Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Mingkun yanked me off the motorcycle, and at that moment, I felt dizzy. I never thought I could feel carsick from riding a motorcycle. Zhao Mingkun pulled out the key and didn’t bother to lock the bike.
She patted my shoulder and said, "Gu Chen's address is right here."
I struggled to suppress the nausea rising in my throat while surveying the surroundings. I realized we were in a low-rise residential area with a road leading further inside. Trash was strewn everywhere along the sides of the road, indicating poor planning and a lack of maintenance.
"Let’s head inside!" I suggested. "From what I gathered, Gu Chen seems to be in some trouble. Judging by the time, he must still be here. There’s only one road leading further in; I’m sure Gu Chen is just ahead. Let’s go!"
Zhao Mingkun nodded and followed me as we walked deeper into the area. After a short distance, we heard a commotion coming from inside. Zhao Mingkun and I exchanged glances and followed the noise. It grew louder and clearer until we reached an alley where a crowd of twenty or more people had gathered.
They were shouting in a dialect I couldn’t understand, their backs turned to us as if something significant was happening inside the alley that warranted their attention. If Gu Chen had gotten into trouble, it seemed likely it was related to this scene.
Although I couldn’t comprehend the dialect, I recognized some curse words that were universally understood across our country. It was clear from their tone that they were hostile towards someone inside the alley.
At that moment, I heard a familiar voice cutting through the noise—it was Gu Chen's voice. Amidst the chaos, he said, "After all this fuss, you just don’t want me meddling in your affairs? Well, let me tell you, I'm definitely getting involved today. If you want to take him away, you’ll have to step over my dead body."
The surroundings fell silent until a voice with an unfamiliar accent replied, "You’re not taking this person today. If you’re smart, you’ll leave quickly; if not, we won’t hold back..."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a muffled sound followed by an eruption of noise from the crowd.
"Damn it! Hit him!" someone shouted.
Suddenly, the narrow alley became overcrowded as people pushed forward to see what was happening, blocking our view of the unfolding situation.
Before long, we heard punches being thrown and cries of pain echoing through the air.
I rushed in from behind, shouting through the crowd, "Police! Police! Everyone disperse, disperse!"
But no one was listening to me now; my voice was quickly drowned out by the shouts of others.
Zhao Mingkun stepped in front of me, saying nothing. She reached into my jacket and pulled out my Police Badge, while her other hand drew a gun from behind her waist—one that had never been loaded. Zhao Mingkun understood the situation; she knew her words would be lost in the chaos, so she chose silence.
I followed closely behind Zhao Mingkun as she grabbed someone from the crowd. The moment he opened his mouth to say something, the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against his forehead. He froze in place, too scared to move.
Zhao Mingkun spoke in a calm voice, "Police. If you don’t want to end up at the Police Station, get lost."
The man nodded vigorously and bolted away.
Using this method to clear a path, it wasn't long before I spotted Gu Chen surrounded by a throng of people. At that moment, Gu Chen didn’t see us; he was too preoccupied with his own troubles. The alley was too narrow for him to maneuver effectively. In an open space, with Gu Chen's skills, taking on these people would have been no challenge at all.
On the ground lay another figure curled up, hands clutching his head—it had to be Lu Xiangyang.
Gu Chen was currently engaged in a fierce battle with two opponents, neither of whom stood a chance against him. However, given the footprints all over Gu Chen's body, it was clear he had also taken quite a beating.
Zhao Mingkun had made her way to the center of the crowd. Upon seeing her with a gun, people scattered like frightened rabbits. Even those who were grappling with Gu Chen noticed Zhao Mingkun and fled as well. Only the two who were still fighting Gu Chen remained oblivious to the change in circumstances. I stepped forward and kicked one of them down.
"Gu Chen," I called out.
Gu Chen managed to bring the other opponent down but instinctively reached for his handcuffs only to find nothing there after several futile grabs.
I smiled lightly and said, "You haven't been a police officer for a long time. If you were, would they still dare to touch you? What exactly happened?"
Gu Chen chuckled and stood up, saying, "Yeah, it's become a habit. But you all got here pretty quickly."
