The male teller, safe behind the bulletproof glass, was unafraid. He stood up and addressed me, “What kind of thing are you! Causing trouble at a bank—are you looking to die!”

So he truly was a scoundrel. I repeated my demand, “I’ll say this one more time: Go outside, apologize to her, and tell me your dog’s name. Tomorrow, you can be laid off.”

The teller scrutinized me carefully, confirming I wasn't some celebrity or a disguised official. Then he pointed directly at my nose and snarled, “Do you believe I’ll find someone to hack you down! I’ve been a cashier for over a decade, and I’ve never seen a customer as arrogant as you!”

I cursed loudly, “Damn it! I’ve lived over twenty years and never seen a cashier as arrogant as you! I’ll count to three, and if you don’t come out, don’t blame me for being impolite. One, two, three.”

Time was up, but the villain remained stock-still. Bang! I struck out with a punch. The bulletproof glass on the counter shattered, but the fibers within kept it loosely connected. However, my force was immense; the entire sheet of glass tore free from the counter, yanking the fixed iron nails right out of their sockets. Instantly, the alarm bells in the building blared.

I leaned in, grabbed the male teller inside, and smack! hurled him onto the floor outside. “Go apologize to my friend, or I’ll stomp you to death!”

The male teller was utterly stunned. He had never imagined that bulletproof glass could be knocked loose by a single punch, nor had he ever encountered an incident resembling a robbery.

I placed my foot on the teller’s stomach and pressed down. His face slowly turned the color of liver, and he gasped, “I’ll go, I’ll go, don’t kill me.”

Xu Chen, outside, was shocked speechless. She thought I was just going in to exchange a few sharp words, never imagining that just a few seconds later, I would actually smash the bank’s service counter!

Terrified and unable to stand steady, the male teller crawled out of the bank and begged Xu Chen, who stood by the entrance, for mercy. “It was my fault just now. I apologize to you. Please don’t let him kill me, I beg you, tell him to let me go.”

Xu Chen’s face went deathly pale with fright. She urged me, “Brother Zhao, hurry and run! This has nothing to do with you; it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come to withdraw money.”

I stopped her words. “Xu Chen, don’t say another word. Though we may be poor, our spirit is not. This bank is not this bastard’s. He has disgraced this bank, but this also reveals a huge flaw in the bank’s internal management. It’s no longer worthy of our trust. Cancel your card and notify your family not to transfer any more funds. I’ll pay you your salary in advance. Get a computer and work hard; you will surely make something of yourself in the future.”

Xu Chen couldn't process that I would say such things at a moment like this. Her mind was a blank slate; she could only nod repeatedly. I found the bank card in her schoolbag and handed it to the man on the floor. “Cancel it. We are closing the account.”

By now, the wail of approaching police sirens was clearly audible. Xu Chen pulled at me. “Hurry, Brother Zhao, run! I’m a girl; they won’t arrest me.”

I gently pushed Xu Chen to sit on a chair in front of the counter. “Ignore them. Have you forgotten about checking the examination room? The police are afraid of me. Right now, you are a distinguished customer, and I will teach this dead lowlife how to conduct business.”

I grabbed the male teller and tossed him back inside the counter area. I almost got splashed by the urine he nearly released in his terror. The male teller lay trembling on the floor, refusing to get up. I thrust the card at him. “Close the account. I will count to three. If you don’t start processing it, I’ll go in there and break your neck!”

The female teller nervously took the card. “We cannot close an account from a different regional branch. Please understand.”

I asked her, “Was that dead lowlife using the same tone just now?”

The female teller stammered, “N-no, he wasn’t. He insulted this distinguished customer. He saw there wasn't much money in the card, and processing the transfer was troublesome, so he said such a card wasted bank resources, and he even called her a jinx.”

I snatched the small keypad box used for PIN entry from the counter and slammed it onto the male teller’s head, making him shriek and howl. I glared at him. “You have severely damaged my friend’s self-esteem. Who do you think you are, someone superior to her? Let me tell you the truth: no matter how poor my friend is, she is still human. You, however, have been reclassified as a beast!”

The police cars outside and the support security guards dispatched from the bank’s headquarters had arrived. Unsure of the situation inside, they hesitated to storm in, which unexpectedly bolstered the confidence of the two tellers, and traces of relief appeared on their faces.

