The largest bank in China was the First National Bank of China. It was operated by the state and its total assets amounted to $ 5,000 billion. Xiwang drove to Fuxingmen South Street in the Xicheng District of Beijing where the bank was located. Taking his time, he arrived there at 11 AM.
Fuxingmen South Street was lined with many impressive buildings. There were several financial institutions in the area with big and fancy office buildings. The building of the First National Bank was one of the biggest and most imposing among the lot. It had three floors divided into different offices and the service booths for general clients were on the ground floor. Two armed guards were stationed outside the building and there were several more inside. Security cameras kept a vigilant eye on those entering and exiting the building at all times.
Xiwang witnessed many people entering and exiting the building. He walked up the steps leading to the entrance and entered the ground floor. Inside he saw many different people going about their business. There were several lines of people forming a queue in front of some of the booths. Most of the bank's customers appeared to be rich and had on expensive-looking clothes.
There were also several men in business suits carrying suitcases standing or walking around. As usual, Xiwang was also wearing his formal clothes and did not really look out of place. But, what set him apart from the others was that he had a casual aura about him, as if he were merely taking a stroll in the park or something.
Xiwang walked up to a counter with a good-looking clerk behind it. He smiled at the worker and said, "Hello, I would like to open an account here." When the girl saw how handsome he was she was a little flustered. As a professional, however, she was able to receive him properly. She smiled sweetly and said, "Very good, sir. Just fill up these forms and hand them in to me when you're done."
The girl took out some forms and tried to hand them to Xiwang. But, he raised his hand and stopped her before she could complete her action. He smiled and said, "Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry and don't really have time to fill in all the forms. I would like to skip all the unnecessary procedures and open a VIP account as quickly as possible."
The girl was a little surprised. Opening a VIP account required a minimum deposit of 1 billion Yuan. When she first saw him, she knew that he would be wealthy but she never thought that he would be so rich. She had some doubts about his sincerity. After all, those who planned to deposit huge amounts of money usually came in carrying cases filled with money. But, Xiwang was not carrying anything with him.
She wondered if he might just be saying things to impress her. In the past she had come across similar situations before. Many frivolous young masters had tried to impress her by opening lavish accounts at their bank. But, none of them had opened a VIP account before. The girl was a little disappointed because she thought that he was just another superficial playboy but she was still attracted to his handsome appearance. So, she said politely, "Sir, you shouldn't just joke about opening a VIP account like that." Then she lowered her voice and continued, "If you want to ask me out you can just do it normally. Who knows? I might just say yes, you know."
Xiwang looked at the beauty and his lips unconsciously curved into a smile. He was amused when he realized that she thought he was just trying to hit on her. He said calmly, "I'm not joking, miss. I'm really here to open a VIP account. Please arrange it for me quickly. I have other places to visit today."
The beautiful clerk was a little annoyed now. She thought that the man before her was indeed handsome. But, he was just being too stubborn. Since he was insisting on persisting with his prank then she thought that she would embarrass him a little. So, she said, "Very well, sir. Opening a VIP account is beyond my level so I'll contact the manager."
She picked up the phone and called the floor manager. "Manager Chow, there's a guy here claiming that he wants to open a VIP account. Please come and handle it." She stressed the word 'claiming' when she spoke. Xiwang understood that she still doubted him, so he just smiled lightly and waited for the manger.
Not long after, a bespectacled young man arrived at the booth. He was thin and had a pale face. He looked weak but had a decent enough appearance. This man was Chow Bow, the manager in charge of the ground floor. There were several mangers in the building in charge of different things. The staff under them reported to them and they, in turn, reported to a Head Manager.
Chow Bow had been interested in the beautiful female clerk that Xiwang had talked to for some time now. But, she had never shown any interest in him despite his best efforts. He knew that some young masters had tried to pick her up before. So, when he got her call he thought that it must be another young master trying to harass her. He was determined to protect her from the frivolous youth and chase away said young master.
Chow Bow scrutinized Xiwang and realized that he was not a simple person. He understood that in the capital there were some people who could not be offended. So, he decided to be a little tactful in handling him. He faced Xiwang and said, "Good morning, customer. Are you the one who said he wanted to open a VIP account?"
"Yes and I would like to finish things quickly without all the unnecessary procedure. Can you arrange that?"
