbao and Li Yunling.

As soon as they met, Li Yunling greeted them warmly: “Sister-in-law, Sister Xue’er, you’re here!”

Li Yunbao, on the other hand, spoke very politely: “Ladies, Brother Yi and Uncle Huang are in a meeting upstairs. I’ll take you over there to wait for a bit—and by the way, quite a few people would like to meet you!”

“Alright, thanks for your help!” Chen Chuhong said.

Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong followed the Li siblings through the crowd to a semi-enclosed private room.

There weren’t many people in the private room—just a dozen or so women, including three or four middle-aged ladies of high social standing and six or seven young ladies.

Each of these women carried herself with an air of arrogance and exuded an aura of nobility.

However, once Li Yunling had introduced Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong to everyone, the attitudes of these socialites and aristocratic ladies changed instantly, and they all greeted them warmly.

Jiang Xue, in particular, instantly became the focus of their praise.

These women all remembered their husbands’ instructions: they must cultivate a good relationship with Li Yi’s wife, as befriending her would bring numerous benefits to their families.

Although Jiang Xue wasn’t quite used to this kind of setting—especially being showered with compliments by so many socialites and aristocratic ladies—it left her feeling somewhat at a loss.

But by now she had a general understanding of the nature of this cocktail party and her husband’s standing here. Recalling Chen Chuhong’s previous advice, the clever young woman quickly adapted and tried to engage in simple conversation with these ladies in her somewhat imperfect Mandarin.

At exactly 7:00 p.m., the music in the hall suddenly stopped.

Immediately afterward, a series of heavy footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase on one side.

The guests then watched as dozens of distinguished figures descended the stairs—none other than Li Yi, Li Futiao, He Dongying, Li Chaoren, Huang Lixing, as well as Lord Bao, Old Master Huo, and others!

As soon as these bigwigs made their entrance, the venue erupted in thunderous, sustained applause!

Soon, these dignitaries had descended the stairs and taken their places at the very front of the Banbanhaobang venue, facing all the guests.

Next, the highly respected “Ship King” of Hong Kong Island, Bao, strode forward to the microphone and announced in a loud voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today’s reception!”

“Just moments ago, the Hong Kong Island Branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce was officially established. Through a vote, Mr. Li Futiao was elected as President of the Hong Kong Island Branch, with Mr. Ho Tung-ying, Mr. Li Heng-ji, Mr. Li Yi, and Mr. Fok serving as Vice Presidents. I myself will serve as Secretary-General, and Mr. Wong Lap-hang as Deputy Secretary-General. Additionally, Mr. Li Chaoren, Mr. Lo Ka-ying, and Mr. Lai Kau-ying… have been appointed as Board Members of the Branch.Now, please welcome President Li Futao to address us…”

While Old Li was speaking, Li Yi’s gaze swept through the hundreds of guests, searching for that graceful figure in his heart.

Finally, he spotted the person he was looking for on the right side of the crowd.

The moment he saw Jiang Xue, Li Yi was stunned by her appearance.

With her makeup freshly applied, Jiang Xue looked exceptionally radiant and captivating. Her exquisite makeup, paired with a classic white evening gown, made her appear strikingly beautiful—truly a vision of unparalleled beauty.

Jiang Xue also spotted Li Yi; she gave a faint smile and waved gently at him.

Every gesture and smile exuded natural charm, and her beautiful eyes were filled with sincerity.

What surprised Li Yi even more was that just as Old Li announced the official start of the cocktail party, he saw his own lovely wife walk over to him on her own initiative and confidently slip her arm through his…

……..

While Li Yi was busy in the city, things were quite different back at home!

That morning, shortly after Li Yi and Huang Lixing had left Cloudtop No. 1, Chen Chuhong arrived with little Huang Min, surrounded by her bodyguards.

After leaving the child in the care of Li Yi’s older sister and mother-in-law, Chen Chuhong took Jiang Xue out, saying she was going to buy her some clothes.

