Wang Peng was feeling utterly bored when Feng Dali arrived in a hurry.

This is the fifth floor. He was so tired that his face was red and his neck was swollen; he had clearly run all the way up in one go.

"Xiao Peng, something terrible has happened. Congratulations." Feng Dali gasped for breath.

Wang Peng scratched his head. "Uncle Feng, I understand both sentences, but I don't understand them when you put them together."

Feng Dali was stunned for a moment and said, "Those five hundred-yuan bills are all counterfeit. The latest banknote counting machines can't detect them. Five currency experts said that it's very difficult for ordinary people to tell the difference between real and fake. Don't you think this is a big deal?"

Before Wang Peng could answer, he added, "The Provincial Public Security Department has set up a special task force, and those three people have been detained."

Wang Peng nodded; this was indeed a big deal.

Counterfeit money that even banknote detectors can't detect—who knows how many ordinary people it will harm?

Those three arrogant people buying alcohol are probably part of a gang that specializes in selling counterfeit money; they're most likely small fry.

"Xiaopeng, you must keep this a secret and not tell anyone."

Feng Dali said, "This is no small matter. Don't blame me for not reminding you."

Wang Peng said, "I understand! Uncle Feng, what did you mean when you congratulated me?"

"That means once this case is closed, we can apply for a reward for you," Feng Dali said.

Wang Peng didn't think this was a good thing. "Uncle Feng, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

“Not at the moment.” Feng Dali took out his keys. “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

"No need, there are buses here, I'll take one back," Wang Peng politely declined.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and then Feng Dali escorted Wang Peng upstairs.

Wang Peng was waiting for the bus at the street sign. Across the street, a man and a woman were drinking coffee by the window of a coffee shop.

The woman looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized she was his counselor, Xue Fengling.

The man opposite me was wearing a suit, but I couldn't make out what he looked like.

Two minutes later, Xue Fengling turned her head and saw Wang Peng, and immediately waved in their direction.

It would be impolite to ignore her, so Wang Peng waved to her.

Xue Fengling left her seat and went to the entrance of the coffee shop. "Wang Peng, didn't you want to start a business on campus? Here's a good project."

Since things had come to this, Wang Peng had no choice but to cross the road and ask, "Teacher Xue, what project is it?"

"Don't call me teacher outside of school, call me Sister Xue." Xue Fengling pulled Wang Peng into the coffee shop.

She introduced the man in the suit, "Wang Peng, this is Mr. Tong, an economist who returned from Cambridge."

The man was around thirty years old, dressed in a sharp suit, with his hair neatly combed, and he really looked like an expert.

"Hello Mr. Wang, I am Fengling's friend." Tong Xinshu stood up and shook hands.

"Hello, Mr. Tong," Wang Peng said with a smile. "I am Professor Xue's student."

The waiter came over with the menu, and Wang Peng ordered a glass of water and sat down opposite Tong Xinshu.

After exchanging a few polite words, Wang Peng got straight to the point, "Mr. Tong, Sister Xue said you have a way to make money?"

"Fengling, you flatter me. It's not a way to get rich."

Tong Xinshu smiled slightly and said, "I heard from Fengli that you drive a luxury car worth over 200,000 yuan and are a big boss."

"You flatter me, I'm just running a small business," Wang Peng said.

"If Mr. Wang has any spare cash, you can deposit it with me." Tong Xinshu took out a business card and handed it to Wang Peng.

Tong Xinshu, General Manager of Cambridge New Book Financial Investment Company.

After looking at the business card, Wang Peng immediately thought of illegal fundraising.

"Mr. Wang, if you deposit 1,000 yuan with me, I will give you 1,100 yuan with interest after one month."

Tong Xinshu said, "Our company is headquartered in the UK and is a large multinational corporation. I am responsible for the Greater China region."

"Xiaopeng, I saved two thousand last month and received two thousand two hundred today."

Xue Fengli opened her bag and took out a stack of hundred-yuan bills.

"Sorry, I don't have any money."

Wang Peng glanced at his watch and said, "Mr. Tong, Ms. Xue, I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

After saying that, he left the coffee shop. Just then, the bus arrived, and he quickened his pace to catch it.

Back at the tobacco and liquor store, I posted the condom promotional leaflets inside.

"Brother Lei, how's the survey going?" Wang Peng asked.

“I asked a few of my girlfriends, and they all said they didn’t want to use it and couldn’t bear to spend a single penny.”

Du Lei smiled and said, "But they suggested we sell instant noodles so they can have some at night."

"Sell them then," Wang Peng laughed, adding, "Don't accept hundred-yuan bills lately."

Du Lei frowned. "What's going on? Those three bastards gave us counterfeit money? Counterfeit money that even a money detector can't detect?"

Wang Peng nodded. "So we need to play it safe and not accept hundred-yuan bills."

"Damn it!" Du Lei said with a wry smile, "I never thought there would be so many problems in doing business. Those people who make counterfeit money deserve to die."

Wang Peng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Calm down, you'll encounter more bizarre problems in the future."

Just then, someone came over to buy cigarettes, and Du Lei hurriedly greeted them.

Wang Peng drove home and went to school the next day, and this went on for a week.

The counterfeit money incident was like a pebble in a lake, not causing a ripple.

He couldn't be bothered to pay attention to it and just left it to the police.

Du Lei, however, adheres to the teaching of not accepting hundred-yuan bills and only accepts RMB denominations of fifty yuan or less.

That morning, counselor Xue Fengli took the students on a field trip to People's Park.

Wang Peng sat under the big banyan tree, reading today's provincial capital daily newspaper.

"Xiaopeng, give me some change."

Xue Fengling sat down next to Wang Peng with a hundred-yuan bill in her hand and said, "I went to the convenience store to buy a drink, but the owner didn't have any change to give."

There's a small map over there, and they sell cigarettes and drinks; the owner is an old lady.

Wang Peng felt that she wasn't short of change, but rather afraid to accept large sums of money for fear of receiving counterfeit bills.

He took out his wallet, took out ten ten-yuan bills, and handed them to her.

"Thank you." Xue Fengling took the money and left.

Wang Peng was about to put the money in his wallet when he suddenly frowned; this bill was wrong.

He hurriedly checked the watermark, gold thread, and other anti-counterfeiting labels, but couldn't tell if they were genuine or fake.

I closed my eyes and gently rubbed it, but the feel still wasn't right.

He took out a real bill and carefully crumpled the number "100" on it.

"Xiao Peng, here you have some." Xue Fengling bought two bottles of Coke and handed one to Wang Peng.

"Thank you, teacher." Wang Peng accepted the cola.

Then, she took out the hundred-yuan bill she had given her and asked, "Teacher, this bill looks so new. Did you withdraw it from the bank?"

“It was Tong Xinshu who gave me the interest,” Xue Fengling said with a smile. “You know, I deposited two thousand yuan with him, and he gave me two thousand two hundred.”

Wang Peng shook his head. "Teacher, there's no such thing as a free lunch. I suggest you don't deposit your money with him."

"I'll listen to you." Xue Fengling smiled. "I'm not stupid. I'll just deposit it once and make two hundred yuan."

“A few days ago, my dad’s friend deposited money with someone else, but that person ran away with it,” she added.

Wang Peng stood up. "Teacher, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he drove directly to the police station.