Chapter 50 08

Chapter 50.08

Li Shang successfully passed the third interview round and was led upstairs from the basement.

He walked with his head down, reflecting that he had realized a bit too late the old man’s preoccupation with his image. Would it have been faster to just yank the old man’s beard right after entering?

As he pondered this, Qian Daihao approached him.

The man before him was all smiles, brimming with enthusiasm.

But to Li Shang, the smile seemed plastered on, a mask that was a little too perfect.

Qian Daihao said, "Congratulations, Li Shang. You're the second successful candidate today. And among all the applicants who've faced this third round, you've completed it in the shortest time."

As he spoke, Qian Daihao reached out, intending to sling an arm over his shoulder as if they were old friends.

Qian Daihao had a plan: since Li Shang was inevitably about to join, he would first try his best to win him over and bring him into his fold.

But Li Shang sensed the testing intention behind this seemingly friendly gesture. Now that he had figured out the old man in the basement was the organization's true leader, he wasn’t going to align himself with anyone else.

So Li Shang subtly sidestepped, deftly avoiding the hand, and asked calmly, "What's next?"

Qian Daihao hadn’t expected Li Shang to snub him like this and gritted his molars inwardly. Since the guy didn’t know what was good for him, he had only himself to blame. Though he thought this, he acted as if he hadn’t even noticed Li Shang’s evasion and kept up his enthusiastic smile.

Qian Daihao pointed the way: "Go to the dining room. Someone will give you your uniform. Change into it and wait. Once everyone has finished this round of interviews, there will be a training session for you all tonight."

Li Shang gave a slight nod and then asked, "Can I use the restroom?"

"Of course," Qian Daihao replied without hesitation, raising his hand to point out the location of the restroom.

Li Shang walked toward the restroom. Ever since he had come upstairs, the remaining few interviewees in the hall, including Fang Jue, had been secretly watching that area.

Li Shang knew clearly that this was the only powder room on the first floor of the villa, and the privacy screen by the restroom door was their only chance to avoid surveillance and pass messages.

Earlier, he had thoroughly taught Fang Jue how to relay information, and he hoped Fang Jue would seize the opportunity.

Fortunately, Fang Jue understood his hint.

When Li Shang stepped out of the restroom, Fang Jue was already waiting by the door.

As one entered and the other exited, they naturally slipped past each other, their figures momentarily hidden by the screen outside the door.

In that very brief moment, Li Shang leaned slightly close to Fang Jue’s ear and whispered in an extremely low voice, "The old man is an accomplice. Grab his beard."

After speaking, Li Shang watched Fang Jue’s reaction out of the corner of his eye and saw Fang Jue’s previously tense fist relax slightly, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

Fang Jue, who had been inwardly struggling, now felt he could go all out without hesitation after receiving this key to passing.

.

Fang Jue returned to his seat. While waiting, he repeatedly ran through Wang Jue’s cover story in his mind, trying to get completely into character.

Soon, another interviewee emerged from the basement looking defeated. Fang Jue knew it was finally his turn.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and followed the staff feeling confident, step by step down the stairs to the basement.

Passing through the hallway, the basement room was dimly lit.

Fang Jue’s gaze fell on the old man.

He cleared his throat and began launching into his well-rehearsed spiel, striving to make his tone sound sincere.

Fang Jue’s voice carried a hint of passion: "Grandpa, as the saying goes, a smart man doesn’t fight a losing battle. If you hesitate to spend this money now, it might seem like you’re holding onto your savings, but if your health fails, you’ll surely regret it later. That would be a much bigger loss!"

"As the proverb says, 'Keep the green hills, worry not about firewood.' Money is just a thing—surely you know that at your age? Life is more important than money... In Buddhist terms, spending money can also ward off disaster and bring blessings..."

As he spoke, Fang Jue kept his eyes fixed on the old man, catching every subtle change in his expression.

His face was lit up with a genuine smile, accompanied by animated gestures, making his pitch completely convincing.

It had to be said, Fang Jue indeed possessed a natural charm, especially toward older people, as if he had an uncanny ability.

