Chapter 535: Husband and Wife in Harmony—Weaning!

“Wah…”

In his sleep, Li Yi was startled awake by the sound of a baby crying.

Opening his eyes, he saw that his two kids had woken up at some point and were now both lying on top of him, but their eyes were fixed on Jiang Xue beside him.

Li Yi immediately understood—the two kids were looking for their mom!

And in their eyes, he, their father, was nothing more than an obstacle blocking their path to their mother—unable to crawl past him, they had started crying.

Mothers are particularly attuned to their children’s movements; as soon as the babies’ cries rang out, Jiang Xue woke up as well.

Clearly, she was already used to this situation. She reached out, picked up Yunrui first, and placed him on her left lap.

She then unbuttoned her coat and handed him the bag of grain, and the little one’s crying stopped abruptly.

She then reached out with her other hand to scoop up his younger sister, Yun Jin, but instead of placing her on her lap, she held her in her arms and handed her a grain bag as well.

With both children’s mouths stuffed, the commotion died down.

Just as Li Yi stood there dumbfounded, Jiang Xue said to him, “Hurry up and make some formula for the kids. The bottles and formula are in the kitchen!”

“What, aren’t they getting enough to eat?”

“They’re both eight months old now. My breast milk only fills them up about thirty percent, so I have to supplement with formula at every meal!” Jiang Xue explained.

Li Yi nodded, then turned and got up, heading toward the kitchen.

Li Yi was no stranger to making formula, so he had it ready in no time.

When he returned to the bedroom, he saw his precious son and daughter looking at Jiang Xue with pouting faces, clearly still hungry.

Jiang Xue’s grain sack, which had been bulging just moments ago, was now completely deflated and sagging slightly.

Seeing this, Li Yi started to panic. “You two were just supposed to use that thing temporarily—how did you manage to deform it?”

No way—it’s time to wean these two little ones!

Immediately, he handed the bottle to Jiang Xue and said, “Honey, I think it’s time to wean them!”

“Wean them?”

Jiang Xue replied, “Isn’t that a bit too early? Yunrui and Yunjin aren’t even eight months old yet!”

Li Yi knew that weaning a child at eight months was indeed a bit early these days; most children were breastfed until they were two or three years old, or even older.

It wasn’t that parents spoiled their children; it was mostly due to a lack of resources and poor living conditions. Children struggled to get enough nutrition from simple, meager meals and had to rely on their mothers’ breast milk to make up for it.

But for his family, such concerns simply didn’t exist.

Not to mention that they had as much formula—a “luxury item”—as they wanted; even if Li Yi wanted to keep a dairy cow just to feed the two children, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“It’s a bit early, but weaning them now would be a good thing for both you and them!”

“Why?”

“Think about it—you’re about to start college. You can’t exactly run back from class to breastfeed them!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, breast milk doesn’t fill them up. If they’re relying on it, they won’t eat their meals properly. It’s better to wean them off right now!”

Jiang Xue first poured some formula from the bottle, checked the temperature, and found it neither too hot nor too cold—just right for drinking.

She then handed the bottles to the two children one by one and gently laid them down on the kang.

After putting on her loose-fitting clothes, she finally said, “Actually, Mom mentioned weaning to me a few days ago, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, so I refused!”

“Since you also think we should wean them, then let’s do it!”

“Then it’s settled—we’re weaning!”

The two little ones, still clutching their bottles, had no idea that their parents had already decided to wean them—that the “milk bag” would no longer belong to them…

After settling the two little ones, Li Yi realized it was already six o’clock in the afternoon.

They’d actually slept for three and a half hours—no wonder the two little ones had woken up hungry!

“What should we have for dinner? I’ll go make something,” Jiang Xue said after changing her clothes.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Let’s not eat at home. Let’s go out to a restaurant! I’ll also stop by to see Third Sister and Dongzi while I’m at it!”

“Sounds good. What about the kid? Should we bring him along?”

“What else can we do but take him?”

“Have Juanzi watch him, or take him over to Mom’s!” Jiang Xue suggested.

“Forget it. I want to spend more time with the kids. Over the past month, these two little ones have actually become a bit distant from me—they won’t even let me hold them anymore!” Li Yi said, sounding a bit down.

“Kids don’t have great memories anyway. Just spend more time with them!”

“Alright!”

“You tidy up after them first. I’m going out to check the car. It hasn’t been driven in over a month—I wonder if it’ll even start!”

With that, Li Yi walked out of the main room!

Over in the side room, Zhang Ziqiang had been keeping an eye on the main house. Seeing Li Yi come out, he immediately stepped out of the side room as well.

“Brother Yi!”

“Can you drive?”

“I do. I can drive sedans, Jeeps, trucks, and even tanks and armored vehicles!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was a bit stunned. Was this the caliber of a top-tier operative?

“You don’t happen to know how to fly a plane, do you?”

“I can fly commercial airliners and helicopters, but I’ve never flown a fighter jet. Those things are too precious—I’ve never had the chance to touch one!” Zhang Ziqiang said with a hint of regret.

Li Yi was completely blown away. He really wanted to ask, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“We don’t have the means for that. We only have a Volga. Come on, I’ll take you to see it!”

“Alright!”

The two made their way to the three-courtyard mansion at the back. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw a dust-covered Volga parked there.

Li Yi asked Zhang Ziqiang to check the car’s condition while he surveyed the courtyard.

The courtyard was empty, but judging by the building materials scattered everywhere and the unused bags of cement, it was clear the construction workers had only just left.

The front courtyard hadn’t changed much, but when Li Yi reached the back, he found that the two inner courtyards had been almost completely renovated.

The renovated courtyard gleamed like new, yet exuded an antique charm throughout—Li Yi was thoroughly satisfied.

It was a pity the front courtyard wasn’t finished yet; otherwise, he could have brought in some antique furniture and stored those tens of thousands of masterpieces here.

By the time Li Yi had made his way back to the front courtyard, Zhang Ziqiang had already started the car and smoothly backed it out of the compound.

Thinking of his wife and children waiting for him at home, Li Yi locked the door again and followed Zhang Ziqiang back to the small courtyard in front.

Back home, Jiang Xue had already got the two children all ready!

And “Little Nanny” Juanzi had come over to help, packing the children’s water bottles, formula, and other necessities into a cloth bag!

However, Li Yi wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He first went back inside, retrieved the suitcase containing gifts for Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law, and put it away.

Then he carried the other two suitcases out to the front door and loaded them into the trunk of the car.

Next, the group got into the car and, with Zhang Ziqiang—a super driver who had even flown a plane—at the wheel, headed straight for Beiguan Village!

After lunch, Li Yi first saw off Jiang Longcheng and Zhang Xinyao, the married couple, and then settled Zhang Ziqiang in!

By the time he returned to the room, Jiang Xue had already put Yun Rui and Yun Jin to sleep.

Then the two of them lay down right next to the children!

Looking at his wife’s rosy cheeks, Li Yi couldn’t resist planting a firm kiss on her face.

Although Jiang Xue was a little shy, she didn’t stop him.

Seeing this, Li Yi took it as a signal and immediately lay on top of his wife, sliding his hand under her clothes…

But just then, Jiang Xue suddenly pressed down on Li Yi’s wandering hand and whispered, “The kids are still here!”

“It’s fine, he’s asleep!”

“It’s broad daylight—what if someone sees us?”

“I locked the door. No one can get in!”

“Hmm…”

That simple “Hmm” gave Li Yi boundless courage.

With no further resistance, he became adept at undressing her, and soon had them both stripped of their clothes…

In an instant, the room was filled with the warmth of spring…

After quite a while, a drenched-in-sweat Li Yi carried Jiang Xue—who was exhausted and limp on the bed—into the bathroom!

They returned to the bedroom and lay down again.

“By the way, honey, how did you do on the exams? Which school did you apply to?”

Jiang Xue laughed and said, “You’re just now asking me about that? I thought you’d forgotten!”

“How could I forget? Dad said you wanted to surprise me, so I didn’t ask in front of Third Brother and the others!” Li Yi explained.

“I scored 445 points and have already been accepted to Jingcheng University!” Jiang Xue said happily.

“Really? My wife is amazing!”

Li Yi was genuinely happy for her and deeply moved by her hard work.

After all, before they were reunited as family, her motivation for studying so hard had been to get into college and then register their marriage with him.

“By the way, what major did you apply for?” Li Yi asked again.

“Business Administration, with a focus on accounting!”

“Um… what made you decide to study that major?”

In Li Yi’s view, it would be fine for his woman to study literature or art, but studying a business administration major made no sense at all.

He’d never let his wife go out and work—that’s just impossible!

“Hehe, I want to manage your finances after I graduate so you don’t go spending recklessly!”

Hearing this, Li Yi suddenly felt that his wife’s surprise was a bit over the top, but at the same time, he realized that whether she went to college or not really didn’t matter all that much!

Though he thought this, Li Yi still smiled and said, “It’s a nice idea, but are you sure you can manage my money?”

“I should be able to. I’m a real college student now!” Jiang Xue said confidently.

Li Yi gently tickled her pert little nose and asked, “So do you even know how much money I have?”

“Didn’t you say before that our family has a few million? What’s the matter?”

“That was back then. Now it’s way more than that!”

“So how much is it now?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.

“Take a guess.”

“Four or five million?”

“More than that!”

“Six million?”

“Think bigger—go higher!”

“Then… don’t we already have ten million?” Jiang Xue asked in a hushed voice.

“More than that—go even higher!”

“Still not enough… Never mind, I’m not guessing anymore. Just tell me how much money we actually have!” Jiang Xue said, sounding a bit petulant.

“Hehe, then listen up—our family’s total assets now exceed 2.3 billion Hong Kong dollars!”

“2… 2.3 billion…”

Upon hearing that figure, Jiang Xue was completely dumbfounded.

She felt like she’d only ever seen numbers that big when memorizing pi!

“Is it really 23… billion?”

“Yeah, but it’s in Hong Kong dollars!”

“So how much is that in our currency?”

“Less than 800 million!”

“Well… that’s still a lot. No, actually, it’s a huge amount!”

Then Jiang Xue asked again, “Where did we get all this money? Didn’t you say earlier that…”

“Hehe, I made it all on my trip to Hong Kong. Let me tell you the whole story in detail!”

Immediately, Li Yi recounted in detail how he had dominated the Hong Kong stock market.

The thrilling tale left Jiang Xue’s blood boiling, and the look of admiration in her eyes toward her man grew even stronger!

After quite a while, Li Yi finally finished recounting his experiences in Hong Kong.

“So, not only did you make a fortune in Hong Kong this time, but you also started a company and got a huge house for free?”

