C40 A Plea for Forgiveness

The high-level ICU boasted round-the-clock care from professional nurses.

The silence there was profound, without a hint of noise, creating an ideal space for patient recovery.

It was only then that Pei Qiuyu's worries subsided. She faced Lin Xuan with a stern look and demanded, "Lin Xuan, what was that all about earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Lin Xuan replied, feigning innocence.

Pei Qiuyu pressed on, her tone serious, "Don't play dumb. Why was the dean so deferential towards you? He seemed quite intimidated by you."

Lee Moxiang joined in, "Exactly, Lin Xuan. You're not some kind of VIP, are you?"

Lin Xuan chuckled. "Mom, how could I be a VIP? If I were, would I have spent the last three years doing laundry and cooking for our family?"

Lee Moxiang paused, considering this. Indeed, what VIP would tolerate being at her beck and call? Perhaps she was overthinking it.

Lin Xuan clarified, "The dean wasn't scared of me, but of Wang Baifa, Director Wang."

"Oh?" Lee Moxiang recalled, "I've heard Director Wang is quite influential, with significant power behind him."

"If we could get in Director Wang's good graces, our family's fortunes would soar!"

Lin Xuan added, "Director Wang is a great guy. Companies that partner with him enjoy excellent benefits."

"I called him earlier to explain our family's predicament, and he agreed to lend us a hand."

"Aha!" Lee Moxiang had an epiphany. "So it was Director Wang's doing. I didn't think you had it in you."

With her questions answered, Pei Qiuyu felt at ease.

Nevertheless, she advised, "Lin Xuan, we had to call on Director Wang because of Dad's emergency. Let's try not to rely on his help too often in the future."

"I don't want to be in his debt."

Convinced, Lin Xuan nodded and assured her, "Understood, honey."

Just then, Pei Qiang's eyes fluttered open, his complexion still pale and weak.

"Dad, how are you feeling?"

Pei Qiuyu's family closed in around her, expressing their concern.

"I'm okay, just a bit dizzy still."

Lee Moxiang suggested, "You've just finished your treatment. Take a little more time to rest."

"I'll go make you some chicken soup to help you regain your strength."

Pei Qiang was always mindful of the family's financial situation, choosing to save and skimp rather than spend on himself.

Lee Moxiang's heart ached for him.

Having just gotten home and stepped into the kitchen, Lee Moxiang heard the doorbell chime.

"Who's there?"

Upon opening the door, she was greeted by several well-dressed men, each looking refined and carrying gift boxes.

"Excuse me, but who might you be?" Lee Moxiang did not recognize them.

The man with the neatly combed hair quickly bowed and inquired courteously, "Pardon me, are you Mrs. Lee Moxiang?"

"Ah..." Lee Moxiang nodded, a bit unsettled.

"Good day. My name is Zhou Tao, president of the A City Alliance Bank. These gentlemen are Director Wang and Manager Liu."

Zhou Tao's face showed regret as he continued, "I'm aware of the unfortunate incident you experienced at our branch, and I'm here to personally offer my apologies."

Lee Moxiang was taken aback.

The president of the A City Alliance Bank had come to her doorstep to apologize?

"We sincerely regret the mishap," added Director Wang, bowing deeply.

Overwhelmed by the gesture, Lee Moxiang quickly responded, "Oh, please, come in."

She ushered them into her home.

Meanwhile.

Soong Daguang's face was beet red with fury as he bellowed in the property management's control room, "You must look into this!"

"I'm going to find out which reckless fool dared to damage my car!"

The security guard replied with a tremble, "We need to wait for our property manager to arrive. We're not authorized to act on this..."

"Do you believe that with just one word from me, you could be packing your bags for home?" Soong Daguang yelled at the guard.

Just then, the property manager arrived, breathless and profusely apologizing to Soong Daguang.

"I'm warning you, if you can't find the culprit today, I'll tear this pathetic property management apart!"

Soong Daguang was livid, his voice booming. He had just taken out a loan for a brand-new Land Rover, and before he could even get the license plates on, it was totaled in a crash. It was beyond repair!

He was determined to track down the culprit who hit his car and make them pay dearly—until they were bankrupt! And he wouldn't be satisfied until he'd given them a beating to release his pent-up fury.

"Mr. Soong, please calm down. I'll check if the surveillance footage has been automatically deleted."

The property manager had little sympathy for someone like Soong Daguang, who had carelessly parked his car and then got it hit by someone with less patience. He got what he deserved.

