Grandpa looked at me, his smiling expression turning somber. He sighed and said, "I'm seventy-eight this year."
"At this age, I qualify for pretending to have dementia."
"Yes, I qualify, which is both convenient and inconvenient. For over a year, if I hadn't pretended to be confused and let them think there was an opportunity, continuing to deceive these old fellows, they might have already run off."
This Heavenly Art Collection Investment Company has problems, I could tell. Two points: first, the elderly gentlemen never actually saw the real collectibles, so who knows if they bought anything. Second, the crowdfunded money was never returned, and the old members' principal investments were supposed to appreciate – it was a scam within a scam.
"Why not call the police?"
"What good would arresting them do? The money wouldn't be recovered, it would just be a hassle. Don't underestimate how much they care about a few pennies, even at this age. If they knew they'd been cheated out of tens of thousands, they wouldn't be able to get past it mentally, even if they could financially. Life is good now, they worked their whole lives, why not enjoy a few good years? It's not worth it if it makes them not want to live."
I felt a surge of anger listening to him. The people behind 'Logical Paradox' are truly inhumane. They scam those who want to get rich into bankruptcy, they prey on women hurt by relationships, and now they're after the pensions of retired seniors.
"What are your plans?"
"I don't know. Stall for as long as possible. I haven't thought of a good solution yet."
"You've figured out it's a scam, yet you haven't thought of a way to crack it?"
Grandpa sighed deeply, "I've just lived a long time, and I haven't encountered many con artists. I only realized this was a scam because an old buddy of mine was swindled."
Then, Grandpa told me about his old companion. In Xi'an dialect, 'huo ban' is a colloquial term for a buddy.
...
Grandpa wasn't an antique dealer. He had a clean background, coming from an archaeology team before working as an official at a museum, retiring from the Museum of Antiquities. An elder named Zhang Bing, who was his colleague, was defrauded by this kind of scam. He lost over a hundred thousand yuan, couldn't overcome the blow, and died of grief.
Zhang Bing had a son and a daughter, both struggling financially, sometimes needing help from Zhang Bing and his wife. It was around this time that these real estate agents appeared at the plaza where the old couple used to stroll. These people were dressed very formally, young and friendly. They advertised free shuttle service for property viewings, including lunch.
Zhang Bing wasn't particularly interested and chatted casually with the young people, saying, "We old bones are fine living wherever we are. Why bother with such expensive houses?"
The sales representatives listened with a particularly warm attitude, "Elderly people should enjoy life more. After a lifetime of hardship and a long, tiring career, should you still be content to just get by in your old age?"
"Who doesn't want to live well? We just don't have the money."
The sales representatives smiled, "Sir, you can't be left behind by the times. Our current housing project is a new business model. Not only is the environment good and suitable for retirement, but it can also make you money."
...
That houses can make money was an obvious fact to everyone.
The old couple thought about it and decided to get on the bus to view properties. A small bus took the elderly to the Lishan area, bringing them to the Lishan Resort and its hot spring retirement base. They warmly told the elders that if they lived there, the bathing water would be the same as that used by Yang Guifei. The elderly chuckled, feeling warm inside.
It felt like a half-day trip, like tourism. They were provided lunch, and upon disembarking, each person received a box of local Lishan free-range eggs.
At that time, Zhang Bing and his wife felt they couldn't afford a house, but they couldn't resist the constant barrage from the sales representatives, who projected an image of their real estate company's strong financial standing. They offered eggs one day, rice the next. They even heard that buying a house came with a refrigerator and a color TV, ready for immediate occupancy.
Initially, the elderly were enticed by the eggs and rice, and they would occasionally take the bus. Over time, they heard on the bus that some people who bought houses had actually received a 10% cash rebate within a year.
After inquiring further, they learned that the houses in Lishan weren't expensive and were affordable. Coupled with the real estate company's many preferential policies, Zhang Bing and his wife thought, "We can't rely on our children in the future. Let's rely on ourselves." So, they took their life savings and bought a house.
...
Not long after buying the house, the company ran into trouble.
This promotion had been going on for over a year. Some elderly buyers hadn't received the promised benefits and went to the real estate company. The "healthy living property" scam was exposed.
The first buyer hadn't actually received the house; it was an off-plan property as promised in the contract. With police intervention, it turned out the so-called off-plan property was a pipe dream, and the model homes displayed by the company were all rented.
Although the police solved the case, during the investigation, they discovered that the real estate company had already transferred all the funds. The company's assets consisted of those dozens of rented properties and two small buses used to ferry the elderly daily.
When Zhang Bing heard this news, he suffered a stroke and was bedridden for several years. He died of grief, carrying the regret of being defrauded in his lifetime.
...
Zhang Bing was Grandpa's colleague. Although retired, in terms of their start date, he was considered a junior to Grandpa. For Grandpa, dying before seventy was fate. Dying before seventy due to being swindled and grief-stricken was a sign of someone's depravity.
