Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 168, Section 166: Caught Red-Handed
Since ancient times, wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.

Scammers and con artists, like bees, hemp, swallows, sparrows, gold-plated ornaments, and colorful pendants, have their own traditions and techniques passed down through generations.

Chen Zhehan huddled in a creaky, broken chair in a rented room in the urban village, his fingers tapping irritably on the greasy tabletop.

The room was filled with the smells of smoke, instant noodles, and sweat.

The curtains are always closed, with only the lights from laptops and several mobile phone screens flickering.

Outside the window, there was the hustle and bustle of the city, but inside the house, there was only deathly silence.

He could even hear his own heavy breathing and the frantic pounding of his heart.

Ten million.

Shen Yunrong's wealthy best friend actually has ten million in her hands!

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, so I'm going to do it!"

Chen Zhehan gritted his teeth, the scarlet cigarette butt flickering in the dim light.

In the underworld, a lone wolf swindler like him belongs to the Ma Zi Men (麻字门).

The word "麻" is a homophone for "马," implying both the swiftness and agility of a sparrow striking out, and the solo effort.

Those who follow the "Ma" school often use their eloquence and silver tongue to gain the trust of others and lure them with benefits to arouse their greed.

Scammers operate alone for short periods, and their profits are moderate. Their main advantage is that they are quick to move, easy to withdraw, and easy to escape.

Chen Zhehan is an example of this.

His life, for the most part, was nothing new.

A reasonably configured laptop, several inexpensive mobile phones from different carriers, several bank cards not registered in the owner's name, and an encrypted USB drive used to record information and transaction records.

A simple form was pasted on the wall, with densely packed numbers written on it.

The first thing he does every morning is not to wash up, but to bypass the Great Firewall and browse overseas social media to find new material for his "persona".

The target is not complicated; it mainly targets elite Chinese men who share their lives but have lax privacy settings.

Yachts, upscale restaurants, gyms, luxury car steering wheels
High-quality photos of daily life were downloaded one by one and broken down into personal clips.

Next, he will use Photoshop and editing software to remove the original owner's watermark and iconic background, and finally make the luxury brand logos in the photo clearer.

Then came the video editing, adding pre-recorded vocal fry.

Good morning, darling. Just finished working out, missing you~

"Hong Kong stocks opened well today, and my portfolio went up again!"

Since Chen Zhehan discovered the secret to wealth on social media, he has become increasingly adept at refining his presentation.

Every social media post is carefully crafted to fit the persona.

Make sure you have access to social apps that allow you to cast a wide net and perform initial screening.

He has accounts with different personas, names, ages, and professions.

But the core principles are largely the same.

A wealthy, emotionally unloved elite man longs for a stable relationship.

As for how to use social apps, he figured it out little by little on his own.

Send greeting messages in bulk and quickly filter respondents.

Focus on the profile picture, the completeness of the information, the speed and content of the response, and then further narrow down a few potential candidates for in-depth conversations.

Shen Yunrong was one of the targets he initially selected by focusing his firepower on.

A single woman in her late twenties with a respectable job, longing for love, and full of hope for the future.

Such people are particularly susceptible to being taken advantage of by empty promises.

And that was exactly the case; he swindled 100,000 yuan from Shen Yunrong with almost no effort.

One hundred thousand yuan may not sound like much, but it represents all of Shen Yunrong's savings since she started working.

She still has to pay her mortgage.

Therefore, when Chen Zhehan discovered that Shen Yunrong had no savings, he finally tested her financial strength and the disposable funds of her relatives and friends. If there were none, he was prepared to stop and run away.

They operate by striking and moving on, using a platform for a period of time, reaping profits a few times, and then abandoning it.

They changed the domain name, the name, and the alias before relaunching.

This is the core of the Ma Zi Men's way of life.

But just as he was about to run away, Shen Yunrong gave him another surprise.

A genuine surprise.

She actually has a wealthy female best friend who recently returned from abroad!

He casually gives away five-figure handbags as gifts, and his car is the legendary Trident. He even goes shopping for an afternoon and then picks up his new Porsche from the dealership.
There are too many details.

Chen Zhehan became interested in this best friend immediately.

This news was like a searchlight suddenly shining in the darkness, instantly piercing Chen Zhehan's most sensitive nerve—greed.

As for whether this best friend actually has the ability, whether she's the real deal or a fake, she naturally can't fool Chen Zhehan.

