Everyone crowded around, looking as though they were watching a circus act.
"Yurou, hurry up and pick one! Your husband is going to buy you a villa."
"Chen Bufan," Jiang Yurou said, gritting her teeth, "haven't you embarrassed us enough? Hurry up and leave with me!"
"Yurou, just pick one early on," Chen Bufan insisted.
"I'll take this one, then!" Jiang Yurou had no other choice; she just wanted to cooperate quickly and get out of there.
"Villa No. 7, total price twelve million! Pay up," Supervisor Bai sneered.
"Chen Bufan shook his head silently. Why the head shake? Can't keep up the act anymore?" Supervisor Bai mocked.
"Yurou, this villa is a bit too small. Let's get a bigger one. Look at that one over there." Chen Bufan pointed at Villa No. 9.
"Damn, Villa No. 9!"
It carried the auspicious meaning of the supreme sovereign, and it was also the most expensive property in Yunlu, with a total price of fifty million. Throughout the entire Liyang, it was a top-tier luxury estate!
Forget selling it within a month of the launch; even if it had been on the market for a year, it might not have sold.
"This kid actually has an eye for it—he picked the king of villas!"
Not a trace of envy could be seen on the crowd's faces—only mockery.
"Bufan, can we go now?" Jiang Yurou's gaze was already filled with a plea. She might not care about losing face, but Sisi was still here; this was just too humiliating.
"We haven't paid yet," Chen Bufan said.
"Pfft..." Hearing this, someone spat out their tea. He was really keeping up the act! Without a single blush or a skipped heartbeat, his skin was truly thick beyond belief.
"You..." Jiang Yurou was on the verge of tears. Fifty million? What on earth was he expecting to pay with? She didn't even have fifty thousand on her; she had no way to salvage this disaster.
"Then please pay up, Boss Chen. If you can't cough up the money, don't blame me for calling the police and reporting you for fraud." Supervisor Bai smiled insidiously.
Chen Bufan casually fished a card out from his pocket. He didn't even remember which one it was because he had far too many cards. He handed it directly to the finance clerk.
"Let's see how much longer you can put on this show!" Supervisor Bai was already prepared: once the card was declined, he would give this kid a good beating first, then call the police to have him arrested.
After that, he would threaten Jiang Yurou, and the beauty would naturally crawl into his bed... A smug smile involuntarily spread across his face.
"PIN!"
"PIN... I forgot. Hold on a second," Chen Bufan said awkwardly. He had too many cards on him, and some of them had never been used even once; how was he supposed to remember the PINs? To someone of his level, money was mere dirt.
*He doesn't even remember the PIN to his own card—most likely there's no money on it, and he hasn't swiped it in a long time, right?*
The finance clerk curled her lips in utter disdain, not even bothering to give Chen Bufan a second glance.
"Canglong, I have a card here, account number XXXX, what's the PIN? Right, got it." Chen Bufan hung up the phone and began entering the PIN.
"Transaction successful!"
Right after the prompt finished, just as Supervisor Bai and the others were about to burst into laughter, another voice prompt immediately followed.
"Card swiped successfully. Your purchase amount is fifty million..."
"What?!"
Everyone present was dumbfounded!
At that exact same moment, the World Bank headquarters suddenly erupted into chaos.
"A Pinnacle Black Card is being used for a transaction!"
The news swept through every major department of the bank like a tornado, causing countless people to gasp in shock.
In the bank's entire history, a total of only three Pinnacle Black Cards had ever been issued.
Every single cardholder represented someone who had achieved earth-shattering, worldwide success. Only those standing at the true pinnacle of the world were worthy of possessing this black card—hence why it was called the Pinnacle Black Card!
Yet these three black cards had been dormant for several years. Two of the cardholders had passed away long ago, and the remaining card—the third one—had never been used at all, until today when a transaction suddenly popped up.
It was captured by the database immediately and fed back to the bank headquarters.