Particularly after experiencing Li Shang’s ruthlessness and the previous interviewee’s mediocrity, Fang Jue’s appearance undoubtedly caught Sun Fukui’s attention.

Combined with Fang Jue’s mix of reasoning, scare tactics, and big promises...

Sun Fukui’s initially stern gaze gradually flickered with uncertainty, his eyes becoming a little distant, as if captivated by the bright future Fang Jue was painting. This kid seemed born to be in sales.

Seeing this, Fang Jue’s heart leapt, figuring the moment was ripe. Almost pleading, he said, "Grandpa, how about doing it for my sake, and for your own too? Why not make the transfer now?"

"Ahem." Sun Fukui paused, then suddenly snapped back to reality, his eyes instantly regaining clarity. He frowned and said firmly, "No."

Though the refusal was blunt, Fang Jue was sharp enough to catch the hint of hesitation in the old man’s eyes.

If this old man weren’t here intentionally to make things difficult, and if the interview had lasted a bit longer, Fang Jue was confident he could have completely persuaded the old man with his gift of gab.

Unfortunately, time was limited.

Seeing that gentle persuasion wasn’t working, Fang Jue steeled himself.

Since it had come to this, and with the message Li Shang passed to him, he had nothing holding him back.

If he couldn’t achieve his goal through persuasion, then he’d have to use some force.

If this were a victimized old man, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to do it.

But since he was an accomplice of these people, it was a case of a righteous police officer beating up a criminal!

With that thought, Fang Jue slowly stood up, clenched his fists in front of him, and deliberately cracked his knuckles, producing a crisp sound: "Grandpa, I really need this job. To stay, I’m sorry, but I have to do this."

A hint of apology showed on Fang Jue’s face, but his eyes revealed a determination to stop at nothing.

He fixed his gaze on the old man’s quivering white beard, grabbed it, and asked fiercely, "Just say it—will you transfer the money or not!"

Fang Jue felt like he was pulling up a radish, one hand pressing the old man’s head while the other kept tugging.

"Let go!!!" The old man cried out in pain, tears and snot streaming down his face. Was his beard doomed today?

A desperate wail echoed through the basement...

.

Meanwhile, at the Missing Persons Investigation Unit, the office felt unusually empty.

Fang Jue, who usually talked the most in the department, and Li Shang, who talked the least, were both out on undercover missions.

Their absence made the office lose its usual lively atmosphere, leaving only an unusual quiet.

Wu Yunsheng looked out the window at the gradually setting sun, frowned slightly, and muttered to himself, "How come there’s still no news..."

Hearing this, Cheng Xiaoyi looked up and comforted him, "Isn’t no news at a time like this actually good news?"

Wu Yunsheng sighed helplessly, his tone full of conflict: "My heart is uneasy. I both hope they successfully go undercover and worry about them encountering danger once they’re in."

He Lin sat to the side and chuckled lightly, "Old Wu, you really need to work on your mental resilience. If you’re this nervous over something like this, how will you ever sleep when your son takes the *gaokao*?"

Cheng Xiaoyi looked at He Lin and asked curiously, "Captain, aren’t you nervous?"

He Lin smirked dismissively, "Of course not. What’s the point of being nervous? It only adds unnecessary worry. You have to trust them completely—"

Before he could finish, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

He Lin’s relaxed expression instantly turned serious. Frowning slightly, he bolted over, picked up the phone, and gripped the receiver so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Watching his reaction, Cheng Xiaoyi couldn’t help but murmur teasingly, "Captain He, what happened to not being nervous?"

He Lin raised an index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, then said "Hello" into the phone and listened intently to the information on the other end, occasionally responding with a few "mm-hmms."

After a moment, he hung up.

Wu Yunsheng immediately stood up, his face full of concern. "Any news?"

He Lin nodded with a grave expression. "There are three rounds of interviews, each harder than the last. Several from the Criminal Investigation Department were already eliminated, but Li Shang and Fang Jue are still in. If there’s no further news soon, they likely got in."

Hearing this, Wu Yunsheng breathed a sigh of relief. "Making it this far is already an achievement. There’s not much we can do to help now except cheer them on from afar."

