In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 236 South China Sea Wuliangye Production Factory
After Ding Shoujin unleashed his barrage of attacks, Lin Zhiyan was immediately overwhelmed.

She said somewhat exasperatedly, "If you don't throw money at them, those people won't willingly follow Aunt Ding."

"I'm sorry, they rarely take my money."

Ding Shoujin smiled and said, "So far, almost no one has asked me for money; I've always been the one to force it on them."

Lin Zhiyan looked doubtful and said, "Impossible, there are new art students who like you every year, right?"

When it comes to choosing a spouse, men and women tend to be similar; even handsome men are picky, and not just anyone will do.

Ding Shoujin was not ugly; he was considered above average in appearance among ordinary people, but he was nowhere near as handsome as the men who came and went every year.

If you're not good-looking, you can only make up for it in other ways.

Ding Shoujin said, "I have the right. If I give them a little convenience, I can give them a good opportunity for development."

Lin Zhiyan rolled her eyes and said, "What's the difference between that and money?"

Ding Shoujin shook his head and said, "That's different. What money can do, power can also do. And what power can do, money may not be able to."

"The problem between you and Xiao Lu is this: he doesn't need you."

Lin Zhiyan pursed her lips but didn't refute it.

Admittedly, Lu Zhao was able to enter Cangwu through her, but the other party wasn't just taking advantage of him.

I recently helped Master Liu solve a major case, which is said to have dealt a heavy blow to the Chen family. They're even planning a crackdown across the entire Ping Kai State.

That was a very wealthy state district with the best physical therapy resources in the federal government, as well as various illegal clinics.

Every year, a large number of wealthy people go to see doctors, receive physical therapy, undergo cosmetic surgery, and receive organ transplants.

With Lin Zhiyan's good upbringing, it's understandable that Lu Zhao would be even more powerful with her help, but without her, he would still be a tiger descending the mountain.

If Master Liu doesn't mentor him, then other forces will extend olive branches.

One should not use personal favors as a magic weapon.

Aunt Ding is different; those art students really can't do without her.

As for money, Lu Zhao needs it even less.

Lin Zhiyan asked for help, "Aunt Ding, what should I do next?"

"Cold salad."

Ding Shoujin advised, "You and Xiao Lu have only known each other for less than a year, and you don't see each other often, so it's normal that your relationship is developing slowly. Besides, Xiao Lu is like your Uncle Liu; they're both workaholics. The more you push, the harder it will be for you to succeed."

"You just need to call him regularly, buy him some clothes, and make things easier for him in your relationship. Over time, you'll build a bond."

In her view, this was a piece of cake. The two had only known each other for a short time, and there wasn't a platform like a school campus that would allow them to interact every day.

We are all adults with our own jobs and lives.

This is why most people go on blind dates after entering the workforce, as there is no time or platform for adults to date.

Lin Zhiyan and Lu Zhao are already married, so there shouldn't be any problems if things proceed as planned.

Lin Zhiyan said, "But he has a childhood friend..."

"You have so little self-confidence."

Ding Shoujin pinched her cheek and said, "Didn't you investigate? They haven't seen each other for six or seven years. Don't be so suspicious. That senior colonel should be leaving at the end of the year."

Half an hour later, Lin Zhiyan got off work.

Aside from missions, she basically works a 9-to-5 job.

At 5:30, at the Lin family residence.

Lin Zhiyan drove back to the old house, where the old butler was waiting at the door. He said, "Miss, the young master is already inside. As you instructed, the others will not arrive until six o'clock."

Today's meeting was not just a simple meal; we also had an appointment with the Lin family's agent in charge of life supplements.

Previously, Liu Hao had always helped manage things, so Lin Zhiyan didn't need to bother him with any problems. But recently, Master Liu said that she had entered the workforce and should try managing the family assets herself.

Lu Zhao did a great job last time, at least he deterred those annoying relatives, so Lin Zhiyan naturally wanted to make the most of him.

