Chapter 212: Chapter 191: A... Tight-Lipped Person
Aunt Nine went to the kitchen to get busy. She was a housewife, a traditional, capable-looking one, with slightly tanned skin that bore the marks of a poorer time.
The three of them sat there, drinking tea.
"So, you bought a golf course?"
Yang Guangyao watched Lin Chu with a scrutinizing gaze. It probably wasn’t intentional—he looked at everyone that way. The only difference was the intensity of his scrutiny.
Lin Chu smiled and nodded.
"Mhm. A normal business investment. I just happened to see the opportunity. What do you think, Uncle Nine?"
’He’s in economic crime investigation, so he’s no stranger to business matters. We should have something to talk about.’
’Of course, what Lin Chu really wanted to find out was just how tight-lipped he was.’
"Ha, what do I have to say about it? You have the money and you want to buy it, so go ahead. It’s a good business, you definitely won’t lose money on it. It’s just a lot of work."
He said this in a very easygoing tone.
After a pause, he added, "As far as Peng City goes, that golf course is one of the cleanest. That Zhou Ming fellow has strong character and principles; for decades, he’s been second to none among the city’s real estate developers. Now that you’ve taken over, keep it that way. Don’t you ruin it."
’That tone...’
Tsk.
’Quite the attitude.’
’Maybe it was just him putting on an elder’s airs, or maybe it was the posture of an incorruptible official. Of course, it could also just be how he normally bulls**ts.’
"I’m well aware of that."
Lin Chu smiled and nodded.
Uncle Nine thought for a moment, then said, "But your industry... the taxes you all pay each year are just too low. Raking in cash hand over fist, but at the end of the fiscal year, you look at the books and it’s nothing but losses? It may not be illegal, but it’s improper. Highly improper."
’Huh?’
’Hearing this, Lin Chu sensed a hidden meaning.’
’This could be interpreted in two ways.’
’First: He’s warning me to pay my taxes and not get any f**king ideas about tax evasion.’
’Second: He’s teaching me how to pay less in taxes—all I have to do is make the books show a loss.’
’Either interpretation seemed plausible.’
’But he definitely wasn’t going to spell it out.’
Suddenly, Lin Chu found this whole thing rather fun.
"I know. In that regard, I’ve always been a law-abiding citizen. There won’t be any problems on my end. Paying taxes according to the law benefits the country and its people, after all."
Lin Chu said this deliberately.
Hearing this, Yang Guangyao stared at him for several seconds. "That’s good, then."
’Lin Chu couldn’t read any admiration or disappointment in his eyes, which only made him find it more and more interesting. It was like taking a reading comprehension test.’
This stirred Lin Chu’s desire for conquest.
’If I can win him over, that’ll be pretty damn satisfying.’
"I’m planning to set up a charitable foundation soon, in the golf course’s name. I’ve always been doing charity work, but I lacked a proper vehicle for it, and the platform was hard to arrange. Now, the platform is excellent."
Lin Chu tossed out another topic.
This had been decided long ago, but the procedures were incredibly complex. The feedback from Gu Jiayan was that the review would take at least three months as part of the mandatory process, which was why it hadn’t been established yet. But that was for the best—the timing was perfect to have it named after the golf course.
Yang Guangyao thought for a moment and let out a soft sigh.
"A good thing."
"I approve. It’ll be great for the course’s image, and with that whole crowd of rich people you have, fundraising for charity will be easy."
"Here’s a suggestion: it would be even better if you could create some charity-based positions."
He mentioned it casually.
’At this point, Lin Chu was fairly certain: Uncle Nine was the real deal. He clearly knew all the ins and outs of how things worked.’
’Creating those kinds of positions came with benefits regarding tax rates and policy incentives.’
’Not bad at all, Uncle Nine.’
’After all, he was a rule enforcer, and the people who enforce the rules are the ones who know best where the loopholes and advantages are hidden.’
’And everything he said was within the bounds of principle—all good things.’
’To be honest, there was already more than enough you could accomplish while staying within the lines.’
’Why would anyone even need to cross them?’
"That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll have my team look into implementing it. Things like holding regular themed charity auctions and adding appropriate job positions... none of it is too difficult. It mainly comes down to whether you have the heart for it."
Lin Chu said with a smile, thinking all this.
The corners of Yang Guangyao’s mouth twitched, which was his version of a smile.
As Yang Huixian listened to their conversation, she also vaguely felt that Uncle Nine seemed different from before. That air of authority he carried as an elder wasn’t as strong; he wasn’t just lecturing him from the get-go.
’Then again, considering Lin Chu’s current status, it wasn’t all that surprising that her uncle was treating him more like an equal.’
"There’s one more thing..."
Lin Chu spoke up again.
Yang Guangyao poured some tea and passed him a cigarette. "Go on."
"That person from the club last time, what industry is he in?"
Lin Chu began to nonchalantly test his boundaries. His words, however, were deliberately vague and cautious; he didn’t even mention a name.
’But I remember it clearly.’
’Qian Zhi.’
Yang Guangyao’s gaze sharpened in an instant. He shot a fleeting glance at Lin Chu. "Look it up yourself! Do you really need to ask me? What do you use that brain of yours for?! Don’t go asking around about confidential information, and certainly don’t go repeating it. It’ll do you no good!"
His tone had suddenly become exceptionally stern.
But the smile on Lin Chu’s lips only widened.
"Thank you, Uncle Nine."
Lin Chu offered a strange thank you.
Yang Guangyao stared at him for at least half a minute. The atmosphere grew more and more oppressive, to the point that even Yang Huixian felt something was off.
’What... what’s happening?’
’Are they about to fight?’
But then, Yang Guangyao suddenly stood up and, without another word, headed for the kitchen. "You two stay put. I’m going to cook a dish. We’ll have a couple of drinks later."
Yang Huixian: ?
She stared at Lin Chu, her expression a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.
