Chapter 12: Threatened

"Officer, can the gold bars be recovered? If not, will the bank compensate me?" After finishing his statement, Lin Shi expressed his concern about the gold bars. Just as the officer was about to respond, Chu Xiaodie and a middle-aged man in a suit hurried into the police station. The man immediately asked, "Have you found the hostage? Where is he? What about the gold bars?!"

The officer turned to Lin Shi and said, "Someone from the bank has arrived. The older gentleman is the Deputy Bank Manager. You can discuss the matter with him directly." Soon, Li Changbin, the Deputy Manager of Xia Country Bank, sat across from Lin Shi. The officer left, leaving only Lin Shi, Chu Xiaodie, and Li Changbin in the room.

"You're the hostage? You're back? And the gold bars are gone?" Li Changbin's tone was accusatory, which slightly irritated Lin Shi, though he didn't show it. "You can ask the officer about that. I want to know when I'll get my gold bars."

Li Changbin frowned and glanced at Chu Xiaodie. She handed a document to Lin Shi and said, "Mr. Lin, the gold bars were stolen by the robbers. If we can't recover them, the bank is willing to compensate you for 50% of the loss. If you have no objections, please sign this document."

The theft of the gold bars had already caused a stir online, and to avoid damaging the bank's reputation, they needed to resolve the issue quickly.

"50%?" Lin Shi turned to Chu Xiaodie with a half-smile. "Didn't you say the bank would be responsible for the stolen gold?"

Chu Xiaodie avoided his gaze but, remembering the deputy manager's instructions, maintained a righteous tone. "The loss of the gold bars was caused by a third party. Four of our security personnel died, and two were critically injured in this incident. We fulfilled our duty. We are as sorry as you are. If we recover the gold bars, we will return them to you in full."

Lin Shi glanced at the document Chu Xiaodie had handed him. It was filled with dense legal jargon, essentially stating that if the gold bars were not recovered, the bank would compensate him with 50% of the value, and he could not hold the bank responsible further. Lin Shi almost laughed. So much talk about fairness, and they were treating him like a fool?

He looked at the deputy manager, who had an air of superiority, as if offering 50% compensation was already an act of kindness.

"I remember the gold bars were stolen from the counter. They were never given to me, so the transaction was never completed. The loss of the gold bars is entirely your bank's responsibility, not mine."

Li Changbin was surprised by Lin Shi's calm demeanor, especially considering he was just a 19-year-old who had been held hostage. He spoke earnestly, "Lin Shi, the loss of the gold bars isn't entirely our fault. How about this: we'll compensate you 60%. Additionally, I have a good relationship with a professor at your university. I can arrange for you to get a place in the graduate program. How does that sound?"

"No," Lin Shi refused outright. Seeing Lin Shi's stubbornness, Li Changbin's expression darkened, and his tone grew harsh. "Young man, don't be too greedy. I hear you live alone. You're young and haven't entered society yet. You need to learn to compromise; otherwise, offending the wrong people can affect your future!"

"Haha, are you threatening me?" Lin Shi's eyes flashed with a cold light. Chu Xiaodie tried to mediate. "Mr. Lin, we are here to negotiate in good faith."

"But we're curious. How did you know these people were going to rob the bank? The robbers, who committed heinous crimes, let you go. Mr. Lin, do you know these robbers?"

"You're suggesting I'm in league with the robbers?" Lin Shi was amused and angry. The two remained silent, implying they agreed. Since the negotiation was going nowhere, Lin Shi didn't want to waste any more time. He stood up and started to leave. "You two can assist the police in finding evidence. I won't keep you company. I will pursue legal action to get what is rightfully mine."

If he sued the bank, his chances of winning were high, but it would take a long time. However, he already had the gold bars, so he wasn't losing anything. As for the deputy manager's threats, Lin Shi thought, "I hope you can still stand and talk to me in three months." A glint of menace flashed in his eyes.

Suddenly, his phone rang. The caller ID showed an unknown number. Thinking it was an advertisement, Lin Shi put it on speaker. When he answered, a female voice said, "Hello, is this Mr. Lin Shi? I am a journalist from this city. I would like to conduct a special interview with you. Are you available?"

Lin Shi was taken aback. A local journalist? Why would they interview him? Just as he was about to decline, another call came in, also from an unknown number. "Sorry, I need to take this call first." He hung up and answered the second call. "Hello, Mr. Lin Shi. We are media representatives and would like to..."

Before she could finish, another call came in. Lin Shi hung up again and answered the third call. "Is this Lin Shi? I am a journalist from the Central News of Xia Country..."

The Central News of Xia Country was calling him? Lin Shi raised an eyebrow but didn't hang up. Instead, he started talking to the journalist. "This is Lin Shi. What do you need?"

"Mr. Lin, would you be available for an interview? Many netizens are interested in how you managed to escape from the robbers."

Lin Shi hesitated. He didn't want to become famous. Netizens were unpredictable, and if they dug up his actions, it could spell trouble. Although killing the robbers was self-defense, keeping the gold bars was a different story. He noticed Chu Xiaodie and Li Changbin watching him closely, looking somewhat nervous.

Instead of refusing, he agreed, "Alright." They set a time and place, and Lin Shi hung up, continuing to walk out. Li Changbin's eyes flashed with frustration. He had hoped to resolve the matter before the journalists arrived, but Lin Shi was proving to be stubborn.

"Wait! Let's talk some more." Chu Xiaodie tried to grab Lin Shi's arm, but he dodged her.

Lin Shi turned to her, raising an eyebrow as if remembering something. "By the way, I provided the police with a clue about the robbers' motive."

"What clue?" Chu Xiaodie asked instinctively.

"When I was kidnapped, I overheard the robbers saying that a bank employee leaked information about my gold purchase, which led them to target this batch of gold bars." This was a lie; Lin Shi didn't understand the robbers' conversation. But he wanted to test her, and if anyone had leaked the information, it was likely her.

Chu Xiaodie's heart skipped a beat. She seemed to realize something and a look of panic crossed her face.