174: Chapter 174 Lu Manqi

"Our bank's backend risk control system just detected multiple large-scale fund transfers into your exclusive private account in a short period. The total volume is quite substantial and has triggered the entry standards for our private bank's top-tier clients."

Lu Manqi's tone was respectful, yet her voice maintained a perfectly measured elegance and composure. It didn't feel overly eager, but it carried a subtle warmth that suggested a desire to bridge the distance.

"You have always been a high-net-worth quality client that our bank values most, and your past cash flows have been quite significant. With this sudden influx of hundreds of millions in a single day, the system automatically triggered the green channel for a Black Card upgrade."

"I've personally called to confirm this with you. We would like to offer you a free upgrade to our bank's highest-level Private Banking Black Gold Card. This comes with a full suite of top-tier benefits, including a one-on-one lifelong dedicated private consultant, a green channel for cross-border assets, global airport VIP lounges, and targeted invitations to high-end social galas."

"There are no annual fees and no bundled financial management requirements throughout. I wonder if Mr. Jiang would agree? If so, I will process it for you in the system immediately."

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, his expression lazy and indifferent. He had long since lost any feeling for these privileges that others scrambled for, and simply replied casually, "Sure. Just handle it in the backend. There's no need to call repeatedly to confirm."

"Understood, Mr. Jiang."

A trace of imperceptible joy rippled through Lu Manqi's voice, and her tone became even softer, yet she remained properly restrained.

"I will personally handle the upgrade for you now and activate all benefits immediately. I will personally deliver the new Black Card to you later. Whether it's to your company or a specified address, I'll follow your arrangements."

She paused slightly, her tone gaining a hint of perfectly measured intimacy, as if she were merely stating an extension of her exclusive service.

"In the future, if you have any needs for large transfers, cross-border exchanges, private banking wealth management, or asset custody, you can contact me directly at any time. I will prioritize and expedite your requests twenty-four hours a day, bypassing the regular queuing process."

Jiang Chen gave a casual hum of acknowledgment. "I see. Thank you for your hard work."

He glanced at his watch and added in a casual, natural tone, "Just bring it over later. The company is fine."

Lu Manqi clearly hadn't expected him to invite her for a meeting directly. Her breath hitched slightly on the other end of the line, and then her voice was tinged with an unmistakable joy, though she still maintained her composure. "Understood, Mr. Jiang. I'll prepare now and personally hand over the Black Gold Card and the accompanying benefit documents to you shortly."

Jiang Chen grunted in response and hung up, sending the company's location over.

After doing all this, he placed his phone back on the desk and leaned back into his chair again, looking out at the ceaseless flow of the river outside the window, his expression still calm and composed.

About twenty minutes later, the faint, crisp sound of high heels came from outside the office, followed by a gentle knock on the door.

At that time, Shen Xi was organizing project filing documents at her workstation in the outer room. Hearing the knock, she looked up.

She had thought it was a department manager coming to ask for Jiang Chen's signature. She got up, walked over, and opened the door, only to be met with an exquisite and bright face.

The woman outside the door was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She was tall and well-proportioned, wearing a well-tailored light gray professional suit that cinched her waist perfectly. The hem of her skirt fell just below her knees, revealing a pair of fair and shapely calves.

Her long hair was pulled back into an elegant low bun, and two round pearls adorned her earlobes, shimmering softly in the autumn light.

Her features possessed a striking, almost aggressive beauty. Her phoenix eyes, with slightly upturned corners, were full of life. Her nose was high, her lips were full, and the corners of her mouth naturally curved upward as if she were always smiling.

As she stood at the door, an air of refinement mixed with high-end perfume radiated from her. She looked like she had stepped right out of a luxury advertisement.

However, beneath that flawless face and sophisticated attire, a hint of hard-to-hide sharpness lurked within those wandering phoenix eyes.

This kind of sharpness was something those who spent years in the world of fame and fortune could recognize at a glance—it was an instinctive scent for wealth, resources, and power. She was like an elegant leopard, constantly assessing whether everything around her was worth approaching.

Shen Xi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before sweeping over her finely tailored suit and the Van Cleef & Arpels watch on her wrist. An inexplicable, indefinable feeling rose in her heart.

This woman was too polished—so polished that it made one subconsciously feel a bit uncomfortable.

But she only let the thought pass through her mind without showing any of it on her face. She maintained a proper professional smile and asked in a polite but naturally inquisitive tone, "Hello, how can I help you?"

Lu Manqi also took in the person before her at the same time.

She saw a woman in a sharp, dark professional outfit with her long hair tied back efficiently. Her features were cool and attractive, and her temperament was steady and reserved, blending perfectly with the aura of this office.

Lu Manqi's mind stirred, but she kept a proper smile and replied composedly, "Hello, I am Lu Manqi from the Private Wealth Management Department of the Jiangcheng Bank headquarters. I have an appointment with Mr. Jiang to deliver some documents regarding his private account."

Hearing this, Shen Xi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

A private bank manager, personally coming to deliver documents?

Having been by Jiang Chen's side for so long, she naturally knew this wasn't some standard procedure.

Moreover, this Manager Lu had clearly put a bit too much effort into her appearance.

However, her expression remained unchanged. She simply tilted her head slightly and said in a polite tone that carried a faint sense of territoriality, "I need to announce you to CEO Jiang's office first. Please wait a moment, Miss Lu."

