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墨書 Inktalez
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye...
The case situation was rapidly advancing, and the project team expanded from eight members to over forty. The office space grew from half a floor to an entire four-story building, with personnel from various police departments, including Criminal Investigation and Public Security, gradually gathering in the project team. They even set up a large kitchen specifically for this purpose.
Of course, the biggest change was in Team Leader Ye Tianshu, whose excitement grew with the progress of the case. As an insider, he understood that the most effective way to combat illegal activities was not from external forces but from within. As long as there was accurate information, those elusive criminals would have nowhere to hide under the watchful eye of Skynet.
Today, another piece of good news arrived: personnel from the Provincial Department had come from a brother unit for exchange. Team Leader Ye Tianshu and Director Fan specially went to the airport to welcome them. It was rare for such a large-scale illegal pyramid scheme to erupt in an inland province, and they had invited Comrade Luo Guanquan, who had previously led efforts against illegal pyramid schemes in his department.
Upon arriving at the airport, they went straight to the project team without even checking into their accommodations. Around ten o'clock in the morning, as the host, Ye Tianshu politely welcomed Luo Guanquan, who bore the lean features typical of someone from the south and seemed quite flattered by their hospitality.
"You're too polite! It's our honor to have someone like you who has been involved since the crackdown on illegal pyramid schemes," Fan Wenjie said courteously.
"This isn't an honor for me; I feel guilty," Luo Guanquan replied, waving his hand as if genuinely embarrassed. Ye Tianshu casually asked, "Director Luo, you must have been one of the first to deal with Lu Hongbo?"
"I wouldn't say that; the earliest person has already retired. However, he was convicted under my watch. I never expected that nearly twenty years later, he is still active... Not just our Xi'an Public Security; several provinces' police have apprehended him. I've seen internal reports suggesting he might be diagnosed with a mental disorder and lacks criminal responsibility," Director Luo asked curiously. In fact, in many areas of police work, officers often knew their adversaries well; those relentless criminals were sometimes more dedicated than the police themselves.
"Yes, that's precisely the issue. We suspect he may be evading law enforcement," Fan Wenjie replied.
"There is certainly suspicion there, but mental disorders are no joke. Based on my experience over more than a decade, this is a madman's business; you can't succeed without being somewhat insane. We've calculated that a member's daily schedule looks like this: wake up at six-thirty for morning exercises, followed by lectures or reciting motivational texts; breakfast at seven-thirty; visits to other members throughout the morning for mutual exchanges—what we call cross-infection; no lunch break; activities are closed off—one type involves intensive brainwashing while another has members sharing personal experiences similar to our self-criticism sessions, complete with notes and reflections. After dinner, similar activities continue until bedtime... I've seen some of the strictest setups that rival ascetic monks: salt-pickled vegetables with plain rice, walking over twenty kilometers daily, giving speeches or presentations at least four times a day with notes totaling no less than two thousand words... Under such conditions, most become fanatics," Director Luo explained passionately. Although he had left that field behind, he spoke with undeniable authority.
"So you're saying that this line of work tends to attract individuals with some mental health issues?" Ye Tianshu asked.
"Yes. At our province's peak, over twenty percent of patients admitted to mental hospitals were related to pyramid schemes or indirectly connected to them. This differs from property crimes or robbery; their methods involve brainwashing—affecting people's minds and thoughts—making victims willingly serve them. To put it bluntly, their tactics are closer to those of cults," Director Luo stated.
"That's why we must eliminate this evil once and for all," Fan Wenjie said as he opened the door to the project team's conference room.
As Luo Guanquan entered, he smiled awkwardly, seemingly unable to fully agree with Director Fan's statement.
The meeting included only one additional Confidential Officer. With the progress of the case revealing distribution patterns of these schemes, their characteristics, numbers involved, and activity patterns—alongside a thick stack of case files and a three-dimensional command network from Skynet—everything had taken shape after two months of continuous effort. Ye Tianshu and Fan Wenjie closely observed Luo Guanquan's changing expressions and felt satisfied when they noticed shock on his face.
