Miss Su?
There are indeed a few families surnamed Su in Beiping City, but you could count on one hand those who could make Henry fawn over them to this degree.
Henry's cautious attitude immediately sparked whispers among the surrounding people. Don't be fooled, even though those who come to do business at HSBC are considered elites, they don't hold back when it comes to gossip.
Or perhaps, their gossip is itself a form of information exchange.
After discussing it in a circle and finding that not a single person claimed to know this Su Ning, the crowd looked at her again. They no longer saw her attire as plain; it was understated. It was as if a mysterious aura had suddenly enveloped her.
On the other side.
Being scrutinized so openly and covertly by so many, Su Ning naturally wasn't oblivious. While her face remained cold and expressionless as if it were only natural, suspicion arose in her heart.
Where there is abnormality, there is mischief.
Ten thousand dollars is an astronomical figure to ordinary people.
But this is a bank of substantial strength, dealing daily with clients who are either wealthy or noble.
Why was she receiving such solemn treatment?
Living in this strange and dangerous era, Su Ning felt like she was walking a tightrope over a cliff. She had to be cautious in every matter and careful in every step, afraid that overlooking some detail might cost her life.
"Is there trouble with the money you gave? Has it been discovered and implicated me?"
Su Ning remained impassive.
She first stated the most unlikely possibility, waiting for the system's reaction.
"How could that be!"
As expected, the "Wealth Without Benevolence" system quickly popped up, indignantly proclaiming:
"All funds I provide are legal and compliant. Moreover, for safety, the channels used to transfer funds to you, Host, are locked, ensuring they cannot be traced by others."
Su Ning's heart slowly settled.
The next moment, she seized upon the key information revealed in the system's words—
An account with extremely high confidentiality could easily lead those unaware of the system's existence to wild speculation.
Humans are the best at filling in the blanks...
Having figured out the reason, Su Ning thought to herself that this spur-of-the-moment decision to come to HSBC to withdraw money was right. No other bank would have had this effect.
HSBC is a foreign bank.
Firstly, it fit the identity of a foreign super-rich heir she had fabricated; receiving system reward funds from here was more convincing.
Secondly, as a British-owned bank, HSBC had immense influence and extensive connections.
With HSBC's endorsement, Su Ning could quickly gain access to the circle of powerful and influential people in Beiping City.
Though many thoughts crossed her mind, it happened in the blink of an eye.
Su Ning gave a reserved nod and prepared to follow Henry to get the money. She had only taken a few steps when someone suddenly darted out and blocked their path.
It was the client Henry had left stranded.
This client, of rural origin, had climbed his way up through sheer audacity and ruthless ambition—what some would call not having washed the mud off his trouser legs.
Right now, there were dozens, maybe a hundred people in the hall.
While not all, most were curious about Su Ning's identity.
Yet, only he, driven by sheer nerve, directly blocked her way.
"This... Miss Su, it's truly improper to disturb you so boldly, but may I ask you a question?"
The client forced a smile at Su Ning. His words were polite but carried a hint of provocation, and he stood solidly blocking their path.
His posture clearly said he wouldn't move without an answer.
He wasn't being completely reckless.
In his view, regardless of whether Su Ning actually had any background, even if her family was quite powerful, it didn't matter.
Su Ning was young and a girl.
No matter how pampered she was at home—raised in luxury since childhood, then married off with a good match and a generous dowry—what of it?
He was just asking a few questions now. Surely they wouldn't come after him for that.
He could later buy some gifts, visit respectfully to apologize, and perhaps even forge a new connection...
With such thoughts in mind,
the client's scrutiny of Su Ning became more obvious, trying to find clues about her origins from any trace.
Seeing there was a show to watch, others also became interested. Even those who had finished their business didn't leave.
Only Henry anxiously stepped forward, his face stern, opening his mouth to speak in a severe tone—
"Who do you think you are..."
The person in question, however, remained utterly unflappable, earning silent nods of approval from onlookers. They saw her right hand lift slightly, and Henry, understanding the cue, promptly closed his mouth and took half a step back.
Su Ning said calmly,
"Go ahead."
