Chapter 47: Looking Down on Others

"You meet the second requirement? Are you joking? Are you saying you came to our Bifeng Bank today to handle a transaction of over a million?" the bank security guard asked coldly.

"Yes," Jiang Hao replied with a nod.

The security guard sneered repeatedly. He pointed at Jiang Hao's jacket, then at his pants, and said with obvious contempt, "Look at what you're wearing. That jacket must be from a secondhand market, right? And those pants—look how faded they are from washing! Honestly, if you want to pretend to be some big spender, at least dress the part. Get yourself a decent outfit, will you? With the way you look now, you expect me to believe your nonsense about handling business over a million? Not a chance."

"I'm serious," Jiang Hao said, frowning slightly.

The security guard retorted rudely, "If you really had a million, you'd buy yourself some decent clothes and change your image before coming in. Looking like this, stop pretending in front of me!"

As he spoke, the guard pulled the black baton from his belt.

"Get lost! Stop interfering with my work!"

"Aren't you leaving? Do you want me to rough you up?"

He swung the baton as he spoke, looking utterly arrogant.

From a distance, the other customers who had been secretly watching began to snicker.

"Look at that idiot, what a disgrace!"

"Total social suicide. If I were him, I’d move out of Maple Leaf City tonight and never come back!"

"How humiliating, absolutely mortifying!"

Those waiting in line all began to whisper among themselves, each one doing their utmost to belittle Jiang Hao.

In their eyes, Jiang Hao had become nothing more than a pitiful clown.

Only the old lady nearby kept shaking her head and sighing.

"I told you not to show off, but you insisted. Young people never listen to advice, and now you’re paying the price!"

The bank lobby, which had been quiet, was now filled with a noisy buzz from all the whispering.

Just then, a middle-aged woman in a red suit descended the stairs from the bank's second floor.

She frowned immediately upon entering the scene, looking displeased as she turned to the guard and asked, "Xiao Liu, what’s going on? Why is it so noisy?"

The guard, called Xiao Liu, snapped to attention and saluted, then explained, "Manager Gao, this deadbeat came to our bank pretending to be rich and deliberately causing trouble. I told him to leave, but he refused. It’s infuriating!"

"Is there really someone like that?" Manager Gao, the woman in red, strode forward. Her white high heels clicked crisply against the marble floor of the bank, the sound sharp and clear.

She quickly approached Jiang Hao, looked him up and down, and then asked, "What are you here for? If it’s for banking business, you’re more than welcome. But if you’re here to cause trouble, I’ll have to ask you to leave immediately, or I’ll call the police."

Jiang Hao looked at her seriously and said, "I’m here for business. I plan to open an account and make a deposit with your bank."

"Then please join the regular queue over there," Manager Gao said, pointing to the standard service area.

Jiang Hao shook his head. "I want to use your VIP service window because my transaction meets your bank's requirements for VIP clients."

"You want to handle a transaction of over a million?" Manager Gao looked at him in surprise.

Because Jiang Hao’s clothes were so plain—worn and faded—he appeared even less well-off than the average citizen. She found it hard to believe that someone dressed so simply could have the financial strength to handle such a large transaction.

"Manager Gao, don’t listen to his nonsense," Xiao Liu interjected. "He’s just boasting!"

But Manager Gao did not take his word at face value. Instead, she shot him a warning look, then turned back to Jiang Hao with a serious expression.

"Are you serious, or just joking? How can you prove your financial capacity?"

Jiang Hao smiled slightly, then pulled his suitcase closer.

"You want proof? Fine, I’ll prove it right now. But before I do, I have a request."

As soon as Jiang Hao finished speaking, Xiao Liu exploded with anger. "Who do you think you are, making demands in front of our manager? Believe me, I’ll throw you out this instant!"

"Enough, Xiao Liu. At least let him finish," Manager Gao said, glaring at him and gesturing for Jiang Hao to continue.

Jiang Hao nodded and continued, "If I can prove that I’m here to handle business over a million, then this security guard should be fired. Frankly, I’ve had enough of him."

Jiang Hao had been fed up with the security guard for some time. Out of politeness and self-restraint, he had held back. But the guard had mocked him repeatedly, without any sign of stopping. There was no reason for Jiang Hao to keep backing down.

Hearing Jiang Hao’s demand, Manager Gao was taken aback. She glanced at Xiao Liu and instantly understood that he must have offended this young man, prompting such a request. Still, if this young man really was a VIP client, then dismissing a mere security guard for him was more than worthwhile.

A VIP client could bring the bank far more benefits than a low-level guard. And if they let the guard go, it would be easy enough to hire a replacement—there would be no real loss to the bank.

With this in mind, Manager Gao nodded without hesitation. "Very well, I agree. But let me be clear: if you cannot prove your financial strength, don’t blame me for having you thrown out."

"I’ll prove it. I’ll do it right now," Jiang Hao said, and began unlocking the suitcase.

Xiao Liu, meanwhile, sneered from the side. "Go ahead, prove it! Show us what you’ve got! With your shabby look, still trying to act like a big shot? Let me tell you, today—"

But before he could finish, Xiao Liu fell abruptly silent.

Jiang Hao had opened the suitcase.

As the lid lifted, bundles of bright red hundred-yuan bills appeared before everyone’s eyes.

It was all money—a suitcase packed full of cash.

So much money! How much could there possibly be?

Jiang Hao stood up, smiling. "Eight million. This is the cash I have on hand right now, but the business I want to conduct is even greater than this. Is this enough to prove my financial strength?"