Another Kind of Sweetness

"Banks are a very realistic group of people whose goal is to legally plunder all your assets!"

Standing at the port, Lin Qi shared some of his thoughts with Neil, "Think about it, when your factory is developing rapidly, even if you don't need a loan to complete a phase of your development plan, the banks will come knocking on your door."

"Their business manager will tell you that they can apply for a low-interest loan for you and help you connect with people to give you a more professional and ambitious development plan."

"If you borrow this money and your company, factory, and development go smoothly, both of you will act as if you've forgotten about it, except for the negligible monthly interest that will be deducted from your account."

"But if one day your business isn't doing as well as it used to be, and problems arise, they'll send you a lawyer's letter, telling you that you have no other options."

"Remember this, Neil: if you can't handle banks and money, don't go looking for a loan."

"The money the bank gives you isn't to save you, but to give you a push before you fall into the abyss!"

Neil was somewhat bewildered by these words; he couldn't quite grasp them yet. In fact, within the social strata he had encountered, he had never come across anything so "advanced."

Subconsciously, he asked, "What if my company wasn't doing well from the start?"

Lin Qi smiled knowingly and replied, "Then you won't even be able to get into the bank!"

This is not something Lin Qi said or joked about; it is the truth.

For example, the personal Credit Loan business that the Federal has been promoting recently requires no collateral; people can get a sum of money from the bank based solely on their past life information, bank statements, and current personal assets.

Unlike in the past, when you had to pledge something, you don't need to now.

However, there is something that people may not notice: banks will proactively remind those with good credit records or even large deposits that they can come to the bank anytime to receive a low-interest personal Credit Loan that matches their identity, without collateral, and they only need to sign the loan contract.

The bank's reception department even set up a special telephone department to call those who met their criteria and urge them to come and get the loan as soon as possible.

But for the poor people in the bank lobby who really need the money, their tellers can find a thousand ways to tell them that they don't meet the criteria for personal Credit Loan.

The reason for doing this is actually not that complicated. Giving money to wealthy and secure people can generate a steady stream of profits. However, if the other party encounters financial problems, the bank can initiate a harvesting scheme.

They will demand payment, then file lawsuits, and then use third-party Foreclosure Auction acquire something they want—a car, a house, or something else—at an extremely low price.

These funds will then be converted into cash through another Third-Party Company, distributed as profits to various intermediaries, and finally deposited into the bank's vault.

A bank lends out 10,000 yuan, generates a profit of 10% to 20%, and then receives back items worth several times that 10,000 yuan. This is why they are so eager to lend money to wealthy people.

Many people may not have many problems, but if just one person has a problem, the bank will make a fortune.

The larger this base, the higher the bank's profits. But the poor? No, sir, the poor can't repay their debts, and even if they are sued, the money cannot be recovered. Giving money to the poor is the biggest dereliction of duty for Federal bankers and practitioners!

Although those bankers have the qualified title of banker, they are ultimately capitalists. The goal of capitalists is wealth, profit, and high returns.

As the cruise ship drew closer, a sense of oppression slowly grew. People who had never seen such a large ocean liner could hardly comprehend the visual impact of a house placed horizontally on the sea and still floating.

It took quite a while just to dock the ship. Afterwards, Lin Qi met the person who had come to greet him at the port, Mr. Qiao Geliman.

Meanwhile, people from other banks also came over to greet Lin Qi.

There's no way around it; when doing "business" in this area, they can't avoid Lin Qi. It's not that Lin Qi has more formidable economic power than banks, but rather that his influence in this country, especially in the political sphere, is greater than that of banks.

This is one of the reasons why capitalists advocate prioritizing economic development. When the influence of politics on society is significantly greater than that of wealth, capitalists become fearful because politicians can redistribute the money they have plundered from the people at any time through various means.

Their wealth is only relatively safe when its influence outweighs that of politics.

Only when elections reach the point where Federal elections are essentially about finding spokespeople for capitalists and capital can capitalists and capital be absolutely safe.

