But young people enjoy playful banter, so he called Fu Xinran his secretary, and she called him Boss—a half-serious dynamic that lent a lighthearted atmosphere to the office.

Of course, it was atmosphere, not flirtation.

Fu Xinran was twenty-six, fluent in four foreign languages, and possessed top-tier qualifications, work experience, and adaptability. During her job interview, Wang Zhuo had almost hesitated to hire her because her appearance was too striking.

Her beauty was of the cool, arresting type: slender eyebrows, long eyes, a sharp jawline, and distinctly defined lips. A faint beauty mark rested near the outer corner of her left eye. When her face was set, she exuded an aura of aloof pride; yet, a single turn of her head and a smile could melt the frost, stirring a quiet flutter in the heart.

Wang Zhuo was acutely aware that the area below his naval was increasingly defiant of governance—a wild territory refusing civilization—so he had maintained a cautious distance from his capable secretary. It wasn't until Gan Lin and Fu Xinran gradually became close friends that Wang Zhuo stopped making a conscious effort to keep his space.

Through the experiences and training of the last two years, Wang Zhuo had matured far beyond his peers. He now viewed Fu Xinran as an equal, while she, despite being significantly older, held him in high regard and never once treated him as an immature child.

When the call from his beautiful secretary came at this hour, Wang Zhuo gave it no undue thought. He answered casually, "What is it?"

"Boss, I need to request leave..." Fu Xinran's voice was heavy as she spoke. "I just got a call from Xiao Bai's parents. They said Xiao Bai was detained by the Guangxi police because he was involved in illegal pyramid marketing."

So it really is a pyramid scheme, Wang Zhuo muttered inwardly, clicking his tongue as he asked, "How long do you think you’ll need?"

This was precisely the busiest period for Wang Chao Wuliang. Even Gan Lin had temporarily set aside her studies to help Fu Xinran manage the company daily. Her absence now would certainly impact the firm significantly.

Fu Xinran managed a wry smile. "I know this isn't the right time to ask for leave, but Xiao Bai needs me. And both his parents are in poor health; there’s no one else to help him right now."

"Will four days be enough?" Wang Zhuo calculated quickly. "Fly straight there. I’ll arrange for someone from Shengshi Wangchao to meet you. Once you pick him up, book the fastest flight back. If you need more time when you return, I’ll give you a few extra days off."

"That is truly wonderful, thank you so much!" Fu Xinran was deeply touched and quickly said, "Then I'll brief Gan Lin and leave on tonight's flight!"

"Alright. Be safe on your journey." Just as Wang Zhuo was about to hang up, he suddenly recalled being under secret surveillance. After a moment of thought, he added, "Here’s what we'll do: I'll arrange for someone to go with you. To be honest, I wouldn't feel right letting you go alone."

...

That evening, Fu Xinran boarded the midnight flight bound for Nanning, Guangxi, filled with concern for her boyfriend and gratitude toward her boss.

Accompanying her to Guangxi was Lu Weimin. Wang Zhuo had initially considered sending a female bodyguard, but then worried that two women venturing into the heartland of an "economic cult" might be insufficient. Sending his more capable cousin felt like a safer bet.

Fu Xinran hadn't interacted much with the Shengshi Wangchao personnel, so she was unaware of Wang Zhuo and Lu Weimin’s cousinly relationship. Even so, she was overwhelmed by Wang Zhuo’s thoughtful arrangement.

In reality, this gesture was influenced by Wang Zhuo's usual down-to-earth demeanor. In her eyes, dispatching Lu Weimin would incur nearly ten thousand yuan in expenses—a considerable sum. Yet, such money was negligible to Wang Zhuo. Having Lu Weimin go personally truly underscored the importance Wang Zhuo placed on her.

That same night, Wang Zhuo located the school’s central monitoring room, using his X-ray vision to copy the duty roster and attendance records. Under his instruction, Siyuan planted a backdoor into the surveillance system, ready to assist him at any moment in identifying the mysterious watcher.

The next day was International Family Day, a holiday few in China recognized. Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin ate a quick breakfast and boarded the business van Qi Ji had specially arranged for them, heading straight for Zuo'an City.

Ji Guang, Fu Xinran's childhood sweetheart, was temporarily being held at the Armed Police Brigade in Zuo'an City, which was already overflowing.

The driver Qi Ji had hired was from a local travel agency and intimately familiar with the area. Along the way, he explained the local situation to Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin, causing both of them to frown constantly.

Entering the urban area of Zuo'an, the driver pointed toward an old, dilapidated building as they passed a gas station. "See that building? Nine times out of ten, there’s a pyramid scheme operating inside."