"Of course, customer. But, are you aware that opening a VIP account would require a minimum deposit of 1 billion Yuan. Forgive my saying this, you don't look like you are carrying 1 billion Yuan on you." Looking at Chow Bow's sarcastic smile, Xiwang felt highly amused. 'Ah! This situation brings me back.' He had come across similar situations a few times when he was younger. In the past, this was the time when he would usually make a big scene before finally revealing his wealth and causing everyone to gasp in shock. He used to find doing such things fun. But, he had outgrown such youthful playfulness. This time, he decided to settle things more quietly.
He looked at Chow Bow and smiled lightly. Then, he took out his wallet and threw down five cards on the counter. He said calmly, "1 billion Yuan or 10 billion Yuan makes little difference to me. Mr. Chow, I would appreciate it if you could expedite things."
Chow Bow was a little confused when he witnessed Xiwang's actions. He glanced at the cards casually and turned away. But, he quickly turned back towards the cards and examined them more closely. His eyes grew wide as he recognized what they were. They were all credit cards-Two black cards, one black and gold card, one white card, and another silver-looking one. By merely glancing at them Chow Bow already had an idea about what kind of credit cards they might be. His hands trembled as he picked up the black and gold card and one of the black cards for closer examination.
He looked at the black and gold card first. On it, he saw the name 'L. Boutroux' printed in gold. He also saw a string of numbers along with words like 'Dubai', 'Royale' and 'Master Card'. He immediately knew that it was an authentic 'Dubai First Royale Master Card', claimed by many to be the most exclusive credit card in the world.
Dubai First was an invitation-only credit card with no pre-set spending limit. As it was 'invitation only' one could not simply apply for the card nor could it be applied for by simply throwing money. One had to be invited to own the card. The card itself was trimmed on two sides with gold and featured a solitary .235-carat diamond centered on the front. Most of the cardholders were located in the United Arab Emirates, but this card could also be found in the hands of a few super wealthy people in other parts of the world. The exact process that Dubai First uses to select invitees was kept secret, but it was no secret that you must be in the ultra-high net worth club to join. The card came with many exclusive and beneficial services for its holder.
Next, Chow Bow examined the black card. Again he saw the name 'L. Boutroux' printed on it along with a string of numbers. He also saw the words 'VISA' and 'Infinite'. It turned out to be a 'VISA Infinite Card', which was also among the ranks of the most exclusive credit cards in the world. The VISA Infinite Card was created with the wealthiest of customers in mind.
There were many iterations of the Visa Infinite Card out there from many different card issuers, but they all had two things in common: luxury and exclusivity. The Visa Infinite could be defined as a super card made for and used by the very highest echelon of the wealthy. With Visa Infinite cards in their pockets, members got access to exclusive sporting events, VIP booths and shows, among other benefits.
Chow Bow was afraid to even examine the three other cards still on the counter. He feared that such an action might offend the owner of the cards who was standing right in front of him. Out of curiosity he just gave them a quick glance. Being an elite from the financial circle Chow Bow was able to recognize them instantly even with just a quick glance. The three remaining cards were also all exclusive invitation-only credit cards-they were a 'JP Morgan Reserve Card', an 'American Express Black Card' also known as a 'Centurion Card' and a 'Stratus Rewards VISA' card. All five cards had one thing in common-you had to be super wealthy before you could even dream of owning one.
Chow Bow felt positively scared now. He understood that the handsome young man standing before him was no mere young master from the capital at all. He recalled the words that the man had said before- '1 billion Yuan or 10 billion Yuan makes little difference to me'. At the time he had thought the man was boasting. But, it turned out that he was being very serious.
His cards made it clear that he was an elite even among the wealthy. 1 billion Yuan or 10 billion Yuan really did not make much of a difference to someone like him. Chow Bow was really glad now that he did not act rashly and offended the man. Even at the First National Bank of China they did not get clients like him too often. To be more precise, they never had a client like him before. If the owner of such exclusive cards was unhappy and complained to his superiors then his fate would be most terrible.
The beautiful female clerk could see that there was something wrong with Chow Bow's expression. She had never seen the elite banker act so flustered before. She began to think that the situation was not so simple. She wondered who the handsome young man was and if she had made a terrible mistake by calling the manager on him. She began to feel a little scared herself now. She was just a simple clerk working at the bank and had no power. She was a little self-conscious because of her good-looks which was even coveted by some of the useless young masters. But she could not afford to offend any of the really wealthy and powerful people in the capital.
