pdf-ebookys #422 - The Turmoil in the Main World
#422 - The Turmoil in the Main World
In the main world, sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, dappling the luxurious yet understated villa of Ren Zhong, adding an extraordinary backdrop to the unexpected visitors. The villa's exterior design blended modern and classical elements, with enormous glass windows shimmering in the sunlight, as if each pane reflected a different story.
Amidst this tranquil and somewhat lonely atmosphere, the villa's gate was gently pushed open, and two economic investigation officers in neat uniforms and serious expressions appeared. Their arrival seemed out of sync with the peaceful environment, yet carried an indescribable sense of duty.
"Mr. Ren, we are economic investigation officers. I am Zhao Xing." One of the officers, named Zhao Xing, spoke in a calm tone, yet with an authority that could not be ignored, stating their purpose to Ren Zhong. "We received a report and are here today to understand Mr. Ren's financial situation." As he spoke, he politely presented his credentials, which gleamed with the unique luster of officialdom under the light, appearing both formal and solemn.
Ren Zhong took the credentials, his eyes sharply scrutinizing every detail. After confirming their authenticity, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Please come in," he said softly, then took out two pairs of brand-new shoe covers from a nearby cabinet, handing them to the two visitors. His movements revealed a composed demeanor, as if he had anticipated this moment.
"Thank you," Zhao Xing politely accepted the shoe covers. He exchanged a glance with his colleague, and the two of them tacitly put on the shoe covers, stepping steadily after Ren Zhong into the villa's living room, a place filled with the unknown and secrets. The living room's decor was simple yet luxurious, each piece of furniture revealing the owner's taste and style. A faint fragrance permeated the air, adding a subtle atmosphere to the upcoming conversation.
"Mr. Ren, our work requires recording. Everything we discuss will be subject to audit. Is that okay?" Zhao Xing's voice sounded again. This time, he held a small recording device in his hand. With a gentle press of the switch, a red indicator light lit up, lying quietly on the table, as if a silent witness, ready to record everything that would happen next.
It was almost 2040, and after fifteen years, this was the first time Ren Zhong had received formal attention from official institutions. This wasn't because he wasn't cautious enough. In fact, in the main world, a land with no backing to rely on, Ren Zhong had always acted carefully, as if walking on thin ice.
He knew that every step he took had to be steady. Therefore, he chose to conduct many things outside. For example, large-scale buying and selling transactions, as well as monetizing rare items from the Bright Sword world, Ren Zhong always carefully planned, ensuring that these activities were carried out away from the main world's view, realizing the safe monetization of funds through a series of complex channels and means.
To achieve the free flow of funds both internally and externally, he also deliberately set up several investment companies. These companies were like invisible shields in his hands, providing him with powerful capital operation capabilities. At the same time, he also used several anonymously set up overseas companies to purchase some non-transparent data, further concealing his true whereabouts and intentions.
It could be said that everything Ren Zhong did was hidden behind several thick curtains. Every decision he made, every action he took, had been carefully considered and meticulously planned. However, despite his caution, the two factories he opened in the mainland unexpectedly developed.
These two factories, especially the battery factory, had already gained a small reputation locally, and their current sales had reached several hundred million, which was undoubtedly a highlight in his investment career.
Despite this, Ren Zhong still maintained his low profile and caution. He knew that in this world full of variables, only by being vigilant at all times could he ensure his safety and the steady development of his career. And this sudden attention from official institutions was undoubtedly a major test of his cautious actions over the past fifteen years.
Upon hearing that it was a report, Ren Zhong vaguely had some guesses in his heart.
"Mr. Ren, it's like this. The report we received stated that Mr. Ren's income has a large number of channels with unclear sources, with a high suspicion of tax evasion. We are here today to understand Mr. Ren's main sources of income and the handling of relevant taxes," Zhao Xing said in a calm tone, without the aggressive interrogation of a criminal.
Because they had already grasped that among the capital behind Lisai Battery, the one who could control the capital flow was the person in front of them. This battery factory had thousands of people relying on Lisai Battery for their livelihood.
