Chapter Three: The Zero Auction

“I wager that she raises. My collateral is every happy memory from my twenty-four years in the Zhou house.” There were few, but not none: birthday noodles smuggled in by the butler, candy from his little sister Zhou Ning, and one drunken night when his father had accidentally called him “son.” The coin accepted them. At the last second, sweat shining on her brow, Bai entered 610 million. [Correct. Advantage available: Capital allocation authority. Duration: twenty-four hours.] An authorization interface appeared on Zhou Lin's phone. It showed Bai's temporary fund mandate, Mingchuan's circular financing facility, and every route the money could take. He could legally approve or reject each transfer. He pressed REJECT. Bai's settlement failed.