Chapter 447: Chapter 447: There’s News
The police’s response made Hu Qiming’s heart sink, leaving him utterly dismayed.
When he got back, Hu Qiming told his classmates what happened in their group chat.
It was partly to vent his frustration and partly to serve as a cautionary tale for everyone else.
"Everyone, I was scammed out of forty thousand yuan this morning. I bought a Fake Bezoar at the market, thought I’d scored a bargain, and ended up getting completely cleaned out. You all need to be careful in the future and not get duped like I was."
He also attached a photo of the "Fake Bezoar" as a warning.
The group chat immediately lit up as his classmates rushed to comfort him.
Miaoli: "Old Hu, don’t feel too bad. Think of it as losing money to avoid a bigger disaster. There are so many scammers these days, it’s impossible to guard against all of them."
Hu Qiming: "I know, but that was money I’d been saving for a long time..."
Li Baojie: "Forty thousand yuan isn’t a small amount, but the important thing is that you’re okay. Just treat it as an expensive lesson. Be more vigilant from now on."
Jiang Peng: "Yeah, don’t blame yourself too much. It’s a classic trick scammers use, and it’s hard for most people to see through it. Next time something like this happens, you should ask Li Xu. He knows a lot about this stuff."
Lu Junwei: "Old Hu, how about I treat you to a big meal to help you take your mind off things? Don’t let this money ruin your health."
They all chimed in, one after another. Although it couldn’t undo the loss, Hu Qiming felt the warmth from his classmates, and his mood improved considerably.
...
Mei Family Village was a remote mountain hamlet in Shanyang County, which was under the jurisdiction of Feng City.
Mei Family Village was nestled in the mountains and had poor transportation links. Many of the village’s farming households made their living by cultivating Aconite.
Aconite is a traditional medicinal herb. While it brought in some income, the cultivation cycle was long and the money came in slowly. For the villagers, who were eager to improve their lives, it always felt like a drop in the bucket.
In a dilapidated farmhouse in Mei Family Village, three men were gathered around, gleefully dividing stacks of cash.
They were none other than the "man in the suit," the "bald man," and the "old man" who had been running the scam at the Feng City market that day.
"Hahaha, we did it again! Forty thousand yuan, brothers! We’re rich!"
The bald man grinned as he counted the money, the thick flesh on his face jiggling.
"Xiao Liu, your idea was brilliant." The old man was grinning from ear to ear. "This ’Fake Bezoar’ act works like a charm every time!"
The man in the suit, their leader Liu Ming, had a smug smile plastered on his face.
He leisurely lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then slowly exhaled. "But of course. Back when we were growing Aconite, we barely made a dime all year. So I got to thinking... people love a good bargain, especially an opportunity that looks like a windfall from heaven. Who can resist that kind of temptation?"
He stubbed out the cigarette in a crude ashtray and continued, "This Fake Bezoar scam just preys on human weakness. First, we stage a dispute over money to draw a crowd and make them think there’s a deal to be had. Then we show up at just the right moment, pretending to be kindhearted mediators, and sell the Fake Bezoar for a high price. The moment people see it ’pulled’ from a cow’s innards and hear us talk it up, they fall for it hook, line, and sinker."
"Brother Liu is brilliant."
The bald man gave a thumbs-up, fawning over him.
Liu Ming smiled smugly, carefully folded his share of the money, and put it in his bag.
"Alright, this was another nice haul. Let’s lie low for a month and let things cool down. Next month, we’ll hit a different city and try to score a few more big ones."
...
「A new day.」
After waking up, Li Xu checked his intelligence for the day.
[Today’s Intelligence: Mei Family Village, Shanyang County. The Aconite grown here is of excellent quality, suitable for treating the swelling and pain from Hidden-winged Insect bites, and can also be processed into Dannanxing... Also of note: The "Fake Bezoar" scam syndicate led by Liu Ming is currently in Mei Family Village...]
At first, the word "Aconite" caught Li Xu’s attention, but then his eyes locked onto the phrase: "The ’Fake Bezoar’ scam syndicate led by Liu Ming is currently in Mei Family Village."
He couldn’t help but smile.
’To search high and low for something, only to have it fall right into your lap.’
He immediately moved to call the police, but just as he was about to dial, he paused, lost in thought.
’How could I explain the source of this information to the police?’
’I can’t just tell them I know because of a "system," can I?’
’But if I don’t say anything, what if the scammers get away?’
Suddenly, an idea struck Li Xu.
The intelligence also mentioned that the Aconite in Mei Family Village was of excellent quality. This was a perfect excuse.
Li Xu decided to take a more roundabout approach.
’I’ll go to Mei Family Village under the pretext of buying Aconite. Then, I can "happen to" discover the scammers and report them.’
For this plan to work, he needed one person—Hu Qiming.
’After all, I haven’t seen the scammers myself.’
He took out his phone and dialed Hu Qiming’s number.
"Old Hu, good morning."
Li Xu greeted him.
Hu Qiming clearly hadn’t recovered from the pain of being scammed. His voice was listless. "What’s good about it? I just feel so sick to my stomach. The moment I think about that forty thousand yuan, I just..."
Li Xu listened patiently before making his offer. "Old Hu, I know you’re not feeling great. So, how about this? I’m planning a trip to Mei Family Village in Shanyang County. The Aconite they produce there is excellent quality, and I want to buy some. Why don’t you come with me to take your mind off things? What do you say?"
Hu Qiming didn’t really want to go.
However, he couldn’t refuse Li Xu’s kind offer.
Besides, getting out to clear his head was better than moping at home.
"Alright, then. It’s not like I’m in the mood to work these days anyway. When are you leaving?"
Hu Qiming asked.
"Pack a bag now. I’ll come pick you up in half an hour."
"Okay!" Hu Qiming agreed.
Li Xu had the pharmaceutical factory send a car.
Half an hour later, the driver picked him up and they drove to the building where Hu Qiming lived.
Hu Qiming got into the car carrying a simple backpack.
As the car drove along the highway, the scenery outside the window gradually shifted from the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquility of the countryside.
Hu Qiming’s mood improved a little.
As the two of them talked, the topic naturally turned to Bezoar.
"Li Xu, tell me, why is Natural Bezoar so rare?"
Hu Qiming sighed, his tone filled with frustration. "I was just thinking, if I could find a piece... I didn’t even care about getting rich. I just thought I could make good medicine with it, maybe be like you..."
Li Xu said, "Among all the traditional medicinal materials, Natural Bezoar is the most precious of the precious. Did you know? I looked it up. In 2016, the purchase price for Natural Bezoar was just over 100,000 yuan per kilogram. But by May 1, 2023, its price had soared to 800,000 yuan per kilogram. And that’s exactly why you thought you’d stumbled upon such an incredible bargain."
This was the first time Hu Qiming had heard the actual value. "800,000 a kilogram? My God! If that Fake Bezoar had been real, wouldn’t that mean..."
He couldn’t help but swallow hard.
"So, you see, you just weren’t vigilant enough."