By the time they returned, it was already 2:00 PM!

In addition to bringing back plenty of beautiful clothes and jewelry, they also brought back three or four makeup artists and stylists.

Immediately afterward, these stylists and makeup artists began working on Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong right at the Li residence!

In the dressing room, Jiang Xue stared at her drastically transformed reflection in the mirror, completely dumbfounded.

Is this really me?

In the mirror, she saw herself with fair skin, flawless makeup, dressed in an expensive gown, and adorned with precious jewelry—she looked just like a noble and beautiful swan!

Dressed up so elaborately for the first time, Jiang Xue was stunned by her own appearance.

Chen Chuhong, standing beside her, was equally astonished. She had always known Jiang Xue was beautiful; with such natural features, even a simple touch of makeup would look stunning.

But she never could have imagined that Jiang Xue would look this stunning after applying makeup—she was every bit as beautiful as any movie star, looking just like a princess from one of those ancient local families.

Chen Chuhong exclaimed with genuine admiration, “Little Xue, you’re so beautiful!”

Jiang Xue’s cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Chen Chuhong with her beautiful, wide eyes and asked, “Am I really that pretty? I hope I’m not embarrassing him.”

Chen Chuhong smiled and said, “Of course not. I guarantee it—Little Xue, you’re bound to outshine everyone else today!”

She had always felt that Jiang Xue’s greatest shortcoming was her poise. Perhaps it was due to her upbringing, but while Jiang Xue was certainly beautiful, she lacked that certain air of refinement.

But now, dressed in an evening gown, adorned with fine jewelry, and fully made up, she exuded a touch of nobility, filling in that final gap.

Now, she was absolutely on par with those aristocratic young ladies. Judging by this result, she could certainly report back to Brother Li Yi that the job was done!

That’s right—the reason Chen Chuhong had taken Jiang Xue out to shop for clothes and jewelry, then hired someone to come over to do her makeup and styling, was all at Li Yi’s request. The goal, of course, was tonight’s cocktail party.

Upon hearing Chen Chuhong’s words, Jiang Xue finally let out a sigh of relief, and the tension on her face eased considerably.

Originally, Jiang Xue hadn’t wanted to go shopping for clothes that morning. After all, they’d already spent a considerable amount over the past few days—clothing and jewelry had cost nearly 500,000 to 600,000 Hong Kong dollars—and the frugal Jiang Xue didn’t want to waste any more money.

Indeed, in her view, buying luxury items like clothes and jewelry was nothing but a waste of money.

She wasn’t the only one who felt this way; her older sister Li Mei and her mother Ye Lingyun shared the same view. Having grown up under the red flag, they still couldn’t adjust to the extravagant and hedonistic lifestyle here.

However, Chen Chuhong had informed her that a grand business cocktail party would be held tonight at the Emperor Hotel, Hong Kong Island’s most prestigious venue. The event was primarily to celebrate the establishment of the Hong Kong Island branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Nearly all of Hong Kong Island’s wealthy Chinese businessmen would be attending with their wives and adult children; it could be said that this reception was the most prestigious gathering in Hong Kong’s Chinese social circles.

As the central figure of the event, Li Yi was bound to attend, and as his publicly acknowledged wife, she would certainly have to accompany him as his date.

More importantly, the socialites and high-society ladies in Hong Kong’s circles have always had a culture of competing to outdo one another in elegance. If she were to attend without makeup, she might not only be looked down upon but could also bring shame upon her husband.

After hearing what Chen Chuhong had to say, Jiang Xue finally agreed to go with her to shop for a gown and jewelry.

She herself could go without makeup or jewelry, or simply tie her hair back with a leather band, but she couldn’t bring shame upon her husband.

By the time she finished applying her makeup, it was already past six in the afternoon!

Seeing that it was nearly time, Chen Chuhong—who was also dressed to the nines—led Jiang Xue out of Cloud Peak No. 1. Under the protection of their bodyguards, they headed straight for the Emperor Hotel!

