Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Found Chen Ran!

Once inside the pyramid scheme organization, it was essential not to use real names. Anti-fraud Da Yong decided to use the alias "Yao Yong."

Liu Chenyang breathed a sigh of relief; at least he had brought back someone who seemed decent.

"Our project is still in the early development stage. If word leaks out, it’ll be easy for people to jump on the bandwagon. So, we need to understand that all mobile phones and such must be collected," he explained.

Da Yong obediently complied and handed over his phone. Of course, he still had other filming equipment on him that hadn’t been discovered.

"It’s quite cold today, and our room’s heating is poor, but we’ll manage! Our funds have all gone into the project itself, and none of it has been wasted on unnecessary things..."

Da Yong subtly adjusted the microphone hidden on him, carefully recording everything the pyramid scheme leaders were saying.

These conversations would later become the key points in his anti-fraud videos and brainwashing lectures!

The upcoming grievance sessions, as well as every promotional statement from the instructors, would be recorded clearly.

Additionally, the harsh conditions at the pyramid scheme hub were also on his list. Da Yong discreetly filmed the scene of ten or so people sleeping on the floor, as well as the mountain of potatoes and cabbages stacked in the kitchen.

In another building nearby, two other workers from Anti-fraud Da Yong’s team were setting up cameras and secretly filming the room.

To gather enough material for a comprehensive program educating people about pyramid schemes, this undercover operation might last two weeks or even longer.

To keep his account active, Anti-fraud Da Yong would periodically conduct live broadcasts for his fans.

This way, he could maintain fan engagement while ensuring the undercover operation wasn’t compromised by the criminals catching wind of it.

Getting some footage in advance would also guarantee the safety of the content creator.

"Alright, I’ve put up the anti-peeping film on the window. Let’s set up the camera, it’s perfectly positioned here."

"This pyramid scheme hub isn’t very professional... didn’t they close the curtains?"

"This neighborhood is sparsely populated. I heard they stopped supplying heat because too many people haven’t paid their heating fees. Many houses aren’t occupied."

The staff sighed, "Brother Yong is really going to peel back a layer this time. No heat, but they’re still eating…"

Before they could finish speaking, a delicious scent wafted through the air!

Yes, the pyramid scheme hub was serving food!

One of the most characteristic features of the "Crab Salad" dish was that it smelled more like crab than it actually tasted like it. The aroma was especially tempting on a cold winter day.

"It smells pretty good... I’m a little hungry. Pass me that bread, I need a bite."

As the staff set up the camera, one of them was looking through the lens, observing the pyramid scheme hub while also wondering who might be preparing the crab.

"This doesn’t add up... it smells like it’s coming from the pyramid scheme hub."

At first, they weren’t sure, but after filming for a few days, the staff reluctantly confirmed that the smell was indeed coming from the pyramid scheme hub.

The situation was starting to feel a bit comical!

With the efforts of about twenty college students, a whole truckload of cabbages and potatoes had been eaten in no time. Fang Zhe was on the verge of tears; his balance was completely gone.

"Bro, can we keep this going? If it gets too tough, let’s just let these college students go..."

He really couldn’t afford it anymore!The potatoes and cabbage were already the cheapest vegetables, and still no one had signed up. The newly recruited fat guy kept saying he needed more time to observe, but it had already been several days!

Liu Chenyang also had a toothache from the frustration.

However, as Fang Zhe's superior, he certainly wouldn’t be paying for this himself.

"Just bear with it. Look at all these people. The atmosphere here is great these past few days, right? Even if we can only get half of the money, we’ll still make it big!"

He greedily shoveled food from his plate while pointing his chin toward the room.

"Think about it, we’ve been to so many promotional spots. Which one had an atmosphere better than ours? Sure, it’s a little tough to get them to sign up... If worse comes to worst, we can always ask Mr. Lou to lend a hand!"

Fang Zhe sighed.

If they kept going like this, he’d still have to buy more vegetables!

Moreover, although he said they should release the college students, Fang Zhe couldn’t do that before getting the money and running away.

If even one person woke up and reported them to the police, they’d be finished!

"Well, I’ll go buy some more vegetables…"

"Let’s go. This fat guy isn’t reliable either. Let’s see if we can reel in two more!"

"Yeah, that fat guy looked pretty loaded, always reaching into his pockets... but turns out he has no money!"

While the two scammers were sighing and heading to buy more potatoes and cabbage, Anti-fraud Da Yong quickly disposed of the storage cards that were hidden on him!

