A powerful sense of unease rose in Pals’ heart but he refused to believe that Ding Ning could bring out one billion dollars.
After all, even for the son of a wealthy family, they would need at least a day or two to prepare. It was no easy task to have one billion on hand.
Unfortunately for him, he just happened to run to Ding Ning, an oddball who kept a one billion dollar bank card in his pocket every day.
“Beautiful, give me your card number; I’ll transfer to you.”
Ding Ning whistled, fully immersed in the role of a playboy teasing the girl of a good family.
Xiao Nuo smiled and handed a bank card to Ding Ning without hesitation.
Following the card number, Ding Ning transferred 1.5 billion to her.
“Ring!”
A phone rang. Ding Ning looked at the incoming number and purposely pressed the answer key.
“Hello Mr. Ding, I am Feng Guifang, a representative of the Ninghai branch of the Agricultural Bank of Shenzhou. Right now you have a transfer application. Due to the enormous sum of the transaction, I must ask, out of our responsibility to our customers, whether you authorized this transaction yourself?”
The representative’s sweet voice echoed in everyone’s ears.
“Yes, I personally authorized it.”
Ding Ning answered calmly.
“Alright, Mr. Ding, are you sure you wish to transfer 1.5 billion to this account number?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, apologies for bothering you. I will now complete the transaction for you. Is there anything else you require?”
“No, just complete the transaction as quickly as possible.”
…
Xiao Nuo was surprised. “Why is it 1.5 billion?”
“One billion was just a number I randomly picked; I transferred as much as there was on my card.”
Ding Ning said meaningfully.
“One… and a half billion? How, how could this be? It’s just a woman, and who would be willing to spend one and a half billion?”
Pals watched the entire transaction process with a face as grey as ash and his mouth wide open. Completely stunned, he muttered, “This can’t be real. This must be a lie; yes, it must be a lie.”
The others all sucked in a cold breath. Their gazes were filled with respect and fear as they looked at Ding Ning. Although they didn’t know who Ding Ning was exactly, they knew that they had run into wolf in sheep’s clothing today.
After all, someone that had one and a half billion cash on hand was not someone they could afford to anger. Thinking of the mockery and taunts earlier, they immediately panicked and broke out in a cold sweat.
“In my heart, this beautiful woman is a priceless treasure. Never mind a mere one and a half billion, even if it was ten billion, one hundred billion, one trillion dollars, as long as I have it, I will give it to her without hesitation.”
Ding Ning said as he looked at Xiao Nuo with deep emotion.
Xiao Nuo hid from Ding Ning’s emotional gaze in a fluster. Her heart was bouncing around like a little doe. Was… he confessing to her?
“Pals, everyone watching know in their hearts whether this is real or not. If you are still suspicious, we can call the bank right now to verify.”
Zhu Ancheng narrowed his eyes and his mouth curved into a cold smile. Pals wanted to go back on his word.
“No, it’s impossible. This must be fake, a lie.”
Remembering that if he lost, he would have to kowtow and apologize to the country bumpkin he looked down on, he immediately felt a powerful sense of unwillingness.
If he, the chairman of the Asian sector of Osklan Corporations kowtowed and apologized to some unknown kid, how could he go out and meet people in the future?
The thought rolled around in his head. D*mn, no, he couldn’t fulfill the contract. He had to run, as long as he could make it back to the company, it would be fine. There was no way they would chase him down.
Thinking of this, Pals turned and ran, catching everyone off-guard.
“Chairman Pals is a civilized man, going back on your word is not a good habit to have.”
A light voice floated out and Pals suddenly felt a heavy punch land on his stomach. With a thud, he was kicked back and fell to the ground with a scream.
A strange light flashed through Zhu Ancheng’s face. That was so quick he didn’t even see how Ding Ning had managed to block Pals and kick him back.
“Fulfill the contract!”
Ding Ning finally revealed his edge. His eyes were narrowed as he spoke, calmly but with no room for questioning.
“I’m being attacked. I’m being attacked. I am a citizen of France, how dare you people of Shenzhou attack me? I’m going to call the police. I’m going to the embassy to file a complaint…”
Pals clutched his stomach and his face twisted as he roared wildly.
“You want to file a complaint at the embassy? Sure. In any case, there are cameras and everything has been recorded. I’m interested to see if the embassy will protect a piece of trash like you who defiles his own country’s image.”
Xiao Nuo had a bellyful of rage and nowhere to vent it. With a cold smile, she said, “As for calling the police, that’s fine too. Mr. Pals, I forgot to tell you, I am the police.”
As she finished talking, Xiao Nuo flashed her credentials. “I now suspect you of harassing women, disorderly behavior, and illegal confinement. You may choose to remain silent and anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Come, cuff him and take him in.”
“Yes, captain!”
Two policemen who had received their orders long ago leaped forward ruthlessly. They grabbed Pals’ arm, twisted it and clicked a pair of handcuffs into place.
“I will file a complaint. I will go to the embassy and file a complaint against you. You used illegal force against me. I am a citizen of France, you have no right to detain me.”
Pals struggled desperately.
“Be still. This is Shenzhou Country, not France. If you violate the laws of Shenzhou Country, you will be punished. If you continue to resist, I will charge for resisting arrest.”
Xiao Nuo spoke coldly and scared Pals into shutting his mouth. Pals stared pleadingly at Zhu Ancheng.