Because every person corresponding to a Pinnacle Black Card existed at the absolute summit of the world, their transaction records could only be tracked and viewed by the bank itself in order to formulate customized, data-driven services.
The bank headquarters instantly verified the status, and immediately, a phone call was placed from the distant other side of the ocean to the Liyang branch.
When had such a small branch ever received a call from headquarters? The branch manager answered it personally, conducting the entire conversation in English. No one knew what was said; they only saw the manager constantly nodding and saying, "Yes, yes!!"
After hanging up the phone, the manager's face was completely drained of color. He hurriedly rounded up a few staff members and drove posthaste toward Yunlu Real Estate.
Chapter 16: Rushing in on the News!
Making the exact same move was the owner of Yunlu Real Estate, who had originally been running around to various major banks discussing loan matters.
The real estate company's funds came mostly from banks; only by selling houses could they pay back the principal and interest. The harder it was to sell houses, the more the interest at the bank piled up.
The boss was frantic with anxiety. Even as a multi-millionaire, he had almost resorted to getting on his knees and begging people.
Just at that moment, he received a text message: Villa No. 9 had been sold, fifty million credited to the account!
"Paid in full upfront! We've run into a benefactor!" The owner jumped straight up in the air with excitement. To hell with negotiations; he immediately drove back to the company. He had to personally thank this benefactor, or else the entire company would go under.
Meanwhile, back at the Yunlu office, an uproar had already broken out. The ice-cold finance clerk adjusted her nearsighted glasses and verified it multiple times.
The card transaction had succeeded, and the receipt clearly displayed a 5 followed by a string of zeros.
A full fifty million!
Supervisor Bai's face was as pale as a sheet, and he was so terrified he nearly dropped to his knees.
"No, no, there must be a mistake! How could he possibly have fifty million?!"
Right at that moment, a car arrived. The branch manager rushed in with his people, elbowing their way through the crowd with hurried expressions.
Upon seeing the card in Chen Bufan's hand, the manager greeted him with utmost respect, bowing in unison.
"I am the manager of XX Bank. Greetings, esteemed Pinnacle Black Card client! Our bank provides every possible convenience; whatever you need, please do not hesitate to command us!"
A Pinnacle Black Card? What on earth was that? But the bank manager was the real deal—there was no mistake about that.
Terrifying! Even the bank manager had been startled into rushing over!
Supervisor Bai's legs suddenly turned a bit jelly-like.
"The boss is here!" the employees suddenly shouted, once again clearing a path.
An elderly man with silver hair walked over briskly, his secretary following closely behind, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.
They had never seen the boss in such a rush before, nor did they know what great personage he was here to meet.
"C-Cao... President Cao!" Supervisor Bai stammered.
Boss Cao didn't even spare Supervisor Bai a glance, hurrying straight up to the front.
"Who was it that bought Villa No. 9?"
When everyone pointed at Chen Bufan, Boss Cao froze. Such a young man—truly astonishing!
He figured the young man must be the scion of some powerful and wealthy family, and instantly dared not be negligent, taking the initiative to step forward and shake his hand.
"Thank you so much for your support! From now on, you are the noble benefactor in the life of Cao Huadong."
"Oh? Manager Lü, why are you here as well?"
"The person who bought a property at your Yunlu development is an important client of our bank. I'm here to provide our services," Manager Lü explained.
Hearing this, Cao Huadong was greatly shocked. Given his status as the boss of Yunlu Real Estate, among his cooperating banks he was at best a diamond client, yet he was still far from qualified to have a bank manager trail him around—in fact, sometimes he even had to go beg *them*.
This young man had actually caused the bank manager to personally come and serve him, and furthermore, this bank had foreign capital backing and immense financial strength, holding even stricter requirements for esteemed clients than ordinary banks.
For the bank to attach such high importance to him only proved that this young man was no ordinary person!
The way Cao Huadong looked at Chen Bufan changed even further. If he could butter this guy up and draw him into investing in Yunlu Real Estate, perhaps his career could experience a second spring.
