Everyone gathered around, staring as if watching a circus clown.
"Yurou, hurry up and pick one. Your husband is going to buy you a villa."
"Chen Bufan..." Jiang Yurou gritted her teeth. "Isn't it embarrassing enough? Hurry up and leave with me!"
"Yurou, just pick one quickly," Chen Bufan insisted.
"Fine, this one then!" Jiang Yurou, truly out of options, just wanted to play along so they could leave.
"Villa number 7, total price 12 million! Pay up," Supervisor Bai said with a mocking chuckle.
"Chen Bufan is shaking his head silently. Why the head-shaking? Can't keep up the act anymore?" Supervisor Bai sneered.
"Yurou, this villa is a bit small. Let's get a bigger one. Look, how about that one?" Chen Bufan pointed toward Villa number 9.
"Holy cow, Villa number 9!"
It symbolized the "Nine-Five Supreme"—the most expensive property at Yunlu. With a total price of 50 million, it was a top-tier luxury estate in all of Liyang. It wouldn't necessarily sell even after a year on the market, let alone in a month.
"This kid has an eye for things; he picked the crown jewel!"
There was no envy on the faces of the onlookers, only mockery.
"Bufan, can we go now?" There was a look of supplication in Jiang Yurou’s eyes. She could handle losing face, but Sisi was here—it was just too humiliating.
"We haven't paid yet," Chen Bufan said.
"Pfft..." Someone sprayed out their tea upon hearing this. He was really sticking to the act. He didn't blush and his heart didn't race; his skin was thick as a city wall.
"You..." Jiang Yurou was on the verge of tears. Fifty million—what was he expecting to pay with? She didn't even have fifty thousand to her name; there was no way for her to save the situation.
"Then please pay up, Boss Chen. If you can't come up with the money, don't blame me for calling the police to report you for fraud," Supervisor Bai said with a sinister grin.
Chen Bufan casually pulled a card from his person. He didn't even remember which one it was because he had too many. He handed it directly to the finance clerk.
"Let’s see how long you can keep acting!" Supervisor Bai was already prepared: once the card was declined, he would have his men beat the kid up, then call the police to have him arrested. Then he would threaten Jiang Yurou—the beauty would be crawling into his bed in no time... A smug smile spread across his face.
"The PIN!"
"The PIN... I forgot. Just a moment." Chen Bufan said awkwardly. He had too many cards on him, and some he had never used once; how was he supposed to remember the PINs? To someone of his status, money was nothing but vapor.
The finance clerk curled her lip in contempt, not even sparing Chen Bufan a glance.
"Canglong, I have a card here, account number xxxx. What’s the PIN? Alright, I’ve got it." Chen Bufan hung up the phone and began entering the code.
"Input successful!"
Just as the prompt finished and Supervisor Bai and the others were about to jeer, a voice prompt rang out.
"Transaction successful. You have spent 50 million..."
"What?"
The entire room was stunned!
At the same time, the headquarters of the World Bank was thrown into total chaos.
"A Pinnacle Black Card is being used!"
The news swept through the bank’s various departments like a hurricane, leaving countless people gasping. In the history of the bank, only three Pinnacle Black Cards had ever been issued. Each holder represented a monumental achievement that shook the world; only those standing at the true pinnacle were worthy of this card—which is why it was called the Pinnacle Black Card.
But those three cards had been dormant for years. Two of the holders had passed away long ago, and one had never been used at all—until today, when a transaction suddenly occurred. It was captured by the database instantly and fed back to headquarters. Because every Pinnacle Black Card was tied to a person of world-altering significance, their spending records were tracked solely by the bank itself to provide personalized data-driven services.
Headquarters confirmed the holder's status in an instant, and a phone call was placed from across the ocean to the Liyang branch. A tiny branch like theirs had never received a call from headquarters before. The bank president answered it himself. No one knew what was said during the English conversation, only that the president kept saying "Yes, yes!"
After hanging up, his face was ashen. He hurriedly took several employees and drove toward Yunlu Real Estate.
***
The owner of Yunlu Real Estate was acting in kind. He had been running around to various banks discussing loans. A real estate company’s funds mostly came from banks; only by selling houses could they pay off the principal and interest. The longer the houses sat unsold, the more the interest piled up. The owner was frantic—even as a multi-millionaire, he had almost resorted to kneeling before people.