The smile on Lu Manqi's face didn't waver as she nodded slightly. "Then I'll trouble you."

Shen Xi turned and walked into the inner room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

The moment the door closed, she exhaled silently and walked quickly to Jiang Chen's desk. She leaned down and lowered her voice, a trace of almost imperceptible jealousy in her tone, though her face still wore her trademark smile.

"CEO Jiang, there's a Miss Lu from Jiangcheng Bank outside. She says you asked her to come?"

Jiang Chen looked up and met her eyes, which held a hint of teasing. He couldn't help but chuckle as he put his phone on the table and said frankly, "Yes, I asked her to bring a card over. She's coming all this way personally, so don't keep her waiting too long."

The smile on Shen Xi's face remained, but she grumbled inwardly: 'Dressed like she's going to a red carpet, this doesn't look like someone just delivering a card.'

But she didn't say another word. She just silently docked two points from this Miss Lu in her head, nodded respectfully, and turned toward the door.

She opened the door again, stepped aside to make a path, and nodded to Lu Manqi at the door. Her tone returned to a businesslike composure. "Miss Lu, please come in. CEO Jiang is inside."

"Thank you."

Lu Manqi smiled slightly and stepped into the office in her stilettos.

As she passed Shen Xi, the distance between the two women was less than half an arm's length. A faint electric current seemed to flash silently in the air as their perfumes briefly overlapped.

One was as cool as frost, the other as rich as honey.

Inside the office, the autumn sun was warm.

The first thing Lu Manqi saw as she entered the inner room was Jiang Chen leaning against his chair.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining the sharp contours of his profile. There was a hint of laziness in his eyes, but it couldn't hide the steady and composed aura in his bones.

More importantly...

He was younger than any top-tier client she had ever met, and far more handsome than the ID photo she had seen when reviewing his files at the bank.

The person in that photo was already good-looking enough, but sitting here in person, the aura around him was something a photo simply couldn't capture.

She felt her heart skip a beat, and her fingertips went slightly numb.

With this influx of hundreds of millions, she had thought it was some low-profile, hidden tycoon. She hadn't expected it to be such a young man.

Lu Manqi's phoenix eyes lit up for an instant before being well-concealed by her professional smile.

She walked to the desk, bowed slightly, and presented an exquisite deep-Black Card case to Jiang Chen with both hands. Her voice was elegant and proper, but her tone was even softer than it had been on the phone. "Mr. Jiang, this is your Black Gold Card. All benefits have been fully activated."

Jiang Chen reached out and took the case, setting it aside casually. He gave a faint nod. "Thank you. Have a seat."

Lu Manqi took a seat in the guest chair as told, her posture elegant and restrained. She couldn't help but let her gaze linger on Jiang Chen's face for another second before inconspicuously withdrawing it.

Meanwhile, Shen Xi walked back unhurriedly and stopped by the desk, less than half a step away from Jiang Chen, perfectly forming a subtle diagonal line with Lu Manqi.

She didn't sit down. She just stood tall, her gaze calmly fixed on Lu Manqi, with a very faint smile playing on her lips.

She didn't deliberately scrutinize her, nor did she show any displeasure. She just stood there naturally, like an inseparable part of this office.

Lu Manqi sat upright in her chair, her back straight, her flawlessly made-up face still wearing that impeccable professional smile.

Her gaze discreetly swept over the short distance between Shen Xi and Jiang Chen, then she withdrew it, her fingers resting on her lap tightening for a split second.

From the moment she saw this Executive Assistant Shen at the door, she had vaguely sensed a quiet defensiveness from the other party. Now it seemed that this defensiveness was not without reason.

The two women were separated only by an office desk. The warm autumn sun was spread evenly over them, their features and outlines perfectly traced by the light.

One was graceful and cool, the other bright and exquisite—both pleasing to the eye, yet clearly distinct from one another.

The corners of Shen Xi's mouth curled up slightly as she spoke first, her tone impeccably polite. "Miss Lu, thank you for coming all the way from the headquarters personally."

Lu Manqi turned her head and said with a smile, "Providing exclusive service for Mr. Jiang is my duty. It's no trouble at all."

She emphasized the word 'exclusive' casually, but her gaze swept over Shen Xi again. Her smile deepened as she turned to Jiang Chen and said softly, "Mr. Jiang truly has a wealth of talent around him. This young lady has such a capable air; she must be your right-hand woman."

Jiang Chen leaned back, his gaze sweeping faintly between the two women. The corners of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly as he picked up his teacup and took a sip without responding.

Shen Xi smiled faintly, intercepting the conversation for Jiang Chen. "Miss Lu flatters me. I am Shen Xi, General Manager of Chenxing Capital and CEO Jiang's Executive Assistant."

She paused slightly, meeting Lu Manqi's gaze calmly. Her voice softened, yet it somehow made one hear a clash of auras. "Working by CEO Jiang's side, I naturally wouldn't dare to be careless. Miss Lu, serving high-end clients, you must have a deep understanding of this as well."

The smile in Lu Manqi's eyes froze for a moment before melting away. She nodded. "Of course."

The two shared a smile, but neither said anything more.

The room was filled with autumn sun, yet invisible threads seemed to weave and tighten in the air between the three of them.

The smiles of both women were perfectly measured and elegant, but in that shared gaze, an invisible spark of hostility had silently ignited.

Jiang Chen leaned back with a faint expression, as if he were completely oblivious to it all.