……..

Hong Kong Island. Emperor Hotel!

In the luxurious conference room on the top floor, 33 top Chinese business tycoons, including Li Yi, had gathered to discuss the establishment of the Hong Kong Island branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Such an important organization could not possibly be established with just a meal and some drinks—that would be a makeshift group, a band of outlaws swearing brotherhood.

After all, even the Liangshan Alliance had a hierarchy, let alone an organization like a chamber of commerce. Beyond defining the members’ objectives and obligations, the most crucial step was electing the chamber’s leadership.

And that was precisely what they were doing at that very moment!

Seated at the head of the table, Li Futiao spoke eloquently: “Our Hong Kong Island Branch of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is now officially established. The most important task at hand is to elect the president, vice presidents, secretary-general, and board members. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding this?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone spoke up: “What’s there to choose? I think we should just nominate Mr. Li Yi to serve as our president!”

“Exactly! I think Mr. Li is the only one capable of taking on the role of president right now!”

“I agree with everyone. We’ve been bullied by those Westerners for so many years, and it was Mr. Li who led us to defeat them, allowing us to stand tall and speak to them with confidence. There’s no one better suited for this role than Mr. Li!”

“Exactly, no one else but Mr. Li…”

Hearing everyone speaking up in his support, Li Yi quickly stood up and said, “Thank you all for your recognition and support. However, please let me share my thoughts. I don’t feel qualified to serve as president, and I have two specific reasons for this!”

“First of all, what we’re establishing today is, after all, the Hong Kong branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The president must be someone who can represent us, the Chinese business community in Hong Kong, and must have the interests of our fellow businesspeople here at heart. Given my current status, I clearly don’t meet those criteria!”

“Secondly, I cannot stay here year-round. If I were to become president and the Chamber faced an urgent matter, I wouldn’t be able to handle it promptly—which is simply unacceptable! Therefore, my suggestion is that the president must be a local resident of Hong Kong Island!”

Upon hearing Li Yi’s explanation, the room fell silent.

Apart from a few who had already known the outcome, the rest all wore expressions of disappointment.

The main reason they had suddenly decided to establish this Chinese Chamber of Commerce was to ride on Li Yi’s coattails.

While this was certainly due to Li Yi’s strong capabilities and the fact that his Starry Sky Company had helped them make a lot of money, the most important factor was his unique status.

Li Yi’s status as a “special envoy” had already been acknowledged by everyone present; after all, anyone capable of getting the opposing side to mobilize their naval fleet to help deal with those foreigners must undoubtedly be a high-ranking official on their side—there was no doubt about that.

Now, the struggle between China and Britain over Hong Kong has reached a fever pitch, and Britain is clearly at a disadvantage. Befriending Li Yi at this juncture is tantamount to extending an olive branch to the Chinese side.

Should the political landscape shift in the future, it would effectively provide them with an additional layer of protection.

But to their surprise, Li Yi actually refused the position of Chamber of Commerce president, and he did so with such sound reasoning that they couldn’t refute him.

Li Yi, of course, knew exactly what these people were thinking. He immediately added, “Although I won’t be the president of this chamber of commerce, I am a member of our Hong Kong branch. As we say on the mainland, from now on, we’re brothers who share the same pot of rice.”

“Whenever there are investment projects or money-making opportunities in the future, I will definitely give priority to members of our chamber. And if any of you ever need help with anything, feel free to reach out to me privately!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

After a round of enthusiastic applause, He Dongying, the head of the He family, immediately asked, “Mr. Li, it’s clear that everyone here trusts you deeply. Since you won’t be taking on the role of president, who among those present do you think is qualified to serve as president?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “I don’t think it matters who is qualified to be president; what matters is whether everyone else feels the same way. I’ve reviewed our chamber’s bylaws, and I propose the following structure: one president, four vice presidents, one secretary-general and one deputy secretary-general, and 11 council members.”