One undercover agent could be worth a whole squadron; now there were not just one but multiple agents actively creating miracles. The real progress had occurred in just ten days—almost equivalent to their previous total workload combined.
Fan Wenjie signaled Ye Tianshu to begin, and Ye Tianshu confidently started his introduction:
"On April 2nd, following the unified deployment of the Provincial Department, Director Fan led a task force to establish the Shaanxi Province Action Team to combat Illegal Pyramid Schemes. After launching our operation, we unexpectedly captured Lu Hongbo, known as the 'Cult Leader.' Given his position as Chief Lecturer, we decided to detain him in a Mental Hospital and sent an undercover officer to his side..."
"The mission of this Undercover Officer was to assist him in escaping and to find a way to infiltrate the Pyramid Scheme... The plan was successfully executed illegally. On May 18th, they escaped together and entered the inner workings of the Pyramid Scheme. As of today, June 9th, within twenty days, we have identified 34 hideouts and seven A-level managers controlling these locations..."
The names released were from A Group, which elicited some laughter—Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Xu Da, Ma Bufang, among others. Some identities had already been confirmed. Luo Guanquan was accustomed to such revelations and was not surprised; he frowned as if deep in thought.
"You must have questions, Director Luo," Fan Wenjie said with a smile.
"Yes, I find the timeline problematic. In the previous month, we only uncovered a few lower-level hideouts... Then an undercover agent infiltrated their ranks, but it shouldn't have progressed so quickly. I've dealt with them for many years; based on my experience, even for a money-collecting A Manager, it takes at least three to five months just to locate one hideout," Luo Guanquan expressed his doubts.
"That's because..." Ye Tianshu replied with a proud smile, "we developed a Chief Lecturer as our informant."
Ah? Luo Guanquan was taken aback and then burst into laughter. With someone like that as an informant, there would be no need for extensive investigations; they could simply count the points.
"That seems unlikely. The Chief Lecturer is responsible for Brainwashing. In a Pyramid Scheme, there aren't many who can make money; even if they are one of them, their lecture fees are substantial. Our budget shouldn't entice someone like that... Did you manage to catch a small lead?" Luo Guanquan asked curiously.
"He is a Red Line Informant," Fan Wenjie stated, highlighting the key point. Compared to red informants, there are gray and black ones—those are the ones who have been caught and have no choice but to comply. Of course, gray and black informants are also quite dangerous; they can be double-edged swords that might harm us or lead to endless trouble. Hence, this voluntary Red Line Informant is particularly valuable.
Luo Guanquan did not ask further questions and gave a big thumbs up as a form of appreciation.
"Where is he now?" Fan Wenjie inquired.
"He arrived in Fuxian today; we should receive news by noon," Ye Tianshu replied humbly while seeking advice from Director Luo. "The average lifespan of a hideout is three to six months; some are nearing their end. Once they finish harvesting this round, they will seek new ground. Our task force hopes you can steer us in formulating an action plan—specifically regarding the whereabouts of the organizers and the illicit funds..."
Luo Guanquan stared blankly at the Skynet map. Upon hearing Ye Tianshu's words, he murmured, "Don't rush; we may be acting too hastily. Our years of experience combating Pyramid Schemes tell me that what you see is definitely not the mastermind. In fact, our chances of capturing the behind-the-scenes organization are almost nonexistent."
"However, this time we are confident we can uproot them completely," Fan Wenjie asserted confidently.
"Confidence is good, but what we need more is carefulness and patience. You two should take another look at the timeline and compare it with your logs; I believe it's still far from time to formulate an action plan," Luo Guanquan said seriously.
At this moment, Ye Tianshu was stunned; Director Fan joined him in examining the timeline closely. Director Fan murmured about their ten-day journey covering over two thousand kilometers—from Yanchuan through Yan Chang to Suide, reaching as far north as Yulin and Jingbian before heading south to Wuqi and Zhidan... Six cities and twelve counties later, they arrived in Fuxian today. It seemed... they were eager to collect money?
