46: Chapter 46 The Central Bank Governor Takes Office! The Head of State's Treasury Has Been Drained!

Lin Zhou picked up the report.

On the cover, written in powerful, vigorous brush calligraphy, were the words: "Preliminary Financial Assessment Report of the Cyber Freedom Republic."

Opening the first page, he was met with a massive balance sheet.

In the assets column, a single number sat forlornly: $1.185 billion (cash and equivalents).

The liabilities column, however, was densely packed.

"Legislative Yuan expert consultant remuneration (three months prepaid): $12 million."

"Temporary office building lease and renovation costs: $800,000."

"Administrative logistics and equipment procurement costs: $1.5 million."

"Southern Sudan channel 'aid' funds: $30 million."

"National Order of Honor system customization costs (estimated): $500,000."

...

Lin Zhou's eyelids twitched as he read.

The funds he had approved over the past few days didn't look like much individually, but when added together, they had already exceeded $45 million.

"This is just the visible expenditure," Chen Yuan's voice was icy. "I haven't even factored in the 90% patent revenue you promised to Egypt. Once the technology is implemented, building factories and laying out production lines over there will be a bottomless pit of initial investment. While we don't have to pay, we won't see any returns until they recoup their costs and become profitable. During this period, our treasury will have zero external income."

"In other words, we are currently just burning money. We are eating through our reserves."

Chen Yuan flipped to the second page of the report.

"This is my financial expenditure forecast for the coming year."

"Bir Tawil infrastructure construction phase one (road access, water supply, electricity, and network connectivity): minimum budget, $500 million."

"Global diplomatic expansion costs (including 'budgets' for establishing diplomatic relations with twenty countries): $100 million."

"Initial government administration and personnel expenses: $50 million."

"Reserved emergency funds: $100 million."

...

"Subtract all of that, and guess how much money we have left for development?" Chen Yuan stared at Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou looked at the number circled in red at the end of the report and fell silent.

"Less than $300 million."

For an ordinary person, this figure would be astronomical. But for a country, it wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between its teeth.

"Therefore, the two things I mentioned yesterday must be raised to the highest priority, immediately and without delay." Chen Yuan tapped his finger heavily on the table twice.

"Establish the Central Bank, issue currency!"

"Everyone must understand, this is not just an economic issue. Issuing one's own currency is the most fundamental sign of power and identity for an independent nation."

Lin Zhou took a deep breath; he knew Chen Yuan was right.

"What is your plan?"

"I have already prepared the plan." Chen Yuan pulled another, thicker report from his canvas bag: "Feasibility Proposal for Establishing the Central Bank of the Cyber Freedom Republic and Issuing Sovereign Digital Currency."

"I propose we immediately establish the 'Central Bank of the Cyber Freedom Republic,' with myself serving concurrently as the first Central Bank governor."

Lin Zhou gave a wry smile.

He knew he had no choice.

"Fine." He nodded. "I agree."

"Very good." Chen Yuan seemed to have expected him to agree all along. "Step two: issue our sovereign currency. I've already thought of the name—let's call it the 'Liberty Dollar' (Liberty Dollar), with the ticker symbol LBD."

"We only need a small amount of physical paper currency; the rest will be issued directly as encrypted digital currency based on blockchain technology. This will save a lot on printing costs, and before our economic scale reaches a certain level, we won't need to issue too much."

"The issuance method will still require a margin, sold like normal currency, just without a physical form. It's very different from the speculative currencies of today. From the day our currency is born, it will be backed by assets; it won't be 'air coin.'"

Lin Zhou listened, his heart pounding.

Chen Yuan's approach was essentially blending modern finance with crypto-sphere concepts.

"Will this... actually work?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Chen Yuan countered. "We have no historical baggage, which is our greatest advantage. It is easier to draw the most beautiful picture on a blank sheet of paper. The whole world is talking about Central Bank digital currencies, but no one dares to actually take that step. So, we will be the first to eat the crab."

"Once this system is established, we can join the SWIFT system and truly integrate into international trade. When our economic scale reaches a certain level, it's not impossible to bypass the SWIFT system entirely and become a global safe-haven currency."

Looking at the white-haired old man before him, Lin Zhou felt a sense of awe from the bottom of his heart for the first time.

This "Iron Abacus" wasn't calculating small accounts like daily necessities.

What he was calculating was the national destiny!

"Elder Chen, I..."

"Stop talking nonsense." Chen Yuan interrupted him. "Take a look at the proposal, and if there are no issues, sign it. I've contacted a few of my old subordinates; they are experts in the financial system who have already retired. It's perfect to pull them in to make use of their remaining talents. The Central Bank's provisional team can be set up within three days."

Lin Zhou picked up a pen and solemnly signed his name on the document appointing him as the "Zero-Coupon Perpetual Bond Holder."

The moment he finished signing, he felt as if he had been emptied out.

From a billionaire, he had turned back into a pauper.

No, even worse than a pauper. He was now the "creditor" of his own country.

After handling the Central Bank matters, Chen Yuan brought up the postal service.

"This is even more troublesome," he frowned. "The Universal Postal Union is an organization even older than the United Nations; it has many rules and high barriers to entry. For us to join, the difficulty is no less than applying for a seat at the United Nations."

"The first step is that we must establish an actually existing postal point on the land of Bir Tawil. Even if it's just a mailbox, we must have one. Then, we issue our own stamps. These are mandatory conditions."

"For this matter, you must send someone you trust to go to Egypt in person and get it done."

A candidate immediately surfaced in Lin Zhou's mind.

Zhao Li.

The construction foreman he had appointed as the Ambassador to Egypt.

He wondered how that guy was doing with building the road to Bir Tawil.

Just as he was thinking about it, his phone rang.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The call was indeed from Zhao Li.

"Hello, Old Zhao, I was just looking for you."

From the other end of the line, however, came Zhao Li's voice, filled with extreme anxiety.

"Boss! It's bad! Something huge has happened!"

"Our bulldozers have been seized by the Egyptian army!"