This was also the initial deal between them: Lu Zhao would help him deal with various matters concerning the Lin family.

Lu Zhao naturally had no reason to refuse.

Inside the Lin family's old house, Lu Zhao was sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper. Hearing the noise, he looked up at Lin Zhiyan, then lowered his head to continue reading the newspaper.

Lin Zhiyan sat down next to him very naturally, turning his gaze to the newspaper.

The headline reads: "[Li Mufeng suspected of being tortured during interrogation]".

She said, "Last night I overheard Master Liu and Uncle Liu discussing that even a fourth-tier medical expert couldn't save him. Luckily, you handled it in time and prevented him from dying on the spot, otherwise the Chen family would have made trouble."

Lu Zhao asked curiously, "What would happen if Li Mufeng died on the spot? Would there still be a crackdown?"

It can't be that Li Mufeng is dead, and all the evidence that has been found is invalid, right?
Lin Zhiyan replied, "It depends on how much evidence you have. If you have enough evidence, it won't change the outcome. In Li Mufeng's case, the main purpose was to silence him, and the secondary purpose was to frame him."

“If he dies on the spot, the crackdown in Pingthong will still continue.”

Lu Zhao then asked, "So how can the Chen family avoid this?"

Lin Zhiyan said, "At the very least, we must ensure that the black market supplement case does not occur in the South Railway District, or that after they have confirmed the witnesses and physical evidence, they do not allow you to investigate further and find other evidence."

Lu Zhao gained a deeper understanding of the struggle between the Marquises.

Generally speaking, it's a struggle without a complete breakdown, seizing every opportunity to attack.

Strike when your opponent makes a mistake. Don't try to trap them or devise ways to harm them.

Even among the warriors, there were rules to follow in their battles.

However, this rule can sometimes harm federal interests.

Lu Zhao then asked, "Does Marquis Liu intend to investigate the production workshops of major pharmaceutical companies?"

"An investigation into the production facility of the life supplement requires the approval of the Life Supplement Committee."

Lin Zhiyan warned, "Don't do anything reckless. Life supplements are liquid gold, the foundation of the Federation. No matter how much chaos there is, it's not your place to solve it. As far as I know, every production plant is guarded by a peak fourth-tier superhuman, and every workshop has a third-tier superhuman."

"Even if war is mobilized, they will not leave as long as production continues."

Lu Zhao assured him, "I was just curious."

"I believe you."

Lin Zhiyan grabbed Lu Zhao's waist and said, "You said the same thing in Fang City before, and then you reported it to the entire city's leadership team."

Lu Zhao discovered that this life supplement factory was quite sensitive; even his junior classmate was unwilling to tell him about it.

They may not even understand it themselves.

That makes sense, as life supplements are a pillar of the Federation, and millions of superhumans in the Federation need to develop their vitality and maintain their metabolism.

Even if there are problems, they cannot be investigated arbitrarily; the capital city must exert its efforts.

Lin Zhiyan said, "If you want to know, the person who will be coming later is the one in charge of our family's life supplement business."

Lu Zhao asked, "What specific business is it?"

Lin Zhiyan shook his head and replied, "I'm not too sure about that. My family has some shares in a pharmaceutical company, and we can get about 60 million in dividends every year."

"..."

Lu Zhao was speechless for a moment.

This is all legal income; a dividend of 60 million a year is equivalent to the annual profit of a medium-to-large company.

If it's a company with heavy assets, then its turnover needs to reach several billion.

Moreover, this 60 million dividend was given to the Lin family, not the pharmaceutical company's total profit. It's unimaginable how much wealth these giant companies have accumulated.

At the same time, Lu Zhao also realized something.

Perhaps the top elites in the federal government don't engage in illegal or criminal activities, but that doesn't mean they don't receive any benefits; on the contrary, they are the ones who take the lion's share.

