Chapter Ten: The Artful Scam

Watching the strange young man hopping away, Wang Ying smiled helplessly and paid it no mind, turning back to her work with undivided attention.

Yang Jiekai’s heart brimmed with joy. Though thirty thousand yuan was barely a drop in the bucket compared to the vast sum he needed, it was certainly better than nothing.

Seeing that it was still early, Yang Jiekai decided to wander the streets a bit longer. Perhaps luck would favor him again, and he might bump into another wanted criminal for an easy payday.

But after strolling about, fortune did not smile on him again. With no choice, Yang Jiekai made his way to the bus stop, preparing to take the bus home. Despite the thirty thousand in his pocket, he preferred to save where he could, as time was not pressing.

Buses in China were always crowded. As soon as one arrived, people surged forward in a frenzy, almost like a mob in action.

Yang Jiekai fought his way through the crowd, determined to claim a seat. Just as he reached the bus door, he felt a sharp jab in his ribs—someone had elbowed him hard.

He frowned and saw that it was an older woman dressed in martial arts attire, shoving her way through with elbows flying left and right. Yang Jiekai smiled bitterly and moved aside slightly, but thanks to his agility, managed to get ahead and snatch a seat.

Settling into his spot, Yang Jiekai took a deep breath—riding a bus in China was more exhausting than a battle.

At that moment, he heard pained groans beside him. Turning his head, he saw the same old woman who had elbowed him, now clutching the rail and moaning "in pain," her eyes fixed on him.

Yang Jiekai was taken aback, then amused. Moments ago, she had been vigorous and fierce, but now seemed as delicate as a sickly heroine. Anyone with eyes could see it was a classic ploy—an elderly woman feigning distress to claim a seat.

Yang Jiekai wasn’t fooled. He glanced at her, then closed his eyes for a nap. The old woman, seeing his indifference, grew furious and shouted, “Young people these days have no manners! See an elder and don’t give up your seat—no decency!”

Her words made Yang Jiekai’s brows knit. Had she not been an older woman, he might have reacted physically. The accusation of lacking manners hit a sore spot; orphaned from a young age, he was sensitive to such remarks.

“Auntie, mind your words. If you want a seat, just ask. No need to insult people,” Yang Jiekai suppressed his anger and spoke politely.

“Did I say anything wrong?” she pressed. “Isn’t it uncultured not to offer your seat to an elder?”

Yang Jiekai’s fists clenched audibly, but he held back. After a deep breath, he slowly stood up. “Fine, you win. Take the seat. But next time, don’t insult people without cause—it might be dangerous.”

“That’s more like it!” the woman scoffed, pushing Yang Jiekai aside and preparing to sit. Suddenly, the driver slammed the brakes for some unknown reason. Unprepared, the old woman fell hard to the floor.

As she hit the ground, those nearby quickly stepped away, as if avoiding a plague.

Yang Jiekai found it odd—why were people so wary of a fallen elderly woman?

Though he disliked her, Yang Jiekai decided to help her up. Having only recently returned to China, he was unaware of a serious unwritten rule: unless you have money to burn, never help an old woman who has fallen.

Sure enough, trouble followed. As soon as Yang Jiekai’s hand touched her, she grabbed him and began wailing, “Young man, I only scolded you a bit, why did you push me down? Oh, my ribs are broken! Pay me!”

Damn!

Yang Jiekai cursed inwardly, instantly understanding why everyone had avoided her the moment she fell.

“Auntie, heaven sees everything. Isn’t your family aware of your antics?”

Yang Jiekai was at his wit’s end. Seeing her cries grow louder and more relentless, he sighed, “Fine, let go. How much do you want? Name your price—I'll take the loss.”

At the mention of money, she immediately stopped crying and calculated, “A thousand for each rib—you owe me two thousand.”

“What?!”

Yang Jiekai was stunned. He had thought a few hundred would suffice, but she was gouging him.

“I’ll pay your uncle! Why don’t you just rob a bank?” he snapped, shoving her aside. “I’m not paying a cent! What are you going to do, eat me?”

Unfazed, the old woman—clearly experienced—waited until the bus stopped at the next station, then rushed out and lay in front of the wheels, screaming, “Help! I’ve been assaulted! Someone’s bullying an old woman!”

