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

The "Zitanxuan" restaurant in Houhai, Beijing, doesn't have a sign; only a few Audi A6s with passes are parked in front of it.

There is no lobby here, only private rooms, and you need to verify your identity and face to enter and exit.

When Lin Che pushed open the door and entered "Listening to the Rain Pavilion", the room was so quiet that the only sound could be the sound of water boiling.

The private room was large, decorated in an old-fashioned and understated style, with a painting of shrimp by Qi Baishi hanging on the wall, though I couldn't tell if it was real or not.

Liu Guoqiang sat on the daybed by the window, not wearing a suit, but a dark blue cashmere cardigan, holding a purple clay teapot in his hand.

There was an empty chair opposite him, but no teacup.

"Liu Xing".

Lin Che stood at the door and called out.

Liu Guoqiang seemed not to hear.

He lowered his head slightly, concentrating intently as he poured boiling water over the kettle.

Water flowed down the brown body of the teapot, stirring up a cloud of white mist, and the air was filled with the aroma of expensive aged Pu'er tea.

"Sizzle—"

Water was poured onto the golden toad tea pet next to it, making a soft sound.

Lin Che didn't say anything more, nor did he move forward.

He stood there in the shadows by the door, watching the deputy general manager of the Beijing branch of a major state-owned bank perform the tea ceremony.

One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes.

This is an old and effective form of workplace bullying, known in the industry as "keeping the hawk at bay".

I don't need to scold you or chase you away; I'll just leave you hanging.

It makes you feel the passage of time in this enclosed space, makes you doubt your own worth little by little in that awkward silence, until your anxiety wears away your confidence.

Lin Che's expression remained unchanged.

He even counted with great interest the number of times Liu Guoqiang was splashed with water.

The seventh time.

Liu Guoqiang finally put down the teapot in his hand.

He picked up a cotton and linen tea towel, slowly wiped his hands, and then, as if he had just noticed that there was another person in the room, he raised his eyelids and glanced at them.

"Oh, Kobayashi's here?"

His tone was gentle and warm, conveying the concern of an elder for a younger person. There was no indication that the coldness he had shown for the past ten minutes was intentional. "Why are you standing? Come in and sit down. This tea has just been brewed, and this brew tastes the best."

There was no explanation, let alone an apology.

Lin Che walked over, pulled out the heavy mahogany chair, and sat down.

"President Liu, you seem to be in a good mood." Lin Che's voice was flat.

Liu Guoqiang smiled, picked up the fairness cup, handed Lin Che a cup, and filled it to about seven-tenths full.

The tea soup is bright red, it is indeed a good tea.

"Tonight's events have caused quite a stir."

Liu Guoqiang picked up his cup, gently blew away the foam, and said in a casual tone, "I heard your servers went down? Young people are too impulsive. The system needs more maintenance; security comes first."

They called "banning" "protection" and "butcher's knife" "teaching whip".

This is the art of language within the system.

Lin Che did not touch the cup of tea.

He pulled a neatly folded document from his pocket, handed it over with both hands, and pushed it flat on the table.

"Liu Xing, let's not beat around the bush."

Lin Che looked into the other party's eyes and spoke calmly, "This is a cooperation plan that Microlight has drafted overnight. We are willing to give up 20% of our equity to your bank's investment company, at 80% of the previous valuation. In addition, Microlight's reserve funds for the next three years will all be entrusted to you."

This is cutting off the flesh.

A 20% stake represents billions of dollars in real money.

With the accumulated funds of tens of billions of yuan in turnover, this is a generous gift that would earn any branch manager a perfect score in the year-end evaluation.

Liu Guoqiang glanced at the document.

He didn't reach out to take it, nor did he even lean forward.

He simply put down his teacup, leaned back, and the daybed made a slight creaking sound.

"Kobayashi."

Liu Guoqiang sighed, a hint of regret in his eyes, as if looking at an ignorant child, "You still didn't understand what I meant."

He held up one finger and tapped the number "20%".

"We are a large state-owned bank, not a vegetable market. You are insulting me and the rules by trying to negotiate with me with money."

Lin Che's pupils contracted slightly: "So, what does Liu Xing mean?"

