NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 27
“What do you want to eat after work?”
“I’m not sure, maybe we can look for some delicacies in Borough City.”
“Delicacies in Borough City? I’ve lived here for 48 years and have never heard of any notable delicacies… Can fish head stew count?”
“Uh… Absolutely not!”
“Hahaha… By the way, I remember your home is quite close to Clock Tower Lane District, right? Be careful not to go near there recently. Look at the latest news; there’s an unknown epidemic going around there, and many people have died…
“Thank you for your concern, Manager…”
In the front hall of Charlie Bank, a middle-aged man dressed in a western suit three-piece set was joking around with a newly hired young woman in a professional suit skirt.
The man, named Bǎolì, had just been promoted to bank manager yesterday and was currently basking in the glory of his new position.
With his new position, he couldn’t stay idle in his office. He spent the entire day walking around, trying to invite more people to his promotion banquet in the evening.
To become a manager at the age of 48 was undoubtedly a sign of great promise. If he continued to perform well, he might even be transferred to the headquarters in An Su.
A bright future awaited him, and now Bǎolì could truly say he was “riding high,” meaning he had achieved great success.
At that moment, the elegant revolving door at the entrance was pushed open, and Bǎolì noticed a young girl wearing plain clothes but carrying a large burlap sack.
“Be alert, little girl, a customer has arrived.” Bǎolì patted the shoulder of the front desk and stepped back, watching her as if evaluating her work capability.
Meanwhile, he sized up the beautiful red-haired girl with his banker’s eye, guessing her intentions.
Her fingers were delicate, her clothes clean, not like a child laborer. She was strikingly beautiful but composed and low-key, exuding a calm and noble demeanor.
She must have received good education, so one shouldn’t judge her background by appearances alone. Perhaps the burlap sack she carried contained bundles of hundred Su Pounds.
Bǎolì had heard that many gemstone tycoons were quite low-profile, and Borough City was the largest gemstone processing center with the biggest gemstone company and factory. He began speculating about which noble family she might belong to.
“Hello, Miss. Welcome to Bǎolì Bank. How may I assist you?” The front desk clerk stood up, smiling at the girl with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
“I’d like to see the manager,” the red-haired girl said, placing a gold pound on the desk and pushing it towards the front desk.
“A tip of one gold pound already?!”
“Major client!”
“Thank you for your generosity, Miss.” The front desk quickly pocketed the gold pound and turned to Bǎolì without hesitation, selling out his position.
Bǎolì moved forward swiftly, his suspicion of the red-haired girl being from a wealthy family confirmed.
“Business is coming to me directly?!”
“It really feels like the goddess is blessing me.”
“Honorable Miss, my name is Bǎolì, the manager of Charlie Bank’s Borough branch. How may I assist you?” Bǎolì approached the girl, slightly bending his knees to show respect to her petite figure.
“This is my first time at a bank,” the girl looked up at Bǎolì and smiled. “I want to deposit some money.”
“Of course, no problem. Are you a new customer? Has your father or mother ever opened an account with Bǎolì Bank?” Bǎolì gestured with his hand towards the main business hall behind him. “Please follow me.”
The front hall was made of marble and grand columns, grand and imposing. The main business hall behind it was spacious, with over a dozen independent counters where numerous customers were conducting their business, appearing both professional and efficient.
“Where will my money be kept?” the girl asked curiously as she followed Bǎolì.
“Of course, it will be stored in our underground vault. We boast the most secure security system in all of Borough City. Whether it’s valuables or money, you can rest assured it will be safe with us.” Bǎolì didn’t let the girl’s innocence distract him.
Instead of showing disdain through his questions, he patiently and professionally replied.
“If I were to store a large amount of gold pounds? Would they also be kept in the underground vault?” Xia’er asked.
“Gold pounds?” Bǎolì was somewhat surprised. Generally, large transactions were settled using Su pounds; using gold pounds was usually associated with some shady dealings that didn’t see much light of day.
“Of course, we have the most gold pounds stored in our underground vault in the entire Borough City. Our confidentiality measures are top-notch, so our clients trust us.” Bǎolì said proudly. “Even some jewelers store their priceless jewels with us.”
“Oh?” The young girl’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, then she asked with some skepticism, “Is it really safe?”
“Absolutely safe. Our vault has the most advanced combination locks, changed every week. Even the former manager couldn’t figure out the password pattern. Only I and the highest councilor know the weekly passwords. Not even I knew the password until just now.”
Hearing the girl’s skepticism, Bǎolì explained directly, “With me holding the password, no one can break into the vault!”
“I, Bǎolì, would rather be shot dead or bite my tongue to death than reveal the password to anyone. I swear on the Goddess!”
“I understand.” The girl nodded. In the shadow beneath her, a brand new revolver slowly rose and pressed against Bǎolì’s forehead.
The girl’s lips parted slightly.
“Don’t move. This is a robbery.”
…
The dark figure slowly rose from Xia’er’s shadow, holding a revolver against Bǎolì’s forehead. Many people in the front hall hadn’t yet realized what was happening.
The dark figure handed another revolver to Xia’er, who raised her right hand high, like in a movie, and pulled the trigger at the ceiling.
Bang!
“Everyone get down! Anyone who moves, I’ll kill them!”
The crystal chandelier above shattered from the gunshot, and the crystal pieces scattered all over the floor. Screams began to echo, and chaos erupted throughout the front hall.
Xia’er frowned slightly; the situation was different from what she had anticipated.
No wonder other robbers bring several gunmen; with just one person, it’s hard to control the scene.
However, the panicked crowd also obstructed the security guards’ line of fire. Xia’er decided to act swiftly, regardless of whether she could escape after robbing the bank, as long as she could fill a bag with things from the vault.
“Take me to the vault, quickly.” Xia’er pointed her gun at Bǎolì, while the dark figure quickly moved through the crowd, shooting at a nearby security guard who was closer to Xia’er.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and Bǎolì, drenched in cold sweat, trembled as he led her forward, arriving in front of a steel door at the back of the main hall.
Two security guards stood at the steel door. Upon hearing the gunshots, they immediately raised their double-barreled shotguns and blew their whistles.
Seeing Xia’er and Bǎolì, they initially didn’t realize the girl was a robber. By the time they did, an invisible black shadow had already knocked them down with two punches, and the double-barreled shotguns were picked up by the shadow.
“Miss, sir, please don’t kill me. I have elderly parents and children…” Bǎolì’s voice was already choked with tears, as he pleaded with the girl behind him.
The random gunfire, fallen officers, and strange occurrences convinced Bǎolì that this wasn’t a mere performance — he had encountered the legendary “messengers of God” — but why would a messenger of God rob a bank?
At this moment, the alarm bells outside the bank had been triggered. Within five minutes, a large number of police would surround the area. This girl, even if she had supernatural abilities, wouldn’t be able to escape. But before the police arrived, Bǎolì needed to save his own life.
“I’ll take you, I’ll take you…” Bǎolì trembled as he took out his keys from his waist, deliberately slowing down to find the right one. But the next moment, with a bang, excruciating pain shot through his toes.
“Hurry up, I don’t have much patience left.” Xia’er’s icy voice echoed from behind.
Bǎolì quickly found the key to the steel door and opened the first layer of the vault leading to the underground vault.