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墨書 Inktalez
The Snowball was gradually growing larger, and the emerging clues alerted the police to the unusual nature of this Pyramid Scheme. The crackdown on various county and suburban hotspots was merely a trial run, and as expected, the numerous managers scattered across different locations remained unfazed, continuing their activities as usual. In fact, the police's efforts to rescue and dismantle only played into their hands, allowing them to shed their burdens.
On the 20th, the Provincial Department convened a meeting with the Police Chiefs from various counties and cities. The agenda was to unite all local Commerce Departments across the province for a mobilization meeting aimed at combating Illegal Pyramid Schemes. Following the meeting, the police forces stationed in each city and county underwent inexplicable major reshuffles, seemingly disrupting previously clear jurisdictions into a chaotic mess. At the same time, they received strict orders from the task force against Illegal Pyramid Schemes not to act independently.
This strange maneuver led to constant murmurs of discontent within the Public Security Departments at the city and county levels. The various dangers posed by Pyramid Schemes had already become evident in this inland province; waiting any longer would undoubtedly be inviting trouble.
In reality, those above were more anxious than those below. Director Fan Wenjie reported to the Provincial Department six times in one day, with speculations about Tongguan becoming a critical unresolved issue.
It was simple: if various Pyramid Scheme bigwigs were indeed gathering there, it would yield significant results with minimal effort.
However, if they misjudged the situation, they would repeat past mistakes and fall into an ever-expanding cycle of problems.
At noon on the 21st, Director Fan's special vehicle hurriedly made its way to the task force's base. He had received unexpected news during his report and rushed over. Surprisingly, while those General Managers remained elusive, it was an old acquaintance who arrived first at Tongguan.
He Yuguo—again, it was He Yuguo.
As soon as he got out of the car, Ye Tianshu followed closely behind and asked directly, "When did you arrive?"
"At eleven forty-five. I took an interprovincial bus straight to the development zone with about twenty people—ten men and ten women—who are currently undergoing facial recognition," Ye Tianshu reported.
"Is there any progress in confirming Jia Fangfei's identity?" Director Fan inquired.
"There is indeed... We couldn't trace her origins initially, but later we used a straightforward method by looking into the social connections of these confirmed General Managers and found something," Ye Tianshu replied with a smile.
Another mix of surprise and astonishment emerged from this news: Jia Fangfei's real name was Jia Yuanyuan, and she turned out to be a distant niece of He Yuguo. She graduated from Northwest University of Finance and Economics with a degree in accounting but had no notable employment history; it seemed she had been fully immersed in Pyramid Scheme activities all along.
Hastily heading upstairs, the information chief of the task force spotted Ye Tianshu and quickly approached him to provide the latest updates. Ye Tianshu glanced at it; it was just uncovered information about Tu Shenhao based on account associations. He handed it over to Director Fan, who didn’t have time to look before asking, "What issues are there? How serious are they?"
Yes, there must be a problem; otherwise, if we can't pin down a conviction, it would all be for nothing.
"From the surface issue, there doesn't seem to be any problems, but upon closer inspection, it appears the issue is quite significant..."
"Where? Can you show me the accounting reports?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. The economic investigation team just found some suspicious points, and I rushed to report... You see, from November last year to April this year, their sales amounted to over sixty-four million. In Tongguan, that's considered a major taxpayer... But upon further investigation, four out of five related sales companies went bankrupt within five months; also, their shipping volumes, trip records, inventory locations, etc., do not match such a large sales figure."
Understood, this is a shell company created for legal money laundering. They use incoming goods to absorb the funds transferred into their accounts and then withdraw cash through employee salaries and expenses, effectively laundering the dirty money.
"Oh, no wonder they chose the specialty products industry; it's normal to have large cash withdrawals during receiving," Ye Tianshu realized.
"Additionally, we extracted bank surveillance footage retained for three months. The main person handling the transactions is Jia Fangfei," the information team leader reported.
Director Fan excitedly pointed out, "So this means Jia Fangfei is likely Tu Shenhao's financial manager?"
"That seems to be the case. Tu Shenhao has quite a criminal record; among his subordinates are several individuals who have been targeted before. This indicates that he is likely a representative of local organized crime. This might also explain why the Pyramid Scheme group chose Tongguan as their gathering place," the information team leader reported.
"Let me take a look... Has Field Duty followed them?" Director Fan asked while walking.
"There are two surveillance points keeping very close watch," the information team leader replied.
Entering the conference room with several split screens on a large table, they replayed footage showing men and women getting out of cars in succession and being welcomed into the company. He Yuguo, Yang Menglu, and Jia Fangfei were all visible on screen; the only one missing was the so-called Red Line Informant.
