Today, we’re going to tell you a real-life story that rivals a Hollywood blockbuster – starring a woman known as the “Public Mistress” – Li Wei.
She went from a Vietnamese refugee to a “shadow wealthy lady” in China’s political and business circles, using her beauty and cunning to charm a group of high-ranking Communist Party officials, absconding with nearly billions in assets and landing a string of big shots in Qin City Prison. Most bizarrely, she managed to walk away unscathed, disappearing into the crowd with a massive fortune.
What secrets lie beneath all of this?
The protagonist of this story, Li Wei, was born in September 1963 in Vietnam to a father of French descent and a Vietnamese mother. Due to the turmoil, she fled to Yunnan, China with her family at the age of 7.
In this remote borderland, she displayed astounding social skills and business acumen. Standing at 1.65 meters tall, with a mixed-race charm, she skillfully used her dazzling attire and elegant demeanor as her “weapons,” effortlessly maneuvering within the power structure.
In the extremely exclusive circle, Li Wei was known as “Sister Li.” Those who had contact with her had a favorable impression: “Her speech and behavior were restrained, and her words were gentle,” and in making important decisions, she could be “decisive and resolute.”
In her early years, while in the “Tobacco Kingdom” of Yunnan, Li Wei engaged in tobacco trading and gained fame as the “Tobacco Queen.” After obtaining legal status in China, she married a leading figure at the Yunnan Tobacco Bureau who was in a divorced state.
In 1995, at the age of 32, Li Wei met her first high-ranking official patron: Li Jiating, who had just been promoted from Deputy Governor to Deputy Party Secretary of Yunnan Province, with Li Wei’s husband as the surprising intermediary…
Li Jiating not only became Li Wei’s lover but also opened the door of power for her.
A few years later, in 2001, Li Jiating was arrested on suspicion of crimes and later sentenced to death with a reprieve for corruption.
This incident taught Li Wei a lesson: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; weave a network of ‘umbrella-shaped’ relationships.” This network later allowed her to establish nearly 20 companies in Beijing, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, etc., venturing into tobacco, real estate, advertising, oil, securities, and other industries, with associated assets approaching nearly billions.
Li Wei had a unique habit – keeping a diary. She meticulously recorded the names and details of provincial and ministerial-level officials with whom she had dealings, and this diary later became the “nuclear-grade” evidence for the CCDI (Central Commission for Discipline Inspection). It is said to involve at least 15 high-ranking officials, nine of whom were publicly exposed, including:
– Yunnan Provincial Governor Li Jiating, convicted of accepting 18.1 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2003;
– Sinopec Chairman Chen Tonghai, convicted of accepting 195 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2009;
– Vice President of China Development Bank Wang Yi, convicted of accepting 11.96 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2010;
– Deputy Mayor of Beijing Liu Zhihua, convicted of accepting nearly 7 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2008;
– Deputy Secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee Du Shicheng, convicted of accepting 6.26 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008;
– Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court Huang Songyou, convicted of accepting 5.1 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010;
– Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Public Security Zheng Shaodong, convicted of accepting 8.26 million RMB in bribes and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010;
– Minister of Finance Jin Renqing, dismissed in 2007 for “improper association”;
– Minister of State Security Xu Yongyue, resigned in 2007 for “improper association” and “naked retirement.”
This diary acts like a sword hanging over many high-ranking officials. Some officials, while not exposed, reportedly still live in fear, as the diary has never been made public, and the secret may remain sealed forever.