323: Is there a battle of wits in Chapter 323? - 2

“Yes, just scan the code.”

The director sighed, a look of weary concern for the struggles of daily life flashing across his face:

“You know how things are at the orphanage. While we don't go hungry or cold, if I want the kids to have a better life and see more of the world, as the director, I have to find ways to make ends meet, don't I?”

He pulled his phone out of his cotton-padded jacket pocket and explained while unlocking it:

“With the Lunar New Year approaching, all the banks are running promotions. I heard that WeChat's WeBank has launched some kind of co-branded credit card with WeChat Pay, and they're pushing it really hard!”

The director opened WeChat, pulled up an event page, and handed it to Jiang Ye:

“As long as you successfully refer three people to sign up for a card, the referrer gets a 1,000 yuan reward! If you can refer ten people, that's a full 5,000 yuan!”

He pointed at the QR code on the screen, his smile warm:

“So, I was hoping to trouble you, Jiang Ye, to help me out by scanning my referral code and applying for a card. It's mainly to help your uncle here make up the numbers so I can get that reward later, and it counts as generating income for the orphanage.”

Ye Cheng blinked in confusion at the director's somewhat sudden request.

Apply for a credit card?

What kind of new trick is this?

Her mind raced, but she couldn't figure out what this had to do with “raking in money.”

Could it be that the old man was really so bored that he started this side hustle of recruiting people to earn commissions?

Standing beside her, Jiang Ye heard the director's words. Especially when he caught the old man's seemingly casual, yet actually piercing gaze, the corner of his mouth twitched violently, and his heart felt like it was stampeded by ten thousand horses.

Damn it!

This old man...

This old man is way too cunning, isn't he?! How could he even think of a trick like this?

Nowadays, besides yourself, who else can most quickly and accurately assess your true financial status and spending power?

Of course, it's those payment platforms and banks!

Especially with applications for these co-branded credit cards; once the information is submitted and the system's risk control model runs, it evaluates your linked WeChat Pay transaction history, spending habits, and assets. The card tier and credit limit eventually approved often reflect the applicant's financial strength very intuitively!

And his WeChat Pay bill...

It clearly contained records of quite a few luxury purchases, not to mention the hundreds of thousands he had thrown into TikTok to save face for “Yao Yao.”

For the past month or so, thanks to various cashbacks, his WeChat balance had never dropped below seven figures.

If he scanned this QR code, filled out the information, and the system assessment came out...

Wouldn't his “poor intern” persona be shattered into pieces instantly?

When the old man saw the credit limit—good grief, it would at least be a Platinum card or even higher—wouldn't he immediately transform into his ultimate form and activate super-scam mode?

It could be said that anyone else standing here, facing this multi-layered trap of “verifying assets via QR code,” would only have three paths to take:

Either obediently scan the code, expose their true identity as “filthy rich,” and wait to be drowned by the director's endless “concern”;

Or lose their temper, flip the table, and leave, but that would definitely make things difficult for Ye Cheng and make him look petty;

Or choose a middle ground: show that they are unhappy but have to hold their nose and do it anyway, feeling stifled and passive.

Have to admit, this tactic is indeed clever, deserving of the description “deeply skilled.”

It's just a pity...

The person this old man met today is him, Jiang Ye.

A player who wouldn't choose any of the three paths, and wouldn't even walk, but would just take off right on the spot.

“Of course!”

Jiang Ye nodded decisively, his face full of a bright, “happy to help” smile, his voice loud and sincere:

“Director, you're too polite! What's such a small favor? To have the chance to contribute to the orphanage, I'd be more than happy to! Forget scanning a code; even if you asked me to go out on the street and recruit people to sign up for cards for you, I wouldn't say a word against it!”

Ye Cheng, standing to the side, suddenly realized what was going on and guessed the evil director's “asset verification” intention.

Her expression changed, and she hurriedly reached out to grab his arm: “Jiang Ye, wait...”

“Oh! Cheng Cheng, it's just a small favor for the director, it's fine.”

Jiang Ye took the opportunity to take her hand, squeezed it gently, and gave her a quick wink.

“...?”

Ye Cheng received the signal. Although she was full of doubts, based on her extreme trust in this guy's level of abstract behavior, she hesitated for half a second before silently taking half a step back, leaving the stage entirely to him.

The director took in this silent exchange between the two, chuckled, and his face was full of gratification.

Who says a married daughter is like spilled water?

It seems that my eldest disciple still sides with me at critical moments!

This hesitation in stopping him was clearly just for show!

With his confidence boosted, the director also stepped forward with a smile, handing the QR code on the phone screen a bit further forward:

“Come, Jiang Ye, just scan here. The steps are very simple, just fill in some basic information, and it'll only take a few minutes!”

“Alright! Let me see...”

Jiang Ye smilingly took out his phone, swiped open the screen, and tapped on the WeChat icon.

“Eh? Where's the scan function again... Look at my memory, I don't use it much usually...”

As he spoke, he “accidentally” opened the “Me” page on WeChat, then tapped into “Services.” As his fingers slid, the long string of numbers showing his change balance under the “Wallet” entry suddenly jumped into both their lines of sight.

The smile on the director's face instantly froze, his pupils contracting uncontrollably.

The length of that string of numbers...

This is “pocket change”?!

“Jiang Ye, you...”

Just as a stormy sea was rising in his heart and he intended to ask—

Jiang Ye suddenly flipped his wrist, slightly tilted the phone, and right in front of him, firmly pressed the power button on the side with his thumb.

One second... two seconds... three seconds...

The phone screen suddenly went dark, and the familiar “Power Off” and “Restart” options popped up.

Jiang Ye took a quick glance at the director's instantly frozen expression, which was filled with astonishment, curled the corner of his mouth slightly, and then...

Tapped his finger upward.

The screen went completely black.

“Eh?”

He held up the phone that had instantly gone black, raised his head with an innocent look, blinked at the dumbfounded director, his tone full of annoyance:

“Oh! Why did it turn off? This crappy phone! It drops the ball at the critical moment! Director, I'm really sorry, the phone... seems to be out of battery!”

“...”

The expression on the director's face became incredibly colorful at this moment.

From the initial shock to disbelief, then to a stifled, speechless look as if he had swallowed a fly, and finally, it all solidified into an indescribable dullness.

He opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but couldn't spit out a single word. He just stood there stupidly, staring at the black-screen “brick” in Jiang Ye's hand.

Multiple-choice question?

Jiang Ye couldn't be bothered to do it.

Since you set the question, then I'll have to trouble you, the question-setter, to choose for yourself how to proceed from here.

Should you pretend nothing happened, laugh it off to gloss over this “coincidence,” and accept his explanation of “running out of battery”?

Or be angered by this blatant playing of the fool, throw a tantrum, and kick out this wealthy but “stingy” “prospective son-in-law”?

Or take a middle ground: show that you're unhappy, but have to hold your nose and sullenly accept this result?