Liu Guoqiang picked up the teapot and began refilling Lin Che's cup with water.

Water flowed into the cup, filled it, overflowed, and spilled all over the table.

Brown tea dripped down the edge of the table and onto the floor.

A full cup of tea is an insult to a guest.

"Weiguang is too lucrative and too wild a piece of meat," Liu Guoqiang said softly, his voice carrying an undeniable coldness. "Payment is the financial lifeline of the country. How can it be controlled by private individuals? Especially someone like you... an uncontrollable private individual."

"I don't want shares."

Liu Guoqiang looked up, his true intentions revealed: "What I want is data, all the user credit data, plus the transfer of control of Weiguang Technology. Of course, we will retain your management position, after all, you are a rare talent."

To swallow up.

It's not a collaboration, not an investment, it's a complete takeover.

He not only wants to eat meat, but also chews up the bones and swallows them, and finally he wants to turn dog owners into dogs.

Lin Che looked at the overflowing teacup and suddenly smiled.

That smile was cold, like a knife just drawn from its sheath.

"What if I don't give it to them?"

The smile on Liu Guoqiang's face did not disappear, but the temperature dropped to freezing point.

"You won't give it to me?"

He picked up the multi-billion dollar proposal, glanced at it, and casually tossed it into the wastebasket at his feet.

A soft "snap" sound.

"That's a pity." Liu Guoqiang picked up the purple clay teapot again and began to rinse the second cup. "Tonight is just the beginning. Tomorrow, the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Tax Bureau, the Anti-Money Laundering Center... will all be going to Weiguang for tea. Xiao Lin, you're only in your twenties. There are some rules you don't understand. When doing business in China, some meals are for those in power, and some meals are reserved for those in power."

"Young people, you must follow the rules."

After saying this, Liu Guoqiang lowered his head again, focusing on the tea set in his hands, as if the person sitting opposite him was already dead.

An order to leave.

The private room fell silent once again.

Lin Che sat quietly for three seconds.

He wasn't angry, he didn't slam his fist on the table, and his heart didn't even race.

He clearly heard the sound of something breaking.

It wasn't the teacup, but rather the last vestige of reverence he held for this old order.

"Been taught a lesson."

Lin Che stood up and straightened the hem of his suit jacket.

He glanced at the wastepaper basket, then took a deep look at Liu Guoqiang's meticulously combed head.

"This tea is too expensive, I can't afford it."

Lin Che turned and walked towards the door.

There was no sound from behind him until his hand gripped the doorknob.

Liu Guoqiang didn't even turn his head; that arrogance was ingrained in his bones.

Lin Che stopped in his tracks.

"By the way, Liu Xing."

With his back to Liu Guoqiang, his voice was eerily calm: "You're right, we should follow the rules. However, rules can sometimes be bought and sold."

Liu Guoqiang paused for a moment, then let out a contemptuous nasal sound.

Lin Che opened the door and went out.

Outside the door, the night was cool and still.

At the end of the corridor, Li Wenbo paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.

Seeing Lin Che come out, he hurriedly went up to him, lowered his voice, and asked hopefully, "How did it go? Did you reach an agreement? As long as the interface can be restored, we'll pay any price..."

Lin Che didn't say anything, but simply took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

The flames flickered in the darkness, illuminating his cold, emotionless eyes.

"The talks broke down." Lin Che exhaled a puff of smoke, which was instantly dispersed by the night wind.

"Then...what do we do?" Li Wenbo's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground. "48 hours...we can't make it! The run on the bank is coming first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Whether it's 20% or the whole amount, he doesn't deserve it."

Lin Che threw the cigarette he had just taken a puff of on the ground and crushed it out with his leather shoe.

The red spark struggled for a moment on the sole of the shoe before extinguishing itself.

He raised his head and looked towards the east of the city, in the direction of Tongzhou.

It was a ruin forgotten by the internet, but a knife was hidden in the ruin.

A knife that can pierce the sky.

"Walk."

Lin Che opened the car door, his voice as cold as the February night wind.

"Go to Tongzhou and find that 'Xinfutong' that's about to go bankrupt."

"Since he won't give me a way out, I'll just buy the road construction workers."