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墨書 Inktalez
A news bulletin just came in. This year, our province's Economic Investigation Department has focused on combating pyramid schemes, aiming to dismantle their structures and crack down on related cases. Since June, we have successfully taken down nine groups involved in illegal pyramid schemes in Yulin, Yanchuan, and Jingbian, arresting 38 key personnel at the managerial level. This has effectively curbed the spread of illegal pyramid activities in our province. Currently, at a special meeting on combating illegal pyramid schemes, provincial police and relevant departments have collectively signed a responsibility document. The Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Committee pointed out that the next steps should focus on creating "Pyramid Scheme-Free Cities" and "Pyramid Scheme-Free Communities," emphasizing education and publicity to ensure comprehensive prevention and control.
As Zhang Quan led a group of men into Boss Tu's office, Tu Shenhao was watching this news segment from last night which had been replayed this morning. To his surprise, the leader of the group was Ma Tuchui, accompanied by a bunch of misfits. Given the situation, Zhang Quan suspected nothing good would come of it.
"Boss Tu... they're here. What do you need us to do?" Ma Tuchui bowed and fawned over him. This scoundrel was quite amusing; he spoke and acted like a fool. When Tu Shenhao ignored him, he continued to flatter, "Oh, Boss Tu, do you really believe in this? The three great lies of today's society are small ads, selling fake medicine, and television news reports."
"You don't know anything," Tu Shenhao retorted, clearly finding him too foolish.
Who would have thought that Ma Tuchui considered himself quite intelligent? He continued, "I can report on it too... strengthen source governance, solidify grassroots foundations, community prevention and control..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the female host on the television indeed reported: "We must strengthen source governance and solidify grassroots management to achieve community prevention and control." In an instant, Tu Shenhao's eyes widened in disbelief while Zhang Quan burst into laughter at Ma Tuchui's foolishness. Ma Tuchui chuckled as he explained, "It's all the same! Combat usury and crack down on illegal activities; it's all about community prevention and control. If they don't promote it, business wouldn't be this easy."
After a moment of surprise, Tu Shenhao laughed heartily, praising Ma Tuchui for his knowledge and progress. Ma Tuchui nodded eagerly as he offered a cigarette to Boss Tu and lit it for him. After a long pause, Tu Shenhao hesitated before saying, "Tuchui, you must follow the rules when doing things. I'm worried you might let something slip."
"Not at all, Boss Tu! The police station has summoned me more than fifty times; you can ask around if I've ever let anything slip. I practically run around with three legs to serve the bosses!" Ma Tuchui exaggerated.
It's rare to find such oddities among scoundrels. Zhang Quan bit his lip to suppress laughter while Tu Shenhao observed for a long time. For reasons unknown, he decided to use this fool; such transactions were simple—he opened a drawer and tossed a stack of cash into Ma Tuchui's arms with a thud. Brother Tuchui eagerly declared, "Hey Boss Tu, just give me your orders! Whoever has offended you, I'll break all their legs!"
"No one has offended me; however, I need you guys for two or three days. There will be rewards afterward—plenty of cigarettes, alcohol, and meals... You will follow Zhang Quan closely and be available whenever needed... Zhang Quan, you'll spend these days with them; I'll arrange tasks for you later. Make sure to treat my brothers well."
Tu Shenhao waved his hand as if preparing to mobilize personnel. Zhang Quan acknowledged him before opening the door. Ma Tuchui and his group expressed their gratitude profusely before leaving.
It had begun; however, at the start of this endeavor, Zhang Quan felt anxious. He had been separated from Xiao Mu for several days now. In such a heavily guarded gang environment, there was almost no chance for communication; everything relied on Field Duty's surveillance for information gathering. Now that the final act was about to unfold, he found himself clueless about the upper-level arrangements while still stuck at the lowest tier of thugs.
He never expected things would start like this today nor did he anticipate that Ma Tuchui would be far more peculiar than he imagined. As they descended the stairs together, Ma Tuchui leaned closer and asked curiously, "Hey? Brother! When did you start working with Boss Tu? You look familiar."
