Chapter 290: Greed Knows No Bounds
Chapter 290: Greed Knows No Bounds
The next day, Nie Zan sought out Feng Qinglei and asked him to spread the word about Lu Jiaxin being Green. He wasn't supposed to make a big deal out of it but rather accidentally let it slip.
Feng Qinglei's first reaction was disbelief, but then he thought about Nie Zan's character and how he wouldn't joke about something like this. He asked, "Why keep it a secret before and reveal it now?"
"You should know about the He family, right? He Zhuwen and He Shengbin, father and son, are both in the hospital now, all for the sake of monopolizing Ms. Gu's property. Jiaxin has been very successful in her investments over the past year or so, increasing her assets by several dozen times. Even if He Zhuliang finds out, he won't suspect that the money came from Ms. Gu."
Hearing this, Feng Qinglei felt a tingle of greed: "Then how much does she have now?"
Nie Zan shook his head: "Not sure exactly, but it should be over a hundred million."
This hundred million didn't include the money she had loaned against the antiques, which would bring the total to almost two hundred million. He had no idea what she needed so much money for, and she hadn't wanted his help with her investments either. However, he was certain that the money was being used for something legitimate.
Feng Qinglei said admiringly: "Miss Lu made a hundred million in two years with no starting capital. Ah, Zan, your eye for people is truly remarkable! Next time you bring Miss Lu over, I want to ask her about investing. Maybe I can get a piece of the pie too."
Nie Zan glanced at him and said, "You don't have the luck for wealth. It's better for you to just focus on running this restaurant well and taking your dividends from the company. Don't go bothering Jiaxin."
He had hinted that Hongzhong's stock would go up, but as soon as he went on a business trip, Feng Qinglei had been persuaded by someone else and sold all his shares. With this mindset, he was simply not cut out for investing.
Feng Qinglei fell silent and then abruptly changed the subject: "If Miss Lu is so talented in design, why didn't she study fashion design and instead went through all the trouble to study finance?"
"Which would you rather, being the boss or just being a fashion designer?"
It went without saying that being the boss was better. A boss didn't have to please anyone, but a fashion designer, no matter how famous, still had to listen to their boss.
Feng Qinglei understood. Lu Jiaxin didn't want anyone telling her what to do. Indeed, why would someone with the ability to be a boss want to be a designer and take orders from others?
Two days later, He Hanyuan heard the rumor that Lu Jiaxin was Green. Initially, he didn't believe it, but his friend insisted that it was something Feng Qinglei had let slip while drunk, so it was probably true.
His friend said, "That Lu Jiaxin is dating the Third Young Master Nie, so it's not surprising that Feng Qinglei knows. But it's strange that they're keeping it a secret instead of announcing it. She stood up at that fashion show, and now she's famous and successful."
He Hanyuan coldly humphed: "It definitely wasn't her design. She wouldn't dare take credit for it."
His friend's mouth twitched. Those who stole other people's designs usually did so to gain fame. But Miss Lu, who had the designs, didn't want to be exposed and had stayed behind the scenes. It didn't make sense to say that she had stolen someone else's design.
Although He Hanyuan didn't believe that Lu Jiaxin was Green, he still told Madam He about it after some consideration.
Madam He was sharp-witted. She immediately told He Zhuliang about it: "Husband, Feng Qinglei isn't usually a blabbermouth. I think there's more to this than meets the eye, him exposing Lu Jiaxin as Green at this time."
He Zhuliang's expression turned ugly. "Lu Jiaxin has bought quite a few stocks. Conservatively, she should have fifty to sixty million."
Madam He shrieked, "That old witch actually gave Lu Jiaxin that much money? Husband, we must get that money back!"
After a moment of silence, He Zhuliang said, "The Fourth Wife not only gave Lu Jiaxin the two apartment units but also gifted her two million and the shop in Causeway Bay."
"The shop was sold for 20 million, and she donated both that money and the previous 2 million. It went to charity on the mainland."
When he found out, he was furious. The shop was worth at least 30 million on the market, and Lu Jiaxin had sold it for a bargain. However, since the money had been donated and couldn't be retrieved, he could only let it go.
Mrs. He said, "Honey, what do you mean by that? Are you saying she earned 50 to 60 million herself? She's only seventeen; how could she possibly have the ability to earn that much money? It must have come from that old woman. If it's not in your accounts, then she must have gotten it through other means."
He Zhuliang shook his head. "The Fourth Wife doesn't know how to invest. Your father didn't have any liquid cash before he passed away. After his passing, she only had two sources of income: ten percent dividends from the company and rent from the shops, office buildings, and residential properties. Most of that money was used to buy office buildings and shops. It was only last year that she invested 3 million in stocks and didn't make any other investments."
"The accounts are clear and balanced. Even if she had some personal savings, it would have been from before your father's passing, amounting to at most 1.8 million. It's impossible for her to have 50 to 60 million."
Mrs. He glared at him, her face darkening. "Are you saying that the 50 to 60 million was all earned by that mainland girl herself? Don't you find that improbable?"
He Zhuliang replied, "It's naturally impossible under normal circumstances, but don't forget that she's dating Nie Sanshao. He has a good eye for investments, and it's likely that she earned that money under his guidance."
Mrs. He thought for a moment and said, "The Old Madame gave her private money to Lu Jiaxin, and then Lu Jiaxin invested it with Nie Zan's guidance. Even with Nie Zan's insight, the most she could have earned in a year is double the amount. So, the Old Madame must have given her at least 20 to 30 million."
He Zhuliang glanced at her and said, "You just said that Feng Qinglei is a tight-lipped person, and it's strange that he suddenly exposed Green as Lu Jiaxin. Feng Qinglei and Nie Zan are close friends. Without Nie Zan's permission, Feng Qinglei wouldn't have spread this information."
"Qirui Fashion Company rose to fame thanks to the fashion show organized by Green, and their momentum has been strong this past year. By conservative estimates, they've earned 60 million. If I'm not mistaken, Qirui Fashion Company should have shares in her name. Nie Zan had Feng Qinglei convey this information to send us a message—she has the ability to make money."
Nie Zan's intentions were clear. He was telling them that the assets in Lu Jiaxin's hands had nothing to do with the Fourth Wife, and they, the He family, shouldn't get any ideas.
However, Mrs. He wouldn't listen. She insisted that Lu Jiaxin had taken the Old Madame's private money, and she was determined to get that money back no matter what.
He Zhuliang said, "The Fourth Wife didn't directly transfer money to her, and her guardianship is now in Su Heyuan's hands. Even if a portion of her money did come from the Fourth Wife, we have no evidence, so we can't get it back."
In other words, they couldn't do anything to Lu Jiaxin. He had to admit that this girl was very capable. After discovering that the Fourth Wife had Alzheimer's, she immediately changed her guardian. Now, with Nie Sanshao protecting her, he had to be cautious about using underhanded means against her. Unless he could pin her down and eliminate her, taking action against her would only create a deadly enemy. Moreover, the bodyguards by her side were skilled, and he couldn't guarantee that they could take care of her with certainty. Of course, the most important point was that, legally, he had no relationship with Lu Jiaxin. Even if she died, her assets would be inherited by the Lu family, and he wouldn't get a single cent. Without any potential gain to offset the risk, he wouldn't attempt such a thing.
(End of Chapter)
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