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

On the way back to the base, no one spoke in the car.

That row of boundary markers belonging to Western companies felt like a stone weighing on everyone's heart.

They arrived filled with the joy of having secured a prime location, but on the way back, everyone looked somber.

He Wei tried to speak several times, but swallowed the words back.

She didn't know what to say.

That opponent was too great, so great that she couldn't find a single word of comfort to say.

The only sounds in the carriage were the hum of the engine and the silence of the passengers, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lin Che sat in the passenger seat, gazing at the vast wilderness rushing past the window, his mind racing.

Panic won't help.

The more difficult the situation he encounters, the colder his mind becomes.

Now is not the time to regret being late, but to lay out our opponents' cards one by one and see them clearly.

The opponent has taken the first step, which is certainly troublesome.

But what truly weighed heavily on his mind was not this.

It was another thing he understood the moment he saw the contact sign.

Why would the other party dare to drive the stakes into this place so blatantly?

Why are they so brazen as to bring Endritu, the most powerful man in the area, to their side?

Because they held a card that Lin Che didn't have.

Identity.

They are well-established Western capitalists who have been operating in this land for many years and are old acquaintances in the eyes of the host country.

In the game involving strategic resources, this identity itself is a thick moat.

The host country can rest assured when dealing with them.

Even if there are disagreements between the two sides, they discuss these matters behind closed doors.

But if it were Lin Che, the situation would be completely different.

As the open fields outside the car window flashed by, Lin Che's brows furrowed even more deeply.

And what about Lin Che?

He was an outsider, a Chinese man.

What's even more problematic is that his identity as a Chinese citizen is not so simple.

Over the years, everything he has done in China has touched upon the most sensitive issues.

In ordinary business, this identity is a golden brand.

But once it's placed in this land of great power rivalry, in the struggle for strategic resources...

This identity immediately became an insurmountable obstacle.

Back at their base, Lin Che called He Wei aside.

Rather than indulging in wild fantasies, he prefers to put problems on the table and listen to what the most professional people have to say.

When it comes to compliance, He Wei is the person he trusts the most.

From a compliance perspective, what is our biggest problem?

He Wei pondered for a moment, then said nothing unnecessary.

"This is your identity."

She said, "To be precise, it's our capital background."

She opened the documents she carried with her and began to explain in detail.

"These kinds of strategic resources are inherently sensitive."

She said, "Whether the host country approves or not depends not only on the money and technology, but also on who is standing behind it."

"That Western company has been deeply rooted here for many years, with a complex and intricate network of relationships. They are a trusted old partner of the host country."

"But are we new faces, or new faces from a specific direction?"

She didn't spell it out more clearly, but Lin Che understood what she meant.

The businesses under his name, and the things he's been involved in over the years, are a sensitive topic in the eyes of some people internationally.

This time, the dispute is about something that is listed as a strategic resource.

When identity and target collide, the two most sensitive things become one, making it incredibly easy for an opponent to exploit the situation.

She looked up at Lin Che.

"If our opponents give us a little push from behind and use our identities as leverage, our approval process could be stalled at any time."

"At that time, even if we have all the necessary documents and qualifications, it will be useless."

"A mere mention of national security review is enough to shut us out completely."

She paused, but her tone remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic.

"Moreover, in this kind of situation, the other party doesn't even need to show up themselves."

"All they need to do is discreetly pass our background information to the people who need to see it."

"The rest will be handled by the local officials who are unwilling to offend Western capital."

"With Endertu's immense influence here, delivering a message is an incredibly simple matter for him."

This is precisely the most difficult part of this hurdle.

The opponent is hidden in the shadows; you don't even have to use your own knife, you rely entirely on others.

Lin Che listened quietly, his face expressionless.

What He Wei said was exactly what he thought.

The opponent's most ruthless move wasn't in the mine, but in him as a person.

In terms of business alone, he has nothing to fear.

In terms of capital, judgment, and methods, he may not be inferior to that giant.

However, the barrier of identity cannot be overcome through commercial means.

This is an open conspiracy.

It's right there, plain and simple, you can see it, yet you just can't break through it.

But Lin Che was not intimidated by this hurdle.

The reason why a strategy is considered open and aboveboard is because it blocks all shortcuts and tricks.

While blocking the side road, it often reveals the only main road.

The other party is using his identity as a pretext to portray him, an outsider, as a potential threat from the host country that cannot be trusted.

The key to breaking the deadlock naturally lies in how to make the host country trust him in return.

He had no idea which way to go.

But he knew there was a way.

There is no situation that cannot be resolved; there is only a lack of the right approach.

Along his journey, he encountered numerous difficulties, each one seemingly a dead end.

But in the end, he got through them all.

This time, the opponent is simply stronger, and the hurdles are higher.

What he lacks is simply a breakthrough point that he hasn't yet figured out.

The tent was quiet for a moment.

Lin Che's gaze unconsciously fell on Kamau, who was not far away.

The accompanying staff member sent by the joint supervisor was, as always, writing something down in his notebook with his head down.

These days, Lin Che has been treating those eyes as a shackle around his neck.

But for some reason, at this moment, looking at the figure engrossed in taking notes, the slight irritation in his heart inexplicably subsided a little.

He was just thinking that the key to breaking the deadlock was how to gain people's trust.

The notebook in the hand of the person in front of him records exactly how open and straightforward every step he has taken has been along the way.

He came and did nothing, but he reported everything and left traces everywhere.

These written records are both a form of surveillance hanging overhead and a piece of clear-cut proof.

It was a noose around his neck, but from another perspective, it was also a clear and undisputed innocence.

He couldn't quite describe what that feeling was.

I just have a vague feeling that the things Kamau writes down every day, stroke by stroke, might have another use someday in the future.

Those records he voluntarily reported and openly documented may not simply be a noose around his neck.

The thought flashed through his mind, but he didn't dwell on it.

Right now, there are more pressing matters to attend to.

How exactly do we overcome the hurdle of identity?

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pondered, checking off possible solutions one by one.

Find a more influential local backer to counter Endritu?

difficult.

The other party has been operating for many years, and he is unfamiliar with the area and cannot find anyone who can match him in a short period of time.

Do you manipulate the approval process to get the paperwork done before your competitors can?

It's difficult too.

Since the other party dared to use their identity as a trump card, they must have been prepared in advance and might not give him the time.

He went through one method after another in his mind, only to reject them one by one.

This hurdle was more difficult than any he had ever encountered before.

Because what it aims to break down is not a commercial problem, but the invisible wall that stands between countries.

Just as I was lost in thought, my phone, which was in my pocket, suddenly vibrated.

It's a message.

From China.

Lin Che opened his eyes and took out his phone.

The screen was lit up, and the sender's field for that new message lay quietly with just two words.

Shen Nan.