Chapter Summaries

Lin Qi visited the company after returning from overseas and found Vera overwhelmed by the growing burden of reviewing its accounts. He urged her to delegate the work, hire auditors, and trust the employees, leaving her to reconsider how she managed the company’s finances.

• Lin Qi arrived at the modest company headquarters, where the receptionist recognized him and Vera welcomed him into her office.
• Vera explained that the expanding workload and responsibility for reviewing figures had left her mentally exhausted.
• Lin Qi told Vera she should delegate rather than overwork herself and reminded her that she was his trusted partner.
• Lin Qi suggested creating independent auditing teams and hiring more people to check the company’s figures.
• Lin Qi reassured Vera that he valued her trustworthiness more than her accounting expertise and urged her to trust the other employees.

Lin Qi met with Vera to review his wealth and the slowing secondhand-goods auction business, then invited her to dinner. Vera brought her child along, leaving the three of them seated together at an upscale restaurant.

• Vera explained Lin Qi's assets and warned that auction transaction volumes had been falling as the secondhand-goods market approached saturation.
• Lin Qi learned that his stake in Fox Film was his most profitable business, earning nearly eight hundred thousand in profits from several productions.
• Vera joked that Lin Qi had no personal cash and owed the bank a large sum, and he played along by asking whether he was bankrupt.
• Lin Qi invited Vera to dinner, but she hesitated because her child feared she might abandon him after her divorce from Gepu.
• Lin Qi suggested Vera bring her child, and the three of them went to an upscale restaurant, where her child curiously sized him up.

Lin Qi took Vera and her son to dinner, where the boy mistakenly thought Lin Qi might become his new father and the three shared a happy evening. After returning home, Lin Qi learned Vera had dismissed a maid for stealing and warned that the former maid could pose a danger, so he offered to stay overnight and find reliable replacements.

• Vera's son asked whether Lin Qi was his new daddy, and Vera clarified that Lin Qi was only her boss.
• Lin Qi entertained Vera and her son with stories about his adventures in Nagaril during dinner.
• Vera thanked Lin Qi for giving them a rare happy evening after he escorted them home.
• Lin Qi learned Vera had dismissed her live-in maid after catching her stealing and warned that the maid might target Vera or her son.
• Lin Qi offered to stay at Vera's home overnight and help her find two reliable workers the next day.

Lin Qi stayed at Vera’s home, where they watched Three Bastards lampoon the Governor Candidate’s policies and grew closer during the evening. After Vera retreated to the guest room and Lin Qi fell asleep, a shadow appeared beneath his bedroom door and someone slowly opened it.

• Vera accepted Lin Qi’s request to stay and prepared the guest room while Lin Qi watched the Evening Program.
• Three Bastards openly admitted they were paid to appear, then entertained the audience while criticizing the Governor Candidate’s policies.
• Vera joined Lin Qi to watch the program, and the two gradually sat close together before Vera hurried away at the end of the night.
• Lin Qi went to bed and quickly fell asleep in Vera’s heated home.
• Lin Qi woke in the darkness, grasped a steel pen for protection, and watched as someone slowly opened his bedroom door.

Vera visited Lin Qi’s room during the night, and their encounter left her feeling closer to him. The next morning, Lin Qi told her he could not marry her and offered to step away if she wanted, but Vera took his words as proof of his consideration and accepted his closeness.

• Unable to sleep, Vera went to Lin Qi’s bedside, where he mistook her for a servant, grabbed her, and accidentally pricked her neck with a fountain pen.
• Lin Qi kissed Vera’s wound to clean away the ink, and the night passed without either of them discussing what happened.
• The next morning, Vera joined Lin Qi for breakfast, and he told her she looked better than before.
• After the maid and the boy left, Lin Qi apologized and claimed he had lost control, giving Vera a way to avoid feeling responsible.
• Lin Qi warned Vera that he could not marry her and offered to disappear if she could not accept that, but Vera took his words as consideration and accepted his affection.

Lin Qi asked Vera to move to Bu Peien and oversee the financial work for his funds and headquarters, promising that the city would offer better prospects for her career and child. Vera agreed, and they began discussing which employees to bring while Lin Qi planned to keep a branch office in Sabine City.

