Chapter 9: Prerequisite Task
"I’m Gu Heng."
"Hello, Chairman Liu."
...
"Today isn’t a good time."
"Perhaps some other time."
...
"Yes, my phone number is my WhatsApp."
"Have someone add me later."
...
Gu Heng had assumed that a single fifty-million-yuan transfer wouldn’t attract the attention of any high-level executives at Pudong Development Bank. He never expected the caller to be a branch chairman, someone on the same level as Qian Zhengxing.
Furthermore, reading between the lines, it seemed the man knew about his other large deposit with China Merchants Bank.
’So it’s true, there are no secrets between competitors...’
This thought flashed through Gu Heng’s mind as he glanced at Qian Zhengxing, who was staring at him with undisguised anticipation.
In truth, Gu Heng could have just ignored the call.
Others might not know the circumstances surrounding this money, but he did.
The fifty million that had just arrived was destined to be spent very soon. It would probably sit in his Pudong Development Bank account for three days at most. Therefore, he was never going to get the same treatment from them as he was from CMB—not unless he transferred all his money from CMB over to Pudong Development Bank.
The only reason Gu Heng chose to take the call in front of Qian Zhengxing was to put some pressure on him.
First, to make him understand that more funds could be transferred in from external sources at any time. The one hundred million he currently had was just the beginning.
Second, to show him that he now had a connection with Pudong Development Bank. If CMB’s service wasn’t up to par in the future, he could move his funds over to them at any moment.
It was a tactic Gu Heng had learned from the girls at the nightclub where he used to work as a waiter.
To put it simply, if CMB was their official boyfriend, then Pudong Development Bank was the backup—the devoted admirer on the side.
For those girls, the whole point of having an admirer on the side was to create a sense of insecurity for their main boyfriend, thereby pushing him to constantly shower them with money and affection.
An old trick, a classic move.
It wasn’t sophisticated, but it worked every time.
Having reached his current position, how could Qian Zhengxing not recognize Gu Heng’s tactic? This little trick?
Of course he knew.
But knowing and acting on that knowledge were two different things. As long as he didn’t want to lose a major client like Gu Heng, he had no choice but to willingly walk into the trap and compete with Pudong Development Bank on service.
CMB was a joint-stock bank, and so was Pudong Development Bank.
Compared to state-owned banks, their internal promotion systems were extremely competitive and ruthless.
In the state-owned system, personal work experience might carry more weight, but in a joint-stock bank, performance was everything.
After all, joint-stock banks were established for the sole purpose of making a profit.
Ji Province was one of the country’s more economically underdeveloped provinces. The number of major clients was limited, and it wasn’t just the two big joint-stock banks fighting over them—the state-owned banks were in the fray as well.
And now, in just seven days, Gu Heng...
...had made two large transfers totaling one hundred and fifty million.
If he, Qian Zhengxing, failed to hold on to such a prime client and let Pudong Development Bank snatch him away, his entire first half of the year would have been for nothing.
As Qian Zhengxing watched with bated breath, Gu Heng slowly lowered his phone and explained with a smile, "I didn’t expect a mere fifty million would be enough to get the attention of Chairman Liu from Pudong Development Bank."
’Fifty million? Is that what this is about?’
’That old fox is obviously after the one hundred million Gu Heng has with us at CMB!’
Having just been an unwilling audience to the drama over the phone, Qian Zhengxing was screaming internally.
Liu Dejiang, the branch chairman of Jisheng Pudong Development Bank.
The two were old acquaintances; their covert and overt struggles had been going on for more than a day or two.
He knew better than anyone what was on the other man’s mind.
"Mr. Gu, China Merchants Bank has always been the number one joint-stock bank in the country. Please trust that our commitment to customer service is absolutely the best of any bank."
"As the saying goes, ’time reveals a person’s true character.’ Please, Mr. Gu, give us some time. I’m confident that time will prove your choice today was the right one. I know Pudong Development Bank may have just made you some promises."
"So let me make our position clear: any benefits or privileges Pudong Development Bank can offer you, CMB can match, or even exceed. Please, you must believe in our sincerity."
Qian Zhengxing knew this was the moment to show his hand. He also knew that more talk was pointless. It was time to just go all-in.
At the end of the day, CMB was number one. Pudong Development Bank was just number two.
"I’ve always had faith in CMB’s service. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come here in person today."
Gu Heng had gotten the answer he wanted, and the smile on his face grew even wider.
This sudden little interlude helped both sides open up to each other quite a bit.
As they talked, the conversation gradually shifted from banking services and benefits to other topics.
Throughout the conversation, Gu Heng maintained his reserved demeanor, quietly absorbing the experience and insights he needed from Qian Zhengxing.
At the same time, he took a moment to glance at his system.
[Host: Gu Heng]
[Age: 18]
[Liquid Capital: 100,000,000]
[Assets: Zhen Cui Group (In Transaction)]
[「Golden Tower of Wealth」 Unlock Progress: Level 1]
[「Scepter of Momentum」 Unlock Progress: Not Unlocked]
...
Gu Heng saw the information presented on the system’s holographic screen. With a slight shift of his will, the details regarding Zhen Cui Group expanded.
[Asset: Zhen Cui Group]
[Current Progress: In Transaction (62.91%)]
Compared to the equity reward from Jun Cheng Law Firm, the full acquisition of Zhen Cui Group was progressing much more slowly.
At the current rate, Gu Heng estimated it would take at least another four days for the progress bar to reach 100%.
After collapsing the information on Zhen Cui Group, he turned his attention to the two major modules: the 「Golden Tower of Wealth」 and the 「Scepter of Momentum」.
Over the past four days, Gu Heng had tried several times to mentally touch the 「Scepter of Momentum」 module, wanting to investigate its unlock challenge, but he never received any response.
On the other hand, the 「Golden Tower of Wealth」, which was already unlocked to its first level, gave an immediate reaction with just a slight mental touch.
To find out the unlock challenge for the second level of the 「Golden Tower of Wealth」, he first had to complete two prerequisite quests.
They were both simple, with no difficulty at all.
With a flicker of his will, the two prerequisite quests appeared before his eyes.
[Prerequisite Quest 1: Rest and Recuperate]
[Quest Details: Restore your body to a healthy state]
[Quest Reward: Basic Body Optimization Agent ×1]
For Gu Heng, this first prerequisite quest was basically a free gift from Brother Tongzi.
Because even without this quest, Gu Heng, now sitting on assets worth hundreds of millions, would have done so anyway.
As a result, the quest reward was essentially a freebie.
As for the second prerequisite quest, it also played right into his hands.
His gaze swept over, and he saw the details of the second prerequisite quest...