She wailed and called someone on her phone.

Yang Jiekai flashed an apologetic smile to the passengers, then walked off the bus, bitterly amused.

No one noticed the cold glint in his eyes as he disembarked.

Repeatedly provoked, Yang Jiekai was not one to tolerate such things.

“Will you come out yourself, or do I need to help you?” he squatted, watching her with a playful gaze.

“Help! My bones are broken... What are you doing?” she shrieked.

Yang Jiekai grabbed her leg and, like picking up a chick, dragged her from beneath the wheels and dumped her onto the sidewalk, gesturing to the stunned driver to go on.

“Let me go! He’s hurting me!” she protested, dangling helplessly.

With a casual flick, Yang Jiekai tossed her to the ground. “You said two broken ribs—a thousand each, right?”

At the mention of money, she calmed down. “That’s right. If you don’t give me two thousand today, you’re not leaving!”

“That’s easy,” Yang Jiekai replied, counting out two thousand and handing it to her. “Here, check it.”

Her eyes gleamed as she counted it twice, then stood up, muttering, “That’s more like it,” ready to leave.

“Wait.” A cold light flashed in Yang Jiekai’s eyes.

“What, not enough?” she sneered.

Yang Jiekai approached, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “Are these the two ribs you broke?”

With that, he swiftly pressed twice on her ribs. Her face turned purple, and she collapsed, finally letting out a piercing scream.

“You all saw it—she said herself, a thousand per rib. I’ve paid, so this has nothing to do with me!” Yang Jiekai called to the onlookers before swaggering away.

The crowd, puzzled, watched him with sympathy and astonishment—the old woman’s acting was masterful, but now, with the money in hand, her agony seemed more genuine than before.

“Hey!” Just as Yang Jiekai walked away, a woman’s voice called out. He turned to see a stylishly dressed woman leaning against a red Ferrari, watching him.

She wore denim shorts, her long, slender legs dazzling enough to make Yang Jiekai swallow.

He glanced around, then pointed to himself in confusion, “Are you calling me?”

The woman, chewing gum, said, “Nice work just now. Next time you run into one of those, break a few more ribs—on my account.”

Yang Jiekai was surprised, then amused. So his little trick had been spotted by this woman. He replied playfully, “What, planning to call the police?”

She lifted her chin. “It’s hard enough to find someone interesting. Why call the cops and get you arrested? I just wanted to say, next time, break a few more bones—a thousand per rib, such a bargain!”

Yang Jiekai smiled wryly. Easy for her to say—he’d just lost two thousand of his hard-earned thirty thousand and was quietly mourning the loss.

“I think it’d be more worthwhile to spend that money buying me a drink,” he said, sizing her up. If he were to score her, she’d easily rate above ninety.

“Sure, line up on Everest first!” she replied, jumping into the car, and with the engine roaring, added, “Nice work—keep it up.”

With that, the Ferrari sped away, leaving Yang Jiekai shaking his head—what a peculiar woman.

Losing two thousand so quickly made him ache inside, but what was gone was gone. He gritted his teeth and decided to indulge himself—he’d take a cab home.

Just as he flagged one down and was about to get in, someone tapped his shoulder. Without turning, he said, “I called this cab first—don’t try anything!”

He started to board, but the person persisted, grabbing his shoulder. Yang Jiekai lost his patience and turned, ready to snap, “I said—”

Mid-sentence, he realized something was wrong. Behind him stood a dozen burly men, their leader dyed blond, clearly not here for a taxi.

“Our boss wants to see you,” the blond said coolly. Among the group, most were big, muscle-bound men, but the blond looked like a skinny monkey, casual and cocky.

“Wants to see me?” Yang Jiekai was puzzled; he couldn’t imagine who in China would want to meet him. “Who’s your boss? Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

The blond, holding a cigarette, sized up Yang Jiekai, then raised his chin. “You’re the one who broke that old woman’s ribs just now?”

Old woman? Yang Jiekai blinked, recalling he’d just dealt with a scam artist, and seeing the group’s shady demeanor, understood immediately. “Well, well, turns out you guys are a professional scam team!”