He dropped out of junior high school and started working in society. From a young age, he followed his grandfather to set up chess stalls to swindle money. As he grew up, he became obsessed with studying high-tech scams, and he had seen countless people and developed his own understanding of them.

While chatting with Shen Yunrong, he cautiously began to probe.

Chen Zhehan spent most of the day trying his best to verify his best friend's identity.

Like a highly skilled spy, he frantically searched the internet for information about the companies Shen Yunrong mentioned and any possible related individuals.

Even the photos of Shen Yunrong's new car, new clothes, and new bags that she inadvertently posted, and even the details of her complaints about the poor service at the Balenciaga flagship store, he took screenshots of every single one and searched through all available channels to verify their authenticity.

The feedback was impeccable.

A company called Zall does exist, and it's quite large.

The shopping receipts seemed to match, and the most outrageous thing was that Shen Yunrong sent him a short video.

The interior of the Panamera in Bordeaux Red, photographed from all 360 degrees, with a temporary license plate displayed on the right side of the window.

Oh shit
Buying a car is as easy as going out to buy groceries, what a rich woman!
The ice of doubt began to melt under the lure of enormous wealth.

"A trust fund? Ten million?"

Soon, Chen Zhehan added the other party on WeChat.

After a few lines of dialogue, the doubts receded like a tide.

He could feel the other person's nonchalant yet somewhat impatient tone, and his cloudy eyes were replaced by a wolf-like green light.

The long string of zeros in the screenshot of the account balance completely shattered Chen Zhehan's last line of defense.

Do you think I care?

Having slaughtered pigs on social media for so long, I know exactly how much money I can extract from each pig. My heart is as cold as the slaughtering knife.

Until the number ten million appeared.

He had never caught so much money before; he stared greedily at the screen, his breath becoming hot.

He carefully selected a private equity fund that was packaged in an extremely high-end manner, claiming to have internal shares and boasting an exorbitant annualized rate of return. He even forged a beautifully crafted project proposal and screenshots of internal official documents and sent them over.

It's normal to have doubts.

After all, the other party was not Shen Yunrong, and there was no emotional connection built up over several months beforehand.

But the other party's reaction was unexpectedly restrained.

Unlike most people, this close friend wasn't immediately blinded by the promise of high returns. Instead, she displayed the discerning and cautious nature befitting her status.

This difficult attitude did not deter Chen Zhehan; on the contrary, it made him even more convinced.

This guy is definitely someone who's seen the world and has real money in his hands!

Ordinary scams simply won't fool you.

So he put in his utmost professionalism.

Not only did they return Shen Yunrong's 100,000 yuan with interest on the same day, but they also returned it immediately.

He patiently answered all questions throughout, even citing a top-tier law firm and risk control team that didn't actually exist as endorsements. Finally, after he had talked himself hoarse describing a rosy investment plan for a while, the other party seemed to have gained some trust and reluctantly relented.

[OK, Rongrong said she received the money. Your platform seems reliable.]

I can invest, but you'll have to wait a few days before you can access the money.

Upon seeing the reply, Chen Zhehan's heart leaped into his throat.

He jumped up from his chair in excitement, waving his fists and roaring silently in the small room like a madman.

"Damn! The first step was a success!"

Two days passed, but the other party remained silent, and the promised large investment never materialized.

[My transfer limit has been reached. Ugh, this is such a hassle. I'll go to the counter tomorrow to deal with it.]

There were some things to take care of at home today.

What's the rush? I'm not in a hurry to make money!

With excuses coming one after another, Chen Zhehan was extremely anxious, but he didn't want to urge them directly, feeling that something was wrong.

Especially on the other side.

On the other side, Shen Yunrong's conversation with him was also full of strange feelings.

Returning 100,000 yuan to her was simply to verify the security of the withdrawal process!

Since then, Shen Yunrong has never transferred the money back.

[Rongrong, a 22% annualized return is pretty good, right? That interest is equivalent to a month's salary for you!]

The withdrawal process is fine. You can continue to keep your money with me, and I'll manage it for you and your best friend, allowing it to accrue interest.

Whenever Chen Zhehan brought up these things, Shen Yunrong's response was not much different from before; her tone was still gentle yet firm, full of trust.

【Okay~ I'll transfer it to you later.】

They agreed quickly, but the money was delayed.

