I've been quite busy these days, mainly because I'm helping two friends with some case-related issues;

Two cases; one for drug use, and the other for aiding and abetting;

These are basically the two most common crimes encountered in the cryptocurrency world;

One friend provided project services as a funding entity, including marketing and strategic planning; the other helped a company develop software, which two years later became the basis for paid services and customer losses;

The first friend earned 320,000, while the second friend earned 1.2 million;

Both incidents occurred three years ago, and the second incident even happened seven years ago, but the situation only truly erupted now;

Interestingly, both of them were already in a state of financial freedom two years ago, intending to explore a world they had never ventured into before. Unfortunately, fate led them into a world that ordinary people cannot enter, and it's unclear whether it's good or bad, a blessing or a curse;

Is it worth it? Clearly, for them, it is not worth it, because two years ago, they were already on the edge of financial freedom;

Many people will ask: Isn't financial freedom already achieved? Can money not solve these problems?

Most people present are grassroots, and when such events occur, or if you share the same doubts, it reflects issues with grassroots thinking and the challenges of becoming wealthy;

First, most people in the country have a significant misunderstanding of the judicial and evidence systems; they think that power and money can solve all problems. Unless you have predecessors in business or politics who can guide you, the results for grassroots individuals starting from nothing or suddenly becoming wealthy often end up poorly due to their superficial understanding of these two aspects;

Second, many people feel capable after acquiring wealth, leading to delusions, even believing that money can solve all problems. Therefore, they cannot take in the advice of others and are oblivious to their own dangers. Here's something to keep in mind: once a person starts to think they are amazing, they are usually not far from being a fool!

Money can buy many things, but sometimes it is difficult for money to serve as a universal remedy; especially after problems arise, if your solutions are wrong or your understanding is flawed, that money may be wasted or even counterproductive;

As for relationships, this is a very mysterious thing. To be honest, I scoff at many around me who claim to have extensive networks to solve problems. Countless experiences have taught me that most of these people are fraudsters; the logic is simple, let me tell you a story:

This is a real incident that my current partner, Lao Wang, shared with me a few days ago; Lao Wang was a police officer who left midway to start a business a few years ago; of course, it was also due to some minor issues that led to his departure, but since he is no longer in the police force, what he says and the stories he shares are relatively credible; Lao Wang served as a police officer for twenty years, rising from a regular officer to head of the city's criminal investigation team, having seen all sorts of strange things; five years ago, he encountered a significant case involving organized crime, which he was asked to handle; the process involved a local boss who got entangled in a demolition issue, and before the first two statements were even finished recording, someone came to ask if the case was serious and if a bail could be arranged; the person said they could give Lao Wang 300,000 to help out; Lao Wang thought about accepting the money at the time, but the main reason he hesitated wasn't due to his power or willingness to abuse it; it was primarily because the boss had said very little in his two statements, and there was no evidence against him, nor were there any statements from others that could harm him, so he originally planned to bail him out in the next few days; but the amount of money was too much. Lao Wang thought if it were two or three thousand, he would have let it go; but 300,000 was too much, and accepting such a large sum would definitely lead to problems; so Lao Wang did not take the money, and even avoided eating with them, just suggesting that within his responsibilities, if there were no issues, he definitely wouldn't make things difficult for him;

The climax is here: after Lao Wang refused the money and found a reason to dismiss them, the intermediary went back and told the boss that things were almost settled, but the captain on the other side felt that 800,000 was a bit too little and asked if they could add another 200,000 to make it an even million, with the intermediary describing the process in great detail; the boss, eager to rescue his person and seeing the amount was substantial, immediately gave another 200,000 without a second thought; the intermediary promised a successful bail for 1 million, and if it didn't work, the money would be refunded;

Did you understand this part? Initially, the intermediary asked for 800,000 from the family, prepared 300,000 for Lao Wang, but since Lao Wang didn't dare to accept it, this money was never spent; however, the intermediary not only didn't return the money but also asked the boss for an additional 200,000 to make it 1 million;

This is the current mindset of most brokers in China—

They start by making a ton of promises, telling you they have vast connections, which may indeed be somewhat true, allowing them to gather some information, creating the illusion that they are genuinely capable; but in reality, the entire process is filled with games and deception; they are ultimately betting that this person really doesn't have significant issues and can be bailed out, and then they collect money lavishly;

What if they don't get bailed out? A somewhat conscientious broker's worst outcome is to refund the 1 million; their cost is so low, just a few meals, and a bit of talking, all to gamble for that 1 million; I've even seen cases where things didn't work out, and the money was completely non-refundable; in the end, even if you sue them for fraud, it’s hard to win; if not handled properly, you could end up with bribery charges and face investigation;

The story is over, and that's about it;

So many people in China believe that relationships can solve significant problems and are obsessed with power, which reflects a fundamental misunderstanding that arises from being at the grassroots level;

The reason power can become 'absolute power' is that they greatly cherish their reputations; if you want to leverage absolute power to benefit you, the only possibility is that you must have a very deep financial entanglement with them; in China, there’s another term for this: you need to be in such a close relationship that you are their 'white glove'; they need to consider that the cost of giving you up is too high before they may help you; otherwise, if your issue could affect their future, even if there’s a tiny possibility, why would they take that risk? Do you think they would do it for money? Does absolute power lack money? Absolute power may not even need money!

