"Zhongtianweite" financial clerk is located at the office of the pomegranate center in Fengtai District, Beijing. (Hu Wei, reporter of China Economic Weekly)

[Direct Report Network Beijing October 25th] (CNN Finance)"When everyone felt that the investment was reliable and safe to put money in, suddenly something went wrong." In March this year, Laotian invested in an enterprise named "Zhongtian Wei". Initially, he was able to get 3% interest on time every month (36% annual interest rate). Laotian's investment quota was increased from 50,000 yuan to about 300,000 yuan. When the thunder exploded on September 10, Laotian and his relatives invested a total of 750,000 yuan.

"Zhongtianweite" engaged in decoration business, not only in the country's physical decoration company stores, in Shandong, there are also curtain factories. This is the situation before Laotian, known as "exploding thunder".

More than one investor, like Laotian, first came into contact not with "investment" but with decoration products.

A legal profession said that "Zhongtian Wei" attracted such investments totaling more than 300 million yuan.

How did the customer become an investor?

Xiao Li was an employee of "Zhongtian Wei". His job was to recommend the so-called financial products.

When some customers were taken to the decoration company store, they still rushed to decorate. Such stores only have 3 in Beijing, and are really engaged in decoration business. But after introducing decoration products to customers in the lab, we started talking about rising prices and falling purchasing power of money... Elderly customers are particularly sensitive to these contents. Xiao Li said.

"At this point, we display the so-called financial products. Customers were taken to the conference room of the Experience Hall. We began to show promotional films and give oral talks about the operation of the store, the advantages of the company's intelligent decoration products, patents, four major brands, etc. We can also organize customers to visit the factory in Shandong. Finally, customers come to the conclusion that the decoration business of Zhongtianweite is profitable and has broad market prospects. In addition, the enterprise's physical stores, factories can see and touch, the annual return on investment as high as 36%, many people began to invest. Xiaoli, who entered the office in 7 this year, has invested himself.

Salesmen like Xiao Li can get 15% to 17% deducts for every investment they take. "This is a very lucrative return, in order to attract customers, salesmen are even willing to pay for the organization of customers to visit the factory in Shandong.

What kind of "investment contract" did investors sign with Zhongtianwei? According to the investors interviewed by the reporter of China Economic Weekly, they all signed a "agency dealer contract" with a term of six months, and the investors became the "agent dealer" of Zhongtianwei. The principal is "agent margin" and the interest is "market development fee" when the contract expires. The monthly margin is calculated at 3% until the agency contract is terminated.

September cessation of principal and interest, investor rights differences

After the investment from Laotian, the interest can be received every month until August this year.

"Zhongtian Wei" said that from September, the annual interest rate will be reduced to 24%. But for our old customers who have already invested, the interest rate will remain unchanged during the six-month investment cycle if additional investment is made in August, i.e. 36% annualized interest rate; the interest rate can be renewed before maturity and unchanged within six months. Laotian said that many investors not only renewed, but also increased investment.

According to Xiao Li, this round of investment in Beijing alone attracted more than 100 million yuan, and a concern about the "Zhongtianweite" law firm staff believe that the "Zhongtianweite" attracted investment of more than 300 million yuan.

On September 10, Zhongtianweite suddenly announced a suspension of the payment of principal and interest. There was no official response to the reason.

How to solve the current problem? Some investors said that "Zhongtianwei" put forward some ideas, including: lower interest rates, deferred payment of principal and interest; give the company some time to get through the difficult period, restore hematopoietic function and then pay principal and interest... But investors contacted by reporters said that they had not been formally consulted by Zhongtianwei and that no one had received principal or interest since September 10.