Chapter 1099: Unable to Refuse

In Cao Jianguo's mouth, almost all of Zhao Fusheng's information from the start of his business to the present was covered, including the businesses of Zhao's father and Tan Kaixuan, which Cao Jianguo could recite like a litany.

At this moment, the only thing Zhao Fusheng was grateful for was that he had always relied on his foresight advantage to start his business, rather than engaging in speculation or profiteering; otherwise, he would have been caught.

"You are a legitimate businessman. Although the performance of Future Investment Fund under Miss Dong Chenxi has been lackluster and unremarkable, in the eyes of outsiders, venture capital itself is an industry suitable for money laundering. Coupled with your keen investment vision, I believe this is why Tong Zhenbang approached you." Cao Jianguo looked at Zhao Fusheng and said with a smile.

"You run a private equity fund, which is inherently a bridge-type investment method. People give you money, you don't need to ask where it comes from. If they suggest you invest in a project, you won't refuse, will you?"

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback. After pondering for a moment, he understood Cao Jianguo's meaning.

He smiled bitterly and said, "You mean they plan to use my company to launder money and make money on the side?"

"Very likely." Cao Jianguo nodded. "So, to catch these people as soon as possible, I hope you can accept Tong Zhenbang's investment."

Zhao Fusheng frowned. "That's no problem, but as you said, if they want to launder money and give me the money, then suggest I invest in a certain project, then..."

Cao Jianguo chuckled. "Well, that depends on you."

"On me?"

Looking at Cao Jianguo suspiciously, Zhao Fusheng felt that this guy was setting a trap for him.

After all, although he admired the drug enforcement officers who risked their lives, it was impossible for Zhao Fusheng to trust Cao Jianguo completely.

One should only speak part of the truth and not reveal one's whole heart. At Zhao Fusheng's age, he had passed the stage of easily opening up to others.

Cao Jianguo's words sounded good, but in fact, Zhao Fusheng felt that the man was not entirely honest and was hiding something.

"Director Cao, I always doubt how people without sincerity can accomplish praiseworthy things. Their minds are focused on how to use flexible methods, deceptive logic, and flimsy structures to deal with the various difficulties they face in getting things done. In the end, they won't confront challenges head-on or solve problems."

Zhao Fusheng looked at Cao Jianguo and suddenly said a disjointed sentence.

Cao Jianguo was a bit puzzled, looking at Zhao Fusheng without speaking.

Both were smart people. After a moment's thought, he understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, Cao Jianguo's words lacked sincerity.

"What, you don't trust me?" Cao Jianguo asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng gave Cao Jianguo a cold look and said in a sarcastic tone, "I take Tong Zhenbang's money and hand it over to the state. That's fine. But let me ask, Director Cao, if they retaliate against me or my family, will you take a bullet for me, or will you die for me?"

Cao Jianguo's face immediately turned red.

In fact, he had indeed been thinking along those lines: let Zhao Fusheng give the other side some sweeteners first, and once Tong Zhenbang got a taste and transferred all the funds, Zhao Fusheng would hand the money over to the state, and they would make the arrest—killing two birds with one stone.

But now, hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Cao Jianguo suddenly felt exposed.

"Well, you can't say that." Cao Jianguo smiled sheepishly. "We definitely won't put you in danger."

Before he could finish, Zhao Fusheng waved his hand. "Director Cao, let's be straightforward. I'll say it plainly. Either I refuse Tong Zhenbang and don't get involved, and the police can do whatever they want. Or, if I participate, I can cooperate with you to gather their funds, but there's one condition: you can choose to freeze our company's account after they transfer the money."

"That's a good idea!" Cao Jianguo's eyes lit up. Zhao Fusheng's suggestion suddenly made things clear to him, as he wasn't very knowledgeable about financial matters.

"Since we want to catch them red-handed, I don't see the need to hide anything. When the time comes, I'll have my people cooperate with the police investigation. If you can catch them, catch them. Even if you can't, the funds can be intercepted." Zhao Fusheng shrugged.

This was the best plan he could think of. Although Future Investment might suffer some misunderstandings because of it, Zhao Fusheng didn't mind. The matter itself wasn't big. In the investment business, if someone comes to you with money, are you going to turn them away?

As for whether this would be dishonorable, Zhao Fusheng didn't care at all. In the business world, honorable people mostly end up bankrupt, jumping off buildings, or selling sweet potatoes back home.

"Alright, let's do it your way." Cao Jianguo made a quick decision. "So, when will you contact Tong Zhenbang?"

