After 7 Hours, a Banker Mocked Me: 'Mr. Low-Tier Company, Go Home!'—Then the President's Reaction...

Your company's account is almost completely empty. Wow! Why is a financially struggling small business like yours here?

You are completely unworthy. Why don't you simply go? Clutching his stomach, Thomas erupted in laughter as though he had just heard the world's funniest joke.

Something snapped inside of me as I saw Thomas talk so arrogantly. I was not making any progress with this; despite my sympathy for my dad, I made the decision to create a new account at a different bank. From the beginning, I had never been a good fit for big banks like this one.

The mood in the bank abruptly grew strained when I gave up and got up to go. It wasn't due to an increase in clients; the staff was acting oddly since someone had just entered from the back. Thomas, who had been smugly dominating me only moments before, jerked to his feet and stood stiffly as he spotted this man.

"Hey, Brian! Greetings from our branch! You're here a lot sooner than anticipated!

" With his hands wringing, Thomas rushed to meet the middle-aged man. The man, however, ignored Thomas and proceeded directly to me. He looked like he had just seen a ghost because of how pale his face was.

His voice wavered as he talked when he got to me. "Excuse me, but are you Jake? " "I am indeed," I gave him a gentle greeting and said, "Thank you for always being there for my father.

" The man graciously returned the welcome. Thomas and the other employees surrounding us, meanwhile, stood motionless and seemed shocked. Not surprisingly, they were shocked that Brian, the bank's president, would personally address a client like me.

"What's happening? Do you mean that Brian is acquainted with this man? " Thomas, who was already agitated and in a panic, was going to find out something much more startling that would make him even more distraught.

"I'm Jake Hares, and I'm 31 years old. I took over my dad's business, an electronic store in the little town where I was born and raised. My dad was born into a family of traditional craftsmen, but his instructor, my grandfather, died before he could fully learn the trade.

My dad launched his business to help support my mom and my newborn elder brother because he already had a family of his own at that point. To make ends meet, he sold handmade toys and repaired radios using his skill. Even though she had a newborn to tend to, my mom assisted in running the store.

Their tiny workshop somehow developed into a legitimate electronic business as a result of their unwavering efforts to satisfy consumer wants. But my dad, who sacrificed the family's traditional craft to provide for us, fell seriously ill a few years ago. That's how I, the third son who had been aimlessly drifting after finishing school, ended up taking over the store.

At first, I accepted the responsibility casually, but running the business turned out to be far more challenging than I ever imagined. I regretted underestimating what it takes to manage a small-town electronic shop. One of my biggest struggles is being taken seriously by customers and business partners.

I hate to admit it, but I look much younger than I am. Even though I'm in my 30s, nine times out of ten, people I meet for the first time mistake me for a teenager. "Oh, are you helping out at the store?

That's so responsible of you! " Hearing comments like that is still one of the better reactions; in the worst cases, I get yelled at for no good reason. "Why would I discuss business with a kid like you?

" Even when I tell them my actual age, they often don't believe me and laugh it off as a joke. When that happens, I usually explain by mentioning the year I was born and something notable that happened that year. "I know I don't look it, but I'm 31.

I was born a month after the big hurricane," for example. Something along those lines. Once I say that, most people are surprised and finally acknowledge that I'm an adult.

Only then can I start having a real conversation about business. There are people out there who envy those who look younger than their age, but for me, my baby face has been nothing but a burden. As a businessman, it's undeniably a disadvantage because I'm always starting several steps behind, just trying to be taken seriously at the negotiation table.

I even tried growing a beard to appear more dignified, but people laughed, saying I looked like some kind of comedy actor, so I gave up quickly. "How long am I going to be treated like a kid? Maybe if I get married and have children, I'll finally look like a proper adult man.

" Just as I was mulling over these thoughts, something happened that hit my insecurities hard. One afternoon, I went to a major bank branch in the next town over. The truth is, the electronic store I inherited from my dad had been incorporated during his time.

My dad was more of a craftsman than a businessman, so he wasn't great with taxes or legal matters. But a well-informed acquaintance of his recommended it, and he went ahead with the incorporation process. As a result, I needed to take care of some procedures related to the corporate account he had set up back then.

So, I squeezed the visit into my work schedule. By the way, the decision to handle these procedures at this particular branch was also suggested by another acquaintance of my dad's. There were other bank branches closer to our home and shop, but after some persistent persuasion from this person, I decided to make use of an inactive account at this large bank.