“Therefore, I suggest we first elect these 18 members, and then select the president and vice presidents from among them. What do you all think?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Futiao spoke up first: “I agree with Mr. Li’s suggestion!”

“I agree too!” He Dongying added.

“Seconded…”

……….

Kang Le Plaza, Jardine House!

Just as investors at Star Tower were celebrating the sky-high returns, Li Yi arrived at the Jardine Matheson headquarters with Zhao Xinlan, Li Yunbao, and others.

He had come here for one purpose only—to repay a debt!

That’s right—to pay off his debt!

During the previous battle with the Jardine Group over the New Territories warehouse, due to a lack of funds, those over 21 million shares were all backed by IOUs issued to Powell.

Now that he had the money, it was time to settle the debt!

When Powell received Li Yi’s call, he took it very seriously. He immediately summoned the company’s senior executives and waited at the Jardine Matheson headquarters for Li Yi and his party to arrive.

The God of Wealth has arrived—we dare not be disrespectful!

In fact, prior to this, many within the Jardine group had been worried that Starry Sky might renege on the deal.

Although they had clearly defined the liability for breach of contract when signing the agreement, the current situation was that, due to the broader economic environment, both the property market and the stock market on Hong Kong Island had plummeted.

In particular, just a few days ago, the mainland suddenly deployed warships to seize more than twenty coast guard vessels belonging to the British Hong Kong government. This made the Hong Kong property and stock markets, already feeling the “threat of war,” suffer another severe blow. Property prices were once again slashed in half, and the stock market was equally teetering on the brink; the share prices of many companies had plummeted to one-tenth of their original value.

Under these circumstances, New Territories Warehouse’s stock price has inevitably been affected, plummeting from a previous high of HK$110 per share to HK$55 per share—nearly halving in value.

If Li Yi were to fulfill the contract at this time, based on the current share price, they would face a loss of at least HK$1.1 billion.

However, if he were to breach the contract, he would only need to pay a penalty of less than HK$500 million.

That’s a difference of a full 600 million Hong Kong dollars. The choice was actually quite clear, and Powell and the others had even mentally prepared themselves for Li Yi to renege on the contract.

But what they didn’t expect was that Li Yi not only didn’t back out, but actually called them on the very day the company distributed dividends, saying he wanted to pay the outstanding amount. This truly moved Powell and the others to tears.

What a good man!

Consequently, even before Li Yi and his team had arrived, Powell personally led a group of Jardine Matheson executives to wait at the headquarters entrance to welcome them, giving Li Yi the utmost respect.

After a simple yet warm welcome ceremony, the group proceeded to the Jardine Matheson conference room to formally complete the final payment process for the New Territories Warehouse equity acquisition.

Although the transaction involved 2.3 billion Hong Kong dollars, since the contract had already been signed, Li Yi was simply paying the outstanding acquisition funds to Jardine Matheson, so the entire process was quite straightforward.

With the payment complete, the transaction was now fully finalized!

Both parties were extremely satisfied with the transaction.

For Jardine Matheson, had Powell not acted decisively two months prior to sell all of the Jardine Group’s New Territories Warehouse shares to Li Yi, they would undoubtedly have suffered massive losses by now.

In other words, Powell’s move not only spared the Jardine Group from retaliation by Li Yi and Starry Company but also prevented the company from suffering major losses—making this deal well worth it.

As for Li Yi, what he had his eye on was New World Warehouse’s enormous future potential.

Whether he makes a profit now or not is irrelevant; even if the stock price plummets, causing him to suffer heavy losses on his previous investment, it wouldn’t matter.

He knew full well that a few years later, once Hong Kong Island’s economy had recovered, both the property and stock markets would skyrocket.

For companies like New Territories Warehouse, which hold vast tracts of land and prime properties, share prices can easily multiply tenfold or twentyfold.

Every Hong Kong dollar invested now would yield a return of dozens of times that amount in a few years.

Therefore, in Li Yi’s view, while your Jardine Matheson Group might break even, I’m sure to make a killing!