Seeing Lu Zhao remain silent, Lin Zhiyan smiled and said, "How about I give you ten million if you help me handle the family business in the future?"

"I'm afraid I'll burn my hands if I hold onto ten million."

Lu Zhao shook his head without hesitation and asked, "How much money do you actually receive in a year?" Lin Zhiyan replied, "A total of 150 million. Of that, 30 million is put into a trust fund, 50 million is used for charity, and 20 million is used to give gifts to people during holidays to maintain relationships."

Lu Zhao joked, "You're doing charity work? Are you just trying to find a pretext?"

Lin Zhiyan answered very frankly: "This way we can get tax exemption and also do some good deeds."

"specific?"

“The meal subsidies for primary and secondary schools in Cangwu City are all sponsored by our family. Don’t be fooled by the fact that 50 million is a lot; in reality, I still have to put in 7 to 8 million every year.”

Lin Zhiyan looked indifferent and said, "But my annual expenses don't exceed three million, so it doesn't matter."

For her, money is like air, but she doesn't have a high spending habit.

Before she became a minor, Liu Hanwen managed all her assets and gave her 40,000 yuan in pocket money every month.

Forty thousand yuan can buy a lot of things, but it can't be called extravagant, which has cultivated good spending habits in Lin Zhiyan.

It's not like they're squandering millions or tens of millions of dollars every now and then.

Lin, the junior student, is incredibly wealthy.

Lu Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "The Lin family is truly wealthy and powerful. Even if you spend it all at once, you could never spend it all in this lifetime."

Lin Zhiyan did not deny it, and with a sweet smile on her face, she asked, "Then, senior, would you like to spend some money too?"

“My salary is enough to live on, and I can even save 15,000 yuan every month.”

Lu Zhao refused without hesitation.

For him, the higher the salary, the better, but more money isn't necessarily better.
Having too much money in one's own hands as an official is definitely not a good thing.

Lin Zhiyan is willing to donate half of his income to charity, and Lu Zhao is willing to do the same since he has so much money, but there's no guarantee that everyone else will be willing.

Resource allocation should be resolved through systems, not through the benevolence of those in power.

It can only be said that there is still a long way to go.

At 6:20, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie arrived at the Lin family's old house carrying a small leather bag.

He looked to be about fifty years old, with jet-black, shiny hair, a square face, and a beard.

He was not a member of the Lin family's collateral branch, but a professional manager, who could also be referred to as the general manager.

"Mr. Lu, Ms. Lin, hello. My name is Cheng Lin, and I am the general manager of Green Valley."

Cheng Lin presented the business card with both hands, bowing slightly forward in a very respectful manner.

He didn't seem like the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company at all, but rather a door-to-door salesman. Green Valley is a health supplement company, and its continued operation relies entirely on the Lin family's connections within the pharmaceutical industry.

He glanced at Lu Zhao and Lin Zhiyan out of the corner of his eye; the former should be the Lin family's son-in-law who had been the subject of rumors for the past six months.

Seeing him in person now, he truly is a handsome man, and the two of them sitting together are a perfect match.

Cheng Lin stood while reporting on the company's situation, and Lu Zhao did not offer him a seat, listening with a blank expression throughout.

Before you get to know someone well, giving them a friendly attitude can easily lead to them taking advantage of you.

Lu Zhao glanced at the thick stack of documents handed over by the other party, quickly scanned them with his mental energy, and gained a general understanding of the company.

Pay close attention to the income statement, debt-to-equity ratio, and cash flow.

In his previous life, Lu Zhao worked in drug enforcement, which inevitably involved money laundering. He had some financial knowledge and could at least understand company accounts.

Overall, there weren't any major problems; there was definitely kickback involved in the procurement process.

Then Lu Zhao saw a piece of information in the data.

[Source of life supplement: Wuliangye production plant in Nanhai]

Lu Zhao asked, "The profits haven't decreased in the past year, but the cash flow has been decreasing. There are too many accounts receivable on credit. I hope things will improve by the end of the year."