I didn't have any particular loyalty to any bank, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to maintain goodwill with my. . .

Dad's old friend. When I arrived at the branch, it was bustling with customers, as expected of a major bank. I nervously approached a woman at an open counter.

"Excuse me, I'd like to take care of some procedures related to a company account. " "There's a queue for service, so please wait for your turn. " When I nervously explained my request, the woman at the reception desk didn't so much as crack a smile and simply gestured toward the waiting area chairs.

Her lack of friendliness didn't bother me much at the time; that's because I had anticipated being turned away at the counter or questioned about my age. Being told to sit and wait made me feel like I was at least recognized as a legitimate customer. Relieved, I sat down and waited for my turn, but no matter how long I waited, my name was never called.

The people who came in after me were being helped one after another, completing their transactions and leaving. I thought something might be wrong, but I didn't want to cause a fuss in an unfamiliar place, so I decided to stay quiet and wait patiently. By the time I finally ran out of patience and approached the counter again, more than two hours had passed.

Looking back now, I think I should have followed up much sooner, but back then I didn't have the confidence. As the timid person I was, all I could do was just lightly prompt the woman for guidance. "Excuse me, but I've been waiting for over two hours.

Is it still not my turn yet? " When I spoke up, the woman at the counter frowned suspiciously and said something shocking. "What?

I don't have any record of a Jake Harrison in our system. " "No, that can't be right. I'm Jake Harrison, here to handle some corporate account procedures.

Please check again carefully. " "Well, even so, there's no record of your registration, and besides, we're about to close soon. " When I glanced at the clock after hearing her reply, I realized the waiting room clock was indeed nearing 3 p.

m. "I'm sure I provided my name and explained my business at the counter; in fact, wasn't it you who registered me? " "No, I don't recall anything about that.

" "What all the commotion? " "I'm sorry, Thomas, this customer is—" Suddenly, a man who looked to be at least a decade older than me emerged from the back with his silver-framed glasses and his habit of pushing them up with his finger. He gave off an air of being somewhat difficult to deal with, judging by how tense the woman at the counter became upon his arrival.

It was clear he wasn't exactly the friendly, easygoing type of boss. After the woman explained the situation, the man, who introduced himself as the Assistant Branch Manager, spoke to me in a condescending tone. "I'm Thomas Roberts, the Assistant Branch Manager.

So, you're Jake Harrison? Look, young people like you might not realize this, but banks everywhere are really busy these days. Even a branch like ours in the middle of nowhere isn't idle, so don't go causing trouble for the girls at the counter, all right?

" He made it sound as if I had been giving the staff a hard time. I sighed and decided to carefully explain everything from the beginning. "I'm the one who's having trouble here.

Listen, I came here over two hours ago, gave my name, and explained my business at the counter. Isn't it strange that my registration wasn't completed? " "Is that true?

Which girl registered you? " At first, I thought it was the lady right in front of me, but it wasn’t me. I've never heard of a Jake Harrison before.

" The woman, who seemed on the verge of being accused, quickly shook her head in denial. Thomas, the Assistant Branch Manager, looked back and forth between the woman and me before raising his voice. "All right, ladies, could all the counter staff gather here for a moment?

" I couldn't help but worry if it was really okay for him to shout like that, but when I looked around, I realized I was the only customer left in the branch. The rest of the bank employees were busy moving about in the back, likely finishing their tasks. It seemed the bank's operating hours had ended while I was arguing at the counter.

When Thomas clapped his hands and called out, about ten young women quickly gathered around. They were all wearing the same uniform and had their long hair tied up. I hate to admit it, but having grown up in a rough-and-tumble household with two rowdy brothers, I couldn't tell them apart.

"All right, is the person who registered Jake here? " Thomas glanced back at the group of women as he asked, but as expected, no one answered. One woman avoided my gaze after briefly making eye contact, but even looking at her face, I couldn't be sure if she was the one who helped me at the counter earlier.

I couldn't just point fingers at her based on her suspicious behavior, so when Thomas turned to me with a question, I couldn't give him a definite answer. "Well, Jake, do you remember who you spoke to about your issue? " "No, I don't remember her face.

I think it was someone at the counter near the entrance, though. " "Well, that's not much help. If you really did register, there's no way my highly capable staff would forget.

" As Thomas dismissed the gathered women, he continued to criticize me relentlessly. "Honestly, young people these days complain the moment things don't go their way, and to top it off, coming in with complaints right at closing time? That's just plain obnoxious!

