The Xuanfeng Alliance had already captured everyone’s attention by resolving the economic crisis Osborne caused and arresting the man himself. But no one expected the alliance to immediately follow up with such an announcement.
The Xuanfeng Alliance’s new bank will be renamed Xuanfeng International Bank, launching international banking services. It will accept international capital deposits and handle financial transactions. Furthermore, Xuanfeng Bank will remain permanently neutral, not subordinate, subservient, or in service to any power... providing financial services without arbitrarily freezing client accounts for any reason...!
The news, which sprawled over several thousand words, immediately stunned everyone following the Xuanfeng Alliance.
Everyone’s mind immediately went to Rui Shi Bank.
What Xuanfeng Bank was describing were functions nearly identical to those of Rui Shi Bank.
It was only then that everyone realized the Xuanfeng Alliance’s ambitions were massive—sky-high, even.
If they could actually create their own Rui Shi Bank, it would be incredible. Wouldn’t the Xuanfeng Alliance’s economy and overall power skyrocket?
Unfortunately, this seemed incredibly difficult—or rather, given the Xuanfeng Alliance’s current situation, practically impossible.
Why was Rui Shi Bank so wealthy? It was for this very reason: people from all over the world deposited their money there.
This was especially true for those involved in gray- and black-market industries, who used Rui Shi Bank as a financial safe haven.
But Rui Shi Bank had a 200-year history.
Moreover, the biggest reason Rui Shi Bank was so trusted was its security—be it physical security, cybersecurity, or its extremely stable economic condition, which made it resilient to financial shocks.
In terms of physical security, Rui Shi Bank was protected by the entire nation’s specialized security forces; they were top-tier in this regard.
As for cybersecurity, it went without saying. The world’s most secure banking system belonged to Rui Shi Bank, leaving even the most skilled hackers helpless.
Furthermore, Rui Shi Bank’s finances were incredibly stable. Its investments spanned the globe, and its asset structure was so sound that it was not susceptible to economic crises.
Of course, these were just the broad strokes. There were countless other factors, all cultivated over more than 200 years of history.
And now Xuanfeng Bank was actually aiming to become the next Rui Shi Bank.
It was truly mind-boggling.
Xuanfeng Alliance.
In the conference room of the Governor’s Mansion, Lu Feng sat at the head of the table. Baguda, Dali, Feisen, Red Lizard... the same group was gathered here once again.
Once the meeting began, Baguda reported, "Governor, everyone, we have three issues to discuss today."
"First, now that the economy has stabilized, the public has begun returning to the banks to exchange their Gold for the new currency. The currency distribution is proceeding smoothly, and we will collect a significant amount in processing fees. How should we allocate these funds?"
"Second is the matter of the Gold. After all, it was borrowed from an outside party by the Governor. How should it be returned?"
"Finally, news of Xuanfeng Bank’s international operations has already spread. However, the international community is expressing a great deal of skepticism toward our Xuanfeng Alliance. It seems reaching the level of Rui Shi Bank will be extremely difficult."
After finishing his report, Baguda looked toward Lu Feng.
In truth, while it was called a discussion, a glance around the conference room told the real story. The attendees were either shackled with electronic chains or were the Governor’s trusted confidants. As such, his opinion was the only one that truly mattered.
With him present, it was only natural to hear what he had to say first.
Upon hearing this, Lu Feng said, "There’s no need for discussion on how to use the processing fees. We’ll start by building roads. Every region in the Xuanfeng Alliance, right down to the villages and townships, must be paved with asphalt. ’To get rich, first build a road.’ That is an absolute and unchanging truth."
He had absolutely no hesitation on this point.
The Xuanfeng Alliance was simply too poor. The region had been in a state of chaos for years, and most towns and villages still had nothing but dirt roads. Even here in Liping City, many of the concrete streets looked like they were from 30 years ago back in his home country.
’Now this is my turf. How can I stand to look at it this way? Of course, building roads comes first.’
These words brought a strange smile to Black Snake’s face. ’To get rich, first build a road.’ What a familiar slogan. It was a phrase that had defined an entire era back home.
None of them, including Baguda and Dali, objected to Lu Feng’s decision.
In truth, they all understood the importance of good road access; they simply had never had the financial means to build them on such a scale.
Lu Feng continued, "As for the matter of the Gold, our benefactor isn’t in a hurry to take it back. They intend to use it to invest in Xuanfeng Bank in exchange for a 51% stake."
"Invest in Xuanfeng Bank!" Baguda was stunned.
’That’s over 600 tons of Gold!’
’Do they have that much faith in the Xuanfeng Alliance?’
’Then again,’ he thought, ’given the Xuanfeng Alliance’s current situation, its potential is massive. With an investment of over 600 tons of Gold, it’s honestly hard to say who’s getting the better end of the deal.’
But Baguda voiced his concern, "His Excellency the Governor, if they take a 51% stake, doesn’t that mean they’ll have control over Xuanfeng Bank? That can’t be a good thing for us."
"If they decide to interfere in the bank’s operations or have ulterior motives, it could have a huge impact on the Xuanfeng Alliance’s economy."
Lu Feng smiled, spinning a tale. "They’ve promised not to interfere in such matters. Besides, my goal is to keep their 600-plus tons of Gold here. If they really try to meddle... I’m the one holding the power. On my own turf, don’t I have the final say?"
Baguda nodded at his words. "So, His Excellency the Governor is after their 600-plus tons of Gold."