Since both parties were pleased with this collaboration, after wrapping up the formalities, Powell invited Li Yi to his office for a chat, and Li Yi agreed.

In the office lounge, Powell poured Li Yi a cup of coffee and said, “Li, thank you so much for honoring our agreement. If you had backed out, I would have been in a very difficult position at the company!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Powell, I simply did what I believed was right!”

“As a businessman, it’s fine to pursue maximum profit, but you must maintain a basic level of integrity. As you Westerners say, you need a spirit of contract; otherwise, you won’t go far!”

“Li, you’ve put it perfectly. But unfortunately, when faced with such enormous profits, very few people can stick to their principles.”

Powell continued, “To be honest, if I were in your shoes, I might not have been able to do the same, so I really admire your character.”

Li Yi merely smiled and didn’t dwell on the matter further. Instead, he looked at Powell and said, “I heard that not long ago, someone was trying to remove you from your position as general manager. It seems that the other party didn’t succeed?”

A hint of derision flashed across Powell’s face as he replied, “The Sassoon family only knows how to resort to these underhanded tactics, but they forgot that this is Hong Kong. The tricks they pull in Europe don’t work here.”

“Just like that incident a couple of days ago—they thought their plan was foolproof, but in the end, they suffered a crushing defeat. Li, you did a great job!”

The fact that Dolsen’s attempt to undermine Li Yi backfired and ended up screwing over the Governor’s Office might be hidden from the general public, but it certainly couldn’t be hidden from a business tycoon like Powell.

Moreover, given his own deep-rooted connections to British-owned conglomerates, it was impossible for Dowson to keep him in the dark.

Li Yi nodded and said, “Powell, you’re right. Underhanded tactics might give you a temporary advantage, but they can’t possibly prevail in the long run!”

Suddenly, Powell said with a mysterious look, “Li, I’ve got some good news for you!”

“What good news?”

“Dawson has been punished!”

“Oh, who punished him? What kind of punishment?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Naturally, he was punished by the Sassoon family’s higher-ups. He’s been stripped of his status as heir!” Powell said with a smile, looking thoroughly delighted at his misfortune.

“That serious?”

“Yes, but it’s understandable!”

Powell continued, “Because of his reckless actions, he not only disrupted the balance in the Far East that London had been desperately trying to maintain—causing tensions in the region to escalate suddenly—but he also caused the already fractured British-owned business group to completely fall apart, nearly leading to its total disintegration!”

“The prestige the Sassoon family had built up over decades on Hong Kong Island was completely squandered by him and his uncle. This punishment is actually quite lenient!”

“He brought it upon himself!”

Li Yi then asked again, “So, will he leave Hong Kong?”

“Probably not. He still needs to clean up this mess here on Hong Kong Island!” Powell said.

“Good. If he left, I’d have to go all the way to Europe to find him—that’d be too much of a hassle. It’s better if he stays here,” Li Yi said indifferently.

Hearing this, Powell’s heart skipped a beat.

Li Yi’s words were all too clear—he clearly had no intention of letting Powell off the hook.

“Li, while I’d love to see you take care of that son of a bitch, I still want to remind you that the Sassoon family backing him is incredibly powerful…”

Powell continued, “No, actually, they’re downright terrifying. If at all possible, try to avoid a direct confrontation with them—that wouldn’t be a wise choice!”

Li Yi replied calmly, “Thanks for the warning, but we Chinese have an old saying: ‘Whoever dares to offend the mighty Han shall be punished, no matter how far away they are!’”

“Dorson’s family may be powerful, but I have a billion compatriots standing behind me. I’m not fighting this alone!”

Powell paused briefly, then said, “I understand. If you need anything regarding this matter, I’ll do everything in my power to help you!”

“Good. If I ever truly need it, I’ll definitely ask!”

“Alright…”

……..

January 7, 1982, the 13th day of the 12th lunar month, Thursday!

