Reborn with Consumption System-Chapter 618 - 272: Who Made the First Move?_2

Jin Minghui thought about it and quickly accepted the current situation.

Tang Xintian was a legend in their small circle, always the quintessential "child of someone else's family." She was particularly difficult to approach, and it was even harder to have a conversation with her on equal footing before one had achieved any notable results.

Now, at the very least, they had reconnected. That's a good start, isn't it?

"Alright, I'll let you get to it then."

Young Jin nodded obediently and then turned to bid farewell to Han Lie.

"Teacher Han, I'll leave the project in your capable hands. I might also need to trouble you to visit Magic Capital Bank the day after tomorrow. My father would like to speak with you in person. Would that be convenient for you?"

"No problem at all. I should indeed pay President Jin a visit in person. I'm looking forward to it."

Han Lie smiled warmly, very agreeable, showing not the slightest hint of aggression.

Director Qi shook hands with Han Lie once more, pumping his hand firmly. "Teacher Han, thank you! I'll prepare the celebration wine and await your good news!"

Young Jin took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and resolutely turned to leave.

He might have thought he concealed his feelings well, but unfortunately, it seemed everyone had noticed.

Of course, no one would tease him about it. The identities of the two people involved were one factor. Besides, the matter itself wasn't even worth mentioning.

It's perfectly normal for many to pursue an exceptional woman.

Tang Xintian naturally nodded to Liu Minghao and Lü Shuli, then took Han Lie's arm and they departed.

Lü Shuli bit her lip, struggling not to look at their receding figures, her heart sinking to a new low.

Liu Minghao patted her shoulder and said softly, "Stop thinking about it."

A wave of gratitude had just washed over Lü Shuli; she thought her mentor was about to comfort her. But then, Liu Minghao added in an utterly matter-of-fact tone, "What damn good is moping about that? Hurry up, take the contract, and get those documents organized! I want to see the complete first draft by tomorrow afternoon. Hmm, it's not even 8 o'clock yet. I reckon if you hurry, you could still get two hours of sleep before dawn..."

DAMN!

Her eyes practically bulged.

"Brother, are you even human?!" Lü Shuli exclaimed.

Liu Minghao immediately waved with a sly grin. "GOGOGO! Chop chop! You got a post-tax bonus of around 860,000 from the last project—more than I did! If you don't work overtime, who will? Think about your new house! What's there to be upset about?"

Beauty Lü rolled her eyes dramatically, but surprisingly, she genuinely didn't feel as upset anymore.

Overtime can't relieve worries, but money can.

Yes, she was already lucky enough.

...

"What kind of cooperation did you two establish?" Tang Xintian asked casually—though, in reality, she was incredibly anxious.

"It won't affect you," Han Lie smiled, not sharing the details of their cooperation with her.

Matters concerning off-balance-sheet activities were better discussed directly with Manager Huang. Her position wasn't high enough, so there was no room for personal favors. Favors can be offered, but they mustn't be given carelessly.

"How about you? Did you make any headway?"

Facing Han Lie's attempt to change the subject, Tang Xintian felt somewhat troubled.

"A little, perhaps. But those bosses generally trust you more. As the fund custodian, I lack a strong track record in this area, so it's difficult to negotiate."

That's normal, Han Lie thought, then casually comforted her, "Don't rush. Just being able to communicate with them is a good start. I don't have that much time myself. People who genuinely need this service will eventually have to consult you. Take it slow."

"Mm."

Tang Xintian nodded, then suddenly asked, "Does Magic Capital Bank have a pressing need to move assets off its balance sheet?"

DAMN! Are you a psychic?!

Han Lie struggled to control his expression. However, Tang Xintian wasn't even looking at his face. Instead, while holding his arm, she was subtly gauging his physical reaction.

When Han Lie stiffened and remained silent for a full two seconds, Tang Xintian knew everything.

She lifted her head and beamed at Han Lie, her alluring, bewitching eyes narrowing into slits, like a sly fox that had just stolen a chicken.

"Hehe, I knew it!"

Han Lie gave a wry smile and shook his head. "How did you guess?"

Tang Xintian gave a joyful little hop, tilted her head, and countered, "You didn't think we haven't done other off-balance-sheet operations before, did you? That's the inescapable fate of all commercial banks!"

Well, she has a point...

Han Lie, after all, primarily dealt with the secondary market. He wasn't familiar with the internal operations of banks, and his sensitivity to such matters wasn't high enough.

Indeed, there were precursors in 2015 and 2016, leading to specialized rectification efforts that began in 2017. A major reason for merging and establishing the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission during this period was to strengthen supervision and regulate shadow banking. To put it more simply: to counteract the banking industry's impulse to move assets off their balance sheets.

In his past life, Han Lie knew what was happening but not why. Now, combining his personal experiences with his academic knowledge, he finally understood.

"You banks..." Han Lie sighed, an inexplicable depth of emotion welling up inside him.

He hadn't expected Tang Xintian to understand, but it turned out she truly did.

"It's about being in a certain position, planning for its duties, and fulfilling its responsibilities," she stated with utmost calm, not as a defense, but as an explanation. "Every economist and financial scholar knows that the banking sector's rampant and unrestrained desire for off-balance-sheet activities is hugely damaging at a macro level. Bubbles continuously accumulate, and there will inevitably come a moment when they can no longer be controlled. When the avalanche starts, no single snowflake is innocent.

Yet, when they—when *we*, when *anyone*—eventually occupies an important position within a bank, we too will skirt the edges of regulatory policies. We will use all our strength to find ways to move assets off the balance sheet. Leaving aside performance metrics, this is fundamentally for survival and development. Every bank has bad debts. Only a very small portion of these are naturally occurring; many more stem from uncontrollable local factors."