In this era of frequent capital flow, once they offended this God of Wealth, and couldn't convict him, then this factory would most likely slip away.
This was a burden that neither of them could bear.
"I don't know where your information comes from. My income doesn't have any unclear sources," Ren Zhong said calmly. "I have a company, my own career, and everything is legally flowing through the bank. The handling of relevant taxes is strictly handled according to legal and regulatory requirements. Our company hires an accounting firm for auditing every year. Although these are not mandatory, we are not a listed company, but we insist on using this method to ensure that everything we do is legal and compliant."
Just kidding, Ren Zhong's main income had long been in external circulation. The income in the bank accounts here were all reasonable and legal income, so clean that they were simply a model.
"Wait a minute," Ren Zhong said, turning around and then returning to the study to take out a laptop. He quickly opened a folder. "This is the detailed income flow and audit situation for the past ten years. There is one for each year. If you two are interested, you can feel free to check it out."
Ren Zhong's consumption and transactions in Dongda territory were very careful.
Ren Zhong completed the buying and selling of large items through external channels.
He knew that there were too many envious people.
If we trace the source of today's incident, he guessed that it was mostly related to a twentieth-anniversary reunion not long ago. Because at this reunion, Wang Wenhui, Liang Xiaofeng, and Zhao Lidong, these three show-offs, got a little carried away. They each controlled a company with annual sales revenue of several hundred million, so they were surrounded by classmates flattering and toasting, and finally the shocking news that Ren Zhong was the big boss behind the scenes was revealed.
One person who had always been at odds with Ren Zhong originally tried to show off in front of Ren Zhong before the party, but was invisibly slapped in the face by Wang Wenhui and the other two, and angrily left early.
Originally, everyone didn't care. Most people were drunk that day, who remembered what anyone said.
Now, not long after, Ren Zhong was investigated.
If it wasn't for the things that came out of this gathering, Ren Zhong wouldn't believe it. After all, more than ten years had passed, and something happened in just these few days.
Ren Zhong had always avoided gatherings like class reunions. There was no need to go if you were successful, and even less if you were failing. Nowadays, there was little pureness left in classmate relationships. Those who truly connected did so regularly, whether there was a reunion or not. However, this time it was the twentieth anniversary, making it somewhat special, so a few enthusiastic classmates had gone to great lengths to gather eighty percent of the class.
However, after so many years, the classmates had indeed diverged greatly. People like Wang Wenhui, who managed hundreds of millions in production value as CEOs, were only three of them.
Most were ordinary, living neither well nor poorly. Among the rest who were doing well, one was a section chief in an organization.
However, this very guy was at odds with Ren Zhong. From the start, he had been subtly sarcastic towards Ren Zhong. Seeing Ren Zhong's low profile, the classmates initially assumed he was as unremarkable as they were, so they didn't take Ren Zhong seriously. Fortunately, everyone was in their forties, and no one went too far. Plus, they were busy flattering Wang Wenhui and the other two, so Ren Zhong was like a transparent figure.
Because Ren Zhong didn't hold any positions in these companies, he was just a pure shareholder. Anyway, those three companies were originally his tools. Who knew that after enough R\u0026D investment, the technology developed would allow Wang Wenhui and the other two to revitalize the companies.
This unexpected delight was something Ren Zhong hadn't anticipated.
How competitive is it now? Anyone doing real business knows. Ren Zhong needed to use these three companies to achieve his technological accumulation in the Bright Sword world, so the hundreds of millions invested in technology R\u0026D weren't expected to be recovered. Who knew that the technological achievements produced from these investments, after being productized, would actually sell well? Without considering the amortization of R\u0026D investment, Wang Wenhui and the others naturally found it much easier to do business.
It was as if Ren Zhong had underwritten the risk of technology R\u0026D, not to mention shouldering the implicit R\u0026D cost investment.
However, when Ren Zhong's identity as a major shareholder was revealed, that classmate who had been subtly sarcastic towards Ren Zhong felt uncomfortable and excused himself.
Who would have thought this guy was so petty that he would report Ren Zhong after being humiliated!