"Mr. Chen, thank you very much for trusting Yunlu. If you have any needs at all, just mention them, and I will personally see to it that they are resolved for you."
"I actually do have a slight need. My wife works at your company, toiling away early and late, dedicated and hardworking, yet she has been subjected to unfair treatment," Chen Bufan said coldly.
"Your wife works at our company?" Boss Cao was immensely startled. He simply couldn't fathom the minds of the wealthy—the guy must have come here just to experience life.
"I wonder what kind of unfair treatment she has suffered? I will definitely handle this with the utmost severity!" Boss Cao said.
Chen Bufan cast his gaze toward Supervisor Bai.
*Thump...*
Supervisor Bai could no longer stand; he collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, his body shaking like an engine, his lips white with terror.
Recalling his previous actions, he realized *he* was the one who was truly embarrassing.
With just his status as a mere supervisor, even if he worked for a lifetime, he couldn't earn fifty million!
"Ask him yourself to find out what exactly happened," Chen Bufan said coldly.
After getting the facts of the matter, Boss Cao flew into a towering rage.
"You bastard! You've completely lost your mind—actually abusing your power and nearly offending such an important guest! The one who truly needs to resign is you. Pack your things and get the hell out of here right now!"
"No, don't do this, President Cao! I still have a loan to pay off, I can't lose my job!"
"Mr. Chen, it was my fault! I'm a despicable wretch who judges people by their covers. I beg you not to hold this against me, I'm begging you!"
Supervisor Bai kowtowed until his head hit the floor with loud thuds, crying so hard snot was streaming down his face.
"Do you think I'm lowering myself to bicker with you?" Chen Bufan sneered. If he really wanted to hold it against him, the man would already be dead.
"I don't want to ever see you in my line of sight again."
"Did you hear that? Don't ever let yourself appear in Mr. Chen's sight again! Pack your things and get lost!" Cao Huadong bellowed.
"Yes, yes! I'm rolling out right now!" Supervisor Bai fled in a miserable state.
"Mr. Chen, do you have time at noon? Let me treat you to a meal," Boss Cao said with a face full of smiles.
"No need. I just bought a house, that's all; no need to make a big deal out of it," Chen Bufan said, before looking at Yurou. "I'll take Sisi out first. Handle whatever else needs looking after."
At this moment, Jiang Yurou was in a complete daze. Her man had spent fifty million to buy a house? And it was the most expensive villa in Yunlu? The Supervisor Bai who had been making things difficult for her had just been fired?
"What on earth is going on here?"
Before Jiang Yurou could even react, she was surrounded by Cao Huadong and a group of employees, all of them buttering her up.
By the time lunch break arrived, Chen Bufan and Jiang Yurou met up to eat at a restaurant next to the company.
"Bufan, give it to me straight—what on earth is going on here?"
"If I don't tell you, are you going to hit me?" Chen Bufan smiled.
"What do you think?" Jiang Yurou ground her pearly white teeth, looking as fierce as a little tiger.
"Then what if I told you the black card and all that money were actually mine—would you believe it?" Chen Bufan asked.
"No," Jiang Yurou said very earnestly.
"You wouldn't believe me anyway, so why ask so much?" Chen Bufan shook his head.
"I don't care, you better come clean with me!" Jiang Yurou badgered him relentlessly.
"A friend of mine wanted to buy a house in Liyang, but it wasn't convenient for him to show his face, so he had me handle it on his behalf. But since he isn't coming over to live in it right now, we can move in and live there first once the place is all set up." Chen Bufan felt like he was being forced into telling lies.
"I knew it!" Jiang Yurou nodded matter-of-factly.
"You believe me now?" Chen Bufan asked.
"I believe you."
A dark shadow crossed Chen Bufan's forehead. When he told the truth, Yurou didn't believe him; the moment he told a lie, she believed it faster than anyone.
"Still, I really have to thank this friend of yours. It's a fifty-million-dollar house—my commission alone will be several hundred thousand."