” "I'm not complaining without a reason. The fact is, your staff forgot to register me. I'm simply asserting my rightful claim, and now I'm being treated like some—" "Troublesome customer, it's insulting.

Well, either way, the bank is now closed for today, so please leave if you don't want to wait. Next time, come in first thing in the morning and make sure to register properly. " "Oh well, I heard that loud and clear.

I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning, as you've suggested. Make sure my issue is handled properly then. " "All right.

Morning first thing, got it. " I glared at Thomas as I left the branch, the shutters nearly closing behind me. For a moment, I considered cancelling the account and switching to another bank, but the thought of my dad held me back, and I decided to stick it out for now.

The next day, as I had declared to Thomas, I arrived at the bank first thing in the morning and completed the check-in process. Coincidentally, the woman at the counter who helped me was the same one I had complained to the previous day. When she saw my face again, she tensed up slightly but handled my case politely.

After I explained my request again, she looked apologetic and sad. "I'm sorry, Jake, that procedure can only be started after 10 a. m.

" "What? But yesterday, Thomas told me that coming first thing in the morning would save me the wait! You were there when he said it, weren't you?

" "I sincerely apologize. Thomas didn't know the specifics of your procedure at the time. " I managed to swallow the anger welling up inside me.

It's not her fault; getting angry at her won't accomplish anything, I told myself. I took a deep breath and then spoke to her. "I can't wait around for an hour during the busy morning hours.

I'll head back to work now and return during my lunch break. Could you please make sure everything is ready for the procedure by then? " "Yes, of course, we'll be expecting you.

" "Please make sure of it. " "All right then. " With that, I left the bank frustrated and returned to work.

Around lunchtime, I headed back to the branch. The counter was just as crowded as before, but I headed straight to the woman from the morning. "I'm back.

Let's proceed with the request I mentioned earlier. " "Jake, please have a seat and wait for a moment. " "Got it.

" When she saw my face, she looked visibly flustered and directed me to the waiting area. Honestly, I was exasperated at the thought of waiting again, but I figured arguing with her wouldn't help, so I sat down quietly, telling myself that I had been persistent enough this morning and that the responsible staff member was clearly identified this time. Surely the process would be completed quickly, and I'd be back to work in no time.

I had placed my faith in the bank getting it right on their third attempt, but even after waiting for a while, there was no sign of my name being called. Worse yet, the woman I had entrusted with the task had disappeared into the back without me noticing. Without her, there was no one I could follow up with.

I had no choice but to sit there helplessly as other customers were called up one by one. In the end, it wasn't until two hours after I arrived at the branch that I finally heard my name called from the counter. When I glanced at the bank's clock, it was just past 2:00 p.

m. It had been five hours since I checked in at 9:00 a. m.

Adding the two hours I waited yesterday, I had spent a total of seven hours waiting, and this was now my third visit to the branch for the same procedure. Cursing the bank silently, swearing I'd never come back, I headed to the counter, but instead of the woman from before, it was Thomas, the Assistant Branch Manager, standing there. Thomas greeted me with a smirk and spoke up, "We can't have you cornering our female staff like yesterday, can we?

So I'll handle you personally this time. Now, kiddo, why don't you tell me what errand you're running for today? What little chore brought you here?

" His condescending tone, as if speaking to a child, made my blood boil, but I knew losing my temper would only play into his hands, so I held back my emotions. "I've already explained this multiple times. It's about the corporate account for Harrison Electronics.

I believe the account is registered under that name, so could you check it with the current representative? " "What? Well, a kid running a company?

You sure can't judge a book by its cover. All right, kiddo, I'll go check the account details for you. Can you wait here like a good boy?

" "Just hurry up and get it done. " When I glared at him and spoke in a low voice, Thomas chuckled mockingly and disappeared into the back. When he returned, he was holding what looked like the account information and said something shocking.

"Wow, your company's account is practically empty! What's a broke little company like yours doing here? You're totally out of your league.

Why don't you just leave? " Thomas burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "This is priceless!

You went through all the trouble of setting up a corporate account, but there's barely any money in it. That's hilarious! Oh, don't tell me you've been waiting here for hours for a tiny sum of money!

Must be tough scraping by like this. If you apologize for your rude attitude toward me earlier, maybe I'll treat you to a coffee. How about it?

" He tapped my head with the rolled-up papers he was holding, grinning as he spoke. I wasn't there to withdraw any money; I tried to explain that, but Thomas interrupted me again. "I'm not here today to make a withdrawal.

