In The Credit Business

Li Wang's Study

After Li Wang finished his conversation with his daughter, he decided to call his contacts within the credit agencies straight away.

Orchid Credit Agency - Gold Card

Li Wang strummed his fingers on the desk as he waited for his call to connect.

Li Wang: "Hello Chen Ma, it's Li Wang."

Chen Ma: "Ah Li Wang, hold on a moment." Li Wang heard some rustling then some elevator music.

Li Wang was left waiting on the phone for two minutes.

Chen Ma: "Hello Wang, I'm sorry about that. There were people around. How can I help you today?"

Li Wang: "There seems to be something wrong with the gold card, Yu Yan tried to use it just now and it was declined even though she was within the credit limit."

Chen Ma: "Let me have a look now." Li Wang could hear the sound of typing.

Chen Ma: "The reason the card was declined is because it has been inactivated. This is due to the fact that a new card has been sent out because the credit limit is being increased by 20%."

Li Wang was excited when he heard the news: "20% increase! Not that I'm complaining, but what's the reason for the increase?"

Chen Ma: "Due to your family's spending habits and a long-standing loyalty to us, the bank would like to reward you with a 20% increase in the credit limit. Not only has the credit limit been increased but the new card will have a unique and exclusive design. The card and pin number should arrive within the next few days."

Li Wang was so excited, he failed to notice Chen Ma's tone was stiff and held a hint of fear.

Li Wang: "I'll wait for the new card then!" He hung up the phone with a beaming smile.

Li Wang then proceeded to call his contact for Purple card and received the same response.

His face was beginning to hurt because he was smiling so hard: "20% increase hahaha, just for spending money hahaha. This is what they must mean when people say 'you have to spend money to make money."

Li Wang decided to call his contact for Platinum Card for the hell of it.

Li Wang: "Hello Han Liu, it's Li Wang."

Han Liu: "Oh Li Wang one moment please." Li Wang then heard complete silence.

5 minutes later.

Han Liu: "I'm sorry about that, Wang. How can I help you today?"

Li Wang: "I just wanted to check on my platinum credit card account."

Han Liu: "Let me have a look". Typing could be heard.

Li Wang was filled with anticipation 'maybe there's another increase in the credit limit!'

Han Liu: "Congratulations, you've received a 20% increase in the credit limit as well as a 36-month interest-free period on all balance transfers and interest-free on all purchases for the next 18 months. A new unique card has been designed and it should arrive within the next few days."

Li Wang was so happy he couldn't express it in words: "I, I, I THANK YOU!" He hung up the phone.

He was so happy, he already started planning what he wanted to buy to celebrate. He couldn't wait to tell his wife and daughter the happy news.

What Li Wang failed to notice yet again was that Han Liu's voice was strained and contained fear.

...

At the Orchid credit agency- Gold and Purple card

Chen Ma and Cao Feng sat in front of their boss and the owner of the Orchid credit agency, Xǔ Junjie.

Chen Ma and Cao Feng were sweating so much it looked like they had been caught in a rainstorm.

Xǔ Junjie: "You've both been very busy going against company regulations. Do you think I wouldn't find out?"

Chen Ma begged: "CEO Xǔ we were wrong, we were wrong please forgive us! It was only once. Our eyes were blinded by greed. I was going through family troubles, my wife is ill and my son had school fees. It was just once. I will work like a dog to repay the money."

Xǔ Junjie: "Mmm you'll work like a dog to repay the money? Aren't you overestimating the value of your work? How many millions can you repay?"

Chen Ma stuttered: "Mill... millions?" Why was he being made to pay back millions?

Xǔ Junjie: "Enough of your mindless chatter. How much did Li Wang pay both of you to illegally add his name to Dr Li Xiuying's accounts as an additional card holder? You not only added him but his whole family! Why don't you add yourself and sick wife and son to her account as well?"

Xǔ Junjie was smoldering with rage as he watched the stupid blubbering faces of his soon to be ex-employees. When Ren Shirong had called him earlier explaining the situation he was astonished that someone would be stupid enough to do such a thing within HIS company. But he was more upset at the prospect of getting on the bad side of Dr Li Xiuying. She was known as Death's Escape, she could bring you back from the depths of hell with her surgical skills. Who wouldn't want to know such an accomplished and skillful surgeon?!

Xǔ Junjie immediately launched an investigation to find out how many rats there were in his company. He had all computer and phone records checked as well as security footage and employee records. The investigation uncovered numerous employee's committing fraud, making non-business related phone calls, even sleeping on the job the list was endless. Most importantly the report detailed countless changes being made to Li Xiuying's account by Cao Feng and Chen Ma.

He immediately ordered Cao Feng and Chen Ma to his office and waited for Li Wang to call them.

Xǔ Junjie knew that Li Wang would call, looking at the spending on the cards there wasn't a single day a transaction wasn't made by at least one of the Li family.

After Cao Feng and Chen Ma had finished talking to Li Wang they started begging for mercy non-stop.

Cao Feng: "We were wrong, we were wrong, we'll never do it again. We were momentarily blinded, it was just this once. Only Once!"

Xǔ Junjie chuckled and put a stack of papers in front of each of them. It was humorous that both of them kept stating it was only a one-off event.

Xǔ Junjie: "Read"

Cao Feng picked up one of the papers: "Jing Ma, additional cardholder Jing..." Cao Feng hands started trembling as he read out all the names on the report, there must have been over 90 names. They were the names of people whose accounts he had changed, he added additional cardholders, increased the interest rates, changed credit limits, added additional services, closed accounts. He started flipping through the pages, they detailed every single one of his crimes.

Chen Ma was looking at a similar report about himself.

Chen Ma: "Wh..at are, you going to do with us?"

Xǔ Junjie gave them a sinister smile: "Mmm well I am in the business of credit. I'll be taking what you owe me with interest."

Chen Ma and Cao Feng shook even harder. Cao Feng even had a foul-smelling liquid dripping down his legs. They both seemed to have finally recalled that their CEO was not someone who they should have crossed. Xǔ Junjie was previously a king in the underworld scene before he had decided to go on the straight and narrow. Xǔ Junjie developed a legitimate and prosperous business through his hard work and determination to create a better life for himself.

Xǔ Junjie thought about all of the people that the investigation had unearthed, all the people who thought they could take advantage of him.

Xǔ Junjie: "Clearly people are forgetting where I came from, it is time to remind them."

Across the city in Nephrite credit agency - Platinum card

Han Liu was suffering the same fate as Cao Feng and Chen Ma at the hands of CEO Sima Hwei-ru.

Sima Hwei-ru may not have been part of the underworld, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.