As he spoke, Gu Chen noticed Zhao Mingkun standing beside me. His expression changed dramatically, and he instinctively reached for his gun, only to remember that without handcuffs, how could he possibly have a weapon?
"What are you doing with him?" Gu Chen asked.
"I..."
For a moment, I couldn't find the words to respond. After all, in Gu Chen's eyes, capturing Zhao Mingkun was the very reason for our Special Operations Group's existence. I had only been focused on finding Gu Chen quickly and hadn't considered how to explain Zhao Mingkun's presence when Gu Chen saw him. Over time, I had grown accustomed to thinking of Zhao Mingkun as a police officer.
Zhao Mingkun snorted coldly and pressed the gun against my head. "Spit it out if you've got something to say. I brought you here as a favor. Don't forget you're just a hostage of mine. Speak quickly, or your life won't be worth anything—don't doubt that."
"You were captured by her?" Gu Chen stood up.
I realized Zhao Mingkun was trying to cover for me. An impulse surged within me to tell Gu Chen that it wasn't like that—that Zhao Mingkun hadn't taken me hostage and that everything was voluntary on my part. But the words stuck in my throat; at that moment, I understood how selfish people could be.
"This situation is complicated," I said quietly to Gu Chen. "Let's not worry about me right now. What happened?"
Gu Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I found someone who had seen Lu Xiangyang before. He was taken away by a group of people who always hang around the train station. I asked for details about their appearances and where they usually loitered, so I set up surveillance at the train station."
"Later on, I really did see that group of people," Gu Chen continued as he pulled the person on the ground up. "They were holding a sign that said they were hiring temporary workers for one hundred per day. So I pretended to be looking for work and followed them."
Gu Chen looked at the person he was holding, who quietly raised their eyes to glance at us, but kept their head down and said nothing.
Gu Chen continued, "We walked for over an hour before we finally arrived at the place. As soon as I saw how remote it was, I knew something was off. But by the time I sensed that something was wrong, more and more people started to gather around me. At that moment, I realized that once I stepped inside, there would be no way out. However, I wasn't in a hurry; I just followed these people further in."
"When I entered a courtyard, I pretty much understood the situation. This was definitely a Pyramid Scheme. I saw dozens of people living in several rooms within the courtyard. When they saw me, they were all very enthusiastic—some urged me to sit down quickly, others brought me fruits, and some called me 'brother' while others referred to me as 'younger brother,' all very welcoming."
I nodded and said, "Pyramid Schemes usually start off like this. At first, they are incredibly friendly to you, treating you like their own dear brother or even showing you the utmost filial piety as if you were their father. Sometimes, there might even be girls who come to wash your feet."
"That's about right," Gu Chen replied.
"These Pyramid Schemes are adept at understanding people's psychology. They often approach those who are new to the big city and have no one to rely on here. Otherwise, anyone can tell something is off just by looking at how these people dress and behave."
I looked at the member of the Pyramid Scheme in front of me and said, "They will bring you into the Pyramid Scheme group, treating you like a grandparent would treat a grandchild at first. At this point, the person may have just faced disdain from others in this big city and might feel lost, unsure of what they can do. It’s at this moment that these Pyramid Scheme members touch your heart. After all, in a cold city, who would treat you so well?"
"So you feel like you've found a home. At this point, they will confiscate all your means of contacting the outside world. They call it training, but it's really brainwashing. In the same environment, they will preach various success theories to you. Initially, no one believes it."
"But they will repeatedly brainwash you. And brainwashing boils down to one thing: creating an atmosphere for it. Humans are social animals; when you're different from those around you, you'll definitely feel uncomfortable. This is also why they restrict your freedom at first. After spending a week or two in such an atmosphere, I bet you won't be able to guarantee that you're still clear-headed."
"You listen to the people on stage preach about success; over time, you'll lose track of what is right and what is wrong. By then, they'll invite a few 'experienced individuals' to share how they made ten million in five years, and you'll be tempted. Watching those around you borrowing money to invest will make it hard for you to resist."
"At that point, even if someone advises you to leave, you'll feel like they're interrupting your financial dreams." I looked at this person and said, "Right? You really expect a company with nothing tangible to offer can promise an annual income of two million just based on words?"
Comment 0 Comment Count