Chapter 241 Bai Mo (Part 1)
Bai Mo sat in the office of the branch manager of Huaxia Bank's City A branch with a smile on his face. The first two button of his shirt were unfastened, and the necktie that hung loosely on his neck gave him an air of elegance mixed with the temperament of a ruffian.
The branch manager, Shi Changshu, who was in the middle of a meeting, was stunned when he heard of Bai Mo's arrival. He then instructed his secretary to lead Bai Mo to his office, and hastily ended his meeting.
Before he walked into the office, Shi Changshu called out to his secretary, Hu Xiao. The beautiful lady with an amazing body figure had worked under Shi Changshu for many years, and her efficiency at work was as good as her looks.
Hu Xiao walked out of Shi Changshu's office slowly after serving a cup of top grade Tieguanyin tea to Bai Mo and closed the elegant wooden door lightly behind her. She nodded at Shi Changshu who was waving at her and walked up to her boss calmly.
This was one of the reasons Shi Changshu appointed Hu Xiao as his secretary. She was able to remain calm in any situation, which prevented her from making mistakes.
A subordinate who does no mistake might sound like an impossibility for some, but Hu Xiao was indeed such a person.
"Manager, do you need something from me?" Hu Xiao greeted her superior.
Shi Changshu nodded, "Why is he here?" and he furrowed his eyebrows. It was obvious that the man was nervous.
"I'm not sure about that, sir. Mr.Bai said nothing about it." replied Hu Xiao apologetically. With her position as Shi Changshu's secretary, many of the visitors that came looking for Hu Xiao's boss would usually make their intentions known to her. They would seek Hu Xiao's advice about their business, who would then analyze the matter at hand for them and report to Shi Changshu to give him a clear picture of the situation.
With the important role Hu Xiao played in influencing any decision that might be made by Shi Changshu, many of his visitors would try their best to creep up her sleeves. This meant that Shi Changshu would be able to prepare for his meeting with his visitors with the information he gained through Hu Xiao.
However, things were different this time. Bai Mo said nothing when he came looking for Shi Changshu. This was why it came as a cause for concern to the man.
The Bai family… Is not to be trifled with…
Even when Bai Zixuan had no other siblings, and Bai Mo was his only child… Shi Changshu could not afford to cross the Bai family.
The Huaxia Bank was a privately owned bank that started its business not more than eighty years ago, but its wealth could rival even that of the National Bank. The Huaxia Bank was the number one private bank in China, but it once faced an unprecedented financial crisis during its fifth year of operating as a bank.
Just when all hopes were lost, and the bank was ready to sell off its assets, a man signed a contract with the director of Huaxia Bank. It was a permanent contract that would be legally valid as long as Huaxia Bank remained operational. Even if the bank was sold out to another bank in the future, the contract would still be valid.
One could tell from the validity period of this contract alone that it was not signed on equal grounds. The terms that were agreed upon was indeed considered unfair, but no matter how absurd they may be, it still ended up as a legally binding contract. Of course, this was due to the fact that the director had signed another contract with the man to renounce all rights by the bank to ever pursue the legality of such a contract.
Nobody was willing to be treated like an idiot, and the director of the Huaxia Bank back then was no exception. However, the immeasurable wealth possessed by that man came as a strong persuasion. The man promised to deposit all his wealth into the Huaxia Bank, and would not withdraw even a single cent from the bank in the next ten years. It was a huge risk for the man, and his wealth was able to save the Huaxia Bank from the brink of bankruptcy. Then again, if the bank went out of business despite his aid, wouldn't it mean that the man lost everything?
One could say that the man was very insightful with his investment.
The man asked for 49% of Huaxia Bank's shares, and promised to not interfere with the management of the bank. From the point of view of an outsider, the shares owned by the man meant nothing, but the higher ups of the Huaxia Bank knew better. They knew that Huaxia Bank would be finished if the man decided to pull all of his shares out of the bank.
However, the man did not appear again after signing the contract. The wealth that he left with the Huaxia Bank became the ever-growing gold reserve that was stored in the underground vault at the bank's HQ. There was something else stored in the very same vault: the contract with the man that saved the life of the Huaxia Bank.
The man, with the surname Bai, was none other than the grandfather of Bai Zixuan, and the great-grandfather of Bai Mo.
Nobody knew where did the money came from, as the current Bai family led very ordinary people leading ordinary lives. Of course, it might have something to do with the nature of the members of the Bai family. Instead of the thrilling lives experienced by the upper echelon of the society, they preferred a normal lifestyle.
Bai Mo himself learnt about the contract from his father. He was given a copy of the contract and a seal when he was 20 years old, and was told that he could access the funds in the Huaxia Bank as long as they have the seal and was proven to be a member of the Bai family. The members of the Bai family appeared to have forgotten about the contract, and one could also say that they have grown used to their ordinary lifestyle. Because of that, none of them had gotten into contact with the Huaxia Bank for that wealth. This, however, did not mean that the wealth belonged to the Huaxia Bank. As the years past and that wealth continued to grow, the anxiety of the management of the Huaxia Bank grew with it as well. They were waiting for a member of the Bai family to appear and claim that wealth, but were living in fear because of that as well.
They wanted a member of the Bai family to claim the shares as they did not wish to prolong their agony. The moment that wealth was claimed was the moment the Huaxia Bank would finally be rid of the Bai family.
