Li Xiuying remembered there was something she had to do.
Li Xiuying flipped the image of dragon tattoo over and reached for her phone, which was on top of the bed side cabinet.
She searched online for the contact details of Orchid credit agency. She dialed the number and then navigated her way through the automated menu and security checks.
Li Xiuying heard an automated female voice speak "You are currently 2nd in line."
She then heard some music play.
Adviser: "Good evening Dr. Li, I'll be your adviser for today my name is Xue Ai. How may I help you?"
Li Xiuying: "Pay the balance."
Xue Ai: "Will you be paying the balance on both your purple and gold cards?"
Li Xiuying: "Yes. In full."
Xue Ai: "And does the card you'll be using belong to you?"
Li Xiuying: "Yes."
Li Xiuying gave her bank details and paid off the balance in full.
Xue Ai: "The payments usually take 2 working days to be fully processed. Your reference numbers are 0001482 and 0007194. Would you like to store your bank card for future use?"
Li Xiuying: "No."
Xue Ai: "Can I help you with anything else today?"
Li Xiuying: "Close both my accounts."
Xue Ai paused: "I'm sorry Dr. Li, I may have misheard. Did you just ask to close both your accounts with us?"
Li Xiuying: "Yes."
Xue Ai's voice contained panic as she spoke: "Erm, I one moment please Dr. Li."
Li Xiuying could hear Xue Ai typing on a key board.
Xue Ai tried to speak in a calm manner: "Thank you for waiting. Dr. Li, I'm afraid that I do not have sufficient authorization to close any accounts belonging to customers who have our Gold or Purple cards. My manager is currently away on annual leave and will be back next week Monday. We could call you back then? What time would suit you best?"
Li Xiuying could hear the panic and the lies in the Xue Ai's voice. Xue Ai's speech sounded a little too scripted. Li Xiuying didn't see a point in making things difficult for Xue Ai.
Li Xiuying: "I'll call back." She then hung up the phone.
....
Orchid Credit Agency – Cubicle 5 Xue Ai's desk
Xue Ai lamented and muttered under her breathe "Why is it always me? Why did I have to be so unlucky and pick up Dr. Li's call today! Why couldn't it have been that jerk Angúo."
Xue Ai closed the doc.u.ment on her computer that was called 'The Dr. Li protocol' and locked her computer.
She then whipped off her head set and bolted for her manager's office. She ran as if she was an Olympic athlete competing in the 100 m sprint.
Xue Ai burst into her manager's office, pus.h.i.+ng the door wide open causing the handle to smash into the wall.
Her Manager had a look of irritation on his face: "Xue Ai what are you doing?! Don't you know that ..."
Xue Ai cut in and spoke whilst trying to catch her breath: "Manager Tao, Dr. Li just called ..... She paid off her balance in full ..... She wants to close... Close both her accounts with us." Xue Ai was wheezing as she spoke.
Manager Tao had a look of horror on his face.
Manager Tao: "Did she say why? What did you tell her?"
Xue Ai bent forward with her arms on her knees still trying to calm her breathing; she really wished that she exercised more.
Xue Ai: "I told her I'm not authorized to close accounts.... and my manager is on leave until Monday..... She said she'll call back next week." Xue Ai finally felt that her breathing wasn't as labored and straightened up. Her forehead was sweaty and her once neat bun was messy.
Manager Tao: "You did well. I'll deal with it from here. Send me the details of the call when you return to your desk"
Xue Ai: "Yes Manager Tao." She then left the room closing the office door behind her.
Manager Tao was trying to compose himself.
He stared at his computer screen and waited for the transcript of Dr. Li's conversation with Xue Ai.
He began to wish that he was really on annual leave.
After a few minutes manager Tao received the file from Xue Ai. He read through it once, twice, thrice and then apprehensively picked up the hand set of his office phone and dialed.
...
Unity hospital- Xǔ Luli's private room
Xǔ Junjie was currently in the hospital, eating with his cousins. When Xǔ Junjie arrived in the hospital room both Xǔ Luli and Xǔ Enlai had ordered food to be delivered; it was a weird coincidence that they had ordered from the 3 Clawed Dragon.
Xǔ Junjie didn't have much appet.i.te, he just took small bites of whatever was in his bowl. He had spent the last several hours sitting alone in a private room at the 3 Clawed Dragon staring at a table full of cold dishes. Now he was confronted again with the very same dishes.
Xǔ Luli: "Ge, this is pretty good." She put some tempura prawns in Xǔ Junjie's bowl.
Xǔ Junjie's phone started ringing. He looked at the screen and saw that it was Tao Feng.
Xǔ Junjie answered coldly: "h.e.l.lo."
Manager Tao Feng: "I'm sorry for disturbing you CEO Xǔ. But I have an urgent matter to report. Dr. Li just called; she paid off her balances in full and wished to close both her accounts." Tao Feng was restless and nervous as he spoke.
He knew Dr. Li was an important client. Anyone who had a protocol in place for them was a very, very important person. There were only 100 people who had a personalized protocol created for them and Dr. Li was in the Top 10 of the list.
Xǔ Junjie: "I'll sort it." He then put down the phone.
Xǔ Junjie was a little bit surprised that Dr. Li would be so swift in her actions. He had to find away to salvage the situation and he would have to do it quickly.
Xǔ Junjie didn't think that Dr. Li would be the type of person to let her personal feelings affect her business dealings. He had made too many a.s.sumptions about Dr. Li Xiuying and he was now paying the price for thinking Dr. Li could be treated like any other business a.s.sociate.