Chapter 17: Wow, You Look Like Easy Prey
This was a telling gesture. Rong Ziyin instinctively pulled away from the hand reaching out to him. Athlete’s foot was a fungal infection. While ordinary skin contact wouldn’t spread it if the skin’s barrier remained intact, Rong Ziyin still instinctively avoided contact with this person, unwilling to risk even that one-in-ten-thousand chance.
The con artist, however, misinterpreted Rong Ziyin’s wariness as outright rejection, prompting him to redouble his efforts.
“Don’t be afraid. I know people with family recipes like yours always worry about being taken advantage of. But I swear I’m not like that. My ancestors were chefs—they were even on TV!”
“Not only will I never harm you, but I can actually help you protect your interests better.”
“Like patenting your recipe. If it holds value, I could even help you apply for intangible cultural heritage status…”
True to his profession, the con artist struck at the core of what most people valued most. He presented himself as utterly above board while subtly implying he’d helped countless others, aiming to put Rong Ziyin at ease.
Unfortunately, no matter how smooth his words, they couldn’t mask the slowly rising [Scheming Value +1000] above his head.
So this was a trap? Rong Ziyin studied the con artist for a long moment without speaking.
The atmosphere grew awkward. The couple trusted Rong Ziyin implicitly and, seeing his silence, offered no prompting. Finally, with no other option, the con artist launched into a torrent of persuasive rhetoric, attempting to convince Rong Ziyin to agree.
In the con artist’s eyes, a small-town vet like Rong Ziyin would be a pushover. He pulled out his well-rehearsed sales pitch for another round.
Little did he know, Rong Ziyin had seen through him all along.
“Friend, team up with me and we’ll build a brand in no time!” [Scheming Level +3000]
“I’m an e-commerce whiz—you know, that Taobao platform, the one with ‘Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!’? I’m tight with the guy. Just give me the nod, and he’ll get us on a live stream. Money will pour in!” [Daydreaming Level 3000]
“So you see, just trust me with your family’s secret formula! I’ll help you patent it—no more worries about anyone stealing your recipe. What do you say? Made up your mind?”【Malicious Intent Value 3000】
The con artist ranted on for ten minutes. Throughout, Rong Ziyin remained utterly focused. Only when he finally paused did Rong Ziyin reply with unwavering certainty, “Hmm, I’ve decided. No.”
Con Artist: ???
[Depressed Level 300]
Was this village doctor mentally unstable? The con artist was completely dumbfounded.
He’d been scamming people for years, especially skilled at dealing with villagers. He knew exactly how to coax them into talking.
He’d even planned ahead: give off some money first to let Rong Ziyin make a profit. Once Rong Ziyin felt secure enough to hand over the recipe, he’d kick him to the curb and strike it rich himself.
He’d observed the snack shop couple for ages and tasted their salted duck eggs and salted fish himself. He knew the flavors were truly unique.
Though both were merely side dishes, these days people’s work schedules grew increasingly demanding and stressful. This was especially true for the masses of lonely singles living alone. After work, they’d scrounge together a meal by boiling a packet of instant noodles, not even bothering to light the stove. Mornings were even worse—they’d buy whatever the breakfast stalls sold.
Add to that the sales channels in corporate cafeterias, and overall, the market for salted fish and salted duck eggs is practically limitless.
If Rong Ziyin’s craftsmanship could thrive even in a small town, bringing it to Yanjing City would send sales through the roof!
The more the con artist thought about it, the more convinced he became, and the harder he tried to persuade Rong Ziyin. But before he could speak, Rong Ziyin cut him off.
Not wanting to waste more time on this con artist, Rong Ziyin turned directly to the snack shop couple and said, “Do me a favor. This guy’s a fraud. Call the police.”
Con Artist: ???
[Shock Level: 1100]
He scrambled to explain, “It’s not like that! I genuinely came here to collaborate with you!” [Slyness Level: 200]
Rong Ziyin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Quite the smooth talker. How do you prove you’re not a con artist?”
“Got a business license? Can we check with the local administration on the spot?”
The con artist fell silent, stammering an explanation. “You might not get it. I’m mainly in marketing—like a matchmaker. The actual sales are handled by someone else. Like the e-commerce I mentioned.”
“You know e-commerce, right? The one raking in billions in sales every minute!”
“Is that so?” Rong Ziyin pondered. “Are you sure you know him?”
“Of course!” The scammer quickly pulled out his phone. “Look! Here’s a photo of me with him. And here’s a video we recorded while eating together. We’re tight as nails!”
“Really?”
“Absolutely!”
Rong Ziyin examined the photo. “Then have him send you a video right now!”
“Sure thing! No problem!” The con artist had encountered people as suspicious as Rong Ziyin before, so he was prepared for this kind of thing.
But he never expected Rong Ziyin to have another demand. “Make him call you ‘Dad’ in the video. Oh, and have him do that ‘gazing at the stars’ pose. Then I’ll believe you.”
Con Artist: ???
Holy shit! Is that even a move a human being could come up with? He stared at Rong Ziyin in astonishment, unable to react for a moment.
Just then, a strained cough echoed in Rong Ziyin’s mind. Then a familiar voice said, “He has a police record. Last October, he defrauded someone of 200,000 yuan.”
Rong Ziyin froze, then instantly remembered—wasn’t this the Eight Trigrams Money Turtle he’d surrendered to the state?
Rong Ziyin: Can you hear me from this far away?
