Chapter 905 Who is the one in charge?
Next, I relayed to my uncle what Xiao Shiqiu told me, word for word.
"In addition to bank statements and investment contracts, we also need all the communication records between you and the other party. It would be best if we could also have audio recordings of them verbally promising high returns.
Even if they didn't make it before, you can call them now and try to get them to acknowledge their previous promise."
"Recording? Is that legal?" Oh, my uncle is quite law-abiding! Even though his own daughter-in-law had colluded with others to cheat him, he was still worried that the evidence collection was illegal.
I rolled my eyes and patiently explained to him, "My lawyer said that if a third party records your conversation without either of you knowing, it's illegal.
But if you recorded it yourself, it's perfectly legal.
The key is to prove that this was a premeditated fraud, not just a simple investment failure."
My uncle's voice was a little hesitant. "Scam? That shouldn't be the case. That person is an old classmate of your aunt's. They've known each other for many years. Your aunt said her classmates wouldn't cheat her."
I almost burst out cursing. Just because her classmates wouldn't lie to her doesn't mean they won't lie to you, a fool!
I took a few deep breaths and suppressed my temper. "Uncle, you can't judge a person's heart by his appearance. What if he is deliberately deceiving you?" I gritted my teeth and added against my will, "What if he is so wicked that he even deceives his old classmates?
These days, there are many people who kill their acquaintances. We don’t harm others, but we have to be careful of others.”
Alas, what did my uncle eat when he grew up? How could he be taught like this by my grandma? I feel sad for my grandma.
This time, the uncle finally listened and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. My nephew won't hurt me, hehe~"
This style of working with almost zero vigilance is very consistent with the temperament of my mother's family.
I took a second to reflect on myself, and it seemed that I was also like this. No wonder Xiao Shiqiu was worried about me.
"Uncle, I'll ask a lawyer to come and talk to you in person tomorrow~"
Xiao Shiqiu said that in order to prevent any further complications, such matters must be dealt with quickly.
"Okay!"
The next morning, Xiao Shiqiu, his company's legal officer, He Xuming, the nephew of lawyer He Jinyan, and I went to the house my uncle had just moved into.
This is a small old-style three-bedroom apartment with an area of over 80 square meters and three rooms. There is no living room. There is a small dining room at the entrance with a square dining table against the wall.
This is the only place where we can meet guests and discuss matters.
Seeing Xiao Shiqiu coming, the uncle seemed a little embarrassed. "Come, sit here. My place is a little small. How about we go to a nearby teahouse to discuss things?"
Xiao Shiqiu waved his hand, "No need, uncle, just stay here."
Then he introduced him to his uncle, "This is our company's legal counsel, Lawyer He, and his uncle is the nationally renowned lawyer He Jinyan.
Unlike his uncle who mainly handles criminal cases, Xiao He specializes in economic cases. He has handled many similar cases and is very experienced.
After Xiao Shiqiu's introduction, his uncle looked at He Xuming differently, as if he was looking at a savior with a pious look.
He Xuming looks to be around 30 years old, but his every move and gesture reveals the calmness of a professional.
"Mr. Lin, can you tell me about your investment experience in detail? Start from the beginning."
My uncle rubbed his hands together and began to recall with a frown: "Just after the Spring Festival, my wife introduced me to an old classmate of hers, saying that he was very successful in investing in private equity funds.
The annualized return can reach over 30%, and now he is worth tens of millions. Considering that my wife and I were classmates, he is willing to help us make money together..."
As he told the story, his brows were furrowed, and he shook his head and sighed from time to time, which was completely the true reaction of a deceived person.
"At first, my wife suggested investing more, but I was worried, so I invested 300,000 yuan first. A month later, I actually received a return of more than 5,000 yuan."
My uncle smiled bitterly, “Then the man said he had a big project that needed more funds, and the return could be increased by another 5 percentage points, which was a discount that no one else had.
However, the minimum investment required was 1.5 million, and I didn't have that much money at the time. My wife suggested that I could borrow some money from the bank first, as I would get my money back in a year anyway.
My mind went blank and I actually borrowed 260,000 yuan..."
"Did you keep the promotional materials or contracts from that time?" He Xuming asked.
My uncle got up and went inside. A moment later he returned with a stack of documents. "Here's the contract and a few more documents."
He Xuming quickly browsed the documents, his eyes slightly narrowed behind his glasses.
"The contract terms are very vague, mentioning only 'expected returns' without any guarantee of capital preservation. But the document..."
He pointed to a document and said, "It clearly states 'guaranteed annualized returns of no less than 15%'. This is the key evidence."
"Can the money be recovered?" asked my uncle anxiously.
"If it can be proven that the other party has engaged in false advertising and fraudulent activities, it is possible."
He Xuming answered cautiously, "But we still need more evidence.
Mr. Lin, can you provide complete proof of fund flow?
Including bank transfer records, receiving account information, etc.
My uncle nodded, turned on his computer and logged into online banking.
As the transfer records appeared on the screen, He Xuming was searching for something on his mobile phone, his brows furrowed more and more.
"Is there a problem?" I asked quietly.
"All the funds were eventually transferred into the account of a company called 'Xinsheng Investment'."
Lawyer Zhang pointed at the screen and said, "I checked. Judging from the industrial and commercial registration information, this company is likely a shell company. It was only registered at the end of last year and has no qualifications to manage private equity funds."
My uncle's face turned pale instantly. "Then...then my money..."
"We need to confirm where the money ended up."
Lawyer Zhang pushed up his glasses and asked, "Mr. Lin, is your wife also involved in this investment?"
My uncle shook his head. “No, she said she didn’t know much about finance and was just introducing us.”
Xiao Shiqiu and I exchanged glances. This was exactly as we expected. My aunt deliberately kept her distance to leave a way out for herself.
"I have another question that may be a little offensive," He Xuming said gently but firmly, "Are your finances separate from your wife's? Is she aware of your financial situation?"
My uncle was stunned for a moment, not understanding what He Xuming meant by asking him this, but he answered truthfully, "It's not considered a separation. She spends her own salary, and the family expenses are all covered by my income. As a man, it's my responsibility to support the family.
I usually set aside some pocket money every month and give the rest to her to manage.
But she said that men should make the decisions on important family matters, such as large investments like this one, and I’m the one who makes the final decision.”
My aunt is really an expert. She holds all the money in the family, and she makes my uncle think that he is the one who calls the shots.
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