Just then, he received a text message: Villa number 9 had been sold—50 million in the bank!
"Paid in full! I've met a benefactor!" The owner jumped for joy. He didn't care about anything else anymore. He immediately drove back to the company, determined to thank this benefactor in person, or the company might go under.
By now, the Yunlu office was in an uproar. The icy finance clerk, wearing her glasses, checked the receipt over and over. The transaction had gone through, and the receipt clearly displayed a '5' followed by a string of zeros.
A full 50 million!
Supervisor Bai’s face went pale, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.
"No, no, there must be a mistake! How could he possibly have 50 million?!"
Just then, a car arrived. The bank president rushed in, pushing through the crowd with a frantic expression. Upon seeing the card in Chen Bufan’s hand, he approached with immense respect and bowed deeply.
"I am the president of XX Bank. Greetings to our esteemed Pinnacle Black Card client! Our bank offers every convenience; if you have any needs, please feel free to command us!"
A Pinnacle Black Card? What on earth was that? But the bank president—that was the real deal. There was no mistake. It was truly terrifying; even the president had been startled into showing up!
Supervisor Bai’s legs went soft.
"The boss is here!" the employees shouted, clearing a path once more.
A silver-haired old man walked over quickly, his secretary trailing behind, her heels clicking rapidly. No one had ever seen the boss this hurried; no one knew what kind of big shot he was coming to see.
"C-CEO Cao!" Supervisor Bai stammered.
Boss Cao didn't even look at Supervisor Bai, hurrying straight to the front.
"Who is the one who bought Villa number 9?"
When everyone pointed to Chen Bufan, Boss Cao was stunned. He was so young—it was shocking! He figured he must be the son of some powerful family, and he didn't dare be negligent, stepping forward to shake hands.
"Thank you so much for your support. From now on, you are a benefactor in the life of Cao Huadong."
"Oh, President Lu, why are you here?"
"The person buying your Yunlu property is a key client of our bank. I’m here to offer my services," President Lu explained.
Cao Huadong was shocked. As the owner of Yunlu Real Estate, he was only a "Diamond Client" at his partner banks, and he was far from qualified to have the bank president following him around—in fact, he often had to beg them for favors. That this young man could have the bank president personally come to serve him—and that this bank had foreign capital and massive strength, with higher standards for its VIPs—only proved that this young man was no simple person!
Cao Huadong looked at Chen Bufan with even greater intensity. If he could butter him up and get him to invest in Yunlu Real Estate, his career might see a second spring.
"Mr. Chen, thank you for trusting Yunlu. If you have any needs, just ask, and I will personally handle them for you."
"I actually do have a need. My wife works at your company, working early and late, diligent and conscientious, yet she has faced unfair treatment," Chen Bufan said coldly.
"Your wife works for our company?" Boss Cao was stunned. He couldn't understand the thinking of the wealthy—was this a "life experience" tour? "What kind of unfair treatment? I will handle it with the utmost severity!"
Chen Bufan turned his gaze toward Supervisor Bai.
*Thump!*
Supervisor Bai could no longer stand. He slumped to the floor, his body shaking like an engine, his lips turned white with terror. Recalling his past actions, he realized he was the one who was truly disgraceful. A small supervisor like him couldn't earn 50 million in a lifetime!
"Ask him yourself what happened," Chen Bufan said coldly.
After Boss Cao learned the facts, he was struck by a thunderous rage.
"You bastard! You’ve gone completely lawless, abusing your authority and nearly offending such an important guest! The one who needs to resign is you! Pack your things and get out!"
"No, CEO Cao! I have loans to pay, I can't be without a job!"
"Mr. Chen, it’s my fault! I’m a lowly person with dog’s eyes—please, don’t hold it against me! I beg you!" Supervisor Bai kowtowed until he was crying snot and tears.
"Do you think I'm holding it against you?" Chen Bufan sneered. If he really wanted to hold it against him, his life would already be over. "I don't want to see you in my line of sight ever again."
"Did you hear that? Don't let Mr. Chen see you again! Pack your things and get out!" Boss Cao barked.
"Yes, yes, I'm leaving!" Supervisor Bai scrambled away in a disheveled mess.
"Mr. Chen, do you have time at noon? Let me treat you to a meal," Boss Cao said with a beaming face.