"Only a few hundred thousand in commission? That Boss Cao is too stingy." Chen Bufan frowned.
"Several hundred thousand is already a lot! Besides, Boss Cao is a pretty good guy—he even promoted me to manager," Jiang Yurou said happily.
"Is that so? Then congratulations," Chen Bufan congratulated her. He couldn't bear to dampen Jiang Yurou's excitement. Only he knew that Cao Huadong promoting Jiang Yurou was merely a ploy to win favor and suck up to him—an old fox through and through.
Chapter 17: A Promise Kept!
After lunch, Yurou hurried back to work, brimming with drive and motivation.
Chen Bufan took Sisi to play in a nearby park.
As evening approached and it was almost time to get off work, Jiang Yurou called.
"Bufan, don't wait up for me. The company is having a dinner party tonight to celebrate my promotion to manager; I couldn't get out of it."
"Alright, I understand." After agreeing, Chen Bufan planned to take Sisi to find a restaurant to eat at, saving himself the trouble of cooking when they got back—he truly had zero confidence in his own culinary skills.
At 7:00 PM, Chen Bufan and Sisi were eating happily at a restaurant in the city center, planning to pick Yurou up on their way back once she finished her meal.
Right at that moment, his cell phone suddenly rang.
The moment Chen Bufan answered, before he could even speak, Canglong's voice came through rapidly.
"Hall Master, after the dinner party, Sister-in-law was taken to a KTV by her colleagues. It looks like she drank quite a bit, and that guy with the last name Bai is also at the KTV. I'm afraid something might happen."
"Damn it, Yurou's going to be in trouble!" With Chen Bufan's acute senses, he instantly perceived that something was wrong.
Dinner was fine, and Yurou drinking a bit and going to sing wasn't a huge deal either.
However, that guy surnamed Bai had been at the KTV ahead of time—he was obviously waiting there on purpose.
"Quickly give me the address!"
After getting the address, Chen Bufan took Sisi and headed straight for the KTV.
...
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious private room at the KTV, a dozen or so employees from the Yunlu company were singing happily, the coffee table covered in snacks and drinks.
"Yurou, congratulations on becoming manager! Let's toast to you!" her colleagues flattered.
"I really can't drink anymore. Why don't you guys keep having fun, I'm going to head back first," Jiang Yurou politely declined, her head splitting with pain.
"Come on, it's only a little past seven, stay and play a bit longer..."
Everyone talked at once. The chaotic noise, combined with the stuffy private room, made Jiang Yurou feel a wave of nausea.
"I'm going to the restroom."
She tactically made her escape.
After washing up in the restroom, Jiang Yurou finally started to feel a bit better.
Somehow, a dirty mark had gotten onto her short skirt. She pulled out a dry paper towel, getting ready to wipe it off.
"I'll help you!"
A man's voice came from behind, and immediately, a large hand reached out.
"Ah..." Jiang Yurou jumped in fright, quickly dodging out of the way. She raised her head and saw a man walking toward her with a grinning smile.
"Supervisor Bai!" Jiang Yurou was taken aback, pressing her back tightly against the sink. With nowhere left to run, she could only watch helplessly as Supervisor Bai approached.
"W-what do you want?"
"I've been waiting here for hours, and you're asking me what I want? Naturally, we're going to talk about love." Supervisor Bai suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Jiang Yurou.
He dragged her into an opposite private room and threw her onto the sofa.
Panicking, Jiang Yurou pushed hard against Supervisor Bai. "Get the hell away from me!"
"Jiang Yurou, Manager Jiang, you got promoted all right, but I lost my job—and it's all thanks to your man! If I can't deal with him, do you think I can't deal with you?!" Supervisor Bai went crazy and lunged at her again.
*Creak!!*
Right at that moment, a car screeched to a sudden, sharp halt in front of the KTV entrance.
"Sisi, wait for Daddy in the car, don't go anywhere!" Chen Bufan said, stepping out of the car door in a single stride.
