My heart is kind; I can't bear to see this.

Lin Mo's seat served as an intelligence hub.

He could clearly catch wind of any stir in the classroom.

Beside him, Jiang Yunlu tapped the tip of her pen lightly against her textbook, making a faint clicking sound. She was clearly displeased with Ye Minghui's display of using money to solve everything.

To put it nicely, he was providing benefits for the whole class. But these benefits were like an invisible rope; whoever accepted them was essentially handing one end over to Ye Minghui.

For those with strong self-esteem, it felt like a downright insult.

Of course, Jiang Yunlu did not voice her thoughts, but her impression of Ye Minghui and Zhou Nianqian dropped a few more points.

However, she did not judge others' choices too much; keeping it to herself was enough.

After another class ended, Mai Zirong finally came over to Lin Mo's side. He had not collected the class fee from Lin Mo's group yet. Although someone had offered to pay it for them in advance, he still had to ask out of routine.

After all, Mai Zirong felt he could not make choices on behalf of others.

Are you guys still paying the class fee?

Lin Mo did not even look up. His eyes remained on the page, but a lazy smile touched the corners of his mouth.

Of course, why wouldn't we?

He slowly closed his book and leaned back in his chair. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the surrounding desks.

What if one day he is in a bad mood, points at our noses, and says we are eating his food and using his stuff, treating us like dogs? What then?

Lin Mo directly pulled out a ten-yuan bill and pushed it over.

The others also took out their ten-yuan bills.

Nobody lacked ten yuan, and they certainly did not want to be controlled in the future over such a trivial amount.

If an argument ever broke out later, they would invisibly be at a disadvantage.

It is a pity this trick does not work on everyone.

Xue Zigui lowered his voice and gestured with his chin toward the other corner of the classroom. Try using this on Su Mingzhao. Not only will he not feel insulted, he might even thank you for helping him save money.

This remark drew a wave of low chuckles.

After all, psychological attacks were practically useless against someone as thick-skinned as Su Mingzhao.

Hearing the commotion, the corners of Jiang Yunlu's lips could not help but curve up slightly.

She also took out ten yuan and handed it to Mai Zirong, along with the shares of a few girls sitting nearby.

Looking around, the vast majority of the class gladly accepted the benefit, and some even took the initiative to thank Ye Minghui.

After all, in the face of absolute wealth, so-called backbone seemed a bit impractical.

The rich naturally would not abandon their money-based tactics.

But aside from that, those two had actually been quite well-behaved.

Or rather, they were very patient.

Lin Mo did not care too much, as long as they did not resort to underhanded methods.

After school in the afternoon, the setting sun bathed the entire city in a warm golden glow.

Xie Yuling went to pick up Ning Qingcheng to go home for dinner.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo accompanied Tong Dong to redeem his jade pendant.

They had agreed to meet right after school, at the entrance of that same recycling station.

At the door of the station, the boss, wearing a yellowed white tank top, was leaning against the doorframe picking his teeth. The moment he saw Tong Dong, he broke into a grin and raised a hand.

Hey, young man, you are here.

His accent had a unique twang to it, sounding somewhat comical.

Lin Mo stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent as his calm gaze swept their surroundings.

Tong Dong, however, was completely different. His entire body was tense, and his face showed unconcealed excitement and nervousness.

His mother's relic was finally going to be returned to him.

Seeing his demeanor, the boss felt even more confident. He turned and took out the jade pendant from the counter, weighed it in his hand, and casually offered it over.

Here, inspect the goods first. See if it is yours.

The jade pendant gleamed with a warm luster in the sunset.

Tong Dong's eyes were instantly drawn to it. He did not even dare to reach out and take it; he just stared fixedly, his lips trembling as he nodded repeatedly.

Yes! That is it! The jade pendant my mom left me looks exactly like this!

The boss sneered inwardly. Truly a greenhorn.

It was indeed the real deal; otherwise, how would the fish take the bait?

He nodded in satisfaction and pulled the pendant back. Alright, as long as it is the right item. I will go inside and write you a receipt. Get your money ready, two thousand nine hundred. Seeing as you are still a kid, your uncle here will be generous today, I will not charge you a single cent for the middleman fee.

With that, he pinched the jade pendant and turned to walk into the dimly lit back room.

A bait-and-switch was actually a very low-level trick, but it was highly practical.

On the table in the back room, a replica of similar shape and color had been prepared long ago.

The boss swiftly placed the fake into a pre-prepared brocade box.

If he realized something was wrong later, it would be too late, wouldn't it?

However, the moment the box was closed, the item inside had already been swapped back.

The boss picked up the receipt on the table, casually grabbed the brocade box, and strode out.

With a slap, the box and the receipt were slammed onto the battered table at the door.

Kid, pay more attention next time. You won't always have a good person helping you out.

This good person, of course, referred to himself.

Lin Mo stood to the side, silent the entire time. He just cast a fleeting glance at the box from the corner of his eye before looking back at Tong Dong.

He had already done what he needed to do.

Tong Dong did not catch the hidden meaning in the boss's words. He pulled out a thick, slightly crumpled wad of cash from his pocket. It was mostly ten and twenty-yuan notes, mixed with a few hundreds.

Tong Dong took out the stack of money from his pocket, counted it carefully, and finally placed it on the table.

He placed the money on the table and carefully counted it, bill by bill.

His movements were as devout as if he were completing some kind of ritual.

Looking at that shabby stack of cash, the boss's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

He had wanted to just take the money and be done with it, but seeing Tong Dong's youthful and earnest face, his chest felt inexplicably tight.

He could not help but ask, Young man, after giving me all this... do you still have money to eat?

Tong Dong paused his counting, stunned for a moment, then looked up and nodded honestly.

Yes, I still have a few dozen yuan in my pocket.

...

The boss almost choked on his breath, his chest feeling heavy.

He stared at the money for a full three seconds as if making a difficult decision. Finally, he gritted his teeth, pulled out the largest bill, a one-hundred yuan note, and stuffed it back into Tong Dong's hand.

Forget it, forget it. I, Lao Liu, have a kind heart and can't bear to see this. Take this hundred to buy some food.

With that, he snatched up the rest of the money and, without even glancing at the box on the table, turned and quickly walked into the back room, as if he would regret it if he stayed a second longer.

Outside the door, only Lin Mo, Tong Dong, and the brocade box resting quietly on the table remained.

Lin Mo, this is great! I got my mom's jade pendant back!

Tong Dong's eyes were red with excitement, and his hands trembled as he reached to open the box.

But the moment his hand touched the lid, another hand gently pressed down on it.

Don't rush.

Lin Mo's voice was soft, but it carried an unquestionable calmness.

He glanced at the back room, which was now empty of people, and the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up.

Let's go. We're changing locations.