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墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Mu was led to the next room, and as the hood was removed, he rubbed his eyes. The sight under the harsh lights shocked him so much that his legs nearly gave way, and he almost lost control.
Two men were holding Baldy down, mercilessly beating him with rubber clubs. Baldy remained silent, and Xiao Mu, astonished, turned to look at the man sitting behind the table. He had sideburns, a broad forehead, and a strong jawline, exuding a classical beauty. The man was smirking as Xiao Mu, handcuffed, pointed at Baldy in disbelief. The police officer asked, "What? Do you have doubts about our law enforcement?"
"No, no, no! I admire this! Scum like him should be dealt with harshly," Xiao Mu replied. As he spoke, his fear began to dissipate. The officer chuckled and called for a stop, waving his hand to have Baldy taken away. He casually remarked, "Now you see what happens when you don't tell the truth. Did you think we just randomly picked you? Do you know why we arrested you?"
"Yes," Xiao Mu quickly nodded.
"Then why?" The officer slammed his hand on the table, anger flaring.
"Because... could you give me a hint? I'm involved in all sorts of vices—gambling, drinking, cheating—what do you want to know?" Xiao Mu shrank back.
The officer was nearly amused to the point of losing his composure; he hadn't expected such a response. It interrupted his train of thought entirely. He simply pointed at Xiao Mu and said, "This kid is slippery; he won't speak unless he learns a lesson."
The two thugs who had finished with Baldy approached with their weapons raised. A scream erupted as Xiao Mu suddenly fell to the ground and rolled away.
At that moment, one of them raised his club and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! I haven't even hit you yet!"
"Well, it always ends up like this anyway; I might as well lie down early," Xiao Mu replied lazily.
The two thugs laughed heartily but couldn't maintain their fierce demeanor anymore. The police officer grew impatient and ordered them to drag Xiao Mu over and sit him down for a proper conversation.
Having escaped the first round of intimidation, Xiao Mu was pulled into the Interrogation Chair. The officer wasted no time and pulled out his phone to show a picture of Yang Menglu, asking Xiao Mu, "Do you recognize her?"
"Let's get acquainted."
"What is her name?"
"Yang Menglu."
"What does she do?"
"Sings and teaches."
"What songs does she sing, and what does she teach?"
"She sings 'Can I Hug You?' and teaches motivational classes."
Oh, finally getting to the information needed, the police officer let out a sigh of relief and said, "Go on, it's none of your business. We've been tracking this individual involved in a pyramid scheme for some time now. Tell me, where have you all been? Who did you meet? How much money did you collect?"
"No, no, you've got it wrong," Xiao Mu replied.
"What did I get wrong?" the officer asked.
"She's not involved in any pyramid scheme; she's my assistant. I'm the one who is the Chief Lecturer for the pyramid scheme," Xiao Mu corrected.
Another twist had occurred. Initially, they were investigating Yang Menglu, but now the mastermind had shifted. The police officer was momentarily taken aback.
"Damn it, Fake Police, you're nothing like the real ones. You don't even know how to follow up on leads; you should be going with the flow and asking the right questions."
Xiao Mu was getting anxious and reminded, "Are you... investigating a Pyramid Scheme?"
"Yes... Actively reporting and exposing is beneficial for you. So, tell me, who have you seen?" the officer asked.
"Don't ask me who I am. We're united for a common goal... Officer Comrade, we don't ask each other's names. Even if we did, they would be fake names, just like the girls you meet during your health checks. We all work together; what's the point of asking names?" Xiao Mu replied.
One of the observing officers chuckled, which made the police officer furious. He shouted for that person to leave.
After getting rid of one, the officer slammed his hand on the table and angrily said, "Be serious! What you're doing is illegal, it's a crime, it's defrauding the public."
"That's impossible, Officer Comrade. For there to be fraud, there must be victims reporting it. Is anyone among us reporting? They willingly paid for a future; there's no issue of fraud here. We're all family; who is deceiving whom? Don't put labels on us," Xiao Mu argued.
The officer was momentarily taken aback and slammed the table again, shouting, "Who is family with you?"
"Look at you! The police and the people are one family. Coming from the masses and going back to them—if we're not family, then what are we?" Xiao Mu countered.
"Enough of your nonsense... Back to what I was saying, Yang Menglu is suspected of large-scale fraud. You want to take the blame, right? Tell me how you all did it," the officer demanded.
"We can't do that; we were just giving free lectures together... If anything, this is a charitable endeavor. Hey… hey… what are you doing? Police shouldn't hit people… ah."
In the end, he couldn't escape this predicament. The "officer," clearly running out of arguments and unwilling to waste more breath, rolled up his sleeves and came forward. He grabbed Xiao Mu by the neck while another officer wielding a rubber baton helped press him down onto the table, starting to hit him hard on his back and buttocks.