Lu Weimin asked, surprised, "How do you know that?"

"Heh," the driver scoffed. "I spend three hundred days a year on the road; what haven't I heard or seen? Just by looking at this building’s location, the surrounding environment, and a few exterior details, I can guess!"

"Then tell us about it?" Lu Weimin smoothly offered him a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, smiling. "We have time to kill; think of it as a chat."

The driver accepted the cigarette and pointed ahead to an old hotel with faded signage. "There’s another one. Let me use that as an example. See those two young women chatting downstairs? They're lookouts. Why would a hotel in this isolated spot make money from regular travelers? They’re obviously catering to the pyramid scheme members. And did you notice? The windows upstairs are all curtained off in broad daylight—they’re afraid of reporters doing undercover visits. Go around the back of the building, and you’ll see all the windows are open."

He paused. "But you can’t get in the back; someone blocks the entrance all day long."

Fu Xinran pondered for a moment and raised a point of doubt. "Running a pyramid scheme out of a hotel? Is that feasible? Can the organizers even cover the cost of staying there?"

"Why wouldn't they?" The driver chuckled lightly. "If you rent rooms long-term, the price drops, right? Besides, they don't stay one person to a room like you folks in a hotel. They cram over ten people into one small room."

It was mid-May in Guangxi, nearing summer. Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin were wearing light clothing, and the driver was in just an undershirt and cropped trousers. Imagining over ten people crammed into a small, ten-square-meter room during the height of summer made Fu Xinran’s emotions a complex mix.

The driver was a Guangxi expert, and once he started talking, he couldn't stop. He continuously pointed out pyramid scheme hotspots along the way, even being able to judge whether a small alley harbored a den. Fu Xinran was observant; after driving through an urban area of over a hundred thousand residents, she counted more than ten locations the driver had identified.

She asked him, "If it’s so visible, why can't the local authorities control the situation?"

"Who says they can't control it?" The driver laughed. "They just choose not to. These are the fish they let run wild in the pond. They offer tribute regularly, occasionally bust a few places to appease their superiors, and when one gets fat enough, they raid it, collect the fines, and let them go."

Lu Weimin nodded and sighed. "If they really wanted to govern it, they’d just need to raid every reported location consistently for half a month. The rest would disperse or leave on their own."

"Let me give you an example I know," the driver continued. "One cell had been operating for almost two years. At its peak, they rented a venue in a theater for meetings; over a thousand seats weren't enough—the aisles and corridors were packed. Suddenly, a surprise raid shut them down. Twenty buses were needed to repatriate the members. Guess how the organizer was punished?"

"The case must involve at least tens of millions, right?" Lu Weimin guessed. "To be conservative, three years in prison?"

"Three years?" Fu Xinran immediately shook her head. "You're guessing too low. I’d say at least ten years."

"This number." The driver held up three fingers and laughed heartily. "Thirty days. Just thirty days! That group already set up a new base; they even rented a car from our company last month."

Seeing Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin exchange looks of shock, he added, "The leadership needs these kinds of talented people, too. They can squeeze a few million in kickbacks out of him every year or two. If these people are sentenced and jailed, who will help the bosses make money later?"

At this, Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin finally understood. It was no wonder that in certain parts of the country, pyramid schemes were not only never eradicated but were growing worse. With such lucrative vested interests at play, it was no wonder local officials remained passive.

As they talked, the business van finally reached the Anzhi District of Zuo'an City. They first stopped at the district government office to pick up a friend introduced by someone from the Taoyuan Copper Mine before the van headed toward the Armed Police Brigade.

The newcomer was an executive deputy section chief in the District Government Propaganda Office, a middle-aged man in his fifties named Shu Gongquan, who spoke little and maintained a rather stern expression.

Upon arriving at the Armed Police Brigade, a row of low, red-tiled barracks near the mountain in the compound stood out starkly against the tall office building. Shu Gongquan explained, "That row of buildings was specifically constructed to temporarily house illegal pyramid scheme personnel. However, Little Ji isn't there. Last night, a leader from your Taoyuan Copper Mine specifically sought out Mayor Min of our city. Mayor Min’s secretary called the Armed Police here and had the man transferred to the duty room."

He paused. "Everyone brought here is a stubborn holdout from the scheme. Normally, they’d have to pay a three-thousand-yuan fine to be released, but since Mayor Min personally vouched for you, that fee is naturally waived."

Fu Xinran paused, then immediately realized Wang Zhuo must have arranged this. Who else could command someone from the Taoyuan Copper Mine to enlist the local mayor's help?

The warmth of this arrangement soothed her heavy mood considerably. She silently thanked her young boss once more and followed Shu Gongquan into the compound.