Zhu Ancheng smiled icily and said in a hard tone, “Mr. Pals, this is of your own doing. Of all the people to pick, you dared to pick the captain of Ninghai’s Public Security Bureau. No one can save you. Furthermore, before you enter the station, you must fulfill the contract between you and Mr. Ding. I am the notary. If someone goes back on their word, what does that make of our auction house’s honor?”
Pals knew very clearly how much power Zhu Ancheng had in Ninghai. It would be very easy for him to make a person disappear without a sound.
What made him despair even more was the fact that Xiao Nuo was the captain of the police force and he dared to approach her. This was like lightning from a clear sky and it made him collapse to the ground like a balloon that had lost all its air.
“I’ll follow through; I’ll follow through!”
The balding man was covered in sweat and was crying as if his mother had died. With a thud, his knees hit the ground and he kowtowed repeatedly. “I’m sorry; I was wrong; I won’t do it again.”
“I’m sorry; I was wrong; we won’t do it again.”
The arrogant and overbearing dogs from earlier all knelt down and kowtowed like grounding garlic, pounding their heads against the ground.
Ding Ning glanced at these people with disgust. “You are not worthy to be Shenzhou people. Worshipping foreign powers and sucking up to a foreigner as if he was your own father. You also help him bully your own people; are you still people?”
“I’m sorry; I’m sorry. I’m not a person. I was wrong, and I won’t dare to do it again!”
The dogs continued to kowtow and beg for mercy. Their kneeling and subordinate appearance made one despise them even more.
“I truly feel embarrassed for you. Get lost. Remember, if I catch you bullying Shenzhou people again, I will leave you a memory you will never forget.”
Ding Ning impatiently kicked over the balding man and issued an icy warning.
“Yes, we will remember. There won’t be next time.”
It was as if the dogs had been granted great forgiveness. They had no thought to spare for the master they had tried so hard to flatter earlier as they climbed to their feet and fled.
“Kneel. Apologize!”
Zhu Ancheng narrowed his eyes and roared at Pals.
“Kill me. I won’t kneel for you. You have no right to accept such prostration from the great French people!”
Pals said forcefully, his neck held rigidly.
Zhu Ancheng had not thought that Pals would be such a tough nut to crack and he looked awkwardly at Ding Ning.
A cold light flashed through Ding Ning’s eyes. He crouched down and smiled sweetly. “I don’t know whether France is great or not, but even if she is, it has nothing to do with trash like you. However, I like people with a backbone like you, and I hope you’ll be able to stay this way forever.”
“Ah…”
Just as Xiao Nuo was going to go forward and scare him again, Pals suddenly let out a scream. His body curled like a maggot’s and began to twitch.
The veins on his temple stood out, the muscles in face twisted from the pain, and his eyes were already bloodshot. In a hoarse voice, he shouted, “You… what are you doing to me?”
“I’m not even touching you; what can I be doing? I am a law-abiding citizen, please don’t do me such an injustice.”
Ding Ning spread his hands, a picture of innocence on his face.
“It hurts… It itches… I can’t stand it… Ah….”
Pals had never suffered such pain before. It was as if his body and heart were being eaten by ants. The painful and itching sensation made him want to die. Tears and drool flowed freely across his face.
“Ding Ning, what’s wrong with him?”
Xiao Nuo asked worriedly. After all, this was outside the auction house. If something happened to Pals, they would all be responsible.
Zhu Ancheng was even more worried, afraid that this would affect the upcoming auction. He looked questioningly at Ding Ning.
“It might be an epileptic fit; it’s fine.”
Ding Ning spoke lightly and winked at Xiao Nuo. Xiao Nuo immediately understood and her lips curved into a slight smile. This guy, he was torturing Pals again.
“Quick, call an ambulance.” Zhu Ancheng panicked and cried out loudly.
“There’s no need, Mr. Zhu. I am a doctor. I can cure him.”
Ding Ning waved his hand lightly and stopped Zhu Ancheng’s phone call.
Zhu Ancheng brightened at the news. “Then I must trouble you to cure him.”
“His illness won’t kill him, and he’ll be fine in half an hour. However, he’ll probably suffer from this every day for half an hour. Ah, how pitiful.”
Ding Ning wore an expression of sympathy and pity yet he still did not take any action to cure him.
“Please, please… save me…”
Pals writhed on the floor, tortured to within an inch of his life. Snot and tears flowed smeared across his face and his body was drenched in sweat yet his mind remained clear. He was completely unable to faint away.
He knew that he was not epileptic and he suspected Ding Ning of doing something but he had no proof and could not confirm it.
The meaning of Ding Ning’s words was that he would suffer this torturous pain for half an hour every day. This made his heart sink into a bottomless abyss.
This was not a pain that humans could endure. He did not want to endure another second of it and had no choice but to put down his pride and beg.
“Great French people, come to save your devout citizen. We, the people of Shenzhou, cannot accept his kowtow.”
Ding Ning folded his arms and spoke with an expression of tragic pity.
“I, I was wrong. I apologize to you. I’m kowtowing to you. Please, please…”
Pals was truly scared. He no longer cared about his pride. Fighting through the pain and itchiness, he struggled into a kneeling position and kowtowed repeatedly.
Thunk, thunk, thunk!
As he kowtowed, he found, to his surprise, the pain and itchiness decreased a little. Immediately, he kowtowed even more vigorously.
“No, no, no, you are a tough French nut; how could you be so spineless?”
Ding Ning said darkly.
“I was wrong… I know what I did was wrong… I… I won’t, I won’t ever do it again. Please, please help me.”
Pals begged, tears and snot smeared across his face.
