Chapter 638 - 366: It’s Really Hard to Start From Scratch

Chapter 638: Chapter 366: It’s Really Hard to Start From Scratch

After sending the email, Lin Chu waited patiently for two days before finally receiving a reply.

It was a very brief, polite, and courteous response.

The gist of the email was: "We are delighted to make your acquaintance and welcome you as a client of Starship. Our company will have a specialist contact you. However, all commercial launches for satellites and space stations are currently subject to a waiting list. We ask for your patience."

Reading the reply, Lin Chu felt a little frustrated.

’So, this is what it’s like dealing with the world’s richest man.’

’He didn’t want to bother with me at all.’

It wasn’t that he was intentionally setting up barriers. Everyone’s time and energy are limited, and it’s impossible to reply to everyone. Too many people wanted to get to know him, and there was no way he could get to know them all.

It was just like the countless people who sent him private messages and emails every day; there were simply too many to read.

It wasn’t a matter of respect or disrespect.

If he operated on the principle of mutual respect, he’d never get anything done in his life; his entire day would be consumed by replying to messages.

The concentration of resources inevitably leads to this kind of outcome.

One needle at the top, a thousand threads below.

The same principle applied...

Even someone like him, in the eyes of the world’s richest man, was just another face in the crowd.

It wasn’t just about the absolute difference in their wealth; it was also strongly correlated with the industries they were in and the resources they commanded.

High-tech, rocket launches, new energy vehicles, social media platforms... These were all behemoth-level industries that, even with his money, he could never hope to buy into.

Moreover, under the new federal administration, the man had become virtually untouchable. He had walked into that white palace as a victor and, objectively speaking, had entered the political arena.

Now that was true privilege.

As he thought about all this, Lin Chu sighed. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’Blocked at every turn!’

’Blocked at every turn!’

’Starting from scratch is so damn hard.’

In China, when he ran into those with top-tier "bloodlines," he had to give them a wide berth. He had no choice; there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Abroad, the so-called "prodigies" didn’t connect with him, and when he encountered old-school powerhouses like Liszt, they would inevitably become his enemies.

In fact, his current situation could be perfectly summed up by an old saying.

—Patience brings peace; taking a step back opens up a world of possibilities.

The world’s top-tier resources had long been carved up. Unless you pledged fealty, bowed your head, bent your back, and proactively joined their ranks, you would hit a wall at every turn.

’But his back was too stiff; he just couldn’t bring himself to kneel!’

From this perspective, Lin Chu even had a fleeting thought: if a world war were to break out, it might actually be a good thing for him.

’Damn it.’

’If the old order isn’t swept away, how can a new one be built?’

...

Frustration was one thing, but getting anxious wouldn’t help.

For now, Lin Chu could only wait and endure.

The account manager from Starship contacted him. Their launch schedule was completely booked, with supply unable to meet demand. The waiting list for orders already stretched three years into the future.

And this wasn’t a problem money could solve.

Many scientific research projects held immense research value and vast commercial prospects in the zero-gravity environment of space.

But there were very few companies that controlled launch capacity.

Besides Starship, Lin Chu was also looking into other "launch providers." Commercial launches in China had been under sanctions for many years, receiving almost no foreign orders.

Of course, it wasn’t impossible for him to pursue that route, but it would require extensive negotiations and be subject to extremely strict government oversight.

Moreover, the control would be completely out of his hands.

’He’d have ’daddies’ to answer to at every turn.’

Lin Chu made some arrangements, assigning people in China to inquire about the current situation: the feasibility of a launch, the costs and procedures, the key figures involved, and so on. Then, he continued to wait patiently for the results.

The bigger the undertaking, the longer the timeline for everything.

...

With his primary goal stalled, Lin Chu didn’t sit idle. He continued to push forward on other fronts.

「February 24th.」

「Lisbon, Portugal.」

After a long period of maneuvering and an excruciatingly tedious process, the acquisition of Beisen Bank was finally complete.

All parties had signed the contracts, and the official handover process had begun.

The acquisition had been carried out with extreme secrecy, causing barely a ripple in the financial world.

Of course, as per Lin Chu’s instructions, they had also managed public perception, maintaining a low profile and adhering to the principle of making a fortune in silence.

’As of today, he was in effective control of a bank.’

And not just any bank—it was one of the more unconventional ones, a global banking channel that supported cryptocurrency settlements.

Theoretically, he could use this bank as a platform, leverage his own reputation or bring Zhao Peng on board, and issue his own coin. It would undoubtedly generate a massive wave of hype and could even become a major cryptocurrency.

However, while that would certainly be profitable, it seemed too classless. The reputation of being a "leek-cutter" wasn’t a good look.

For the time being, Lin Chu made no further moves.

After staffing the board of directors with his own people, the scale and number of bank branches would naturally expand in tandem with his retail and security operations.

’Time!’

’Just give me one more year!’

This year’s plans were already set. If they could be completed by year’s end, the entire group’s development, the resources it commanded, and the influence it wielded would take a quantum leap forward.

Lin Chu had absolute faith that they could execute the plans.

After all, these plans were essentially just investments. As long as the money was there, it could certainly be spent.

However... he truly didn’t know what his own situation would be by the end of the year.

Time had just crept into March.

On March 2nd, the Sword of Damocles that Lin Chu had been expecting finally fell.

In New York, the "firearm murder" case that had been under investigation since last year finally proceeded to trial. The prosecution filed charges, and the court officially accepted the case.

Although Lin Chu was not a citizen of the United States, one of the deceased was.

Meanwhile, on social media, the club’s various propaganda machines roared to life once more. The incident, which had been sensationalized the previous year, was now back in the spotlight for the public to feast on, and its popularity skyrocketed again.

—Billionaire Indicted in Firearm Murder Case.

In a short time, the story exploded in popularity, not just internationally but in China as well.

Now, he was well and truly a household name.

Billionaire.

Murderer.

The propaganda machine on LC’s side quickly launched a counteroffensive, framing the act as a malicious takedown of a Chinese entrepreneur by foreign capital. They claimed Lin Chu was being framed, that the video evidence showed many signs of fabrication—a classic case of "if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge."

In the court of public opinion, at least, it was a battle of who had the loudest voice and the widest reach.

Calling a deer a horse was, after all, a common occurrence.

...

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