I addressed the two of them. “Don’t celebrate too soon. How do you know the people outside aren't my people? Tell your branch manager to come find me personally. From now on, I am canceling all deposit services for your branch. We can discuss resuming cooperation only when the rectifications are complete.”

Xu Chen was already bewildered by the police presence outside. I pulled her up. “Let’s go buy a computer. I’ve been to countless banks, and I’ve never encountered an attitude like this. I think this bank has no need to exist; it should close down sooner rather than later.”

Xu Chen’s hands were shaking; she wasn't truly listening to me. “Brother Zhao, what about the police outside? Do they have guns? We shouldn’t go out.”

I pulled open the glass door. “Of course, they have guns, but that has nothing to do with us. Let’s hurry. What do you have to fear when I am here?”

Outside, the police were crouched behind their cars, treating the situation like a major confrontation. I spotted Hu Qingyi; the fellow had, as promised, shown up. Hu Qing also saw me. He commanded the officers behind him, “Everyone drop your weapons! No one fires without my order!”

Xu Chen recognized Hu Qing as well; she had seen him near the No. 1 Middle School entrance that day. She said to me, “Brother Zhao, so he’s your friend.”

I replied to Xu Chen, “Didn’t I say everything would be fine? Wait over there for a moment. I’ll just exchange a few words with him and say hello, then we’ll leave.”

Hu Qing walked over, threw an arm around my neck, and then nudged his police cap with his gun barrel. He said, “Comrade Chief, are you trying to give me less work by causing trouble every other day? I’m already swamped lately.”

I responded, “Why are you always staring at me, kid? There was only one scene you missed. Who knows where you’ll show up next time.”

Hu Qing asked, “What is this now? Robbing a bank? You don’t seem short of money. Wouldn’t a Deputy Director like you be disgracing us underlings by doing something like this?”

I said, “I’ve been promoted. I’m Vice-Minister level now. The kid inside didn’t know how to treat guests, so I gave him a little lesson. Tell them all to clear out. The sirens are annoying and disrupt the peace of the surrounding community.”

Hu Qing ordered his men, “Turn off the sirens, all of them. Little Ma, report to Director Gao at the Municipal Bureau; tell him his old friend Zhao Qian is here, it was all a misunderstanding, and stand down the alert.”

The police personnel naturally obeyed the order, but the security guards dispatched from the National Agricultural Bank Headquarters refused. They had clearly seen the bulletproof glass shattered inside, so they kept their riot guns trained on me.

Seeing they weren’t following orders, Hu Qing drew his own weapon and signaled the officers to surround them. They quickly disarmed the security staff. Those guards desperately shouted, “Police colluding with criminals!”

A policeman stepped forward and knocked one of the shouting men unconscious with the butt of his gun. The rest finally quieted down.

I glanced at Hu Qing’s rank insignia. “Promoted?”

Hu Qing looked embarrassed. “With a big brother like you covering for me, how could I not be promoted? I’m now Deputy Director of the East District Branch, serving under our former precinct chief.”

I said, “Brother Hu, I have to leave on business first. Could you handle the cleanup? I’ll treat you and Tang Han to dinner another day; I’ll be quite relaxed during this period anyway.”

Hu Qing replied, “You are now my superior’s superior. Hearing you call me ‘Brother’ is truly flattering. Go on, accompany the young lady. I’ll clean up this mess.”

I teased Hu Qing, “You’ve learned to speak in official jargon now, haven't you?”

Hu Qing flushed slightly. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

I had taken a couple of steps when Hu Qing received a call on his radio. He spoke briefly and then hurried to catch up with me. “Slow down, Great Chief. Director Gao wants a word with you.”

Director Gao Jianhua of the Jingdu Municipal Public Security Bureau was once my senior officer. I took the walkie-talkie. “Director Gao, Director Gao, this is Little Zhao. Please respond if you hear me.”

Director Gao burst out laughing. “You’re still the same as ever! I heard about your promotion a few days ago. How about treating everyone to lunch? If you’re worried about the cost, we can go AA. We dare not mention public funds—the Rectification Office is watching closely. If they catch anyone, there’ll be trouble!”

It was a relief Director Gao didn't know that I was the one running the Rectification Office, or he certainly wouldn’t have dared suggest using public funds for a meal. Still, he was a former leader, and I had to show some respect for appearances.

“Deal, I’ll treat. You arrange the personnel and book a location, then let me know. I’ll be there precisely at 11:30.”