“Yeah, the house is absolutely stunning. It’s right on Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island. From up there, you can see not only most of the city but also the ocean!”

Li Yi continued, “Once Yunrui and Yunjin are a little older, I can take you both there for a vacation!”

“Really!” Jiang Xue said happily.

“Yeah!”

Seeing how happy his wife looked, Li Yi smiled and said, “Aren’t you worried at all?”

“Worried about what?”

“Dad was really worried when he found out I’d made so much money. He was afraid that once I had money, I’d look down on you. He even sat me down for a long talk about it!” Li Yi said.

“So, will you look down on me?”

“No. Back at the old house, when you agreed to marry me, I swore I’d make you the happiest woman in the world. That vow was true then, it’s true now, and it will always be true!” Li Yi said earnestly.

“I believe you!”

Then Jiang Xue added, “Actually, I was worried before. Back when you and Third Brother were in the clothing business and made over a million in a month and a half, I really had no idea what to expect at the time!”

“So you were worried…”

Before Li Yi could finish his question, Jiang Xue cut him off: “You dispelled my doubts and worries step by step through your actions. You made me believe you’re still the same man—the one willing to pay the highest dowry to marry me, the one who’d secretly buy me twisted doughnuts and snowflake cream, and the one who’d fight a whole group of educated youths for me!”

“So, I firmly believe that whether you’re a billionaire or penniless, you’ll never look down on me. If one day you really do look down on me—or even leave me—the reason will definitely be my fault!”

Li Yi was truly moved by his wife’s words. He held her tightly in his arms and whispered in her ear, “You’re my wife and the mother of my children. How could I ever look down on you or abandon you?”

Just then, Jiang Xue suddenly sighed and said, “What a pity!”

“What’s a pity?”

“You have way too much money. Even if I graduate from college successfully, I don’t think I’ll be able to manage all that!” Jiang Xue said with a hint of disappointment.

“Not necessarily. If you want to manage our family’s finances well, you’ll have to study hard—especially the rules of international financial settlement!”

“Why do I need to master international financial settlement rules?”

“Because we’re now integrated with the international community, so we have to follow their rules!”

“Okay, then I’ll definitely study hard once I get to college!”

“Mm-hmm. Go to sleep. When you wake up, we’ll go give Mom and Grandpa their gifts!”

“There are gifts too?”

“Yes, I bought gifts for everyone, including you. But I’m tired now—we’ll look at them when you wake up!”

“Okay, but can you let go of me?”

“Why?”

“It’s hot!”

Li Yi: &……%￥#

……….

Beijing International Airport!

When Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang emerged from the airport, Jiang Longcheng was already waiting for them outside.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Jiang Longcheng immediately stepped forward to greet him.

“Oh my, brother-in-law, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come back, I was going to go all the way out to that lousy little island to drag you back myself!”

Jiang Longcheng then noticed Zhang Ziqiang standing behind Li Yi and asked, “Brother-in-law, who’s this guy? He looks pretty unfamiliar to me.”

“Zhang Ziqiang, my assistant. He’ll be by my side from now on!” Li Yi replied.

Jiang Longcheng gave Zhang Ziqiang a once-over and said, “Brother, work hard for my brother-in-law from now on. He won’t let you down!”

Li Yi introduced Zhang Ziqiang: “This is Jiang Longcheng, my wife’s third older brother. You can just call him ‘Third Brother’ when you’re with me!”

“Got it!”

He then called out to Jiang Longcheng, “Hello, Third Brother!”

“Hahaha, you’ve got a bright future ahead of you, young man!”

Jiang Longcheng then turned to Li Yi and said, “Brother-in-law, why did you take so long this time? I was almost worried you weren’t coming back!”

“Cut the nonsense. Xiao Xue didn’t even say she missed me—what’s the big rush?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“How could I not be worried? You’d barely left when Xiao Xue called my wife over to your place, and she’s been staying there for over twenty days!” Jiang Longcheng said with a grimace.

“I figured as much. I wondered why you were missing me—turns out you were missing your wife!”

“Heh, now that you’re back, my wife can’t very well have an excuse to stay at your place anymore, can she?” Jiang Longcheng said, sounding a bit excited.

“Hang around? Third Brother, you haven’t upset Third Sister-in-Law, have you?”

“I didn’t. Don’t go making things up—that’s impossible!”

“If you didn’t, then how come Third Sister-in-Law has been staying at my place for so many days?” Li Yi asked.

“Well…”

Seeing Jiang Longcheng’s hesitant expression, Li Yi knew something was amiss and pressed him further: “What do you mean, ‘well’—just spit it out!”

“Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m going to be a dad!” Jiang Longcheng said, his voice tinged with excitement.

“Uh… is your wife pregnant?”

Li Yi hadn’t expected to be hit with such a bombshell the moment he got home!

“That’s right, she’s already over three months along!”

“Three months? So you got pregnant not long after you got married?”

“Yeah!”

“Huh, that doesn’t make sense. Since she’s pregnant, she should be staying home so you can take care of her. Why is she still coming over to my place?”

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Jiang Longcheng’s face before he said, “Well, it’s just that whenever I took care of her, I ended up taking her to bed. Xinyao thought I was a bit too eager in that department, so after she found out she was pregnant, she started avoiding me!”

Frequent? Hiding?

Just how “active” are you, that you’ve scared your wife this much?

“It’s no big deal. I’m just doing it five or six times a week!” Jiang Longcheng said with a touch of pride.

“Well, it’s only natural that your wife is avoiding you. You know, during the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus isn’t very stable, and doing that can easily lead to a miscarriage. Don’t be so thoughtless just for your own pleasure—if something goes wrong, you’ll regret it!” Li Yi said.

“Do you think I’m the kind of person who doesn’t know when to stop? I didn’t know Xinyao was pregnant back then. Besides, I’ve been holding back for nearly thirty years—can’t I get under the covers a few more times?”

“Don’t say that to me—go tell your wife!”

“I’m just venting to you—I’d never dare say such nonsense to Xinyao, hahaha!”

Seeing him like this, Li Yi knew this guy had finally found someone who could keep him in line—just like a wild horse finally getting its bridle!

“Alright, hurry home. Hearing you talk like that has made me miss my wife and kid too!” Li Yi said.

“Hahaha…”

Then the three of them, carrying a few suitcases, headed straight for the Jeep waiting at the airport entrance…

………

The Li Family Courtyard!

Jiang Xue was cleaning the house while chatting with Zhang Xinyao, who was sitting on the sofa.

But she was constantly distracted, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the front gate.

Ever since Li Yi called her last night to say he was coming back today, Jiang Xue hadn’t been able to focus on anything.

“Xiao Xue, why don’t you sit down for a bit? The way you’re moving around, I’m afraid you’re going to trip over that little coffee table right there!” Zhang Xinyao said with a laugh.

Jiang Xue’s face flushed slightly, and she replied, “Nonsense, you’re just making that up!”

“I’m making that up?”

Zhang Xinyao continued with a laugh, “I wonder who forgot to add water when cooking rice, making us eat a pot of burnt rice…”

“Oh, don’t say that!”

Jiang Xue blushed deeply at the teasing from her best friend and sister-in-law. The embarrassment of this situation was second only to that time she’d dared to briefly support Li Yi!

“Go ahead and laugh at me. One of these days, when I see Xiao Qian, I’m going to tell her exactly why you’ve been hiding at my place!”

“You dare? Just wait until I get my hands on you…”

Seeing Zhang Xinyao about to get up to tickle her, Jiang Xue hurriedly said, “Don’t you dare do anything crazy—don’t forget you’re carrying a baby!”

A look of helplessness flashed across Zhang Xinyao’s face. She rubbed her slightly rounded belly and said, “Being pregnant is really no easy feat. You can’t move, but you can’t stay still either!”

“Especially these days—I throw up everything I eat. It’s just ridiculous!”

Jiang Xue smiled and said, “But the baby hasn’t been born yet. Once that little one in your belly comes out, you’ll realize that all this suffering…”

“Isn’t it worth it?”

“No, I mean once the baby’s born, that’s when the real hard work begins. Right after birth, the baby needs to feed every hour or two—no matter how tired you are, you have to get up and feed him!”

Then Jiang Xue added, “Plus, at first they don’t eat much, so you’ll constantly feel that uncomfortable swelling, and the baby will suck so hard it makes your nipples crack—it’s excruciating…”

Zhang Xinyao couldn’t help but recall what Jiang Xue had gone through during her postpartum confinement—she’d been right there with her at the time—and she shuddered involuntarily.

“I… I won’t end up like that, will I?”

“You bet! And it’ll be even worse for you—it won’t be any easier than it was for me!”

“W-why?”

“At least I had my mom, you, and Sister Na to take care of me. Look at you—your own mother isn’t here, your mother-in-law has to work, so you’ll have to rely entirely on yourself!” Jiang Xue said.

Zhang Xinyao suddenly blurted out, “I have your third brother! Once the baby’s born, I’ll have him stay home to help me take care of the baby and change diapers!”

“Hahaha, then my third brother is going to have it rough!”

“Well, he’s the one who got her pregnant…”

Just as they were talking, there was a sudden commotion outside the door!

Startled by the noise, Jiang Xue froze for a moment, then left her best friend behind and ran toward the door, leaving Zhang Xinyao standing there alone with her mouth agape, looking completely bewildered…

At the courtyard gate, Li Yi had just opened the door when he saw Jiang Xue, dressed in a loose-fitting top and thin pants, running out of the house.

When she saw him, she actually stopped right there, standing gracefully not far away!

Li Yi immediately set down the suitcase he was holding and opened his arms wide toward her!

As if drawn by some invisible force, Jiang Xue took a few quick steps forward and threw herself into Li Yi’s arms…

……..

While Li Yi was talking with Zhou Rui and the others, Jiang Shiying remained silent the entire time.

After all, it wouldn’t have been appropriate to take either side, so it was best not to say anything at all.

After seeing Zhou Rui and the others off, he couldn’t sit still anymore. Instead of going to work, he took Li Yi straight to his study.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Shiying spoke up: “Xiao Yi, wasn’t that a bit reckless of you?”

“Dad, what are you worried about?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“You’re still smiling? Don’t you realize the gravity of this situation? Two hundred million dollars, plus a guarantee to cover any losses—what if we actually end up in the red?” Jiang Shiying said gravely.

“If we lose money, I’ll pay the state back out of my own pocket!”

“Well… you don’t want a single penny of the profits, but if we lose money, you’re willing to cover the shortfall out of your own pocket. What’s the point of that?” Jiang Shiying asked, frowning.