"Ah... it hurts so much," Xiao Mu screamed, turning around to look.
The two hadn't even made a move yet, just smiling at him, when suddenly—Thud! A stick came down hard.
It felt as if his back had snapped. Xiao Mu struggled, looking up and shouting, "Ouch, I'm dying! I'm going to die..."
"Ah... it hurts so much... stop hitting me, I'll confess."
"Ah... don't hit me, I'll confess! I broke the law, I committed a crime, please don't hit me..."
"Ah..."
A flurry of blows rained down on him. When they finally stopped, Xiao Mu jumped around like his backside was on fire, rubbing himself all over. Damn it, this guy was brutal; he was in so much pain that he couldn't even think about escaping. The big man yanked him back into his seat.
"Just hold on; we'll wait it out... that Gap-toothed Liu Xu and big-headed Zhang Jianqiang have already confessed. Did they think we had no evidence?" The officer leaned in and slapped a stack of cash onto the table—money that had been found on Xiao Mu, totaling more than three stacks. Besides expenses, there was nearly forty thousand left. The officer pointed and said, "Now tell me where this money came from? Where is it? Who gave it to you? Spill it all out; it has nothing to do with you... Yang Menglu is going to be nailed for this; holding on won't help."
"This money is..." Xiao Mu hesitated, trying to come up with an unassailable excuse that couldn't be verified. These Pyramid Scheme groups had one crucial piece of brainwashing: how to talk when faced with the police. His mind raced until he found an answer and said nervously, "I found it... yes, I found it! I was just about to hand it over to the police officer."
"You found it?" The officer was taken aback.
"Yes, really found it! I was eating at a rest area on the highway and picked it up when I went outside. I admit I had some bad thoughts about keeping it for myself, but now I want to turn over a new leaf and return it to the state... It's the law of the land that anything without an owner belongs to the state; as long as it's turned in to the government, it's all good Comrade," Xiao Mu said, cleverly sidestepping the officer's questions.
"Not being honest," the officer rolled his eyes.
"All the money has been paid, what else is there to be dishonest about?" Xiao Mu said.
"Where are the hideouts?" the police officer shouted.
"Hideouts... I'm directionally challenged. You should ask that Gap-toothed guy and that big-headed one; they remember everything, and they deserve a good beating," Xiao Mu replied honestly, not minding throwing those two under the bus. He figured they were probably in on whatever He Yuguo had planned.
Bang! The table slammed as the officer yelled, "I think you really don't want to cooperate, do you?"
"Absolutely not! You're just making a fuss... Do you have any evidence that we broke the law? Any witnesses claiming we committed fraud? Any reports filed? Come on, we're in an era where one is presumed innocent until proven guilty. You can't just arrest someone based on your suspicions... If you force a confession, will it hold up in court? What if I change my story when I get to trial? Wouldn't that be more trouble for you? I've already paid my dues, and you've taken my car. Look at me, I'm just a nobody now; there's no point in all this," Xiao Mu said, shrugging his shoulders, using his twisted logic to counter the Fake Police's attempts at coercion.
This jumble of words indeed left the Fake Police confused. He stood up abruptly, irritated, pointing at Xiao Mu with anger boiling over. "Not cooperating? Beat him!"
The leader walked out while another officer grabbed Xiao Mu and slammed him onto the table. A heavy stick came crashing down on his backside, causing Xiao Mu to scream, "Ah... damn it, that hurts so good..."
He gritted his teeth as pain shot through him, every hair on his body standing on end. He had no choice but to start controlling his emotions with sheer willpower.
Thud! Another strike landed. He grunted through clenched teeth, "Ah... when my butt hurts, I need to think about my moments of cowardice; ah, when my back aches, I must remember the times I endured humiliation..."
Thud! Another hit followed. He held his head high and shouted, "Ah... even though you're hitting my backside, I can tolerate the anger of someone who hasn't yet learned to control their emotions. I can endure their accusations and insults because I know tomorrow they will change and become more agreeable."
"Ah... I must constantly resist those forces trying to break me. Disappointment and sadness do not belong to me; I will wear a smile. I will control my emotions; I will remember the memories of failure."
"Ah... I will control my destiny..."
Xiao Mu was hoarsely reciting from the parchment, his voice both eerie and frightening.
The beating finally stopped; the assailant's strength gave out. This guy actually stopped dodging, muttering like a madman.
These were motivational quotes from the parchment. Xiao Mu, in pain, began to brainwash himself.
At that moment, the door opened. The man put down the rubber baton. Xiao Mu turned around and saw the Fake Police accompanying Yang Menglu, Big Mouth, and Big Head as they entered. Yang Menglu smiled and said, "Look at this, what a loyal and steadfast friend! Even now, he is reciting 'The Greatest Salesman in the World.'"
