Chapter 42: Black and White Turned Upside Down

“Longteng, what on earth is going on?” In the office, with no one else around, Yang Meng quietly asked Longteng, “Who is this Wan Changhe anyway? Does he really warrant such a massive commotion?”

Longteng handed Yang Meng a cigarette. “Just a dog dealer.”

Yang Meng looked at Longteng as if he were an idiot. “Are you kidding me?”

Longteng shrugged. “Why would I lie to you? He really is a dog dealer. At first, I thought I’d help you settle things with him privately, so I contacted him at the hospital. But he opened his mouth and demanded twenty million. I’m not about to indulge him. Fine, let’s make things as tough for him as possible.”

“How much?” Yang Meng was shocked. “Did you say twenty million? Is he insane?”

He thought scamming Longteng out of a million was already ruthless, but compared to this, he was a naive child—twenty million at the drop of a hat? Clearly, poverty had stifled his own imagination.

Longteng explained, “Do you remember the dog Miao Li was holding? Turns out, it’s a descendant of ‘KING,’ the BIS winner at this year’s Westminster Dog Show. The stud fee alone was fifty thousand dollars, and that was before ‘KING’ won the award. Now, the price has at least tripled.”

Yang Meng was still confused. What did that mean?

Longteng clarified, “The Westminster Dog Show is the world’s most prestigious dog show, and the highest honor there is the ‘BIS,’ which means ‘Best in Show.’ After winning at Westminster, both the dog and the kennel skyrocket in value. To put it bluntly, it’s a competition designed to extract money from pet enthusiasts. The puppy that died today is a descendant of a Westminster BIS winner.”

Yang Meng finally understood. “No wonder it’s so expensive. Even just breeding costs fifty thousand dollars?”

“The price is much higher after winning,” Longteng added. “He claimed this dog would win countless awards when it grew up, bringing him endless honor and prize money, so demanding ten million isn’t excessive in his eyes.”

Yang Meng blinked. “Isn’t this just like the story where the chicken lays an egg and the egg hatches a chicken? Isn’t this just a way to make you pay him a fortune?”

“Pay him? Not a chance!” Longteng snorted. “Who told him not to leash his dog? Even if he played dead, it’s still the owner’s fault. Want money? Dream on!”

Yang Meng was curious. “But what does this have to do with fraud or anything like that?”

Longteng replied, “Wan Changhe really is just a dog dealer. He used to sell puppies at the bird-and-flower market, but as people’s living standards improved here, the pet market flourished and all kinds of dog shows sprang up. Back then, the shows were unregulated—you could win just by paying. He bought a bunch of championships and became a leading figure in our city’s pet industry, running kennels, selling pet supplies, and taking dogs to shows.”

Yang Meng frowned. “But you haven’t said how he’s connected to scam rings.”

Longteng waved his hand. “Hold on, I’m not finished! Later, he found a way to make a fortune.”

“What way?” Yang Meng asked, curious.

Longteng said, “Our country lacks for nothing except people with compassion. He’d gather a bunch of mutts in his kennel, claim they were rescued from dog slaughterhouses, and post pitiful photos online—injured, sick, the more tragic the better. Meanwhile, he kept participating in dog shows to build a professional image and win dog lovers’ trust. Then he’d solicit help online.”

Yang Meng’s eyes widened. “People actually fell for that?”

“Remove the question mark. He’d won numerous national dog show titles, and if you didn’t know the inside story, his record was impressive. Dog lovers naturally trusted him. Those with money donated money, those with goods gave pet food and supplies, which he’d just sell for cash. As for the money, well, that goes without saying. Let me put it simply: imagine you’re a dog lover. You see someone so ‘dedicated’ to helping dogs and give him a hundred yuan. Not a lot, right? But what if ten thousand people think like you? And people these days have money—some donate thousands, even tens of thousands on their own. Imagine how much he could rake in?” Longteng asked in return.

“He could really get that much?” Yang Meng was stunned.

Longteng laughed. “Since there’s no need to disclose finances, nobody knows how much he’s actually made. All they know is he’s always asking for help. Wan Changhe is quite well-known in the domestic pet world, so he can rake in even more. To put it this way: I know for a fact he paid cash for a lakeside villa in our family’s new Beihu development—over forty million, paid in full. He has several luxury cars worth over a million each parked at home. How much do you think he’s scammed?”

Yang Meng was speechless. He’d been reading to broaden his horizons lately, but what Longteng just revealed still made his worldview waver.

Longteng smiled. “I don’t like the family business, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand it. Why do so many people fight tooth and nail to go public? Because financing is the fastest way to get rich. What Wan Changhe is doing is basically illegal fundraising.”