“There’s plenty in it for me!”

Li Yi continued, “Father, they say there can be no home without a country. I, Li Yi, am a part of this country. Now that the country needs me, I cannot refuse, and I certainly cannot back down!”

“Secondly, opportunities to get the higher-ups to owe us a favor don’t come often—and that’s something money can’t buy. Honestly, this is the only time we’ll have this chance. We can’t let it slip away!”

Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi with mixed feelings, then said, “I don’t know whether to call you a man of high ideals or a reckless fool. We’re talking about two hundred million US dollars here. If you lose it, half the fortune you’ve made in Hong Kong will be gone!”

“Haha, rest assured. I wouldn’t take on a job I couldn’t handle!”

Li Yi was quite confident about this. Given his understanding of current economic trends, as long as he wasn’t overly greedy, it would be nearly impossible to lose money!

“You’re really that confident?”

“Absolutely!”

“By the way, is that Huang Lixing really trustworthy? Even though you’re on good terms with him, he’s still a gangster. What if…”

“There’s no ‘what if.’ They say the most loyal friends are often found among the underworld—not all underworld types are scum!”

Then Li Yi made an even more startling remark: “Besides, Old Huang has wanted to wash his hands of the business for a long time—it’s just that I’ve been stopping him from retiring!”

“Why? Everyone else tries to steer people toward the right path—why are you doing the opposite?”

“Because I need the smuggling fleet he controls!” Li Yi replied bluntly.

“You… you’re planning to smuggle… wait, you wouldn’t stoop to such petty gains. What on earth do you need that smuggling operation for?” Jiang Shiying asked in a low voice.

Li Yi didn’t answer his question but asked in return, “Dad, do you know the current situation facing domestic companies in our country?”

“I know a little—it’s not looking good!”

“It’s not good, but what I’m saying is that this situation will continue until the vast majority of companies can no longer hold on, and then they’ll go bankrupt one by one!”

“Well… that shouldn’t happen, should it? The state won’t allow widespread corporate bankruptcies—the consequences would be too dire. That would undermine the very foundations of the nation!” Jiang Shiying said.

“That’s not something the government can decide. When we chose the path of reform and opening-up, we had to accept this outcome. The market won’t tolerate companies that are just coasting along!”

Jiang Shiying fell silent. Having worked in Guangdong Province for so many years, his mindset was far more open than that of officials in the interior.

Upon reflection, he realized that the scenario his son-in-law described might indeed come to pass.

“What does that have to do with you keeping that smuggling team?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “The factors that determine a factory’s survival boil down to a few key points: high-quality products and a vast market—and among these, product competitiveness is absolutely central.”

“Top-quality products require advanced technology and equipment to produce. We currently have a sufficiently large market, but the products from various companies lack competitiveness. Therefore, we urgently need a large amount of advanced technology and equipment to improve product quality and, in turn, enhance corporate competitiveness!”

“Can’t all that be purchased through normal channels?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“What if we can’t buy them?”

“We can’t buy them?”

“Exactly. Right now, Western countries led by the U.S. have superficially eased their relations with us—it seems we’ve entered a ‘honeymoon period’—but they still won’t sell us high-end technology or advanced equipment. This means we’ll have to find other ways!” Li Yi said calmly.

Western nations’ embargo against China has always existed. They first established the Coordinating Committee for Export Controls, specifically to impose embargoes and trade restrictions on communist countries, with the aim of limiting member states’ exports of strategic materials and high-tech goods to such nations.

The embargo and sales ban lists include over ten thousand products across three major categories: military weapons and equipment, cutting-edge technology products, and rare materials.

What’s even more infuriating is that they’ve imposed a special trade embargo on us, containing over 500 more items than the international embargo list applied to the Soviet Union and Eastern European nations.

Although the CoCom embargo policies and lists are often influenced by shifts in the international landscape—and while there has been some relaxation recently—numerous restrictions remain, and it won’t be long before they return to their previous state.

Jiang Shiying instantly grasped Li Yi’s true intentions and immediately said, “Are you planning to use this fleet to acquire some advanced technology and equipment?”

“Exactly. I’ve taken over my second older brother’s commission to revive those enterprises in Beijing that are on the verge of bankruptcy, and naturally, that requires a large amount of advanced technology and equipment. Since we can’t rely entirely on official state channels, it’s perfectly acceptable to occasionally take a few unconventional routes!” Li Yi said.

“If you’re going to do this, you’ll have to report it to the higher-ups. Otherwise, this could all become a liability!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Of course. That’s exactly why I’m telling you!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“So you’ve been waiting here for me, have you?” Jiang Shiying said with a smile.

“I’m just a nobody. It’s better if you report this to the higher-ups yourself. If they decide it’s not necessary, I’ll have Old Huang disband the fleet!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, don’t make any rash moves until we get a clear answer!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright!”

“About the money transport—are you really sure you don’t need to go along and keep an eye on things?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“No need. I’ll just give Old Huang a call later!” Li Yi said.

“If you’re free, you should go along anyway. After all, we’re talking about two hundred million dollars…”

“Who said I’m free?”

“What are you busy with?”

“Going home!”

Then Li Yi added, “If they hadn’t come over, I would’ve gone back to Beijing ages ago!”

“When do you plan to go back?”

“Tomorrow, of course—assuming I can get a ticket!” Li Yi said.

“Flights aren’t a problem. If you really want to go back tomorrow, I’ll have my secretary book a ticket for you right away!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Go ahead!”

“Alright!”

“Dad, don’t forget to book one for the guy downstairs too!”

“Alright!”

With that, Jiang Shiying picked up the phone on his desk…

While Jiang Shiying was on the phone, Li Yi left the study.

Once downstairs, he immediately called Zhang Ziqiang, the head bodyguard who had just taken up his post, and headed straight for the Huang Mansion, where Huang Lixing was staying…

……….

By the time Li Yi returned from downtown to his father-in-law’s little villa, it was already 2:00 PM.

As soon as he arrived, he noticed several cars parked right outside his father-in-law’s house.

However, Li Yi didn’t think much of it; after all, this was the provincial government compound of Guangdong Province, where all the key government officials of the province resided.

That was precisely why there was no shortage of all kinds of vehicles here!

Perhaps a guest had arrived at the home of a nearby official who had nowhere to park, so they’d pulled up in front of his father-in-law’s house.

But when Li Yi went to open the door to enter, he discovered that the gate to the small villa wasn’t locked, and he could faintly hear voices coming from inside.

He immediately realized that his father-in-law must have returned, and that there were guests in the house.

However, when Li Yi pushed the door open, he discovered that the guests inside were actually Zhou Rui, Xu Xinmao, and their group—though there was one additional young man in his late twenties compared to when they’d arrived that morning!

Of course, his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, was there as well!

Seeing Li Yi walk in, Jiang Shiying immediately said, “You’re back! Come sit down!”

“Dad, why are you home? Do you have nothing to do this afternoon?” Li Yi asked as he walked in.

“How could we have nothing to do? Comrade Zhou Rui and Director Xu called me, saying they had urgent business to discuss with you, but they couldn’t wait for you to return!” Jiang Shiying replied.

“I ran into an old acquaintance earlier, so we had a meal together. I got back a bit late—sorry to keep you all waiting!” Li Yi said, looking at Zhou Rui and the others.

“No problem at all!”

Zhou Rui then continued, “We came here mainly to inform Comrade Li Yi that we’ve already reported your request to Beijing. After careful consideration, the higher-ups have approved it. Director Xu will explain the details to you.”

“Alright!”

Li Yi then turned to Xu Xinmao and asked, “Director Xu, what are the instructions from above?”

“The 200 million USD in foreign exchange has been authorized for you to manage, and your condition has also been approved. However, to ensure the security of the funds, we reserve the right to monitor their movements!”

“What do you mean? Are you saying I have to report to you every time before making an investment?”

Before Xu Xinmao could answer, Li Yi continued, “If that’s the case, I’m afraid I simply can’t do it. After all, our investment plans are strictly confidential, and I’m responsible for tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars belonging to the company’s other investors!”

“We don’t need you to report every time, but we’ll assign one or two colleagues to stay by your side…”

“Monitor me?”

At that moment, Zhou Rui interjected, “No, if we wanted to monitor you, you wouldn’t even notice.”

“Then what’s the point of these people?”

“Our preliminary plan is to send two people to your side. One will be responsible for your personal security, while the other will gain access to your company through special channels!”

Zhou Rui continued, “Although we could use other methods to secretly place people by your side and complete the mission without anyone noticing, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, we’d rather handle this openly. Please give it serious consideration!”

If that’s the case, having these two people around isn’t entirely unacceptable.

Besides, given his current status, he did indeed need a bodyguard for protection—especially in a place like Hong Kong Island, where thugs and criminals were a constant threat. Someone like him was an easy target for kidnapping and extortion.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “You can send the men over, but they must not interfere with my actions. That’s non-negotiable!”

“Rest assured, our people will absolutely not interfere with any of your actions. Furthermore, as long as your company doesn’t face any major risks, we won’t alert the authorities back home. You can treat them as if they’re invisible!” Zhou Rui said.

Although Li Yi knew this was just empty reassurance—how could two living, breathing people be treated as if they didn’t exist?

However, considering that their presence would definitely bring him more benefits than drawbacks, he chose not to argue.

At that moment, Li Yi glanced at Xu Xinmao beside him and said, “Director Xu, when can you get that two hundred million yuan in funds ready?”

Xu Xinmao replied immediately, “We can make the funds available at any time. The only issue is that the money is currently held at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. How should we get it to Hong Kong?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “There are two options. First, have Director Zhou’s people handle it. It’s unthinkable that State Security agents couldn’t manage something like this!”

“Second, we could have Huang Lixing’s people handle it. As you likely know, he has his own smuggling fleet in Hong Kong. As long as you deliver the money to the Shekou port and let his people in, it can be transported to Hong Kong smoothly!”

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “It’s best if your people handle it. The higher-ups won’t let us get involved in matters over there, so as not to provoke the British Hong Kong government!”

“Then let Old Huang’s people handle it!” Li Yi said.

Xu Xinmao asked right away, “Is that guy you’re talking about reliable? We’re talking about two hundred million in foreign currency here. If he gets greedy, we’ll be in big trouble!”

“Haha, you can rest assured on that front! The company I run on Hong Kong Island is a joint venture with him. He’s invested 1 billion Hong Kong dollars into the company. If he embezzles those 200 million US dollars, I’ll use his investment in the company to compensate you!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, I trust Old Huang isn’t the short-sighted type. He wouldn’t give up the chance to make twenty billion just for a measly two hundred million dollars!”

