Chapter 002: Hanzhou Commercial Bank
Dressed appropriately, Fu Zhengyi packed his father's savings book, seal, the household registration book, and his own identification card, and headed straight to the bank.
After being scolded and reminded again, Fu Zhengyi looked up at the time after Fu Zhengming left and realized that there was no hope for today
While feeling bored, I happened to notice a notice posted on the wall, which stated that the Hanzhou Commercial Bank would conduct an internal system upgrade on the afternoon of the 29th, and related inquiries would not be available until next Monday.
At that moment, the door to the bank counter was opened, and a male bank clerk in uniform stood at the entrance holding several passbooks and an identification card. Seeing that all three counters were busy, he couldn't help but frown. He looked up at the clock hanging in the lobby, was about to leave when he noticed Fu Zhengyi, who was waiting for his business to be processed with his head down.
Upon seeing the amount inside, the bank teller became alert. "So much? Whose passbook is this?"
Local state-owned enterprises exhibit low efficiency, a surplus of personnel, and an extremely irresponsible work attitude
There is only worse, never the worst
In 1994, in Hanzhou, the total wage income equivalent to over 30 years of an ordinary worker was sufficient to purchase three private houses of over 100 square meters each. If one were to eat vegetable noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, it would be enough for one person for 140 years, and it would also be sufficient to open a reasonably sized restaurant.
Brother, I need to transfer Dad's money out, otherwise he will...
Hearing this, Fu Zhengyi became anxious; without that bankbook, he would be completely finished. He quickly grabbed Fu Zhengming, grimacing as he admitted that his good intentions had led to a bad outcome. It would be better to take the bankbook and such items back home himself, otherwise, when their parents returned, this matter could not be hidden any longer, and he would definitely be in for a severe reprimand.
Indeed, speaking of the positive aspects, it is precisely because of this heavy debt that he was able to shed his title of "coward" during his university years. Furthermore, through the continuous process of job searching and changing jobs, he finally managed to leverage his remarkable memory as an advantage.
Back then, he hardly ever went to the bank, and Zhang Zhengyi could only patiently stand in line at window number 3, waiting for his turn.
Uncertain whether the upright Fu Zhengming would still annotate the account for Fu Zhengyi, he pondered deeply after returning home
After graduating from university, he joined the credit department of Hanzhou Commercial Bank, where he worked for six years before passing the exam to enter Pengcheng Bank in the south. After three years as a loan officer, he was selected to serve as the secretary to the bank president, thus becoming a departmental-level official before the age of thirty
He burst into the room, pried open the drawer, and found his father's savings book, seal, and household registration book, which made him wipe his sweat.
In 1994, banks did not have VIP counters, nor were there many service counters for conducting business
A recently graduated university student earns just over 200 yuan, while his mother, Zheng Yufen, who is on disability due to illness, receives only 160 yuan. Although his father, who runs a small eatery, earns significantly more than when he was a factory worker, he still only makes about a thousand yuan a month after working from dawn till dusk
At five o'clock, there are still four remaining ahead.
Seeing this, the heart that had already reached the throat finally settled back down
Brother, my father was scammed when he went to Yun Province. If he spends all that money, our family will be doomed
The disadvantages are naturally unnecessary to elaborate on
In 1994, the monthly salary of workers was just over 300.
Without haste, Fu Zhengyi stuffed the household registration book into the bag and said with a smile at the corner of his lips, "It's my father's. He is on a business trip, so he asked me to bring the household registration book to handle the matter..."
Outside the three windows, there were twenty to thirty people lined up, so tightly packed that those at the back had reached the corner of the lobby, making it impossible for Fu Zhengyi to find any gap to cut in line.
After Fu Zhengyi left, Fu Zhengming, having completed his tasks, still felt somewhat uneasy. Therefore, he approached the manager responsible for counter services. Through the system, he located his third uncle Fu Taiwen's bank account and specifically made a note in the deposit and withdrawal section of this account. This way, if his cousin comes to conduct business in the next few days, the staff who sees the note will immediately notify him
If the money cannot be transferred out tomorrow, then it will truly be disastrous
After the incident, his grades plummeted; he originally had the potential to be admitted to a second-tier university but ended up in a distance learning university. After graduation, he went to the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, where he became lost in the city's splendor and decadence, leading to his decline. If it had not been for the appearance of Li Xueyao, who later became his wife, how could he have possibly regained his motivation?
