Chapter 125: The Telecom Fraud Factory

Mo Fei could temporarily forget all his troubles while eating.

Whether it was Bai Yingxiong or the Myanmar region, thinking about potentially useless matters while eating was a recipe for indigestion. Li Momo never did show up to join them for dinner, but Bai Yingxiong ate with great gusto, joking that if Mo Fei weren't busy manufacturing arms for him, he would have made a great cook.

Mo Fei thought to himself that his brain would have to be severely damaged to abandon a promising acting career just to travel all this way to cook for a crime lord. If he had any poison on hand, he would have gladly spiked Bai Yingxiong’s meal—it would have been a charitable act.

Long Er and Long Si had originally been mulling over the idea of holding Bai Yingxiong hostage that night to make a clean escape, but Bai Yingxiong didn't even sleep at the villa. He had numerous properties throughout the region and saw no reason to stay under the same roof as a few strangers. That move killed their plan in its tracks.

That night, as usual, Mo Fei slipped into Long Er’s room. Long Er wasn't cleaning his gun this time; instead, he was staring at his dagger under the light.

"I sometimes really doubt if you're even human," Mo Fei said, though he was no stranger to this scene, he still found it incredible. "We've known each other for days, and I've never seen you sleep."

Long Er didn't respond. He wanted to sleep, but had Mo Fei ever given him the chance? From the moment they boarded the train, he had witnessed the full extent of Mo Fei’s "power." It really was Murphy’s Law in action: if there was a possibility for things to go wrong, they would inevitably worsen. Long Er used to be a skeptic, but now he believed that some people were truly cursed.

Mo Fei didn't need anyone to keep the conversation going. He continued, "Do you think we have any way of going back? If I’d known it would be like this, I never would have come here." The outside world was too dangerous; it was better to just stay tucked away in the "starting village."

"The Bai family has many businesses. The legal ones include real estate, legitimate casinos, and gambling. The illegal ones are far more numerous: telecom fraud, human trafficking, narcotics..." Long Er counted them off, then held up a finger. "And you have to add one more to the list—arms smuggling."

Mo Fei tallied it up in his mind, and his headache worsened. The larger the family business, the greater their power, and the harder it would be for them to break free.

"You had best act like a useless waste of space," Long Er said, his dagger catching the dim light with a chilling gleam. "Otherwise, we’ll have no choice but to use force." No matter how slim the odds of success, he had no other option; after all, he was the one who had accepted this ill-fated mission.

Mo Fei pulled out a small spray bottle. "Or, I could make a few adjustments and burn this place down?"

Long Er’s expression shifted, and his hand flew to his waist. "When did you take that?"

"Just a little while ago," Mo Fei said, weighing it in his hand. "I took note of where they store the coal. If I light that up, it’ll be absolute chaos."

However, that would also mean offending Bai Yingxiong beyond the point of no return. Being in the Myanmar region, it was best not to take such a step. Mo Fei and Long Er locked eyes, both understanding what the other was thinking. Mo Fei tossed the spray bottle back to Long Er. "Here, it's yours. Maybe you can refill it and give it back to me later."

Long Er tucked the bottle back into his belt. Remembering Mo Fei’s reckless streak, he figured he would never have the chance to hand such a lethal weapon to him again.

The next morning, Xiao Bai, wearing an incredibly reluctant expression, took them to a factory.

"This is where we handle the telecom sales and online gambling operations," Xiao Bai said, standing at the forefront with his hands in his pockets, looking out at the courtyard. He was accompanied by a group of armed militiamen, all surrounding Long Er and Long Si, just in case.

In the courtyard, a large group of people stood in formation, many looking dazed, as if they had no idea what was happening. Mo Fei pondered Xiao Bai’s words. Telecom sales and online gambling—wasn't that just telecom fraud? He spoke of it as if it were a legitimate business.

The people in the yard were chanting slogans, led by someone with a megaphone, their voices ringing out loudly. It didn't seem to be just fraud; there was a hint of a pyramid scheme to it as well. Some were chanting along, while others were still looking around, completely confused. A few noticed the group standing outside the courtyard. Most just shot a curious glance, but upon seeing the armed guards, they lost interest. They were all essentially prisoners; who was better off than anyone else?

Only one person turned pale the moment he saw the three figures outside. He immediately ducked his head, a string of curses running through his mind. *Wasn't Mo Fei supposed to go back? How could I run into him in a place like this? This isn't just the next county or the next village; we’re in another country!*

Officer Xu really wanted to crack open Mo Fei’s skull to see what was inside—why was he everywhere? Was the Myanmar region some kind of geomantic treasure trove? And to be standing there, surrounded by so many people pointing guns at them...

*Stay calm, stay calm. The priority now isn't to rescue anyone, but to keep my own identity hidden.* If his cover were blown and he was recognized, being beaten half to death and tossed back across the border would be the least of his worries. There had been undercover agents who had gone missing here in years past, and those people were never seen again—not even their bodies.

The person with the megaphone finished his speech and signaled for the crowd to head inside and get to work. Officer Xu blended into the crowd, his head bowed, looking utterly defeated and unremarkable.

"They're starting work. Do you want to watch?" Xiao Bai asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He asked the question, but it was clear he had no desire to take them on a tour. A factory wasn't a zoo, and the boss never came to check on them. As long as they were busy squeezing money for the boss, it didn't matter what the place looked like or how many people died. They had managers for this; the rest of the "pigs" were just expendable commodities.

Long Er and Long Si said nothing. Mo Fei frowned as he watched the crowd pile into the building.

Just as Officer Xu had spotted him, Mo Fei had spotted the officer too. Even though Officer Xu had disguised himself—changing his hairstyle and darkening his skin tone—Mo Fei recognized him instantly. He didn't believe for a second that a police officer like Xu would be stupid enough to be tricked into joining a fraud ring. There was only one possibility: Officer Xu was on an undercover mission.

*How could I run into him here of all places?*

Mo Fei’s expression was indescribable. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then turned to Xiao Bai. "What do you think of me as a person?"

Xiao Bai was stunned by the question. "What do you mean, 'what do I think'?"

"I mean, what do you think of me, in every sense?" Mo Fei clarified, drawing a boundary. "Like my character, my luck, that sort of thing."

Xiao Bai lit his cigarette with a sour look on his face. "I think you have neither." In his eyes, if Mo Fei had even a shred of luck, he never would have come into contact with Li Momo, only to be targeted by Bai Yingxiong. To him, Mo Fei was now just meat on a cutting board, to be sliced up however Bai Yingxiong pleased. He was beyond saving.