115. Messing around isn't always just messing around.

Less than half an hour later, after dropping Yu Jiali off at the office building, another dark green Land Cruiser was brought over for him to switch into.

Hardly had he left the provincial capital when Yu Jiali called, but it was a middle-aged man who spoke: "Based on the address you provided, Mr. Bai, there is a nine-in-ten chance that your friend has been lured into a pyramid scheme."

Bai Haonan had to ask the man to explain what a pyramid scheme was, after which he asked in confusion, "If it's such an obvious scam, don't the police do anything about it?"

The middle-aged man scoffed, "Those people are all fanatics. They spend their days brainwashing each other, buying groceries, and cooking. Since they aren't breaking any local laws, the police either deport them or just let them go. In some places, they even turn a blind eye because the influx of people boosts the local economy through rentals and tourism. The city you're heading to is already a notorious hub for pyramid schemes. Out of the four or five hundred thousand locals, there are over a hundred thousand pyramid scheme members from all over the country gathered there. Most of them were lured by online acquaintances, classmates, or fellow villagers. When someone is coerced into bringing friends and family over, ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s a pyramid scheme. Honestly, you’d be better off coming back; don’t go alone."

Yu Jiali’s voice sounded anxious: "People in our circle often come into contact with these types. They are like addicts; it’s best not to get involved, or you might end up trapped yourself. Why not leave this to the police, or hire some locals to find him slowly?"

Bai Haonan was puzzled: "Can’t the local toughs just fish someone out quickly?"

The middle-aged man sighed helplessly: "Finding someone isn’t impossible, but it’s time-consuming. The organization is so deeply entrenched there that going through the police would only alert them. Even if we hire locals, it could trigger a backlash. To the locals, these people are just lunatics; they generally ignore each other and avoid interfering. They don't 'eat the grass' around their own nests, so we have to move slowly. There are tens of thousands of them."

Bai Haonan stood by his decision: "I know what kind of person Niu is. If he was willing to make that call, he was asking me for help. I can’t wait for a slow search."

The middle-aged man hesitated but conceded: "Generally, they brainwash new recruits for several days before allowing them to call and recruit others. According to Ms. Yu, your friend only arrived last night. It is quite abnormal for him to be allowed to call so soon."

Bai Haonan pressed the accelerator, heart burning with anxiety. Yu Jiali was even more aware of the dangers: "That place is full of twisted rhetoric designed to incite 'success'—they brainwash people like they’re pumping them full of stimulants. Please, you must be careful."

Bai Haonan felt a touch of warmth: "Xiao Yu, thank you! I’ll try my best not to delay the fitness center’s opening; it shouldn't be a problem. If Old Ka arrives, I’ll have him cover for me. He has the office phone number."

Yu Jiali paused, her tone as gentle as she could manage: "Old Bai, they’ve installed a GPS tracker in the car so we can locate you at any time. I’m sending you the contact numbers for two more locals. Once you find A-Niu, just notify them to assist you in getting him out. I’ll be waiting for your return!"

Bai Haonan grunted in acknowledgment and hung up. It was only two hundred kilometers from the provincial capital to that coastal city. If he hadn't been teasing and urging him on, would the usually steady and conservative Qian Niu have fallen for such a massive scam?

People in the sports industry rarely had contact with the outside world and were relatively naive.

Bai Haonan felt a twinge of annoyance, but he wasn't overly worried—how mysterious could it really be? He felt as if he were venturing into a lion’s den all by himself. He just wanted to avoid involving the police if possible. Checking his phone, he saw that Yu Jiali’s text had arrived with the contact information; now he had a liaison, so there was even less to worry about, right?

In fact, ever since he hit the road, he felt a sense of freedom that he hadn't experienced while stuck in the provincial capital working on that fitness center. He preferred this unrestrained lifestyle—though it would be even better if there were some fun to be had.

With these chaotic thoughts, Bai Haonan arrived by noon at the coastal city that struck fear into the hearts of locals. He had heard of this famous tourist destination back at the club. Even before arriving, he noticed the landscape was completely different from the interior—flat mudflats and lagoons everywhere. Upon entering the city, he was greeted by coconut groves and the scent of sun and sand.

It didn't look dangerous at all, did it?

Bai Haonan put on his sunglasses and began driving the SUV at a steady pace through the city streets, trying to keep a cool head. He knew that making mistakes out of impatience was just like losing one's composure in a match.

An hour later, he had toured most of the main streets without seeing anything out of the ordinary. He finally chose a restaurant where the local accent was clear to have lunch, and using a vague, provincial-capital-tinged Mandarin, he asked the owner about the pyramid schemes.

Sure enough, the local looked at him with disdain: "Right there in those residential complexes. They’re everywhere. They rarely come out, just scurrying around inside the compounds, talking all day about 'big projects.' So many men and women living together in such a mess—it’d be a miracle if they weren't getting up to no good..."

It was likely this offhand remark from the restaurant owner that caused things to veer off course, shifting from urgent and tragic to something bordering on the absurd.

Sticking to the philosophy that it’s better to trust yourself than others, Bai Haonan planned to scout the environment and get a feel for the situation before calling his contact. His eyes lit up: "Damn, they actually operate like that?"

By now, his mind was filled with the urge to witness this "mess" for himself. Of course, it was also possible that Brother Nan hadn't let loose in a while, and he was determined to see this human spectacle for himself.

He wolfed down his egg-fried rice, parked his provincial-plated SUV in a nearby paid lot, and—following the advice of the expert Yu Jiali had recommended—took some cash, left his wallet, ID, phone, and bank cards in the car, and even hid the car keys in the gap of the rear bumper. He walked out onto the street almost empty-handed, found a public phone at a pharmacy, and dialed the number Qian Niu had left: "I'm a friend of Niu's. I've arrived..."

At that moment, Bai Haonan’s hand was actually hovering over the pharmacy counter, grabbing a few boxes of "you-know-what!"

After he clarified his location on the phone, within twenty minutes, four or five young men and women appeared on the street, standing out in a rather peculiar way.

It was hard for an ordinary person to pinpoint exactly what was different, but Bai Haonan, accustomed to observing opponents and possessing a habit of exceptional memory, couldn't help but chuckle. Whether these people were wearing T-shirts or button-downs, shorts or trousers, in this tropical coastal city where the sun was fierce year-round, they were all wearing sandals—but they were all wearing socks with them, pulled high and smoothed out neatly.

Honestly, heaven knows why Bai Haonan noticed this detail. Was it because he had just jokingly recommended stockings to Yu Jiali yesterday, or because this way of wearing socks was similar to a standard football kit?

Regardless, when these men and women surrounded him, he felt neither panic nor caution. In fact, seeing the intense excitement in the eyes of the two young women, he felt a bit excited himself!

It was perhaps the feeling of an A-Da being tossed into a group of poodles.

A traitor had emerged in the great cause of the pyramid scheme!