“In that case, we won’t say anything more. If possible, we can send the money to Shekou at any time!” said Xu Xinmao.

“Here’s what we’ll do: you send the money to Shekou first, and I’ll get in touch with Old Huang and have his people make a trip over tonight!” Li Yi said.

“Comrade Li Yi, aren’t you going over there?”

“What for?”

“To oversee the funds, of course. Are you just going to hand the money over to those people and walk away?” Xu Xinmao frowned.

“No need. As soon as the money reaches Hong Kong Island, it’ll be handed over to our people there. They’ll know exactly what to do with it!”

“Well…”

“All right, Director Xu. I’ve already told you—you can’t interfere with how we manage this. If the money is lost, I’ll reimburse you. What else are you worried about?” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then!”

At that moment, Zhou Rui pointed to the young man beside him and said, “Comrade Li Yi, this is Zhang Ziqiang. He’s one of our elite agents from State Security. From now on, he’ll be working under you!”

Zhang Ziqiang!

Upon hearing that name, Li Yi’s first thought was of the most notorious gangster in Hong Kong during the 1990s.

Wow, are you sending me a bodyguard or…

Fortunately, the young man standing before him—whether in demeanor or bearing—was nothing like that notorious criminal of the same name. Otherwise, just because of the name alone, Li Yi wouldn’t have dared to take him on.

“Do you speak Cantonese?”

“Reporting, yes! Besides Cantonese, I’m also fluent in English, Japanese, and Korean!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly. So he’s a linguistic prodigy as well!

Perfect—that saves me the trouble of hiring a translator.

“Alright, then you’ll be working under me from now on!”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhou Rui added, “We also plan to secretly send Comrade Yang Qian to Hong Kong Island to infiltrate your company. Please let your company’s HR department know, Comrade Li Yi!”

“Alright…”

……….

PSdxmbang: I managed to post this just before midnight—it was a close call!

Feixue Apparel, Guangzhou Branch!

In the spacious office, Li Yi and An Hong sat facing each other. On the small coffee table between them sat a teapot and two cups.

As An Hong poured tea for Li Yi, she said, “I really didn’t expect to run into you here!”

“Hehe, I just happened to spot this store, so I thought I’d pop in and take a look!”

Then Li Yi asked again, “Sis, how’s business been lately?”

“I was just about to tell you about that. If I hadn’t run into you today, I was planning to head back to Beijing at the end of the month. This saves me the trouble!” An Hong said with a smile.

“What a coincidence!” Li Yi said.

“Following your plan, starting in March, I’ve been leading the team south along the coastline, opening stores in major cities along the way. So far, we’ve opened a total of 107 stores, spread across 77 major cities in 12 provinces and municipalities nationwide.”

An Hong continued, “Thanks to our innovative designs and superior quality, coupled with our policy of accepting returns or exchanges for any quality issues at any time, sales at all our stores have been excellent. Our company-owned stores alone have generated 12.87 million yuan in sales over the past five months.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Opening 107 stores in just over five months and generating nearly 13 million yuan in sales was truly remarkable in this day and age.

After all, the profit target in the performance-based agreement he’d signed with the cotton mill was only 20 million yuan, and the company-owned stores alone had already achieved one-third of that goal.

“What about the other sales channels? How are they doing?”

An Hong immediately replied, “The other sales channels are also booming. Following your plan, our sales team has advanced along the Jinpu and Pinghan rail lines, collaborating with the supply and marketing systems along the way to establish sales channels in 243 counties and cities across the inland regions.”

“As of last month, shipments through these partner channels reached 18.75 million yuan—the momentum is incredibly strong!”

“So, does that mean Feixue Apparel’s total sales for these past few months have exceeded 31 million yuan?”

“More than that. Sales for the first half of August haven’t been tallied yet; once we include those, it’ll be at least 40 million!”

“That much?”

Based on Li Yi’s understanding of the apparel industry, with 40 million yuan in sales, the cost would certainly not exceed 10 million yuan.

And for a large factory like State Cotton Mill No. 2, which even produces its own raw materials, the costs would be even lower.

In other words, State Cotton Mill No. 2’s net profit had already surpassed 20 million yuan, meaning he had unknowingly fulfilled the profit-sharing agreement with his superiors.

“That’s right. Since July, sales across all our channels have skyrocketed. We sold 11 million worth of goods in July alone, and we expect even more this month!” An Hong replied.

“Will the cotton mill be able to keep up?” Li Yi asked.

“They can. Last month, Plant Manager Jiang conducted another large-scale recruitment drive for the garment factory, hiring 800 workers from the general public in one go to support expanded production.”

An Hong continued, “Right now, half of the cotton mill’s factory space is being used for clothing production, and the rest is reserved for the textile workshop!”

“Hmm, seizing the opportunity to expand production capacity is the right move, but the scale is still a bit too small!” Li Yi said.

“I also think Director Jiang is being a bit too conservative. The leaders at headquarters have no idea just how popular our factory’s clothing is. Right now, no matter where we produce it, demand outstrips supply, and many stores are frequently out of stock!”

An Hong continued, “So last month I submitted a report to headquarters requesting to double the scale of the garment factory, but the request was rejected!”

“Why was it rejected?”

“Headquarters thought my proposal was too risky!”

“Stupid. They’re all just frogs at the bottom of a well, seeing nothing but a tiny patch of sky.”

Li Yi continued, “If we don’t seize the market quickly while others haven’t caught on yet, once other textile mills jump in to grab their share, the money won’t be nearly as easy to make!”

“Hmm, that’s exactly what I was going to say!” An Hong replied.

“What? Are there already competitors in the market?”

“Yes. We’ve discovered that right after Feixue Apparel entered Shanghai, several local textile mills have been quietly copying our designs and selling them on the market!”

An Hong continued, “Since their clothes are priced much lower than ours, sales are going very well. As expected, this situation will soon spread across the country, so we must find a way to deal with it!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “There’s no stopping this. The only thing we can do is build up Feixue Apparel’s reputation as a top-tier brand while quickly capturing market share.”

If this were happening overseas, Li Yi would have countless ways to deal with the situation—for example, fully leveraging patent laws to prevent others from copying his designs.

But such practices aren’t common in China right now. Although relevant patent laws were established as early as the founding of the nation, due to the unique social environment, administrative enforcement plays a significant role in intellectual property management, rendering the patent laws largely ineffective.

Although we joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) last year, we have since begun a new round of intellectual property legislation.

But the actual Patent Law won’t be enacted and implemented for another three or four years, and during that time, it’s simply impossible to prevent others from copying their designs.

An Hong nodded and said, “Then you’ll have to go back and discuss this with Plant Manager Jiang and the others. We’re already facing challenges!”

“Alright! Is there anything else?”

“Yes. I also want to ask: what should we do going forward?”

Perhaps fearing that Li Yi wouldn’t understand her meaning, An Hong immediately elaborated: “You’ve already handed over Feixue Apparel to the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill. Since the factory is collectively owned, the most you can hope for is a share of the profits; beyond that, it has nothing to do with you.”

“And don’t even get me started—I’m just a temporary staff member you assigned here. As operations here gradually get back on track, the Second State Cotton Mill will surely start reclaiming control. What are we supposed to do then?”

Li Yi hadn’t expected An Hong to think so far ahead—already considering the future at this stage. Her intellect was indeed enough to outshine the vast majority of elites in this era.

“We’ll definitely have to leave State Cotton Mill No. 2 eventually—there’s no question about that!”

Li Yi continued, “But the work you’re doing now isn’t entirely in vain. The ‘Feixue Apparel’ project isn’t just about gaining experience—it’s also about leveraging the prestige of State-Owned Cotton Mill No. 2 to build connections and assemble your own team.”

“When the time is right, you’ll be able to step away from the Second National Cotton Mill and take on new projects!”

Hearing this, An Hong’s eyes lit up instantly, and she asked, “So when will the time be right?”

“That depends on policy and your progress here. I estimate two to three years at most!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then I’ll focus on doing a great job with the ‘Flying Snow Apparel’ project for now!” An Hong said.

“Alright. You don’t need to worry about the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill kicking you out anytime soon. As long as my third older brother remains the factory director and the higher-ups still recognize our agreement, no one can touch you!” Li Yi said.

“I understand!”

Li Yi glanced at his watch and saw it was almost noon. “Sis-in-law,” he said, “it’s just about lunchtime. Let’s grab a bite together!”

“Sure, I actually know a state-run restaurant nearby that serves great food!” An Hong said with a smile.

“That sounds great!”

With that, the two of them left the Yangcheng Branch together…

………

PS: I’m finally back home. Updates will resume tomorrow!

I’ll keep writing now and aim to finish another chapter!

After leaving the bank, Li Yi let out a long sigh of relief!

Having finally deposited the two million, Li Yi felt as if he’d gotten rid of a hot potato.

To be honest, if those two million hadn’t been his only savings back home, he really wouldn’t have wanted to go through the trouble of bringing them all the way back—it was just too much of a hassle.

Thinking back on the process of depositing the money just now, Li Yi felt that doing this once was more than enough.

If he had to do it a few more times, never mind whether he could handle it—the bank staff certainly wouldn’t be able to.

Just moments ago, when he walked into the bank carrying several suitcases full of cash, everyone was completely dumbfounded.

Whether they were bank employees or other customers conducting business, everyone was dumbfounded when they saw Li Yi carrying three huge suitcases to deposit money.

In an era where 36 yuan is considered a fortune, a thousand yuan is enough to cause a stir—let alone three entire suitcases full of cash.

Everyone stopped what they were doing; everyone watched him from a distance as if they were watching a big show.

Everyone was pointing and whispering, speculating about where he’d gotten all that money.

Of course, most people were fairly straightforward and didn’t jump to any negative conclusions.

Everyone was speculating that Li Yi must be the accountant at some government agency; in this day and age, only a large organization like that could produce such a massive amount of cash all at once.

As for corruption or anything of the sort, people didn’t even consider that possibility.

After all, embezzling a few hundred or a few thousand is easy, but with several million on the line, it’s unlikely any organization would be unaware of such a massive sum being stolen.

And so, with a crowd gathered around, the bank staff began counting the millions.

Keep in mind that the highest-denomination bill in circulation at the time was the 10-yuan “Great Unity” note. Two million yuan amounted to a staggering 200,000 notes—far too many for a single person to count.

With no other choice, the bank had to call in all the tellers to help!

Five or six young women spent a full two and a half hours counting, and finally finished counting the money in those boxes—a total of 2 million yuan.

As the staff counted the money, the crowd around them grew larger and larger, and Li Yi found himself the center of attention, like a circus attraction.

