Chapter 360: Safety Measures and Sponsoring Students
Lin Haoyu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I have another idea—to impose severe penalties on people who deceive the charity foundation."
"What kind of penalties? We don't have any enforcement power," Yang Wendong asked.
Lin Haoyu explained, "I read about some overseas charity organizations. There's one in the UK that, before granting significant aid, requires all recipients to sign a contract disclosing their major assets—houses, vehicles, income, debt, and so on.
If they conceal any of this and are later found out, they must repay triple the amount they received. For example, if they were given HKD 10,000, they'd be required to repay HKD 30,000."
"Hmm... the idea makes sense," Zhao Liming said, intrigued. "But enforcing it could be difficult. Investigating these things is hard enough, and private investigations might not even be admissible in court.
And going through the full legal process—investigation, evidence collection, hiring lawyers, filing suits—could cost more than what we'd recover."
Lin Haoyu nodded. "True, it's tough. But the goal isn't to investigate everyone. Just let the contract exist as a warning. Then, if we ever catch one bad case, we go all in. Even if it costs more, we make an example out of that person."
"Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys?" Yang Wendong understood immediately.
"Exactly," Lin Haoyu said. "The real purpose of the contract is to serve as a deterrent. If all applicants know in advance that lying could result in severe consequences, many won't dare to try.
And if we win just one case, we can publicize it. Future applicants will be shown the story, and that alone might filter out a lot of opportunists."
"Alright, let's do it," Yang Wendong agreed. "Also, add a clause stating that all legal and litigation costs will be borne by the violator. I want to see who's really willing to take that risk."
There had to be consequences. Otherwise, people would always think, Why not take advantage? If I get caught, I'll just return the money. No big deal.
That mindset would ruin public trust and waste charity resources.
Just like public housing—how many people driving BMWs and Mercedes still managed to qualify? They'd rent the homes out to those who truly needed them. And when caught, they might not even return the property.
Of course, behind cases like that, there's often a huge web of corruption. Government departments and even big corporations can fall prey. It's just human nature. These loopholes have to be patched gradually. No policy starts perfect.
"Alright, I'll consult with the legal department on this," Lin Haoyu agreed.
October 6 — Changxing Tower, First Floor
The lobby was lavishly decorated, rivaling that of the Peninsula Hotel. The massive space had lounge areas on both sides and a reception desk straight ahead, manned by five young women. A dozen security guards were stationed throughout.
Just then, the revolving door turned, and a woman in a white outfit stepped in. The guards at the entrance immediately straightened up.
The woman paid them no attention. She walked to the reception and handed over a gold-edged business card. "I'd like to see your chairman, Yang Wendong."
"Ah? Madam Yang, you—?" The receptionist was dumbfounded. Surely Yang Wendong's wife didn't need their permission to see her husband?
The woman, of course, was Bai Yujie. "I'm not Madam Yang."
"Not...? You mean you're not anymore?" the receptionist asked, confused. Did they divorce?
That couldn't be. Countless women dreamed of being in Madam Yang's shoes. Divorce? No way.
Bai Yujie's cheeks reddened. "No, I mean I'm her sister. Madam Yang is my older sister."
"Oh! Please let me take a look at your card," the receptionist said, finally catching on. But she still sneaked glances—Bai Yujie looked so much like her sister.
Another receptionist checked the gold trim on the card. It was crafted using a proprietary method. Only a few people within Changxing Group knew how to verify it.
Yang Wendong's personal business cards were rarely handed out. Possession of one meant special access.
The card was quickly verified. The receptionist returned it with both hands and said, "Miss Bai, welcome. Someone will escort you to the 26th floor, where someone will receive you."
"Thank you." Bai Yujie put the card away. One of the receptionists stepped out from behind the desk. "Miss, please follow me. You'll be taking the private elevator to the top floor."
"Private elevator?" It was Bai Yujie's first time here. She hadn't known about that.
Soon, they arrived at an elevator guarded by two security officers. The receptionist spoke briefly with one of them. Half a minute later, a guard unlocked the elevator, and the three of them stepped in.
When they reached the 26th floor, a woman and two more security guards were already waiting.
The woman stepped forward. "Miss Bai, welcome. I'm Yang Sheng's secretary. Please follow me."
"Okay," Bai Yujie replied.
Just as she stepped out, one of the guards said, "Miss Bai, please allow a quick security check. Kindly remove any metal objects."
"Metal?" Bai Yujie thought for a moment and handed over a flashlight and keys from her bag.
The guard scanned her with a handheld detector, then nodded.
The secretary gestured ahead. "This way, please. Yang Sheng is waiting for you."
"Mm~" Bai Yujie nodded.
They soon entered Yang Wendong's office—an expansive space of over 1,000 square feet. To the right was a working area with a desk and bookshelves; to the left, a lounge area with sofas, potted plants, and several famous paintings on the walls.
Directly ahead was a giant floor-to-ceiling window offering a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula beyond. One could even see seagulls gliding across the bay.
"Yujie?" Yang Wendong called out with a smile, noticing her mesmerized by the view.
Snapping out of her daze, Bai Yujie chuckled awkwardly. "This view really is incredible."