On the dining table, there is still leftover cold rice from lunch
There are too many people
one hundred fifty thousand in total
The female clerk inside began processing the transaction indifferently, only handing over the savings card after five minutes
He is not my biological younger brother, but my younger cousin from my uncle's family
Zheng Ming turned his face to glance at the wall clock hanging in the lobby, noticing that it was getting late. He thought about the unfinished matters he had to attend to and felt a bit anxious, but he still patiently advised, "Zheng Yi, the business model of Meifang Company represents the advanced sales model of Western countries. This is a promising emerging industry. Your father switching careers is much better than him sticking to that snack shop. Although you may not understand this, I tell you that if your father does well, his future will be quite bright. Your current task is to focus on your studies; everything else is for the adults to handle. You should not get involved in it!"
In two minutes, he will glance at the wall clock hanging in the lobby, and the increasingly frustrated Fu Zhengyi wishes he could drive away the people in front of him
Taking without permission is theft! Your father has just left, and you dare to do this! Do you think you can deceive me?
This cousin, who is upright yet very rigid, has a cold demeanor but a kind heart. In his previous life, he took the initiative to have his uncle forgive the debts of his family. However, given Fu Zhengming's character, this chance encounter here is certainly not a good thing
Patiently waiting, Fu Zhengyi did not wait for the teller to stand up and leave, but hurriedly stuffed his father's passbook into the counter, requesting that the money from the passbook be transferred to the newly opened savings card
This sum of money will become a heavy debt that Fu Zhengyi will have to bear for more than ten years starting from the day after tomorrow, and it is also the main reason for his significant decline in high school grades
Upon entering the Hanzhou Commercial Bank, Fu Zhengyi felt the comfort of the air conditioning, but immediately frowned.
When he came face to face with this person, Fu Zhengyi's heart completely sank
However, for Fu Zhengyi, who stands in the team, the benefits are particularly evident
The passbook that needs to be replaced soon contains detailed records of deposits and withdrawals
"What are you doing?" Before Fu Zhengyi could finish his words about justice, Fu Zhengming interrupted him. He wanted to explode in anger but noticed the depositors in line were looking over, so he suppressed his anger and pushed Fu Zhengyi to the corner by the flowerpot. After blocking the view of the depositors behind them, he finally spoke. "Zhengyi, do you know this is illegal? Strictly speaking, you are committing theft! Theft! Do you know the consequences of theft? This large sum of money is enough to get you locked up in prison!"
Fu Zhengming, who had been wearing a stern expression, finally showed a hint of a smile at the end. "Do you know fear now? Knowing fear means you have grown up. Hurry and take the things home, and make sure to put them away properly; you must not lose them! This money is not just your family's savings; if something goes wrong, it would be disastrous..."
Fu Zhengming, who had emerged from behind the counter, led Fu Zhengyi to the left side of the hall and raised the passbook in his hand, asking, "What do you want to do?"
Fu Zhengyi is relatively familiar with the bank's regulations, so he plans to first apply for a savings card for himself, and then transfer all the money from the passbook to his card, thereby avoiding the need to withdraw a large amount of cash
The old gentleman in front has finally completed his business
The chaotic and embarrassing time that followed in 1994 comes to mind, and Fu Zhengyi thinks it was a nightmare.
The amount in front was borrowed by my father from my uncle, while the amount at the back was borrowed by my mother from my maternal uncle's family
Seeing that Fu Zhengyi dared to refute him, Fu Zhengming, increasingly enraged, raised his hand as if to strike him. However, he quickly realized that the situation was inappropriate, and he forcibly suppressed his anger, softening his tone. "Zhengyi, you must not do anything foolish! You can't possibly use all this money if you take it. Speak up, if you want money, just tell me. As long as it's not illegal, anything can be discussed!"