Fan Wenjie glanced at Ye Tianshu with some tension. Ye Tianshu leaned in to explain, "He's at the level of company president now; he doesn't need to come out to greet anyone."
Old Fan laughed heartily. With good news coming in more than once, before they could digest one piece of information, another arrived. The Confidential Officer reported receiving encrypted information from the Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce's investigation team.
Ye Tianshu casually picked it up and returned to the office with Director Fan. This message seemed highly confidential; it was only in the office that it was handed over to Director Fan. Upon reading it, Director Fan burst into laughter. Luo Guanquan and Ye Tianshu exchanged glances and also smiled at each other.
The significant report from the Provincial Industry and Commerce Investigation Bureau revealed a person suspected of being a mastermind behind a Pyramid Scheme.
This person is Lin Musheng.
"It seems like the performance was quite good," Ye Tianshu remarked as he looked at the photocopy, which depicted Xiao Mu passionately delivering a speech. The accompanying text described him as the new generation's wealth creation myth, the first A-level manager to earn 10.4 million in just six months, an invitee to the Northwest Wealth Summit Forum, and currently the youngest regional manager at Weiheng Business Investment: Lin Musheng.
"He has been pushed to the forefront," Luo Guanquan chuckled, suggesting that it wasn't just a good act but rather that he had no choice in the matter.
Director Fan, however, had only one concern. With a sigh of relief, he said, "It seems the gathering place is undoubtedly Tongguan. These people are drifting around, and I really fear missing out again."
Ye Tianshu was also in high spirits as he handed several pieces of information to Luo Guanquan and asked, "Luo Chu, do you think there won't be any more twists? I've been waiting for this day for several months, just waiting to catch them all in one net."
"There shouldn't be... but there's still one mystery unsolved: where is Old A?" Luo Guanquan inquired, clearly having pondered this question for some time.
Ah, excitement had gotten the better of them; this lingering question still had no answer.
"From what we can see so far, I believe among these gathered individuals, at least one of them must know who Old A is. Organizing such a large event with so many participants surely requires unified planning and coordination. I think they must be among them," Ye Tianshu stated.
At this point, it was clear there were big fish and small fish; they should catch everything first and investigate slowly afterward. Fan Wenjie skeptically asked, "Luo Chu, based on your experience, who could it be?"
"I really can't make any rash conclusions. I've dealt with these Pyramid Scheme individuals for over a decade. What I've learned most deeply isn't their cunning but our own ineptitude... In the early days, there weren't even relevant laws. At the peak of Guangxi's prosperity, the first-generation patriarch led a hundred thousand followers and could directly disrupt a city's livelihood and commercial system. Back then, when we caught Pyramid Scheme members, at most we would educate them and impose fines. Our grassroots police stations even treated it as a revenue-generating method until it spiraled out of control," Luo Guanquan recalled awkwardly.
He was referring to the nationwide hurricane action taken years ago when Guangxi was one of the hardest-hit provinces. After being targeted, even the financial system suffered greatly, with billions in bank deposits disappearing overnight.
"Yes, we realized its harmfulness too late. Even now, the corresponding legal system is still lagging behind; it wasn't until 2010 that crimes related to organizing and leading Illegal Pyramid Schemes were added. Before that, punishing Pyramid Scheme leaders was problematic; even under current laws and regulations, grassroots leaders would at most be charged with illegal business operations. The reason for its rampant spread is still due to lenient sentencing," Director Fan added.
Luo Guanquan nodded in agreement and explained, "Ultimately progress has been made; it's encouraging. The trend over these years has been such that heavy crackdowns in first-tier cities have led them to shift their focus towards inland provinces and remote areas... Choosing Shaanxi Province reflects this strategy. In terms of management structure, they typically separate management from their groups for safety reasons to avoid being caught all at once by the police; after years of crackdowns, they've evolved from separation to concealment. In cases like yours in your province, we cannot rule out possible collusion with organized crime; similarly... Old A may not have even shown his face yet."
This felt like cold water splashed on the rapidly advancing case situation, leaving leaders Fan Wenjie and Ye Tianshu deep in thought.
For a moment, Luo Guanquan added somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry, maybe it's just my guess; I might be a natural conspiracy theorist."
"What do you think, Tianshu?" Fan Wenjie asked Ye Tianshu hesitantly.
"Whoever he is, I don't think he can escape this time. Even if Old A manages to flee, if we can capture all his minions, it will still bring several years of peace to the province. Besides, I believe that once these people are pinned down, Old A will naturally reveal his true self. I refuse to believe that no one here knows him," Ye Tianshu replied.