A figure immediately appeared—it was none other than Canglong.
"Keep an eye on Sisi!" As those words fell, Chen Bufan headed straight toward the KTV.
"Mister, parking is not allowed here," a waiter rushed over to say.
*Crack, crack, crack!!!*
Chen Bufan strode forward forcefully, the floorboards under his feet shattering instantly. The waiter's face turned ashen with terror, and gasps of shock erupted all around.
Forget parking at the entrance—even if he parked right in the lobby, no one would dare say a single word!
Radiating murderous intent, Chen Bufan charged straight upstairs.
*Bang!*
A luxurious private room door burst open instantly, startling the dozen or so people inside.
Everyone looked over in absolute bewilderment.
It was actually Jiang Yurou's husband!
Had this been earlier, they certainly would have cursed him out, but ever since Chen Bufan bought the villa, these people looked at him as if he were God.
"Where's Yurou?" Chen Bufan scanned the room, finding no trace of her.
"She went to the restroom," a female colleague replied.
*Whoosh!*
Chen Bufan immediately turned and left, the killing intent that had enveloped the private room vanishing along with him.
Only then did the crowd let out a sigh of relief, having no idea what had just happened!
Chen Bufan arrived at the restroom and didn't see a single shadow, but right at that moment, his ears twitched and he caught the sound of shouting—coming from the room directly across the hall!
"Damn it!" he roared like a tiger descending the mountain, charging frantically toward the opposite door.
Inside the private room, Supervisor Bai had gone completely mad, pinning Jiang Yurou down hard onto the sofa!
"Get away! Get the hell away from me!!" Jiang Yurou pushed at him desperately, her arms already scratched.
*Bang!*
At that exact moment, with a heaven-shaking explosion, the main door suddenly shattered into pieces, scaring Supervisor Bai so badly his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
He whipped his head around to look, only to see an unmatched figure standing in the doorway like a Yama emerging from Hades. A chilling aura of death radiated from his entire body, and a pair of ice-cold eyes locked onto him like sharp blades, freezing him to the bone!
"C-Chen Bufan!!" he stammered out, almost unable to believe how this guy had managed to track him down here.
"Bufan!" Jiang Yurou cried out, seizing the opportunity to break free and throwing herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
Gently patting Yurou's back with his large hand, Chen Bufan watched as the killing intent in his eyes surged wildly.
If he had arrived even a step later, Yurou might have been defiled!
Cold!
Utterly, bone-chillingly cold!!
An endless wave of freezing intent filled the entire room.
Supervisor Bai shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering.
It was too terrifying. He had never experienced anything this horrifying in his entire life. Even though the other party hadn't struck yet, it felt as though an entire army was bearing down on him, capable of grinding him into meat paste at any second.
"Do you remember what I said?" Chen Bufan spoke coldly.
"W-what words?" Supervisor Bai asked, his heart trembling with fear.
"If you harass my wife again, I'll make sure you don't see tomorrow's sun!"
The domineering words rang out, laced with peerless killing intent, scaring Supervisor Bai so badly that his crotch grew wet and he collapsed to the floor with a loud *thump*!
"I'm sorry, my brain was clouded by lust, please spare me..."
"I told you to disappear from my sight, yet you insisted on showing your face. There won't be a next time. Yurou, close your eyes."
As soon as Chen Bufan finished speaking, the internal force within his body surged violently, transforming into a blade of energy that sliced through the air.
*Pfft...*
Like a sharp sword, it pierced straight through Supervisor Bai's head, causing him to drop dead instantly.
Those who dare to harm my wife and daughter—
No mercy!
This was the end.
"Yurou, let's go." Chen Bufan took Jiang Yurou's hand and walked away.
Right after they left, gasps of shock rang out behind them.
The employees of the Yunlu company, standing at the doorway, caught sight of the scene inside the private room, every single one of their faces draining of color in sheer terror.
Jiang Yurou kept her eyes closed and didn't see what had happened, but she could more or less guess.