1
A woman's hoarse shouts erupted inside the house.
"You blame me now? How dare you! Didn't I send you the transfer confirmation? Didn't you reply 'OK'? You approved it yourself! Why's this my fault now?"
"First you tell me everything's settled, now problems arise and it's all on me? Bullshit! How do you know I didn't follow instructions? Were you spying on me?"
Qin Guan pressed against the wall, silently edging toward the window. Stained colored glass obscured the view, but Zeng Demei's distinctive rasp cut through clearly - furious and rapid-fire, permitting no interruptions.
2
Her breathing heaved audibly through the walls.
"Shush me? Why should I lower my voice? You're framing me here! How could I fake this? I stood right beside Qin Guan at the bank! Watched every button he pressed!"
Zeng Demei's voice deepened with rage. "Three million! I risked everything while you hid here! Didn't even bother verifying the transfer yourself! Called me stupid? At least I did the legwork!"
A crash echoed as she roared: "You educated bastard! What have you accomplished lying here waiting for money to fall from heaven?"
3
Qin Guan smirked coldly at the escalating fight - precisely as anticipated.
Pride swelled in his chest. How laughable that this uneducated woman thought she could outwit him. From their first meeting, he'd recognized her limitations.
ATM transfers couldn't handle such sums. His elaborate "transfer" performance had been pure theater - rapid keystrokes masking fake transactions, multiple screens confusing her zero-counting obsession.
4
The masterstroke had been the fabricated SMS.
Pre-written using anonymous online accounts, timed to arrive as they exited the bank. Overwhelmed by imaginary wealth, Zeng Demei never noticed the sender wasn't a real bank number - just kept tracing those beautiful, meaningless zeros with trembling fingers.
5
Not a cent lost, yet critical evidence secured. Now he'd cornered both conspirators.
Listening to Zeng Demei's defeated howls, Qin Guan's lips twitched with suppressed laughter. This was his world - others danced while he pulled strings.
"Three million gone! Poof!" Zeng Demei's voice cracked hysterically. "What do I demand from him now? With what leverage?"
6
A sharp slap resounded.
"You lost three million and dare steal my thirty thousand?" Zeng Demei shrieked. Scuffling noises followed.
Qin Guan hesitated - burst in now? How many opponents inside? Before deciding, a dog's sudden bark made him stumble on roof tiles.
"Who's there?" Zeng Demei's tone shifted to forced calm. "Coming to open the door!"
Distant footsteps scrambled. Qin Guan sprinted around back, intercepting a black-clad figure at the rear exit. Gripping the fugitive, he froze momentarily before sneering:
"Long time no see... Qi Min."