As the new vice president of Parkway Bank in Golden Port, Jonathan was previously in charge of the loan business. He had seen big money.

But no matter how much, how large that money was, it all belonged to the bank and had nothing to do with him.

Sometimes when he chatted with others, someone would joke that he had seen countless amounts of money, so did he no longer have any desire for money?

In fact, how could anyone have no desire for money?

Money and power are things that human bones will never be satisfied with!

From childhood to adulthood, it has always been like this!

From the beginning of instinctively fighting for more mother’s milk, they have surrounded humans in different forms, until humans enter society, they will be presented to people in their most primitive form.

Currency, and power!

So money would still make Jonathan’s heart beat faster. The more money, the faster his heart would beat!

Eight figures, he felt a little crazy just thinking about it!

At the same time, he also marveled at Lance’s boldness. He dared to touch this sum of money. You know, this was thousands of people’s…

Jonathan suddenly froze, “They didn’t use this money for investment?”

Lance just looked at him and didn’t speak. The number of times Jonathan had sucked in a cold breath today was probably the sum of the past six months!

With such a large sum of money, if they didn’t engage in investment and let the funds roll, on what basis could they pay such a high rebate to the investors?

In fact, he, the president, and others within the bank had also discussed it. The reason why they hadn’t completely believed they were engaged in fraud was because there really was such a profitable business now: selling illegal liquor.

The exorbitant profits from illegal liquor made even the banks drool, but the Federation government was cracking down too tightly, so they didn’t dare to do it.

But it was said that some directors were also privately engaged in the illegal liquor business. A simple resale would yield one or two times the profit, which could completely support a fifteen percent rebate.

Some of them believed that Basil Investment Bank used this money to buy illegal liquor and then found ways to smuggle it into the Federation in exchange for the greatest profit!

For $3,000,000 worth of liquor, as long as $1,000,000 could get in, they could break even. If $2,000,000 could get in, they could make $3,000,000. With such exorbitant profits, fifteen percent was not even considered much.

But when he heard that this money was still in the bank, Jonathan knew that these people were scammers!

Is there a chance to take a bite out of this matter?

He thought for a while and picked up the phone, “I need to talk to a friend of mine. Wait for me for a moment.”

“Please, go ahead.” Lance was not anxious at all. He lit a cigarette.

Jonathan picked up the phone and briefly explained the matter. He did not mention Lance, only that he had heard about this matter.

The social circle of a vice president is very large. The president was not surprised that he could hear about such things, but what surprised Jonathan was that his friend told him not to make a sound and not to meddle.

“This matter is more complicated than you think. Don’t get involved, understand?”

“I’m telling you this because we have a good relationship…”

The sound of a door closing came from the receiver. When the footsteps from far to near ended, the receiver was picked up again, “They know this is a scam, do you understand what I mean?”

“The people in this city, even some people in the state legislature, are involved. Now they are waiting.”

“If you rush in, you might ruin their plan.”

Jonathan was silent for a moment, “Thanks, if it weren’t for you, I would have almost gotten into big trouble!”

Laughter came from the receiver, “It’s nothing. We are friends and should help each other. And this matter has nothing to do with you or me. Even if I tell you, there won’t be any problem.”

“Compared to these, have you seen the document recently issued by the bank?”

Jonathan glanced at Lance, “I still have a friend here. We’ll talk about this issue later.”

“Okay, see you later.”

Jonathan hung up the phone and looked at Lance. He rubbed his face, “The friend I just called told me that they actually know this is a scam…”

Even at this moment, when he said this, Jonathan felt a little incredible!

Since they knew this was a scam, why didn’t anyone stand up to stop these people?

Let them scam so much money in Golden Port?

But when his gaze inadvertently fell on the document issued by the bank’s senior management, he suddenly had a little understanding.

The economy was actually not good. In the past two years, plus the shadow of war, imports and exports seemed to have been growing, but domestic consumption capacity had been declining.

The financial market seemed to be having its final carnival. Some people were preparing for the future!

Tens of millions of funds might not be enough to feed them full, but at least it could prevent them from going hungry when they encountered danger.

“Lance, I don’t know how to say it. It’s best if we don’t get involved in this matter!”

Lance had actually heard some of what was said on the receiver. He nodded and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, “Yes, I understand.”

Jonathan knew that Lance was planning to say goodbye. He quickly stood up, walked to Lance’s side, extended his hand, and held his hand tightly, “I am very grateful that you can trust me, so I hope you can trust me one more time. Don’t ever touch this matter. It involves some big shots…”

Lance nodded and interrupted him, “I understand. Don’t worry, Jonathan. I won’t be blinded by this money.”

Jonathan had a thousand words to say, but didn’t know where to start. In the end, it could only turn into a sigh.

When Lance came out of his office, he also understood. Some big shots were raising pigs, and they were definitely raising pigs to eat pork.