"No rush. I'll let him stew for a few more days." Zhao Fusheng said slowly.

In this matter, Cao Jianguo was not as experienced as Zhao Fusheng.

"This is my private number. If anything comes up, you can call me." Cao Jianguo took out a business card and placed it on the coffee table. Then he said to Zhao Fusheng, "This time, I owe you one."

With that, he turned and walked straight out of the office, leaving just like that.

Watching the back of Deputy Director Cao, Zhao Fusheng frowned and stood there for a long time without speaking.

Soon, Dong Chenxi came in. Seeing Zhao Fusheng standing there, she tentatively asked, "How did it go?"

Zhao Fusheng didn't answer. He walked to the sofa, sat down, took a sip of tea, and then smiled bitterly. "What can I say? They're officials. Do we have the capital to refuse?"

That was the truth. No matter what Cao Jianguo said or how Zhao Fusheng responded, they were only discussing the method of operation.

Unless Zhao Fusheng was crazy, he had no way to refuse their request. After all, he still had to live in this small patch of the capital. They could even investigate his ancestors back eighteen generations. Could Zhao Fusheng make his entire family emigrate abroad?

The reason Cao Jianguo had allowed Zhao Fusheng to vent his frustrations without reacting was ultimately because he understood this point.

Cooperation, after all, was about seeking common ground while reserving differences. Both knew this; they were just playing dumb.

How clever.

"What should we do?" Dong Chenxi looked at Zhao Fusheng helplessly. After all, he was the boss, and he had to make the decision.

When Cao Jianguo appeared and revealed his identity, Dong Chenxi had already been stunned.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged and recounted the plan he had discussed with Cao Jianguo. Finally, he instructed Dong Chenxi, "Contact Tong Zhenbang in two days. Tell him that if he wants to join, he needs to agree to a few conditions. Have him discuss the specifics with me."

Dong Chenxi was taken aback. She hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to negotiate with Tong Zhenbang personally.

"I'll handle Tong Zhenbang's funds." Seeing Dong Chenxi's confusion, Zhao Fusheng spoke up. "Pass that down later."

"Okay, I understand." Dong Chenxi naturally understood Zhao Fusheng's intention. This money had dubious origins, so it was best not to mix it with Future Investment's legitimate investments to avoid complications.

"Your main focus should still be advancing the blog network acquisition plan." Zhao Fusheng said to Dong Chenxi. After all, that was the company's formal project. As for Tong Zhenbang, Zhao Fusheng thought it better to be cautious.

"Alright." Dong Chenxi nodded.

She hesitated for a moment, then said to Zhao Fusheng, "NetEase's stock price has been fluctuating recently. I'm considering whether to add to our position." Zhao Fusheng smiled. "You can add appropriately, but be careful not to accumulate too much. After all, our previous 200,000 shares are already at a good price. There's no need to increase the cost too much."

Dong Chenxi was startled and looked at Zhao Fusheng in surprise. "You mean there will be more changes on NASDAQ?"

Zhao Fusheng nodded. "When I was in the US last time, I talked with Tan Kaixuan. Within two years, there will definitely be changes over there. Then we can consider investing more in stocks."

Since he said that, Dong Chenxi had nothing more to add.

But she was still worried about the Tong Zhenbang matter. She said to Zhao Fusheng, "Should you check whether this Deputy Director Cao is genuine?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled. "Yeah, I have a handle on it."

In fact, he didn't need to check to confirm the man's identity. After all, few people knew Chen Shijie's identity, but they were definitely within the public security system.

However, he couldn't explain this to Dong Chenxi, as Chen Shijie's identity needed to be kept confidential.

After thinking it over, Zhao Fusheng said to Dong Chenxi, "I'll have Xue Yuanfang look into it."

Xue Yuanfang had now officially joined Future Group as the head of the Public Relations Department. This kind of task was most suitable for him.

Of course, more importantly, it was because of his background.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng say this, Dong Chenxi finally felt relieved. She had heard about Xue Yuanfang's background from Zheng Yao and knew that he had considerable influence in the capital. With him handling it, it should be easy to verify Cao Jianguo's identity.

Seeing Dong Chenxi so cautious, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said nothing more. He finished the tea in his cup and said with a smile, "You go ahead with your work. I'll head back first."

Dong Chenxi nodded and smiled bitterly. "Suddenly, I feel a bit envious of Bai Jie."

Previously, Bai Jie had envied her for just following Zhao Fusheng's instructions. But now, Dong Chenxi suddenly felt she would rather be in Bai Jie's shoes.