This made him can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic for the VIP banking system in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the mainland now emphasizes equality for all, so such a system doesn’t exist.

Fortunately, Li Yi wasn’t bothered by the onlookers. After all, back in those days, there were no camera-equipped cell phones, nor short-video platforms like Douyin or Kuaishou.

Even if these people saw him, it would merely give them a bit more to brag about to others; it wouldn’t cause much of a public stir.

After depositing the money, he checked the time—it wasn’t even 11 o’clock yet—and Li Yi didn’t feel like heading back so early.

Realizing he hadn’t properly explored this cosmopolitan metropolis during his visit last month, he hopped in his car and began cruising around the city.

……….

Guangzhou in the 1980s wasn’t yet the megacity of over 20 million people from his past life; at this point, it was still quite unpolished.

The buildings he saw still had a certain historical charm, unlike decades later when all the old houses and streets—whether they should be demolished or not—were torn down, turning a famous city rich in history into a concrete jungle!

Still, this was, after all, at the forefront of reform and opening-up; walking down the streets, one could clearly sense that this city was quite different from most inland cities.

The biggest difference was that Guangzhou at that time was full of vitality; everyone seemed incredibly busy!

This was in stark contrast to inland cities—whether provincial capitals or prefecture-level cities—which all seemed to be in a state of stagnation.

In fact, as a coastal city, Guangzhou has adapted to local conditions, promptly adjusted its policies, and seized the historic opportunities presented by reform and opening-up.

By vigorously developing the market economy, it has stimulated population mobility and facilitated the free flow of people, capital, and goods, making Guangzhou one of the fastest-growing cities in the country today.

Just as Li Yi was taking in the rapidly changing cityscape, a familiar storefront suddenly caught his eye—Feixue Apparel!

Wow, to actually see the brand he founded with his own hands right here on the streets of Guangzhou—Li Yi was absolutely thrilled.

He remembered that back in June, An Hong had mentioned plans to open a new store in Guangzhou, but since Li Yi was no longer involved in the cotton mill at the time, he hadn’t asked many questions.

He never expected that on this visit, he’d actually see a Feixue Apparel store right there on the streets of Guangzhou, which made him truly admire An Hong’s professional competence.

Right then, he found a spot to park his car and headed over to check out the store!

After getting out of the car, Li Yi took a close look at the store’s location. Situated at a busy intersection in the heart of the city, right next to the renowned Lihong Department Store, it was undeniably a superb choice of location.

In the memories of many Guangzhou locals, “Victory in the East, Lihong in the West”—these two department stores had once been an indispensable part of daily life.

As one of the first enterprises to transition into a state-owned department store after the economic reforms, Lihong Department Store was currently at the height of its glory.

“In Guangzhou, if there’s something you can’t find, you’re sure to find it at Lihong Department Store!”

This saying alone speaks volumes about Lihong Department Store’s status in the hearts of Guangzhou’s residents—it’s not just a landmark but also a must-visit “Instagrammable” spot of this era!

An Hong chose to locate Feixue Apparel here precisely because foot traffic was never an issue—a fact evident from the constant stream of people coming and going!

Upon entering the store, a sales associate in a uniformed uniform immediately approached with a warm greeting: “Comrade, welcome to Feixue Apparel!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Comrade, please go assist other customers. I’ll look around on my own and call you if I need anything!”

“Sure, comrade!”

With that, the saleswoman went to assist the next customer.

Li Yi first took a look around the store. It was quite spacious, covering over 200 square meters—comparable in size to the flagship store on Wangfujing in Beijing.

Furthermore, the store was beautifully decorated, largely replicating the design of the Wangfujing flagship store while incorporating some distinctive southern touches.

The store offered a wide variety of clothing, including shirts, shorts, pants, and suits, but the items that drew the most attention from customers were short-sleeved T-shirts and women’s dresses.

These garments were all “borrowed” by Li Yi from common styles of the future, but in this era, they were absolute eye-catchers—true bestsellers that drew crowds of young people to stop and gawk.

Take, for example, this blue, fitted floral maxi dress right here—there are already seven or eight young girls gathered around it.

One of them, with a charming smile, was whispering to a boy standing next to her; she seemed to really like the dress.

While the Reform and Opening-Up policy seemed to have made little impact in the interior regions for the time being, Guangzhou had already seen an influx of young people, and the social atmosphere here was relatively more open and inclusive, leading some young people to begin pursuing more liberal romantic relationships.

Li Yi even spotted some foreigners in the crowd; some of them were holding cameras, snapping photo after photo of these trendy, avant-garde outfits.

However, just as Li Yi was wandering around the store, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him: “Xiao Yi?”

Li Yi turned around and was startled to find An Hong standing right behind him!

“Sis-in-law, you’re in Guangzhou?”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy here these past few months. Aren’t you in Beijing? What brings you here?”

Seeing Li Yi, An Hong was clearly delighted, a smile never leaving her face as she spoke.

“I took a trip to Hong Kong a while back and just got back yesterday!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“I thought you came here specifically to inspect our store!”

“Hahaha, if anyone’s inspecting, it’s my third older brother and his crew. I certainly don’t want to take on that burden for him!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Do you have time right now? If so, let’s find a place to chat,” An Hong said suddenly.

“Sure, I don’t have much on my plate today!”

“Then let’s go. We can swing by our Feixue Apparel branch in Guangzhou while we’re at it!” An Hong said with a smile.

“Sure!”

After that, An Hong gave some instructions to the store manager here and then led Li Yi out of the store.

Li Yi had been wondering where exactly this Yangcheng branch was and whether they should drive there, but to his surprise, after leaving the store, An Hong led him straight into the adjacent Lihong Department Store.

They took the stairs all the way up to the fifth floor, where they found a brand-new office space.

Clearly, this was Feixue Apparel’s branch in Guangzhou.

At that moment, the place was bustling with activity: some were on the phone, others were taking notes, and still others were clicking away on abacuses.

When everyone saw An Hong, they greeted her one after another.

However, no one greeted Li Yi; clearly, none of them recognized him, and certainly no one knew that he was the founder of Feixue Apparel and the creator of the brand.

Outside the villa complex. In the sedan!

As soon as he got in the car, Xu Xinmao from the Foreign Exchange Bureau said with a hint of frustration, “That young man is just too arrogant. He actually thinks ten million is too small a sum to bother with—isn’t that just ridiculous?”

However, Zhou Rui, sitting beside him, replied calmly, “He has every right to be arrogant. Just think about what he did in Hong Kong—he turned 43 million Hong Kong dollars into 4 billion in just 20 days, a hundredfold increase. Who else could pull that off?”

“It’s true he’s capable—we all admit that—but that doesn’t justify his arrogance!”

Xu Xinmao continued, “Besides, his appetite is simply too insatiable. Who would dare hand over 200 million US dollars in foreign exchange to him so easily?”

Zhou Rui glanced at Xu Xinmao and said, “That’s what makes this young man so clever. The reason he asked for two hundred million dollars isn’t just because he thought the ten million was too little; it’s more likely that he thought our positions were too low and that we weren’t worthy of negotiating with him!”

“What?”

Hearing this, Yang Qian, who was standing nearby, froze in surprise. They didn’t quite understand what Zhou Rui meant!

“Don’t you feel that from the very start of the conversation, we’ve been on the defensive, constantly being led by the nose by this young man?” Zhou Rui said.

“Really?”

“Haha, from the moment he sat down on the sofa, this young man took the initiative and effortlessly seized control of the conversation. We were merely reacting to his questions, which completely threw off the strategy and plan we’d devised before coming here!”

Hearing this, Xu Xinmao frowned as he reflected on the course of the conversation and realized it was indeed true.

Ever since Li Yi started speaking, they really had been answering more than asking.

The entire conversation had essentially been led by Li Yi, and the rest of them hadn’t had a shred of initiative.

“What an impressive young man!” Xu Xinmao exclaimed in admiration.

“That’s not all that makes him impressive. Just think about it—could you or I really make a decision to entrust two hundred million in foreign exchange to someone like him?”

“No way—we don’t have that kind of authority!” Xu Xinmao replied.

“Then who do you think has the authority to make that decision?”

Xu Xinmao thought for a moment and said, “With such a massive sum of money, and such precious foreign exchange at that, it would have to go all the way up to the State Council…”

At that point, Xu Xinmao suddenly understood Li Yi’s intention.

He and Zhou Rui could make the call on 12.8 million, but even the head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange didn’t have the authority to approve 200 million; it had to be reported to higher-ups.

In other words, if they wanted Li Yi to help them earn foreign exchange, it would require deliberation and approval from higher-level state authorities.

In that case, the condition Li Yi had proposed wasn’t a promise from the State Security Bureau or the Foreign Exchange Bureau, but…

At this realization, Xu Xinmao and the others were stunned by Li Yi’s cunning.

Truly, he was a marketing master with connections across the industrial, commercial, and financial sectors, and a financial genius who had dominated the Hong Kong stock market. Every word he spoke—and even every gesture he made—carried deep meaning.

After a brief silence, Xu Xinmao said with a wry smile, “So what do we do now?”

“What else can we do? Since things have come to this, we have no choice but to immediately report the situation to our superiors and let them decide!” Zhou Rui said.

“Are we really going to report this to…”

“That’s not our concern. We just need to report the situation to the bureau. Let the two bureau chiefs deal with the headache themselves!” Zhou Rui said.

“I suppose that’s the only option…”

………

Turning back to Li Yi’s side, after seeing Zhou Rui and the others off, he immediately went to his father-in-law’s study and called Huang Lixing.

Li Yi knew that Huang Lixing had come mainly to see him off, and since he was needed to hold the fort in Hong Kong, he wouldn’t be staying here long.

He’d mentioned yesterday on the way back that, barring any surprises, he’d be heading back there in the next day or two.

However, circumstances had changed, and Li Yi needed him to wait a little longer before heading back.

In case the higher-ups really decided to take a gamble, he wanted to make sure Huang was settled here, so he wouldn’t have to make a special trip back to Hong Kong.

However, since the higher-ups hadn’t given Li Yi a clear answer, he didn’t spell it out to him; he simply asked him to wait in Guangzhou for a day or two before heading back.

Old Huang was quite surprised when he received Li Yi’s call.

But he knew Li Yi’s character—he wouldn’t do this unless it was important—so he immediately agreed to stay here for another couple of days with his wife and kids.

Once that was settled, Li Yi looked at the several suitcases full of cash in the living room and began to feel a headache coming on.