• Vera told Lin Qi she might remain unmarried for her child but still had the right to control her own body, and the two agreed their intimacy would not change their lives.
• Lin Qi asked Vera to take charge of his financial work in Bu Peien and said he planned to move his headquarters there for at least ten years because of his relationship with the president.
• Vera hesitated because Bu Peien was known as a harsh, unwelcoming city, but Lin Qi described its advantages in technology, medicine, education, and opportunity.
• Lin Qi told Vera he needed her, and she took his hand, agreeing to move to Bu Peien.
• Vera asked what would happen to the Sabine City employees, and Lin Qi said she could bring trusted, capable staff while he maintained a branch office there.

Lin Qi visited Jinhui Bank’s Sabine City branch to review the finances and debts of manufacturers he planned to acquire. The manager discreetly provided the records, and Lin Qi selected seven or eight companies as he prepared to create an opportunity for Ferral and ease the acquisitions.

• Lin Qi went to Jinhui Bank’s Sabine City branch, where the manager personally welcomed him because of his elevated status and help to the bank in Nagaril.
• Lin Qi asked to inspect the financial and debt records of several companies he hoped to acquire.
• The manager hesitated over whether sharing confidential records would violate bank rules, but agreed after Lin Qi suggested the companies would soon be his.
• The manager brought Lin Qi documents detailing the companies’ deposits, cash flows, loans, and collateral.
• Lin Qi found that the manufacturers had production lines, skilled workers, and substantial inventories, then selected seven or eight suitable companies for later acquisition.

Jonathan, a bankrupt factory owner living on relief, clung to his belief that the economy would recover and his unsold goods would make him prosperous again. A representative from Jinhui Bank arrived to negotiate with him, but the recording and legal warnings left Jonathan nervous as the inquiry began.

• Jonathan repeated his belief that everything would be fine while recalling how the disaster had cost him his home, wife, and wealth.
• Jonathan read the newspaper and reasoned that Nagaril's development would create demand for his factory's leftover goods, allowing him to repay the bank and restart production.
• A young man carrying a briefcase arrived and identified himself as a special envoy from Jinhui Bank.
• The envoy began recording their conversation and warned Jonathan that the recording could be used in court if he refused to answer or end negotiations.
• Jonathan acknowledged that the conversation was being recorded and grew nervous as the envoy began the formal inquiry.

A bank envoy told Mr. Jonathan that his debts could cost him his factory and remaining property, then revealed that Lin Qi might buy the business and settle the loans. Mr. Jonathan arrived at Lin Qi’s villa in a rented suit and was warmly greeted, leaving him with a chance to discuss his future.

• A Bank Special Envoy explained that Jinhui Bank would auction Mr. Jonathan’s property and might force him to work to repay any remaining debt.
• After turning off the recorder, the envoy told Mr. Jonathan that Lin Qi was interested in acquiring troubled enterprises and helping their owners settle their loans.
• Mr. Jonathan cleaned up, rented a suit, and went to Lin Qi’s villa to seek a chance to sell his factory.
• A servant led Mr. Jonathan to the Side Hall, where Lin Qi asked him to wait while he took an important phone call.
• Lin Qi apologized for keeping him waiting, and Mr. Jonathan gratefully greeted him.

Lin Qi offered to buy Mr. Jonathan’s company and fund his move to Nagaril after learning that Jinhui Bank planned to auction his factory. Mr. Jonathan left Lin Qi’s villa with renewed hope and a plan to rebuild his life.

• Mr. Jonathan visited Lin Qi hoping he would buy his factory, and Lin Qi said he had no immediate acquisition plans but believed Nagaril’s market would keep growing.
• Mr. Jonathan explained that Jinhui Bank was threatening to auction his factory because he could not repay his debt.
• Lin Qi called Jinhui Bank’s senior management, then offered to buy Mr. Jonathan’s company for the amount he owed and lend him additional money to start over in Nagaril.
• Mr. Jonathan broke down in tears and thanked Lin Qi for giving him another chance.
• Lin Qi gave Mr. Jonathan three hundred dollars, arranged an escort, and agreed to meet later to sign the contract; Mr. Jonathan left feeling hopeful about his future.