One of the cases I mentioned above is directly related to a certain provincial governor at the ministerial level; their hometowns are very close, and during the New Year, they often have interactions, with no intermediaries involved; upon learning of this matter, the minister just said three words: 'What a pity';

So you see, whether power is willing to help you is very subtle;

Unless there is no evidence pointing to you, and your statement is recorded very well without any flaws; in other words, if no one is pulling strings, and you might not have significant issues, only then can power have some effect;

If your problems have already surfaced, or you’ve admitted to things you shouldn’t have, then can you expect power to take risks to save you? Impossible!

For both cases, I'm helping them follow up; what can be confirmed is that both cases have direct evidence pointing to them; the two older brothers previously believed that the evidence was insufficient and thought they had connections to help themselves, so they didn't take it seriously and missed the best time for rescue.

In fact, they were not directly arrested from day one; there was a lot of time and opportunity for negotiation and resolution; because initially, there was indeed a possibility of solving the problem with money, but you cannot go down the wrong path; the first 37 days are too critical;

I have also written about this in the following tweet:

Being in the midst without realizing it is that money and power are good things, but they are also the most uncertain things in the world; once the imagined world deviates too much from the real rules, the ultimate result may be fatal, leading to our own downfall;

Many significant stages in life, important events, vital collaborations, and major investments are like this;

It is precisely because these stages are so crucial that the funds involved are enormous, which leads to many scammers;

Scammers paint huge blueprints and beautiful dreams for you; we need to remain clear-headed, recognize the scammers, and overcome difficulties;

Therefore, I say that the more passive the stage, the more one must maintain an offensive posture rather than a defensive one; only the weak will be defensive; once a scammer finds you are weak, you become their target for attack;

How to attack? Whether in investment or in handling affairs!

First, gather resources—

Clearly identify what resources you and trusted friends have that can assist your current situation; how to make choices; how to plan and utilize; think deeply and discuss with friends;

Second, define the outcome—

Definitely only define the outcome, do not focus on the details; the reason you need to find someone to help is undoubtedly because you are not an expert in this matter;
For example, if you are investing in a field you don't understand, once you have resources, do not tell them how to do it; you are certainly looking for experts, so let them provide the plan instead of you setting the details; your designs are all imaginary and do not conform to objective rules;
For instance, if you have a problem and need someone to resolve it, just give them the outcome you want, such as no prosecution, and let them provide a plan and timeline for handling it;

Third, verify milestones—

After completing the above two steps, we need to continue maintaining an offensive posture and conduct milestone verification; verifying milestones is very important; besides defining the outcome, the most crucial aspect is determining what actions to take at each milestone, such as what actions to complete in the first month of the review and prosecution phase, and what actions to take in the second phase over the next two months; most of the time, our matters cannot progress because we just give money and start waiting without verifying; in reality, if you verify, it becomes easy to know whether they have the ability to handle the matter; if verification reveals issues, don't hold onto fantasies; immediately switch paths or people; investment is the same; always actively verify investment strategies or quickly change positions; holding onto unrealistic fantasies when you know things are not working is humanity's greatest sin! So these three points, along with this mindset model, I believe are suitable for all major life milestones; the insights from old friends are truly rare, and I record them here in hopes of sharing with everyone.

I remember that a small lawyer from Shanghai once said that the adult world has three sets of logic:

The first set is overt, revolving around various morals and political correctness, only speaking without acting; basically, you can see various viewpoints on public media, which are all part of this logic. Listening and watching too much can dull your mind. The most commonly heard advice is that when issues arise, money and power can solve everything;

The second set is covert and underground, revolving around various interests, often doing without speaking; but if you are unaware, you will suffer losses. This logic is occasionally articulated by someone like Machiavelli, who gets scolded for it. In China, this logic is even more complex; if parents do not teach, one can only continue to pay tuition fees. Therefore, grassroots individuals often lack parents who can guide them, resulting in self-education.

The complexity of these two sets of logic lies in their lack of clear distinction; rather, they are intertwined. Knowing when to use morality and ethics versus interest logic has its own set of rules, and that set of rules is complex. It’s like girls who know how to navigate society need to master two tricks: being cute and being aggressive; but knowing when to be cute and when to be aggressive, as well as the balance between the two, is an art that resides in the heart.