“How can that be?” The man with square-framed glasses frowned. “We agreed on five thousand, so it’s five thousand.”
He pulled a stack of bills from a drawer and tossed them onto the table. Old Man Gao’s eyes gleamed at the sight of the money, and without hesitation, he reached for it—only to be abruptly blocked.
“But first, you’ll need to prove he was the one who hit you. Then, you’ll go to the hospital for an examination. If you’re injured, we’ll pay you fifty thousand, let alone five. But if you’re not…”
Beside him, a young man drove a cleaver into the floor with a thud.
Old Man Gao shuddered. He had targeted this seemingly meek young man precisely because he thought he had no connections. Who knew he had backup?
“Business has been slow lately, so my boys and I could use a long-term meal ticket,” the bespectacled man said, adjusting his glasses.
“What are you trying to do?” Old Man Gao blustered. “Dare to lay a hand on an old man? I’d like to see you try!”
“Who said anything about hitting you, Grandpa? Take the money. But we do things by the book—by the law. Show us the evidence, get checked at the hospital, and we’re good. Fair enough?”
Staring at the five thousand yuan, Old Man Gao swallowed hard, greed flooding his mind again. Take the money first—if things went south, he could always claim he couldn’t walk. They wouldn’t dare harass him at home! His fingers closed around the cash.
“Xiao Wu, if the ‘injured’ party can’t walk, take a few brothers over to show some filial piety. Stay at the old man’s place and lend a hand.”
The young man called Xiao Wu grinned, the blade in his hand glinting coldly. “Sure thing. Just make sure there’s food.”
“Grandpa’s got money. Feeding you won’t be a problem.”
Old Man Gao’s heart leaped into his throat. Reason finally prevailed, and he reluctantly set the money down. “Never mind… It’s not that serious…”
Xiao Wu slammed a palm on the table. “Never mind? You think this is a joke?”
Old Man Gao flinched.
The once-timid young man smirked darkly. “Grandpa, take it. Otherwise, my friends here might lose their temper.”
Old Man Gao picked up the money again, and the bespectacled man promptly snapped a photo before having him escorted out.
Standing outside with the five thousand yuan in hand, Old Man Gao felt his back drenched in sweat. Two men flanked him. “Let’s go, Grandpa. We’ll walk you home.”
Old Lady Gao, unable to bear the cold concrete any longer, had long since gotten up and gone home. The jeers of onlookers didn’t faze her.
When Old Man Gao opened the door, she rushed over eagerly, her eyes crinkling with delight at the sight of the money in his hands.
But then two burly young men stepped inside, scrutinizing her while one filmed everything on his phone.
“What are you doing?” Old Lady Gao snapped.
“Grandpa, this isn’t right. Granny’s clearly fine, yet you extorted five thousand from our buddy?”
Old Man Gao opened his mouth, struggling for a retort, but his wife cut in. “Extort? Who’s extorting anyone? Who saw us do anything?”
Fang Zhiyi’s voice echoed from the stairwell. “I did. And I recorded it.” He held up his phone. Though there were no street cameras, Fang Zhiyi—having set the trap—was well-prepared.
The old couple paled. “You’re in cahoots!”
Fang Zhiyi nodded. “Yep. But you’re the ones committing fraud. The evidence is solid.”
Old Man Gao steadied himself. “So what? Call the cops on me.” At his age, he wasn’t afraid.
Fang Zhiyi bared his teeth in a grin. “Why bother with the police? Hey, print screens of this video and plaster them all over Huai City—especially with their names and address highlighted.”
One of the young men nodded. The old couple’s eyes bulged. Fang Zhiyi added, “And get one of those ad trucks to loop it outside that elite high school!”
The Gaos had a strained relationship with their children, which was why they’d moved back here. But they doted on their precious grandson! Every penny they scrounged or swindled went to him.
“H-how did you know…?” Old Man Gao stared at Fang Zhiyi’s smiling face, a chill running down his spine. “I was wrong. Take the money back.” He thrust the cash toward Fang Zhiyi.
Old Lady Gao bit her lip, reluctant but thinking of her grandson.
Fang Zhiyi patted one of the young men on the shoulder and walked downstairs without another word.
“Hey! You—” Old Man Gao tried to call after him, but two men blocked his path.
“Grandpa, since Granny’s unhurt, consider this a loan.” One produced a photo—Old Man Gao holding the money.
“What?”
The two young men smiled, their grins unsettling. “Company policy—loans can’t be repaid immediately. Minimum one month. We’ll be staying here till then.”
“You wouldn’t dare! I’ll call the police!”
Their smiles widened. “Go ahead. We’ll hand over your fraud video and spread the word ourselves.”
Old Man Gao shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, Xie Xiaoli had been running into the girl with the sports car for days. Their outfits often matched, but the other woman’s were clearly designer, while Xie Xiaoli wore knockoffs. Envy and shame gnawed at her daily.
Then, she overheard two girls whispering that standing next to the other woman made her look like a “before” photo in a before-and-after ad. She snapped. Ignoring her busy shop, she hopped on her e-bike and sped off.
At the neighborhood gate, she “coincidentally” crossed paths with the polished woman in her car.
The woman glanced at Xie Xiaoli’s ride and sighed. “What a shame.” Then she drove off.
Xie Xiaoli burned with humiliation.
Seething, she picked a fight with her useless husband that night. Unbeknownst to her, Luo Chenghui had been stewing too. He’d been added to a group where people gossiped, always sneering at those who pretended to be rich. Feeling targeted, he’d gotten defensive—only to be bombarded with photos of luxury cars and watches. Luo Chenghui retaliated with fake images, got called out, mocked, and kicked from the group.
The couple’s fight escalated, each blaming the other for being useless and wasteful.
Finally, Xie Xiaoli dialed a number. A bald man answered smoothly. “Xing’an Loans, hello?” Jotting down notes, he smiled. “Your name? Age?”
“Xie Xiaoli, 28, right? Got it.”