Then again, they were afraid because the chairman of the Huaxia Bank held 63% of the bank's shares, but the 49% of the shares owned by the Bai family was actually included in the shares help by the chairman. If the Bai family staked their claim, it would bring a huge impact to the Huaxia Bank's ownership.
This was why the fear and anxiety among the higher ups of the Huaxia Bank grew as their wealth grew. But when they received no news from the Bai family after over a decade, the higher ups of the Huaxia Bank was relieved. Perhaps the Bai family had died off.
Their relief was proven to be short-lived when Bai Mo appeared.
The Huaxia Bank was a private bank that started off as a family business. The first director of the bank was from the Shi family. He was the grandfather of Shi Changshu. Unlike the Bai family, the Shi family blossomed with many offsprings. They maintained a strict policy even when Huaxia Bank was a family business. Only members of the family who were capable were appointed to positions of power within the bank. Out of the six of Shi Changshu's uncles, only three of them had the capabilities to hold important positions in the business. Those who were less capable were cut off from the family and could only lead very ordinary lives.
Shi Changshu could not believe his own eyes when Bai Mo appeared in his office five years ago with a seal and the results of a DNA test proving that he was indeed a member of the Bai family. He knew about the deal between the Bai family and Huaxia Bank since he was young, but had never seen a member of the Bai family before. Some members of the Shi family assumed that the Bai family have died off, while many others dismissed the incident as a mere myth.
That was why Shi Changshu was stunned into silence for three full minutes when Bai Mo first appeared before him.
At that very moment, Shi Changshu's mind went blank. There was even a split second when he thought that the Huaxia Bank was finished. The 20 years old young man then smiled at him, "I'm not here because of the money, nor am I here to find out about the assets the Bai family currently owns. I'm here to let you know that the Bai family is still around."
His simple words were not good news to the Shi family.
Bai Mo left after Shi Changshu and the management of the Huaxia Bank confirmed his identity. The members of the Shi family experienced one of their most agonizing evening on that day. Try as they might, none of them was able to enjoy a good night's sleep on that day.
And the Bai family disappeared just like that once again.
Bai Mo stayed true to his word. He did not withdraw a single cent out of the Bai family's account. He did not even attempt to access the only Diamond-tier account in the entire Huaxia Bank. He disappeared without a trace.
And five years have passed since then.
During the five years, Huaxia Bank made multiple attempts to transfer their assets but their efforts were thwarted by the Economic Court that begun monitoring the Huaxia Bank a day after Bai Mo's appearance. The Shi family was forced to comply and continue to run the Huaxia Bank.
Shi Changshu had always imagine the moment Bai Mo would once again appear in his office. Would he be acting all high and mighty? Or would he be courteous and humble? He did not expect Bai Mo to appear out of the blue, and his appearance caught Shi Changshu off guard.
What is he here for this time?
Shi Changshu took in a deep breath and tried his best to calm himself down.
Nobody could remain completely calm with a knife held against their throat, and even an experienced businessman like Shi Changshu was no exception. It took him a long moment to muster the energy to enter his office.
Five years have passed, and the handsome young man has matured even further. He was standing in front of the glass window, staring down at the bustling city as he sipped on his tea.
"Mr.Bai." said Shi Changshu with a smile as he stared at Bai Mo.
Bai Mo turned around and faced Shi Changshu with a smile of his own, "Ah, Mr.Shi. It's been awhile."
"Yeah, it's been five years. Like they say, time flies." Shi Changshu was a businessman, but he was also a person who was born out of a literary family.
"I finally know why banks like to have their office at high places." Bai Mo turned around to face the window once again. He took a whiff of the fragrant aroma of his tea, and raised his cup to his lips.
"And why is that?" Shi Changshu walked up to Bai Mo and looked down at the city as well.
Bai Mo responded with a smile, "Mr.Shi, don't you want to know why I'm here?"
"Well, since you're here Mr.Bai, I'm sure you'll let me know eventually. There's no need to press you for an answer." Bai Mo had a calming effect on the people around him. A sudden calmness washed over Shi Changshu who was anxious moments ago as he stood beside Bai Mo.
"Allow me to start off by giving you an assurance." Bai Mo chuckled, "I will not take my money away from your bank. I never will. As long as we're able to maintain a healthy working relationship, my money shall remain in the Huaxia Bank forever."
Shi Changshu was momentarily stunned when he heard Bai Mo's words. The gentle young man was not as simple as he appeared to be. He could tell that Bai Mo was plotting something behind his unfathomable smile.
Of course, Shi Changshu remained silent. He was not a rookie who had just entered the business world. He would not allow himself to be affected by the words of Bai Mo, even if he held secrets that might be unfavorable for Huaxia Bank. He was confident in his abilities to handle a greenhorn like Bai Mo.
Despite his dissatisfaction at Bai Mo's words, Shi Changshu did not allow his annoyance to show. "Then allow me to thank you in advance, Mr.Bai." he said with a smile. He then took a seat at his desk, and motioned at a chair in front of him, "Please, have a seat."
Bai Mo remained standing on his spot as he stared silently at Shi CHangshu. He cast a glance at the chair in front of the man's desk, and took a seat on the sofa in the reception area instead. The smile remained on Bai Mo's face as he folded his legs and rest his arms on his knees.
Shi Changshu was momentarily stunned by the gesture. He did not expect Bai Mo to return to his seat at the couch instead of taking a seat in front of his desk. This gesture that seemed so simple was not at all simple to Shi Changshu.
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