But there seemed to be some issues; the Pyramid Scheme appeared to be advancing too quickly. Neither of the two could pinpoint the problem, while Director Luo, who had come to assist, was notably more patient and meticulous. He called for the Confidential Officer and compared detailed administrative maps, checking one point after another.
At this moment, in Fuxian, on the third floor of the Nursing Home in the northern part of the county.
The third floor resonated with resounding music, like the clash of metal and the roar of cannons. Even patients with weakened hearts suddenly sat up, their eyes filled with fear as they recalled the years that haunted them—was it before liberation? During the Great Leap Forward? The Anti-Rightist Campaign? They remembered those men and women wearing red armbands passionately delivering speeches, while below them was a frenzied roar from the crowd.
Indeed, it felt like that. At the entrance, Zhang Quan cast a sidelong glance at Xiao Mu. In just ten days, Xiao Mu had become intoxicated and frenzied. At that moment, he was waving his arms and passionately addressing a gathering of dozens:
"A map, no matter how detailed or accurately scaled, can never move its owner even a step on the ground. The laws of a country, no matter how just, can never prevent evil from occurring. Any scripture, even the parchment scroll in my hand, can never create wealth. Only action can give maps, laws, scriptures, dreams, plans, and goals real significance..."
"As long as you are determined to succeed, failure will never defeat you."
"Think about our past lives—how decadent they were! Why? Because they were lives of failure that left us feeling distressed, disappointed, and worthless... Are we truly without value? Our skills, our minds, our spirits, our bodies are all unique miracles. Do you not wish to make good use of them instead of letting them dull, decay, or even die with time?"
"Do not tell me your fantasies, your plans, your goals... What I want is immediate action. Immediate action. Immediate action... With determination, perseverance, and courage, let action begin now and continue until the end..."
"Now, I want to act with you—immediate action..."
The atmosphere was charged with a manic excitement and fervor that matched the resounding music. Coupled with highly persuasive rhetoric and Yang Beauty's encouragement, the entire scene quickly reached a pathological frenzy. Xiao Mu would embrace those plain-looking women who clearly felt abandoned by life and men; many would scream passionately at this guiding mentor. As for Yang Beauty, she was a powerful force—she would embrace those men whose minds were already clouded like lovers do; just a few words of encouragement could ignite these men’s fervor for success and their desire to Stand Out.
Thus began immediate action: money was pulled out.
Big Head watched as those bright red bills caught his eye. Big Mouth's gaze never left Yang Beauty's prominent features; he likely belonged to that type who would part with his money after just one embrace. The atmosphere was so electric that even those outside were affected. Big Head quietly asked Bald Brother, "Do you think this will actually make money?"
"I think it will; what do you think?" Baldy replied without smiling but felt a tug in his heart.
"I think so too! Just bring three or five people along; it's not hard to get others involved," Big Head said dreamily.
The guy was almost brainwashed, Baldy thought to himself with a smirk, teasing him, "Big Head, why don't you also buy something under that manager's name? As long as you can develop your downline, you'll definitely make a profit."
"It's not the right time yet. Director Zhang said that after we finish this round, I’ll take a team with Big Mouth," Big Head replied proudly.
Baldy paused for a moment, vaguely grasping the concept. This was similar to the hierarchical structure in the Police Force; as long as there were a few key members in place, they could branch out wherever they went. He glanced at the manager in charge here, who also went by the alias Dong Zhuo. This guy was short and stout, sweating profusely as he collected money.
It was tough, Baldy thought with frustration. The discipline here was even stricter than that of the police. Apart from the General Manager, no one else had the privilege of carrying a phone. They had been here for ten days and had seen several General Managers, but only in passing. Surveillance and communication equipment were useless in this deliberately isolated environment; they were completely cut off from society and modern life.
Looking around at the surroundings with worry, Baldy cursed under his breath about the poor choice of location. This shabby nursing home had no surveillance cameras; stepping outside led to old streets and broken roads. There was no hope of finding those elusive General Managers who vanished after collecting money. All that remained were these eager members who were slowly being scammed out of their savings.
