I've been quite busy these days, mainly because I'm helping two friends with some legal issues.

Two cases; one for drug use, one for aiding and abetting.

These are basically the two most common charges encountered in the cryptocurrency world.

One friend provided project services for a financing project, including marketing and strategic planning; the other helped a company develop software, which the company later used as a basis for charging fees and taking on clients.

The first friend made £320,000, the second friend made £1.2 million.

Both incidents occurred three years ago, with the second one even happening seven years ago, but the issues only surfaced now.

Interestingly, both of them were essentially in a retired financial state two years ago, planning to explore a world they had yet to venture into, but fate threw them into a world inaccessible to ordinary people, the implications of which are uncertain.

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

Many people will ask: Aren't they financially free already? Can money not solve these problems?

Most people present are grassroots, and the emergence of such issues, or if you have the same questions, indicates problems with grassroots thinking and the challenges of becoming wealthy.

First, many in the country have substantial misunderstandings about the judicial and evidence systems; they believe power and money can solve all problems. Unless someone in your family has experience in business or politics to guide you, grassroots individuals starting from scratch or suddenly becoming rich often end up with negative outcomes due to their lack of deep understanding of these two areas.

Second, many people, once they have money, think they can handle everything, leading to delusions, even believing that money can solve all problems. Consequently, they become resistant to suggestions from others and fail to perceive their own dangers. Here's a saying for everyone: Once a person starts to feel invincible, they are generally not far from foolishness!

Money can buy many things, but sometimes it is hard to serve as a universal remedy; particularly when problems arise, if your approach to solving them is wrong or your understanding is flawed, that money may be wasted or even backfire.

As for relationships, they are quite mysterious. Honestly, I scoff at many who claim to have vast networks that can resolve issues. 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 true story that my current partner, Old Wang, told me a few days ago; Old Wang was a police officer who left to start a business a few years back. Of course, it was due to some minor issues that he made this leap, but since he is no longer in the police force, what he says and the stories are relatively credible; Old Wang worked as a police officer for twenty years, rising from a regular officer to the head of the criminal investigation team in the city, having seen all kinds of odd situations. Five years ago, he encountered a relatively serious criminal case that he was asked to handle; the case involved a local businessman, who got entangled in a demolition issue, and while the first two testimonies were not yet completed, someone came to ask how serious the issues were and whether bail could be arranged; the intermediary offered Old Wang £300,000 to help.

Old Wang initially considered taking the money, but the main reason he hesitated was not because of the power he held or a willingness to abuse it, but because the businessman's testimonies didn't incriminate him at all, and there were no other testimonies against him. They were actually preparing to release him soon; however, £300,000 was excessive. Old Wang thought if it were £20,000 or £30,000, he might consider it, but accepting £300,000 seemed too risky, so he declined the money, even refusing to eat with them, merely suggesting that within his jurisdiction, he would not make things difficult if there were no issues.

The climax comes when Old Wang turned down the money. After he provided his reasoning, the intermediary returned to the businessman, saying that the connections were nearly sorted, but the team leader thought £800,000 was a bit low and asked if they could add another £200,000 to make it a round number; the intermediary described the situation in great detail. The businessman, eager to bail out his associate, promptly provided another £200,000; the intermediary promised that for £1 million, bail would be secured, and if it failed, the money would be refunded.

Did you catch that? Initially, the intermediary asked the family for £800,000, prepared £300,000 for Old Wang, but because Old Wang didn't take it, that money was never spent; however, the intermediary not only didn't refund the money but also asked the businessman for an additional £200,000 to make it £1 million.

This encapsulates the operational mindset of most brokers in China.

At first, they promise you a lot and claim to have extensive connections; these connections may exist to some extent, and they can gather some information, creating a false impression that they are genuinely capable. However, the entire process is filled with games and scams; ultimately, they are gambling that this person does not have serious issues and can be bailed out, after which they collect money.

What if the person isn’t bailed out? A broker with a conscience would at least refund that £1 million; their costs are minimal, just a few meals and some words; this is how they gamble for that £1 million. I've even seen cases where the job wasn't done, and they completely refused to refund. In the end, even if you accuse them of fraud, it can be difficult to prove, and you might end up facing bribery charges or an investigation.