Yang Wendong stood up and said, "Yeah, any building in Central facing Victoria Harbour has great views—otherwise it wouldn't be worth its weight in gold."
Right now, office buildings in Central were already going for over HKD 1,500 per square foot—a sky-high figure for the 1960s.
For an average person, even saving every cent for three years wouldn't be enough to afford one square meter. That said, comparing with future income levels in Hong Kong, it wasn't entirely unreasonable. In every era, buying property was always difficult.
Bai Yujie also sat down and commented, "The security coming in was so tight."
"Security is the most important thing. A little strictness is just a precaution," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "Honestly, my protocols are already looser than what many government officials use."
With the Yang family's current level of wealth, even if he coasted from here on out, he'd eventually become a world-class billionaire. The only difference was whether he pushed harder and rose faster, or took it slow and rose less.
But that wasn't the key point. The two most important things were: physical safety and health. The latter relied on medical checkups, but the former was controllable—and that's why he was strict.
Bai Yujie asked curiously, "But you don't run everyone through all those checks, do you?"
"You think just anyone can see me?" Yang Wendong laughed. "The business card I gave you—most of those are only given to top executives, bankers, or government officials.
If any of those people want to meet me, the process is much simpler. Same for family, close friends, or people in the company.
It's only for people like you—visiting occasionally and unannounced—that the checks are stricter. You count as half a family member. Otherwise, they'd have screened you even more thoroughly."
Strict security was only for unfamiliar visitors. For well-known public figures, there were unspoken rules to protect everyone's safety. Even competitors rarely used physical harm as a bargaining chip.
Those who did would be blacklisted by the entire upper class.
In high society, even in ruthless corporate battles, it was rare to see opponents pushed into complete ruin. Usually, even the loser walked away with some financial gain—just enough to avoid desperation and chaos.
That was one of the unspoken rules of the elite.
But unknowns—"small characters"—were much harder to predict and control. That's why they were the bigger security concern.
"Oh, I get it now," Bai Yujie said, understanding.
Yang Wendong smiled. "Tell you what—later, I'll have my assistant add your name to the security whitelist. Next time you visit, you won't need to go through all that. The security staff are just following protocol."
"Sounds good," Bai Yujie nodded. She pulled out a sheet of paper and said, "Here's the list of underprivileged students I compiled from the school. Take a look."
"Alright, let me see," Yang Wendong said, taking the paper.
It wasn't just a list—there were brief descriptions for each student. Their background, academic performance, and personal achievements were all included.
After all, Changxing Group was a business. Everything had to align with long-term benefits. Supporting underprivileged students was fine, but only if they were academically outstanding. If someone was both poor and a poor student, what was the point of helping? The charity fund wouldn't approve a dime.
Bai Yujie explained, "There are 32 students in total. All of them have excellent academic records. Their families aren't all desperately poor, but none are well-off either. I included the family situation too."
"I'm not just looking for the poorest students," Yang Wendong said with a laugh. "Anyone who can get their kid into university can't be that poor. It's just that, compared to others, they struggle more. Tuition and living expenses are hard for them to cover."
This wasn't the mainland, where nine-year compulsory education existed. Before Governor MacLehose's reforms, Hong Kong had no mandatory education.
Primary school wasn't expensive—most families could afford it. But from secondary school onward, it became a survival-of-the-fittest system. Only the best or the richest moved forward.
Changxing's sponsorship was aimed at the best students who lacked the financial means—not just anyone from a poor family.
"Good to know," Bai Yujie said. "Tuition at our university is pretty steep. Most families really can't afford it. With your policy, they'll finally have a shot at education."
"It's a win-win. Once they graduate, they'll work for me," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
"For them, that's an amazing deal. It means they already have a job lined up for the future," Bai Yujie said.
"They still have to maintain good grades," Yang Wendong added. "Just because someone gets low-interest student aid doesn't mean they can slack off. We'll review their performance each semester. If their grades drop, the support ends."
"What happens to the loan if the support is revoked?" Bai Yujie asked.
Yang Wendong thought for a moment. "They still repay it after graduation. I won't force a student to pay it back immediately. Even if their grades fall, they can find a decent job later. They'll manage."
You couldn't be too harsh, or it would backfire. As long as he didn't take a loss, everything was fine.
"Alright, that's fair. Otherwise, they might be too scared to even apply," Bai Yujie said with a smile. "By the way, I've identified a few especially outstanding students. I think they have amazing potential."
"Okay," Yang Wendong nodded.
An hour and a half later, Yang Wendong personally escorted Bai Yujie to the building entrance and arranged for one of his cars to take her home. Then he returned to his office.
After he left, the receptionists started chatting.
"I just realized—the second Mrs. Yang has a twin sister."
"I didn't know either! They look exactly the same."
"No wonder she gave birth to twins. I heard twins can be hereditary."
"Twin sisters, huh? Isn't that every man's dream?"
"Seriously?"
"Of course! Just ask Ah Long. Hey, Ah Long, come here!"
A security guard walked over.
"Be honest—do you guys fantasize about twin sisters?"
Ah Long replied, "Triplets would be fine too."
"...?"
"...??"
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