Also, the account is now under the. . .

" company's name. Sorry, but small businesses like yours won't get approved for a loan. If you want to borrow money, you should try a smaller, less prominent bank instead of a big one like ours.

Although, honestly, I doubt any bank would lend to you. Watching Thomas speak so smugly, I felt something snap inside me. This wasn't getting me anywhere.

I felt bad for my dad, but I decided it was best to open a new account at another bank. Big banks like this one had never been a good fit for me from the start. As I gave up and stood to leave, the atmosphere in the bank suddenly became tense.

It wasn't because there were more customers; it was because someone had just walked in from the back, causing the staff to act strangely. The moment Thomas, who had been smugly lording over me just moments ago, saw this man, he snapped to attention, standing rigidly. "Brian!

Welcome to our branch! You've arrived much earlier than expected! " Thomas hurried toward the middle-aged man, ringing his hands as he approached.

However, the man paid no attention to Thomas and walked straight toward me. His face was as pale as if he had just seen a ghost. When he reached me, his voice trembled as he spoke.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be Jake Harrison from Harrison General? " "Yes, I'm Jake Harrison, the CEO. Thank you for always supporting my father," I greeted him lightly.

The man returned the greeting politely. Meanwhile, Thomas and the other staff around us stood frozen with shocked expressions. It was no surprise they couldn't believe that Brian, the president of the entire bank, would personally speak to a customer like me.

"What's going on? Are you saying Brian knows this guy? " Thomas asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sir. The person you were just mocking and tapping on the head earlier is the son of my benefactor and a very important client whom I personally invited to the bank," Brian said, glaring at Thomas with disdain. His voice was cold and firm.

Brian was an old acquaintance of my father and had risen to become the president of a major bank. Turning back to Thomas, who was now visibly trembling and pale, Brian continued mercilessly, "Also, Thomas, you were laughing at the account balance earlier, weren't you? Well, Jake here is about to make a significant deposit.

" What? Thomas turned to me with a dumbfounded look on his face. I decided to explain everything to him from the beginning.

"That's right. As recommended by Brian, I was planning to deposit about $1 million. " "$1 million?

Impossible! Where would you even get that kind of money? You called us a bottom-tier company earlier, but thanks to our success, we've been doing quite well.

Our newly developed appliances have been selling like crazy, and we've even rebranded from Harrison Electronics to Harrison General. " As I explained this with a smirk, Thomas collapsed onto the floor in disbelief. "May I have a moment?

" The elderly man's voice echoed through the now silent bank branch. "Alex," I said. "I asked Thomas here to take me to a private room, but it seems he was too preoccupied to assist me, so I decided to come out and see what was going on.

I overheard your conversation. Apologies for eavesdropping. " The man, referred to as Alex, walked toward us slowly, leaning on his cane.

I recognized him immediately. In fact, anyone living in this area would know who he was. Alex was the head of an old prestigious family and a well-known local figure.

He was probably a significant client who, unlike me, would have been escorted straight to a private room without hesitation. And yet, Thomas had chosen to ignore such an important customer just to deal with me. He must have been determined to mock me as much as he could.

When Alex got closer, he placed a hand gently on my shoulder and said, "Brian, this young man is remarkable. Even when faced with provocation that would tempt most men to lash out, he remained calm and composed. I doubt you'll find anyone more level-headed or patient.

" "You're absolutely right. I too believe Jake here is more mature and composed than anyone I know," Brian agreed. "Thank you very much.

That's humbling to hear," I replied, being praised by two men from my father's generation at the same time. I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as I thanked them. Meanwhile, Thomas, still sitting on the floor, looked completely defeated, as if the life had been drained out of him.

Later, after the branch closed, we gathered in the private meeting room to investigate Thomas. By the end, the only ones left in the branch were me, Thomas, Brian, and for some reason, Alex. While I may have a youthful face, the presence of these two authoritative men made Thomas tremble like a frightened puppy the entire time.

Summing up the events, including Thomas's reluctant confession, here's what we uncovered: Brian had convinced my father to deposit $1 million into the dormant corporate account. As the current CEO, I had visited the branch to handle the deposit. Additionally, I had planned to update the account's name to reflect our company's rebranding from Harrison Electronics to Harrison General, but thanks to Thomas's outrageous behavior, my task had been accomplished in the end.

