I thought about it, and since I'm already here, I'm really curious about this company that puts its reception desk on the rooftop...
To be honest, after being in the workforce for a few years, I've seen my share of scammers. I know a few who run shell companies and try to make money out of thin air.
But... setting up a company on the rooftop of a building... I've never seen such a "creative" scam before!
Consider it a learning experience!
I slowly sat down.
I had just sat down when I heard that guy say something, almost to himself. I didn't hear it clearly, but it sounded something like:
"Damn, I finally caught one..."
Part 1: In the Jianghu, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 6: Do You Believe in Luck?
The tall, thin man had already adopted the posture of a typical white-collar worker negotiating business: "Mr. Chen Yang, first of all, I need to introduce ourselves. Our company's main business is not house rental... Please don't rush to stand up. As I said, we do have houses available, and the conditions will definitely satisfy you. However, before you rent the house, I need to explain a few things to you."
"First of all, as I just mentioned, our company's main business is not real estate, but another product. Simply put, once you purchase this product, you will become a member of our company, and the benefits for members are excellent, including many preferential services. Of course, the housing you request can also be included in the membership benefits; everything is negotiable..."
My mind went blank for a moment, and I swallowed hard. "Wait...wait...you mean..." I tried to process what he had just said. "You mean, if I buy just one of your products, I can become a member and you'll help me solve my housing problem? You...what kind of organization are you? Even government employees aren't allocated housing anymore, and your members still get housing assistance? You..." I looked at him with ill intent. "You're not Al-Qaeda recruiting members in China, are you?"
"Of course not." The tall, thin man replied with a smile, "Our company's business is environmentally friendly and harmless, and our aim is to benefit society and serve the general public. We are definitely not the terrorist organization you mentioned."
Then, he suddenly pulled a huge wooden crate out from under the table. That startled me even more!
Another ghost sighting!
I saw it clearly just now! There was nothing under the table! Where did he get such a big box from?!
The tall, thin man ignored my astonished expression and opened the first layer of the box, which contained a slightly smaller box. He then opened the second layer, followed by the third, the fourth, and so on...
As I watched him open the smaller boxes one by one from the box, I almost felt like I was going to collapse. Fortunately, he finally sighed and said with a wry smile, as if talking to himself, "Sigh, I can't believe my luck is so bad. I actually got such a low-level membership."
The tall, thin man had already taken a glittering silver object from the small box in his hand and was holding it between his fingers. He smiled at me and quickly introduced it in an extremely professional tone: "Look, this is our company's main product, which we call the Luck Regulator. Wearing it, you will be able to fully control your life and fill it with beauty! Do you want the career you've always dreamed of? Do you want to avoid thirty years of struggle? Do you want to marry the beautiful woman you've always admired? Do you want to become the center of attention? Wear our product, and all your dreams may come true!"
He was probably so excited and absorbed in his speech that he didn't even notice when his spittle landed on my face.
I rubbed my face vigorously and finally realized one thing: I had been scammed.
This guy looks exactly like one of my friends who's involved in pyramid schemes!
He looked just as obsessed as ever.
I wasn't going to waste any more words with him, so I turned around and headed towards the exit of the rooftop.
But after taking only two steps, the tall, thin man behind him suddenly spoke loudly.
Just that one sentence made me stop in my tracks...
Because this bastard said in a sarcastic tone, "Chen Yang, didn't your parents teach you to respect others when they're speaking?"
Upon hearing those words, a fire suddenly ignited within me!
Those words struck the most painful spot in my heart!
I lost both my parents at a young age, and I truly had no parents to raise me! Because of this, I was often ridiculed by others throughout my school years. However, after I started learning martial arts, no one dared to say anything like that to my face anymore!
Ever since that guy said something like that and I punched him so hard that he knocked out all his teeth, no one has ever dared to say anything like that to me again!
I quickly turned around and walked towards him, clenching my fists as I went, ready to knock out his front teeth too!
"Wait...wait..." The tall, thin man waved his hands repeatedly, jumping up and backing away quickly: "Look, don't come over and try to hit me...I've checked carefully, I'm not in any danger today, I won't be beaten up. If you don't want to hurt yourself, you'd better not make a move."
I bent over, darted to his side, grabbed his collar, lifted him up, strode to the edge of the rooftop, and reached out to pull him over.
The guy immediately started screaming like a wild cat in heat on a summer night. I never imagined in my life that a man's scream could be more piercing and louder than a woman's!