"No need. I just bought a house; don't make a big deal out of it," Chen Bufan said, looking at Yurou. "I'm taking Sisi out now. As for the rest, you handle it."
Jiang Yurou was completely bewildered. Her man had spent 50 million on a house? The most expensive villa at Yunlu? And the Supervisor who had been making her life difficult had been fired?
"What on earth is going on?"
Before Jiang Yurou could react, she was surrounded by Cao Huadong and a group of employees, all trying to curry favor with her.
***
During their lunch break, Chen Bufan and Jiang Yurou met at a restaurant next to the office.
"Bufan, tell me the truth. What is going on?"
"If I don't tell you, will you hit me?" Chen Bufan joked.
"What do you think?" Jiang Yurou ground her teeth, looking as fierce as a little tigress.
"What if I told you the black card and that money were all mine? Would you believe me?" Chen Bufan asked.
"No," Jiang Yurou said very seriously.
"See, you don't believe me anyway, so why ask so much?" Chen Bufan shook his head.
"I don't care, you have to tell me the truth!" Jiang Yurou pestered him.
"I have a friend who wanted to buy a house in Liyang, but it wasn't convenient for him to show up, so he asked me to handle it for him. He isn't coming to live here right now, so we can move in and stay there once it's ready," Chen Bufan felt as if he were being forced to lie.
"I knew it!" Jiang Yurou nodded as if it were only natural.
"Do you believe me now?" Chen Bufan asked.
"I believe you."
Chen Bufan felt a vein pulse on his forehead. She didn't believe him when he told the truth, but she believed the lie faster than anything.
"But I really have to thank your friend. For a 50-million-dollar house, my commission alone will be hundreds of thousands."
"Only hundreds of thousands in commission? That Boss Cao is quite stingy," Chen Bufan frowned.
"Hundreds of thousands is already a lot! And Boss Cao is actually a good person; he even promoted me to manager," Jiang Yurou said happily.
"Is that so? Then congratulations." Chen Bufan offered his well-wishes, unable to dampen her spirits. Only he knew that Cao Huadong promoting Jiang Yurou was merely to earn some brownie points and curry favor with him—the man was an old fox.
***
After lunch, Yurou headed back to work, full of energy. Chen Bufan took Sisi to play in a nearby park.
As evening approached and work was about to end, Jiang Yurou called. "Bufan, don't wait for me. The company is having a dinner party tonight. They insist on celebrating my promotion, and I can't refuse."
"Alright, I understand." After hanging up, Chen Bufan decided to find a restaurant to eat at with Sisi, rather than cooking back home; he really didn't have much confidence in his culinary skills.
At 7:00 PM, Chen Bufan and Sisi were eating happily at a restaurant in the city center, planning to pick up Yurou after her dinner. Just then, his phone rang. Before he could even speak, Canglong’s voice came through rapidly: "Palace Master, the Madam was taken to a KTV by her colleagues after the dinner. It seems they drank quite a bit. That man surnamed Bai is also at the KTV. I’m worried there might be an incident."
"Damn it! Yurou is in trouble!" Chen Bufan’s instincts were sharp; he instantly sensed something wrong. A dinner party was fine, and drinking a bit at KTV wasn't a major issue, but that man surnamed Bai had been at the KTV beforehand—it was clearly a setup.
"Tell me the address!"
After getting the location, Chen Bufan took Sisi and headed straight for the KTV.
***
Inside a luxurious private room at the KTV, a dozen employees from Yunlu were singing happily, the table covered in snacks and alcohol.
"Yurou, congrats on becoming manager! Let's have a toast!" The colleagues buttered her up.
"I really can't drink anymore. Why don't you guys keep playing, and I'll head back first?" Jiang Yurou declined, her head throbbing.
"Don't go! It's only seven o'clock, stay a bit longer..." Everyone talked over each other. The noisy, stuffy room made Jiang Yurou feel a wave of nausea.
"I'm going to the restroom." She took a tactical exit.
After washing up in the restroom, Jiang Yurou felt a bit better. She noticed a smudge on her skirt and pulled out a tissue to wipe it off.
"Let me help you!" A man's voice came from behind, followed by a large hand reaching out.
"Ah!" Jiang Yurou jumped in fright and pulled away. Looking up, she saw a man walking toward her with a smirking face.