Chen Zhehan didn't feel comfortable urging her best friend, but he felt no qualms about urging Shen Yunrong.

After all, this wasn't the first time they'd pulled the bait.

He mustered his emotions and, in a tone tinged with extreme excitement, sent Shen Yunrong another carefully crafted lie.

[Baby, I have amazing news! We just received an urgent internal notification!]

[That top-tier Pre-IPO allocation, the one I mentioned before—a true goldmine project with the potential to multiply your investment several times over—is now available early! The quota is extremely limited; I fought tooth and nail to secure one. The annualized return is over 30%, with a minimum investment of 1000 million! This time, you can invest with your best friend. As long as the funds are in place within 24 hours, your allocation will be activated immediately! Don't miss this opportunity!]

Shen Yunrong was unusually excited: 【Really?! !!!】

【I'll urge her! We'll go transfer the money together tomorrow!】

Chen Zhehan: [Okay, I'll wait for your good news.]

The next morning, as soon as he woke up, he started urging him.

How did it go? Did you go to the bank?

Shen: [We're on our way, don't rush.]

After sending the message, Chen Zhehan felt all the blood rush to his brain.

He gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his eyes fixed on the screen like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.

The only sounds in the rented room were his frighteningly heavy breathing and the ticking of the wall clock.

Every second feels like a century.

Is it going to succeed?
Chen Zhehan knew he was dancing on the edge of a cliff.

That's a whopping 1000 million!
That's more than all the people he's ever cheated on combined!

Once this task is completed, I can temporarily stop working for a while.

Chen Zhehan knew perfectly well that this shocking figure was nothing compared to Shen Yunrong's savings, nor to the mere few thousand or tens of thousands of yuan that many housewives earned.

Being swindled out of ten million is out of the question.

The moment the other party realizes they have been scammed, they will 100% choose to call the police immediately.

Is China safe?

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

There's no way to avoid it.

Should we buy plane tickets in advance and just head abroad?
Will the money arrive today?

Did things go smoothly at the bank?
Will Shen Yunrong and her best friend transfer the money cleanly and efficiently?

What if they hesitate or even become suspicious?
Fear and greed were locked in a fierce battle within Chen Zhehan, almost tearing him apart.

Suddenly, the phone screen lit up.

This is a new message from Shen Yunrong's best friend.

Could you please log in to the platform? I'd like to check my transaction data again.

[Can you answer the phone?]

【Sure!】

Chen Zhehan's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, almost stopping its beating.

The other party is asking for details!

They're considering it!

Overwhelming ecstasy instantly overwhelmed the dam of fear.

His fingers trembled so much he could barely hold the phone as he dialed the number as fast as he could, afraid the other person would change their mind if he hesitated even a second longer.

"Hey?"

"Yes, yes, I'll send you the electronic version of the agreement right away. See, when is the earliest the bank can process this? Time really waits for no one!"

The other person's voice was as melodious as a silver bell, yet it was a suffocating wait.

Chen Zhehan paced back and forth in the room like an ant on a hot pan, sweat dripping down his temples.

His mind raced with calculations.

With over 1000 million in hand, even if the other pigs still hanging in the air aren't slaughtered for the time being, he'll still make a killing!

This money is enough for him to leave and start over somewhere else!
He was even planning which Southeast Asian country he would go to to lay low after receiving the money.

Finally, the other person spoke again, and their voice was like heavenly music.

"I've read the agreement. The account number is xxxxxxxxx, right? Remember, this is for Rongrong's sake, and also because I trust your professionalism. Don't let me down."

"Okay, okay!!!!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhehan could no longer contain himself and let out a suppressed, ecstatic roar. He slammed his fist hard on the table, making the instant noodle container jump.

The immense excitement made him tremble all over and his face flushed.

He frantically sent the pre-prepared payment account number again, followed by a series of assurances and thanks.

Looking at that account, he seemed to see mountains of cash and a future of extravagance and debauchery.

All the repression was thrown to the winds at this moment.

He won!
He caught a real whale!

He nervously kept refreshing the secret online banking page used to receive large transfer notifications, his eyes wide open, muttering unconsciously, "Hurry, hurry."

But the next second, a deafening roar followed.

The flimsy door to Chen Zhehan's rented room was suddenly kicked open.

"Police! Don't move! Hands over your head!"

The command resounded like thunder in the small room.

(End of this chapter)