.

Night fell like ink, enveloping the entire luxurious villa.

Li Shang sat quietly in the villa’s dining room when a bodyguard brought him what they called a uniform.

Led to a side room to change, Li Shang put on the thick white shirt meant to be worn as outerwear. On the collar was a small silver star, which he immediately recognized as a tiny wireless bug.

After changing, Li Shang came out and ran into Qian Daihao and several bodyguards.

Qian Daihao said with a grin, "We have a rule here—everyone gets searched before the session."

Li Shang stood cooperatively as a bodyguard patted him down, confirming he had no other electronic devices. They found a portable pill case on him.

Qian Daihao asked, "What’s this?"

"Just regular meds. My health isn’t great," Li Shang replied. For this mission, he had already minimized the number of pills he carried, but a few were still essential.

The bodyguard glanced at Qian Daihao, seemingly waiting for his decision.

Qian Daihao took a quick look at the multicolored pills inside and waved a hand. "Let him keep it."

At the same time, he felt relieved. If this man was in poor health, he might not pose much of a threat—at least not enough to challenge him right away.

Just after six, Li Shang saw Fang Jue also changed into the uniform and seated nearby.

Soon, the last candidate, a man with a small mustache, hurriedly took his seat in the white shirt.

With that, the interview process officially concluded.

After layers of screening, only four were selected, with Li Shang and Fang Jue successfully among them. This was already a significant proportion.

Su Yu stepped forward briskly, her smile much warmer than during the interviews. "Everyone, my name is Su Yu. I’m the executive assistant here—you can call me Secretary Su. From now on, we’re colleagues. Please enjoy your dinner and take a short rest. Later, a trainer will come to conduct your training."

Before long, the housekeeper served four dishes and a soup on the dining table. After the meal, under Su Yu’s guidance, the group entered a specially arranged room.

At the front of the room stood a large whiteboard, below which was an antique *taishi* chair.

In front of the chair, several seats were neatly arranged.

As soon as Li Shang entered, he quickly scanned the surroundings. His gaze lingered on the *taishi* chair, and he quickly deduced it was likely reserved for the mysterious old man.

Once the four were seated, Qian Daihao walked in with a broad smile.

The mustached man was the first to speak. "Brother, are you going to be teaching us?"

Qian Daihao quickly waved his hand, putting on a fake smile. "Ah, a small fry like me wouldn’t dare show off in front of a real pro."

Then, clearing his throat, he formally introduced himself. "My surname is Qian, Qian Daihao. I’ve just been here a bit longer than you. From now on, we’re all part of the same group—you can call me *Shixiong*."

Hearing this, Fang Jue reacted swiftly. "*Shixiong* Qian, you’ll have to guide me more in the future. I’m new here and don’t understand many things."

Qian Daihao was visibly pleased and burst into laughter. "Don’t worry, stay with our group, and you’ll eat well and live well. It won’t be long before you’re driving luxury cars and living in a mansion after a couple big scores."

Just then, the door opened, and an elderly man, supported by Su Yu and surrounded by bodyguards, entered.

Aside from Li Shang and Fang Jue, the other two wore expressions of surprise.

This elderly man was the same one they had encountered earlier in the basement.

Now, dressed in an elegant Tang suit, though still slightly bruised, his timid demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by an air of confidence and arrogance.

As soon as the old man entered, Qian Daihao’s expression instantly shifted to one of fawning flattery. He hurried over and cooed affectionately, "Godfather~" drawing out the syllable with a sickly-sweet tone.

Then, leaning closer, he looked with fake concern at the bruises on the old man’s face. "I’ve always told you the interview was too dangerous. You should’ve sent someone else. Look, these youngsters really don’t know their own strength."

The old man, however, waved a hand dismissively and smiled. "I only trust my own instincts. This was the only way I could observe their expressions up close and understand their methods. These minor injuries are nothing—it’s what it takes for the team and our cause."

Slowly turning, the old man stroked his beard and looked over each of the newly selected candidates.

He pointed steadily at the first interviewee, a well-built man. "You’re Jiang Zhong, right?"

The man immediately straightened his posture.