And now he had the audacity to make a scene at the property office, so the manager was in no hurry to assist him with his investigation.

"Don't try to bullshit me! I'm warning you, if you can't retrieve that video, I'll make sure you all regret it!"

Soong Daguang unleashed his fierce streetwise demeanor.

The manager was seething but held his tongue. With no other option, he quickly had someone pull up the earlier surveillance footage.

"There! It was them!" Yang Xiang, the neighbor, pointed at the screen and let out a shrill scream.

Soong Daguang's eyes bulged as he demanded, "Who are they?"

"The Pei family, our neighbors. The ones I told you about who bought that overpriced junk Mercedes-Benz. They're all flash, no cash!"

"They've even got a dimwit son-in-law. Honestly, they're barely scraping by as it is!"

Soong Daguang sneered with disdain, "Damn, if you're struggling that much, why the hell would you buy a car!"

"Daring to hit my car, they've got a death wish! I'll make sure they regret it!"

Cursing under his breath, Soong Daguang stormed out of the surveillance room, with Yang Xiang and a posse of relatives hot on his heels.

With Soong Daguang leading the charge, Yang Xiang strutted confidently. She was ready to give Lee Moxiang's family a piece of her mind and put an end to their pretentiousness.

Meanwhile.

Lee Moxiang was serving tea and offering cigarettes to the visitor. Director Wang Baifa quickly rose to his feet, accepting them graciously.

"Please, there's no need to fuss over me. You're being too kind."

He then turned to the director and instructed, "Little Wang, bring it here."

Director Wang immediately presented the gift box with both hands.

"Please accept this token of our appreciation," he offered warmly.

"This... doesn't seem quite right, does it?" Lee Moxiang hesitated, her hands fidgeting, reluctant to accept.

"You must take it," Zhou Tao implored earnestly. "We deeply regret the incident. If you refuse, we'll be left with a burden on our conscience."

Little did Lee Moxiang realize he was speaking nothing but the truth.

This very incident had nearly cost him his job.

The CEO of the International Headquarters had even made a personal call to inquire about the situation. If they failed to manage the fallout properly, it wasn't just their jobs at stake.

The entire A City headquarters bank could face closure!

"So, should I accept it?" Lee Moxiang asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Please do," they urged.

Only after Lee Moxiang accepted the gift did they allow themselves a collective sigh of relief.

"Miss Lee, all staff involved have been let go," the director continued.

"Furthermore, we've issued a notice across the industry, permanently blacklisting the managers and staff involved."

"And regarding the teller who slandered you and the security guard who assaulted you, we intend to take legal action..."

"Isn't that going a bit too far?"

Lee Moxiang hadn't anticipated that the situation would escalate to a lawsuit.

Her inherent kindness took over. It was, after all, a misunderstanding, and she felt it was harsh to ruin their livelihoods.

Moreover, she was no longer angry and didn't wish to pursue the matter further.

"Let's put this behind us. To err is human, to forgive divine," she said.

Zhou Tao, impressed, gave her a thumbs up.

"Your generosity is truly admirable, Miss Lee. We will heed your wishes and not press charges."

"However, their dismissal is non-negotiable. We cannot tolerate such detrimental behavior in our institution."

He then produced a bank card and extended it towards Lee Moxiang with both hands.

"This is our Alliance Bank VIP card with a two million yuan limit. Consider it a modest gesture of our regret. We insist you accept it."

As Lee Moxiang began to decline, everyone rose and bowed deeply, pleading, "This is our heartfelt apology. We implore you to accept it."

Lee Moxiang felt a twinge of embarrassment. Two million yuan was a substantial sum. Surely, such an amount wasn't necessary for compensation?

Little did she know that without her forgiveness, the Bank of A City might be forced to shutter its doors for good, and the losses would be far greater than ten billion!

"That seems... excessive, doesn't it?"

"Please, take it," Zhou Tao and his companions implored, bowing deeply.

Touched by their earnestness, Lee Moxiang accepted, saying, "Well then, I suppose I'll accept it for now."

Relief washed over them as Lee Moxiang agreed to take it. They had feared she would be unyielding in her stance.

They were prepared to pay even tens of millions if necessary. Now, it appeared they had worried needlessly, which left them feeling quite embarrassed.

Indeed, there were still many good people in the world!

Just then, a loud voice erupted from outside: "People of the old Pei family, come out!"

"Damn it, someone had the nerve to hit my car! If you don't open up, I swear I'll set your house ablaze!"