Gao Jianhua said, “Okay, once it’s set, I’ll have Hu Qing notify you.”

As I walked away with Xu Chen, she kept asking anxiously, “Brother Zhao, are you really okay?”

I said, “Look, the police are inside interrogating that bastard, and we are completely fine. From now on, if you encounter something like this, don’t be afraid. If someone does wrong, they must pay the price. Letting it slide will only fuel their arrogance.”

While talking to Xu Chen, I was texting Xiao Chuchu, detailing what had just happened. At the same time, I asked her to notify all our companies and their subsidiaries to cancel all financial operations with the National Agricultural Bank, close all accounts, and transfer relevant business to other banks. A bank that has lost its competitive value—I’d go so far as to suggest to Premier Qiao that they shut it down.

We entered the science and technology building and looked around, finally settling on a high-end imported laptop. I chose it specifically because it used a High-Energy Battery from Dadi Energy, capable of running for a year without charging—and this was the low-efficiency version. The medium-efficiency models weren't on the market yet, let alone the high-efficiency ones.

This computer cost 29,000 yuan, assembled from the best components available for laptops. It would be barely sufficient for basic animation production. If we ever took on a major project later, I might consider buying a super-host machine, but for now, this would suffice.

I paid with my card, and the shop owner carefully packed the laptop into a brand-new bag. I hung the bag around Xu Chen’s neck. “It’s yours now. Study hard on how to use it; don't let my investment go to waste.”

Xu Chen was too excited to speak, clutching the laptop tightly with both hands, afraid it might suddenly disappear. The owner was happy to have made the sale. He commented to me, “Young man, you have great taste. You chose the best laptop, and your girlfriend is the best, too—she’s truly beautiful.”

Xu Chen instantly blushed and corrected him, “Boss, you’re mistaken. I’m not his girlfriend. His girlfriend is much prettier than me. We are classmates.”

The owner laughed, “Not now, but you can compete for her in the future.”

I didn’t want to banter with the owner anymore. I pulled Xu Chen along as we left. Hu Qing had just called, saying he was waiting downstairs for me.

I said to Xu Chen, “Xu Chen, I’m treating some old friends to lunch today; you should come along.”

Xu Chen shook her head. “Forget it, Brother Zhao. You go ahead with your business. I’ll treat you to a meal tonight or tomorrow instead.”

Indeed, the police system was full of men, and it wouldn’t be convenient for Xu Chen to be there. After leaving the science and technology building, I hailed a cab to send her back to school first.

Director Diao Chengshan of the National Agricultural Bank was currently furious with the Deputy Director in charge of security. “Why didn’t the police arrest the robber, but instead arrested our security guards? Give me one good reason!”

The Deputy Director replied, “We negotiated with them. They claim this was merely a service dispute, unrelated to robbery, and that the entire incident was caused by the improper service of the Agricultural Bank teller. Therefore, the Agricultural Bank must bear all responsibility.”

Director Diao’s teeth ached with rage. Improper service? The Agricultural Bank had never heard of such a term, nor had he ever suffered such a loss. “Have you identified the troublemaker? If the police won’t handle it, we will! This kind of atmosphere cannot be tolerated.”

The Deputy Director reported, “We only identified the woman; she is an ordinary college student from Longteng University with a very common background; the police shouldn't need to protect her.”

“What about the man? Why haven't you identified him?”

The Deputy Director replied, “We have surveillance footage of him, but we can’t find his identification records. He must be a student, too?”

Director Diao snapped, “I don’t care either way. This incident has already created a massive stir in other branches. We must handle this gracefully, or our staff won’t be able to work with peace of mind.”

The Deputy Director asked, “But the police won’t help us; what do we do?”

Director Diao angrily ordered, “Use your brain! Sue him, file a complaint! Write a report to the Central Bank detailing the incident and have the Central Bank negotiate with the police department.” Bang! The door was pushed open. Director Diao roared, “No knocking, what do you think you’re doing!”

It was the Director’s secretary. Without preamble, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and reported, “Director, it’s bad! Branches nationwide are reporting massive account cancellations! They want to withdraw all their deposits. The capital involved in these companies is enormous. Closing just one would cause fluctuations in our banking performance, but now we have hundreds simultaneously! If they all withdraw at once, I fear our recently listed stock will plummet.”