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Behind bars
The early morning sunlight shone in through the small window of the cramped cell, and Yang Zhuoshu opened his tired eyes. Outside the barred fence is a bustling crowd of people looking at the former business magnate with curiosity or expressing disdain and disdain for his fall.
Yang Zhuoshu clenched his fists tightly, his eyes resolute but hidden guilt. He knew that his greed and obsession had finally made a terrible mistake, and that the situation from which he could not recover was nothing more than his own inflicted end.
In the cramped and simple cell, Yang Zhuoshu recalled the past that was once glorious and rich, as if it was just yesterday. The mansion employs 27 personal nannies from all over the world, 18 of whom serve the mother full-time, and the remaining 9 are the father's personal valets.
Yang Zhuoshu once conceited to his friends: "I am the pride of heaven, the richest man favored by heaven, and even the bodyguard masters are ashamed of themselves." In retrospect, it was nothing more than fatal arrogance, and feelings of guilt and shame arose.
Living conditions in prison are extremely difficult. In the dead of night, Yang Zhuoshu would lie on the narrow iron bed tossing and turning, recalling the whole process of falling from the peak of glory.
The resentful expressions of those friends who were once sincere and friendly now appeared in front of him, and the questions of relatives and friends who had lost their hard-earned money echoed in their ears. He painfully realized how foolish and stupid he had to be to do such a detrimental thing.
A glorious past
Back in the late 80s of the 20th century, Yang Zhuoshu was a humble and promising intellectual, working as an editor at a local tabloid.
At first, although he was not well paid for this job, he was also poor and lived a worry-free life. It's just that with the passage of time, Yang Zhuoshu's desire for money gradually swells.
Although the profession of editor is very decent in the eyes of outsiders, the remuneration is limited, and it is difficult to satisfy his pursuit of wealth.
Yang Zhuoshu began to secretly wonder if he should find another way. He longed for a more free life, longing to be in control of his own destiny and wealth. Just when I was thinking about it, the opportunity finally came.
In the early 90s, China's real estate industry began to flourish and flourish like the rising sun.
Yang Zhuoshu aimed at this business opportunity, secretly strategized, and finally made up his mind: give up the stable job of editor and devote himself to the emerging track of real estate.
He is convinced that with his years of writing experience and good marketing skills, he will be able to achieve earth-shaking success in this hot land.
In the beginning, Yang Zhuoshu only relied on some of his own savings and borrowed 100,000 yuan from relatives and friends. It was undoubtedly a big gamble that tested his luck and courage.
But he was not timid, but rushed forward, spent a huge amount of money to buy the land of William's mansion in Hebei Province, and then used his excellent marketing ability to fight an advertising war.
Sure enough, this bold forward-thinking layout worked. William's mansion was sold out as soon as it opened, bringing Yang Zhuoshu a considerable return of up to 46 million yuan! This is simply the beginning of a sudden wealth.
With this key start-up capital, coupled with outstanding marketing wisdom, Yang Zhuoshu's career took off and caught up with the sky. He founded Hebei Zhuoda Real Estate Group, which soon became one of the largest real estate developers in Hebei Province.
By 2001, Yang Zhuoshu's net worth had climbed to the peak, ranking first on the Forbes list of the world's richest people, and becoming the richest man in Hebei! Watching the company flourish, Yang Zhuoshu was extremely excited and proud in his heart, and his life dream finally came true.
The germ of a Ponzi scheme
As far as the eye can see, everyone in Hebei Province knows the name of Yang Zhuoshu. The once-obscure editor is now a business icon sought after by thousands of investors.
Just as Yang Zhuoshu's career entered the bright fast lane, he also started a luxurious and erosive lifestyle, living an upper-class life that was envied by countless people.
A full 10 experienced and skilled bodyguards follow and care for them 24 hours a day, and someone has to stand outside the door to control the wind even when going to the toilet. Once Yang Zhuoshu goes out, the convoy always has to open the road and be ready to ensure the safety of the "richest man".
Yang Zhuoshu once proudly said to his friends: "I am the richest man in Hebei, and I am naturally worthy of such a grand specification." If it were you, you might do the same. After hearing this, the friends nodded yes, and it was difficult to hide the jealousy in their eyes.
In the mansion, Yang Zhuoshu's parents are even more pampered to the extreme. A total of 27 caring nannies were hired to live in the house, 18 of whom were responsible for serving the loving mother around the clock, and the remaining 9 were dedicated to the loving father.
For Yang Zhuoshu, giving his parents the most noble life is his duty as a son.
However, there is often a hidden root cause behind the huge wealth. As the scale and appeal of the Zhuoda Group continue to expand, the demand for funds to invest in the construction of the city is also increasing day by day.
However, banks and other financial institutions are extremely strict in their review, favoring large state-owned central enterprises, and few are willing to loosen the rope to small and medium-sized private enterprises. In the face of many financial barriers, Yang Zhuoshu felt that there was nothing he could do.
At this urgent moment, a mysterious figure who called himself a "venture capital tycoon" took the initiative to find the door. "As long as the two of us help each other and work together on an innovative financing model, we can make it all work."
When Yang Zhuoshu heard this, the shrewd and capable businessman's brain instantly switched to greedy mode, and his mind was completely gone, leaving only a huge desire for money. So, he nodded as a matter of course.
In this way, a Ponzi scheme, which was initially regarded as an "innovation revolution", was quickly rolled out under the careful planning of Yang Zhuoshu and the cunning "investor"... The so-called high-return projects they promise are actually transferring the principal of new investors to the profits of old investors, and they are defrauding people of money for their own huge profits.
At first, when the yield of the old investors suddenly skyrocketed to 35%, people were eager to think about it, and they reassured themselves that it must be a great project.
But with the passage of time, the steady flow of fresh money and the sharp decline in the returns of old investors made people suddenly wake up to the quagmire of scams.
Yang Zhuoshu appeared to say
In the midst of countless calls for the truth and begging for hard-earned money, Yang Zhuoshu, the former richest man in Hebei, had to unveil the veil of this scam and accept doubts in public. He first offered a sincere apology in a low profile, and then made some feeble justifications.
"Dear friends, I would like to express my great apologies to all of you! Although there are great hidden dangers in our previous operating model, we have even violated relevant laws and regulations.
Yang Zhuoshu's tone was sincere and helpless, hoping to calm the anger of the public. But where can the investors on the scene listen calmly to these rhetoric.
The scene was booed and abused, and Yang Zhuoshu looked helpless and panicked. At this juncture, a team of fierce and brave armed police rushed to stop the situation that was about to get out of control.
They escorted Yang Zhuoshu straight to the police car, and then left the crowded venue.
Yang Zhuoshu's Ponzi scheme was completely exposed, and he was also prosecuted on suspicion of fraud.
What is even more tragic are the innocent victims of ordinary investors, some of whom have lost all their money, and some of whom are even more in debt.
In the course of the investigation of the case, Yang Zhuoshu sincerely confessed what he had done, showing the courage and responsibility he should have as a citizen. Despite this, he still needs to bear due legal responsibility for this major fraud case.