CHAPTER 352: CHAPTER 181: ANOTHER ONE DOWN

Big Sister Jin’s surname was Jin, and her given name was Meilun.

She herself was actually only average, but thanks to her three older sisters and one older brother, each of them doing quite well, she was able to make friends with Pan Shengwu.

When chatting privately, Old Pan had let Han Lie in on the details.

The Jin Family was actually a branch of the Mongolian Zhenglan Banner. They had followed Nurhaci in his campaigns from south to north and later settled in Fushun. Their eighth ancestor changed the family name to Jin.

Jin Meilun’s grandfather had been a prominent figure in Fengtian. After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese "invited" Old Jin to become the Minister of Education, making him one of the first-generation Japanese collaborators.

However, Old Jin was cautious and didn’t engage in major wrongdoings, so he managed to get by smoothly.

After that major incident in 1931, Old Jin grew fearful and sent his second and third sons to Magic Capital.

Since then, the Jin Family took root in Magic Capital.

After the founding of the People’s Republic, the Jin family’s second son, aware of the "original sin" associated with his father, emulated Old Rong and donated most of the family’s wealth.

Without going into specifics, they eventually got that property back.

After the Reform and Opening Up, the Jin Family gradually prospered.

However, when the internet boom arrived, their business began to stagnate. To this day, they could only be considered an above-average, but not top-tier, local power in Magic Capital.

Limited by the capabilities of the third generation, the Jin Family hadn’t accomplished any great endeavors, but the relationships and connections they had cultivated locally over eighty years were remarkably solid.

To give a less than flattering example—

How many in Magic Capital’s business and cultural circles harbored pro-Japanese sympathies?

The Jin Family had connections with almost all of them.

Whether those connections were useful or not was one matter; being part of the circle was another entirely.

The other three fat sheep shared similar backgrounds and networks.

The reason Old Pan was discussing this with Han Lie was actually to tell him—Be a good boy and become my son-in-law, and I’ll bring you into the local circles!

How did Magic Capital’s first batch of tycoons actually emerge?

Mostly, their ancestors had once been wealthy, possessing houses and properties. They hadn’t done anything terribly wrong, had survived the upheavals, and reclaimed part of their ancestral wealth as startup capital before and after the Reform and Opening Up. Then, relying on local connections, they gradually built their empires.

Later, when Huangpu Beach saw a surge of new heroes, it actually had little to do with these old families.

Old-school local tycoons were not cut from the same cloth as the mid-generation grassroots entrepreneurs who rose from obscurity, and they were even further removed from the new rich of the internet and tech sectors.

The old, middle-aged, and young generations were distinctly separate.

Using the simplest distinction: of the roughly 200 old Western-style houses with clear property rights still existing in Magic Capital, any that are privately owned and have never been sold can trace their roots back to before the liberation, or even earlier.

Magic Capital and Imperial Capital operated on completely different tracks, though they shared some similarities, such as having once-wealthy ancestors.

Shenzhen, however, was a world apart, bearing no resemblance at all.

So, owning a building to collect rent in Shenzhen likely just meant you were an outright nouveau riche.

But if you owned a building for rent in Magic Capital, you truly couldn’t fathom how far her connections might extend, or how many friends and relatives she had in various levels of government.

The four fat sheep Old Pan had carefully selected for Han Lie were precisely those kinds of local natives who weren’t particularly capable themselves, but everything else about them was excellent.

I have to admit, he was truly thorough.

Portfolio managers who handle client investments most dreaded encountering clueless clients.

Although all money is money, some funds, once accepted, could bring endless trouble later on.

The worst part was...

You often had no idea how troublesome it might be before you took the money.

Clients who merely grumbled were already considered good ones. Some malicious types would shower you with sweet talk when they needed you, only to abruptly change their tune when it was time to pay the profit share:

"You did such a crappy job, where do you get the nerve? Unless you can boost the returns to 50%... What, you’re not going to manage it anymore? Believe it or not, I’ll report you!"

Even more disgusting was: "I’ve prepared your share. Here, a hotel room card. Come find me yourself tonight."

Han Lie had never encountered such a thing. It wasn’t because he couldn’t make big money; it was mainly an issue with his looks...

His colleague, however, had.

A very handsome man, for a share of over 700,000, accompanied a lady in her forties, weighing over 200 pounds, reportedly with tears and resentment. He then took a week of sick leave. When he came back, he gathered a few colleagues he was on good terms with and went to a top-class debauchery venue. After a few drinks, he sang "Men Can Cry, It’s No Sin" as if his heart was being torn apart...

Of course, the "accompanied with tears and resentment" part was everyone’s private speculation. As for the truth, don’t ask.

Anyway, Han Lie had seen that "old baby." Her smile was something else—it could ward off both evil spirits and pregnancy.

So, now you understand why the three great hobbies of financial elites are reading, working out, and indulging in debauchery?

They’re all driven to it...

Never, ever assume that all rich people are highly cultivated. That’s truly not the case. Some can be unimaginably crass; you just don’t encounter them, or their bad temper isn’t directed at you.

As for Han Lie’s current clients, in his previous life, he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of them.

Lots of money, few problems. Not only did they not cause him trouble, but they actively went out of their way to help him resolve it.

If he didn’t properly thank Panzi for this, he’d deserve to be struck by lightning.

Therefore, before heading to Jin Meilun’s company, Han Lie sent a message to Pan Ge—

"My dear, another day of missing you!"

Pan Ge replied with just two words: "HEH-HEH!"

Then, she immediately called Xi Luting and asked point-blank, "What mischief has that bastard gotten into now?"

Xi Luting thought for a moment, then replied, "Han Lie was quite well-behaved today. He spent the morning with Chen Yanfei and Ding Xiang, and then took his little assistant out shopping. He didn’t get overly familiar with Chen Yanfei and Ding Xiang for too long, but I can’t guarantee exactly when they arrived..."

Pan Ge: "!!!"