Two hours later, at twelve-thirty, it was time to disperse. The members exhibited strong discipline, quietly breaking into groups of three or five or ten under the small manager's lead as they left, likely heading back to their respective spots. By the time Baldy, Big Head, and Big Mouth gathered at the entrance, Lin Instructor and Yang Lecturer had developed a close relationship; they were now walking hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder.
As per usual, they got into their vehicles and left the county town, lowering their sun visors when passing through police traffic surveillance.
As they completed the final procedure while leaving the county limits, Manager Dong Zhuo caught up with them. He handed over an envelope containing payment for three lectures without even getting out of his car; both vehicles drove side by side with windows rolled down before parting ways.
The driver, Thug, settled payments daily for each session. Yang Menglu distributed cash among several people before handing a thick stack to Xiao Mu. Xiao Mu shook it before tucking it into his pocket; over these days, he had accumulated several thousand tied around his waist. In a good mood, he tossed a few bills to Big Head and Big Mouth. For the sake of money, those two had long since let go of any grievances about being beaten up.
"…Oh my, look at how much you're sweating..."
Yang Beauty took out a tissue and kindly wiped Xiao Mu's forehead. Xiao Mu responded with a warm smile. He had tried various approaches—teasing at bars or subtly touching her during bumpy rides—and sometimes even daringly placed his hand on Yang Beauty's thigh to caress her. Sometimes she pretended not to notice; other times she would smile and gently place his hand back while giving him a smile that was neither reproachful nor particularly welcoming.
Now Xiao Mu quietly slipped his hand around Yang Beauty's waist, preparing to pull her closer. Yang Menglu sensed it and playfully leaned away while catching his hand and placing it back where it belonged before playfully tapping his nose and saying, "You're being naughty again."
"I am," Xiao Mu replied softly in a teasing manner. His voice sounded somewhat effeminate, causing both Big Head and Big Mouth to gasp in surprise. Teasing was one thing.
"Then take it off; let me see how long it is. If it can get hard, I'll grant your wish," Yang Beauty shot back boldly, glancing at Xiao Mu's lower half. He froze for a moment, unsure how to respond while those in front chuckled softly. Yang Beauty touched his cheek lightly and leaned in closer with a fragrant breeze brushing against him; her enchanting eyes sparkled as she bit her luscious lips... Then suddenly she turned away completely as if nothing had happened.
Xiao Mu stared wide-eyed and said, "Sister Yang, we can't tease each other like this! We need some real action."
The leftover crowd in the car erupted in laughter at Xiao Mu's pitiful remark.
On the highway towards Zhiyang Exit, they always stopped at service areas when taking breaks from discussing work rather than romance. In recent days, Yang Menglu had been teaching Xiao Mu about details he needed to pay attention to; however, now she sought his advice on details such as how to assess someone's background, personality, and psychological state among other things.
Xiao Mu did not hold back and summarized several characteristics of the participants: those with rough hands, hunched backs, and uneven shoulders were all hard workers who carried heavy loads; those with delicate hands, shifty eyes, and a tendency to roll their eyes after being brainwashed had either been salespeople or shady businessmen, and they were the kind who never made any money; those who kept their eyes on the ground and dared not move were country bumpkins who had never seen the world; and those with wide-open eyes, quick to make money, and full of energy were just fresh graduates who knew nothing.
With such a variety of personalities, mistakes were rare, and whenever he spoke up, it always brought laughter to the entire vehicle. Today, a new question arose as they approached the service area. Yang Beauty curiously asked, "What music did you find last night? It seemed to have a good effect."
She referred to the music played today, which Zhang Quan also remembered well. Even that big-headed guy chimed in, "Yeah, it was really energizing."
"It's a German SS marching song, the Blitzkrieg in action," Xiao Mu said, biting his lower lip and chuckling. The two who didn’t quite understand looked puzzled, so Xiao Mu explained, "It's on par with our Greatest Salesman in the World; it's the greatest... fascist."
