The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

The air in the conference room was as stuffy as glue.

There was no yelling or shouting, and no smashing of cups.

The most critical decision-making moments are often so quiet they're almost deafening.

Only the monotonous hum of the projector's cooling fan could be heard, like the flapping of the wings of some dying insect.

Financial Director Zhang Qingshan sat opposite Lin Che.

This veteran accountant, who has spent twenty years at PwC, is now taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses repeatedly.

His movements were slow, and his fingers were stiff and unresponsive.

On the table was a newly drafted "Funds Transfer Order".

Amount: 20 billion RMB.

Purpose: To advance funds for reserve payments.

The signature field is empty.

"President Lin," Zhang Qingshan put on his glasses, his voice dry, as if there was sand stuck in his throat, "I cannot sign this."

He capped the Montblanc pen he used for signing with a soft "click".

"According to the Reserve Fund Management Measures issued by the People's Bank of China in 2017, misappropriating one's own funds for liquidation and advance payments is a serious violation of business regulations. Once it is classified as 'second-tier liquidation' or 'illegal fundraising,' the minimum penalty is ten years."

Zhang Qingshan raised his head, his eyes showing no anger, only a professional despair and pleading, "My daughter is going to study in the UK next year, I can't have a criminal record."

The surrounding executives were all looking down at their phones, as if there were some state secrets on the screen.

No one dared to speak.

This is no longer a business adventure; it's tap dancing on the edge of the law.

Lin Che leaned back in his chair, not fiddling with the coins in his hand, nor displaying any domineering posture.

He simply rubbed his temples wearily, a physiological reaction to continuous high-intensity work.

"Old Zhang."

Lin Che spoke, his voice soft, "You know the situation outside. Every second, hundreds of users are cursing because their withdrawals failed. If we don't cover the losses, even before the regulators investigate, by tomorrow morning when the sun rises, ofo will already be a corpse."

"That's a civil dispute; the company can just go bankrupt and be liquidated!" Zhang Qingshan's speech suddenly quickened. "Bankruptcy is business failure, but embezzlement is a criminal offense! President Lin, it's better to preserve your life!"

"A faint light shines on the green hills."

Lin Che lowered his hand, his gaze falling on Zhang Qingshan's face, which was filled with fear. "For internet finance companies, a collapse of credit is a death sentence, with no reprieve."

He stood up.

The chair rubbed against the carpet, making that teeth-grinding slurring sound.

Lin Che walked around the long table and stood behind Zhang Qingshan.

Zhang Qingshan's back muscles tensed instantly, and he subconsciously placed his hand on the insurance box containing the company seal.

"What are you trying to do?" Zhang Qingshan's voice changed. "Lin Che, don't do anything reckless, this is illegal!"

"I know."

Lin Che took a piece of paper out of his suit pocket and slapped it in front of Zhang Qingshan.

That wasn't a dismissal letter, but a "Letter of Commitment to Unlimited Joint and Several Liability".

The ink on it wasn't completely dry yet, and the handwriting was messy and sharp.

The content is simple: Lin Che will bear all legal consequences of this fund transfer. If any criminal law is violated, Lin Che will be the sole responsible party, and the financial personnel will only be subject to forced execution.

"If something happens, I'll go to jail."

Lin Che shoved the pen back into Zhang Qingshan's hand, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, "You become a witness against me, and I'll guarantee you'll be fine, and I'll also guarantee your daughter can go to England."

Zhang Qingshan was stunned.

He looked at the letter of commitment, then turned his head to look at Lin Che's profile.

On that young face, there was not a trace of gambler's fanaticism, only a chilling coldness.

"You're a madman..." Zhang Qingshan muttered to himself.

"I'm someone who's putting out fires."

Lin Che reached out and grabbed the edge of the safe. "Old Zhang, give me the stamp. Don't force me to use force; it won't look good for anyone."

Stalemate.

A deathly silence lasting for more than ten seconds.

Finally, Zhang Qingshan's fingers loosened one by one.

He seemed to age ten years in an instant, slumped in his chair, and turned his head away, no longer looking at the box.

"I don't know, I don't know anything..." He closed his eyes, mumbling incoherently, "I took sick leave today, I'm not at the company..."

Without saying a word, Lin Che took the safe and opened it with a "click".

Take out the official financial seal.

"Bang!"

The seal was stamped heavily on the irregular transfer order, the bright red ink like a shocking wound.

"Li Wenbo!"

Li Wenbo, who had been huddled in the corner pretending to be dead, suddenly jumped up. "Here!"

Lin Che tossed the stamped form to him, his eyes instantly turning sharp as knives: "Take it to the finance department and use the special approval channel."

"Remember, we need to create a 'virtual mirror' on the front end, making users think the money is coming from the bank, when in fact it's coming from our own fund pool. Every transaction must be balanced, and I want the auditors to be able to spot any discrepancies!"

"Yes!" Li Wenbo grabbed the form and rushed out of the conference room as if his life depended on it.

Lin Che turned around and looked at the few people remaining in the conference room.

"Old Zhang is sick, let's take him home to rest."

Lin Che straightened his slightly wrinkled cuffs, his tone as calm as if he were arranging tomorrow's lunch, "Everyone else, keep your mouths shut. Anyone who dares to say anything out of line at this crucial moment..."

He didn't mention the consequences, but his gaze lingered on each person's face for a second.

That moment was even more chilling than the standoff just now.

……

B2 Data Center.

As the Enter key was pressed, the trading chart, which had been a dead line, suddenly and strangely jumped.

Withdrawal successful!

"Holy crap, it arrived!"

"That scared me to death! Weiguang is still amazing, it fixed it so quickly."

On the media monitoring screen, the insults and panic began to subside.

The users went to sleep contentedly with the money that had just arrived in their accounts.

They didn't realize that every penny they had just received was a result of the company cutting into its own flesh.

Lin Che stood in front of the control panel, watching the figure representing the company's cash flow being deducted at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Those aren't numbers; they're the passage of time.

"President Lin..."

Li Wenbo walked over, his face still deathly pale.

He pointed to the top right corner of the screen.

That was a script he had just written, a red countdown timer:

47:59:12

"At the current rate of withdrawals, these cash reserves can only last for 48 hours." Li Wenbo's voice trembled. "After 48 hours, if the bank interface is not restored, or if a new channel cannot be found... the fund pool will dry up, and then it will be a real collapse."

Moreover, the collapse was accompanied by charges of "illegal fundraising".

Lin Che stared at the fluctuating number for a few seconds.

47:59:08

Every second that beat felt like someone was hammering his temples.

That's enough.

Lin Che suddenly turned around, grabbed the black cashmere coat from the rack next to him, and draped it over his shoulders.

"I'll watch the house, you guys hold on."

He buttoned his shirt as he walked out, his steps so fast they created a gust of wind.

"Mr. Lin, where are you going?" Li Wenbo took two steps after him.

Lin Che pushed open the heavy soundproof door, and the cold wind from outside, mixed with the air conditioning in the corridor, rushed in.

He didn't turn around, and his voice sounded particularly hollow in the server room.

"Money isn't everything; some paths can't be bought with money alone."

"I'll go get something harder."

The door slowly closed behind him.

The countdown on the screen continued to tick relentlessly.

47:58:55

This high-stakes gamble has officially begun.