Luo Guanquan nodded, reluctantly accepting this relatively optimistic assessment. Suddenly, he laughed and held up a stack of information reports, saying, "This case is getting interesting. Undercover agents, informants, whistleblowers have all infiltrated their organization. It seems we are in for a good show."
"Yes, this good show has been a collaboration on our part. They want to divert our attention, so we will put in great effort to strike against those abandoned Hideouts. They want us to overlook the city where the incident occurred; we will pretend to ignore it. Moreover, they want to find a scapegoat to take the blame; we have already sent them one... We just need to wait for their grand entrance. I refuse to believe that anyone can cover their tracks so thoroughly under these circumstances," Fan Wenjie said, their attitude becoming more optimistic.
After some discussion, the task force made a decision to collaborate with the Commerce Department, television stations, newspapers, and other media outlets to launch a large-scale crackdown on Illegal Pyramid Schemes that very day.
Don't get it wrong; it was a publicity campaign targeting Hideouts that had already been banned at the county and town levels. They rushed to produce special reports and broadcast them on provincial and municipal television... It was said to be a political mission that had to be aired on the same day.
………………………………
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Hundreds of kilometers away, General Manager Lin... no, Lin Musheng received a phone call and hurried downstairs.
The world of con artists changes daily; two days without change is rare; three days and everything is different—this is no lie. There were already people in the office; Xiao Mu noticed that men and women had been brought in from somewhere. However, he could tell they were likely recruited from other places, specifically chosen for their looks. With everyone dressed in matching uniforms, one could hardly doubt that this was an international company.
As he passed by the vice president's office with the door slightly ajar, he took a quiet glance inside. Jia Fangfei was chatting with an old acquaintance, He Yuguo—the kind of boss who looked like a rural tycoon—who had clearly changed his appearance. With his beard shaved off and his hair styled differently along with a suit and tie on, Xiao Mu thought to himself how quickly this rural tycoon had transformed into a vice president of the company. Judging by his demeanor now, Xiao Mu suspected he must have practiced quite a bit.
He didn’t disturb them; he felt quite relaxed now. As “general manager,” he had some autonomy—he didn’t have to do much... Oh wait, that’s not entirely true; the only thing he could do was spend time with the secretary after work.
He tiptoed away, feeling a sense of secret joy as he recalled that night when he had gotten tipsy and stirred Jia Secretary's romantic feelings before engaging in an epic battle lasting three hundred rounds. Xiao Mu felt quite attached to both this Pyramid Scheme and the con artist group.
Money could be spent freely; girls could be taken casually—where else could one find such a good place?
As he descended the stairs with a chuckle, it was Baldy's call. Only when he reached the ground floor did he realize that Baldy's driver had brought Yang Menglu along. Upon entering the foyer, Xiao Mu's eyes brightened, and he was once again taken aback by Yang Beauty's presence.
There are two types of women: those you have been with and those you haven't. Naturally, the latter is more appealing.
Xiao Mu feigned an expression of delight, arms wide open as he exclaimed, "Oh, Sister Yang, I've missed you all so much!"
Saying this, he embraced her without hesitation. Their heads tilted awkwardly as he inhaled the fragrance from her neck and felt her warmth against his body. Yang Menglu struggled for a moment but soon realized that Xiao Mu was deliberately holding her tightly.
Cough, cough... Zhang Quan cleared his throat, stepping forward to ruin the moment.
With a mischievous glare at Zhang Quan, Xiao Mu released Yang Menglu and said, "Sister Yang, why are you bringing him along? Just look at his fierce demeanor; it’s so unsettling."
"Oh? I feel even less secure being with you," Yang Menglu replied with a smile, playfully pinching Xiao Mu's cheek. Not one to hold back, Xiao Mu took her hand and leaned in for a longing kiss.
Zhang Quan could no longer bear it; his face turned awkward as he asked Yang Menglu about their plans. She directed him to help move things. When the trunk opened, Baldy began hauling large bags filled with books upstairs. Xiao Mu was taken aback as Yang Menglu casually pulled out one of the books for him.
"Practical Series on Chain Sales 112," "Sales Operation Guide," and several other beautifully printed booklets caught his eye. Xiao Mu scoffed at them; it was the same old routine. Yang Menglu urged him, "Open it up; don’t just stare at the cover."
As he flipped through the pages, Xiao Mu was instantly dumbfounded. His own photo was plastered on top of the content. He stared in disbelief and asked, "Sister, did you put me on some illegal publication? Are you afraid the police won't find me?"
"What’s wrong with that? You can always deny it and claim your likeness was used without permission," Yang Menglu replied with a laugh.
Xiao Mu was taken aback by this tactic; he hadn’t expected them to act so quickly. Flipping through again left him speechless—there he was shaking hands with someone familiar. As he looked closer, recognition dawned on him, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Sister, you’ve put me next to real estate tycoon Wang Shi! Isn’t that a bit too much?"