A full two million in cash—taking it back to Beijing would be incredibly inconvenient and could easily lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

With that in mind, Li Yi decided to deposit the money in these suitcases into a local bank for now and withdraw it when needed!

However, figuring out how to get these suitcases of cash to the bank was a major headache!

At that moment, he realized he’d made a huge mistake: he’d actually brought these suitcases full of cash to his father-in-law’s residence, and his father-in-law was still a provincial-level official here.

If anyone saw this, it would be like mud getting stuck in his pants—no amount of washing in the Yellow River could ever clean it off!

In light of this, Li Yi immediately called his father-in-law’s office to ask him to help arrange a car.

Upon receiving Li Yi’s call, Jiang Shiying naturally agreed without hesitation. After all, it wasn’t a big deal, and the Discipline Inspection Commission had plenty of vehicles to spare. He immediately said he would have one sent over right away.

He then briefly asked how the talks between Li Yi and Zhou Rui had gone.

Even though Jiang Shiying was at the office, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

He had dealt with Director Zhou from the State Security Bureau before and knew that while the man appeared harmless on the surface, he was actually quite cunning. He was genuinely worried that his son-in-law might not be a match for such a seasoned political veteran.

However, after hearing the outcome from Li Yi, Jiang Shiying immediately realized his worries had been completely unfounded.

If Director Zhou was a seasoned veteran, then his son-in-law was a sly fox with more tricks up his sleeve than a beehive. It would be no easy task for the other side to gain the upper hand against him.

He didn’t even need to look to imagine the expressions on their faces right now. For people like them, the absolute worst thing was having to seek instructions from their superiors.

After all, their superiors had sent them here to resolve the issue, yet they were now bringing the problem right back to them—a move that would easily cast doubt on their competence.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety for his son-in-law. The young man really had the nerve to make such a request—who among the usual leadership would dare to approve two hundred million dollars? This would likely have to be escalated to a top-level national leader for a decision!

Who knows what the top leadership would think? Would they even agree to this young man’s request?

He considered giving Li Yi a heads-up, but Jiang Shiying felt his worries were entirely unnecessary—the young man had likely already thought through every possible outcome.

After much deliberation, he ultimately said nothing!

It must be said that the comrades at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection were commendable for their efficiency; less than fifteen minutes after Li Yi finished his call with his father-in-law, the car was already there.

After taking the car keys, Li Yi loaded the three large suitcases filled with cash into the car one by one, then headed straight for a bank in the city center!

But just as Li Yi was leisurely depositing the money, his request had sent the capital into an uproar…

………

The next morning!

When Li Yi woke up in the guest room, he realized it was already past eight o’clock.

Realizing he had things to do today, he immediately got dressed and got out of bed.

However, just as he was about to head to the bathroom with his hair still a mess, he stepped out of the guest room and saw three people—two men and a woman—sitting in the living room.

Upon seeing them, Li Yi realized they must be the people his father-in-law had mentioned the night before.

He hadn’t expected them to arrive so early, which made him feel a bit awkward.

“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience—I overslept!”

Then Li Yi added, “Please wait a moment, I’ll just wash my face and be right with you!”

Seeing Li Yi like this, the group couldn’t help but smile.

They had assumed that someone who had caused such a stir on Hong Kong Island must be a young prodigy with a cold demeanor and a serious, unsmiling air.

They never expected him to be such an ordinary young man—it was truly beyond their expectations.

Soon, Li Yi finished washing up and returned to the living room.

He sat down directly on the sofa opposite them and, before they could speak, said, “I’m Li Yi. I’m sure you’ve all seen my background information. Please introduce yourselves so I know which departments you’re from!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was secretly taken aback.

What an impressive young man—he’d taken the initiative right off the bat. No wonder he’d been such a force to be reckoned with on the field; he was truly extraordinary.

A middle-aged man at the head of the group spoke first: “Hello, Comrade Li Yi. My name is Zhou Rui, and I’m a division chief at the Security Bureau!”

“Hello, Director Zhou!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the middle-aged man to his side spoke up: “Hello, Comrade Li Yi. My name is Xu Xinmao, and I’m a section chief at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. This is my assistant, Yang Qian!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “My father-in-law mentioned the purpose of your visit in general terms, but since he isn’t a professional in finance or accounting, his explanation wasn’t very clear. I’d appreciate it if you could explain your purpose in more detail.”

Zhou Rui immediately replied, “Comrade Li Yi, our people happened to notice your investment activities on Hong Kong Island. Upon learning that you’re from our country, they passed the information back. After investigating, we discovered that you’re actually an investment genius…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi said calmly, “Comrade Zhou, please don’t flatter me. Let’s be straightforward—what exactly is your purpose in seeking me out?”

Zhou Rui paused briefly, then said, “The country is short on foreign exchange. We hope you can lend a hand!”

“How do you want me to help?” Li Yi asked.

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “Actually, our initial plan was to have you convert all the money you earned in Hong Kong into US dollars and deposit it into an account we specify, and we would then give you the equivalent amount in RMB. But Secretary Jiang rejected that idea, saying it would be unfair to you!”

“So now we’d like to discuss with you whether you could help the country manage a sum of funds. You can name your terms!”

Li Yi never imagined the higher-ups had actually considered such a plan before. On the surface, it might seem like no big deal—just exchanging money with the state.

But in reality, it was far from that. Everyone in the country knew just how tight foreign exchange reserves were right now.

Officially, the exchange rate for RMB to USD is 1:1.53, but on the black market, one US dollar can easily fetch 10 yuan.

However, if the government were to exchange the funds in his possession, they certainly wouldn’t calculate the value based on the black market rate.

More importantly, given the current business climate in the country, what could he possibly do with tens of billions of yuan in his hands?

Apart from putting himself and the entire Jiang family in danger, there is absolutely no benefit to be had.

Fortunately, his father-in-law was a sensible man and flatly refused this unreasonable demand on his behalf.

“How much capital did the higher-ups ask me to invest on their behalf?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

At that moment, Xu Xinmao, who had remained silent until then, replied, “10 million!”

“US dollars, Hong Kong dollars, or our own money?”

“Our money!”

Li Yi looked at him and said, “So you’re saying this money comes from your Foreign Exchange Bureau, and then I’ll be in charge of managing it—is that right?”

“Yes!”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “First, I want to clarify one thing: exactly which department do you represent—the Security Bureau, the Foreign Exchange Bureau, or perhaps an even higher authority?”

“Does it matter?” Zhou Rui asked, puzzled.

“Of course it makes a difference. If you’re only representing your respective departments, then I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

“Why?”

“The lie is that investing carries risks, so proceed with caution; my capabilities are limited, and I cannot shoulder such a heavy responsibility!” Li Yi said calmly.

Zhou Rui asked with interest, “And what’s the truth?”

“Your vision is too narrow. A ten-million-yuan investment isn’t worth my time,” Li Yi said.

Zhou Rui smiled and said, “So how much would you consider a ‘big enough scale’ to be worth your time?”

Li Yi glanced at Xu Xinmao beside him and said, “Director Xu, how much foreign exchange does your bureau currently hold?”

“That… that’s a state secret. I’m afraid I can’t disclose that!” Xu Xinmao said, looking slightly awkward.

“Actually, even without you saying, I can guess pretty accurately. It’s between 10 and 15 billion US dollars at most, with 12 or 13 billion being the most likely!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi wasn’t just making this up off the top of his head. As far as he knew, the country’s foreign exchange reserves in 1980 were only 1.24 billion.

In fact, throughout the entire 1980s, the country’s foreign exchange reserves never exceeded 10 billion US dollars.

To encourage foreign exchange earnings, China still implemented a system of retaining a portion of foreign exchange from both trade and non-trade activities.

Under this system, local governments, departments, and enterprises that generated foreign exchange were allowed to retain a certain percentage of their earnings to import the materials and technology needed for production and operations. In his previous life, Li Yi had certainly taken full advantage of this loophole.

So, judging by the current situation, the country’s foreign exchange reserves are likely at this level—not much more.

Xu Xinmao hadn’t expected Li Yi to be so spot-on with his guess; for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

Zhou Rui understood the implication from Xu Xinmao’s expression and immediately said, “Comrade Li Yi, just come out and say it—how much would it take to get you to step in?”

“I won’t make things difficult for you. If you want me to step in, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange needs to put up 200 million US dollars. Without that, I’m not interested!” Li Yi said.

“Whoa!”

Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Wow, this young man really has some nerve.

That’s 200 million US dollars—equivalent to one-sixth of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange’s foreign exchange reserves. If something went wrong, who knows how many heads would roll.

“Comrade Li Yi, will you really only step in for 200 million US dollars?”

“Yes!”

“Then how can you guarantee the safety of those two hundred million dollars?”

“If you’re so timid and indecisive, why even bother asking me?”

Then, Li Yi sighed and said, “Fine. I guess that’s what comes with being a patriotic young man. Tell the higher-ups: if this two hundred million is lost or goes bad, I, Li Yi, will personally cover the losses—but I have conditions!”

“What conditions? Please state them.”

“First, the management contract must not exceed three years. After three years, we’ll renegotiate the terms!”

Li Yi continued, “Second, I won’t take a single cent of the profits generated by this investment. However, once policies allow it, I intend to do business domestically, and the higher-ups must provide me with the necessary support!”

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “We’ll need to consult our superiors on this matter!”

“Fine, but you don’t have much time. My investment initiative has already begun—if you wait any longer, you’ll miss out on the opportunity!” Li Yi said.

“How about we give you an answer within three days?”

“I’ll give you one day at most!” Li Yi said.

“Alright! We won’t keep you any longer!”

With that, Zhou Rui, Xu Xinmao, and the others stood up and headed for the door!

Li Yi studied his father-in-law closely, then said, “Dad, did someone from higher up contact you and ask you to sound me out?”

Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi with some surprise and said, “How did you know? I don’t think I said much about it.”

“Heh, Dad, do you even have more than a thousand yuan on you?”

“Um…”

“I don’t need you to tell me—all your money is with your mother. Is that pitiful sum you’re holding even worth investing?”

Jiang Shiying shook his head with a wry smile and said, “I’ll be honest with you. A few days ago, the higher-ups came to see me. Besides asking about your situation, they also gave me a task…”

“Foreign exchange earnings?”

“You guessed it again?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not hard to guess. What’s the biggest shortage in the country right now? It’s undoubtedly foreign exchange. And as for me, a mere small-time merchant, the only thing that would make the government come knocking on my door is foreign exchange!”

“Sigh, I really don’t know how your little brain works—nothing can be kept from you!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Don’t bother wondering about that. Just tell me straight up what the higher-ups are thinking.”