As soon as the Heavenly Art Collection Investment Company launched, Grandpa got involved. The same people fell for it, and they were still retirees. Grandpa thought that by being involved, he could easily expose the scam, but that wasn't the case. The scam was more complex than that. Those old men and women who were defrauded were currently happily living their dreams of getting rich in their old age. If you told them now that they had been scammed, they wouldn't believe you.
...
After hearing the whole story from Grandpa, I understood the difficulty in resolving this scam. Exposing the scam wouldn't be difficult; the challenge was how to get the money back. The biggest fear was that the Heavenly Investment Company had been operating for a while, and the defrauded funds might have already been transferred.
"Xiao Tang, have you found a solution yet?"
"No, Grandpa. You've pulled me into this situation, did you really think I could solve it easily?"
Grandpa chuckled, "When it comes to con artists, you need a con artist to solve it."
I didn't want to hear that, "Who is the con artist?"
"How much did Lin Han pay to get you? I heard from her grandmother that even though you haven't registered your marriage, you've been living together for half a year."
"That's right, we've been living together for half a year. We're in a relationship. I was the one who insisted on meeting her family, so she brought me back."
Hearing me say this, Grandpa shook his head, "Child, your skills at deception are probably not bad. My shrewd son didn't suspect you. But in front of us old folks, some things can't be hidden."
Did I slip up somewhere? But I didn't care. Since Grandpa said so, there must be a reason for an elder's insight. Besides, this wasn't an unrevealable scam; this situation targeted Lin Han. It was fine if the elders saw through it.
"I'll be honest with you. Tell me, where did I reveal myself?"
Grandpa pouted, "You're a con artist, and you're still trying to negotiate when you've been exposed."
Ginger is indeed spicier with age, but it's okay. I continued to threaten him, "Knowing the full story would be beneficial to you, right? Exposing this situation might not be a good thing."
Grandpa had seen a lot and understood how to weigh the pros and cons. Moreover, based on his demeanor today, he seemed to trust me.
"You first."
"No lying."
"How old am I? My word is my bond. Am I like you con artists?"
He's labeled me as one, but I don't mind. I smiled and told Grandpa about the conflict between Lin Zhijun and his daughter Lin Han. Grandpa listened, sighing and muttering to himself, "The son has unspeakable difficulties, and the granddaughter is so direct and stubborn. It must be tough on her mother."
Although Grandpa appeared melancholic, I could tell he was inwardly pleased. After all, it was good news. So, I pressed further, "Grandpa, how did you know I was fake? I just met you, and I've already slipped up. If I don't figure this out, it will affect my future work."
"I'm tired. We'll talk tomorrow."
The old man closed his eyes, about to sleep. I stopped him, "Hey~ What's the meaning of this? Didn't you just say your word is your bond? Now you're spitting anywhere?"
"I'll ask for you later. I'm really tired today. Young man, goodnight!"
"Don't, don't!"
The old man covered himself with the blanket. I was truly... I wanted to curse. He kept calling me a con artist, but who was the real con artist?
Just as I was about to continue arguing with the old man, Grandma opened the door and said with a smile, "Nan, your father is back. He's in the study. Your mother asked you to take a cup of tea in."
"My father?" My mind was full of question marks.
"This child, you and Lin Han are practically family now. Don't you have to call my son, Lin Zhijun, Dad?"
"Ah~ Uncle is back. I'll go right away."
Just as I was about to leave, Grandma advised me, "My son has a bad temper. Be careful with your words."
Grandpa, who was supposedly asleep, opened one eye, "Don't worry about him. He's in the same system as your son. We should just turn a blind eye and pretend we didn't see anything."
I understood. So, the old lady knew I was fake too.
Alright, I'll make my exit. You two old folks can have a deep conversation.
In the living room, there was a prepared teapot. This teapot looked extraordinary. It had an irregular shape: a straight mouth, sloping shoulders, a bulging belly, a curved spout, a loop handle, a knobbed lid like a precious pearl, and a flat base supported by four narrow, sharp legs.
I don't know antiques, but looking at its condition, I knew it was valuable.
I carefully carried the teapot into the room. Lin Zhijun was pacing like an ant on a hot pan. As soon as I entered, he anxiously said, "She's been chatting with her mother the whole time. She didn't even come out to see me when she knew I was back."
"She's brought people home, give her some time. General Manager Lin, let's not rush. Let's discuss the progress of our work first."
"You've only just arrived and you already have a task?"
"I discovered it by chance. I've truly been racking my brain for a long time, General Manager Lin. May I ask, have you ever been scammed?"
"No!" Lin Zhijun looked genuinely bewildered.
"Then, would you like to be scammed once?"
Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble? Lin Zhijun looked at me in surprise. I smiled and said, "If you give me this teapot, I'll scam you once."