Basil Investment Bank was the pig they were raising, so this money already had an owner.

Although the eight-figure fund couldn’t be touched, he could still touch the two or three million in the villa’s cellar.

When he returned to the small wooden house in the suburbs, his expression had already changed a little.

He looked at President Peman and his secretary beside him, a faint sneer unknowingly appearing on his face.

The wounds on the two men’s feet had naturally stopped bleeding. Although Lance couldn’t see it, he knew they had already swollen up.

The two also had a slight fever.

Seeing Lance return, the secretary licked his somewhat pale lips, “I need some anti-inflammatory medicine. I can pay for it.”

Peman said the same. They both knew that they were having a fever and were being infected by bacteria and viruses.

Fever is very scary for humans. It means their bodies are fighting a life-or-death battle.

If they win, then things won’t get worse.

But if they lose, they will die!

The secretary could at least maintain his shock. President Peman was about to cry.

Their feet were so swollen they were out of shape. They would feel severe pain even if their soles touched the ground.

President Peman, who had never suffered in his life, how could he endure this? He had already started to beg bitterly.

Looking at him, Lance didn’t feel he was very pitiful. They had scammed thousands of people. Some people might have bet their entire family’s fortune on this!

Once they ran away, it meant these thousands of people would be left with nothing. Some people might even have gone into debt to invest in them. These people would break down and jump off buildings!

So at this time, no matter how pitiful these two became, Lance could not feel a trace of pity.

“Who can take me to the villa?” he asked.

President Peman quickly shouted, “I can, I can, I have no problem!”

But Lance looked at the secretary. He felt the secretary should be more suitable.

The secretary just looked at Lance calmly, “I have the keys, I know the doorman, I will cooperate…”

Before he could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out in his ear. He stood with his mouth open, maintaining the posture of having just finished his last pronunciation and not having had time to continue, slowly turned around, and then saw a hole in President Peman’s head.

His whole body went limp in the chair, and a lot of blood, and other things, sprayed from the back of his head. The blood flowed very quickly, and in a short while, it was dripping down from the seat cushion of the chair.

The secretary’s whole body began to tremble, and his teeth chattered. He couldn’t control himself in the face of great fear!

“You… killed him!” He looked at Lance, unable to believe it. Fear, dread, and a bit of luck, his eyes were exceptionally complex.

If this were a movie, then just with his ability to speak with his expression now, he would definitely win some kind of award!

Lance put away his weapon, “Compared to the people you are about to kill, I am much more merciful.”

Forty minutes later, Ennio came over with a few syringes of special medicine, some anti-inflammatory, and some painkillers.

The doctor told Ennio that these could be used together. He seemed to have injected them directly for him.

It had to be said that in terms of special medicines, the Federation’s medical groups were still very capable, especially in terms of special painkiller injections. In less than twenty seconds, the secretary’s swollen foot that couldn’t touch the ground was placed on the ground, and he couldn’t feel the pain anymore.

His whole body seemed to be numb. All the discomfort was fleeing from his body. He had never felt so comfortable!

“I hope you can cooperate with us. Don’t make me use some means.”

The secretary glanced at President Peman. He slowly nodded. He had already figured out the current situation, “I will cooperate with you.”

Two used cars obtained from elsewhere soon arrived at the villa area mentioned by the secretary. The doorman did not stop them. The secretary said he needed some workers to do something for him, and the doorman let them pass directly.

The villa area was very quiet. The two cars slowly stopped in the villa’s garage. Led by the secretary, they found the entrance to the cellar outside the house.

When the cellar was opened, a musty smell wafted out.

In this era, there were no particularly advanced things like polymer materials. Most of the materials used were very common, even in villa areas.

A group of people entered the cellar and soon saw the banknotes piled up in the cellar. Some of them had already grown mold.

“F—k!” Ethan cursed, “Don’t they care about this money at all?”

Lance walked to the corner where the money was piled up and briefly checked it, “They don’t care about this money at all because this money is not their own.”

“Although it’s moldy, it can still be used after some treatment. Move it all away.”

Banknotes themselves have all kinds of bacteria. Plus, the temperature in the cellar was suitable, and water vapor seeped in from the surrounding walls. With such a comfortable environment, it would be hard for mold not to start growing.

There was also some scattered money on the ground, which was all picked up.

When leaving, Lance also brought the secretary along. If they had left by themselves and the secretary had died here, then their suspicion would be great.

Even if Lance and his group had a good relationship with the police, this case couldn’t be suppressed.

Jonathan had made it very clear that many big shots were paying attention to this matter. If they found someone jumping out to take the blame, they would definitely not let go of this opportunity.

At that time, it might be the state police who would investigate the case, not the local police.

In order to make everything look more real, they did not leave immediately but went to the villa.