"You idiot, put me down! I have a fear of heights!!" He clung to my arm like an octopus, kicking his legs wildly like a frog.
"Didn't you say you calculated that there would be no bloodshed today? Then did you calculate whether you would fall off the building today?" I stared at him coldly.
He stared at me with his big, beady eyes, blinking pitifully, and said, "This... I haven't calculated it, it shouldn't be like this." He didn't dare look down and pleaded repeatedly, "Okay, please put me down, I really have a fear of heights. I'm not afraid of you throwing me down, because I know you won't... but I'm afraid you'll scare me so badly I'll have a heart attack, I have a very serious heart condition... I've calculated that I won't have any bloodshed today, but I can't guarantee I won't have a heart attack and die... and a heart attack doesn't bleed!"
This man is crazy.
That was the first thought that popped into my head. Although I'm not a good person, I wouldn't bother with the offense of a madman.
Mentally ill people commit crimes, and even the law will forgive them.
Besides, he only made a sarcastic remark at me.
I put him down, stared at him, and said coldly, "Listen, I don't care who you are or what you're trying to sell me, I have no interest. I'm leaving now."
I've decided to leave, and I've decided that as soon as I get back, I'll find the real estate agent who introduced me to this place and punch him in the teeth!
"Don't you want to improve your luck?" the tall, thin man behind him added pitifully.
I snorted and turned to look at him: "I've heard a saying that goes, 'Whatever you want, you have to pay a price!' I believe there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world... Besides, I don't believe a word you've said. What about changing your luck? If you could change someone's luck, you might as well be God."
"You have to pay the price for what you want to gain..." The tall, thin man suddenly revealed a mysterious smile: "Mr. Chen Yang... please don't be in such a hurry. Could you please answer a question for me first..." The tall, thin man looked at me and asked with a smile: "Do you believe in the existence of 'luck' in this world?"
luck?
I was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and said, "Are you a follower of a religious sect who's here to spread their message? Well, I regret to inform you that I'm an atheist. I don't believe in any religion; I only believe in myself."
“Sure!” The tall, thin man snapped his fingers and laughed. “I don’t believe in any religion either, and I don’t think there is a God in this world. But the thing I’m talking about, luck, does exist—although we can’t see or touch it.”
I remained unconvinced: "How can something that can't be seen or touched exist?"
“Of course it exists!” The tall, thin man met my gaze and said decisively, “Air! Isn’t it also invisible and intangible? But everyone knows that air exists! It’s common sense!”
The first book, "A Man in the Martial World, Helpless in His Own Way," Chapter Seven: A Novel Theory
Seeing my speechless expression, the tall, thin man revealed a smug smile and quickly said, "Many people believe in the existence of 'luck.' For example, a gambler might win big in the first half of the night when he's lucky. But if he's unlucky, he might lose everything and have to pawn his underwear. And what causes this is luck!"
I still don't fully understand, but I have a vague feeling that what this guy said seems to make some sense...
But I immediately reminded myself that this guy in front of me was a fraud!
When I encounter a scammer, my first reaction is always: hold onto your wallet tightly!
The tall, thin man continued to explain his theory with a smile: "So, what exactly is luck? It's invisible and intangible, and what is it made of?"
"Actually, so-called luck is nothing more than a strange kind of electromagnetic wave that exists in this world, a type of brainwave that humans can perceive. It exists in the air, it exists in this world, but it's very rare... How should I put it? If I make a comparison, you might understand easily..."
He walked around the table to my side, put one hand on my shoulder, pointed at my bandaged head with the other, and coughed: "Well, let's use an analogy. This is like a radio. And so-called luck is like a 'frequency signal' hidden in the air. However, everyone's brain development is not exactly the same. Let me put it simply so you can understand... When some people have more developed brains, then their brains can receive more 'luck' than others, and they will be more fortunate. And some people have less developed brains, so naturally they receive less luck... and at the same time, they are more unlucky."
This theory is quite novel!
However, I immediately asked, "You mean brain development? But shouldn't people who have developed a lot of brainpower be very smart? Being smart and being lucky are two completely different things! There are also people who aren't very smart but have incredibly strong luck, right?"
"Tch..." The tall, thin man rolled his eyes at me: "Brain development equals IQ? Have you been reading too many fantasy novels? If you compare the human brain to a radio, more brain development is like having a higher power output than others! It doesn't simply refer to higher or lower IQ!"