"Supervisor Bai!" Jiang Yurou was shocked, pressing her back against the sink with nowhere to go, watching him walk toward her. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"I’ve been waiting here for hours. You tell me what I’m doing? Obviously, I’m looking for romance." Supervisor Bai lunged forward, grabbing Jiang Yurou. He dragged her into an opposite private room and threw her onto the sofa.
Jiang Yurou was panic-stricken, pushing against him with all her might. "Get away from me!"
"Jiang Yurou, Manager Jiang, you’ve been promoted, but I’ve lost my job—all thanks to your husband! If I can't deal with him, surely I can deal with you!" Supervisor Bai was acting like a madman, lunging at her again.
*CREAK!*
A car screeched to a halt in front of the KTV.
"Sisi, wait for Papa in the car, and don't go anywhere!" Chen Bufan stepped out of the car. A figure appeared immediately—it was Canglong.
"Keep an eye on Sisi!" Chen Bufan’s voice dropped as he rushed toward the KTV.
"Sir, you can't park here," a waiter said.
*CRACK! CRACK!*
Chen Bufan strode forward, and the floorboards beneath his feet shattered, turning the waiter’s face pale. Gasps erupted from all around. No one dared to utter another word, even if he had parked in the lobby!
Chen Bufan was radiating killing intent as he stormed upstairs.
*BANG!*
A luxurious room door flew open, startling the dozen people inside. They looked over, utterly stunned. It was Jiang Yurou’s husband! If this had been earlier, they would have berated him, but since he bought the villa, these people looked at him as if he were a god.
"Where is Yurou?" Chen Bufan’s gaze scanned the room; she was nowhere to be found.
"She went to the restroom," a female colleague replied.
*WHOOSH!*
Chen Bufan left instantly, the killing intent that had engulfed the room vanishing with him. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, confused about what had just happened.
Chen Bufan arrived at the restroom; she wasn't there. Then, his ears twitched, and he heard shouts coming from across the hall.
"Damn it!" he roared like a tiger descending from the mountain, rushing crazily toward the opposite room.
Inside the room, Supervisor Bai was losing his mind, pinning Jiang Yurou firmly on the sofa.
"Get off! Get off of me!" Jiang Yurou pushed him away with all her strength, her arms scratched.
"Jiang Yurou, I’ve liked you for a long time! Just say yes!" Supervisor Bai shouted, his eyes bloodshot.
*BANG!*
At that moment, an earth-shattering explosion occurred. The door shattered instantly, scaring the soul out of Supervisor Bai. He turned his head and saw a peerless figure standing in the doorway, like a Yama from Hell itself. The man radiated a deathly aura, his icy gaze like a sharp sword, sending a chill through his very bones.
"Ch-Chen Bufan!" he shivered, unable to believe it. How had this guy found him?
"Bufan!" Jiang Yurou cried out, seizing the chance to escape and throwing herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
Chen Bufan patted her back gently, his eyes roaring with killing intent. If he had been a second later, Yurou might have been defiled.
Cold. So cold. A boundless, icy chill filled the entire room. Supervisor Bai shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering. It was too terrifying. He had never experienced anything this frightening in his life. Even though Chen Bufan hadn't moved, the pressure felt like an army of ten thousand men was bearing down on him, ready to crush him into meat paste.
"Do you remember what I said?" Chen Bufan spoke coldly.
"Wh-what did you say?" Supervisor Bai’s heart trembled.
"If you harass my wife again, you won't see tomorrow's sun!"
His voice was domineering, laced with a peerless killing intent that scared Supervisor Bai so badly he wet his pants. He collapsed to his knees with a *thump!*
"I'm sorry! I was blinded by lust! Please, spare me..."
"I told you to disappear from my sight, yet you insisted on showing up. There won't be a next time! Yurou, close your eyes."
As Chen Bufan finished, the power within him surged, turning into a blade of energy that swept through the air.
*Pfft!*
Like a sharp sword, it pierced directly through Supervisor Bai’s head, killing him instantly.
He who touches my wife and daughter...
Dies without mercy.
This was the price.
"Yurou, let's go." Chen Bufan took Jiang Yurou’s hand and left.
After they were gone, gasps echoed from the doorway. The employees from Yunlu stood there, having seen the scene in the room, their faces pale as ghosts. Jiang Yurou kept her eyes closed and didn't see what had happened, but she could guess well enough.