It was only now that Yang Meng understood why Chief Jin Junde said they’d caught a major fraud group. But he was curious: “How do you know all this?”

Longteng spoke lightly, “This city can be huge or tiny, depending how you look at it—there are really no secrets. If he’d only asked me for one or two million, I’d have just paid and settled the matter. But he asked for twenty million? Well, don’t blame me for paying him back in kind.”

Yang Meng didn’t know what to say, so in the end, he could only thank Longteng. “Well, Young Master Long, thank you.”

Longteng shook his head. “You don’t need to thank me for this. If anyone deserves thanks, it’s Xixiang—she’s the one who came up with the idea. By the way, Yang, Nanyao is still waiting for you to save her. Our family has really done everything we can. Who exactly is this Zhao Yun you mentioned? We’ve asked all of Nanyao’s classmates abroad and she hasn’t done anything outrageous!”

Yang Meng shook his head. “Enough, stop asking. She’s a scapegoat. The female ghost’s real target isn’t her—she’s just caught in the crossfire. I’ll go take care of this.”

Longteng still wanted to ask more, but Chief Jin Junde walked in at that moment, looking quite pleased. He was all smiles and hurried to offer both of them cigarettes.

Finally, he revealed his purpose, and Yang Meng realized why he was being so polite: Chief Jin wanted to move the press conference to the substation and told Yang Meng not to show his face, supposedly to “protect” him. But Yang Meng could tell with half a thought—if he didn’t appear, wouldn’t the police get all the credit for the bust?

But Yang Meng didn’t care about the credit. He pretended to be oblivious and sincerely thanked Chief Jin for being so considerate. Longteng, for his part, couldn’t wait for Yang Meng to get to the hospital. So both sides quickly agreed, and Yang Meng collected his phone, helmet, and other things before leaving the police station with Longteng.

“You’re riding a motorcycle?” Longteng looked at the backpack slung over Yang Meng’s shoulders, curious.

Yang Meng nodded. “Of course. Why else would I be dressed like this—for show?”

Longteng nodded. “Honestly, that’s exactly what I thought! Yang, not to brag, but I used to love bikes and sports cars, but after I became a professional athlete, I gave it up.”

Professional athletes are actually highly disciplined—in this respect, domestic athletes really can’t compare with their foreign counterparts.

Abroad, professional athletes are barred from many activities: skiing, skateboarding, motorcycles, hoverboards—anything dangerous is written into their contracts to minimize the risk of injury. They spend far more time training than playing around, keeping themselves in peak condition.

And domestically? Especially among pro athletes, smoking, drinking, and junk food are rampant. Bars and nightclubs are their haunts. That kind of management is simply lacking. That’s why you get the ridiculous sight of the national men’s basketball team’s starting center unable to bench as much as a women’s volleyball player. It all boils down to a lack of discipline. Unexpectedly, Longteng seemed to have done quite well in this regard.

Hearing Longteng’s words, Yang Meng laughed. “Come off it. I don’t make a habit of having a man hug my waist on the back of my bike. Let’s just meet at the hospital—I need to check on my buddy anyway.”

Longteng nodded quickly, looking a bit anxious. “Yang, it wasn’t easy to find you. Don’t stand me up!”

Yang Meng rolled his eyes. “Do I look like that kind of guy? I’ll get there before you!”

“Of course!” Longteng, afraid of offending Yang Meng, quickly changed the subject. “Yang, since you’re so well-equipped, your motorcycle must be pretty impressive, right?”

Yang Meng nodded. “Absolutely! See, that one over there—with someone sitting on it—that’s mine… Hey! Get off! What are you doing on my bike?”

As he and Longteng walked and chatted to the parking area, he saw someone sitting on his motorcycle. Furious, he hurried over to order the person off.

But instead of getting down, the person on the bike waved at him. “Hey, little brother! You’re finally out. Is this your bike? It’s so cool!”

Yang Meng blinked. “Li Xiaoqing? Didn’t you leave with your family?”

Li Xiaoqing hopped off the bike and said to Yang Meng, “I wasn’t going home. I slipped away as soon as I came out and have been waiting for you.”

Yang Meng scratched his head. “Waiting for me? How did you know I’d get out?”

“At worst, I’d wait twenty-four hours!” Li Xiaoqing replied.

Yang Meng was speechless. “You’re something else. Why are you waiting for me?”

“Little brother, don’t go back on your word! Didn’t you say you’d buy me a drink and take me for a ride on your motorcycle?” Li Xiaoqing said.