Of course, he recognized him; he had seen him in the fake ID den before. Back then, Zhang Quan was sporting a scruffy beard while fixing pipes as a Lackey. The money had been paid back by Boss Tu, but this dimwit probably only recognized money and not people, so Zhang Quan covered up, saying, "Impossible! I'm so ugly; how could I be familiar?"
"Hey... I just remembered!" Ma Tuchui chased after Zhang Quan. When Zhang Quan stopped to explain, he unexpectedly said, "I'm ugly too. We look like long-lost brothers; no wonder you seem familiar... Don't you think we look alike?"
When asked, the crowd chimed in, agreeing that they really did look alike—practically like biological brothers.
Zhang Quan was so furious that his stomach twisted. He had no choice but to lead this group of long-lost brothers to a rented vacant space in the development zone. It was less than two kilometers from the Jin Ke Kai Yue Business Office. Upon arriving, Zhang Quan realized a hilarious blunder: Tu Shenhao's choice of location was brilliant, as it coincided with where Ma Fenghuo had brought the Field Duty team.
He felt a mix of surprise, joy, and amusement. He settled this bunch with beer and poker while they gambled. In between buying supplies, he could even greet the team members lounging in their car...
Xiao Mu set out a bit later. He found the gang's way of doing things somewhat puzzling. He initially thought Yang Menglu and He Yuguo were underlings sent to Tu Shenhao, but unexpectedly, Tu Shenhao had almost vanished without a trace and was completely uninvolved. Instead, He Yuguo and Yang Menglu reappeared without Big Mouth and his two bodyguards, but the additional beauty with them was even harder to deal with.
Spending the day together and sleeping together at night left little room for anything else.
Men often find that after one round of passion comes relaxation; now Xiao Mu felt just that—lazily lying down in the air-conditioned room, not wanting to step outside into the sweltering heat. As he lay on his side, he inadvertently caught sight of a strand of long hair beside him and found himself staring at it dreamily. His thoughts drifted back to moments when they were both bare and passionately entwined.
It was indeed wild; just moments ago, this girl had him all worked up.
Xiao Mu reminisced about this crazy journey and thought it would be best to wrap it up quickly; otherwise, he might end up exhausted or worse. At that moment, he felt no sense of accomplishment; this con artist didn’t even need to seduce him—she would simply entice him instead.
The phone rang, and from the bathroom, Jia Fangfei called out, "Baby... can you grab my phone?"
"Oh, sure," Xiao Mu replied lazily as he got up.
In the bathroom, facing the mirror, Jia Fangfei had just finished her makeup. Dressed only in a bikini, her fair skin exposed, she admired her graceful figure with a hint of narcissism. Xiao Mu handed her the phone, and without hesitation, she answered it, responding with a few "hmms" before telling Xiao Mu that she was ready to leave and would wait downstairs.
Xiao Mu didn’t leave; instead, he stood behind her and kissed her on the shoulder. Jia Fangfei smiled and asked, “Haven’t you gone crazy enough yet?”
“It’s not about being crazy; it’s gone too far. All I want to do now is sleep,” Xiao Mu replied.
“Baby, we still have important things to do today. Once we’re done, you can sleep as long as you want… Hehe, I’m starting to like you a bit,” Jia Fangfei said, wrapping her arms around Xiao Mu’s neck and kissing him back, her eyes filled with a touch of affection.
“I’m afraid these good times won’t last long. Tell me, how many more days can we be gentle like this?” Xiao Mu asked softly, reluctantly.
“Today, tomorrow… Hehe… It’s okay; we can see each other again after some time,” Jia Fangfei reassured him.
“What will happen to me then? I’m in the position of the legal representative,” Xiao Mu said.
“You weren’t worried when you were with me. Are you scared now?” Jia Fangfei teased, playfully poking his cheek.
The provocative teasing from a woman, especially a beautiful one, was the best kind of stimulation. Xiao Mu chuckled and caressed her bare skin, admiringly saying, “Of course I’m scared. I fear that good times are fleeting and beautiful sights won’t last.”
“Trust me; the boss has a plan for this. Leaving before everything collapses is safe… Come on, get ready; we need to go,” Jia Fangfei said with a smile, kissing and hugging him once more, using her gentle femininity to boost this young man's confidence.