Early in the morning, the area in front of Starry Sky Building at 17 Happy Valley Road in the heart of Hong Kong Island was already packed with people.

Among them were clients of Star Investment Company and reporters from various media outlets, but the majority were ordinary people who had come simply to watch the spectacle.

This morning, Star Investment was set to distribute 29 billion in dividends to over 8,000 investors and two shareholders—an unprecedented event since the founding of Hong Kong Island.

With such a grand event, any resident with free time wanted to come and see the excitement!

Naturally, the media wouldn’t miss out on such a hot story either; whether invited or not, they had all arrived early.

Due to the massive crowd, the Hong Kong-British government, concerned about potential disturbances, had deployed police early to maintain order.

As a result, although the crowd was large, order was generally well maintained!

At 8:30 a.m., as the doors of Star Tower opened, a team of security guards arrived at the building’s entrance.

The security guards then used a megaphone to instruct Star Company’s clients to line up immediately for registration, after which they would enter the company in groups of fifty to settle their dividends.

Soon, a long line formed outside the entrance to Star Company!

At 8:30 a.m., a motorcade of three vehicles arrived at the foot of Star Tower.

When the car doors opened, a Chinese man in his fifties stepped out and, surrounded by bodyguards, walked into Star Tower.

Upon seeing him, ordinary citizens in the crowd gasped in surprise: “It’s Mr. Li Futao of the Li family…”

Meanwhile, the reporters frantically pressed the shutters of their cameras, snapping away nonstop!

And this was just the beginning. Over the next half hour, local business tycoons arrived one after another.

Soon, people were astonished to discover that eighty percent of Hong Kong Island’s wealthy Chinese elite had turned up—meaning the vast majority of these tycoons had business dealings with Li Yi and Starry Sky Corporation.

Even more astonishing was that most of these tycoons had come in person—for example, Li Futao, the “Ship Chartering King,” and “Superman” Li—and even Old Master Huo had made the trip himself.

The few who did not attend in person had sent their family heirs instead.

This alone was enough to show that these people had a deep and close relationship with Li Yi!

Just as the citizens thought the guests had mostly arrived, a massive motorcade appeared on the main street in the distance.

From a distance, the convoy consisted of over a dozen luxury sedans, led by none other than a Mercedes-Benz.

The lavish motorcade soon arrived at the foot of the Star Tower. As the doors opened, Li Yi and Huang Lixing stepped out of their respective luxury cars.

As Li Yi and Huang Lixing appeared, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, while the investors waiting in line to enter applauded them enthusiastically.

For a moment, thunderous applause echoed endlessly at the entrance of Star Investment.

Li Yi didn’t put on airs; after getting out of the car, he kept waving to the crowd.

He knew the importance of public appeal and couldn’t afford to squander it by acting arrogant.

Sure enough, as Li Yi waved, the cheers and applause grew even louder.

Upstairs in the VIP lounge of Star Investment, a group of Chinese business tycoons were sipping tea and chatting, waiting for Li Yi’s arrival.

Suddenly, hearing the thunderous applause and deafening cheers of “banbanhaobang” erupting from below, they all rushed to the windows to see what was happening.

When they saw that the crowd was actually applauding Li Yi and Huang Lixing, they were all secretly shocked.

They never would have imagined that Li Yi, having been in Hong Kong for barely half a year, had already gained such prestige among the general public.

For a moment, everyone’s moods and thoughts varied…

……….

At exactly 9:00 a.m., the dividend distribution officially began!

Although Starry Sky had gone all out with publicity leading up to the dividend distribution—constantly rolling out jaw-dropping gimmicks that had the media and newspapers scrambling to cover the story—

However, once the actual dividend distribution began, Star Company kept the proceedings surprisingly low-key.

The company’s finance director, Zhao Xinlan, simply stepped forward to briefly read the dividend plan and outline the points to note during settlement, as well as how to resolve any disputes regarding the results.

Once these matters were addressed, Star Company began distributing dividends to investors with remarkable efficiency!

