I turned to the staff member checking identities, asking, "Did you check their cards when they entered the mall?"
The staff carefully looked at the faces of Callum and Isabel and apologized to me repeatedly.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Our mall is so hot today that I overlooked them and didn't have time to check their cards."
Callum shouted, "Isn't a mall for shopping? Why check cards? Is there any place I can't go to? Are you looking down on me? Do you think I can't afford it?"
Isabel, with her slightly bulging belly and her head held high, echoed, "We are wealthy. You'll never see so much money in your lifetime."
The onlookers' attitude shifted from surprise to contempt.
I subtly signaled the staff, who understood my intent.
The staff apologized to Isabel and Callum, "I apologize for our oversight. We'll prepare small gifts as compensation, but please verify your cards."
Callum asked, "What card do we need to verify?"
The staff patiently explained, "It's your bank card. This is a high-end shopping mall. We need to confirm your balance meets a certain amount for entry."
Callum pulled out his card, muttering, "Just verify it."
I followed the staff, turned up the verification machine's volume, and allowed the results to broadcast throughout the mall.
The machine announced, "Sorry, your account balance is four million dollars, not enough for entry."
Our mall catered to high-end consumers, requiring a minimum balance of ten million dollars to enter.
Of course, our mall was top-notch in the quality of goods and the standard of service.
The onlookers in the mall burst into laughter after hearing the announcement.
