Xixi’s voice filled the air. "Is there anything that we control in our lives? Truly?" She walked deeper into the break room, her very exclusive and very expensive perfume filling the air.

Xuanji moved his feet off the table quickly, as if he had seen his superior officer.

Xixi continued lightly, waving her hand gracefully. "We cannot decide what families we are born into or whether we are born male or female. The things we can control are truly minute. All we can do is live and survive with what we have."

A man trailed into the room, his pin-striped suit so polished it reflected the fluorescent lights. Me was Mr. Guo, Liwu’s money manager. A representative of an exclusive bank that served only the top one percent.

"Now that I have answered all of your questions...." she looked at Liwu. "Sister dear, you have been dodging Mr. Guo’s calls so he called me. He insists that you must start planning the financial future of your unborn children, now that you are married. The world needs more tiny heirs running around with trust funds larger than the entire SOB budget."

Linlin almost choked on her coffee.

Xuanji whispered to the chief. "how much is the SOB budget?"

Meanwhile, Liwu laughed at her sister. "Xixi, I have no plans for little heirs at the moment. And why did you bring my money manager to a precinct. We could have been in the middle of a homicide investigation."

Mr. Guo adjusted his cufflinks. his tone smooth as silk. "I apologize, detective Liwu. But, your job is unpredictable so your assets require foresight. You know that our bank offers exclusive accounts for heirs of distinguished lineages. It is imperative we secure positions for your offspring before the slots are filled."

The break room erupted in whispers. Liwu’s teammates who were no strangers to her wealth looked like gossiping children. Su Jin whispered to Linlin, "Exactly how wealthy is your partner?"

"Wealthy enough to buy me a villa in Beijing for my last birthday." Linlin smirked.

Su Jin gasped. "And you still bitch about your ex that owes you rent!"

Linlin snorted. "That’s different. It is a debt that must be paid."

Meanwhile, Liwu was just finished rolling her eyes. "Mr. Guo, this is not the appropriate place or time. Perhaps we can..."

But Mr. Guo was relentless, and he cut her off. "Detective Liwu, I have already prepared documentation. We merely require confirmation from your husband, Mayor Shen, to open an account and then we can ensure that ten generations of your descendants will never need to work to live large. His signature alone will suffice."

At that moment, Xuanji sprang. "Ten generations can live large?"

Mr. Guo smiled proudly. "Of course. Our bank has been in existence since the seventeenth century. You may not be aware of us, but that is how we like to keep it."

Xuanji’s eyes lit up. "That sounds awesome. Could I open an account too? I have been saving diligently. I want my future ten generations to live large as well."

Mr. Guo’s smile froze, polite but merciless. "We are very grateful for your interest in our bank but I regret to inform you, Officer, that all positions are filled. We are at full capacity."

The room fell silent. Xuanji’s face reddened. "Full capacity? But you just asked Liwu if her her husband wanted an account. That was literally thirty seconds ago!"

Liwu hissed softly. She couldn’t believe that Xuanji could not read between the lines. A bank like this require a certain minimum to open an account. No matter how well her team mate had been saving, he could not meet that minimum.

"That is different." Manager Guo replied. "He meets the requirements and happens to be married to a client. He is part of an exclusive club. No offense but you seem a bit.....ordinary."

Xuanji threw his hands up. "Ordinary!! I work of the SOB. I know more exclusive secrets than you do. Ordinary?" He huffed. "I am no ordinary man."

Linlin leaned back, grinning. "Don’t take it personally Xuanji, you know what he means by exclusive. Unless you marry into billions or inherit them, your account is just a glorified piggy bank to these people."

Xixi sighed, "Sorry Xuanji, you have to work a little harder to get access. But, I promise that if you ever make as much as 100 million, I will introduce you to a good money manager."

"Liwu already did that for all of us." Linlin shouted.

Xixi eyes lit up. "Great. Now, dear sis, it is time to get back to you. Think of your children. They will be attending elite academies, their tuition paid from accounts that ordinary mortals cannot imagine. Even if you go broke and our families run out of wealth, those accounts will continue to feed us and help us rebuild. You already have money there anyway, all Mr. Guo wants you to do is plan ahead for the next generation."

Liwu sighed. "This service will cost me twenty million and I need to deposit another billion or more in the bank. I am not the kind of woman that puts all her eggs in one basket. Besides, I would love for my children to learn how to keep their own accounts and manage their money."

Mr. Guo’s composure cracked for the first tome. "Detective, with all due respect, you can afford our services, and you just need to deposit 100 million for the children, not a billion. Now Independence is admirable, but what we do cannot be dismissed. Your desire to see your children learn the hard way is....unconventional,"

Liwu leaned forward, "Unconventional? I chase murderers through alleys at midnight. My life is unconventional. But, I get your point."

Mr. Guo was so relieved that he patted his chest. "Oh thank God. For a moment, I was worried that you wanted to pass on your habit of living like a poor detective to your children. No offense, but...." he gestured to her shirt that had a button hanging lose.

The break room roared with laughter.

She ripped the button off altogether. "It came lose when I leaped on a suspect. Besides, what’s wrong with how I live? 80% of the people in this country live like me. And also, wealth doesn’t solve cases, brains do." She put her hands on her waist. "I give my approval, just go and see my husband...."

Mr. Guo suddenly shuffled forward, placing his briefcase before her. "Wonderful," he said. "I spoke to him three days ago. I just need your signature on three documents. Our team will be in contact as soon as your first pregnancy is confirmed with a doctor’s report."

The team mates laughed at Liwu’s plight. She had a love-hate relationship with her family’s money. Often times, she gave away what she could to the unfortunate victims of their cases.

The documents were signed and the money manager left, after giving Xuanji a snobbish kind of look, followed by a look of disbelief.