The two of them linked arms as they went downstairs. He Yuguo was already waiting at the door. He tossed the car keys casually and made a funny face. Xiao Mu pressed the button for the car keys, revealing a parked BMW. Excited like a hunter spotting prey, he got into the car and expertly backed out to stop in front of them.
As they drove away, He Yuguo smiled and asked Xiao Mu, “Still like it?”
“It’s just a rental for show; it’s not a gift for me. Does liking it even matter?” Xiao Mu replied bluntly.
He Yuguo frowned and scolded him, “Hey! I’m telling you, what have you done? With such treatment, what else do you expect? Renting a car doesn’t cost money! Renting an apartment doesn’t cost money! And then there’s Fangfei…”
Jia Fangfei quickly coughed, and He Yuguo immediately changed the subject, saying, "You know, Lin, it's about nurturing soldiers for a thousand days to use them for just one moment. Whether it's a donkey or a horse, it has to be taken out for a stroll today. Capital operation and product promotion are not the same concept. The members coming in are all from well-off families; they can't be like Hideout with closed doors and brainwashing... What you need to do is to use your experience, demeanor, and language to conquer them, making them believe that you really have made money..."
Xiao Mu smiled and curiously asked, "So how much are you offering me?"
"Hehe, enough to buy a car like this," He Yuguo replied with a grin.
Hundreds of thousands? Xiao Mu didn't think much of that amount, but his smiling face showed that he was indeed tempted.
As they chatted casually about how to gently brainwash others, they arrived at the company and took on the appearance of tailing "President Lin" upstairs. It was strange; there were quite a few merchants residing in the Jin Ke Kaiyue Business Building. Xiao Mu always thought this place was too conspicuous for shady dealings, but after staying for two days, he realized it was his own narrow perspective. The development zone had a small population and was not chaotic. In this upscale business district, police presence was rare, and merchants kept to themselves. If someone wanted to engage in dubious activities, there was no better place than here.
When the elevator reached their floor and they entered the corridor, the soft footsteps echoed alongside the crisp sound of high heels. Men and women in the company respectfully bowed and greeted them at the door. In the gleaming corridor, Jia Secretary gently pushed open the door and invited President Lin in with utmost respect.
Once inside, Jia Fangfei followed closely behind and shut the door abruptly. Leaning against it, she grabbed Xiao Mu without hesitation and kissed him passionately, as if an unexpected surge of emotion had nowhere else to go. They embraced tightly for a moment before parting. Xiao Mu was taken aback; he felt that Jia Fangfei was up to something—she wasn't just touching him; during the kiss, she had discreetly searched his pockets.
Then he noticed that there was an extra phone in Jia Fangfei's hand. Startled, Xiao Mu felt a chill run down his spine; thankfully, he hadn't dared to use the phone they provided him to make any calls, or else he would have been caught off guard.
"Oh? You still don't trust me?" Xiao Mu feigned anger.
"No, from now on, I won't doubt anymore," Jia Fangfei said as she pulled out another phone from her pocket and handed it to him with a smile. "Use this one; it gives you some status... President Lin is coming soon; you can start feeling it out."
With that, she walked away with a cheerful demeanor.
"Just lucky... Good thing I was too dizzy from exhaustion to contact the organization," Xiao Mu thought as he suppressed his racing heart. He had learned firsthand about the deceptive world of con artists; every step was a trap, and one misstep could lead to disaster. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on his side.
Once his lucky mindset faded away, new problems arose. Right—how should he contact the organization?
He pondered awkwardly. As a successful double agent, prioritizing self-preservation while seeking profit and avoiding harm was of utmost importance. He knew clearly which side he should stand on, but now he was tied to the organization's actions. If things went well here while the other side remained oblivious, it would be troublesome.
It was the first time since joining that he felt conflicted. He was racking his brain for a way to maneuver around the situation, pacing back and forth in the room. Just when he was at a loss for ideas, he spotted an out-of-town SUV parked in the lot below. Shortly after, a bus arrived, unloading many people. Before long, another vehicle followed…
“Another one. Identify the license plate and search the vehicle information database.”
“Facial recognition, using the 402 project database as a template.”