Dali chimed in, "His Excellency the Governor is right. As long as they leave the 600-plus tons of Gold here, if they go back on their promise, we’ll be on our home turf. The power and the initiative will be in our hands. His Excellency the Governor, I wonder, could you tell us a little about this other party?"
With a serene smile, Lu Feng continued his fabrication. "They’re from the Eastern Dragon Country. Once this investment of over 600 tons of Gold is finalized, they will also spearhead the entry of the Eastern Dragon Country’s largest internet firm, Qingfeng Network Company, into the Xuanfeng Alliance. After that, they’ll also help bring in infrastructure teams from the Dragon Country to help us build our roads. And as you know, the Dragon Country’s infrastructure capabilities are the strongest in the world."
Hearing this, Baguda, Dali, and the others were all astonished.
They had always wondered about the origins of that Gold, never imagining it came from the Dragon Country.
And who didn’t know of the Dragon Country? It was a global superpower.
They also knew exactly what the largest internet company from such a powerful nation represented. If a corporation like that was willing to invest in the Xuanfeng Alliance, it would be a massive boon for attracting further investment. It might even entice other wealthy individuals from the Dragon Country to invest as well.
For the Xuanfeng Alliance, developing the economy solely through internal means was too difficult; it had to rely on foreign investment.
And of course, they were well aware of the Dragon Country’s infrastructure prowess. It was terrifyingly efficient. To say it was the best in the world was a claim no one would dare dispute.
These, of course, were the thoughts running through the minds of Baguda, Dali, and the others.
Black Snake and Chen Bo, however, were utterly dumbfounded. ’It feels like President Lu is trapping Baguda and the others in a giant net,’ they thought.
’Qingfeng Network Company gets shares from the Xuanfeng Alliance, turning it into a "foreign-invested" enterprise. Now, Xuanfeng Bank is about to be 51% "domestically" owned.’
’The crucial part is, isn’t it all just President Lu moving money from one of his pockets to the other?’
’Moreover, bringing Qingfeng Network Company’s business into the Xuanfeng Alliance is something President Lu can decide with a single sentence. And the infrastructure? That’s even simpler. As long as he has the people and a guarantor, can’t President Lu get as many resources as he wants?’
’President Lu is truly terrifying.’
"Alright, let’s move on to the matter of Xuanfeng Bank’s international operations," Lu Feng continued. "There’s no reason the Xuanfeng Alliance can’t reach the level of Rui Shi Bank. The only things that make Rui Shi Bank formidable are its stable economy and its security."
"As for a stable economy, we’ve already weathered an attack from a financial predator like Osborne and even captured him. That in itself is a guarantee of our economic resilience."
"The only other thing is security, and you can leave that to me. Baguda, your job right now is to continue the external publicity campaign. Make sure more people learn about Xuanfeng Bank."
’Why would I need to worry about that?’
’For cybersecurity, I have Xiaozhi. Who in the real world could possibly break through Xiaozhi’s defenses?’
’For physical security, I have the special soldiers led by Red Lizard.’
’And as it happens, I just obtained the skeleton of the Mutated Leopard King. Its effects are even better than what I provided before. I can have Red Lizard select a few more people to use it and form a new vanguard.’
’Initially, they won’t need to do anything else. Their sole focus will be guarding Xuanfeng Bank.’
’If anyone is suicidal enough to try and rob the bank, they’re welcome to try.’
Baguda nodded at Lu Feng’s command. After the meeting was adjourned, he rushed off to make preparations, and Dali and the others left the conference room as well.
"Red Lizard, come with me to the manor," Lu Feng said, calling him out. He then headed directly for a private estate.
This estate was, of course, the exclusive residence that had been arranged for him. It was patrolled by teams of guards, and the security was so tight that not even reporters could get close.
He had no intention of revealing his identity just yet.
"His Excellency the Governor, what are your orders?" Red Lizard asked respectfully after they arrived at the estate.
Lu Feng didn’t waste words. Right in front of Red Lizard, he pulled the bones of the Mutated Leopard King from his inventory space and gave his orders: "These bones are more potent than the last batch. Pick out a few of your people to use them. They will become our new vanguard, our special forces. Their first mission will be to guard Xuanfeng Bank."
"Yes, His Excellency the Governor." Red Lizard had long been aware of the Governor’s mysterious and unfathomable power, so he wasn’t surprised by the sudden appearance of the bones.
What did surprise him was that these bones were even more effective than the last ones, and that they were to be used to form a dedicated special forces unit.
After all, the special soldiers he currently commanded were already stronger than the most elite special forces on the international stage.
And now they were going to create even stronger special soldiers for a new special forces unit?
Just how strong would they be?
The top soldiers from international military competitions would be completely outmatched by these new special forces, wouldn’t they?
But his surprise quickly turned to excitement. These soldiers would be under his command.
This meant he would be commanding the most powerful military unit on the planet.
This only deepened his respect for the man standing before him.
He knew that if the Governor could create one batch of these soldiers, he could create two, and possibly even stronger ones in the future. After all, the man’s terrifying abilities were simply staggering.
This made it all the more clear to him that he had to carry out the Governor’s orders with absolute diligence. Otherwise, if the Governor became displeased, he could be replaced in an instant.
For a man like that, it would be as easy as lifting a finger.
As Red Lizard left to make his preparations, Xiaozhi’s voice came through Lu Feng’s earpiece: "Master, the bank’s network system is complete. I modeled it after the Rui Shi Bank system as you requested, but its security is more than ten times stronger."