"Is it really marriage that's the critical point?" Lin Qiang wanted to probe further, but it felt inappropriate to probe too directly into such a personal matter. He changed his approach and said, "Mr. Luo, with your business achievements, it's probably time to consider purchasing some insurance for your family."
"Hmm, many people have recommended insurance, hoping I'd invest my money in those decades-long products," Luo Yongsheng rubbed his eyes, the previous topic clearly tiring him. "But I don't have any plans to buy such products for my wife at the moment. Sorry, do you have any other recommendations?"
Lin Qiang's mind raced. Whenever Luo Yongsheng spoke about his business, he was full of energy, but any mention of his wife seemed to deflate him. Could it be that while Luo's career was soaring, his home life was in turmoil?
"If I remember correctly, your wife was your classmate when you studied abroad, right?"
"Haha, yes. Back then, we cooked together, lived in a tiny rental apartment of just over 100 square feet. Life was poor but full of hope," Luo Yongsheng shook his head nostalgically. "Now, just as we've made it..."
Lin Qiang stared at Luo, hoping he'd continue, but Luo furrowed his brow and changed the subject, "Manager Lin, what product are you actually trying to recommend?"
Lin Qiang realized he couldn't push further without risking losing the client. He cleared his throat and boldly said, "I'm going to recommend a product that absolutely, positively will not make money."
"A product that absolutely won't make money?" Though surprised, Luo was now more curious. This bizarre sales pitch was a first for him, and he found himself intrigued. "Well then, please try to convince me to buy this thing that definitely won't make money!"
Lin Qiang took out a black pen and wrote in large letters on the whiteboard — Joint Charitable Fund.
"This is usually only offered by our private banking advisors. I'm overstepping a bit by recommending it directly," Lin Qiang began, hands clasped. "The Joint Charitable Fund uses over 20% of its funds for charitable causes. The rest ensures the fund's operation and makes appropriate investments. Investing in this fund is technically a donation, but not entirely. It's a new hybrid of charitable and commercial funds. The expected return is negative 10% to zero - it's guaranteed not to make profit."
Though confused, Luo tried to grasp Lin's meaning: "You want me to... become a philanthropist?"
"The philanthropist title is just a side benefit. This fund has much more significance."
"Please explain more clearly. I've never heard of this before."
"Have you heard of the Bill Gates Foundation?" Lin asked.
"Of course," Luo's expression changed as he began to understand. "He donated all his shares to his own charitable fund, claiming he wouldn't leave his children a penny. But in reality, by inheriting this fund, his children become billionaires. This way, he not only gains a reputation as a philanthropist but also avoids billions in inheritance taxes."
"You don't mean..." Luo was both surprised and pleased.
He felt somewhat flattered that Lin was comparing him to Bill Gates.
"The principle is similar, but the process is a bit different," Lin continued. "This fund is specially applied for by our bank, fully compliant with national policies. Due to its charitable background, it has significant tax and inheritance advantages. It accepts various forms of investment including cash and equity. There are annual dividends, and you can withdraw funds every January. Additionally, there's a large fundraising gala every December. This is our ultra-high-end product, usually recommended by private banking advisors. I'm taking a risk by suggesting it."
"Hmm..." Luo pondered for a moment before asking, "Let's be direct. Can I understand it this way: this fund allows me to invest directly with equity, avoiding certain taxes, and due to its charitable nature, it also has advantages for future inheritance. The only downside is - it absolutely won't make a profit."
Lin nodded: "That's right, there's absolutely no profit. Regarding taxes, you can't completely avoid them. While there's no tax on donations, dividends are taxed."
"Haha, this is interesting," Luo became more curious. "Do you have any promotional materials I could look at?"
"Ah... I'm sorry, our outlet is too small. I'd need to borrow the material from our private banking department," Lin said apologetically. "You can leave an address, and I'll courier a copy to you as soon as possible."
"Alright, can you explain more details?" Luo had finished his coffee and set down the cup, asking eagerly, "For example... what kind of charities it supports, who invests in it, and so on."
"Of course. This fund primarily invests in education. In its two years of existence, it has established 52 Primary Schools and sponsored over a thousand underprivileged students to attend university."
