Chapter 643 - 369: The Feeling of Power

Chapter 643: Chapter 369: The Feeling of Power

After the board meeting, amid a chorus of congratulations, Lin Chu made his way to his new office.

In terms of size and amenities, it wasn’t quite as grand as his office at the group headquarters, but it was serviceable. He wasn’t one to sweat the small stuff.

Besides, he didn’t plan on spending much time at the Citibank headquarters anyway.

Considering his cultural background, his areas of responsibility, and his personal preferences, his main offices would likely be in Xiangjiang or Dubai in the future.

He closed the door.

An Yunzhi immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Lin Chu from behind. Even now, the whole thing felt surreal. The feeling of soaring from the depths of a valley to the heavens—the wonders of fate were truly impossible to fathom.

From the publicly available information, one could piece together the general sequence of events. But as for the specific details of what had happened, Lin Chu still hadn’t said a word.

"When I graduated from college, some of my classmates got offers from here. To be honest, I could have gotten one too. But I thought about it for a long time and decided against it. After discussing it with my father, he wasn’t very optimistic either. While Citibank was still a top-tier bank, it was already starting to decline. They had completely cut their credit card operations in the country and were beginning to scale back. And now... I never imagined I’d set foot in this office under these circumstances."

An Yunzhi murmured, her face pressed against Lin Chu’s back, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Finance is a global game.

Back home, whether in the Imperial Capital, Shanghai, or other top cities, even for the most powerful families, if their children lacked the ability to take over the family business, landing a job at one of these top international banks was still a golden path to success.

And every year, banks like Citibank and Morgan had quotas set aside for these kinds of people. Even if there were no official spots, they would create them for a candidate with a strong enough resume and background.

In the financial industry, well-connected individuals have always been a hot commodity.

"Heh, listen to you."

"Actually, back when I had a regular job, I once had the chance to get a Citibank... credit card."

"But after I submitted the application, it was rejected because my monthly income was too low."

"Back then, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Now I’m the one on top."

Lin Chu made a casual joke, his tone light and laced with a teasing double entendre.

’At this point, things like that don’t bother me in the slightest anymore.’

’When you’re successful, even your farts smell sweet.’

’Even if my enemies try to dig up my past, what could they do with it?’

’History is always written by the victors.’

Hearing this, An Yunzhi shot him a playful glare.

’Lin Chu occasionally says or does things like this, but... who would believe him?’

’Anyway, I certainly don’t believe him.’

’He just loves to posture. Just like those insufferable successful types, he loves contrasting his past struggles with his current glory. At its core, it’s all just showing off—a way to broadcast to the world how capable he is, how he can turn the tables against all odds, and how, no matter the situation, he can fight his way through an army of thousands.’

"Alright, enough of that. For the next couple of days, your task is to compile a list of all the key personnel and their relevant résumés within my chain of command."

Lin Chu ended the meaningless chatter and refocused his attention on business.

’Citibank is a decent platform.’

’Objectively speaking, there are bound to be some incredible people here from all over the world. I need to build my power base first.’

’Even if I’m just going to be a "parasite," I still have to sink my roots in first.’

"Okay, I’ll go sort it out."

"Do you need anything else?"

An Yunzhi nodded lightly. If nothing unexpected happened, she would probably become Lin Chu’s "representative" here. Although Lin Chu hadn’t said it outright, that was the clear implication.

’This is actually quite good.’

’Professionally, I’m qualified.’

’In terms of geography and cultural background, it’s clear I no longer have a place back home. Coming to the other side of the ocean in this capacity is a new path for me.’

’And... when our child is born this year, they’ll naturally have citizenship here.’

’This fits the investment principle of "not putting all your eggs in one basket."’

’Although Lin Chu never says these things out loud, instead projecting a kind of sincere idealism, I don’t believe for a second that he lacks capital’s instinctual sense of crisis.’

’To a certain extent, he’s now a spokesman for capital itself.’

’Whether he’s willing to admit it or not, it’s an inescapable fate.’

’As for the high-end benefits Lin Chu provides his employees and the various charitable acts he performs, they simply allow one to add the modifier "conscientious" before the title "spokesman for capital."’

’In essence, nothing has changed.’

’For people who’ve reached this level, nationality is rarely a constraint. A more rational way to view the world is through the lens of class.’

Thanks to her upbringing and what she’d been exposed to since childhood, An Yunzhi had a much clearer understanding of this "blatant cruelty" than Lin Chu did.

「The party that evening was set to be at the Waldorf Hotel.」

The hotel’s history was not much shorter than that of Citibank.

Over a hundred years ago, when Li Hongzhang, the Minister of Beiyang during the Late Qing Dynasty, made his first inspection tour abroad, the Waldorf was the very hotel where he stayed.

Over the years, it had become the top choice for many celebrities and political dignitaries. A few presidents of the United States had even made it their permanent residence after retiring.