Soon, a live broadcast notification appeared in the fan group!

The staff members reminded everyone seriously:

"Please do not record and distribute these clips. The footage we are showing you was shot at great personal risk by the UP. The purpose is to educate everyone about pyramid scheme hubs."

"Please take this seriously! This is a crime, and this batch of scammers has already ruined many families. That’s why we infiltrated after receiving tips from fans. The UP is taking huge risks!"

The screen sharing started in the fan group, and the staff began to explain the footage that was censored. "These pyramid scheme hubs always make great promises before luring people in. But in reality, it’s nothing but a prison."

"No personal freedom, sleeping on the floor with over a dozen people, living in houses with no heating in sub-zero temperatures, eating nothing but potatoes and cabbage."

"They even hold reminiscence meetings, encouraging the recruits to share their sad experiences and lower their defenses."

"In this brainwashing process, many people begin to truly see the pyramid scheme managers as family… and in cases where the scam fails, they might even be threatened."

The mood in the fan group was tense, and everyone couldn’t help but worry about the safety of the UP.

"Can’t we call the police now? Isn’t there already evidence?"

Anti-fraud Da Yong’s account had established some connections with officials by now.

The staff reassured the fans: "First, we need more footage to expose the scam, and second, we need to use this small hub to draw out the higher-ups."

He hinted in the group:

"The higher-ups in this pyramid scheme, like Lou Dongcheng, are very different from these small-time scammers. After scamming enough money, they even sold people to Southeast Asia. We cannot let our guard down with something like pyramid schemes!"

"Let me show you a bit more of their brainwashing techniques…"

Soon, a new video appeared on the screen share. To prevent leaks, all the faces in the video were blurred."Family! We're truly sharing both the hardships and joys together. Think about it, in any company, where do you find a leader eating with everyone... Look at Manager Liu, eating exactly the same as everyone else..."

The staff played part of the video and continued explaining: "Everyone, pay attention to this sales pitch!"

Most of the fans in the group were focused on listening to the staff's explanation, but some couldn't control their wandering thoughts...

He Xin had always been a loyal fan of Anti-fraud Da Yong. As someone in the food industry, she had successfully avoided several major losses thanks to Anti-fraud Da Yong's videos.

She had been watching today's livestream from the very beginning.

For some reason, the scene of people gathered together eating in the pyramid scheme hub felt strangely familiar to her.

How could potatoes and cabbage taste so good?

In just this short two-minute video, someone had already finished one plate and was going for more!

He Xin had never added Chen Ran on WeChat. She quickly asked Ji You, "Ji You, you have Chef Chen Ran’s WeChat, right? Has she posted anything on her Moments recently?"

Ji You quickly checked and replied, "No."

He Xin was stunned. Could Chen Ran have unknowingly ended up in a pyramid scheme hub?!

She took a deep breath, watching the staff explain a commonly used sales pitch. Afterward, the person holding the hidden camera stood up to get more food.

As they took a few steps, Anti-fraud Da Yong exchanged a few words with someone next to him.

"Are there any more crab dishes?"

"Is the eggplant gone?"

"I'm going to quickly grab another bowl!"

With these words, the fans who had been worried about Anti-fraud Da Yong’s safety relaxed a little.

"Great, looks like the UP won’t be losing weight anytime soon."

"Crab... The food in this pyramid scheme hub is pretty decent."

As everyone else relaxed, He Xin's heart started beating faster!

She had originally planned to leave Ping Shan City today, but looking at this, she would have to stay longer.

He Xin was completely focused on the video. She saw Anti-fraud Da Yong getting his meal, and when the chef served him, she noticed the chef looked up and smiled!

Although the face was blurred, she recognized Chen Ran’s figure!

He Xin quickly took a screenshot and sent the image to the "Lion’s Head" group.

"Where is everyone? Come out! Look at this image and tell me, is this Chen Ran?"

She didn’t have the authority to @ everyone, so she manually tagged each person, not missing a single one.

If this had been any other place, He Xin might have kept the clue to herself. But finding Chen Ran in such a place, she couldn’t afford to waste a single second.

"Her figure looks similar, but I can’t see her face. Has her hair gotten shorter?"

"Did Ran Ran go and cut her hair during the last day of the food competition?"

"Look at her hand! The scar on her hand!"The image of Chef Chen Ran's hands quickly popped up as "Zhu Nan" (Anti-fraud Da Yong) swiftly pulled it from the previously recorded footage.

