Chapter 170: Really That Easy

The shell company was set up, with agents, lawyers, and accountants all arranged. The tasks for Li Xian's Hong Kong trip were basically complete.

The lawyer introduced by the firm was named Fan Zengjin. Perhaps due to his unfortunate name choice by his parents, he was as corpulent as the large pig slaughtered during Li Xian's family's New Year celebrations. When he came to see Li Xian, his suit seemed custom-made in an extra-large size, and even though it wasn't very hot in April, he was constantly wiping sweat with his handkerchief. He had none of the suave charm typical of lawyers in TVB dramas.

The accountant was named Guan Zehua, who stood at a solid 1.8 meters tall but looked very skinny, almost like a bamboo stick. He spoke very little, had a poker face, but his eyes showed sharpness and intelligence.

The two of them, one fat and one thin, walking together resembled the fat and thin monks from "The Deer and the Cauldron."

In this era, using shell companies to invest in mainland China had become very common. With the feverish investment promotion by various local governments on the mainland, mainland businessmen creating shell companies in Hong Kong to pretend to be foreign investors and then operate in their home country had also started to rise.

Using shell companies for shady investments or even scams was also increasingly common.

With so many shady practices around, the office staff were very reticent. They followed the principle of not asking what they shouldn't ask and not seeing what they shouldn't see, adhering to a professional ethics of "you pay, I work, and I do whatever you say."

After learning that Li Xian's current business affairs were not yet settled, the two agreed on a business trip schedule and left after exchanging contact information.

After meeting the two, Li Xian had initially thought that Yan Shilin would need some time to handle passport procedures and planned to have Xu Maohui stay in Hong Kong for a while to keep an eye on the scammer. However, it turned out that Yan Shilin had previously worked as a smuggler with her grandfather and handled passports before.

This made things much simpler.

Since the reform and opening up in 1979, China's policies on foreign affairs had relaxed significantly. Although it was still a hassle for Chinese to travel abroad, it had become increasingly easier for foreigners, especially those from Hong Kong, which was set to return in 1997, to go to the mainland.

At the hotel, after giving Yan Shilin an emergency crash course on pretending to be a wealthy person's family member, Li Xian took her to the Immigration Department. This was not just a place to handle outbound procedures!

---

The Immigration Department in Kowloon had already been "occupied" by mainlanders by 1993.

Although the government building still displayed the British flag, outside, a row of pavilions was neatly hung with signs reading "Welcome overseas Chinese to invest and visit!" and "The heart of China's economy, Shenzhen looks forward to Hong Kong compatriots' cooperation!" and "Resource-rich province, Shanxi sincerely invites Hong Kong compatriots to invest!"

Don't underestimate these pavilions; the people sitting inside were likely to be high-ranking officials or, at the very least, regional leaders managing investment promotion.

It was unclear when this situation started. However, two undeniable points were that since the 1980s reform and opening up, China had gradually relaxed restrictions on foreign investment. The market's gaps and extremely cheap labor attracted a large influx of foreign capital into China.

These overseas investments, providing capital, technology, and management resources, aimed at projects that seemed capable of boosting local economies, became highly coveted by local leaders eager to quickly increase their regions' economic growth and GDP.

Li Xian had once seen an old newspaper on a wall while dining at a nostalgic barbecue place from the 1980s. The content was about a regional government's internal instructions on investment promotion.

The slogans in the report were quite interesting: "Investment promotion is not about entertaining guests, and attracting investment is not just about fancy rhetoric. We must go out and pull in. It's better to attract the wrong ones than to let any opportunity slip by. Everyone must bear the heavy burden, and everyone has a target."

According to that article, the region had made investment promotion a key focus of the county's work, with the county head in charge, the organizational department head personally serving as the director of the investment promotion office, and heads of all units being major responsible persons. It was also stipulated that they must devote "two-thirds of their work time and energy" to investment promotion.