Yang Beauty could no longer smile and shot Xiao Mu a glare. The big-headed guys still didn’t get what was going on but continued to praise it. Zhang Quan, who was driving, found himself in a mix of laughter and disbelief.
Upon arriving at the service area and entering the restaurant for a meal, it was usually Xiao Mu who paid. The others had grown accustomed to this and were no longer polite about it. Just as they settled down, Xiao Mu mentioned he needed to use the restroom and habitually called Big Head and Big Mouth to follow him. Zhang Quan kept his head down in silence but caught sight of Field Duty waiting for them.
The situation felt tense; the restroom became the only channel for communication.
"You two don’t need to go," Yang Beauty suddenly spoke up. Big Head and Big Mouth paused in surprise while Xiao Mu smiled and asked, "Wow, Sister Yang, aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?"
"We should build on trust rather than surveillance. What do you think?" Yang Beauty replied with a glimmer in her eyes and a charming smile. She commanded Big Head and Big Mouth, "Sit down; you don’t need to follow Lin anymore."
The two sat down nervously while Xiao Mu beamed brightly and quickly headed toward the restroom in the service area. He entered a stall next to one that had an ad for "Rich Woman Surrogacy."
"Brother, can I borrow some paper and a pen?" Xiao Mu whispered. The contact point was the small advertisement; the signal was: big hand, borrow paper.
Paper and pen were passed under the stall divider. Xiao Mu took them in hand and quickly wrote something down while a voice from next door complained softly, "Brother, you finally came! I've been squatting here for half an hour; my legs are numb. My sense of smell is completely gone."
It was Old Horse's voice along with Ma Fenghuo's. Xiao Mu replied quietly, "Who told you to find such a disgusting place?"
"I couldn't find anywhere else that wasn't disgusting... Oh right! The surveillance outside said that your two tails didn’t follow you?" Old Horse asked.
"Yeah, we’ve started building trust," Xiao Mu replied.
"Then you need to be even more careful; there’s no such thing as unwarranted trust. The more relaxed you are, the more cautious you should be," Old Horse advised quietly.
Xiao Mu handed back what he had written and casually remarked, "You have no idea how relaxed I am; it's just you guys who are nervous... Here’s a few for you. I’m currently carrying a pocket full of cash; I could use Hundred Dollar Bills as toilet paper every day without running out."
The old horse next door received a stack of cash, looking to be around a thousand. Hearing Xiao Mu's voice as he left, he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, muttering to himself, "Damn it, the benefits from that organization are better than those of the police."
The benefits were indeed good. Xiao Mu returned with several bottles of juice, and the others looked at him with lingering apprehension, as if still doubting his actions. Xiao Mu calmly sat down and began to eat with everyone, doing so elegantly, unlike the others who were wolfing down their food. Yang Beauty put down her chopsticks after just a few bites; she had always eaten very little and usually waited outside for the others to finish.
As she got up to leave, she suddenly made a strange move. Behind Xiao Mu, she gently stroked his head, wrapped her arms around him, pressed her body against him, and lightly kissed his cheek. Xiao Mu turned in surprise to see Yang Menglu's eyes sparkling with excitement, as if it were the prelude to something more.
"Thank you for the trust you've given me," she whispered before gracefully walking away. Xiao Mu stared for a while, and when he turned back, the three who had been eating were staring blankly, stunned by the sudden display of affection—especially Big Mouth, whose mouth hung open as drool dripped down.
"Oh man, my back feels so soft... Wow, that was really something! I even touched her leg; it was both bouncy and soft... Tonight... I'm going to her room; you guys keep watch for me!" Xiao Mu boasted proudly about having touched her chest and legs, leaving the others envious and momentarily speechless.
Big Head coughed hard from choking on his food, while Big Mouth gasped in disbelief. Zhang Quan looked at the deliberately provocative Xiao Mu with a mix of amusement and concern. His mindset had shifted; he had originally worried about Xiao Mu's safety, but now he found himself worrying about Pyramid Scheme instead. With a wolf like him in their midst, it was likely that the men would get played and the women would end up in bed with him...
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