To distribute the funds to investors as quickly and efficiently as possible, all 32 members of Star Company’s finance department were mobilized, and 10 regular service counters were opened simultaneously to process dividend settlements for investors.

Of course, this did not include Li Yi, Li Futiao, and others; dedicated staff were assigned to handle the dividend settlements for these top executives.

In the VIP lounge, Finance Director Zhao Xinlan and Deputy Director He Tiansheng personally stepped in to settle the company’s dividends for shareholders Li Yi and Huang Lixing.

Zhao Xinlan took two pre-prepared documents from a folder and handed them to Li Yi and Huang Lixing.

At the same time, Zhao Xinlan said with a serious expression, “Gentlemen, according to our finance department’s calculations, the company’s net profit is 21.6 billion. After deducting applicable taxes and fees, the dividend payout to shareholders amounts to 18.286 billion Hong Kong dollars.”

“Based on the company’s share distribution, Mr. Li holds a 70% stake and is entitled to 12.8002 billion Hong Kong dollars, while Mr. Huang holds a 30% stake and is entitled to 5.4858 billion!”

“If you both have no objections to this profit distribution, please simply sign this document, and the dividend funds will then be transferred to the accounts you’ve designated with the company!”

Li Yi picked up the document, glanced over it, and, finding nothing amiss, promptly signed his name on it.

Huang Lixing, standing beside him, was even more decisive—he signed without even glancing at the document.

Once both men had signed, Zhao Xinlan collected the two documents and said, “The funds are expected to be credited to your accounts by 10 a.m. tomorrow. Please be sure to check your accounts!”

While Li Yi and Huang Lixing were receiving their shareholder dividends, Li Futiao, He Dongying, Bao Chuanwang, Li Chaoren, and others had also completed their settlements and received their dividends.

After the settlements were finalized, everyone returned to the VIP lounge upstairs.

As soon as these bigwigs met, they began asking their close friends about each other’s dividend returns.

Li Hengji of Li’s Real Estate sipped his coffee and asked He Dongying, who was sitting next to him, “Old He, I recall your family invested 100 million. I imagine you’ll be getting a dividend of around 300 million this time, right?”

He Dongying smiled first, then replied, “Our He family invested far more than 100 million. Including the additional funds we injected later, we’ve invested a total of 300 million Hong Kong dollars!”

“300 million Hong Kong dollars? Doesn’t that mean your family will be getting over 900 million this time?” Li Hengji asked, looking stunned.

“Hehe, this time we received 940 million!” He Dongying said triumphantly.

They had truly made a killing on this investment; and that 940 million in dividends didn’t even include their principal.

As far as he knew, the principal they had previously invested was held by Starry Company in US dollars at Citibank; at the current exchange rate, it had already appreciated by 75%.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, in six months’ time, they would be able to settle another four or five hundred million Hong Kong dollars in principal and interest.

With such a high return on investment, not even robbing a bank could bring in money this fast.

Just then, He Dongying spotted Li Futao walking out of the finance office with a smile on his face. He immediately waved him over and said, “Old Li, over here!”

Once Li Futao approached, He Dongying couldn’t wait to ask, “I know your Li family has also injected additional funds. Tell me, how much did you get this time?”

Li Futao didn’t beat around the bush. He smiled and said, “Not much—just over 2.4 billion, not quite 2.5 billion!”

He Dongying: @#￥%……

Li Hengji: @#￥%……

Aside from these Chinese business tycoons, today’s celebration also belonged to the ordinary investors.

Although the returns varied depending on the timing of their investments and the terms of their contracts,

But even those with the smallest dividends received a staggering 50% return, and there were plenty who achieved ultra-high returns of double, triple, or even quadruple their investment.

After receiving their dividends, the entire Star Tower was filled with excited, cheering investors, and those still waiting in line were swept up in the excitement, joining in the cheers.

For a moment, the entire Star Tower, inside and out, was filled with deafening cheers…

……..