Either you get caught for soliciting prostitution, or you get caught for corruption. If you mix well within the system, there are only these two outcomes—there is no third ending.

The problem is, even if you’ve made your fortune and accomplished your goals, if you want to exit safely, others won’t let you. That’s the role of supervision; that’s the meaning behind the saying “the eyes of the people are sharp.”

An old comrade once said: you can either be an official or get rich, you can only choose one. If you choose to get rich, forget about being an official.

I’ve been in the crypto space for seven or eight years now, and I haven’t gotten rich, but I’ve seen that those who have aren’t necessarily that happy either.

But being outside the system also has its benefits. The biggest advantage is freedom: you decide what to do, how much to do, and when to do it—it’s all up to you.

It’s not like that inside the system. There, everything comes with tasks, targets, and KPIs, sometimes even scarier than in private companies.

The second advantage is that you can moderately waste resources outside the system. If you don’t like something, you can sell it, even at a loss. If you’ve invested halfway into a venture and don’t want to continue, you can stop anytime.

But inside the system, that’s not allowed. There’s accountability; you’re responsible for every penny, everything must be delivered.

Outside the system, every penny you spend is under your own control. If you want to spend, you spend; if you want to waste, you waste.

The third major benefit is that you can be high-profile outside the system. After all, you earned your money openly, so you can show off however you like, as long as you pay your taxes on time.

But inside the system, it’s different. If you make money and live too lavishly, if your lifestyle or the car you drive doesn’t match your official income, there will be problems.

It’s most perverse and exhausting for people with money to pretend to be poor. That’s why you see some corrupt officials become extremely twisted, sometimes making incomprehensible decisions.

The biggest downside of being outside the system is the lack of security—there’s no guarantee for tomorrow. Making money today doesn’t mean you’ll make money tomorrow; making money this year doesn’t mean you’ll make money next year. So some people look for certainty and want to form ties with power. But once you bind yourself to power, you’ve given up control of your destiny.

For those inside the system, they also want a few long-term cash cows. When these two sides make deals, neither side has real security. But you have to remember, the people in the system are all top talents from 985 and 211 universities—they’re very smart, academic top performers. They know exactly what people outside the system are thinking, so when they collude, it’s mutual tacit understanding.

But when things go wrong, you’ll be the first one betrayed. That’s the limitation of many private entrepreneurs and grassroots heroes—they think money can solve everything, or that with a protector, their business can grow bigger and safer.

In reality, personal interests mean nothing compared to the interests of society, the nation, or the country. We’re all just ants. If you go against the bigger direction, you’ll be swept away without hesitation. So when private entrepreneurs grow big, they must think about their exit strategy—how to last longer after growing bigger and stronger.

In reality, personal interests mean nothing compared to the interests of society, the nation, or the country. We’re all just ants. If you go against the bigger direction, you’ll be swept away without hesitation. So when private entrepreneurs grow big, they must consider their exit—how to last longer after becoming bigger and stronger.

A businessman from Shandong once told me that after growing his business so big, he’d have to hand it over eventually—better to do it sooner than later.

A businessman from Fujian told me the secret to his liquor business was marrying into wealth—marrying the daughter of another billionaire.

Some businesspeople in the Pearl River Delta are very clear-minded—they go public and turn their companies into a community of shared interests for many people.

After more than 30 years of reform and opening up, many people have had to consider the issue of succession. Generally speaking, letting the second generation take over is the worst option, because they lack the environment in which the first generation fought and grew. They lack determination, knowledge, and endurance.

Trying to keep a low profile now to protect yourself has become impossible. Everything is too transparent. If you don’t get dug up now, you’ll be dug up sooner or later.

So you might as well expose yourself early and use public opinion to protect yourself. Often, negativity isn’t that scary—the earlier you expose it, the safer you are.

The son of the Wang family is truly wise—by putting himself down, he protected his father. Many investors are getting involved; everyone needs their own People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and Central People’s Broadcasting Station.

A person’s problems are like sores on the body—the more you cover them up, the bigger they get. The sooner you squeeze them out, the better you’ll feel, and the quicker you’ll heal.

Public opinion supervision is the biggest protective shield. If used well, it can really protect you. If you don’t know how to create public opinion and make your voice heard in today’s world, it’s time to think about how to gain the greatest security at the lowest cost.