The Joker Was Me

Based on the conversation from the two adjacent bathroom stalls, both Xu Mo and Li Yunfei felt something was seriously wrong with one of the people talking.

While there are ways to make four million in a week, most of those methods can be found in a book called "Get Rich Quick (Criminal Law Edition)."

Especially when they heard that this venture required 200,000 yuan in startup capital, both immediately suspected it was some kind of scam.

So after finishing their business, they didn't leave right away. Instead, they exchanged knowing glances and decided to listen in to see if there was anything suspicious going on.

"200,000 yuan startup capital? That's quite a lot, Brother Hai. You know my situation - I can't even scrape together 20,000, let alone 200,000."

"You're thinking too small! If you don't have money, you can borrow it. Worst case, steal your parents' retirement savings to use first. Think about it - invest 200,000 to make millions. This is a chance to change your social class. Are you sure you're not tempted?"

"Alright! But what's the actual business, Brother Hai? Tell me first so I can see if I can do it. If I can, I'll figure out how to gather the 200,000!"

By this point, both men were certain.

This was definitely a scam, likely a "pig butchering" scheme targeting acquaintances!

Of course, they didn't act rashly. They decided to keep listening, and the more detail-oriented Xu Mo even took out his phone and started recording video of the stall door.

Then, Brother Hai began explaining his money-making scheme.

"What do you mean 'can you do it?' Let me tell you, anyone can do this. It's foolproof, guaranteed profits, money-making at its finest... It's simple too. All you need to do is rent a space and create a fake bank - just pick any one of the Big Four banks to copy."

"That 200,000 yuan startup capital is for building the bank. Just pick whichever of the Big Four banks you like, then replicate their branch layout exactly, one-to-one."

"You have to nail all the details, make it indistinguishable from the real thing. Make it so convincing that even the gods couldn't tell it's fake. That's how you make money."

"After setting up the bank, hire a few employees and wait for people to come deposit money. Whatever they deposit is what you earn. Then you can start making money while lying down. How about that? Isn't it brilliant?"

Xu Mo: "???"

Li Yunfei: "???"

Good grief - forge one of the Big Four banks? Wait for people to deposit money? And pocket everything they deposit!?

This guy must have eaten a leopard's gall bladder to be so bold!

The saying "your gains match your guts" really wasn't just empty words.

This brother really had some wild ideas! He'd try to make money from anything!

This was definitely worth handcuffs - way too criminal!

However, what surprised them even more was that the guy in the next stall was just as audacious. After hearing this so-called money-making scheme, not only did he not find anything wrong with it, he actually got excited...

One bold enough to propose, another bold enough to listen!

"Damn, this really seems like a way to make money! Brother Hai, you're so smart to think of this... But what if no one comes to deposit money? Wouldn't I fail to make any money then?"

"That's easy to solve!" Brother Hai laughed and continued.

"You need to run promotions! Give away things for deposits, like cooking oil and rice. For a one-year fixed deposit of 10,000 yuan, give them a bottle of cooking oil and a vacuum-packed bag of rice. Two years gets two sets. For deposits of 80,000-100,000, give them a new phone!"

"There are plenty of people who love small benefits. Set your interest rates slightly higher than other bank branches, and won't people line up to give you their money? A bottle of oil and a bag of rice for 10,000 yuan - tell me that's not a good deal!"

At this point, Li Yunfei started feeling something was off.

He looked at the new phone in his hand and fell into deep thought...

Earlier today, he had deposited all his savings - 100,000 yuan - into a bank in exchange for a phone.

Could it be... that he was the fool all along?

Before he could think further, the people in the stall started talking again.

"Awesome, Brother Hai, this is brilliant, absolutely brilliant! You've got such business acumen. If I had your brains, I'd be rich by now!"

Hearing this, Xu Mo thought to himself, you're lucky you don't have his criminal mind, or you'd already be in prison working the sewing machine!

"By the way, Brother Hai, what about ATMs? Those must be expensive, right? 200,000 probably isn't enough for even one machine. How will people deposit money without ATMs?"

"Why do you need ATMs? You couldn't buy those even if you had the money! No need for ATMs, just counters will do. When you're decorating, just build the ATM enclosures. If customers ask, tell them the bank just opened and the ATMs haven't arrived yet, so they can only deposit at the counter. Give them a passbook and you're done! A passbook is just a little booklet - put in some effort to forge it, and it won't cost much."

"But Brother Hai, what if people want to withdraw their money when their deposits mature?"

"Withdraw what money? You think this is a long-term business? Don't be stupid! This operation can only last ten days to half a month at most. How many people can there be around the bank? Once they've deposited their money, they won't come back. By then your deposit business will slow down anyway, but you'll have made several million. Just close the bank and run - you don't even need to pay the employees' salaries, haha!"

"Brilliant, Brother Hai! Damn, several million - I probably couldn't earn that much in my whole life!"

"Oh, and when you open your bank, don't do it on Huaihai Road. My ICBC branch is there. You need to pick a different location, or we'll be competing and neither of us will make money."

"Got it, thanks for the advice, Brother Hai! When I make it big, I'll definitely repay you!"

"..."

Huaihai Road, new ICBC branch...

Wasn't that exactly where he had deposited his money?

He was the fool all along!

Li Yunfei was completely stunned, too angry to speak, his head buzzing, his hand turning white from gripping the phone too tightly.

He, a police officer, had been scammed? It would be laughable if anyone found out!

And he spent his days preaching to citizens about fraud prevention and warning them not to fall for small benefits.

What a disaster!

Beside him, Xu Mo noticed Li Yunfei's expression and the new phone he was gripping tightly.

He asked quietly: "That phone, is it new?"

Li Yunfei: "..."

Recommend Series

The Creepy Love Game with Everyone Being Yandere

The Creepy Love Game with Everyone Being Yandere

] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.

Getting Rejected Makes Me Stronger

Getting Rejected Makes Me Stronger

grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)

Just Born, the Divorce Counterattack System Arrives

Just Born, the Divorce Counterattack System Arrives

spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.

The Wife I Picked Up Can’t Possibly Be the World-Ending Witch

The Wife I Picked Up Can’t Possibly Be the World-Ending Witch

mance] After transmigrating for eighteen years, Lin Qi lived as an utterly ordinary herbalist in the countryside. One day, he kindly brought home a sickly, beautiful girl covered in blood. They married in a flash and began their blissful, intimate life together. Right then, his long-delayed system finally activated. [Warning! Host detected in contact with the "Crimson Calamity," the world-ending witch!] Lin Qi looked at the adorable wife currently curled in his arms, who couldn't even open a jar lid and trembled at the sight of a mouse. Lin Qi: "System, are you insane? This is clearly just a weak and delicate sickly girl!" Thus, Lin Qi treated the system as a "Contrast System," where taking care of his wife made him stronger. Combing his wife's hair rewarded him with [Free Attribute Points]. Taking his wife out for sunshine rewarded him with [Forbidden Spell: Arcane Explosion]. Lin Qi: "This soft life tastes so good!" ... Yet, in the eyes of outsiders: The strongest Beastkin Assassin: "That man dissected a Beast King with a common skinning knife! That was a show of force towards the powerful!" The Holy Son of the Radiant Church: "I infiltrated his home as a tutor, but he had me babysit the children... He must have seen through my disguise!" The World-Ending Witch, Felucia: "I hid all the way in the countryside. How is it that the husband I married on a whim is stronger than I was at my peak?"