Lin Qi helped struggling businessmen, then recruited two female veterans to provide security for Vera. The chapter left the veterans settling into their new jobs while the Federal Army continued its widely supported demobilization.

• Lin Qi tried to help an irritable older factory owner but lacked the funds to prevent the bank from auctioning the business.
• The Federation expanded its army demobilization plan, earning support from the public and the International Community.
• Lin Qi visited the Veterans Club and asked Ferral's Wife's Father to recommend female soldiers to guard Vera and her child.
• Ferral's Wife's Father selected two female soldiers, and Lin Qi hired them at a generous salary with Blackstone Security benefits.
• Vera welcomed the new employees at home, and the two veterans began checking the house's security.

Lin Qi reassured Vera’s son that he and his mother would move with him to Bu Peien, then discussed children and society with Vera. He ended by telling her that he had invested in a dubious artificial-island project because he was not a picky eater.

• Vera’s son asked whether Lin Qi would live with them and worried that he might become a burden if Vera began a new romance.
• Vera assured her son that Lin Qi was her friend and that they would not marry, while Lin Qi promised the boy a new home and school in Bu Peien.
• Lin Qi and Vera discussed whether Lin Qi liked children, and he joked that he preferred children who did not interfere with his ambitions.
• Lin Qi told Vera about a proposed artificial island for wealthy residents in Bu Peien, calling its promoter a swindler and its investors foolish.
• Vera was surprised to learn Lin Qi had invested in the project, and he replied that he was not a picky eater.

Lin Qi explained the recession’s effects and discussed Vera’s role overseeing the finances of his companies. He left for Bu Peien to prepare an international announcement scheduled for December 25.

• Lin Qi explained that established financiers such as Patu and Wo Delike could profit from the recession by cutting costs, and he had invested in a proposed Production Company.
• Lin Qi told Vera that he needed her to handle broader accounts and trusted her with the work, though she questioned whether he planned to establish a Group Company.
• Female Soldier One woke to investigate noises, then saw Female Soldier Two on the stairs and realized what was happening.
• Vera prepared breakfast for Lin Qi, who then left for Bu Peien after Mr. He Bosi and his International Bankers had raised and transported the required money.
• Lin Qi arranged for international reporters to gather in Bu Peien ahead of the December 25 announcement.

Lin Qi staged a public display of ten billion Galils and announced plans to buy the currency, while the Federation and the United Development Company made matching commitments. Their announcements drove the Galil’s exchange rate sharply upward, leaving the market surging with activity.

• Lin Qi arrived at the port and displayed cash amounts ranging from one Federal Sol to two million sols before revealing five shipping containers holding nearly ten billion Galils.
• Lin Qi told the reporters he would personally buy ten billion Galils as foreign-exchange reserves, citing Nagaril’s prospects and the countries’ growing cooperation.
• Lin Qi announced that Nagaril would increase its Federal Sol reserves and that the Federation would buy tens of billions of Galils.
• Mr. Truman announced that the Federal Government would buy at least fifty billion Galils, while the United Development Company would continue buying at least thirty billion.
• The announcements attracted international hot money and sent the Galil’s exchange rate up by more than a dozen points in one morning.

He Bosi and the International Bankers planned to delay Gefra’s exchange of Lin Qi’s bonds so they could profit from the deal. Meanwhile, the Galil’s exchange rate surged on December 25, leaving its holders substantially richer.

• He Bosi told the International Bankers that they could profit by obstructing Lin Qi’s attempt to exchange his Gefra bonds quickly.
• He Bosi proposed using their connections to discover Gefra’s weaknesses and delay the bond exchange in April or May, before their agreement ended in June.
• He Bosi remained confident that Lin Qi lacked the time and connections to counter their plan in Gefra.
• Lin Qi, the United Development Company, and the Federation’s investment in Galil drew international attention and hot money.
• On December 25, the Galil’s exchange rate rose from 237 to 1 fula to 169 to 1, increasing the wealth of its holders.

Lin Qi explained to Mr. Truman how he could justify seizing the conspicuous 100 billion Galil and keep it in the Federation. Truman then offered Lin Qi a prominent political role to prevent their interests from colliding, but Lin Qi declined because they wanted different things.

