When Song Qiao heard about "Sunshine 1040," he knew exactly what was going on.
This scheme, infamous in his past life, was a widely used pyramid scheme. Countless people were blinded by the promised forty million and forty thousand, only to be ruined, losing their families and homes. He couldn't believe Shu Tao was using this scam on him. He felt like laughing.
Shu Tao's luck was truly terrible; his first victim in this city was Song Qiao, who had the advantage of rebirth.
"Boss Shu, can we really earn forty million and forty thousand with this project?" Song Qiao asked, his eyes shining with feigned greed after Shu Tao finished his explanation.
Shu Tao was overjoyed. He hadn't expected Song Qiao to be so gullible, his interest piqued after just a few words. He regretted staying up all night doing his research; he could have just painted a bigger picture and Song Qiao would have taken the bait.
"Of course, it's real. I won't hide it from you, Boss Song. My first startup capital came from Sunshine 1040." Shu Tao continued to egg him on, afraid Song Qiao might waver.
"How can I get involved?" Song Qiao asked, casually glancing at his watch, his curiosity seemingly piqued.
"The entry fee is sixty-nine thousand eight hundred. But with your financial standing, Boss Song, I'd recommend investing about ten times that. That way, you can reach your goal of forty million and forty thousand in less than two months." Shu Tao grew more excited as Song Qiao seemed to fall for it. He was amazed at how easily people could be fooled. He had already swindled over a million with the shell company and was about to trick Song Qiao out of seven or eight hundred thousand. He believed he could even empty Song Qiao's pockets with another excuse later, then disappear and buy out Xiang Piaopiao, this cash cow.
"This..." Song Qiao feigned hesitation. "Boss Shu, you might not know, but my factory is facing some financial difficulties recently. It will take some time to gather the eighty thousand."
Shu Tao's face stiffened, and he inwardly lamented. Song Qiao could wait, but he couldn't. The steel bar factory was just a facade, and if the secretary ever found out, he'd spend the rest of his life in prison.
"How about this, Boss Shu," Song Qiao began, setting his trap by playing on Shu Tao's impatience. "Let's cancel the investment in the steel bar factory, and I'll put all my money into this Sunshine project." Once Shu Tao agreed to dissolve the investment, he could quickly wrap things up and ensure Guo Jun and the secretary could escape unscathed.
Shu Tao was taken aback by Song Qiao's words, surprised by his obsession with the project. After all, both the steel bar factory and the Sunshine project were scams, leading to the same outcome. After a moment of feigned hesitation, Shu Tao gritted his teeth, appearing reluctant.
"Fine, I'll accompany you on this gamble. We'll cancel this investment, and once the funds are collected, I'll see it through with you, putting all the money into this Sunshine project."
"Boss Shu, words are not enough. We need to sign an agreement first," Song Qiao said with a half-smile, seeing that he had taken the bait.
Shu Tao, a shrewd businessman, understood Song Qiao's concern about him delaying the funds. He quickly drafted an agreement to withdraw the investment in his office, and both parties signed it.
The moment he received the agreement, Song Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. He said calmly, "Boss Shu, shall we find another place to have tea?"
Shu Tao looked at Song Qiao, utterly confused by his question. "Where are you going, Boss Song?"
"To the police station, of course."
Just then, Guo Jun burst through the door, striding in with several uniformed officers behind him.
"Hello, we are from the Economic Crimes Investigation Department. Your company is involved in economic issues. Please cooperate with us and come back for an investigation." The leading officer glanced at Guo Jun's expression, then stepped forward and showed Shu Tao his badge.
Shu Tao's mind went blank. Moments ago, he was the confident hunter; now, he was the prey. "I've been tricked," was his only thought as he looked at Song Qiao. As handcuffs were placed on his wrists, his eyes went dead, his legs felt weak, and he was almost dragged away. For his years of fraud and economic crimes, he deserved to be shot twice over. Moreover, the secretary was involved in this affair, and his words could easily lead to a harsher sentence.
As soon as Shu Tao was taken away, Song Qiao and Guo Jun exchanged a knowing smile and high-fived each other.
"Brother Song, you're a genius," Guo Jun exclaimed. "You actually made that scoundrel cancel his investment himself. This is incredibly satisfying! We have to go for drinks to celebrate!" Guo Jun then dragged Song Qiao to Xinyuan Restaurant.
"Brother Song, I'll propose this toast on behalf of my brother-in-law. You deserve great credit for ensuring he could extricate himself from this situation." Once the drinks were served, Guo Jun raised his glass with a serious expression. Song Qiao had indeed helped them immensely. His initial warning had made them vigilant and reduced their financial losses, and later, getting Shu Tao to withdraw his investment had prevented any incriminating evidence from falling into the wrong hands.
"Young Master Guo, you're being too formal," Song Qiao chuckled, deliberately lightening the mood. "After all, I invested a significant amount too. I had to get my share back, didn't I?"
They then chatted about their families, neither bringing up the incident again. As Guo Jun was about to leave, he leaned in and whispered to Song Qiao, "Brother Song, my brother-in-law said that if you ever face any business difficulties in the future, as long as it's within the bounds of the law, he will do his utmost to support you."
Song Qiao nodded subtly and patted Guo Jun's shoulder, indicating he understood. Guo Jun's words, likely prompted by the secretary, were a clear message: they owed him a debt of gratitude, and he had a potential patron, but he must also know his limits and not cause trouble. Otherwise, Guo Jun could easily claim it was drunken rambling, with no connection to the secretary.