Chapter 353: The Scammer’s True Intentions

Chen Shi, usually not one for lectures, found himself saying a lot in front of Mrs. Chen. Wang Haitao was stunned, worried that he might scare away their valuable client.

Mrs. Chen, feeling guilty, lowered her head in silence.

Chen Shi’s goal was to extinguish Mrs. Chen’s hope and make her understand that even if the scheme was real, it wasn’t worth the risk.

He said, “Sorry, I got a bit emotional. After all, I also went through the grueling college entrance exams… By the way, you mentioned they were in the news. Let me look it up.”

Chen Shi opened his computer and entered the keywords. Sure enough, the 2010 XX exam leak incident appeared on the first page of the search engine. He quickly skimmed through it and checked other news on the same site. “Look here, Mrs. Chen. All the news on this site is linked from other sources, with only a few thousand clicks in total and very frequent updates.”

“What… What does that mean?”

“The site is fake. It’s easy to create a fake site nowadays. With some money, you can get it to the top of a search engine through paid ranking. It has no credibility. If there were a real college entrance exam leak, it would be national news. Let me check other major sites… See, there’s nothing. This news only exists on that one fake site!”

Mrs. Chen was finally convinced. “So, they really are scammers?”

“Professional scammers set traps to lure you in. First, they take the 20,000 yuan deposit. Then, right before the exam, they take the kids away. You mentioned they asked you to prepare 200,000 yuan in advance. Do you have it ready?”

“Yes, I borrowed it from my sister-in-law. It’s in my account.”

Chen Shi snapped his fingers. “The scam is clear. Once the kids are on the bus, you won’t be able to contact them. Tonight, they’ll indeed show a paper, but it won’t be the real exam. The crucial moment is tomorrow! During the exam, they’ll call and demand money. If you don’t pay, the kids will miss the exam, which is their real goal.”

“Isn’t that kidnapping?” Wang Haitao asked.

Chen Shi shook his head with a smile. “No, they just delay the kids on the road. If you’re 15 minutes late for the exam, you’re disqualified. It’s not kidnapping, but the loss for you is huge. Even if you pay, the kids won’t make it on time. Once they get the money, the scammers will disappear, leaving the kids stranded.”

“Is it really that serious?” Mrs. Chen asked, trembling.

“Let me ask you, since you’ve been dealing with these people, do you know any real information about them?”

Mrs. Chen’s eyes widened in fear as she shook her head.

Wang Haitao, impressed, said, “Mr. Chen, you sound like a fortune teller. How did you figure this out?”

Chen Shi smiled. “I just imagined if I were the scammer, how I would minimize risk and maximize profit. This is their optimal strategy.”

“Oh no!” Mrs. Chen cried. “They’re coming to pick up the kids in two hours!”

“Let’s take my car!” Chen Shi said.

“Thank you so much.”

In the car, Mrs. Chen started composing a message on her phone. “I need to warn the other parents. There are over forty kids involved!”

“The scammer can make over 8 million yuan in one go? That’s more than my dad spends in a year,” Wang Haitao said.

“Hey!” Chen Shi gave him a look. “No need to brag about wealth. Mrs. Chen, do you think Mrs. Xiao Han is part of the scam?”

“Impossible. Her daughter Xiao Han is in the same class as my son. I’ve known her for years. Xiao Han is an art student, and her art exams didn’t go well this year, so she’s trying the regular exams. But her grades are awful… Mrs. Xiao Han is very gullible, always investing in dubious schemes and dragging others in. Last year, she asked me to invest in some massage balls, saying 100,000 yuan would return a million.”

“Seems like she’s just naive,” Chen Shi said.

After sending the message, their temporary group chat exploded. Mrs. Xiao Han responded, “What nonsense are you talking about, Mrs. Chen? Do you think I’d deceive you all? Are you trying to sabotage us because you don’t want our kids to succeed? You’re the one spreading lies, shaking everyone’s resolve. Success requires risk, and those who hesitate will always fail. If you don’t believe, no one is forcing you. I trust Mr. Gao. When my son gets into a top university, I’ll be living comfortably while you’ll be regretting.”

Swayed by Mrs. Xiao Han, many parents returned to their original stance. Thirty parents still trusted Mr. Gao, while only a dozen chose to back out.

“She’s completely deluded!” Mrs. Chen fumed.

“What did she say, Haitao? Read it!” Chen Shi said.

Wang Haitao read in a monotone, “Mrs. Chen, what nonsense…,” then suddenly stopped. “Mrs. Chen, you’ve been kicked out of the group.”

“Sigh, no one believes the truth. They only believe the scammer!” Mrs. Chen was distraught.

Chen Shi thought to himself, people tend to believe what benefits them. That’s why scammers always find victims.

Chen Shi pulled out his phone and contacted KK and Sun Zhen, asking them to meet at the office. Time was tight, and they needed these two geniuses.

He pondered the situation. If they didn’t act, thirty kids would lose their exam opportunity, and their families would lose 200,000 yuan each—a huge loss for these not-so-wealthy families.

Chen Shi asked, “Mrs. Chen, have the scammers seen your child?”

“No.”

“Good!” He called Lin Qiupu, “Captain Lin, can I borrow Xiaodong for a day?”

“Huh? Borrow Xiaodong? For what?”

“Please, it’s urgent. I’ll explain later. It’s a big case.”

“Where’s the crime scene?”

“It’s not a criminal case, but it’s a matter of life and death. Just send Xiaodong to this address. I’ll text it to you.” Chen Shi hung up and tossed his phone to Wang Haitao. “Send Mrs. Chen’s address to this number.”

Mrs. Chen whispered, “Is he a police officer?”

“No, but he has strong connections with the police,” Wang Haitao replied.

“Thank goodness!” Mrs. Chen clasped her hands in relief. “Meeting you is a blessing!”