Hearing this, Fu Zhengming felt a sense of relief. He was aware of his third uncle's recent borrowing of money to start a new venture and had even looked into some information regarding it. He was very optimistic about the new sales model of the other party's company. Therefore, although the actions of his younger brother today were certainly inappropriate, his intentions were not fundamentally flawed.
There are many people
In his previous life, Fu Zhengyi held both respect and fear for this cousin, yet at this moment, Fu Zhengyi was able to speak up in rebuttal. "This is my father's savings book, how can it be considered theft..."
Unable to recall the name of that fraudulent company, Fu Zhengyi furrowed his brows, while Fu Zhengming, upon hearing this, completely relaxed. "Alright, alright! Since you are not doing anything wrong, I won't concern myself too much. But remember, transferring money from your father's account without his consent is illegal; it is a criminal act that can lead to arrest by the public security authorities! All these things will be kept here with me, and I will return them to you when your father comes back!"
And the last two amounts are twenty thousand and ninety thousand respectively
This person is Fu Zhengming, the eldest son of his uncle's family, standing at a height of 1.85 meters with a strong physique. He is eight years older than Fu Zhengyi and is also the most successful among the current generation of the Fu family.
The day after tomorrow, this sum of money will be transferred to the account of that fraudulent company, and four days later, upon returning home, the parents will soon find themselves facing a pile of worthless daily necessities, staring blankly, waiting helplessly for the disaster to unfold
Zhengyi Fu, who considers himself an ordinary person, found that the years of neglect led him to marry and have children much later than most. This also meant that his wife, Li Xueyao, who held the title of campus belle from the graduating class of 2007, became a housewife before their marriage. All the aspirations and dreams he once had could not be realized, and he had to work even harder for a living.
It is idly recalled that some sales models were only classified as illegal by the state in 1998. At this time in 1994, fraudulent companies that began to spread under various guises were just in their initial stages. Companies masquerading as new sales models were highly deceptive and misleading, prompting Fu Zhengyi to hastily explain. "Brother! Dad didn't join Meifang Company, he joined... it is, it is..."
Fu Zhengyi took a quick step to the front of the window and hurriedly handed in his identification card and the previously filled account opening form.
If one wishes to withdraw the substantial sum of 150,000 from wwwhetushu.com today, even if the father himself comes to handle the matter, it would require the teller to make some accommodations for it to proceed smoothly
It is 5:20
The first few pages have as few as dozens, and at most just over a hundred.
The bank teller who was processing the transaction looked up, glanced at the male clerk beside him, and said softly, "Fu Zhengming, your younger brother?"
The bank teller, after letting out a sound of acknowledgment, picked up Zhengyi's identification card and compared it with him in person. Then, he carefully examined the household registration book. After a moment, his furrowed brow relaxed, and he leaned down, preparing to begin the processing.
The male clerk, taken aback for a moment, exclaimed in surprise, and then strode over to Window 3. He leaned down to take a closer look at Fu Zhengyi outside the window and said, "Zhengyi? What are you doing here?"
There is still an hour and a half until the bank closes, and there is no time to organize my memories anymore
Upon raising his head, Fu Zhengyi was momentarily taken aback. "Brother?"
In 1994, the speed of service at the bank was excruciatingly slow, and the tellers at the counter would occasionally get up and leave, leaving those waiting to do nothing but stare in frustration, yet no one thought to file a complaint
Although he held his father's passbook and seal in his hand, he was unaware of the password for the passbook
With nothing to do, I cannot show any signs of impatience. By the time it reaches 4 o'clock, there are still thirteen people ahead of me.
Fù Zhèngmíng lowered his head to look at the form in front of the bank teller, and his expression suddenly became serious. After quietly inquiring about the business being processed, he exchanged a few more words with the teller. He then collected the documents that the female teller was handling, raised his head, shot a glare at Fù Zhèngyì, and gestured for him to wait outside.
The final number displayed on the passbook is exactly this much
In 1994, the borrowed 110,000 yuan was considered a substantial amount for any ordinary family
Thinking of Fu Zhengyi here, the scene of first meeting Li Xueyao involuntarily surfaced in his mind, but the corner of his eye noticed that it was already 3 PM, and he immediately woke up
The bank teller, who initially intended to get up for a drink of water, frowned but still sat down to take the passbook.