39 Just an Innocent Cat

"Yes! Ye-Yes! Right away, sir!"

Asking Xuanmei to wait for a while, the man scurried away as he went to discuss the one and a half million with his superiors.

"Manager! The customer wants the deed to this establishment and one and a half million!"

The manager looked extremely distressed, his face pale, turning slightly green. The manager stood up from behind his desk and sighed shakily, asking for the attendee to bring him to Xuanmei.

"Ah, uh, Sir- Dear esteemed customer, we have to pay our employees, so please reconsider! Let us be allowed to pay you in small amounts at a time."

"Not a cent will be spared, we assure you."

"Is that so? I urgently need the money, and while you pay your employees, I have to pay for my family and I have to put food on the table too."

The manager shook violently, sweat beading his forehead as he wondered about how he was going to explain the major disappearance of money to his superiors.

Asking for a supervisor, he made a decision right then and there.

Handing Xuanmei the deed, the Manager shook his head sideways, eyes closed in fear.

"Hold this first. I have to consult my superiors. If possible, we would like to work out a deal with you in two days."

Xuanmei nodded in obvious satisfaction, and walked out, and as soon as she did so, the manager fell to the ground.

"I-It's all over!"

Donning a hood the next day, she headed to the second auction house and waited until the jewelry was about to be presented onto the stage, and stopped the announcer.

Barging into the back room where the auctioneer was about to present the jewels and items, the manager of the first auction house swung open the door, panting heavily.

"Hold on!"

"Huh? Manager?"

"We're sorry, but we cannot sell the jewelry yet!"

Murmuring spread throughout the interested onlookers.

"Apologies, but we will have to take it for a while!" The Auctioneer said, trying to appease the crowd.

Walking backstage, he was stopped by the manager of the current auction house.

"What are you doing?"

"This is the only way to solve our problems! Take out a few gems and replace them with these!"

The manager took out a few fake gems, enthusiastically comparing them.

"We can sell the fake ones and just use these gems as replacement for the one and a half million!"

The gems were relatively large and made of genuine materials and so costed quite a lot.

"Good idea! We can take back the first house's deed too! However, what if we fail and we get noticed and called out? Wouldn't it's reputation drop to a new low then?"

The first manager pondered it;

"It's our only choice."

A soft meowing, unheard to both managers, sounded from behind a barrel.

"Meow?"

[What? Your only choice? Oh my, later, I'm definitely going to say that I didn't do anything. I'm, well, just an innocent cat, after all...]