That concludes the story; it's pretty straightforward.

So many in China believe that relationships can solve significant problems and are obsessed with power; these mindsets are erroneous at a fundamental level.

One of the two cases I mentioned earlier is directly related to a high-ranking official; both families live quite close, and they often interact during the New Year, with no intermediaries involved. Upon learning of this matter, the official merely 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 towards you, and your testimony is impeccable with no flaws; in other words, if no connections are made and you don't have serious issues, then power may have some effect.

If your issues are already apparent or if you've admitted to things you shouldn’t have, can you expect power to take risks to save you? Not possible!

For both cases, I am assisting them in following up; what is certain is that both cases have direct evidence pointing towards them. The two brothers previously believed the evidence was insufficient and thought they had connections that could assist them, so they were dismissive and missed the best time for rescue.

In fact, they weren't directly arrested on the first day; there were many times and opportunities to negotiate and resolve matters. Initially, there was indeed a possibility of resolving issues with money; however, one must not stray off course; the first 37 days were crucial.

I have also written about this in a previous post:

Being in the midst of it without realizing it, money and power are good things, but they are also the most uncertain aspects of this world; once the imagined world deviates too far from reality, the resulting consequences can be fatal, leading to self-destruction.

Many significant phases, important events, major collaborations, and substantial investments are like this.

It is precisely because these phases are so critical and require significant funds that one encounters many scammers.

Scammers paint huge blueprints and dreams for you; we need to stay alert, identify the scammers, and navigate through tough times.

Thus, I say that the more passive the phase, the more one must maintain an offensive stance rather than a defensive one; the weak will defend, and once a scammer realizes you are weak, you become their target.

How to attack? Whether it's investing or handling matters!

First, gather resources—

Clarify which resources you and your trusted friends can utilize and how they can assist you in your current situation; consider your options, plan, and utilize them; think deeply and discuss with friends.

Second, define results—

Only define results; do not focus on details; the reason you need help with this matter is that you are not an expert in it.
For example, if you're investing in a sector you're unfamiliar with, do not instruct the resource on how to proceed; you should seek out experts and let them provide solutions, rather than setting the details yourself, as your design is merely hypothetical and does not align with objective realities.
If you've encountered issues and seek someone to resolve them, just provide them with the result you want, such as not prosecuting, and let them devise the plan and timeline.

Third, verify milestones—

After completing the previous two steps, we need to continue maintaining an offensive approach, conducting periodic milestone verifications; verifying milestones is crucial; besides defining results, the most important aspect is to establish what actions need to be performed at each milestone, such as what to accomplish 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 do not progress because we just give money and wait, without validating; in reality, if you validate, it becomes easy to discern their actual capabilities in handling the matter. If verification reveals problems, do not cling to illusions; switch paths or personnel immediately; investing is the same; always actively verify your investment strategy or quickly change your position; holding onto unrealistic fantasies despite knowing they won’t work is humanity's greatest original sin! Thus, these three points and this thought model apply to all significant life milestones; the insights from my old friend are invaluable, so I record them here, hoping to encourage everyone.

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

The first is overt, revolving around various moral and political correctness, only speaking without doing; essentially, the various viewpoints you see in public media are from this layer of logic; hearing and seeing too much can dull your mind. Most people frequently hear that if issues arise, money and power can solve everything.

The second set is hidden underground, revolving around various interests, often doing without speaking; but if you are unaware, you will suffer losses. This logic is occasionally articulated by Machiavellian individuals who get criticized; in China, this logic is even more complex; if parents don’t teach you, you can only keep paying tuition fees yourself. Therefore, grassroots individuals without parents to guide them can only pay their own tuition.

The complexity of these two sets of logic lies in their indistinct boundaries; when to apply moral ethics and when to use interest logic follows its own set of intricate rules. It’s like a girl who navigates social circles only needing to master two tricks: being cute and being assertive, but knowing when to be cute and when to be assertive, as well as the appropriate degree of both, requires finesse and is a matter of heart.