Chapter 63: Obtaining the First Gold Card

Ling Yue saw Cheng Jiao's strange expression in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" she asked of her own accord.

Cheng Jiao walked over to Ling Yue, crouched down, and said, "Manager Hong contacted me saying that people from Zhongcheng Bank want to see you.

The bank people also said they've called you many times, but the calls were always hung up or blocked."

"The bank? Many calls!"

Could it be an issue with the source of funds?

Probably not; if there were an issue with such a large amount, the police would have come directly to arrest her.

"Did they say what it's about?" Ling Yue asked.

Cheng Jiao said, "They only said it's a visit."

"Let them come." Without clearing it up, she wouldn't feel at ease.

Before long.

Cheng Jiao led two people inside.

A man and a woman; the man was around fifty, and the woman looked to be in her early twenties.

The makeup artist was applying eye shadow.

Ling Yue didn't open her eyes; she only heard Cheng Jiao whisper, "Miss, Manager Li from the Hangzhou Branch of Zhongcheng Bank is here."

The makeup artist stopped applying eye shadow and switched to curling her hair.

Ling Yue opened her eyes and saw two people through the mirror.

The man was round and plump, while the woman was thin and slender.

Both were giving her bright smiles in the mirror.

"Ms. Ling, I've finally met you!"

Manager Li was so excited.

It was as if Ling Yue were his benefactor.

Ling Yue didn't want such a grown son.

Her tone was indifferent: "Manager Li, what do you want with me?"

Manager Li wiped away non-existent tears:

"It's like this: we've seen multiple high-value expenditures in our bank's backend system, including purchases of vehicles, jewelry, and real estate. You've also asked our bank to issue asset certificates before.

Noticing your needs and considering that you are a loyal customer of our company, the headquarters has decided to issue you a Zhongcheng Gold Card."

After all that, he was here for a sales pitch.

Ling Yue glanced at Manager Li in the mirror. "I don't need it."

She only had two cards, but they were enough.

Having too many cards would mean finding a place to store them, which was a hassle.

"You might have misunderstood. It's not a bank card, nor is it a financial product; it's an Asset Verification Card!" Manager Li explained hurriedly.

Ling Yue's face was full of questions: "Asset Verification Card?"

What's that?

She had never even heard of it.

Cheng Jiao, however, had a look of understanding.

Sensing Ling Yue's confusion, Cheng Jiao took on the responsibility of explaining. "Asset Verification Cards are used in all scenarios requiring capital verification. They are a symbol of status and privilege.

They have levels, generally categorized by the color of the card. Black is the highest level, requiring 50 billion in fixed assets in a personal independent account.

Next is the Red Card, which requires 30 billion in fixed assets in a personal independent account.

The Deep Blue Card requires 20 billion in fixed assets in a personal independent account.

The Diamond Card requires 10 billion in fixed assets in a personal independent account.

The Gold Card requires 3 billion in fixed assets in a personal independent account."

Ling Yue frowned. "So... the Gold Card is the lowest level?!"

Good grief!

She thought 4 billion was already a lot!

It turned out to be just the threshold.

But what Ling Yue didn't know was that the fixed assets required here referred to cash flow.

There weren't many people in the whole country who could take out 3 billion in cash from their accounts at any time.

Manager Li's flattery came instantly. "You can't put it that way.

There are only 11 customers in the entire country who hold our Zhongcheng Bank Gold Card.

Ms. Ling, you are already among the elite!"

They say one must endure the bitterest of hardships to become a superior person.

She had become rich without suffering any hardship at all...

Ling Yue shifted her sitting position and turned back to look directly at Manager Li. "Besides meeting the asset requirements, what else should I be aware of to hold this card?"

Meeting Ling Yue's gaze, Manager Li bowed even lower. "You need to maintain a corresponding amount of cash in our bank long-term, which is intended to stabilize the cooperative relationship between you and our bank.

The level is determined by your deposit amount. If your assets reach ten billion later, we will upgrade your card.

If your assets drop below 3 billion and show no signs of recovery within a year, we will freeze or reclaim the Asset Verification Card."

Ling Yue looked at Cheng Jiao.

Cheng Jiao leaned down and explained, "These are status cards specially created by banks for the wealthy. By presenting this card in situations where capital verification is required, there's no need to provide other documents.

Other than that, this card has no other use.

The bank's purpose in launching this card is mainly to create a deep bond with customers and prevent the loss of major clients. Banks both at home and abroad use similar tactics."

In short, it was for showing off.

Of course, you had to have money first to show it off.

"In that case, I'll take one."

Ling Yue remembered having her capital verified when she bought the villa.

Although it didn't take much time, if it could be resolved with a single card, why not?

"Alright, Little Chen!" Manager Li suddenly barked an order to the female specialist behind him. "Quick, bring the card over!"

Specialist Little Chen stepped forward carrying a black leather suitcase.

The nameplate on her chest shimmered under the light, the reflection condensing into a cross before vanishing at the metal edge. Ling Yue saw her name: Chen Yuanyuan.

Chen Yuanyuan placed the black suitcase on the table and opened it with a "click."

Wearing white gloves, she took out a palm-sized black leather box from the suitcase, bowed solemnly, and presented it to Ling Yue with both hands. "Congratulations, Ms. Ling, on becoming our bank's 12th distinguished Gold Card customer."

Tsk, tsk, quite the sense of ceremony.

Ling Yue wasn't nearly as solemn; she casually picked up the box and opened it.

On the glittering Gold Card, besides the number 0012 in the bottom right corner, the entire surface was covered with the embossed logo of Zhongcheng.

It was about the same thickness as a bank card and felt heavy in her hand.

"Congratulations, Ms. Ling!" Manager Li also clapped from the side for this handover ceremony.

Ling Yue just casually handed the card to Cheng Jiao. "Put this in my bag."

Then she looked at Manager Li and asked flatly, "How did you know I would be here today?"

Her tone didn't sound like casual small talk.

Manager Li immediately stated the situation truthfully: "It's like this: Chaumet's first exhibition today will involve many large transactions. As the bank, we are here firstly for supervision and secondly to provide timely financial support to consumers.

While signing in, I happened to see your name among the list of invitees. There's almost no one in Hangzhou with the same name who could also attend Chaumet's first exhibition, so I guessed you were here. I immediately arranged for Little Chen to fetch the Gold Card, which had been prepared and activated for you long ago, from the branch's vault."

So that was it.

It wasn't stalking, and no one had leaked information.

Ling Yue felt a bit more relieved.

Just then, hotel staff came to deliver lunch.

Manager Li stepped forward and finally handed over his business card. "If you have any other questions, Ms. Ling, you can contact me by phone. We won't disturb you any further."

Knowing that the other party hadn't been maliciously stalking her, Ling Yue's attitude improved. "Thank you for making the trip."

Manager Li was overwhelmed by the favor. "No trouble at all, no trouble at all!"

What trouble? This was his job!

By successfully delivering the card to the customer, the work that had troubled him for over half a month was finally finished!

Manager Li: "Goodbye, Ms. Ling."

Chen Yuanyuan: "Goodbye, Ms. Ling!"

The two of them left.

Ling Yue looked at the phone number printed on Manager Li's business card; it looked very familiar.

Eh, isn't this...

Ling Yue opened her phone, found her call logs, and located a certain blocked number.

Oh boy.

It was exactly the same as the strange number she had previously mistaken for a scam...

Then the call just now must have also been from the bank.

After all that, it was just a misunderstanding.

What a mess.