Chapter 1101: Simple and Crude

Zhao Fusheng sometimes had to admit that his overall vision was far inferior to that of true big shots.

It wasn't that being reborn could instantly grant a nobody the ability and insight to oversee the entire situation; if that were the case, he wouldn't have been a nobody in his previous life.

Successful people succeed not by luck, but because they truly have the ability.

At the very least, putting himself in their shoes, Zhao Fusheng felt that if he were Ma Xiaoyun or Huang Guangyu, he definitely couldn't have achieved what they did.

Even Chen Tianqiao, whom he now looked down on, Zhao Fusheng knew well that if Mr. Chen hadn't chosen the wrong side or lacked political acumen, his future path might have been broader.

But life has no ifs; no regrets after making a move—that's probably the truest portrayal of life.

So now, Zhao Fusheng considered every step he took very carefully, and unless he was absolutely certain, he wouldn't act rashly.

……

……

At this moment, in a hotel in the capital, Tong Zhenbang was on the phone with a serious expression.

"Yes, the other party is very hesitant." Tong Zhenbang said with some hesitation, "I can tell that the manager in charge at Future Investment is tempted, but their boss seems reluctant to accept our investment."

He paused, then tentatively said, "Boss, maybe we should try to find a way abroad."

"If there were a way, would I have sent you back home?" A steady voice came from the other end of the line. "Zhenbang, you're the one I trust most, so I won't hide it from you. Interpol has been tightening surveillance on us. Last month alone, we lost at least thirty percent of our personnel and supply. Do you know what that means?"

Tong Zhenbang was silent. As the boss's right-hand man, he knew well that losing thirty percent of personnel and supply was a severe blow to the organization—worth tens of millions, in other words.

"Contact Future Investment as soon as possible and convince them." The boss's voice turned very serious. "We're being closely watched lately. We need to launder this money before we're discovered. Do you understand?"

"Don't worry, I know what to do." Tong Zhenbang quickly nodded.

After hanging up, Tong Zhenbang sat in his chair, rubbing his temples in frustration, pondering how to persuade Future Investment.

After a long while, Tong Zhenbang looked up helplessly and gave a bitter smile.

He had to admit that he and his boss had oversimplified things, thinking that bringing capital over would be welcomed by the venture capital funds here. They had forgotten that this was China, not the United States.

Public funds wouldn't accept their injection at all; as for private funds, while large private equity funds weren't as strict in auditing funding sources, the problem was that the domestic private equity landscape was complex and messy. With one misstep, the money could be swallowed up. And with the boss far away, they couldn't even retaliate.

After much deliberation, only a newly established venture capital fund like Future Investment suited them best. That was why Tong Zhenbang had approached Dong Chenxi.

He had thought Zhao Fusheng would be dazzled by the money, but unexpectedly, the guy was so cautious.

"What to do?" Tong Zhenbang muttered to himself.

If he were abroad, he could have sent a few men to kidnap Zhao Fusheng's family and force his hand. But the problem was, this was China. Not only was the situation completely different from abroad, but here in the capital, under the emperor's nose, Tong Zhenbang knew that if he caused any major disturbance, he might not even make it out of the country.

After all, while China might seem to have no defenses, anyone who dared to cause trouble here would be dealt with swiftly.

China had always been a forbidden land for mercenaries.

This saying carried not just words, but the blood and tears of many mercenaries.

Taking a deep breath, Tong Zhenbang felt frustrated. This feeling of being constrained was really uncomfortable.

But he had no better option, so he could only wait silently for news from Future Investment.

"Boss, I've found out." At that moment, the door opened and someone walked in. If Zhao Fusheng were there, he would recognize him as one of the bodyguards who had stood behind Tong Zhenbang with Chen Shijie that day.

"What did you find?" Tong Zhenbang asked the newcomer.

Although he had some men secretly following him on this trip to China, the only ones who could appear openly were Chen Jie and Xiao Bao. But Chen Jie was always taciturn and not one for action, so Xiao Bao usually handled tasks like gathering information.

"I had someone look into it. This Future Group is no small operation." Xiao Bao handed Tong Zhenbang a file and said, "And I found out that Chairman Zhao has great prestige in the company. Even the general managers of the subsidiaries were all promoted by him."

"Not a rich second generation?" Tong Zhenbang was startled and asked in surprise.

In fact, he didn't know much about Future Group's background. He had only learned of Future Investment's reputation through other channels and approached them directly.

Originally, Tong Zhenbang had assumed Zhao Fusheng was some rich kid from a wealthy family, which was why he ran a big company at such a young age.

But it turned out the guy had started from scratch.

Thinking about this, Tong Zhenbang couldn't help but frown. A rich second generation would be much easier to deal with than a self-made first-generation entrepreneur.

After all, the former could be tempted with profit, while the latter, having built the company himself, tended to be more cautious.

"If you ask me, I'll just kidnap his actress girlfriend and see if he still refuses to cooperate!" Xiao Bao gritted his teeth and said.

"Kidnap your head!" Tong Zhenbang glared at his trusted subordinate and said coldly, "This is China, not the Golden Triangle. Do you think the Chinese police are useless? If you kidnap someone, before you can do anything, they'll be at our doorstep."

Hearing the boss's words, Xiao Bao shrank his neck and dared not speak again.

Although in a fight, even three or five of him couldn't beat the boss, Xiao Bao knew well that when it came to brains, a hundred of him couldn't match the boss.

This had been proven by facts. After all, the process by which Tong Zhenbang became the group's strategist was crueler than anyone could imagine.

Real criminal organizations weren't like those in movies and TV shows, full of loyalty and brotherhood. The days of relying on honor were long gone.

Xiao Bao himself had stabbed knives into the bodies of men he had been drinking and eating with moments before, calling them brothers. And Tong Zhenbang, climbing step by step from the bottom to the position of advisor, had paid a price beyond ordinary imagination.

"Boss, I was wrong." Xiao Bao looked at Tong Zhenbang's expression and said quietly.

His nature was always reckless. Years ago, he had offended someone he shouldn't have and was nearly killed. Tong Zhenbang had saved his life, so he truly respected him.

Tong Zhenbang waved his hand, sighed, but said nothing.