Lance had them make some… work-like noises, while he himself sat on the sofa with the secretary.

The secretary was a little nervous, “I have already done as you said, Mr. White.”

He was reminding Lance that he was very cooperative and not to kill him.

He was very nervous. Lance shook his head slightly, “I won’t kill you now, don’t worry.”

He paused as he spoke, “Do you think I’m smart?”

The secretary said sincerely, “You are one of the smartest people I have ever met.”

This was a compliment to Lance. He thought Lance would be very happy, but Lance was still shaking his head, “No, no, no, I am not the smartest person.”

“I used to have several friends. Each of them was so smart they didn’t seem human!”

“I am a very proud person and rarely admit that I am inferior to others, but in front of those few people…” he seemed to have suddenly fallen into deep thought, recalling the days he spent with those people during his time of lost freedom.

After thinking for a while, he smiled knowingly, “…I was the least smart among them, although I always thought I wasn’t stupid.”

“But even so, me, those people who were much smarter than me, were all eventually caught.”

“This shows that this world is actually not short of smart people, right?”

The secretary didn’t know what he meant and could only nod, “Yes, that’s right. No one can always be the smartest. There will always be someone smarter than them.”

“I agree with what you said. Smoke?” Lance took out a cigarette and handed one over. The secretary took it and put it in his mouth.

Nicotine can directly penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Even painkillers cannot eliminate its stimulation to the brain.

This made the pleasure directly double!

He squinted his eyes slightly, seeming to enjoy the calmness and sense of security that the cigarette brought him.

Lance continued, “I am not the only one who has seen through your scam. Many others have also seen through your scam, but you know… why didn’t they expose you?”

The secretary was now able to be 90% calm. He flicked his cigarette ash, “Why?”

“Because they are waiting for the moment when you become the fattest!”

Lance’s words made him lose his senses for a moment. After he came back to his senses, he smiled and shook his head. He didn’t believe this, “Maybe it’s possible, but what you said is too exaggerated.”

“If someone had really seen through it, they would have called the police long ago.”

Lance pursed his lips and suddenly felt a little pity, not pity for his fate, but for his stupidity, and for those who were even more stupidly deceived!

“If they had called the police, or pierced your lies, the money would only have been taken back by those who were deceived. Do you understand what I mean?”

“They don’t expose you, not to let you return the money to the deceived!”

Speaking of this, the secretary already understood. He looked at Lance woodenly, his lips moved, unwilling to believe that this was true.

“Do you know why I suddenly stopped talking about having you transfer the money?”

Before the secretary could answer, he took the initiative to say, “Because someone told me that I can’t touch that money!”

He took a final drag on his cigarette, crushed it out with a cloth on the table, then wrapped it in a piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

“Let’s go, it’s about time.”

The two cars quickly left. The doorman still didn’t check and just smiled and bowed as he sent the secretary off from his warm little home.

The car returned to the small wooden house in the suburbs again. As they approached the small wooden house, the secretary already sensed that something was wrong, but now he had no way to resist. He was surrounded by people on his left and right.

Not to mention whether they had guns, he didn’t think he could defeat these two in a fistfight!

When the car stopped steadily, he saw a pit had been dug next to the small wooden house, and President Peman was already lying inside.

Lance didn’t even invite him into the house, which also made him realize that there was no chance!

“Can you give me another cigarette?”

“Also, do you have any painkillers?”

“I’m afraid it will hurt when the bullet hits me.”

Lance had someone inject him with another dose of painkiller. He lit a cigarette, trembling. His eyes were a little out of focus, “…So to speak, from the very beginning, our fate was already sealed.”

He seemed to be asking Lance, but in fact, it was an affirmative sentence. He had already felt that even if Lance didn’t kill him, he wouldn’t live long.

Lance nodded slightly, “So, I’m very sorry, Mr. Secretary. You go first. Soon your companions and some of the people you deceived will come to accompany you.”

The secretary suddenly burst into laughter, laughing until tears came out, “We were scared for so long, and in the end… haha, it wasn’t ours at all!”

Perhaps the smoke was choking him. He coughed violently, so much so that he couldn’t straighten his back.

After he had coughed for a good while and straightened up again, half a cigarette had accidentally fallen to the ground.

He looked at the half-smoked cigarette and suddenly let out a heavy sigh, “Can you give me another one?”

On a tree in the distance, two squirrels were curiously watching the creatures by the small wooden house. The gunshots that suddenly echoed in the valley startled them, and they jumped up and ran back into their tree hole to hide.

The entire mountain forest was echoing with gunshots, bang… bang… one more would be a bit ungraceful.

The two threw the secretary’s body into the pit. Lance lit a cigarette, took a drag, stood by the secretary’s side, and put it in his mouth.

Before long, the raised sand and earth began to cover everything…