Chapter 20: Anger

After waiting for two more days, the bank finally called and asked him to come over.

He felt very excited. He carefully washed up and dressed himself. He took out the suit he had rarely worn from the closet and put it on. He considered this moment an important milestone in his life and took it very seriously.

“Dexter, you look handsome,” George said with a smile when they met up.

“Hey, George, don’t make fun of me. I really feel this moment is special. Once the bank’s money comes through, I can send the remaining payment to them,” Liu Heming lightly punched George on the shoulder.

Over the past few days, George had been helping him with everything, and the two had become good friends despite their age difference. Even though George was older, he had a very cheerful personality.

“Actually, you should have gone earlier to get the house in order. This kind of loan is pretty common, especially with the lake on your ranch. That lake alone can increase the value of your ranch a lot. Magical Ranch is now the best ranch in Xiangshui Town, no question about it,” George said as he started the car.

“George, when we get there, let’s stop at a gas station. I’ll fill up your tank. Don’t say no—I’ve been using your car all these days, and I feel really bad about it,” Liu Heming said.

“OK, I won’t refuse. But remember, once you’ve sorted everything out, you have to treat me to some authentic Chinese Cuisine,” George replied with a laugh.

The journey was full of laughter and chatter, and Liu Heming didn’t find it boring at all. He also started thinking that the house at Harvest Ranch was in pretty good condition. Maybe he should consider bringing his daughter over sooner than planned.

“Mr. Dexter, hello,” Paul, the customer manager at EGBN Bank, greeted him as soon as he entered the bank.

“Paul, what do I need to do? I can’t wait to get started,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

“Mr. Dexter, there’s a small issue,” Paul said, still smiling.

Hearing this, Liu Heming was taken aback. He had no idea what this “small issue” could be.

“After a careful evaluation by our bank’s assessors, we can only approve a Loan of thirty thousand US Dollars for you, and the term has to be shortened to one year,” Paul continued.

“Our assessors believe this Loan carries a high risk, so you won’t be eligible for favorable interest rates. Thirty thousand US Dollars is already a very bold move on our part. In Xiangshui Town, we have a lot of bad debt.”

“Darn it, Paul, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Liu Heming glared at him.

He was truly furious. This was no small issue—it was a big problem.

The sixty thousand US Dollar limit was just enough for him to manage. If it were only three or five thousand less, he might have been able to get by, but now it was cut in half. And all the favorable terms they had promised him were gone. If this was a small issue, he didn’t know what a big one would be.

“Paul, this shouldn’t be how it is. You know as well as anyone that a Ranch with water is worth more than one without. Even if Dexter uses Magical Ranch as collateral, it shouldn’t be worth only thirty thousand US Dollars,” George said angrily from the side.

This situation was truly frustrating. The bank should have communicated this over the phone before they came. But they didn’t, which was why Dexter had been so happy when they arrived.

“Please calm down. You have your perspective, and our Bank has its own risk management procedures,” Paul said, his expression unchanged.

“We checked the records. Magical Ranch was recently renamed, and there was no lake there before. We can’t be sure if the lake will still be there in the near future.”

“So, for our Bank, the risk is very high. The thirty thousand US Dollar limit was something I fought hard to get. Originally, the Bank only planned to approve twenty-five thousand US Dollars for Dexter. The overall situation in Xiangshui Town is like this—the groundwater system there is very poor.”

“Dexter, I suggest you think it over carefully. I can hold your Loan application for three days. If you haven’t made a decision by then, I’m afraid I’ll have to say sorry.”

“You… you… are so shameless,” Liu Heming said, the veins on his neck bulging.

What Paul said could be considered a reason, but it wasn’t an absolute disadvantage. It didn’t matter when the lake appeared—the fact was, it existed now.

Although Xiangshui Town was dry, it wasn’t like the lake would disappear in a few months. He had even explained to the Loan investigator that the lake was likely connected to an underground water source, making it a living lake. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have water bubbling up on its own. But even so, the Bank was still picking faults.

“Dexter, you need to calm down,” George said, pulling the angry Liu Heming aside.

“George, how can I calm down? I’ve already paid a five thousand US Dollar deposit. What good is thirty thousand US Dollars to me?” Liu Heming said with a bitter smile.

“Alright, let’s go back and make a proper plan. We’ll try to come up with a more feasible solution,” George suggested after thinking for a moment.

Liu Heming wasn’t in a good state, and George understood that. It would be strange if anyone felt happy in this situation. But he was worried Liu Heming might do something rash. The Bank’s security guards had already placed their hands on their holsters.

“Mr. Dexter, Mr. George. If you believe our Bank has made an unfair judgment, you can file a complaint. You can also try other banks to see if they offer you a higher Loan amount,” Paul said again.

“In this matter, I truly did my best. I don’t know which part went wrong that we didn’t communicate with you in advance. I’m really sorry.”

“Paul, save your insincere apology. I can tell you right now—I’m giving up on this Loan. Please return the Loan documents to us,” Liu Heming said, looking straight at Paul.

Paul shrugged, pulled out a file from his drawer, and handed it over. It contained all the Loan materials.

“George, let’s go. Now I finally understand what people mean when they say banks are vampires. They’re always waiting with their bloody mouths open for people like us who have no power or influence to walk right in,” Liu Heming said, patting George on the shoulder.

George nodded, feeling just as disappointed.