Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
I kept murmuring to myself, and Gu Shuchang seemed to know what I was thinking. He smiled and said, "Lingfeng, you are his closest friend; you can share anything with him. As for me, I've been in this bureaucratic world for too long. If I don't vent some of my thoughts soon, I'm going to go crazy. So, ha ha, I have to thank you."
That was more like it. I then asked Gu Shuchang about the scale of those three pyramid schemes and decided to go check things out with Fatty tomorrow; he had experience in this matter.
That night, back at the hotel, I pondered whether to borrow a hairdryer or shampoo from Guo'er’s room. In the end, I lacked the courage to do either and cursed myself for having desires without the guts.
The next afternoon, Fatty and I wandered around a few hotels on Zhongxing Road. The reason we went in the afternoon was that Fatty insisted that the people from the pyramid schemes didn't work in the morning. Whether that was true or if Fatty just wanted to sleep in, I wasn't sure.
Knowing we had something to do, Guo'er arranged to go shopping with someone. She had a classmate in Yuecheng named Luo Yun, who was said to be doing very well and was just the type who worried about passing time. After she left her classmate's number, I felt relieved letting her go.
Fatty led me back and forth in front of the hotel. After three rounds, I stopped and asked, "Fatty, are you taking a post-meal stroll or what?"
Fatty looked aggrieved and replied, "Those extras in movies walk back and forth like this, okay?"
I laughed in anger and kept bending my Finger Joint, making crisp cracking sounds.
Only then did Fatty say, "There’s a banner on that LED screen at the hotel entrance about a CEO training program. This means there must be a pyramid scheme conference happening inside this hotel right now. I'm looking for the elites inside—oh look, here they come!"
He winked at me. I looked over and saw a woman in her thirties coming out of the hotel. She wore light makeup and was dressed appropriately. She carried a bag in one hand while using her phone with the other, seemingly stepping outside because the signal inside wasn't good. She stopped not far from Fatty and me, speaking in dialect at a fast pace; I couldn't catch what she was saying but heard her say "bye" at the end.
After she hung up, Fatty immediately called out loudly, "Zheng Nan! We've been out for three or four hours without finding any investment projects. Should we head back? Although we'll definitely get scolded by the old man when we return, it's better than wandering around aimlessly here." He winked at me.
I quickly played along and said, "Stop whining! You're out here hustling too; if we don’t make something happen, I'm not going home!"
The woman brightened at these words and couldn't help but chime in, "What are you two bosses looking to invest in?"
I shot her a glance and replied, "None of your business!"
As soon as I said that, it seemed to dispel fifty percent of her doubts.
Sure enough, the woman took no offense; instead, she smiled slightly and pulled out a business card holder, handing one card each to me and Fatty. "I am Xu Qiuyi, manager of the investment department of the Western Development Circle. May I ask if you know about the Beibu Gulf?"
Her tone reminded me of my first love from years ago when she invited me to her room. I rushed in eagerly, and she affectionately asked, "Have you heard of Amway?"
Feigning impatience, I replied, "What’s this East-West nonsense? Never heard of it." With that, I turned to leave.
Fatty immediately grabbed my arm. "Zheng Nan, she's from the investment department. It wouldn't hurt to listen to her pitch before we go. Besides, it won't take long to book tickets at home."
"Fine." I scratched my head and pointed at Xu Qiuyi. "So, Ms. Xu, right? Go ahead and talk." I was supposed to play the role of a country bumpkin who had suddenly struck it rich, so manners and politeness were out the window. To be honest, my manners weren't that great either—perhaps a bit better than Fatty's but far worse than Lingfeng's.
"How about we go inside to chat? It’ll be more comfortable sitting in the hotel," Xu Qiuyi urged. "We're discussing investments here; it's not just about buying carrots or cabbage. We need to elevate our standards, right?" She really knew how to read people; that metaphor was too simplistic but fit someone like me perfectly.
"You don't have any traps in this hotel, do you?" I asked suspiciously while trying to sound bold. "What am I afraid of? I've got insurance!"
The three of us entered the hotel lobby, and Xu Qiuyi found a sofa where she began to eloquently promote this Western Development Circle. Nowadays, multi-level marketing plays on high-end consumption; the entry fee is 69,000 yuan. After paying, you receive a monthly salary of 1,000 yuan. If you bring in three recruits, your monthly salary can rise significantly. When those three recruits each bring in three more, your monthly salary could reach ten thousand...
Moreover, Xu Qiuyi emphasized that this was a government development project and a key national initiative. To prove this point, she pulled out a tablet from her bag and clicked on a bookmarked URL that immediately displayed a page filled with images of real estate developments and power stations.
Honestly, I was tempted at that moment. If I could bring Lingfeng, Jin Zhenzhong, and Gu Shuchang into this scheme, wouldn't the money just roll in? Fatty was even more exaggerated as he exclaimed, "Zheng Nan! Just 69,000? That's not much at all! Ms. Xu, can we buy ten or eight shares?"
