C7 Zhao Hongbin's Wishful Thinking

However, when he caught sight of the card in Lin Sheng's hand, he could no longer keep his composure.

The card was indistinguishable from a genuine one!

Despite his skepticism, Liu Yunhua took the card from Lin Sheng and headed to the ATM to put it to the test. He needed to know if the card was legitimate.

Upon trying it, he was instantly drenched in a cold sweat!

The bank card was indeed the prestigious signature card of the International Union of Silver—a genuine article!

Ma Yunhua's face flushed with alternating shades of red and white, his mind a maelstrom of disbelief. The questions swirling in his head were more numerous than a hundred thousand whys.

Wasn't Lin Sheng the Cheng family's good-for-nothing son-in-law?

Could he actually be... a billionaire?

With such wealth, why would the Cheng Yunfei's family be in such dire straits to secure a loan?

A billionaire could have any woman he desired, so why endure the indignities at the Cheng household?

None of it made any sense.

Yet, for all the questions, they paled in comparison to one undeniable truth.

The card was real!

And Lin Sheng was its rightful owner!

With a thud, Ma Yunhua found himself kneeling instinctively before Lin Sheng.

His earlier arrogance could have easily condemned him to eternal damnation at Lin Sheng's hands.

Should a billionaire choose to target him, he feared his only escape would be to leap into the river.

"Mr. Lin, I was blind and have wronged you! Please accept my apologies!"

"Your generosity knows no bounds, please forgive me!"

"Command me to do anything, and I will brave any danger for you!"

Liu Yunhua's head thudded to the ground repeatedly, leaving Manager Ma and the beautiful clerk utterly astonished.

While Ma Guosheng was somewhat prepared for the implications of the Supreme Signature Card, the beautiful clerk was questioning her entire existence.

Liu Yunhua, who was usually so commanding, was now groveling for mercy?

Just who was this Lin Sheng?

"President Liu, there's no need for such theatrics. Please, stand up."

Lin Sheng gestured for him to rise, noticing the bruising on Liu Yunhua's forehead.

Even a clay figurine has a spark of anger, and to say that Lin Sheng wasn't upset by Liu Yunhua's earlier behavior would be untrue.

Liu Yunhua's almost masochistic apology, however, did much to soothe Lin Sheng's irritation.

Lin Sheng was willing to let bygones be bygones, provided Liu Yunhua refrained from causing any further issues.

Upon hearing Lin Sheng's words, Liu Yunhua breathed a sigh of relief, cautiously positioning himself to the side, as docile as a student awaiting a teacher's reprimand after misbehaving.

Though there was no direct hierarchy between Lin Sheng and him, with the influence of a billionaire, Lin Sheng could easily have him fired from Guangfa Bank with just a word.

In Liu Yunhua's eyes, Lin Sheng loomed like a mountain, an overwhelming presence that left him gasping for air.

"President Liu, I would prefer today's incident remain confidential," Lin Sheng stated.

He wasn't concerned about people finding out, but he didn't want to draw undue attention. News of a billionaire in Huacheng would spread rapidly, potentially leading to a host of unwelcome complications.

"Understood!"

Liu Yunhua replied with deference and turned to Ma Guosheng, "Manager Ma, see to it that this is handled discreetly. Ensure all bank employees privy to this incident remain silent. Should anyone dare to utter a single word, well..." he trailed off with a menacing hum.

A sinister smirk briefly crossed Liu Yunhua's face, sending a chill down the spine of the nearby female employee.

Guangfa Bank operated differently from its counterparts, maintaining a veneer of legitimacy while not shying away from darker dealings.

The bank sometimes resorted to less savory tactics to recover high-interest loans that were at risk of default, safeguarding its interests.

Liu Yunhua had deep ties to Huacheng's underground, instilling a palpable fear in the bank's staff.

At his command, anyone aware of Lin Sheng's possession of the supreme signature card, or even those who suspected it, would immediately clam up, not daring to speculate further.

"President Liu, there are some matters I'd like to discuss with you privately," Lin Sheng added.

"Alright."

With a gesture from Liu Yunhua, Ma Guosheng and the female employee discreetly exited and closed the door behind them.

"Mr. Lin, if there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask," Liu Yunhua said, plastering a smile on his face.

Despite his smile, fear was evident in his eyes, and a purple bruise on his forehead made him look rather comical.

Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes and addressed Liu Yunhua, "My mother-in-law took out a loan of three million from your bank. You're aware of this, aren't you?"

Liu Yunhua felt a jolt of panic. Lin Sheng had indeed come about that very issue.

How could he be unaware of Zhao Juann's three million loan?

Though Cheng Jin was the mastermind behind it, he had been involved as well.

If Lin Sheng was here to settle scores, it spelled trouble for him.

"I'm fully aware," Liu Yunhua replied, not daring to conceal a thing.

"I've been informed that my mother-in-law initially borrowed only two million. How did it so quickly accumulate to three million with interest?"

Lin Sheng spoke with an inscrutable tone, "The interest rates at your bank—don't you think they're excessively high?"

To Lin Sheng, a couple of million was trivial.

But wealth aside, he wasn't about to let anyone take advantage of him.

"Oh! Well, that's..."

Liu Yunhua was caught between a rock and a hard place. He knew that the best way to ingratiate himself with Lin Sheng at this moment was to simply write off the three million yuan loan.

But Guangfa Bank wasn't his to forgive debts. If he were to write it off, he'd be the one to cover the shortfall!

And for him, two million yuan was no small sum.

"Mr. Lin, would this be acceptable to you?"

Liu Yunhua came up with a proposal. "Your mother-in-law borrowed two million from our bank. I can waive the interest entirely; she would just have to repay the principal. Moreover, there's no rush to repay the two million. She can take three to five years, or whenever it's convenient for her."

Lin Sheng's expression remained unchanged. He wasn't concerned about the money itself; his inquiry was more about gauging Liu Yunhua's response.

Lin Sheng continued, "There's something I'm struggling to understand. My family's beauty salon was thriving, so why did it suddenly start losing money? There must be some backstory to my mother-in-law's loan from you, right?"

Liu Yunhua inhaled sharply. Lin Sheng was correct; he was well aware of all the details and had played a part in them.

Seeing Lin Sheng's demeanor, it was clear he wasn't going to let things slide. A sense of foreboding washed over Liu Yunhua, yet he didn't dare deceive Lin Sheng. Steeling himself, he said, "Mr. Lin, regarding this matter, my only role was to oversee the loan. I wasn't involved in anything else!"

"Anything else?" Lin Sheng replied with a cold laugh. "I want you to spill everything you know."

Liu Yunhua glanced at Lin Sheng, who now seemed like a shrewd old fox, a far cry from his usual spineless self.

Liu Yunhua realized it was time to pick sides. He had made up his mind to curry favor with Lin Sheng, as his own prospects could be at stake otherwise.

"The Cheng family's beauty salon was sabotaged by Cheng Jin and Zhao Hongbin working in cahoots. My part was merely to entice your mother-in-law into taking out the loan..."

Liu Yunhua confessed everything, and Lin Sheng finally understood the whole story.

All this had been orchestrated by Zhao Hongbin with a specific goal: to corner the Cheng family into a desperate situation, then step in as their savior. That way, his wife, Cheng Yunfei, would have no choice but to yield to Zhao Hongbin's control.