Chapter 20 Chen Ang has 20 million... in cash?

The Lexus ES300h drove out of the Financial Center basement and turned onto Binjiang Road.

The heater was on in the car. Shen Pianran rested one hand on the steering wheel while handing over her phone with the other. "Old Liu, Liu Bingcheng. He's the head of the corporate banking division at the China Merchants Bank Bin City branch, recently promoted to president in the last two years."

"What's the deal with him?"

Chen Ang took the phone and glanced at it. On the screen was the WeChat profile picture of a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue suit, standing under the China Merchants Bank sign, smiling very professionally.

Shen Pianran took back her phone and signaled a turn. "The 24.9 million USD for Hengxing Investment landed in China Merchants Bank. He's been aware of it since the day the funds arrived."

"The branch has a significant corporate deposit gap at the end of the year. He needs big clients, and we need bank cooperation. He needs us, not the other way around."

Chen Ang wasn't surprised. With that much money, there were bound to be people watching. He nodded slightly. "He's quite proactive, then."

"Proactive is good." Shen Pianran glanced at him. "Since he's proactive, the terms will be easier to negotiate. The second batch of bitcoin arrives next month. The foreign exchange registration for return investment, capital settlement, and fund custody all require the cooperation of a domestic bank."

"They have ready-made channels for cross-border settlement, which is faster than us scrambling to find another bank. So, he can use us to hit his targets, and we can use him to pave our channels."

Chen Ang leaned back against the seat, listening to Shen Pianran's explanation without interrupting.

Shen Pianran waited a few seconds, then added, "Are you thinking about the confidentiality issue?"

"Yeah."

"I've dealt with Liu Bingcheng for several years; he's quite reliable." She spoke candidly. "If I dare to make this connection, I dare to vouch for him. The compliance path for Hengxing Investment's funds was designed by me personally. The source of funds is legal, and the transparency is clear. No matter who comes to investigate, every cent on the books can stand up to scrutiny."

She paused, turned her head to look at Chen Ang, and smiled. "What he has his eye on is our cash flow for the next three years, not how we made our fortune in the past."

Chen Ang smiled and turned to look at her as well. "Once this is done, you'll have another favor owed to you."

"More than that." The corners of Shen Pianran's mouth curled slightly. "Once the connection with Old Liu is established, all subsequent processes will go smoothly. He'll get his performance metrics from this, and we'll have plenty of things we need him for in the future."

"The way you put it, it sounds like you've already thought several steps ahead for me."

"Boss, I'm your long-term legal counsel now." Shen Pianran's delicate eyebrows lifted slightly. "That's what it says in the contract."

Chen Ang withdrew his gaze and looked ahead, feeling glad he hadn't misjudged her.

Outside the car window, most of the leaves on the French plane trees along Binjiang Road had already fallen. A cold breeze squeezed through the gap in the partially opened window; it was quite chilly.

As soon as the two entered China Merchants Bank, Liu Bingcheng was already waiting at the entrance.

Handshakes, pleasantries, and seating.

He got straight to the point: the corporate deposit gap at the end of the year was large, and he wanted to secure Hengxing Investment to place their general account with China Merchants Bank, with subsequent capital retention and settlement flow all going through them. In exchange, he could arrange priority for foreign exchange settlement channels and settlement approvals.

Chen Ang glanced at Shen Pianran, and she nodded slightly.

"That's acceptable. The condition is that Hengxing Investment's account information must not be disclosed to any third party without Lawyer Shen's written consent."

"No problem. Lawyer Shen can draft the terms, and I'll sign." Liu Bingcheng agreed readily.

The business was concluded in less than fifteen minutes.

Liu Bingcheng escorted the two to the elevator and waited with them for half a minute until it arrived.

Chen Ang and Shen Pianran stepped into the elevator. Liu Bingcheng stood outside the door, smiling and bowing slightly. "Take care, President Chen. If anything comes up, I will contact Lawyer Shen directly."

The elevator doors slowly closed.