Jiang Shiying said in a low voice, “The higher-ups’ idea is that if you come across a good opportunity, you can help the country earn some foreign exchange!”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. But when it comes to investments, I’d rather discuss it with professionals. And it’s best if you don’t get involved!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “All right, I’ll contact our comrades over there in a moment and convey your thoughts!”

“Alright!”

Jiang Shiying then added, “You mentioned you started a company over there. Are you planning to go back in a few days?”

“I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon. I want to go home and spend some time with Xiaoxue and the kids!” Li Yi said.

“What do you mean by ‘in the near future’?”

“Within two or three months!”

“But if you’re gone for so long, will the company be okay?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“No problem. I’ve already laid out the development plan, and with Old Huang keeping an eye on things over there, there shouldn’t be any issues!” Li Yi said.

Hearing that Li Yi was actually willing to leave a company worth billions behind for his wife and child, Jiang Shiying felt a slight sense of relief.

It seemed he was still the Li Yi she knew—he hadn’t let becoming a billionaire go to his head!

Still, this stirred a deep sense of unease within him. His son-in-law was simply too outstanding, while his daughter, by comparison, seemed rather ordinary—and that was hardly a good thing.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“What on earth are you sighing about, old man? If something’s bothering you, just say it—I’ll help you figure it out!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Jiang Shiying shot him a glare and immediately retorted, “It’s all because of you, you rascal!”

“How is this my fault?”

“You’re already a billionaire worth tens of billions, while Xue’er still acts like a little girl who hasn’t grown up yet. The gap between you two is just too wide…”

Although Jiang Shiying didn’t finish his thought, Li Yi understood exactly what he meant.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Dad, I understand how you feel, but you can rest assured about this. Xue’er and I have been through thick and thin together—our bond isn’t as fragile as you think!”

“To abandon one’s wife and children just because one has made money—that’s certainly not the act of a man of honor. Besides, I’ve been wealthy for quite some time now!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “I still trust your character, but matters of the heart aren’t always within a person’s control. If one day you really don’t care for Xue’er anymore, just tell me plainly, and I’ll come and take her back myself!”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you—that day will never come!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Let’s hope so!”

“By the way, Dad, have Xue’er’s college entrance exam results come out yet? Which school did she apply to? Did she get accepted?”

“Heh, you’d better go home and ask her about that yourself!”

“Now you’re being mysterious!” Li Yi said with a hint of exasperation.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but Xue’er has begged me over and over not to tell you—she wants to surprise you!”

“Hahaha, all right, then I won’t ask!”

Then Li Yi added, “Oh, Dad, I brought you a little gift!”

“Oh, what kind of gift?”

“Let me keep you in suspense for a bit—you’ll find out in a moment!” Li Yi said with a smile.

With that, Li Yi walked over to the suitcases.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiying followed him over; he was quite curious about the gifts his son-in-law had brought back from Hong Kong.

On the one hand, since it was a gift from his son-in-law, it held special significance.

On the other hand, he was curious to see what his son-in-law, given his current status, would give him.

However, when Li Yi opened the suitcase, the contents gave him quite a shock.

Inside, a box was neatly filled to the brim with cash—all 10-yuan notes. A box that size must have contained at least six or seventy thousand yuan!

“Xiao Yi, you aren’t trying to give me money, are you? I can’t accept that!” Jiang Shiying said hurriedly.

“No… it’s a coincidence, purely a coincidence. This is the capital I took to Hong Kong, and I’ve just brought it back!”

Li Yi then opened another suitcase, but since all the suitcases looked identical, the second one he opened was also filled with money.

It wasn’t until he opened the fourth suitcase that Li Yi found the gifts he’d bought for Jiang Shiying.

There were two small boxes in total!

When Jiang Shiying opened the first box, she discovered it contained a belt. The texture looked like cowhide, but since it was coated with lacquer, she wasn’t sure.

However, the pure black color and the silver buckle with its metallic sheen immediately caught Jiang Shiying’s eye.

Holding it in her hands and examining it closely, Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but ask, “This belt isn’t cheap, is it?”

“It’s not too bad—just 1,500 Hong Kong dollars!”

“500 RMB? That’s way too extravagant. Isn’t that like strapping a year and a half’s salary of an ordinary worker around my waist?”

“Hehe, you’ve got a billionaire son-in-law. It’s perfectly reasonable to have a house strapped to your waist—who would dare question you!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Still, I have to keep a low profile—it wouldn’t look good!”

As she spoke, Jiang Shiying picked up another box and opened it right away.

Inside lay a men’s steel-banded watch with a metallic sheen. Jiang Shiying took one look and exclaimed in surprise, “A Rolex?”

“Dad, do you know this brand?”

“I do. I’ve seen plenty of big bosses wearing them. I hear they’re incredibly expensive!”

“Well, it’s just over 10,000 Hong Kong dollars!”

“1… 10,000? Why did you buy me such an expensive watch? I can’t possibly wear something like this in public!”

“Hehe, this is actually quite understated. If I hadn’t considered your status, I would’ve bought you a gold watch!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“A gold watch? That’s way too flashy. If I actually wore that out, the authorities would invite me in for a ‘cup of tea’!”

“This watch is fine. It’s just a regular Rolex. Even if someone recognizes it, it won’t be a problem!” Li Yi said.

“Okay, I really like the gift, so I’ll take it!”

Then Jiang Shiying said again, “You stay here for a moment. I’m going to the study to make a call to the higher-ups!”

“Okay!”

A dozen minutes later, Jiang Shiying returned to the living room and said, “Tomorrow, officials from the Security Bureau and the Foreign Exchange Bureau will come to the house to see you. I won’t be there—you can talk to them directly!”

“Alright!”

After a brief pause, Jiang Shiying added, “If their demands are unreasonable, you can refuse them outright. As long as you haven’t broken the law, the Jiang family isn’t afraid of any agency—not even the Security Bureau!”

“Dad, rest assured—I know what I’m doing!”

“Hmm…”

………

PdxmbangS: I’ve been ordered to attend a meeting in Shanghai today—it was simply impossible to decline. The meeting lasts three days, plus the day of the return trip, so I’ll be gone for a total of four days. During these four days, updates will be sporadic, but I’ll do my best to ensure there are no breaks in the story. Please bear with me!

Guangzhou, Lotus Pier!

After disembarking from the ferry, Li Yi looked a bit pale.

Just moments ago, as they were taking the ferry back to Yangcheng from Hong Kong Island, they encountered a storm.

Though it wasn’t a major storm, the violent rocking of the vessel had left Li Yi, a strapping young man from the mainland, vomiting profusely.

Seeing Li Yi in this state, his companion Huang Lixing, however, looked particularly pleased.

After crouching at the pier exit to recover for a while, Li Yi finally felt better.

Then, looking at Huang Lixing, he said, “Old Huang, why do I get the feeling you’re taking a bit of schadenfreude in this?”

“Hahaha, no, no, it’s just that seeing you like this makes me realize you’re a real, living person!” Huang Lixing said with a laugh.

“That sounds so weird coming from you. Didn’t I look like a human being before?”

“To me, you used to be like a god. Being able to predict the future was one thing, but your investing was like the stock market god had possessed you—what else could that be but divine?”

Then he added, “But today I realized you aren’t omnipotent after all. A mere little storm nearly brought you down. Turns out you’re just like the rest of us—a normal person!”

“I’ve always been a normal person—I just happen to know a little more than others. That’s all!” Li Yi replied.

“Hahaha, you’ve only just figured that out…”

Just as they were speaking, the car sent to pick them up arrived.

The group then worked together to load Li Yi’s four or five large suitcases into the car, and they set off straight for downtown Guangzhou.

Since he’d brought back some gifts for his father-in-law and still needed his help booking a flight, Li Yi decided to stay in Guangzhou for a day or two before returning to Beijing.

Once the car entered Guangzhou, Li Yi didn’t contact his father-in-law; instead, he simply had A-Biao and the others drive straight to the small villa where his father-in-law lived.

After all, he had a key, so he wasn’t worried about not being able to get in.

Since Li Yi had the official paperwork issued by the cotton mill, and his father-in-law had specifically put in a good word for him with the security office at the government compound during his last visit,

So the security personnel there knew he was the son-in-law of Secretary Jiang of the Commission for Discipline Inspection. After a simple registration, the car smoothly drove into the government compound.

He opened the door to his father-in-law’s house with ease, had A-Biao and the others help carry all the suitcases inside, and let out a long sigh of relief—he was finally back.

He’d been severely seasick during the entire journey, so Li Yi didn’t invite Huang Lixing and the others to stay for dinner. After seeing them off, he collapsed onto the bed in the guest room and fell into a deep sleep!

……….

6:00 p.m.!

When Jiang Shiying returned home from work, she was startled the moment she walked in by the five or six large suitcases in the living room.

He remembered there hadn’t been any of these things when he left that morning—how did they end up here by evening?

People always say that when a house is robbed, things go missing—but why was it the opposite for him?

Suddenly, a thought struck Jiang Shiying: Could it be that that brat Li Yi had come back? He remembered that he’d only ever given the keys to this house to him.

With that thought, Jiang Shiying headed toward the guest room.

As soon as he pushed the door open, he heard the sound of deep, steady breathing coming from inside.

Without hesitation, Jiang Shiying flipped on the light switch and, sure enough, saw lying on the bed none other than her own son-in-law—the one who’d nearly caused a scene!

Li Yi was fast asleep, but the sudden, blinding light woke him up.

He opened his eyes and quickly spotted his father-in-law standing in the doorway.

“Dad, you’re back?” Li Yi said, still half-asleep.

“Mm-hmm. When did you get back? Why didn’t you give us a heads-up?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“I actually meant to call you, but the ship hit a storm halfway through the journey. My legs were still shaking after I got off the boat—I just didn’t have the energy!”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet. I didn’t even eat lunch!”

“Get yourself together and let’s go out to eat…”

Before Li Yi could answer, Jiang Shiying spoke again: “Never mind. You look filthy. Why don’t you freshen up first? I’ll go out and grab you something to eat. What do you feel like having?”

“I’m not feeling too well today. Just make sure it’s not too greasy!” Li Yi replied without hesitation.

“Alright!”

With that, Jiang Shiying turned and walked out.

Li Yi climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Just as Li Yi finished washing up, he heard the door open outside. Moments later, he saw his father-in-law walk in carrying a lunch box wrapped in white muslin!

Setting the lunchbox on the dining table, Jiang Shiying said, “I made you some shrimp congee, clay pot rice, and some pickles!”

“Sounds good!”

With that, Li Yi walked over to the dining table, ready to eat.

“Dad, why is there only one portion? Have you eaten already?”