"Of course, you can also..." Xu Qiuyi continued to paint a beautiful picture.
Finally, Xu Qiuyi said, "We have a training session happening in the conference room right now. You can go and experience it for yourself. The atmosphere is quite lively!"
I nodded in agreement, and Xu Qiuyi smiled, seemingly feeling that the two big fish had already started to bite the hook. She stood up and led us towards the conference room on the second floor.
I initially thought that the lively atmosphere would just be one person shouting hoarsely about Stage while the audience waved their hands in response. However, as soon as Xu Qiuyi opened the door to the conference room, I realized I was mistaken.
A deafening roar hit us as we were greeted by dazzling lights, intense DJ dance music, and frenzied shouting. Upon closer listening, it seemed someone was yelling, "We want to get rich!"
The crowd below responded wildly: "Get rich!"
Oh! Oh! Oh!
The cacophony nearly pushed us out of the door.
"We want to succeed!"
"Succeed!"
Oh! Oh! Oh!
...
Everyone was standing on tables and chairs, wildly waving their hands. Occasionally, someone would fall off a table only to climb back up again, screaming and shouting in a frenzy.
These people have gone crazy. I stood at the entrance, feeling lost, trying to find Feng Zhen among the hundreds of frenzied dancers under the dim, chaotic lights, which seemed almost impossible.
Fatty seemed to have found his groove as he squeezed into the crowd, getting close to a woman with a decent figure, shouting loudly and groping around. The woman was extremely excited, waving her hands and shouting without realizing she was being groped.
No wonder this guy was abandoned by the pyramid scheme organization.
Xu Qiuyi beside me quickly got into the spirit, starting to shout wildly with the crowd. I couldn't be bothered with her and took a turn inside. When I realized I couldn't see anything clearly, I decided to wait at the entrance. Surely after the event ends, everyone has to eat; are they going to dance in there for a lifetime?
I dragged Fatty out, who was still dissatisfied: "Damn it, there are at least a hundred women in there. Ghost Brother, do you know you're ruining my happiness index?"
After a while, Xu Qiuyi also came out and asked, "How's it going?"
I confidently claimed I would invest and rambled on until I realized we had been chatting aimlessly for over an hour while waiting for people to come out from inside.
To be honest, I didn't remember what Feng Zhen looked like very clearly. I might recognize him if someone pointed him out, but if a group of people walked by, I definitely wouldn't be able to tell. I could only let Fatty keep Xu Qiuyi occupied while I stood in the middle of the entrance, trying hard to distinguish the flow of people passing by on both sides.
Nothing. I waited until everyone had exited but still didn't see Feng Zhen. Was he not part of this group? Or did I just miss him when he walked past?
Regardless of the outcome, I still hadn't found Feng Zhen.
At that moment, Xu Qiuyi began to doubt: "What do you two bosses mean by this?" My temper flared up as I was about to explode when a voice came from inside: "Zhang, if you don't give me your phone, how am I supposed to call home for money?"
Hearing that voice made both Fatty and me shudder; it had a Star City accent—could it be Feng Zhen?
Two people emerged from inside: one in his forties wearing a suit and tie; due to the intense activity earlier, his hair was slightly disheveled and his shirt collar was undone, causing his tie to lean slightly to one side. The other person was in his twenties with an anxious expression on his young face—who else could this be but Feng Zhen?
Feng Zhen looked at me, momentarily stunned, as if trying to recall whether he had seen me before. The middle-aged man, Zhang, appeared puzzled and nodded towards Xu Qiuyi, asking, "Xu, what's going on with this person standing in the middle?"
Xu Qiuyi stammered, "Zhang, these two want to invest!"
"Invest my ass!" I stepped forward and pushed Zhang, causing him to stumble. Amidst Zhang's furious shout, I grabbed Feng Zhen by the shoulders and forcefully pulled him between me and Fatty, shouting, "Feng Zhen, come back with me!"
Feng Zhen was taken aback and shouted, "Who are you? Where do you want me to go with you?"
"I came from Star City! Guess who I am?" I replied sternly.
A strange expression suddenly appeared on Feng Zhen's face, followed by Fatty's loud shout: "Heart!"
At that moment, a sharp wind swept past my head. I lunged forward just in time to avoid it. Feng Zhen was knocked down to the ground by my movement, and I tripped over him. As I got up and turned around, I saw a tall Bald Man wielding a baseball bat, continuously tapping it against his palm while staring at me.
I didn't notice when four or five tall men holding steel pipes and clubs emerged from inside. Zhang stood at the door and shouted; those who hadn't moved far immediately swarmed over. In an instant, the area outside the door was filled with dark figures, all watching us intently.
Comment 0 Comment Count