Siheyuan: A warm home with wife and children

But who are those people? To say they're just wearing the guise of 'businessmen' is a shameless and forced interpretation.

The Lou family was different; they were true merchants who started their business.

'Hey, that's why they say people have different fates!'

Back then, there were countless families with wealth far exceeding that of the Lou family, but looking back now, only the Lou family remains standing.

The car drove up the mountainside, passing by one magnificent private estate after another, and finally stopped in front of an iron gate at the end of the road.

The black grille door, large enough for four cars to drive side by side, is equipped with fully automatic anti-collision barriers. Four solemn-faced, smartly dressed men in black suits remain on high alert at all times.

The sides of his waist were bulging, and you could tell at a glance that they were stuffed with real stuff.

'So cautious?'

Li Aimin was somewhat surprised, but then he thought about the security situation on Hong Kong Island.

I felt inexplicably nervous again.

He didn't bring any bodyguards this time; more importantly, his wife and children were with him.

What a blunder! What a blunder!

After navigating the massive roundabout, the central sculpture of the one-armed angel appears to be quite valuable, and a quick glance from the koi carp in the fountain suggests a seven-figure sum.

'Fine, I'm nowhere near as good as Old Qian.'

Upon entering the reception hall, Li Aimin was already numb.

say what.

She thought she had already indulged in enough luxury in Hainan Island, but now she was seeing the real old-fashioned Chinese style.

'Go back and smash it all up, then reinstall everything.'

A butler wearing white gloves and a standard three-piece suit greeted them: "Mr. Li, Mrs. Li, Mr. Li."

He bowed and greeted her, saying, "Madam has been waiting for you in the garden for some time. Please come with me."

"OK, thanks."

Li Aimin managed to remain calm, but Li Lan and Li Yaohui were completely dumbfounded.

My legs felt weak with nervousness, and my feet moved forward mechanically. My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts.

They are worldly people; even a high-ranking minister like Yang Jianguo can be called brother-in-law (uncle).

But when you actually see a magnificent building constructed with money and resources, you still feel guilty and ashamed of your own inferiority.

Although no one showed any disdain or arrogance throughout the entire process, they all treated the family of three with great respect.

But a guilty conscience is a guilty conscience.

How did Granny Liu manage to survive in the Grand View Garden back then?

As you walk through the antique-style corridor, the breeze carries the fragrance of flowers. On the lawn that stretches as far as the eye can see, Lou Xiao'e is sitting under a parasol, enjoying afternoon tea.

After many years, her elegant and noble temperament is even more pronounced than before.

"Two..." Li Aimin almost blurted out, "Chairman Lou."

"They've arrived." Lou Xiao'e smiled and stood up, gesturing for them to sit down. Servants then served tea and snacks.

"Try my tea. You've had too much tribute tea. I don't know if you're used to drinking this foreign stuff."

"I'm used to it. How could I not be used to it? I can get used to anywhere. I'm used to running around."

Li Aimin wasn't exaggerating when he said that; he can adapt to any environment very quickly, no matter where he goes.

Moreover, they have never experienced any problems with acclimatization or dietary incompatibility.

His exceptional adaptability is also one of his strengths.

"This must be Yaohui!"

Lou Xiao'e had met Li Aimin and Li Lan many times, but Li Yaohui had only met them by chance when he was a child, so he must have forgotten them long ago.

"Yaohui, hurry up and call for help."

"Chairman Lou!"

Li Yaohui stood up awkwardly, bowed, and greeted the other person, but in his heart he was thinking, 'Did my uncle and this woman really have a past?'

"well."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and nodded, then took a red envelope from the housekeeper: "Here, this is a gift for the child. Please don't refuse."

Li Lan looked at her husband, bewildered, while Li Aimin happily told Yaohui to put it away.

Of course, a word of thanks was also in order.

After the pleasantries were over, Lou Xiao'e instructed the servants to show Li Lan and Li Yaohui around, and then the two began to discuss business.

Besides seeking advice from her, Li Aimin also came to Hong Kong with plans to start a new business there.

However, whether it will work out or not depends on the advice of this local strongman.

Chapter 864 Paying the Price for Emotions: The Conflict at Dafeng Factory

There are currently two main types of family offices.

A single office serves only a single family, with family members directly involved in management, ensuring a high level of professionalism and privacy.

A joint office, a third-party institution that provides services to multiple families, offers more flexible asset management, broader channels and coverage, a higher probability of facilitating cooperation, and more flexible fund flow.

Five years ago, the Lou family obtained license number 2 on Hong Kong Island and established their own family office.

Harbor Capital.

Through Harbor Capital, Lou's Group invested in more than 260 projects in five years, generating substantial profits.

"The family-run system and management are one aspect, but cooperating with institutions is also crucial."

Lou's Harbor Capital receives third-party technical information support from JPMorgan Chase, paying them as much as $2000 million annually in information consulting fees alone.