“Yeah, I ate at work before coming home. You go ahead and eat!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Well, I won’t hold back then!”

With that, Li Yi picked up the lunch box and began eating heartily.

Watching Li Yi quickly devour the clay pot rice from his lunchbox, Jiang Shiying felt a mix of emotions.

If it weren’t for the comrades from the higher-level Discipline Inspection Commission and the Security Bureau coming to his door, he wouldn’t have known that this rascal had actually pulled off such a massive operation on Hong Kong Island.

He remembered that the kid had only taken 2 million with him when he went over there—how on earth had he managed to make tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars in just over twenty days?

And then there were those photos in the newspapers—they also gave him cause for concern.

The kid was now a super-rich tycoon worth billions—would he look down on his daughter?

And then there was the task his superiors had assigned him—how on earth was he supposed to broach the subject?

Thinking about all this, Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered!

Li Yi, who had been enjoying his meal, also noticed his father-in-law’s unusual behavior. He immediately put down his chopsticks and called out softly, “Dad!”

Seeing that his father-in-law didn’t respond, Li Yi raised his voice slightly and called out, “Dad!”

This time, Jiang Shiying finally snapped out of it and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“What are you spacing out for? I’ve called you several times and you haven’t answered!”

Jiang Shiying opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to.

Seeing his expression, Li Yi was a bit puzzled and said directly, “What’s with that look on your face? If you have something to say, just say it. Is there anything you can’t talk about?”

“Eat first. We’ll have a chat after you’re done,” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi quickly polished off the porridge and rice in his lunchbox, then got ready to take it to the kitchen to wash it.

“Don’t wash it yet—let’s talk business first!”

Li Yi immediately set the lunchbox aside and asked, “What’s the matter? Go ahead.”

“You’re in Hong Kong…”

Hearing this, Li Yi instantly understood. Clearly, his father-in-law knew about his investments and profits in Hong Kong, but didn’t know how to bring it up.

Without waiting for Jiang Shiying to finish, he cut in, “Dad, I’ve been partnering with Huang Lixing on some stock investments over there lately, and we’ve made a killing!”

“How much did you make?”

“After deducting all the miscellaneous taxes and fees, it’s less than 4 billion in total… I’m talking about Hong Kong dollars. Converted to our currency, it’s just over 1.3 billion!” Li Yi said.

1.3 billion… “just a little over”?

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Shiying instantly felt like slapping him across the face. Was that even a proper thing to say?

His monthly salary was currently 310 yuan, which amounted to just 3,720 yuan a year. He’d work his entire life and still wouldn’t earn even a fraction of what this kid had made.

“So how much of that 4 billion Hong Kong dollars would you get?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“Close to 2.3 billion!”

“That much? So where’s the money? Did you bring it back to China?”

“No way. What would I do with it? I’ve invested it all!” Li Yi replied.

“All of it?”

“Yeah, a great opportunity came up, so I put it all in!”

Then Li Yi remembered something and added, “Oh, Dad, I set up an investment firm in Hong Kong. I own 70% of the shares, and Old Huang holds 30%. Right now, the company manages over 6 billion Hong Kong dollars in assets!”

Jiang Shiying suddenly recalled the task his superior had assigned him, and looking at Li Yi, he asked, “Xiao Yi, is that opportunity you mentioned reliable?”

“It’s solid. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t dare put my entire fortune into it!” Li Yi replied.

“I have some funds here. Do you think you could make a profit with them?”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was taken aback at first, but then immediately sensed something was off!

After seeing Li Futiao and Assistant Zhou off, Li Yi opened the gift box Li Futiao had brought.

The moment he opened the box, his eyes were met with a dazzling display of jewels. Inside the exquisite box lay a complete set of jade jewelry.

Upon closer inspection, the set included two bracelets, a saddle ring, a pair of earrings, two bracelets, and a hairpin—all pieces featuring a rich, deep green hue.

Although Li Yi wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about jadeite, he knew that jadeite of this caliber didn’t come cheap.

Especially those two full-green bracelets—in thirty or forty years, their guaranteed value would easily exceed 100 million.

Even as things stood, this set was worth at least two or three million Hong Kong dollars—and he wasn’t even sure he could afford it!

It was clear that Li Futao had really put thought into this; he knew that Li Yi would never accept anything ordinary.

But if he were presented with such exquisite jewelry, he might not refuse.

Looking at the jade jewelry before him, Li Yi couldn’t help but think of Jiang Xue and their two children back in Beijing.

With matters on Hong Kong Island now largely settled, it was time to head back.

With that in mind, he immediately picked up the phone on the desk and dialed Huang Lixing at the Wan Chai Pier.

“Ring ring…”

The call was answered quickly, and Huang Lixing’s voice came through the receiver: “Qinglong Society, who is this?”

“Old Huang, it’s me, Li Yi!”

“Hahaha, so it’s Brother Li Yi. Did Mr. Li come looking for you?”

“Yeah, he just left!” Li Yi said.

“Li Sheng called me this morning. He said he wanted to send you a gift but wasn’t sure what to send, so he asked me for advice!”

Huang Lixing continued, “Knowing you, you probably wouldn’t be interested in anything else, so I suggested he get something for your wife and kids—maybe you’d accept that!”

“Hehe, he sent me a set of jade jewelry. It’s nice—I accepted it!”

“Hahaha, I knew it!”

“Old Huang, if you have time, come by the office. I’ve got something I need to discuss with you—it’s not really convenient over the phone,” Li Yi said.

“Sure, I’ll head over right now!”

“Great!”

With that, Li Yi hung up the phone!

An hour later, accompanied by a series of heavy footsteps, a sweat-drenched Huang Lixing pushed open the door and walked in.

When Li Yi saw it was him, he immediately put down his pen and said with a smile, “You made it!”

“It’s really hot out there. I’m soaked through after just a few steps—it’s unbearable!” Huang Lixing said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“That’s normal!”

Once Huang Lixing had sat down, Li Yi continued, “Old Huang, I called you over to talk about the company.”

“What’s up with the company?” Huang Lixing asked, puzzled.

“Nothing’s wrong with the company—it’s just that I’m planning to go back…”

Before he could finish, Huang Lixing said, “I figured you’d be heading back soon. When are you leaving?”

“In the next day or two. If possible, I’d like to head back tomorrow!” Li Yi said.

“That soon? What about the company’s affairs? Can Miss Lan and the others handle everything on their own after you leave?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “I’ve already finalized the company’s investment plan. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, our net worth will double or even triple very soon!”

Hearing this, Huang Lixing’s eyes lit up, and he burst out laughing. “Bro, your investment skills are faster than robbing a bank!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “After I leave, the company will be counting on you!”

“Rely on me… I can’t handle this kind of thing!”

“You don’t need to micromanage. Just have Lan Xinyi and Li Yunbao handle the day-to-day operations. If there’s anything they can’t decide on their own, that’s when you step in!”

“What if I can’t make the call either?”

“Then you’ll have to cross the Pearl River and give me a call!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

“As for your Qinglong Society, I reckon no one—whether inside or outside the organization—dares to give you trouble anymore. But you still need to keep a low profile, just like before!”

Li Yi then added, “In a while, I’ll see if I can bring a group of skilled operatives over from the mainland. By then, you’ll be able to break away from the Green Dragon Society and go it alone!”

“If anyone gives you trouble during this time and you can’t handle it, just ask Old Li for help. With him around, I doubt anyone in Hong Kong would dare touch you!”

“Alright, I’ll take your advice!”

“Oh, and Old Huang, when we split the profits last time, didn’t I set aside six million Hong Kong dollars just for you? Could you exchange that for mainland currency for me? I need to take it back with me!” Li Yi said.

“Sure, I’ll have it ready for you this afternoon!” Huang Lixing replied.

“Alright then. I’ll call a quick meeting with all the department heads to wrap things up here, and then I’ll head home!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Alright…”

………

By the time the meeting ended, it was already noon!

In high spirits, Li Yi waved his hand and immediately instructed the department heads to announce that he would be treating all employees to lunch.

As soon as word spread that the big boss was treating everyone to a meal, the office erupted in a deafening cheer.

Shortly after, the sixty-plus employees of Star Company set off in a large group for Yuen’s Restaurant, a famous Chinese restaurant on Hong Kong Island.

Since this was the company’s first group dinner since its founding, Li Yi didn’t hold back.

Not only was the venue luxurious, but the dining standards were also exceptionally high.

Apart from the absence of alcohol—out of concern it might affect the afternoon’s work—everything else exceeded all the employees’ expectations.

So, everyone had a truly wonderful time at the meal!

That afternoon, Li Yi didn’t go to the office, nor did he return to Cloudtop No. 1.

Instead, accompanied by Tie Ying and others, he headed to the busiest shopping mall on Hong Kong Island.

Since he had finally made the trip to Hong Kong Island, he had to bring back some gifts for his family—otherwise, it just wouldn’t feel right.

And so, Li Yi went on a shopping spree in Hong Kong Island!

They shopped until past 6:00 p.m. When Li Yi emerged from the mall, Tie Ying and the others were laden with bags of all sizes, looking like walking warehouses.

Li Yi hadn’t bought any clothes or shoes—not because he looked down on the local fashion, but because compared to Hong Kong, the mainland’s social norms were still too closed-minded and conservative.

Clothes that showed bare arms and legs here—no one would dare wear them on the streets back home.

So, aside from buying a few undergarments for his wife, Li Yi didn’t buy any other clothes.

He bought mostly electronics—radios, tape recorders, digital watches, and cameras. In his eyes, these weren’t particularly special items, but as gifts, they were absolutely the best.

Especially digital watches—on Hong Kong Island, they cost only about ten or twenty Hong Kong dollars each.

But if brought back to the mainland, the price would skyrocket by at least ten times—and they’d be in such high demand that they’d be priceless.

In addition, Li Yi bought several cameras—the domestic film-based kind.

These were also scarce items, virtually impossible to find domestically.

Even if they were available, the prices were outrageously high.

Actually, what Li Yi really wanted to buy was a color TV, but unfortunately, it was just too bulky, and he simply couldn’t manage it.

Even now, he had only bought a few small items, but once everything was packed up, it still filled three large suitcases.

On top of that, he had to carry two million in cash back with him, which was simply beyond his capabilities.

With no other choice, Li Yi had no option but to call Huang Lixing and ask for his help!

Huang Lixing didn’t let Li Yi down; he immediately decided to personally lead a team to escort Li Yi back to Guangzhou, and he’d take the opportunity to visit his wife and daughter as well!

After the two agreed on a departure time, Li Yi went to bed early…

……..