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Lü Min's mind worked swiftly, quickly identifying a loophole to refute, "The connections for the third attempt were all sourced by the partner. The pharmacy wouldn't have even opened without him, and he was well aware of many things."

"But the pharmacy still went bankrupt. How do you explain the third time?"

"Exactly, how would you explain it?" Chu Yuening shot back.

"So, for the third time, you exerted great effort to collude with the supplier, deceiving people together as a pair."

"Pity your partner, whose supplier was also his childhood friend, right? For him to be betrayed in such a relationship, money truly can make the devil turn the millstone."

Chu Yuening disliked greedy individuals. From the start, she had made it clear that there was no turning back once an arrow was released.

He had come at it on his own accord.

Considering the consequences, she decided to expose him outright.

"For your subsequent ventures, you pretended to be destitute yet resilient, continuously roping in partners. You established shell companies and used fake contracts to swindle money."

"Your first partner borrowed a million yuan, lost everything, and ended up separated from his family."

"Your second partner owed one million to loan sharks and, in the end, took his own life."

"The third one is still working three jobs daily to this day, trying to pay off his debts."

"Although your wife saw you officially bankrupt, there was an unending supply of money at home. With no worries about livelihood, why wouldn't she support you?"

The neighbors stirred with unease, never expecting that the persistent businessman they had admired at first was actually a financial fraudster.

The crowd's murmurs grew louder.

"By that account, isn't this person a fraudster?"

"A fraudster? More like a murderer – one victim did jump off a building, didn't he?"

"On the surface, I'm your good brother starting a business together. Secretly, your money is my money."

"Disgusting! How terrifying human nature can be."

"God, please spare me from having such a 'good' brother in my life."

Lu Min was already drenched in sweat, but since no one here knew him, he stubbornly denied it all. "Seems like your title as a divine predictor is just based on random guesses. But guesses aren't facts! I didn't do any of those things! Your accusations are useless! An upright person has nothing to fear from shadows!"

Chu Yuening found the situation fascinating; she almost wanted to applaud Lu Min's impressive acting skills.

She stood up and said, "There's always a reason for every grievance and a creditor for every debt. Lu Min, it's time to pay up."

Lu Min trembled with fear and no longer intended to rope Yuan Tianbo into his scheme. He tried to leave, but a figure suddenly flew out of the crowd and pinned him down.

"Lu Min! It was indeed you who set me up!"

Struggling, Lu Min fought back and in the process, pulled off the man's hat. Seeing the face beneath, he froze. "Ah Peng?"

Ah Peng was his business partner for his third venture. He had been delivering fast food orders nearby when he passed by the fortune-telling stall and overheard the conversation.

The more Ah Peng listened, the more familiar the words sounded. The failure of the pharmacy – wasn't that referring to him? Pushing through the crowd, he confirmed that the person receiving the fortune was none other than Lu Min, whom he could recognize even in ashes.

As Ah Peng thought about it, his anger and resentment grew.

After the pharmacy's closure, Ah Peng had been in debt of two million yuan, struggling to repay it through hard labor for over a decade. During that time, he had been hospitalized multiple times due to exhaustion, unable to get married or return home.

In the stillness of the night.

Ah Peng couldn't help but reminisce. If he hadn't fallen for Lu Min's exaggerated tales back then, if he had been more cautious, would he not have had to endure such hardships?

Would he have already been married with children by now?

Would his parents not have had to toil from dawn till dusk?

In the end...

It turned out that it was all a scam tailored just for him.

Chapter 42

"Ah Peng, don't listen to that idiot's nonsense!"

Strangled tightly by Ah Peng's grip around his neck, Lu Min's face turned crimson from lack of oxygen. He frantically slapped at Ah Peng's hand, struggling to speak.

Ah Peng increased his chokehold, his eyes bloodshot. "What nonsense are you talking about? Did you not set up this trap? Or did you not deceive me alongside the supplier?"

"Are you aware of the suffering you've caused me? For over a decade, I haven't had a single night of decent sleep. I work three jobs each day, daring not to indulge in a proper meal or even buy new clothes! And you? Crying bankruptcy, yet secretly hoarding my money for your own use!"

The neighbors stepped back in unison, creating space for the two, yet none dared to intervene.

Lu Min, realizing that Ah Peng might truly strangle him, hastily conceded: "Let me go, I admit it! I confess to setting you up and deceiving you!"

Only then did Ah Peng release his grip.

Soon enough, officers from the Organized Crime Unit arrived on the scene.

Dressed in his professional O Unit black suit, Shi Pingzhi produced his identification. "O Unit. We have received a report alleging your involvement in financial fraud. We kindly request your cooperation to come with us to the police station."

Upon receiving the alarm, Shi Pingzhi immediately set off with his colleagues, having already listened to the complainant's account of the incident during their journey.

Only after he'd called for his colleagues to assist in escorting Lu Min away did he turn his attention to the dessert stall. The girl had already dismissed the chaos around her and was tidying up the stall. A friend was by her side, and they could be heard discussing something joyous and related to a housewarming feast, their voices barely audible amidst the commotion.

Feeling the weight of someone's scrutiny, Chu Yuening turned to look and noticed a resemblance between Shi Pingzhi and Shi Boren. She offered a polite smile in response.

Shi Pingzhi also nodded in agreement.

Lü Min attempted to plead innocence, "Officer, do you have any evidence of me committing financial fraud? You can't just arrest people without proof!"

Shi Pingzhi withdrew his gaze and forcefully pushed against Lü Min's back, "It's not your place to question the evidence! Rest assured, I'll make you willingly accept your imprisonment."

In cases of economic crimes, especially involving a pharmaceutical supplier, Lü Min's collusion would result in severe punishment.

Even as he sat in jail, Lü Min failed to comprehend that he had merely sought another chance at an easy profit, and that a simple roadside fortune-telling session had sealed his fate.