The old man nodded slightly. "You were the first to make a move today—fast on your feet and decisive. That’s very good. No hesitation—I can tell you’re someone capable of great things."

A flash of pride crossed Jiang Zhong’s eyes. He cupped his hands respectfully and thanked the old man in a deep voice.

The old man nodded again, then turned his gaze to the mustached man at the end. "Zhao Xincai, you’re quite something. Seeing me bruised and battered, you knew to use force to change the game—your observation skills are keen. And throughout the process, you were patient, not rushing, waiting for the right moment. That’s an essential quality for achieving great things."

The mustached man responded humbly, "Thank you for your recognition, sir."

Next, the old man rose and slowly moved toward Fang Jue, tapping his cane firmly on the ground.

"Wang Jue," the old man said with a tone of appreciation, "you’re full of passion and energy. You talk a good game, think on your feet, and could convince anyone of anything. Many people would probably willingly hand over their money just based on your gift of gab."

Fang Jue replied, "You flatter me."

Finally, the old man’s eyes settled on Li Shang, filled with expectation and regard.

"Li Shang," the old man’s voice softened noticeably, "you were the only one who figured me out. In our line of work, it’s not enough to just be ruthless—you need smarts and technique. Work hard, and your future will be bright."

Everyone could tell he held Li Shang in the highest regard.

Hearing this, Qian Daihao’s face fell, and he frowned slightly.

Li Shang allowed a slight smirk to touch his lips, controlling his expression to appear visibly pleased and openly proud. But he quickly masked the emotion, pushed up his glasses, and replied evenly, "Thank you for your high regard. I won’t let you down."

After finishing his comments one by one, the old man leaned on his dragon-head cane, walked to the throne-like armchair, and sat down steadily.

"My name is Sun Fukui. Back in the day, I started out by running MLM/pyramid schemes. In this line of work, I’m the godfather."

He sat in the armchair, looking down at everyone.

"Whether it was selling products and health supplements early on, or later moving into financial planning and fundraising, there are countless folks in the country doing these kinds of jobs, but not a single one can compare to me."

"What I'm doing now is a model I've carefully developed by summarizing everything I've learned in my lifetime. In this world, no one can help you make this much money faster than I can. I, Sun Fukui, was born with this talent."

Then, he began to explain the operating model of the wellness center in detail to the people in front of him.

"I find it strange—what era is this now? There are still foolish pyramid schemes targeting ordinary people. How much money can they possibly have in their pockets?"

"Some are even messing around with elderly health products, working all year round without much to show for it."

"My method is absolutely safe and efficient!"

"Those elderly people are the fat sheep I’m giving to you. You can milk them for all they’re worth."

After that, the old man taught them some industry terminology.

As he explained, Su Yu jotted down and sketched on the whiteboard.

They used sparsely decorated villas as their bases.

Those modified villas used to hold the elderly were referred to as "warehouses" in their jargon, and finding elderly people to move in was called "opening a warehouse."

They never stayed in one place for long. When the entire operation moved out, it was called "closing a warehouse."

During a warehouse’s operation, all staff members wearing white shirts had their phones and documents confiscated and were not allowed to go out.

Only when the warehouse was closed could the staff settle their salaries and regain their freedom.

If a warehouse’s business was too good, leading to overcrowding with too many elderly people later on, more staff would need to be brought in to supplement.

They were the white-shirt staff to be assigned to different warehouses after overcrowding.

Li Shang and Fang Jue were assigned to Warehouse No. 3, while the other two men were sent to Warehouse No. 4 and Warehouse No. 8, respectively.

"After you enter, the first month is a training and observation period. You can observe how the other buddies make money. By the second month, you’ll be ready to start working on your own."

"Your primary task is to find every possible way to make the elderly spend money and make purchases. Use strategies, use your brains, employ threats and incentives—squeeze them dry, and then get them to bring in the people around them."

The old man spoke lightly, but he couldn’t hide the cruelty in his words.

"Each warehouse must achieve a base quota of five million per month. If you can’t meet that, get lost."