Furthermore, a set of indicators was established, making investment results the primary standard for administrative performance assessment. For example, department-level cadres 3 million, bureau-level 2 million, deputy bureau-level 1 million, section-level cadres 800,000, and clerks 590,000...

Interestingly, the date on the newspaper was 1993.

It was evident that, after a decade of reform and opening up, this enthusiasm for foreign investment had even become pathological in some places.

And now, through these small pavilions, the enthusiasm for investment promotion was presented to Li Xian from another angle.

"Boss... I'm a bit nervous."

In the rented Mercedes, Yan Shilin, who was aware that the people in those pavilions were local officials from the mainland, felt her legs go weak in the back seat and nervously tugged at Li Xian's sleeve.

Seeing her trembling and having instantly forgotten his previous teachings, Li Xian sighed inwardly. He reached out and gave her a light slap.

"Who are you?"

"Yan... Yan Shilin."

Slap!

"Wrong. Who are you?"

"I..."

Slap!

"No courage. Speak briefly, but don't show weakness. Think carefully before you speak. Who are you?"

"... Yan, Shilin!"

"Say it again. Who are you?"

"Yan Shilin! General Manager of Hengyuan Company. My husband is an invisible tycoon with a fortune of over ten billion dollars. I am here to apply for a passport to trace my roots in Bincheng!"

"GOOD."

Satisfied, Li Xian nodded and put on his sunglasses and white gloves. He gave a nod to Xu Maohui, who was also dressed similarly and grinning in the passenger seat.

---

The weather was stifling. In front of the Immigration Department, the officials responsible for investment promotion from various places were chatting among themselves.

The popular method for investment promotion these days was for local governments to organize investment promotion conferences directly in Hong Kong, where they could engage directly with business associations.

It was like casting a large net; inevitably, there would be catches.

The pavilions in front of the Immigration Department were more like fishing rods. With patience and a keen eye for opportunities, they were fishing for potential prospects.

As leaders who had abandoned their influential positions and were now engaged in investment promotion abroad for the sake of local economic development were exchanging recent results, a Tiger Head Benz slowly stopped at the ramp in front of the pavilion.

The car came to a stop, and the driver, wearing white gloves, immediately opened the car door, running to the back and bowing to open the rear door. At the same time, two other car doors were suddenly pushed open, and two bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses emerged, quickly scanning the surroundings.

This display instantly attracted a lot of attention!

Not only did it catch the eyes of the officials in the pavilions, but even the passing citizens couldn't help but stop and watch the grand scene.

Amidst everyone's gaze, a delicate pink leg extended from the car door.

Then, a slightly languid young woman, supported by the bodyguards, stepped onto the street.

Facing the crowd of people from the pavilions who had come forward, the young woman took out her sunglasses and walked directly into the Immigration Department.

Half an hour later.

Holding the paperwork, the young woman paused briefly in front of the pavilion marked "Charming Bincheng, Port Gold Land."

"Ah Biao, do you think we'll find my grandfather's relatives in Bincheng?"

Beside her, the bodyguard named Ah Biao bowed, "Madam, we will definitely find them."

Inside the pavilion, the deputy director of the Bincheng investment promotion office, Mao Jinsheng, heard the conversation between the lady and her bodyguard and his eyes widened!

He quickly emerged from the pavilion, adjusted his disheveled tie, and hurriedly asked, "Madam! Hello! Are you here to trace your roots in Bincheng?"

The lady frowned slightly at his abrupt question, showing some irritation.

Realizing his intrusion, Mao Jinsheng quickly took out a business card and presented it with both hands, "Madam, I am a native of Bincheng. If you are visiting Bincheng, please give us the opportunity to host you!"

Looking at the business card in her hand and the bowing Mao Jinsheng, the lady couldn't help but glance at Ah Biao beside her and smirked.

Really, so easy. Just as... he said, so easy!

The lady thought to herself.