Ren Zhong shook his head, knowing the cause and effect was roughly like this. After all, he had been very low-key for the past decade, selling things through third-party agents without showing his face, so for more than a decade, apart from Wang Wenhui and the others, almost no one among his classmates knew about him.
If it could be aggregated, Ren Zhong's sale of hundreds of famous calligraphy and paintings was indeed a bit conspicuous, but on the one hand, no one knew he had sold so many, and on the other hand, these things were not considered cultural relics. Without catching him with illegal evidence, there was no problem.
Including the sale of a large number of high-quality jade stones, the direct transactions outside Dongda meant that no one could find any suspicion of Ren Zhong being involved in smuggling.
Seeing Ren Zhong being so cooperative, Zhao Xing and the other one were here, reviewing Ren Zhong's bank statements for the past decade. Comparing them with the audit reports, they indeed found no problems. Ren Zhong's income from the company's dividends had clear taxes, and the audit was completely unqualified.
“Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Ren. We believe that the current situation shows that this report is completely unfounded. We will close the case when we return and will not disturb Mr. Ren again.” Zhao Xing said politely to Ren Zhong after reading it.
After all, Ren Zhong's dividend income reached tens of millions every year, and each company had hundreds of millions in turnover. As a major shareholder, he was definitely a person of strength, and it was impossible to take him down without real evidence.
Not to mention that the three companies for which Ren Zhong served as the major shareholder's agent were all doing very well. Although their business had not been particularly large for more than ten years, their stability was sufficient and their innovation ability was very strong, because Ren Zhong invested most of his company's income in research and development, and the dividends did not exceed 30%.
“It’s okay. Cooperating with your work is the duty of every citizen,” Ren Zhong said calmly, without even asking where the news came from.
For him, whether it was the modern society of the main world or the historical time and space of the Bright Sword world, with the ability to travel between multiple locations, his ability to travel through the world was greatly improved.
This investigation was only enough to disgust him a little, and could not move him at all.
However, this investigation once again reminded Ren Zhong that in the modern society of the main world, he did not have the super high status of the Bright Sword world. Whether in the mainland or overseas, Ren Zhong was subject to far more restrictions.
Therefore, the consistent approach of keeping a low profile in the main world must continue.
As for some people saying to confess to the organization and use national power to do this, as long as Ren Zhong's brain was not burned, he would not do such a thing. Regardless of whether it was selfish or not, confessing this matter sounded unreliable. Opening up two worlds was all on him, and others could not see or touch it. Ren Zhong's life was probably only able to squat in a small circle.
He does not harm the present, nor does he lose Dongda in another time and space. It is enough to do this step. Even if the development of the Bright Sword world may be slightly slower, after his efforts, it has already led the Bright Sword world by a large margin in cutting-edge technology. For that world, it is already good.
What's more, how can the two worlds be integrated?
It may be a huge wave that will subvert the current good momentum.
We still have to help develop secretly.
Therefore, Ren Zhong did not change his original guiding ideology because of this investigation, but was more cautious in his words and deeds.
He even began to actively isolate himself from his classmate circle, directly blacklisting them one by one and no longer interacting.
His energy could not withstand repeated tossing. Now there are many tasks to collect modern technology, from new materials to IT, machinery, machine tools and other aspects of knowledge, Ren Zhong expanded it to global collection. With his ability, he can now freely travel between continents after going there once.
The collected data is placed in the overseas universities he supports, and Ren Zhong can easily obtain it. Therefore, under the current situation of opening up the road with money, more and more technologies are coming from the countries on the ruins of the collapsed ancient empire.
The Yak-38 is just one of them. The turbofan engine data, Ren Zhong now has several copies in his hand, from small turbofan engines of more than ten kilonewtons, to medium thrusts of more than 40 or 50 kilonewtons, and large thrusts of more than 100 kilonewtons. Ren Zhong has quite detailed dimensional data in his hands. Although he has not obtained the production process data, having this very detailed specific size of each component that needs to be mastered for the overhaul work is the best reference for designing an engine.
New materials, engine, main battle tank design, ship design (even aircraft carrier technical drawings), with Ren Zhong spreading out the operation of money ability, there are now new developments. (End of this chapter)