Chow Bow quickly collected the cards and returned them to Xiwang with trembling hands. Then, he looked at him with the most obsequious look he could muster and said in a servile tone, "I'm so sorry for my rudeness earlier, sir. We would be very happy to serve you. Thank you very much for choosing our bank." Xiwang just smiled lightly and said, "Can we just move things along now? As I said I am in hurry and we have wasted quite some time here already." Chow Bow answered in that same servile tone, "Of course, sir. Sorry about the delay, sir."
The beautiful female clerk was thoroughly surprised now. She had never seen Chow Bow grovel before someone like that before. He had always been somewhat cool and performed his duties perfectly. The only thing she had to complain about him was his interest in her and his frequent covert hints that he would like to date her. Other than that he was always a model banker. The First National Bank was patronized by many wealthy and powerful clients. Heck, most of the Ministers also had accounts in their bank. Chow Bow was always polite and respectful when dealing with the clients but he had never been so servile before.
She was wondering if she would get into trouble because she had not served Xiwang properly before. She thought that he was only trying to flirt with her and so called the manger on him. Actually she had not done wrong because she really did not have the authority to handle VIP accounts. But, if Xiwang held a grudge against her because she basically accused him of trying to flirt with her, she might have to suffer now. As she was thinking things like that she suddenly heard Chow Bow shouting at her. He was looking at her with a deep frown and yelling, "What are you doing? Apologize to this sir right now for wasting his time before. You are just a little clerk. You should have called me immediately."
Chow Bow was trying to please Xiwang by scolding the beautiful female clerk. He was afraid that he might be like one of those temperamental young masters who got upset easily. So, he decided to make a pre-emptive strike and shift the blame for the previous delay to the beautiful young clerk. He knew that someone like Xiwang, a holder of five exclusive invitation-only credit cards, would definitely command great power. If he could please him it could be good for his career.
He did not know that Xiwang did not really care about him or the clerk at all. He did not mind that the girl had thought he was flirting with her or that she had called in the manger to embarrass him. Rather, what upset him somewhat was that they were wasting even more time now.
The beautiful female clerk was taken aback after suddenly being scolded like that. She had never been yelled at like that before and Chow Bow's loud voice scared her. Added to her somewhat unstable mental state right now, she could not control herself and tears started to form in her pretty eyes. The other staff members who heard Chow Bow's yelling were also somewhat surprised. The manager had never raised his voice before. Moreover, they knew that the person he was scolding was someone he desired and had been pursuing.
As the young clerk was silent Chow Bow continued to yell at her, "Why are you just standing there and not apologizing? Quickly.." Xiwang interrupted him before he could finish. He held his shoulder firmly and said calmly, "Alright, that's enough. The girl did nothing wrong." Then, he walked up to the beautiful female clerk whose tears had started falling now. He took out his handkerchief and handed it to the crying girl. Then he smiled and said, "Don't take what your manager said to heart. You did a good job. This matter ends here. Cheer up and keep up the good work."
As an assassin Xiwang was actually pretty ruthless at heart. In his many years of life as an assassin, he had probably taken more lives than any single person in history. In truth, the ultimate assassin could be very sadistic at times. But, he would never bully the innocent. His mother's death had taught him that the world is unfair. He learned that sometimes you have to shed blood for the greater good. He enjoyed pitting himself against the so-called upper class who abused their power and authority. But, even after so many years as an assassin, he had never once raised his hands against those who were not evil or corrupt.
The beautiful clerk looked at the handsome young man who was smiling at her gently and felt strangely comforted. His enchanting deep purple eyes mesmerized her and she no longer felt the worry or anxiety that she did before. She reached out her hand mechanically. As she took the blue handkerchief in her hand she felt a warm sensation in her heart.
She felt inexplicable happiness at being comforted by the handsome young man before her. Her smooth red lips arched up unconsciously. Smiling sweetly she said, "Thank you." Xiwang was glad that the girl was feeling better. He smiled back and said, "You have a beautiful smile. Keep the handkerchief."
He walked back to Chow Bow and said, "Alright! I think we've wasted enough time. I would like to finish the procedure quickly." Chow Bow gave a servile smile and said, "Of course. Of course, sir. Please follow me. I'll take you to the Head Manager and we can finish everything quickly."
A lot of curious gazes followed Xiwang and Chow Bow as they left the ground floor. Among them was the beautiful female clerk. Another female clerk came over and asked her, "Su-Su, what was all that about?" But, the beautiful female clerk did not reply.
All that was in her head right now was Xiwang's gentle smile and the words he had said to her-'You have a beautiful smile'. She suddenly smiled happily, carefully folded the blue handkerchief and placed in her breast pocket, close to her heart.