"Look! It's Ran Ran!"

The small white scars on her hands confirmed it was indeed Chen Ran!

He Xin noticed for the first time how many scars Chen Ran had on her hands, and her heart couldn't help but ache.

She had always known that Chen Ran's food was delicious and that she practiced cooking without ever complaining, but she had never realized how many injuries her hands had sustained.

"Where did you find Chen Ran?"

"Why haven't you posted this in the main fan group? Hurry up and give me the location. What new recipes has Chen Ran developed this time?"

"Sigh, who cares about the new recipes? What's important is the location. Can I sneak in?"

He Xin took a deep breath, holding back the tears that were about to fall.

"Chef Chen has been taken to a pyramid scheme hub! We need to go protect her!"

The "Lion's Head" group exploded.

Even Ms. Wang, who usually never spoke, was shocked.

"What’s going on? Shouldn’t we call the police? How can you still be talking here?"

He Xin took another deep breath and relayed the information she had heard from the fan group, adding one last point.

"We can't call the police yet. Anti-fraud Da Yong is undercover there, trying to catch higher-ups... They probably won’t make a move yet."

Seeing this, everyone felt a bit more at ease.

Since the police were monitoring the situation and there was an undercover agent, Chen Ran's safety should be okay.

However, even if her safety was likely secured, no one could stop worrying about her.

"Even if she's safe, these pyramid schemes use really violent methods! Ran Ran probably doesn’t have much money on her, will she be beaten?"

"Whether she gets beaten or not, being alone in that pyramid scheme hub, she’s definitely going to be bullied!"

"Where is this place? Do we have an address?"

Everyone in the group was anxious and throwing out suggestions in a chaotic mess.

But Ms. Wang, who usually cared the most about Chen Ran, hadn’t said anything. He Xin was puzzled when suddenly the group notifications kept coming in.

Tang Yang from Tang’s Martial Arts was added to the group chat!

Gao Lei from Tang’s Martial Arts was added to the group chat!

Gossip Cheng was added to the group chat!

Dao Fa Zi Ran was added to the group chat!

He Xin finally felt a little relieved and exhaled deeply. Then she realized something.

Without even noticing, Chef Chen had become a renowned chef who could touch the hearts of so many people...

Looking at these names in the chat, He Xin unknowingly let go of her worries.In a situation where calling the police wouldn't lead to action, even finding the police wouldn't be as useful as reaching out to these martial artists!

Ji You had already briefly summarized the situation, and for a moment, the group was filled with excitement.

"Really can't call the police?"

"Calling the police probably won't help for now... These scammers are very cunning! Some people have already been sold out of the country, so we need to find the people before we can close in."

"Seriously! Can we even find this pyramid scheme location?"

He Xin had already inquired with Anti-fraud Da Yong. For the safety of undercover personnel, they couldn’t casually reveal the location of the pyramid scheme.

"Can't find it, but it shouldn't be too far. From the video screenshot, everyone’s wearing thick clothes, so it’s definitely somewhere in the north."

"Find it!"

Tang Yang succinctly said one sentence, then didn’t speak again in the group.

For her, Chen Ran was nothing short of a benefactor.

The aftereffects of the "抢菜大会" (vegetable-snatching competition) hadn’t passed, and there were still some martial arts enthusiasts traveling from all directions to pay homage to the Tang Family Martial Arts School.

But... something felt strange.

The once lively Tang Family Martial Arts School was now eerily quiet.

Not only were the teachers absent, but even the students were nowhere to be seen.

The martial arts enthusiasts were a bit disappointed and couldn’t help but ask, “I heard that Old Master Cheng is also staying here for exchanges. Is he not here either?”

“None of them are here. Everyone has gone out for exchanges.”

The group of enthusiasts felt a little discouraged.

They had traveled a long distance, and now they couldn’t find any of the masters. Where had they all gone?

Perhaps Chen Ran could answer this question.

After cooking the same dishes at the pyramid scheme hub for so long, she felt a bit bored and worried.

The boredom came from making the same food over and over, and the worry came from thinking about the university students who had been trafficked here.

Could it be that some people were really scammed out of their money?

She sighed, about to continue peeling potatoes when suddenly, a warm and steady hand reached out.

"I'll peel these potatoes."

That voice... sounded familiar?

Chen Ran froze for a moment, raising her head and looking at Tang Yang, who had cropped his hair short to blend in.