The two-day ordeal I endured was the result of Thomas's malice and a stroke of bad luck on my part. Thomas, who was known for being highly ambitious, had been eyeing the branch manager position for some time. While plotting how to unseat the current manager, he stumbled upon insider information that Brian would be visiting the branch for an inspection.

Seeing opportunity, Thomas decided not to inform the branch manager about the visit. Instead, he intercepted all phone calls intended for the manager and ensured no. .

. Information reached him. With this strategy, Thomas managed to keep the branch manager in the dark and scheduled the inspection for a day when the manager would be absent.

He planned to harass Brian's opinion of the branch manager, and if all went well, elevate himself to become the next branch manager. Thomas had heard in advance that a major client would be visiting soon, but he was convinced that the prominent local figure Alex was the important client Brian had invited. Thomas never imagined that I was the CEO of the rapidly growing electronics company, Harrison General.

Instead, he assumed I was just a poor young nobody and continued to treat me with a condescending and unpleasant attitude. The reason I ended up waiting a total of seven hours over two days was apparently due to a simple human error on the first day and deliberate harassment by Thomas on the second. Thomas had instructed the female staff to block my request from being processed.

After Thomas finished explaining everything, it was Alex who spoke first. “You fool! Are you seriously judging people based only on appearances?

You're a banker! For heaven's sake, what good are you if you can't see a person's true worth? ” I'm sorry—scolded by the influential Alex, Thomas shrank back and could only manage a weak apology.

Watching Thomas' pitiful state, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. That day, I left Thomas in Brian's hands and headed home with Alex. For some reason, Alex had taken a strong liking to me and even insisted on driving me home himself.

When I arrived home in a chauffeur-driven car, my parents were utterly shocked. They were so stunned by Alex stepping out of the car to greet them that they nearly started worshiping him. It was an unbelievable event for them.

After calming down, I consulted my dad about the incident at the bank. He told me there was no need to feel obligated to Brian, so I promptly closed the old corporate account. I then opened a new account under Harrison General's name at a local bank near my home and deposited $1.

2 million. Since then, I've always been shown to a private room and no longer have to wait in line at the bank. To my surprise, around the same time, Alex also withdrew all his funds from the major bank and transferred them to another institution.

After the incident at the bank, I began interacting with Alex more frequently, and less than a year after closing the account, I married Alex's youngest daughter. My parents were absolutely thrilled—far more than when I announced I was taking over my dad's company. As a result of trying to unseat the branch manager, Thomas ended up severely damaging his own reputation and was reassigned to a small affiliated company.

Once a deputy branch manager at a major bank, Thomas was now demoted to an entry-level employee at a minor firm. He had a wife and three children, but his salary was nowhere near enough to support his family, and their financial situation grew dire. Unable to endure the hardship, his wife left him, taking the kids with her, and they divorced soon after.

Having lost both his job and his family, Thomas drowned himself in alcohol. One day, he caused an assault incident at a bar and was arrested. Eventually, he was fired from his position at the small company as well.

Meanwhile, the major bank where this all occurred was swallowed up in a wave of mergers and acquisitions, and its name quietly disappeared. Although Brian was no longer the president of the bank, he continued to thrive, serving as an executive at the newly formed institution after the merger. Half a century has passed since I was left waiting at the bank.

Both banking and society have undergone significant changes since then. Thanks to the rise of online banking, most transactions can now be completed from home. The value of money has tripled since those days, but with the move toward cashless payments, fewer and fewer people rely on physical cash.

Of course, it's not just the environment that has changed. I can say that I've changed significantly compared to how I was in my 30s. For one, I no longer feel insecure about my appearance.

I was still self-conscious about my youthful face until my early 40s, but after that, I stopped caring. It’s more accurate to say I reached a point of acceptance rather than completely resolving my insecurities, but even so, life became much easier once I stopped worrying about my youthful appearance. Another significant change in my life was passing the company on to my son.

Wanting to prioritize time with my grandchildren, I retired early at the age of 60. I handed over the role of CEO to my son, who had been working as an executive, and began living a relaxed, carefree life. Thanks to that decision, I managed to raise all eight of my grandchildren to be “Grandpa's kids.

” Now, I live happily surrounded by my many children and grandchildren. This happiness wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't endured those unpleasant moments with Thomas. That negative experience ultimately led me to meet my beloved wife, so even bad experiences can lead to something wonderful.

As I looked at the deep wrinkles on my wife's smiling face, I couldn't help but feel grateful for how everything turned out.