125: Chapter 125 An Admission Ticket Without Applause

As the plane cut through the night sky over the capital, Lin Zhou returned from Bir Tawil. The end of the year was approaching, and red lanterns had long been hung on the streets, exuding a festive air. Yet, this liveliness seemed to have nothing to do with him.

Just as the plane landed, his phone buzzed, and Director Zhou's call came through right on time.

"Leader Lin, your application has passed the preliminary review by the higher-ups," Director Zhou's voice was devoid of emotion, strictly professional. "The model of the Cyber Free Sovereign Wealth Fund does have room for operation from a legal standpoint."

"Understood." Lin Zhou's reply was equally crisp, with no wasted words.

"The list did indeed play a role." Director Zhou's words were subtle, yet they carried weight, "Your recent security work was handled well, which secured this opportunity for an interview for you."

Lin Zhou leaned against the car window, watching the strings of bright red lanterns outside, his mind devoid of much thought. That list was his bargaining chip to secure this opportunity. Yet, he was clear that this did not mean the other party truly valued his micro-nation, which was still in its infancy. Their agreement was more for the sake of immediate interests.

"There are three conditions, each stricter than the last," Director Zhou's words came through the airwaves with a cold sense of pressure. "First, the fund must be completely transparent and subject to comprehensive, real-time audits. The flow of every cent must be clear. Second, political neutrality is a red line; once you touch upon the internal affairs of other countries, cooperation will be terminated immediately. Third, before connecting to CIPS, all your commercial entities in China must have their tax and anti-money laundering compliance procedures fully completed—not a single one can be missing."

"We are already handling these. After reaching the preliminary agreement last time, the financial entities have already been registered in China." Lin Zhou's tone was flat; he knew all too well that this was the admission ticket to enter this door, clearly priced.

"Very well," Director Zhou replied indifferently. "Then the review time is set for the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, at 3:00 PM. The responsible comrades from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank will come over. This is just a formal report; just ensure there are no mishaps with your materials."

The call ended, and Lin Zhou's expression remained calm, lacking the excitement he had imagined. Lin Zhou knew that the CIPS system already covered over 180 countries and regions globally; the addition of the Cyber Freedom Republic was merely an insignificant speck in the vast data stream.

"Old Chen, Dean Zhang." Lin Zhou turned and spoke to Chen Yuan and Zhang Zhe, who had followed him. "The meeting has been arranged. Remember, what we need to present is solid, concrete proof of compliance. They don't need to hear us making empty promises; they only need to see if we are an obedient and transparent financial entity."

"Understood." Chen Yuan adjusted his glasses, his expression serious. "An interview at this level is essentially just going through the motions. As long as our data is flawless, the outcome was actually written the moment the list was exchanged."

Over the next three days, the entire team operated efficiently, without a single sentimental slogan, let alone any embellished copy.

Everyone buried themselves in piles of legal documents; the tracking algorithms for fund flows and risk hedging models were polished and perfected bit by bit.

The closer it got to the critical moment, the more rigor was required; there could absolutely be no accidents in this final step.

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, in the capital, a simply furnished confidential conference room.

The two bigwigs who came to the meeting included a Deputy Director from the Ministry of Finance and a department head from the Central Bank. Their attitude was polite but carried a sense of aloofness that kept people at a distance. Director Zhou sat to the side like an invisible person, just watching quietly.

The meeting began, and Lin Zhou didn't even offer a polite opening remark. He signaled for Zhang Zhe to turn on the projector, directly displaying the core financial structure and regulatory interfaces.

"Our fund will connect directly with your audit system through multi-signature wallets," Lin Zhou said, his tone as flat as a broadcaster's. "Ensuring that the destination of every cent complies with your regulatory requirements."

The two officials took notes on their pads from time to time, and the questions they occasionally threw out precisely targeted potential compliance loopholes in cross-border settlements. Lin Zhou's team handled them with ease; every answer was textbook-perfect, leaving no room for redundancy.

"Mr. Lin," the official from the Ministry of Finance finally closed the folder in his hand, his tone still calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Your proposal is technically feasible. Considering the current international situation and the assistance you have provided in certain areas, we agree in principle to initiate a trial run."

"Thank you." Lin Zhou nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, showing no excessive surprise or relief. He knew this was just the beginning.

"This is merely the first step," the Central Bank official took over the conversation, adding, "The CIPS access test will be extremely strict; any abnormal fluctuation could lead to the immediate revocation of your access qualifications. We hope you can maintain this professional attitude throughout."

"We will abide by the rules of the game," Lin Zhou responded, his voice calm, yet everyone could hear the determination within it.

The meeting ended in this oppressive, professional atmosphere. There were no warm handshakes, no polite small talk. Both sides were clear that this was a naked exchange of interests, each taking what they needed, with a tacit understanding.

Walking out of the building, the sunset's radiance spilled onto the streets after the snow. The golden afterglow shone on the accumulated snow, bringing a warm hue to it, yet Lin Zhou felt a chill in his heart.

Director Zhou saw them to the door, symbolically patting Lin Zhou on the shoulder, his voice low: "The process is finished; what follows is the technical integration. To be able to get this done at such a critical juncture—you should understand the weight of it."

"Of course I understand." Lin Zhou looked toward the distant streetscape where neon lights were just beginning to flicker on, his voice somewhat ethereal. "This is merely a political gesture, a crack that a major power has begrudgingly opened for a small nation. And for this, we have paid a corresponding price."

Director Zhou chuckled, said nothing, and turned to step back inside the tall red walls.

Lin Zhou tightened the collar of his trench coat; the cold wind made one sober. This Spring Festival, no matter how strong the festive atmosphere, it could not cover up the indescribable sense of crisis in his heart.

Lin Zhou knew that what he had obtained was merely a precarious admission ticket into this vast financial system.

He still needed to pick up Lin Wan, and only then, in this brief and cold victory, could he take a moment to catch his breath before facing the next, even more terrifying challenge... The signing with Schwartzman from the Blackstone Group was coming up immediately.