"Hmm... what's the approximate scale of the fund?"
"Haha, even if I knew, I couldn't say," Lin laughed. "After all, a large portion of the contributions are in the form of equity, which is hard to value, right?"
"That's true. Equity... equity..." Luo suddenly seemed lost in thought.
"In today's financial world, equity represents a much larger proportion of wealth than cash."
"Hmm..." Luo leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought.
"Investing with equity..."
The room fell silent for a few minutes.
"Send me the detailed information when you can, as comprehensive as possible," Luo finally said, spreading his arms. "This project is too significant. I need to be cautious. Equity is intangible, but it's also my most important asset."
"Of course," Lin knew he had proposed something substantial and needed to give Luo time to consider. Pushing wouldn't help; someone like this had to make decisions based on their own reasoning.
However, there was one thing that might make Luo lose his rationality.
"Oh, I forgot a very important point," Lin sat down quietly next to Luo and lowered his voice, "This... it's not very convenient to say, but considering all possibilities, I should tell you in advance."
"Go ahead."
"Since this 'investment' is actually in the form of a donation, whether it's cash or equity, the money doesn't belong to you while the fund is operating, until you withdraw it."
"Oh?" Luo was smart and had already grasped the key point, his expression becoming intrigued. "Please explain further."
"Alright, to be completely clear, this donation can be inherited, but it can't be divided. It's an honor of donation, but before withdrawal, it's not tangible property," Lin smiled slyly at Luo. "In other words, if something were to happen to you, your children could inherit this donation; but if you were to divorce, your spouse would have no right to divide this money. Because this money belongs to the foundation - you've already donated it."
Luo slapped his palm excitedly and asked, "So, suppose I donate my current equity, then after the company goes public, the dividends..."
"Nominally belong to the foundation, but you can withdraw funds every January," Lin smiled quietly. "So in reality, it's still yours. But keep in mind, this is ultimately a charitable fund, so when you finally withdraw, it's impossible to make a profit."
"Interesting, very interesting!" Luo kept slapping his palm, and after some hesitation, he glanced back at the room's door before whispering, "To be honest, lately, my relationship with my wife has been... troublesome."
"Oh?" Lin feigned surprise, "With your successful career, how could there be trouble?"
"Ah, it's precisely because my career has been too successful," Luo's expression changed, his eyes revealing a hint of resentment. "You know, once the company goes public, my original shares will be worth a fortune. She's seizing this opportunity, trying to take away the fruits of my years of hard work."
"..." Lin asked in shock, "As a wife, shouldn't she be supporting her husband even more at this time? How could this happen?"
"Damn it! I'd like to know that too!" Luo suddenly slammed the table hard, "I can face any competitor in the business world calmly, but to have this happen at home just as we're about to go public, it's truly disheartening."
"I see," Lin said seriously. "I shouldn't pry into your marital affairs, but if things are as you say, and your wife is acting out of greed, I can guarantee, based on my professional knowledge, that she won't get a penny of your money."
"Hmph, I'm not that heartless," Luo leaned back on the sofa, sighing deeply. "After all, we've been through so much together. I can give her the house, even a million in assets, that's all fine. But now, she's eyeing my original shares. This is the result of my life's work, it's intolerable and cannot be tainted."
"Although I shouldn't ask... I'm still curious about this point," Lin asked puzzled. "After all these years, why would she do this?"
"Maybe it's about pursuits," Luo smiled bitterly, patting Lin's shoulder. "She wanted to immigrate to the US, I insisted on returning to China to start a business; she wanted to go on weekend trips, but I had to work overtime... Over time, the conflicts between us kept growing."
Luo was just casually describing his life, but to Lin's ears, it sounded like he was talking about him. How similar their experiences were, how similar the two people were. If he had kept her back then, would the outcome have been the same?
"But now, things have changed," Luo said, furrowing his brow. "I'm a conscientious person, but coveting my shares is absolutely unacceptable."
Since Luo Yongsheng had opened up, Lin Qiang no longer held back: "As a bank employee, I can guarantee the safety of your assets. Not a penny will be taken away due to divorce disputes."