• Mr. Truman asked Lin Qi about his Galil profits and discussed the Financial Supervisory Commission's investigation into Blackstone Capital.
• Lin Qi proposed using a customs bribery report and an investigation into smuggled currency to seize the 100 billion Galil after their plan ended.
• Mr. Truman realized Lin Qi's proposal solved the problem of keeping the money in the Federation and praised his ingenuity.
• Mr. Truman offered Lin Qi a position as his assistant and a path into politics.
• Lin Qi thanked Mr. Truman but declined, saying they pursued different things.

Lin Qi rejected Mr. Truman’s suggestion that he enter politics and discussed the Federation’s planned cooperation with Gefra. He agreed to join the delegation traveling to negotiate, while keeping his own business interests in mind.

• Lin Qi told Mr. Truman he would not become a politician because he preferred the lasting power of capital.
• Mr. Truman explained that Gefra’s emperor had softened toward a joint development plan for the Amelia Region, with negotiations expected after the State Election.
• Mr. Truman asked Lin Qi to join the delegation to Gefra and take over the Regimental Commander’s duties if needed, and Lin Qi agreed.
• Lin Qi and Mr. Truman discussed the United Development Company’s rapid progress in Nagaril before Lin Qi left the Presidential Palace.

Lin Qi attended dinner at Mr. Wo Delike’s home, where he discussed the unrest in Nagaril and Sai Weiruila offered to donate money to help its victims. Though Lin Qi and Mr. Wo Delike both knew they had benefited from the upheaval, Lin Qi volunteered to direct the charity funds.

• Lin Qi brought Mr. Wo Delike a rare bottle of red wine, and Mr. Wo Delike explained that its labels and salvage story had been used to promote a winery.
• Sai Weiruila apologized for missing the filming of Lin Qi's Adventures 2, and Lin Qi reassured her that they might work together another time.
• At dinner, Lin Qi described the violence in Nagaril and the losses suffered by wealthy families, including a young man whose father had died protecting him.
• Sai Weiruila asked whether donating money would help people affected by the unrest.
• Lin Qi and Mr. Wo Delike silently acknowledged their shared role in benefiting from the unrest, and Lin Qi offered to handle Sai Weiruila’s donation.

At a formal dinner at Mr. Wo Delike’s home, Lin Qi deliberately made Sai Weiruila give up on their relationship by telling her about his promiscuity. Sai Weiruila left in distress, while Mr. Wo Delike accepted Lin Qi’s blunt breakup and called him a bastard.

• Sai Weiruila agreed to spend one hundred thousand dollars from her Charitable Foundation to help people in need.
• Mr. Wo Delike’s wife explained that the formal dinner marked Lin Qi’s first visit as Sai Weiruila’s boyfriend, and Mr. Wo Delike urged them not to hurt each other.
• Lin Qi told Sai Weiruila that he had many girlfriends and might keep sleeping with other women, then urged her to find someone who loved her.
• Sai Weiruila stood up and left the table, saying she did not feel well.
• Mr. Wo Delike stopped his wife from following Sai Weiruila and confronted Lin Qi about what he had said.
• Lin Qi revealed that he had told Sai Weiruila he had just slept with a mother of a five-year-old child, prompting Mr. Wo Delike to call him a bastard.

Lin Qi met with Mr. Wo Delike, who recognized that Lin Qi’s overseas power and unconventional rise had made him nearly impossible to restrain. Lin Qi ended their discussion by promising him a truckload of cigars.

• Mr. Wo Delike offered Lin Qi a cigar, and Lin Qi took three, prompting Mr. Wo Delike to laugh and ask which side of him was real.
• Mr. Wo Delike told Lin Qi to give him a box of cigars when he had the opportunity, and Lin Qi agreed.
• Mr. Wo Delike considered how Lin Qi had avoided the Federation’s rules by building power overseas and gaining influence in Nagaril.
• Mr. Wo Delike concluded that Lin Qi was likely to become part of his circle, though Lin Qi did not want him interfering in his affairs.
• Lin Qi promised Mr. Wo Delike a truckload of cigars.