Chapter 22: Look in My Eyes!

After hanging up the phone, Dean Lin first dialed a friend in Yanjing. This friend served as the director of the visa center at the American embassy and consulate, and they shared a very close relationship. Upon confirming that all documentation was in order, the director promised to look into the matter.

Yanjing, Canadian Embassy and Consulate, Visa Director’s Office.

A blonde man’s personal cell phone rang. He was the director in charge of visa operations. Seeing the caller ID, he shook his head with a smile; this guy hadn't reached out in a long time.

"Hello? How do you have time to call me?"

"Haha, can't I call you unless I need something?"

"I know you too well. You wouldn't be contacting me at this hour unless there was a reason. Out with it, what's up?" The blonde man rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright, I can't hide anything from you. It’s like this: a student of a friend of mine is trying to get a visa. The application is with your office, and all the paperwork is complete, but for some reason, it was rejected. They’ve filed an appeal, so would you mind taking a look?"

"Oh? You’re sure the documentation is complete?"

"Definitely. I wouldn't have the nerve to call you otherwise."

The blonde man frowned. While their visa processing was rigorous, there was no reason for a rejection if the paperwork was truly in order. It meant either his subordinate had made a genuine mistake, or his friend’s friend had misled him. Still, he decided to look into it personally. If it were the latter, he would simply warn his friend; if it were the former…

"Fine, I’ll take a look. What’s the name?"

"Haha, I knew you’d say yes. I’ll treat you to dinner soon. The name is Zhou Yun, a Chinese boy."

The blonde man smiled, "I’ll hold you to that big meal. Talk later."

After hanging up, he logged into the internal system and searched the rejection list. He quickly found Zhou Yun’s record and checked the assigned visa officer.

"Matthew?" He remembered him; he was a veteran employee.

He opened the record and carefully reviewed the supporting documents. Ten minutes later, his brow was deeply furrowed. Although the reason for Zhou Yun’s visa application was surprising, the documentation was indeed impeccable—it was clearly prepared by someone with experience. Under these circumstances, there was only one conclusion: Matthew had failed to follow the review process strictly.

He dialed his assistant’s number.

"Have Matthew come to my office! Immediately!" He was a man of extreme professional rigor, someone who could not tolerate even the slightest oversight.

In the visa officer’s office, Matthew was leisurely sipping coffee while reviewing submitted materials. The phone next to his computer suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

"Matthew, the director wants to see you."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No, he said to come over right away."

"I understand."

At the director’s office, a knock sounded.

"Come in!"

"Director, you wanted to see me?" Matthew asked, his face full of smiles.

"Come here. You processed this, didn't you?" The director tilted his monitor, pointing to Zhou Yun’s record.

Matthew leaned in and took a look. "Oh, this one. Yes, that’s right, I handled it." Because it involved attending a top-tier conference and the applicant was a student yet to start graduate school, he had a slight recollection.

"Are you sure you processed this yourself? Think carefully before you answer!"

Seeing the director’s stern expression, Matthew nodded seriously. "Yes, I am sure. I remember it!"

Watching Matthew’s defensive posture, the director sneered. "Have I not said that every review process must follow official regulations? You are never to let personal experience or bias influence your review. Have I not said that?!"

"Director, I am certain I followed the review process. May I ask what the problem is?"

"Are you sure you strictly followed the process? Hmm?" The blonde man squinted, staring at Matthew, enunciating every word.

"Yes! I am sure!" Matthew continued to nod. In his mind, he hadn't violated any rules, having completely forgotten that he had skipped a section of the documentation—he hadn't even realized it during the review, and he certainly wasn't going to remember it now.

"Good! Very good! Now, review it again for me!"

"Fine, but it will be the same no matter how many times I review it." Matthew shrugged and began flipping through the materials. As he clicked through, he kept nodding. There was no problem; it was identical to what he had seen before. When he reached the end, Matthew’s eyebrows shot up.

Wait. Why was there an extra document?

He suddenly felt an ominous premonition and nervously finished reading the additional material. The more he read, the faster his heart beat. When he finished, he looked up at the expressionless director.

"Director, this is..."

"Now, tell me, did you strictly follow the review process?! Look in my eyes!" The director slammed his hand on the desk, startling Matthew. He was furious that his subordinate had made such an error.

"Director, this is..." Matthew couldn't argue; it was clearly a lapse in his review. Usually, such matters wouldn't reach the director’s level; an appeal would typically just result in a different visa officer reviewing the case. He quickly realized that the applicant had connections to his direct superior—a man who tolerated no mistakes. He knew his fate was sealed. He could only blame his own bad luck.

"I’m sorry, Director. I am willing to accept any punishment." Since the fault was his, there was no point in confronting his superior, or he might lose his job entirely.

Seeing Matthew accept the error so quickly, the director’s anger subsided slightly. "Very well. An internal reprimand, forfeiture of this quarter’s bonus, and you will write me a formal letter of self-reflection. That is all for now. If there is a next time, you can retire early and go back home!"

"Understood. Thank you, Director."

"Get out!"

The punishment was already quite severe. After all, it was a work error, and with his ten years of seniority, firing him outright wasn't realistic.

A day later, Zhou Yun received notice that his visa application had been approved. Seeing the message, two words crossed his mind: "Connections!"

However, he had no time to dwell on it, as he had encountered a far more troublesome problem: the securities accounts of five people in his lab, including his own, had been suspended from trading. The reason cited was excessive trading frequency. After doing some research, they realized that while the securities market allowed quantitative trading, it required prior reporting. Any "black-market" accounts that weren't reported were flagged immediately.