Chapter 89: A Show of Force

“This is a great opportunity for Su Bank—we absolutely can’t let it slip by.”

“Resource sharing?”

Lin Feng’s brow furrowed; he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Jiangcheng Bank was the largest in the city, its business volume was many times that of Su Bank. Why would they stoop to cooperate with a much smaller institution?

“Lin Feng, are you listening? When we meet President Shen, be sure to praise me, alright? This deal is crucial for me.” Su Qingxue, noticing Lin Feng lost in thought, gave him a quick tap to bring him back.

“I understand.” Lin Feng smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

He decided to tag along and see what kind of game Jiangcheng Bank was playing.

Soon, they arrived at Blue Sky Café.

By the window sat a woman in a brown professional suit, with short hair and delicate features, looking to be about thirty. This was Shen Yanyan, the president of Jiangcheng Bank.

Su Qingxue led Lin Feng over and greeted her proactively, “President Shen, hello. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“You must be Su Qingxue?” Shen Yanyan gestured for them to sit, glancing briefly at Lin Feng, showing little interest.

“Yes, President Shen. I received the notice about your bank’s proposed cooperation and came immediately. The notice mentioned resource sharing—may I ask if that’s true?” Su Qingxue inquired with curiosity.

“That’s right, but there are conditions. Please review the contract details first. If there are no issues, we can proceed.” Shen Yanyan slid a document across the table.

Su Qingxue picked it up in surprise and read it carefully. Her brows suddenly knitted together. She looked up and asked, “President Shen, you want us to hand over Liran Group, our biggest client?”

“Liran Group is our bank’s largest client. I’m afraid I can’t agree to your demand,” she said, her tone firm.

“Director Su, I advise you to reconsider. This is your only chance to collaborate with Jiangcheng Bank,” Shen Yanyan replied, her attitude lofty and dismissive. “If you give up Liran Group today, the benefits to your bank will be considerable in the future. If not, this negotiation ends here.”

“I…” Su Qingxue was momentarily at a loss for words.

To cooperate with Jiangcheng Bank was the dream of countless banks, let alone to exchange resources with them. Before coming, she had already considered sacrificing some clients to secure the partnership. But never did she imagine they would demand Liran Group.

Lin Feng now fully understood Shen Yanyan’s intentions. This woman was ambitious. Even if Qingxue yielded Liran Group, Shen Yanyan would never truly share all of Jiangcheng Bank’s resources. After all, she had her own concerns—if Liran Group were to snatch away their clients, it would be a considerable loss.

“I’m sorry, Su Bank cannot accept your request. You might as well give up—this cooperation isn’t for us.” Lin Feng made the decision for Su Qingxue without hesitation, standing up and taking her by the arm to leave.

They had barely taken two steps when Shen Yanyan sneered, “Are you sure about this? Small banks like yours can’t withstand the crushing force of a giant like ours. If you walk away now, you’ll be courting trouble in the future.”

“What do you mean by that, President Shen?” Su Qingxue, a bit anxious, turned back to ask.

“Nothing much. Just a friendly reminder,” Shen Yanyan replied with a cold smile and a shrug, her tone full of disdain.

Today, she had come to put Su Qingxue in her place, to warn her that Su Bank was now threatening the established order of the banking sector. Either Su Bank would obey her commands and give up what was in their grasp, or it would face suppression from the major banks.

“Heh, I doubt you ever intended to share resources with us. If you want to join forces with other banks against us, so be it—I won’t be intimidated.” Su Qingxue, seasoned by adversity, was not so easily cowed. She looked at Shen Yanyan with steely resolve and declared, “Though Su Bank is small, we will not be bullied. Every bit of our business has been earned through effort, unlike you, who only know how to seize the fruits of others’ labor. You’re a disgrace to the banking world.”

“Say that again?” Shen Yanyan’s face flushed with anger. She slammed the table and stood, confronting Su Qingxue.

Su Qingxue gave a scornful laugh, ignored her, and strode out with her head held high. Lin Feng followed, giving her a thumbs-up. “Qingxue, I never knew you could be so tough.”

“Of course. Did you really think I kept Su Bank afloat all these years purely by luck?” Su Qingxue replied with a hint of pride. But her confidence quickly gave way to worry. She pursed her lips and said, “But Jiangcheng Bank’s show of force today is more than just talk. I’m afraid Su Bank will face serious trouble soon.”

“With me here, I won’t let anyone push you around.” Lin Feng wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders in comfort.

She looked up at Lin Feng, smiling. “Alright, then we’ll weather the storm together.”

With that, the two returned to Su Bank.

Meanwhile, Shen Yanyan, sitting in the café, was seething. She hadn’t expected the mere director of Su Bank to defy her so openly. As soon as she got in her car, her phone rang. Seeing it was her father, she answered, “Hello, Dad? What’s wrong?”

“What did you say? Mom’s in critical condition? How could this happen?” In an instant, her face turned ashen.

She drove toward the city’s central hospital as she spoke, anxiety mounting. Her mother had been hospitalized for some time, but the illness had been stable—until this morning, when her condition suddenly deteriorated. The hospital had now issued a critical notice.

Half an hour later, she arrived and rushed straight to her mother’s room. At the door, she heard an urgent voice inside: “Director Shen, your wife’s condition is extremely serious. Please sign the risk waiver as soon as possible. We can’t guarantee she’ll survive the surgery.”

“Director Zhang, I beg you, please save her. I can’t lose her—whatever it costs, I’ll pay,” Shen Wanqian pleaded desperately, his nerves stretched to the breaking point.

After receiving his signature, Director Zhang said gravely, “We’ll do our utmost, but the outcome is uncertain. Please stay here with Director Shen. I’ll go prepare for surgery now.”

With that, he headed into the operating room.

Tears welled in Shen Wanqian’s eyes as he silently prayed for his wife’s safety.

“Dad!” At that moment, Shen Yanyan entered the room, her face etched with sorrow.