Ling Tian's Bing Tian Charity Foundation was reported for allegedly misappropriating donations, leading to Ling Tian being summoned for an investigation.
The investigation team leader, Huang Shaolong, found himself at odds with Ling Tian, creating an awkward atmosphere. Huang Shaolong was not a bad person; on the contrary, he detested evil and could not tolerate any wrongdoing. He handled dozens of cases each year involving scams that used charity as a front. In his experience, those reported were almost always guilty, with a thorough investigation invariably uncovering a mountain of dirt. Of course, there were many who, like Ling Tian, were uncooperative or even arrogant during questioning, but ultimately, faced with irrefutable evidence, they would confess and submit to the law.
"Mr. Huang, please don't glare at me. I am extremely indignant about this matter! Our Bing Tian Charity Foundation was established only a few months ago, and already someone is envious and has reported us! They claim we are using the charity foundation to amass wealth – that is pure nonsense! You can check the funding sources of the Tomorrow Charity Foundation; all of it comes from my personal contributions! When I first established the Tomorrow Charity Foundation, I had no intention of soliciting funds from the public. All the capital was provided by me personally! So, by establishing a charity foundation, am I am amassing money from my own pocket?"
Huang Shaolong was taken aback. In all his years of handling cases, he had never encountered anyone like Ling Tian. Other charity foundations typically preyed on the public under the guise of charity, soliciting donations and then inflating expenses to pocket the funds. But for Ling Tian to personally inject money into a charity foundation – that was preposterous.
"I've noticed that the Bing Tian Charity Foundation's account has received over 3 billion in donations. Where did you get so much money?"
Ling Tian rolled his eyes. "I am the largest shareholder of Bing Tian Pharmaceutical. My annual dividends amount to billions. This is very easy to verify; you'll find out as soon as you check. Do I really need to be asked about such a thing?"
"But why did you donate so much money to a charity foundation?"
"Because I am an orphan! I know what kind of lives those unfortunate children lead and what kind of future they face. Therefore, I only want to do what I can. I simply want to do my own thing well. I established this charity foundation solely to facilitate charitable work, nothing more. I don't need anyone's help or sponsorship. I just want to do my own thing well. Is that not allowed?"
Ling Tian became increasingly agitated, his tone even carrying a hint of anger. Huang Shaolong's expression turned awkward, and he quickly tried to calm Ling Tian. "Mr. Ling Tian, please calm down. Our investigation team is not targeting anyone specifically. It's just that when a report is filed, we must investigate; it is our duty!"
"Then investigate. Our accounts are very clear. Every source of funds, every expenditure, is meticulously recorded and can withstand scrutiny! I hope you can conclude your investigation quickly and unfreeze our accounts, as we have many meaningful things to do. Don't waste our time with such baseless accusations!"
"Then let me ask you again, have there been any violations in your use of the charity funds?"
"Violations? What violations? We are spending real money! Every penny is meticulously accounted for, with no compromises! Do I need to be cunning about how I spend my own money? If I were truly short of money, wouldn't I just not donate? Please, use your brains and don't waste time!"
"Mr. Ling Tian, your uncooperative attitude will not solve the problem; it will only prolong your interrogation time..."
"Am I being uncooperative? I've said everything I need to say. The matter is clear, and the accounts are there for anyone to check. What more cooperation do you expect from me? Am I supposed to admit to fabricated charges?"
"Mr. Ling Tian, you must remain calm!"
"How can I remain calm when I'm being falsely accused? Do they really think Ling Tian is easy to bully!"
Just then, a staff member entered and handed Huang Shaolong a document. Huang Shaolong opened it to find the results of the investigation into the Bing Tian Charity Foundation's financial status. Given that the foundation had only been established for a few months, its financial information was simple and clear. The results were obvious: apart from their gains in the securities market, every other penny was a personal donation from Ling Tian. Furthermore, their expenditures were also clearly itemized, with precise records of who each payment was made to.
What surprised Huang Shaolong was that a significant method for many charity foundations to amass wealth was through high management fees. Even a standard charity foundation might have management fees as high as over ten percent, and some unscrupulous ones charged as much as fifty to sixty percent! However, the Bing Tian Charity Foundation directly allocated funds to the beneficiaries, providing the full amount without any management fees or kickbacks. The Bing Tian Charity Foundation was truly a pure lotus blooming unstained from the mud.
"Mr. Ling Tian, you have been wronged. Our investigation has reached a conclusion. Your Bing Tian Charity Foundation is impeccable! Rest assured, we will not accuse the innocent. Your accounts will be unfrozen shortly..."
"Team Leader Huang, this matter cannot end here! Your actions today have delayed us significantly and also damaged our reputation! If this gets out, how can we continue to do charity work, and who will dare to cooperate with us in the future?"
"Then what do you want?"
"It's simple: tell me who reported us. I need to question them face-to-face about why they did this!"
"Mr. Ling Tian, this is unreasonable. We have an obligation to protect the privacy of every whistleblower!"
"Never mind, never mind. Even if you don't tell me, I know who did it! I will settle the score with them myself."
Ling Tian knew exactly who was behind this. Only two groups of people would dare to cause trouble for his charity foundation: one was Qiao Dahua, and the other was the American pharmaceutical giant, Bai Xideng. On the surface, the attacks were directed at Wang Ling Tian, but in reality, the ultimate target was the Hope Welfare Institute. If Ling Tian, the major benefactor, were to fall into trouble, the subsequent support funds would cease. The welfare institute, facing immense financial pressure, would then have no choice but to compromise with Qiao Dahua or Bai Xideng.
Ling Tian stood up, took out a USB drive, and handed it to Team Leader Huang. "Mr. Huang, I believe there are some things more worthy of your investigation than wasting time on such trivial matters!"
Ling Tian waited for a while, and then Wang Bingxia emerged. They left together and returned home. Shortly after, he received a call from Feng Baoqiang, informing him that the charity foundation's accounts had been unfrozen.