C4 Taking Money

Lin Sheng furrowed his brow slightly. "Is that so? Why wasn't I informed about this the last time I made a withdrawal?"

The clerk, upon realizing Lin Sheng lacked such basic knowledge, became even more convinced that he was just putting on airs. At one point, he couldn't even be bothered to respond.

After a moment's thought, Lin Sheng suggested, "Here's an idea: swipe my card. I'd like to exercise the special privileges granted to Silver Union VIP customers. Please process that request."

The clerk burst into laughter. "Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are? Do you even know what a VIP customer's card looks like? I've never seen one like yours before!"

"In a small place like Jiang City, it's normal that you haven't seen it. Please call your bank president," Lin Sheng replied calmly. "According to International Silver Union regulations, any bank holding this card is required to unconditionally facilitate withdrawals of up to 100 million yuan without prior notice. Even though you're a private bank, as a member of the Silver Union, you're obliged to comply with these rules."

Despite the clerk's obstinacy, Lin Sheng remained composed, simply stating his rights and requesting cooperation.

The female clerk, however, was not convinced and dismissed Lin Sheng as a con artist. She tossed the card back at him and said bluntly, "There's a long line of people waiting to conduct their business. I don't have time for your nonsense. Either schedule an appointment for tomorrow or find another bank."

The others in line began to chime in with their own disparaging remarks.

"Buddy, cut back on the TV dramas, will you? There's no room for that kind of posturing here in the real world."

"Exactly, wanting to see the president as if you're some heir from the Zhao family."

"Come on, if you're not withdrawing money, step aside. Can't you see we're all waiting?"

"Where's security? Get this guy out of here; he's making a scene."

The crowd's comments flew, not a single person taking Lin Sheng seriously.

Lin Sheng felt a bit helpless. His plan had been to get the bank president's attention with this tactic, but he hadn't expected to encounter someone so clueless about the card, someone who simply wouldn't acknowledge its significance.

He shook his head, dismissing the jeers that followed him, and addressed the female teller, "You'd better get in touch with your supervisor. Otherwise, if I walk out today, you might find yourself out of a job."

"Heh."

The teller scoffed in disbelief, then turned the tables on Lin Sheng with a threat, "Enough talk. If you have any sense, you'll leave now. Otherwise, don't blame me for calling security!"

Lin Sheng's brow furrowed just as he was about to respond, but he was interrupted by a man in a sharp suit who approached them.

"What's the problem here? What's all the noise about?"

The man glanced at the counter and shot the teller a stern look. "Qin Xiaoli, are you looking to lose your job? You've just been disciplined, and now you're causing trouble again?"

The female teller appeared aggrieved. "Manager, this isn't my fault. This man... He presented an unusual card and demanded to withdraw two million yuan. I told him to schedule an appointment, and he insisted on seeing the bank president..."

"How many times have I told you? If a customer's request is unreasonable, find a reasonable way to accommodate it! Does passing the buck solve anything? Have you forgotten how you were disciplined before?"

After chastising Qin Xiaoli, the man turned to Lin Sheng and said, "I'm the manager of this bank, Ma Guosheng. My apologies, sir. As per our policy, withdrawing large sums does indeed require an appointment. However..."

Lin Sheng offered a slight smile. "Manager Ma, I understand, but according to the rules, VIP clients of the International Union of Silver have certain privileges, don't they?"

He retrieved the card Qin Xiaoli had discarded and handed it to Ma Guosheng. "Please, take a look. Do I qualify?"

Whether by accident or design, the black card slipped from Lin Sheng's grasp and dropped to the floor.

Ma Guosheng's frown deepened.

As a bank employee, it's not uncommon to judge clients prematurely, but Ma Guosheng prided himself on his decorum. Even if he privately disdained certain customers, he would never voice such sentiments.

But now, he was struggling to maintain his composure.

"You show up in a ragged casual outfit, expecting to withdraw two million and demanding VIP treatment? Who do you think you are!?"

He was ready to mock Lin Sheng on the spot.

But before he could utter a word, a glimpse of a bank card on the floor caught his eye, and Ma Guo Sheng was struck dumb.

It was as though someone had grabbed him by the throat, and the words he was about to say were choked back. His eyes bulged, and he stood there, petrified, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.

It took him a moment to snap out of his stupor. Then, without another word, he squatted down and picked up the bank card with both hands.

"I'm so sorry, sir. This was a mistake on our bank's part."

He bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely. With trembling hands, he took out a wet wipe, cleaned the bank card meticulously, and handed it back to Lin Sheng with a mix of fear and respect. "Your card..."

Qin Xiaoli was flabbergasted. It felt like her brain had short-circuited. What was happening? The guy was clearly causing a scene over nothing, so why wasn't Manager Ma angry? Instead, he was fawning over him like he'd seen a ghost.

The onlookers queuing up for the spectacle were just as confused.

"What's going on? Why is the manager acting like a sycophant?"

"Am I losing my mind? When did Guangfa Bank become so accommodating?"

"Something's off here. You all see it, right? Manager Ma is clearly terrified of this young guy."

"Off? Please, with those flea market clothes, could he possibly be some kind of high-roller? I think Manager Ma has just lost it."

Manager Ma paid no attention to the murmurs. Still bowing, without even lifting his head, he held up the card, resembling a eunuch presenting a gift to the Emperor, his demeanor both humble and respectful. "Sir, on behalf of Guangfa Bank, I offer our deepest apologies. We failed to recognize your importance and wasted your time. Please, take our sincerest apologies to heart!"

Lin Sheng remained silent, not taking the bank card, just standing there with his arms folded, observing the scene with a detached gaze.

Manager Ma broke out in a cold sweat.

He couldn't bear to think about the repercussions of Lin Sheng's wrath. In a moment of panic, he barked at the counter, "Qin Xiaoli, what are you still doing in there? Get out here and apologize this instant! If this gentleman doesn't forgive you, you might as well pack your bags because you're fired!"

"Manager, I..."

Qin Xiaoli was utterly baffled by Manager Ma's groveling. He's just a customer, after all. What's the big deal if he's offended?

Manager Ma was livid, thinking to himself, "Just as I suspected, all beauty and no brains. How can you not grasp the gravity of the situation at a time like this? If you're hell-bent on ruining yourself, don't drag me down with you!"

Unable to contain his fury, he yelled, "What do you mean 'I'? Qin Xiaoli, you are fired!"

Stunned, Qin Xiaoli responded in disbelief, "Why?"

"Do you really have the audacity to ask why?" Manager Ma said, his anger giving way to a bitter laugh. "As a Guangfa Bank employee, you can't even recite the most basic VIP rules. Why should I keep you around just to twiddle your thumbs?"