"Photoshopped! You're way more handsome than him," Yang Menglu laughed warmly as she leaned against him, her soft fragrance soothing his irritation.
However, the more he looked at it, the more he cursed under his breath. It seemed they had put in considerable effort to craft this star manager image—photos with real estate moguls, snapshots from wealth forums where he spoke, even pictures with national leaders. The accompanying text boasted endlessly: earning 10.4 million in six months, promoted to manager in half a year, becoming a regional manager within a year with an annual income of 40 million—he was touted as the youngest regional manager at Wei Heng Business Investment and labeled as an "investment golden boy" by VC and VL International Venture Capital.
"What have you been up to? Quite a lot, really. Trading gold, silver, real estate... whatever is hot. The main achievements have already earned countless investors a significant amount of money."
In truth, aside from being a secretary, Xiao Mu felt he hadn't done much at all. He stared in disbelief at the smiling Yang Menglu, his mouth agape, wearing an expression of reluctant amusement.
"You'll soon be a successful person in the spotlight," Yang Menglu reminded him with a grin.
Xiao Mu grimaced as he replied, "I've been bragging for twenty years, and none of it compares to this."
"That's just small talk; wealth is merely a symbol of A Group. It's all just talk anyway," Yang Menglu said.
"If things go wrong, that won't be good. I mean, sister, are you selling me out like I'm a fool while you count your money?" Xiao Mu asked bluntly, seemingly upset.
"I'll stand with you on the front stage; that should be enough, right? Once everything is done, I'll leave with you. How does that sound?" Yang Menglu's voice grew softer as she leaned closer, so close that Xiao Mu could see the fine beads of sweat on her nose and the reflection of his own shadow in her eyes.
This woman was a weapon; she could slay men with just a glance. The way her eyes sparkled made one feel compelled to strip down and run without hesitation.
Xiao Mu was entranced and stammered, "Don't lie to me. You're also trapped in this situation. When the time comes, can we really leave? Can we fill our pockets and walk away?"
This was a practical concern, so much so that Yang Menglu's trust in Xiao Mu increased significantly. She softly whispered, "Do you believe in me?"
Believe? That word didn't exist in the world of con artists, yet Xiao Mu nodded solemnly.
However, Yang Menglu seemed to take it seriously. She leaned in closer and said softly, "I'll tell you when it's the right time to leave... together."
Her words flowed like a gentle stream, dispelling the summer heat around them. Xiao Mu's face gradually lit up with longing; he found himself leaning in for a kiss but was unexpectedly stopped by Yang Menglu's delicate finger. She smiled and gestured toward Zhang Quan, who had just arrived, pulling back the overly intimate distance between them.
The brief touch was a technical tease that Xiao Mu couldn't overlook.
He watched as Yang Menglu directed Baldy to move things around and saw another group arrive. Younger Brother carried items into the company while Yang Menglu tugged at the reluctant and hesitant Xiao Mu. "Come on, let's go meet your old friends."
He Yuguo and Jia Fangfei also arrived, and Younger Brother entered the elevator. Like a compulsive self-brainwashing, he had already started to refer to Xiao Mu as "President Lin." His attitude and expression were filled with utmost respect as he courteously invited President Lin into the elevator.
However, President Lin's mind was not on business. One hand rested on Jia Fangfei's waist, caressing and teasing her gently. He then shifted his gaze to her, and Jia Fangfei shyly averted her eyes, resembling a sweet mistress who did not reject her Boss's flirtation.
With his other hand, he slowly reached behind Yang Menglu. After a moment of hesitation, he touched her round, soft, and elastic backside, giving it a firm squeeze a few times. When Yang Menglu turned to look at him, her initial shock transformed into a smile—a smile that seemed to say she was ready to be picked, yet still bashfully coy.
"Damn... it feels good to touch, but why am I so nervous inside?"
Xiao Mu thought mischievously to himself. He had never imagined that the legendary profession of an undercover agent could be so enticing. If this was how things were going to be, he would complain that life was passing too quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the company had undergone a significant transformation. The golden nameplate was mounted, with both Chinese and English versions; the corporate slogan and cultural philosophy were displayed on the walls; beautifully decorated pictures lined the corridor, showcasing General Manager Lin Musheng in all his spirited glory.
In truth, everything was just a facade—his face might be real, but the body might not belong to anyone in particular. Everything was fake: the company was fake, the manager was fake, the investments were fake. The newly hired employees were surely fake as well. Even the flirtation between the two beautiful women beside him could not possibly be genuine.
Everything was a complete illusion—a meticulously crafted deception that was about to unfold…
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