The police laughed while Xiao Mu felt like crying. Damn it, it hurt so much; if he couldn't motivate himself, what else could he do?
“How do you feel, Tu Ge?” Yang Menglu asked as they rushed to Xiao Mu, who was rubbing his sore spots. The Fake Police looked at Xiao Mu and said, “Just a damn rascal, but a cultured one... The organization really needs talents like you, haha.”
The Fake Police named Tu made a joke, and everyone except Xiao Mu laughed. Xiao Mu stared at Yang Menglu in astonishment and asked, “Sister Yang… what is this… I worried for nothing.”
“Everything has its reasons and purposes. Congratulations, you've earned the chance to continue on your journey,” Yang Menglu gently stroked Xiao Mu's cheek and said affectionately.
“What do you mean?” Xiao Mu asked in confusion, but he understood that he had passed the organization's assessment.
“It means I’ve decided to hire you… In a couple of days, come find us in Tongguan. It’s less than eighty kilometers southwest from here… We’ll be waiting for you. Make sure to bring your phone and ID…” The Fake Police named Tu tossed him a basic mobile phone and started gathering the stacks of money on the table. Seeing this, Xiao Mu panicked and blocked him, saying, “Hey, since we’re on the same side, why are you taking my money?”
“Do you think someone bought you this outfit? Now we’re even. When you get to Tongguan, it’s a fresh start with plenty of opportunities to make money; it all depends on your skills… We’re leaving. Oh right, bring that Baldy along; he’s one of our brothers and knows how to keep his mouth shut. Do a good job persuading him; don’t hold grudges against Brothers.” The Fake Police began removing his decorations.
As he pulled off his badge and insignia, his summer police uniform lost its distinction and looked just like an ordinary outfit. Xiao Mu stared in disbelief and pretended to be shocked, saying, “Huh? It’s fake? You scared me to death.”
"Bought it on Taobao," said the gap-toothed one, smiling at Xiao Mu.
"Sixty-six for a set, and it includes free shipping, ha ha!" another Fake Police chuckled as he led everyone out of the room.
Xiao Mu, who had just taken a beating, was furious. The level of these rascals was far beyond what he had expected.
As the cars started up, Xiao Mu rushed out, only to see two Car Brands being driven away. He shouted anxiously, "Hey, you guys drove off with the Car Brands! What am I supposed to do?"
"The Scrolls of Parchment can guide you across the turbulent seas to the shores of your dreams... Let wisdom lead you out of your predicament," the Fake Police said, sticking his head out and laughing heartily. "If you can't overcome this little difficulty, how could you ever become the greatest salesman?"
The two cars roared away in succession, leaving a dumbfounded Xiao Mu behind. He didn't know if he had been hired, abandoned, or teased. Listening to their words, it seemed they were also from a Brainwashing background; one couldn't expect to guess their thoughts.
Without time to ponder too much, he hurried back to find Baldy. He had no idea where he was now and was searching with his only emergency light. After calling out several times, he finally heard Baldy's response. When he saw him, he was startled into a cold sweat.
Baldy had been badly beaten; his shirt was torn in several places and stained with blood. His arms and hands were covered in blood and bruises. Although his face was uninjured, the pain made his ugly features appear even more ferocious.
"Damn it, this crazy world... Li Gui beat up Li Kui..."
Just as Xiao Mu's shock began to settle, Baldy lunged at him and covered his mouth, then quietly gestured for silence. Xiao Mu suddenly became alert:
The organizational assessment was still ongoing; this was precisely the time when one could easily slip up...
A vehicle heading towards Tongguan carried Tu Man, who was fiddling with a smartphone. The screen displayed a dimly lit area where two individuals remained, not having left. The crackling sound transmission was unclear, but it seemed that Lin Instructor was speaking. "Baldy, you took a beating for nothing; they’re one of us." Baldy responded angrily, "Damn it, what do you mean 'one of us'? If I run into him again, I'll kill him."
The two appeared to be venting their frustrations. Yang Menglu turned around and quietly asked, "Tu Zong, is it that you don't trust me or them?"
"You'd understand if you had served time. In this day and age, no one can be trusted except yourself," Tu Man replied, putting away his phone.
Yang Menglu seemed unfazed by this and smiled as she turned back, casually saying, "It's up to you; people are just like that. The choices are yours. Lu the Madman has set his sights too high; if he wants to step out, it’s going to be riskier."
"Heh, thanks, Yang Beauty... Not trusting doesn’t mean I can’t use them. I have my own plans; let’s wait and see."
The man leaned back in his chair and dozed off, lost in thought.
Three vehicles drove smoothly towards Tongguan, leaving those two unfortunate souls abandoned in the wilderness...
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