Chapter 1169: A Real Man Must Be Ruthless

"You mean, we should spend their money, let them see hope, and then get them to keep investing?" Dong Chenxi thought for a moment and said to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and nodded: "Basically that's the idea, but specifically, it's not exactly that."

Dong Chenxi was somewhat puzzled. Clearly, she didn't quite grasp Zhao Fusheng's words, not understanding what he really meant; the more he explained, the more confused she became.

Zhao Fusheng blinked, a smile spreading across his face: "It's simple. We spend all this money now, and the projects we invest in will definitely become more valuable. Tong Zhenbang will see hope and keep investing. Once we close the net, we just hand over the money he invested to the state. As for the profits from these projects, naturally, they'll be ours."

Huh?

Dong Chenxi was stunned. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't have imagined that Zhao Fusheng had such a move up his sleeve.

This was nothing less than using Tong Zhenbang's group's money to profit himself!

At that moment, Dong Chenxi could only look at Zhao Fusheng with admiration. No wonder he could start from scratch and make a fortune while she could only work for him. With his level of thinking and planning, she couldn't even catch up to Zhao Fusheng if she rode a horse.

Using Tong Zhenbang's dirty money to invest in profitable projects, and when the projects made money and Tong Zhenbang and his crew were arrested, as agreed, Zhao Fusheng only needed to hand over the investment to the state, while the projects themselves would remain his.

In other words, Zhao Fusheng had pulled off a brilliant trick of borrowing a chicken to lay eggs.

Seeing Dong Chenxi's reaction, Zhao Fusheng knew she had understood his meaning.

He chuckled lightly, tapped the table with his hand to bring the distracted Dong Chenxi back to reality, and said: "You, for the time being, don't need to pay too much attention to Tong Zhenbang. If he returns to the capital, he'll definitely come to see you. When he does, show him the investment records and tell him that if he wants to withdraw his capital, he can, but then don't talk about any future cooperation. Our future investments won't involve private equity."

No one knew better than Zhao Fusheng the predicament Mr. Li faced in entering the game.

Despite Americans talking about equality and human rights all day, in reality, racial discrimination has never been eliminated in Europe and America.

The development of Asians there can be described as arduous. Even if you have talent and wealth, it's still difficult to break through and integrate into their social circles.

You see, talent needs a stage to be displayed. Without a stage, even if you have talent, it can't be realized.

In a money-driven society, it's not that you can't talk about dreams, as long as your dreams align with their view of money.

To put it bluntly, if Mr. Li were willing to give up most of his assets, he might be able to integrate into America, and successfully washing his money and coming clean would naturally not be a dream.

But the problem is, after risking his neck, fighting hard for half a lifetime, committing every evil deed, burning, killing, and looting to accumulate his coffin money and life-or-death funds, would he be willing to hand it over to others easily?

The answer is obvious. Not to mention Tong Zhenbang and his crew, even Zhao Fusheng himself probably wouldn't be willing.

So, some things are destined from the start.

"What if Tong Zhenbang wants to withdraw his capital?" Dong Chenxi hesitated after hearing Zhao Fusheng's words and asked him.

This question was crucial. After all, the money was theirs. If they didn't want to continue investing, reclaiming the money was just a matter of a word. Although they could rely on the official power of Cao Jianguo and others to block it, the entire plan might be ruined.

Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly, looking completely at ease: "If he says that, then give him the money."

"Give it to him?"

Dong Chenxi was taken aback, staring at Zhao Fusheng in surprise, wondering if he had misspoken.

That wasn't a small sum of one or two hundred thousand; it was a full one hundred million US dollars. If you included the dividends Zhao Fusheng had promised them, within a year, it would be at least one hundred and thirty million.

"What, find it strange?" Seeing Dong Chenxi's reaction, Zhao Fusheng knew she didn't understand his suggestion.

Dong Chenxi nodded: "What if they take the money and run? Won't we..."

Zhao Fusheng laughed heartily: "You, think from another angle. If you were a bad guy, and your dirty money had finally been laundered, and you'd invested in a bunch of domestic companies, in other words, you'd become a patriotic businessman. Would you choose to continue hiding in the dark, or walk confidently in the sunlight?"

Dong Chenxi was startled, then understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

Since Tong Zhenbang and his crew wanted to launder their money, he would help them do it—not just the money, but even their identities.

Once that happened, things would become very clear in the eyes of Tong Zhenbang and his crew.

If they withdrew their capital, they would lose the status and position Zhao Fusheng had helped them build.

Who would refuse something that both made money and gave them a good reputation?

Dong Chenxi asked herself; if it were her, she probably couldn't resist such a temptation, let alone Tong Zhenbang and Mr. Li.

People are like that: a straw in a crisis is seen as a life-saving remedy. Moreover, the grand blueprint Zhao Fusheng painted for Tong Zhenbang and his crew was simply too beautiful.

The biggest problem with humans is that as long as there's a glimmer of hope, they won't give up easily. Sometimes that's a good habit, and sometimes it's a death warrant.

"In that case, I think we should send them the first installment of profits in a while," Dong Chenxi tilted her head, thought for a long time, and suggested to Zhao Fusheng. "After all, this money will eventually be sent back."

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then looked at Dong Chenxi in surprise: "You're quite ruthless."

They say that when a woman hardens her heart, she's more terrifying than a man. Zhao Fusheng had never truly experienced this, but Dong Chenxi's words just now surprised him.

As Dong Chenxi said, even if they sent tens of millions of dollars in dividends to Tong Zhenbang, in the end, that money would obediently return to their hands.

The reason was simple: greed.

"If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't fall for it," Dong Chenxi said, smiling a little sheepishly at Zhao Fusheng's words, then shrugged.

Zhao Fusheng smiled bitterly at this, but had to admit that Dong Chenxi was absolutely right.

If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't need to worry, and they wouldn't give him an opening.

"You handle this operation. Control the timing and find the right balance," Zhao Fusheng said after confirming that Dong Chenxi's plan was highly feasible.

Dong Chenxi nodded. She was no longer the ordinary college graduate from just a few years ago. Doing this kind of thing was already second nature to her. Wasn't it just conning people? She could do it with ease.

If Zhao Fusheng knew what was going through Dong Chenxi's mind right now, he would definitely feel sorry for Wang Zhen, who was about to be released from prison. A perfectly good girl like Dong Chenxi had been turned into such a scheming woman. It just goes to show that the influence of environment on a person is unimaginable.