Tang Yang winked at her, cautiously making a "shush" gesture, his voice very low, "I remember you used to like Xiao Dao Chang peeling potatoes for you? Why are you so surprised to see me?"

"Don't worry, compared to the gossip sword, our Tai Chi sword is just as fast for peeling potatoes!"

Chen Ran opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could, her eyes started to well up.

She covered her mouth, feeling warm tears falling onto her hands.Even with the system’s assurances, over the course of these days, she still felt a bit uneasy in her heart.

She also thought about whether those customers who had traveled from all over the country might end up tracking her down here.

But when she actually saw Tang Yang sneak in, even cutting her hair into a buzz cut…

Tang Yang quickly handed her a packet of tissues. "Don't cry, it's fine. It's not just me, you know!"

Afraid that someone outside might notice, Chen Ran struggled to hold back her tears. She wiped her face hard, then couldn’t help but ask again.

"Sis Tang Yang, your hair..."

"Ha, just say I'm handsome and that's enough!"

Tang Yang's actions with the peeler were as smooth as if she were wielding a sword, swiftly peeling the potatoes.

Chen Ran swallowed her tears and suddenly looked out the window. She caught sight of Wudang’s young Daoist priest peeking in, tossing her a packet of beef jerky.

She was startled—this was the fifth floor!

"It’s fine, he knows how to glide on clouds. Even if he jumps from the fifth floor, he’ll be fine," Tang Yang whispered to comfort her. "Let’s not talk too much, we don’t want those two fools to notice."

Chen Ran nodded.

With Tang Yang helping her peel and prepare the ingredients, she was able to cook much faster.

However, when she saw the crowd queueing up for their meals in the evening, she noticed her hands had slowed down.

This line…

Old Master Cheng, with his graying hair and beard, dressed simply like a farmer, spoke with a rustic accent. "Girl, give me more cabbage. This is the one thing I really enjoy."

Behind Old Master Cheng was Teacher Gao from Tang Family Martial Arts, her hair curled into a woolen perm, looking much more gentle than usual.

"Give me a little more too, and some soup!"

When Chen Ran handed over the dish she had just served to Teacher Gao, she felt the older woman touch her hand.

"Oh my, little chef, why are your hands so cold? After this, come to my room. I’ll give you two pairs of gloves."

Teacher Gao gave her a knowing glance before walking away, and the next person in line was a little bald-headed man.

The little bald-headed man was dressed in a motorcycle leather jacket, deliberately looking a little flashy. But from his expression and movements, he gave off a strange and awkward vibe.

He walked up and was about to raise his hand when he quickly lowered it. "Could you serve me some food as well? Thank you."

Chen Ran recognized him—it was the little monk from Shaolin Temple who had suddenly reached enlightenment!

She quickly served him a plate of food and softly comforted the monk, "Everything's vegetarian... but there’s spring onion in the stuffed eggplant."

The little monk looked a bit embarrassed, gritting his teeth before placing the stuffed eggplant behind someone else's plate.

That person was overjoyed. "Thank you!"

Although he hadn’t tasted Chen Ran’s new dish yet, he could tell it must be delicious just by looking at it!

He pushed forward, handing over his plate. "This stuffed eggplant was given to me by someone else, it doesn’t count! Can you give me two more?"Chen Ran listened to his voice and found it somewhat familiar. After carefully identifying it, it was Teacher Zheng from the martial arts school.

There were only three teachers at the Tang Family Martial Arts School, and all of them were here!

Chen Ran couldn’t help but raise her head, looking back at the food line.

The master of Hung Kuen had already removed the iron rings from his arms, and with his sleeves rolled up, a section of his arm, which had turned pale, was exposed.

The old Taoist who practiced Praying Mantis Fist wasn't wearing his Taoist robe. Instead, he wore a very stylish trench coat and cool sunglasses. If it weren't for his arms being slightly longer than the others', it would be hard to recognize him.

The inheritor of the Tan Tui style wore jeans and had legs so long that they could probably be a model.

Only the young man of Bajiquan looked a bit silly, not using any disguise. Even without trying to hide, he didn’t seem like a martial arts expert.

Almost everyone from the抢菜大會 (Dish Grabbers’ Competition) was here.

Chen Ran felt her eyes welling up with tears. She couldn’t help but lower her head, using the opportunity of serving food to secretly wipe her eyes.

She had simply, and earnestly, made the dishes.

All she could do was cook with sincerity.