“Send this to Team Leader Ye…”
“Keep communication with Field Duty open…”
“Where is the support team? Have them report their location… Pay attention to the coordinates and have them assemble at the highway management office.”
“Call the provincial checkpoint to confirm that the road can be closed at any time…”
The task force was already in a frenzy. They had just connected with the command system for Business investigations. On the expanding screen, dozens of police forces across the province were busy and orderly, undergoing unified command adjustments. The timing for launching operations remained uncertain.
Of course, this depended on Tongguan's progress.
Scenes of incoming individuals were captured; their faces separated and identified. Calls flooded in on Field Duty's channel, and the frontline police forces were clearly struggling. Since ten o'clock that morning, over forty vehicles of various types had gathered at Jin Ke Kaiyue, including several interprovincial buses. A rough estimate suggested there were hundreds of people coming and going.
When the familiar faces appeared, Director Fan Wenjie in the conference room slammed his fist down, finally feeling the weight lift from his heart.
Zhang Anping, Zhang Fei, Ma Jianfeng, Ma Bufang, Dong Chengguo, Dong Zhuo, Liu Yong, Liu Bei, Xu Nenghui, Xu Da, and a dozen other General Managers and key subordinates all showed up. At that moment, Ye Tianshu couldn't help but gasp; in fact, several key members had just been sent back a few days ago and were now back in Tongguan.
"Luo Chu... we really need to thank you," Fan Wenjie said with emotion. They had stumbled their way to this point and were just one step away from success. Luo Guanquan smiled and replied, "No rush; I still have to throw a bucket of cold water on both of you."
"Go ahead and pour it; I'm waiting for it," Fan Wenjie said. The more cold water they poured, the more they could identify the flaws in their plans.
"First, evidence is crucial; we must obtain it. Second, timing is even more critical; if we act too early, there won't be any criminal facts established; if we act too late, they'll escape. Third, regarding the illicit funds—let's be honest here—I’m not afraid of you laughing at me; in most cases, it's very difficult to trace the money back. Once they receive it, they will quickly transfer it elsewhere. We've even had cases in Guangxi where the money was transferred overseas," Luo Guanquan reminded them.
"Right, well said... they can't escape the evidence... as for the funds, as long as they're not carrying cash out, they won't evade this investigation. Timing is key; we need to strike shortly after establishing the criminal facts... this should be handled by the informant based on their information," Fan Wenjie said. As he spoke about this matter, he casually asked, "By the way, have we contacted the informant?"
No. Ye Tianshu dreaded being asked this question and awkwardly replied, "It's difficult; that Pyramid Scheme woman is Jia Fangfei. She spends the day with him and sleeps with him at night—there’s no way to get close to her. I can't even dare to use communication tools."
Luo Guanquan chuckled as Fan Wenjie pondered aloud, "What about 3326?"
"They've been apart for two or three days now. 3326 is currently with Tu Shenhao's summoned people; he's probably on lookout duty or handling thug tasks and can't access that level at all," Team Leader Ye said.
At such a time, even a small oversight could lead to major mistakes. Fan Wenjie grew anxious and slammed his hand on the table while shouting:
"Notify Field Duty! No matter what, we must contact the informant. Before taking action, we must obtain precise information... You go handle it immediately; there must be no mistakes."
"Understood; I'll take care of it right away."
Ye Tianshu also felt nervous and hurried towards the command center.
Anxiety also plagued Xiao Mu as he held the expensive smartphone that Jia Fangfei had given him. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and prepared to dial. He had no choice; if he didn’t listen to the organization’s arrangements, it would be a huge loss.
He dialed the 400 number given to him just before departure. To his dismay, as soon as the call connected, a frustrating mechanical voice responded: "The mobile phone you are using has an outstanding balance. Please recharge your account. Thank you."
"Oh, come on..." Xiao Mu felt like crying from frustration. A high-end phone worth tens of thousands was equipped with a prepaid card that had run out of funds.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. He composed himself and called out for the person to enter. Jia Fangfei appeared with a cheerful smile and gestured for him to take a seat.
There was no way around it; as General Lin, he had to meet with those who had come from afar. He understood that not only could he not afford to offend that organization, but he also couldn’t afford to mess with this one either. The game of deception had to continue, whether he liked it or not...
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