This is not a small amount, but it is still a good deal compared to the services offered by JPMorgan Chase.

As a financial giant that has influenced the global economy for a century, JPMorgan Chase was once regarded as the savior of the United States. Its database and vast network of contacts are unimaginably powerful to outsiders.

Thanks to the influence of the other party, Harbour Capital's investments, both domestically and internationally, have been able to proceed smoothly.

"It's kind of like protection money."

Li Aimin's understanding was very thorough, but also somewhat narrow-minded.

"Consider it protection money; it'll save you a lot of trouble."

Lou Xiao'e didn't correct his rather thuggish description; Morgan's methods were far more sophisticated than collecting protection money.

He won't come to your door to threaten you or demand anything from you.

I simply lay your difficulties out in front of me, and with a frank smile, tell you: I can solve it.

He will make you beg him to accept the money and treat you with respect and gratitude.

And most importantly, fear.

When you understand fear, it means you are one of Morgan's qualified clients.

However, these are still too far away for Li Aimin.

The Lou family can help with the establishment of a family office, and they also have their own team and network for matters related to funds.

It's not too late for him to face these issues once he has the ability to support his own team.

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

Before Li Lan and the child returned, Li Aimin still called her "sister-in-law".

Lou Xiao'e was pleased to hear this.

Although saying "sister-in-law" brings her no benefit.

However, it can keep her in a good mood for a long time.

Wealthy people share a common preference: they are willing to pay the price for their emotions.

Therefore, Lou Xiao'e took care of all the expenses for Li Aimin's family in Hong Kong Island, as well as the preparation and setup of the business.

*

Handong Railway Station.

Zhiyi, who had just gotten off the bus, clung tightly to Mengjie, her eyes fixed on the strangers around them, not daring to relax for a moment.

She knew that train stations were chaotic; none of the train stations in the capital were much better.

Moreover, the Northwest region, with its economy so poor it's almost unbearable to look at.

But she never expected that two families' children would disappear as soon as she got off the train, and that someone would be robbed on the train and only dare to call the police after getting off.

However, the person had long since disappeared, and the railway police's behavior calmed Zhiyi down.

Once we got off the train, the situation immediately improved.

People became polite and well-mannered, queuing up neatly at the gate, and everyone appeared orderly, without any trace of the previous thrilling tension and fear.

This small station, only five or six hundred meters away, feels like two different worlds.

"Zhiyi, Mengjie."

At the exit, Qi Tongwei, who had just arrived a few minutes earlier, waved vigorously and then jogged towards the two of them.

"father!"

Xiao Mengjie went from being unhappy to being happy, and ran towards her father with open arms.

Then, perfectly avoiding her father, she stared in astonishment as her parents hugged each other and happily spun around.

Pouting~

Little Mengjie almost cried, feeling wronged. "I'm your little baby, okay?"

"Look at you, you've almost made your daughter cry."

After the initial excitement, Zhiyi immediately noticed her daughter's behavior, playfully patted him, and gestured for him to hurry up and comfort his daughter!

Qi Tongwei laughed heartily and turned to hug his daughter, but Meng Jie angrily dodged away.

Seeing his precious daughter with her hands on her hips and her back to him, Qi Tongwei stepped forward and picked her up. "Are you still angry with your dad? Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious now, and then we'll go to the amusement park. Dad will play with you all day today."

"Ah, Daddy is the best."

The little girl instantly lost her mood, happily hugged her father's neck, and gently rubbed her face against his caramel-colored face.

"Haha, that's right."

Qi Tongwei laughed proudly, and the driver who came with him also smiled happily, inviting the leader and his family to get into the car.

First, I took the two of them to eat some local specialties from Handong.

Then, he arranged for the two of them to go upstairs to sleep for a while, and Qi Tongwei promised his daughter that he would pick her up in two hours to go to the amusement park.

But he ultimately failed to fulfill that promise.

Two hours later, the unfamiliar uncle and aunt accompanied the mother and daughter to the amusement park.

Xiao Mengjie had a lot of fun, but there was always a sense of regret and she kept looking towards the entrance of the amusement park.

'If Dad were here, that would be wonderful.'

At this moment, Qi Tongwei was pacing back and forth in the command room.

We have just received a report that workers at Dafeng Factory in Guangming District are causing trouble and have had a serious conflict with the management.

The investors were so enraged that their heads were practically ripped out. The crowd was in a frenzy, with neither side willing to back down, and they were on the verge of a real fight.

Qi Tongwei was also very annoyed when he heard about this.

He had been looking forward to his wife and children's arrival for a long time and was thinking of spending a good afternoon with them.

This is his only wish, why can't it be fulfilled? Why do they have to cause trouble for him at this time?

"Have you found the factory manager of Dafeng Factory?"

"Found it, it's been taken to the scene."