When Uncle Zhou heard this, he was so angry he gritted his teeth. This fatso Wang was just too greedy.
But then he thought, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Let him take as much as he wants now; he’ll have to cough it all up with interest later.
Gritting his teeth, he scrambled together another sum of money and sent it over, thinking fiercely, “Take it, take it! Let’s see how much longer you can strut around!”
Little did he know that while he was happily sending money, Ji Shuyu and He Yuan hadn’t been idle either.
Through his comrades, He Yuan not only confirmed that the so-called Yuanhang Trading Company was entirely fictitious but also followed the trail to uncover evidence of Uncle Zhou’s recent fund-raising efforts.
They even dug up some of his old secrets related to profiteering and smuggling supplies.
All of this was solid, undeniable evidence—enough to make Uncle Zhou suffer severely.
Meanwhile, Ji Shuyu kept the research institute running as usual while quietly having Director Wang spread the word.
The message was that the supply and marketing cooperative had received a huge order and urgently needed large quantities of top-grade marine raw materials. The price was negotiable, but the requirements were high, and the goods would need to be inspected.
As soon as this news spread, some people on the island who had stockpiles or could source high-quality goods began to get ideas.
Even Uncle A’wang, who had previously been incited by Uncle Zhou, felt tempted, hesitating over whether he should bring out the few high-quality pearls he had stored at home to inquire about the price.
When Uncle Zhou heard the rumors, he grew even more smug, convinced that Ji Shuyu and Director Wang had completely fallen into his trap.
He could already picture the scene half a month later: the supply and marketing cooperative buried under piles of unsold goods, Director Wang weeping and begging for mercy, and Ji Shuyu’s research institute paralyzed by material shortages and skyrocketing prices.
As the days passed, the agreed-upon delivery date drew closer.
Following Ji Shuyu’s instructions, Director Wang went through the motions of collecting some goods.
However, the quantity fell far short of what was listed in the order. He sighed and lamented all day long, complaining to the fake employee sent by Uncle Zhou to check on their progress.
He grumbled about how difficult it was to source the goods and how prices had been driven too high, begging for a few extra days or a little more financial support.
This time, Uncle Zhou was truly out of money. He was just waiting for the deadline to arrive so he could reel in his net!
Seeing that Uncle Zhou had exhausted his tricks, Director Wang stopped pressing him.
Finally, the delivery day arrived.
Uncle Zhou made his move in person. Bringing along a few men and posing as a representative of Yuanhang Trading Company, he swaggered into the supply and marketing cooperative, ready to inspect and receive the goods.
His plan was to find fault and drive down the price, or simply refuse the goods outright under some pretext, leaving Director Wang bankrupt.
He had already looked into it: the money he’d given was far from enough to cover the cost of the goods Director Wang had supposedly acquired.
So, Director Wang must have secretly added his own funds.
Uncle Zhou had even prepared his mocking remarks in advance.
But as soon as he entered the supply and marketing cooperative’s office, he saw Director Wang and Ji Shuyu leisurely drinking tea, with two officers in police uniforms seated beside them.
Uncle Zhou’s heart sank, but relying on his current role as the buyer’s representative, he forced himself to stay calm.
“Director Wang, oh, Director Ji, you’re both here? Perfect. We’re from Yuanhang Trading Company, here to collect and inspect the goods as agreed. Where are the goods? How’s the preparation going?”
Director Wang set down his teacup and slowly pulled out the order.
“The goods? We’re still preparing them. But, Boss Qian—oh, I mean, Comrade Representative—shouldn’t we have a little chat before the inspection?”
“Chat about what? It’s all written down in black and white! If the goods aren’t up to standard or the quantity is insufficient, you’ll have to compensate us as agreed!”
Uncle Zhou deliberately put on a stern face.
Ji Shuyu let out a light laugh and spoke, “Compensation is certainly necessary. However, it depends on who compensates whom. Comrade Representative, could you please present your company’s business license, authorization letter, and your personal identification?”
“Also, we need to verify the source of the substantial deposit paid earlier to ensure it is clear and legal.”
Uncle Zhou’s face changed. “What… what do you mean by that? Suspecting our company? You’ve already accepted the deposit!”
“We did accept it, which is precisely why we need to verify everything clearly,” Ji Shuyu replied, her smile unwavering as she took a sip of plain water.
“After all, engaging in commercial fraud using false company information, especially involving such a large amount, is a serious offense.”
“What nonsense are you spouting! What false company!” Uncle Zhou panicked, sweat beading on his temples.
The police officers seated nearby stood up, displaying their badges. One of them said sternly, “Comrade, we have received a report and, after preliminary investigation, confirmed that the so-called Yuanhang Trading Company does not exist. You are suspected of forging official documents and seals, as well as committing large-scale fraud.”
“Please come with us to assist in the investigation. Additionally, we expect you to fully confess your previous activities of profiteering and disrupting market order.”
Uncle Zhou’s face turned ashen, and his legs gave way beneath him. “N-no… that’s not… I… I’ve been framed! It’s them! They were the ones who were insatiably greedy! They were the ones who demanded a larger deposit!”
Director Wang immediately protested, “Officers, please see the truth! He was the one who came to us with high prices to lure us in! We were simply conducting normal business, and when we noticed something suspicious, we proactively reported it and cooperated with the investigation!”
“The deposit he sent is all here, untouched, waiting to be handed over to you as evidence!”
With both witnesses and material evidence present, Uncle Zhou had no way to defend himself. He collapsed completely to the floor.
Only then did he realize that the trap he had dug hadn’t ensnared Ji Shuyu and Director Wang but had instead buried him alive.
The funds he had scrambled together for the deposit had all become ironclad evidence of his fraud!
The police officers handcuffed him and took him away.
Watching Uncle Zhou’s despairing figure being led off, Director Wang let out a long sigh of relief and gave Ji Shuyu a thumbs-up. “Shuyu, your strategy of ‘inviting the gentleman into the jar’ and then ‘catching the turtle in the jar’ was absolutely brilliant!”
Ji Shuyu smiled faintly. “Director, this time he jumped into the fire pit himself. He has no one else to blame. We’ve essentially rid the people of a scourge.”
Now, it seemed Uncle Zhou would likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, never to cause trouble again.
The island’s supply and marketing cooperative and the research institute could finally enjoy a period of genuine peace.
Ji Shuyu thought to herself that she could now focus on her research into shell materials without worry.
“But Shuyu, the goods we gathered ourselves… we did spend money on them. This part…” Director Wang looked somewhat troubled. After all, he had used his own funds.
“Don’t worry, Director Wang. I have a solution. Give them to me, and I’ll exchange them for a batch of high-demand, quality goods for you.”
Hearing Director Wang’s concern, Ji Shuyu understood his thoughts.
Fortunately, he hadn’t acquired many goods. She had already checked with the points mall—this batch could be exchanged for a considerable amount of points.
With these, acquiring some goods from outside would be more than enough.
Only after hearing Ji Shuyu’s assurance did Director Wang relax.
“Shuyu, you’re truly remarkable. Sometimes, I simply can’t help but admire you,” Director Wang said, shaking his head as he looked at Ji Shuyu with genuine appreciation.
He truly considered himself lucky to have met such a talented individual.
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