"But under our model, this isn’t hard to achieve at all. If the elderly make additional purchases, you’ll get a commission—1% of the extra spending. That means for every additional million they spend, each of you gets ten thousand in commission. If you’re promoted to management, the commission rate becomes 5%."

After roughly explaining everything, the old man sat down again, picked up his teacup, took a sip, scanned the people in front of him, and asked, "Do you have any questions?"

The first interviewee to pass raised his hand: "Is it safe for us to do this line of work?"

Sun Fukui was drinking tea with his head down. Hearing this question, he unhurriedly pointed at Su Yu, signaling her to answer.

Su Yu immediately understood, stepped forward, and said, "Of course it’s safe. Our wellness centers have been operating for years without a single mishap. For every transaction the elderly make, we can have shell companies handle the accounting, issue invoices, and then use slick money laundering tricks to smoothly transfer the funds into our own pockets. You should know that all the wellness companies under our registration are legitimate."

The woman looked quite pleased with herself.

Qian Daihao added, "Those elderly people don’t have long to live. Just a little intimidation, and they’ll tremble in fear. They don’t know how to post online, so they can’t cause any waves. Once they die, no one will dig up old grievances."

Hearing this, Li Shang asked expressionlessly, "Has no one really reported this to the police?"

Qian Daihao sneered, a sly look on his face: "Our targets are handpicked—they must be old enough, isolated enough, and wealthy enough. Old means over seventy; isolated means childless or with weak family ties; and wealthy means we have insiders at banks who verify they have over a mil in savings."

Su Yu added, "Each person who leaves represents at least one person they brought in—they’re accomplices too. Besides, the Godfather recently reviewed and adjusted the business. Going forward, we’ll conduct follow-up visits for the elderly who leave here."

Fang Jue asked curiously, "What are follow-up visits?"

Qian Daihao’s smile grew more sinister: "Three days after they return, we call them; three months after they return, we swing by their place. We want them to know we have their phone numbers and addresses, and we’re watching them at all times." At this, he laughed arrogantly, "Tell me, who would dare report to the police?"

Sun Fukui finished his tea, set down the cup, and added, "Although we make them spend, first, we don’t touch their properties, only their deposits. Second, we always leave them with some money—about ten percent. The older people get, the more timid they become. With this money, they’re unlikely to go ballistic or go to extremes."

"If anyone later causes trouble over the money, we’re not afraid. We’ve kept their phone login details and can send their compromising photos from their phones. Besides, I’ve connected with psychiatrists. If anyone dares to report to the police or make trouble, a medical report can have them arrested as mentally ill."

The old man is downright evil.

Li Shang thought: Thankfully, they worked against the clock to get He Yunci and her husband to talk. If this criminal group had been allowed to grow stronger and more sophisticated, the victimized elderly would likely have been even more afraid to speak up, and there would have been more victims.

Sun Fukui continued painting a grand picture for them: "To be honest, as we’ve developed, we’ve only encountered one problem: a shortage of manpower, which has slowed our expansion."

He smiled and said, "But with all of you joining us, we can grow and strengthen our cause together. Many of you will soon be promoted to management. When we expand this model across the country, you’ll all be founding members, enjoying all the riches and luxuries."

The old man grinned, but his gaze was as vicious as a venomous snake dripping with greed: "If you want to make bank, why go to the U.S.? As long as you have brains and follow me, you can rake in the cash right here."

Hearing these seductive words, two of the four people present were already pumped, their eyes filled with a thirst for wealth.

Li Shang smiled faintly and looked at the old man.

He controlled his expression well. Even though his eyes glinted shrewdly, he felt nothing but disgust inside.

Since joining the SWAT team, he had seen enough wickedness in the world.

The old man before him seemed to have become the very image of greed. He already had more money than he could spend in a lifetime, yet he continued to drag countless people into the abyss for more.

How many young people, troubled by unemployment and poverty, could resist the temptation of such money?

Those seeking jobs were suckered into a life of crime.

Fang Jue clapped eagerly, a warm smile on his face, but deep down, he shared Li Shang’s disgust for this criminal group.

He thought confidently, now that he and Li Shang were here, this group was on borrowed time.