"Alright." I finally became interested, shifted my posture, took out a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, lit one for myself, and handed one to the tall, thin man: "So, according to you, what exactly is luck?"
The tall, thin man took the cigarette, quickly said thank you, then pulled out an elegant Langsheng lighter. Instead of answering my question directly, he lit the cigarette, took a satisfying drag, and a look of contentment in his eyes before sighing, "I don't know."
Now it was my turn to jump up and down: "You don't know?"
The tall, thin man looked at me with pity: "Brother, I beg you... I'm just a salesperson, not a product developer. For a salesperson, I only need to know some basic theory. It's like asking a pharmacy clerk; she can tell you how the medicine works, but if you ask her how it's made, its chemical composition, or the research process, she definitely can't tell you! For a salesperson like me, I just need to memorize the instruction manual. Things that are too complex, like the research process, are trade secrets. How could I possibly know?!"
I was a little annoyed because this guy was looking at me with a "your question is idiotic" look.
He took another drag of his cigarette, cleared his throat, and a kind smile returned to his face: "Alright, now let me introduce our company's products." As he spoke, he took out the shiny little thing.
This is a ring, but it looks cheap...
Why do I say that?
First of all, the craftsmanship is very rough, and as for the material... although this tall, thin man told me it was sterling silver, it looks to me like a plated metal ring...
"Please note, this is our company's latest product. It's environmentally friendly, safe, and radiation-free. Its main function is to enhance the wearer's brainwave reception power! Wearing this ring will significantly enhance your ability to receive luck! Imagine becoming a lucky person, with good fortune accompanying you every day, filling your life with joy and happiness!" His tone was persuasive, spitting as he spoke: "Imagine, just buying one of these products can immediately improve your life! Do you want to get rich? Do you have someone you admire but are too shy to confess to? Do you crave a promotion? Then don't hesitate, buy our product, and all your dreams will come true!"
Then, he stared intently at me, his face full of excitement and anticipation.
I watched his performance with complete ease... and then, just as this guy reached his emotional peak, I casually took a drag of my cigarette and quickly asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, do you have a business license?"
"……No."
"So, do you have a business license?"
"……No……"
Do you have a product quality inspection certificate?
"…………No…" The tall, thin man was already covered in sweat.
“Very good.” I smiled, a sly smile: “So it’s a ‘three-no product’ (product without manufacturer’s name, address, or production date).
"Well... regarding this product, from a technological standpoint, it's probably unlikely to gain recognition from any scientific institution in the world in the short term..." The tall, thin man said with difficulty, his face contorted as if he had just been squeezed through a door.
"Oh..." I smiled. "So you mean your product is still in the experimental stage? It doesn't have permission to be officially launched on the market yet?"
The tall, thin man sighed, gestured to me, and I handed him a cigarette. After lighting it, he sighed again, "Brother, to be honest, I'm frustrated too! You know, our product, theoretically speaking, is indeed a bit groundbreaking... Do you think I don't want to open the company in the office building downstairs? It's just that a few days ago, when I first arrived, I accidentally pitched our product to someone, and that bastard thought I was a fraud and actually called the police to arrest me! Now I'm on the run, and I can only..." He stopped there, his face full of indignation, and shouted, "Why! Why are people so stubborn! Unwilling to accept things beyond their comprehension!!!"
His tone was full of dissatisfaction, anger, grievance, and cynicism, and those emotions actually sounded quite sincere!
"To be honest, our product is really effective, but nobody believes it! There's nothing we can do; this kind of thing is beyond human comprehension, and very few people are willing to believe it." The tall, thin man seemed to be confiding his frustrations to me: "But damn it, hundreds of years ago, did anyone believe that humans could fly? Did anyone believe that humans could fly into space? Did anyone believe that humans could invent things like telephones and television? Damn it!!"
I:"……"
I'm becoming more and more interested in this guy...
Of course, I still don't believe him, but I just think that such a conman is really too creative!
Book 1: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Will, Chapter 8: Bloodshed
He patted my shoulder and said in his most sincere voice, "How about it? Mr. Chen, give it a try. I won't lie to you... this stuff really works."
I immediately shook my head like a rattle drum.
He became anxious: "I've completely given up on this market. I want to sell this set of products as soon as possible so I can leave here and go back to the company headquarters."
"How much?" I tried asking.
He immediately rattled off a number that startled me!