Nagaril clearly cannot do this yet. In its traditional, backward, and ignorant society, the entanglement of political and religious power makes it difficult for wealth to become a force that influences society. But now these people have come, bringing with them eager eyes and expectations from across the ocean! "It's a pleasure to see you all here, but it seems you need an adjustment period..." Lin Qi casually gestured, and staff members handed out scented handkerchiefs to these bank clerical staff.

This made them feel much better, including Qiao Geliman, who covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, complaining, "Nobody ever told me it would smell this bad, it's like..."

"It's like...", he frowned, unsure how to describe it.

At this point, someone added, "It's like driving through the streets of the Lower District!"

"Yes, that's exactly how it feels, it's awful!" Qiao Geliman immediately agreed, and everyone burst into laughter.

As "upper-class" people, Lower District and joking with the people living there had almost become a habit for the class they represented.

In the eyes of these people, the Lower District is a place where filth and evil are rampant, and people will take it for granted if anything bad happens Lower District.

Isn't that right? Look at the kind of people who live there! Skilled women, thieves, criminals, all the dirtiest and most despicable Professionals, and the poorest people live there.

Those areas are no longer called the Lower District; they've actually gotten their own names, and some of them sound pretty good, like the King's District or something.

The joke pleased everyone, but Qiao Geliman asked somewhat strangely, "Mr. Lin Qi, don't you think it smells bad here?"

"Stinky?" Lin Qi smiled. "A scientist once told me that the human brain has the ability to block out odors. When you are not used to a certain smell, it will soon have no effect on you."

"So you can't smell the stench here?" Qiao Geliman asked curiously.

Lin Qi nodded. "I really can't smell the stench now."

"This is amazing..."

Lin Qi invited everyone to visit the Provincial Governor's home, and they gladly accepted. Maintaining a good relationship with the local Provincial Governor was one of the essential conditions for them to do business here.

As they rode in the car from the Provincial Governor's Residence's office, watching the police officers vigorously beat the crowd with batons and drive them away in front of the convoy, the gentlemen from the civilized world couldn't help but gasp in surprise as they sat in a modified bus.

"Too barbaric," or "too inhumane," these words flowed naturally from their mouths, but on their faces, Lin Qi saw only a sense of satisfaction, a yearning for power.

Privilege is always a powerful tool for winning people over, and it is always effective.

When they arrived at the Provincial Governor's Residence, the Provincial Governor had prepared a grand welcoming ceremony. When these world-renowned bank presidents arrived at this palace-like building after traversing long, dilapidated, rugged, and garbage-filled roads, the shock left them momentarily speechless.

A door separates this place, creating two worlds.

The fragrance of the flower petals on the ground made the stench almost unbearable, and a cool breeze made time seem to slow down.

Local women of various styles, dressed in traditional Nagaril People costumes, danced gracefully around them, while traditional musical instruments played, and the scent of power mingled with the rising smoke of incense.

Taking a deep breath, I could not feel any sense of backwardness, only the sweetness brought by supreme power.

"I'm starting to like it here," one of the bank managers said with a smile.

After chatting casually with everyone, Lin Qi and Qiao Geliman found a corner where no one disturbed them; everyone knew what they were going to talk about.

"I'm about to build a Cement Factory and need to conduct an environmental assessment and dust control measures. Do you have any suitable candidates?"

Lin Qi looked at him, and after a moment of surprise, Qiao Geliman smiled and said, "You don't need to do this. Thanks to you, I'm already the bank manager."

He knew that Lin Qi wasn't asking him about this because he genuinely couldn't find anyone to do it; he could just make a call to Patu or Wo Delike, and they would arrange everything perfectly.

Don't underestimate these seemingly small things. For any company engaged in related work, having such cross-border assessments and qualifications is a huge boost to its brand image!

Lin Qi asked him about something he could have handled himself, and his purpose was obvious: he was offering a bribe.

To be honest, Qiao Geliman is now a little afraid to Lin Qi's money because the dynamics between the two have changed dramatically.

Lin Qi was not much different from before. He patted Qiao Geliman on the shoulder and said, "I'm not a stingy person, especially towards those who have helped me. You deserve this!"