"clear."

Cheng Lin's face remained expressionless, but his heart beat a little faster.

He suppressed any lingering hope or contempt in his heart.

This son-in-law isn't some idle rich kid who doesn't do anything; he probably won't be able to openly make money anymore.

After a series of questions and answers, Lu Zhao was able to ask some questions that required a certain level of financial knowledge, which made Cheng Lin even more wary of underestimating Lu Zhao.

If Lu Zhao has a certain level of financial knowledge, he can't do many things openly, or he'll go to jail if he gets caught.

Lu Zhao changed the subject and asked, "Our company's life supplements are provided by Wuliangye. Have you visited the factory?"

"..."

Lin Zhiyan pursed her lips.

Let him go, he can't possibly storm into the factory.

Our family is very wealthy and powerful. Even if Lu Zhao really breaks in, we can find connections to smooth things over.

Lin Zhiyan even wanted Lu Zhao to get into trouble.

Since my senior came to Cangwu, he's been thriving more and more, and he hardly needs me anymore. This is not a good sign.

"I've been there."

"Looking at the company's raw materials, it seems they use high-grade life supplements. Are high-grade life supplements that easy to obtain?"

Lu Zhao raised his own question.

Strictly speaking, using high-grade life supplements as one of the raw materials for health products is illegal, and such products should not be allowed to circulate in the market.

Cheng Lin answered frankly: "This is our company's core competitiveness: the ability to obtain high-grade life supplements. And that's just one of the raw materials. Take our best-selling toner, for example; ten milliliters of life supplements can make one thousand milliliters of toner."

Lu Zhao asked, "How many companies on the market can provide advanced life supplements like yours?"

Cheng Lin replied, "Based on our research on the products of various companies in the market, there are only four, all of which are located in Cangwu City."

They're all in Cangwu City. Why aren't they in other places? Is it due to strict controls, or some other reason?

Lu Zhao vaguely grasped the crux of the problem and asked again, "Are all these companies sourcing their goods from Wuliangye?"

"That's right, currently only Wuliangye can provide a stable supply of goods."

Cheng Lin answered without hesitation.

This is a normal question; it's about researching the company's core competitiveness.

But to Lu Zhao, it was a huge problem; he seemed to have only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.

If every company can offer advanced life supplements, then it's likely a regulatory issue.

However, if only the five grains can be stably supplied, then it can only be due to the power of the ancient gods.

Given the current political climate in the Federation, normal people wouldn't have much suspicion; it's just a matter of producing more life supplements.

Based on this, Lu Zhao made further connections and became certain of another thing.

There is a protective umbrella involved; this is definitely not an individual act. A very large interest group is involved.

Initially, Lu Zhao believed that the Chen family was the mastermind behind everything and the main players in the financial supplements. Later, he believed that Wuliangye was colluding with Chen Yunming to use financial supplements to exploit the unofficial superhumans in the Bang District.

Then he discovered that Chen Yunming was just an accountant and could not possibly have colluded with the life supplement production system and its regulators.

He guessed it was the Life Supplement Committee.

The Chen family, the Gongyang family, the Life Supplement Committee, the Financial Supplement Black Market, and the Wuhou of the entire Federation.

Did they all know about and utilize the power of the ancient gods? To produce advanced life-sustaining supplements?

If so, why did only that initial batch of black tonics possess the aura of the ancient gods? Why did the Divine Power Institute discover that the solution lacked labeling?

There seems to be no clear answer, just like the smog in Cangwu City. No one can say for sure which chimney it comes from, and no one questions whether its existence is reasonable.

Lu Zhao felt goosebumps rise on his skin, a faint chill spreading through his body, and he trembled slightly.

Lin Zhiyan thought he was cold, so she asked the housekeeper to bring him a coat.

(End of this chapter)