Just as Bethany dropped the phone, she folded her arms across her chest and smiled at Matthias, realizing he would be in trouble once the police arrived.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Matthias asked Bethany, still shocked at her report to the police.
“There is a misunderstanding here and I can prove it if you give me the chance,” Matthias said.
The manager sighed and addressed Matthias, “Young man, it’s not too late. You can still drop your claim that you’re a customer, accept your place as a poor man, and walk away. If the police get here, you will be taken away.”
He had expected Matthias to shiver and flee, but since Matthias wasn’t a criminal and hadn’t done anything illegal, he stood his ground.
“I don’t care about the police coming because I have nothing to be afraid of,” Matthias said calmly.
He slid his hand into his pocket and brought out the black card issued to his father by the Grand Prime Bank.
The moment he showed the card to the manager, the manager’s eyes twitched in shock.
“How… How did you…”
Although there was no name or business name written on it, the manager recognized it as a black card issued by their bank.
Stammering, the manager asked, “How-h How d- did you get hold of this card?”
“This is my black card, and I’m here to inquire about the balance and withdraw some money from it,” Matthias answered with grace.
The manager’s eyes widened. “This card isn’t just any card issued by our bank. It’s a black card, meaning it holds extra power. Not even 50% of the billionaires who bank with us have black cards.”
“From what I remember, only ten billionaires have secured a black card from our bank, and it’s because their accounts are extremely active and have the highest funds,” he said to Matthias.
Matthias listened silently as the manager listed all the facts about the card he held.
The manager then pointed at Matthias and said, “There must be something wrong if you have this card. You must have stolen it from one of our esteemed customers.”
Matthias’ eyes widened in shock. “No, no, no… I didn’t steal the card. This is my card, and everything is in my name, including the funds in it.”
The manager shook his head, about to counter Matthias when a police officer arrived.
Miss Bethany, behind her desk, sprang to her feet again the moment her eyes met the officer saw.
“Thank goodness, the police are already here, don’t waste your time arguing with this fool anymore,” Miss Bethany said to the manager who sighed in relif.
Matthias turned toward the door, shocked to see the police officer. He turned back to the manager and said, “There’s no need for this, I’m telling you that this is my card.”
Ignoring him, the manager addressed the police officer, “This young man walked in claiming he wanted to withdraw money.”
He forcefully pulled out the card from Matthias hand and handed it to the officer.
“This card is only issued to our top-tier customers, who are all billionaires. This young man, who goes by the name Matthias Kane, claims to own it.”
The police officer examined the card, recognizing its significance.
“Young man,” the police officer said, “You’ll need to come with me to the station for questioning. It’s clear you must have stolen this card.”
Without asking any further questions, the officer, assuming Matthias was too young and poor to possess a black card, prepared to take him in.
Matthias stood his ground. “Officer, I don’t think the law should deny me access to the money I legally have access to.”
The police officer was stunned by Matthias’ confidence despite his apparent poor status.
“It’s clear you stole the card, but if I give you a chance to prove yourself before taking you to the station, how will you show you truly have access to the funds in this card?” The police officer said.
Matthias rubbed his head frustratingly…
“How else would I be able to withdraw funds from a card that isn’t mine?” Matthias replied.
“If it isn’t my card, I will not be able to enter the correct PIN to withdraw the funds.”
The police officer considered this. “That’s true. Let him try to withdraw,” he told the manager.
The manager was skeptical. “There’s no way this young man has access to the funds. Just look at him—does he look like someone who even has a thousand dollars?”
The police officer nodded, agreeing with the manager. “He doesn’t even look like he has a hundred dollars, but let him try. When we take him to the station, it will add more charges for stealing someone’s card and attempting to withdraw funds.”
Bethany smiled at this idea. “The officer is right. Let him try.”
She crossed her fingers, hoping to see the poor stranger humiliated and dragged out by the police after the transaction failed.
After a moment of consideration, the manager nodded. “Follow me,” he said, leading them to his office and then into another chamber where a very sophisticated ATM was located.
The police officer handed Matthias the black card. “Slot it into the machine, young man.”
Matthias’ heart raced as he inserted the card, unsure of the account balance. He was sure it would work since it was truly his now.
But what bothered him was that, he didn’t know how much was in the account, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself if it turned out that the money was too little to be withdrawn. He had heard that the least withdrawal amount was 500,000 dollars.
“What if it isn’t up to $500,000? Then they’d think I’m here to joke,” Matthias thought in his mind.
The machine recognized the card, and the manager nodded.
“The card is real,” he explained to the police officer, “but it doesn’t prove anything until he enters the correct PIN and fingerprint.”
Matthias, distracted by his thoughts about the account balance, entered the PIN: 1012.
As he was about to type the final digit, his finger slipped and he hit 3 without even noticing.
The screen immediately turned red, and a loud buzz signaled an error.
The manager’s eyes widened, and he turned to the police officer.
“He must be a scammer or have stolen the card!” The manager declared.
“The PIN wasn’t a match. Take him, officer!” Miss Bethany sneered.
Without a word, the officer roughly grabbed Matthias’ arm and pulled him away from the machine.
“Time’s up, boy. You’re coming with me to the station.”
Matthias was shocked by the machine’s response. He hadn’t realized he pressed 3 instead of 2 yet.
“There must be something wrong with your system, or maybe I made a mistake inputting the PIN. I must try again,” Matthias said, but the officer didn’t let him reach for the machine again.
The police officer declared, “You must be quiet! You are under arrest for attempting fraud.”
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