At the corner of the corridor, Wen Huilin, clutching a stack of materials, rounded the corner alongside the Chief Financial Officer of the City Construction Investment.

The City Construction Investment's loan was due at the end of the year, and they needed to negotiate an extension. The CFO had dragged her along as a prop.

She didn't want to come to beg for favors, but since her superior had spoken, she couldn't refuse.

The elevator door in front of her chimed, and she happened to look up.

She saw a man in a dark gray cashmere coat standing sideways in the elevator, lowering his head to say something to the woman beside him.

The elevator door closed in just three seconds, but she saw it clearly.

That profile—she would recognize it even if he were turned to ashes. She had slept with him for seven years; even across half a corridor, even if he only showed half a shoulder, she would recognize him.

It was Chen Ang.

The elevator door closed, and the corridor was empty again.

What was he doing at China Merchants Bank?

"President Liu, what a coincidence."

While her thoughts were in turmoil, the CFO beside her suddenly smiled and stepped forward, reaching out to enthusiastically shake hands with the middle-aged man at the elevator entrance.

He is the branch president?

Wen Huilin was filled with confusion. She had clearly seen the middle-aged man being respectful to Chen Ang. What exactly was the reason?

Watching President Liu leave, she followed the CFO mechanically toward the reception room.

Two bank employees walked by, lowering their voices as they chatted about gossip.

"Was that President Chen from Hengxing Investment who just came out of the VIP room? He looks so young."

"That's called being low-key. He was brought by Lawyer Shen, and President Liu received him personally. I heard from the corporate counter that they have over twenty million in cash sitting in their company account."

"Really? There aren't many companies in Bin City that can have twenty million in cash sitting around at the end of the year."

"That's why President Liu accompanied him personally. What do you think?"

Wen Huilin's hand, which was gripping the doorknob of the reception room, froze instantly.

Hengxing Investment. President Chen. Over twenty million in cash.

Something exploded in her mind, like a thunderclap.

"Wen Huilin?" The CFO frowned in dissatisfaction. "What are you standing at the door for? Go in."

She snapped out of it, responded immediately, quickly turned the handle, and stepped aside to let the CFO enter.

After following him in, she sat to the side and took out her notebook, spreading it open in front of her.

At this moment, she had no mood to listen to the conversation between the CFO and the bank staff. Only a few words kept repeating in her mind.

Over twenty million. Lawyer Shen. President Chen. President Liu received him personally.

He had quit his job, he said it was online loans, he even asked her for three thousand yuan for Huabei, and last month he was still driving a beat-up Magotan and wearing a faded windbreaker.

Then where the hell did that twenty million come from?

She recalled the look in Chen Ang's eyes recently.

That calmness—the kind of calmness when he looked at her as if she were a clown.

She had previously thought it was laziness or giving up on himself, but now she suddenly didn't think so anymore.

Half-listening to the conversation in the reception room, she lowered her head and wrote down Chen Ang's name and twenty million, but her handwriting was crooked, as if every stroke were trembling.

She didn't take in a single word of the entire conversation.

Coming out of the bank, the CFO walked in front making a phone call, and she followed behind.

The wind blew into her collar, and she shivered, but her brain felt scorching hot.

Twenty million in cash...

She remembered the day she signed the divorce agreement. Chen Ang sat across from her, head lowered, silent for ten minutes before signing.

She had thought it was resignation and guilt at the time.

Now that she thought about it, was it possible he was holding back laughter while his head was lowered?

She recalled the seafood feast he ordered a few days ago, and the way he leaned on the sofa playing with his phone, not even glancing at her properly.

That wasn't self-abandonment; that was a man holding over twenty million in his hands, watching her perform like a monkey.

So, Chen Ang had been guarding against her all along...

Unable to hold back the surging sense of grievance and anger, she pinched the web of her left hand hard; it hurt so much.

She had to figure out where Chen Ang's money came from. Was he hiding marital assets?

Wen Huilin's eyes turned red. She hinted to herself once again that, no matter what, she had to get half of it.