"Straight to the point." The client shot a triumphant glance at Henry and offered a hypocritical explanation:
"I'm just in a hurry. I've worn my lips thin trying to exchange some US dollars. HSBC keeps saying they don't have any, but then they do for you, Miss Su. Does that seem right to you?"
Hearing this, Henry couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Was it more right to say directly that you don't have the qualification to exchange foreign currency, instead of saying 'don't have any'?
The client rambled and complained at length before finally looking up at Su Ning with a cheeky grin:
"So, I'm asking what backdoor you used to exchange dollars, Miss Su. Do a good deed and help me out too. Don't worry, I definitely won't shortchange you."
"At a rate of one to ten, you could even make a little profit."
This was his real goal.
If that snobbish Henry could be so respectful, Su Ning's exchange rate was probably around one to eight. One person exchanges, two people exchange, what's the difference?
Besides, offering a one-to-ten rate, Su Ning could even earn a little kickback.
It was a win-win.
The client was quite pleased with himself. Seeing Su Ning remain silent, he regretted his earlier offer. He shouldn't have said one to ten; he should have said one to nine... no, one to eight point five would have been better.
Su Ning paid no mind to the man's petty calculations. Her full attention was on the system interface. The currency exchange section clearly stated—
US Dollar exchange, one to four.
At the very bottom was a line of small print: "All exchange rates use the official government rate of the host's region."
But from this man's tone, one to ten seemed to be the market rate.
The system wouldn't make an error in this regard. That meant the market was severely, severely short of US dollars... So, what could she do by exploiting this bug?
In an instant, one idea after another popped into Su Ning's head.
Lost in her own thoughts, Su Ning's delay made the client impatient. He actually reached out, intending to give her a push.
This was the last straw.
Henry, who had been yearning to prove himself in front of Su Ning, swiftly stepped forward, shielding her. He delivered a fierce kick that sent the man sprawling to the ground, then turned and shouted:
"Can't you see someone is assaulting a client? Get over here now!"
The guards with wooden batons at their waists hesitated only for a moment before choosing to obey Henry—even though the "assailant" was also an HSBC client, he was simply outmatched.
Several men pounced like wolves and tigers.
Three blows with the batons later, the previously aggressive client was forced to his knees before Su Ning, hands pinned.
"Miss Su, how would you like this handled..."
Henry asked softly, bending slightly to seek instructions.
Everyone around also waited for Su Ning to speak. Logically, young ladies raised in comfort were mostly soft-hearted; she'd probably just have him beaten a bit for show and then let go.
"I'm not the police. I have no right to speak of 'handling' anyone."
The disheveled client on the ground felt a glimmer of hope.
But upon hearing the second half of the sentence, his heart instantly plummeted into hell—
"...Just take him straight to the police station." A faint smile appeared on Su Ning's face.
"I believe the police will handle this impartially."
The onlookers wore complicated expressions. What did 'impartial' have to do with those blood-sucking police officers?
Once this guy entered the station, he wouldn't get out without being skinned alive.
The client naturally knew this.
His face instantly turned pale, and he struggled to get up, intending to beg Su Ning for mercy.
Henry shot a glance.
A quick-witted guard immediately smacked him across the mouth with a baton.
As for Su Ning, whom the bystanders thought might show mercy, her expression remained calm and composed, as if she saw nothing.
The looks in many people's eyes changed.
Such was the way of the world now—the strong preyed on the weak. Having power and influence was one thing, but without a ruthless and unyielding disposition, you'd only become a piece of fat meat for everyone to take a bite out of.
[Ding. Detected that the host is acting as a heartless rich person. A Tier-3 plot character has received a dual physical and mental blow. Reward: 100,000 currency. System Mall unlocked.]
So this guy was actually a plot character.
Su Ning glanced at him casually. This person didn't have much screentime in the original book, more of a minor antagonist type.
No wonder he was so stupid and low-class.
Ah, it's a pity the other main and supporting characters in the book were all increasingly formidable. After all, it was a story, filled with all sorts of flashy character archetypes to create conflict.
To act as a heartless rich person towards these troublesome individuals... the road ahead for her was still long.