Money Turtle: Of course. I was raised by immortals.
[Show-off Points: 599]
The system checked too, suddenly understanding.
It turned out that whatever Rong Ziyin drew, especially living creatures, could still be controlled even when not physically present. No matter how many owners came after, Rong Ziyin’s commands always took precedence.
So, sending the Money Turtle to Yanjing Wildlife Park was like planting a mole within the zoo.
System: Holy crap! How slick is that?!
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that—the con artist was still waiting for Rong Ziyin!
So Rong Ziyin tentatively asked, “Last October? Two hundred thousand?”
The con artist jolted, instantly flustered.
The couple running the snack bar noticed something too. Though they couldn’t figure out how Rong Ziyin spotted the guy’s shakiness, his incoherent rambling screamed trouble. The shop owner’s wife immediately pulled out her phone and dialed 110 lightning fast.
Soon, town police arrived on their scooters.
“What’s going on here?” The officer didn’t even glance at the con artist, addressing Rong Ziyin directly.
Rong Ziyin replied in a measured tone, “We encountered someone trying to scam us.”
Officer: ???
How could someone come here to swindle people? Village folks work so hard just to scrape by. Suddenly, the officer’s gaze toward the con artist shifted.
The con artist panicked. He hadn’t expected them to be serious about calling the police. He immediately protested, “I didn’t! I didn’t do anything! Don’t make things up!”
Rong Ziyin ignored his pleas entirely. He addressed the officers sternly, “He has a criminal record.”
Scammer: “???”
Rong Ziyin: “Take him away now!”
Scammer: “Wait… let me explain!”
Normally, the police wouldn’t believe one side of the story, especially since Rong Ziyin had no evidence! They couldn’t just arrest him for questioning out of thin air.
But this place was different. Rong Ziyin had gained fame throughout the villages for his exceptional medical skills, saving countless ducks. Later, the town’s salted duck eggs and preserved fish became renowned, and everyone knew Rong Ziyin was not only learned but also skilled. Even the wild boar hunt earlier had been led by him. Through these deeds, Rong Ziyin had become a prominent figure in the villages and towns, and people held his words in high regard.
So the officer promptly took the con artist away.
But just as he reached out, Rong Ziyin stopped him. “You’d better wear gloves when touching him.”
“Why?”
“He has corns and athlete’s foot.”
“Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection. Contact could spread it.”
Officer: !!!
Scammer: ……
Soon enough, the scammer was led away by the officer wearing gloves to apprehend him.
The couple felt terribly embarrassed and kept apologizing profusely to Rong Ziyin.
“Dr. Rong, we’re so sorry for causing you such trouble.”
“It’s fine. You were just trying to help me make money.”
Dr. Rong Ziyin reassured them, taking the opportunity to educate them on common scams perpetrated by fraudsters today.
The village chief happened by and paused to ask what was happening. He first felt a pang of anxiety for Dr. Rong Ziyin, relieved that his quick thinking had prevented him from being deceived.
As for the fraud prevention tips Dr. Rong Ziyin shared afterward, the village chief nodded repeatedly in agreement, finding his advice very sensible. The group chatted for nearly half an hour before Rong Ziyin was called away to fetch medicine for a neighbor’s large goose, temporarily halting their conversation.
The man who came for the medicine was also a curious soul. Seeing the lively discussion between the village chief and Rong Ziyin, he couldn’t help but ask, “What are you all talking about?”
“Let’s talk about scammers.” The village chief recounted how Rong Ziyin had exposed the fraudster today. He then praised Rong Ziyin again, “See! You really need to study hard and gain knowledge. Look at our young Doctor Rong—how amazing he is!”
“Yeah, yeah, really impressive!” The man who’d come for medicine nodded vigorously. He added casually, “If only everyone in our village knew about this. Then we wouldn’t get scammed!”
“Just think about that case in Xujia Village a few days ago—the magician who swindled all the gold from that family. If they’d known beforehand, it wouldn’t have happened!”
The village chief pondered this, finding it quite reasonable. He walked away thoughtfully, hands behind his back.
Rong Ziyin hadn’t taken it seriously yet. But when it was time to close up shop around six in the evening, he heard the village loudspeaker broadcasting something—the background music was surprisingly cheerful.
System: What’s this?
Rong Ziyin: Probably an announcement!
But when he strained to listen, the loudspeaker blared out a catchy anti-scam rhyme to the beat of thump-thump-thump:
“When scammers first target you,
You’re careless and reckless,
Handing over gold, silver, and cash
Without a second thought.”
“When scammers target you a second time, they change their tune. ‘Bro, I’m legit,’ they say, ‘Let’s hook up with a rich lady together.'”
“When scammers target you a third time, you’re broke and deep in debt. Still dreaming of riches even with no pants left—all because greed made you fall for it.”
“Wow~ you’ve got the face of someone born to be scammed.”
“Holy shit! Who the hell wrote this for the village chief?!” The crowd around them was laughing their heads off.
Rong Ziyin couldn’t help but chuckle too, thinking the person who wrote this bit was a bit too cheeky.
But to everyone’s surprise, the village chief concluded, “These are Dr. Rong’s earnest words to all of you. Take them to heart.”
“Dr. Rong just caught a con artist this afternoon!”
The villagers, laughing themselves silly, instinctively glanced at Rong Ziyin beside them: “……”
【Awkwardness Level: 1000】