"How did your uncle and Lao Ding get involved in this meeting?"

“My uncle was pulled in by a colleague surnamed Zhou. This colleague was from out of town and didn’t have much money before, but somehow he suddenly became rich. My uncle and Uncle Zhao were very envious of him making a lot of money, so he pulled them into the mutual aid society. This mutual aid society is quite large. I heard that there were only a few people in the early days, but now dozens or hundreds of people want to join every day. My uncle said he personally saw someone invest 100,000 yuan.”

One hundred thousand? One hundred thousand in the 1980s was no small sum.

According to Ding Da, the mutual aid society earns at least 100,000 yuan a day.

And so, they still wanted to continue scamming people out of money.

That chairman is really ruthless.

"You said they were pulled in by a colleague surnamed Zhou? What's that person's name?"

Ding Da shook his head and said:

“I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that this colleague is not young. He’s a college student and was once cheated on by a woman. When the police were looking for him, everyone thought he was finished. Who knew he would suddenly become a rich man? My uncle got jealous when he saw him buying refrigerators, washing machines, and even planning to buy a car.”

Chu Yu felt that the person he was talking about resembled Zhou Jian'an somewhat.

But surely it shouldn't be that bad? Zhou Jian'an was badly deceived by Dai Qinxue, but it was entirely his own fault. He was a good college student; after a few years, he would get promoted and pay off his debts sooner or later. Why was he so desperate?

Furthermore, Zhou Jian'an was so easily fooled by Dai Qinxue that he probably didn't have the brains to establish a mutual aid society. This kind of Ponzi scheme-style mutual aid society is not something that ordinary people can come up with, let alone have the courage to be the president of a mutual aid society.

Chu Yu felt that Zhou Jian'an didn't have that ability.

But this is too much of a coincidence; the person Ding Da described perfectly matches Zhou Jian'an.

"Where are Uncle Ding's colleagues from?"

"It seems to be from Deyang."

Deyang? Could it really be Zhou Jian'an?

Chu Yu and Zhou Jian'an had long since severed ties, but her biological father's involvement in fraud inevitably implicated her.

Chu Yu sent a fax to Shu Hui, telling her about the matter. Shu Hui was puzzled when she received the fax, but halfway there she remembered that Deng Fangping had once said that Zhou Fangchun had cheated people out of a lot of money and that many people were looking for her.

"Could it be Zhou Fangchun?" Shu Hui muttered.

Deng Fangping was stunned. Zhou Fangchun disappeared after swindling money. Her in-laws couldn't stay at home any longer, so they packed their bags and disappeared. It was said that they went all over the country to look for their child.

"What you're saying sounds exactly like something Zhou Fangchun would do. I heard she pulls people into some kind of club, gives them high interest rates, and then runs off with the money once they've invested it."

Shu Hui frowned. People like Zhou Jian'an and Jiang Meifeng would definitely cling to Chu Yu if they didn't have the money to repay the loan, but they hadn't shown up yet, which meant that the money had been secured.

"Sister-in-law, what if it really is Zhou Fangchun? If she is sentenced to prison, won't it affect my daughter?"

Deng Fangping also found it troublesome. How could Zhou Fangchun be so bold as to cheat people in Deyang and then go to Beijing to cheat people?

That's the capital city!

"If all else fails, shall we report this to the police and turn our own family against them?"

Shu Hui wasn't sure, only saying that she would verify it after returning to Beijing. If it really was Zhou Jian'an who did it, she would definitely report it to Zhou Jian'an for the sake of her child.

In early July, Chu Xiang finished her college entrance examination.

Chu Yu had always thought of her and made a special call to Luo Kangcheng's family.

"Uncle Luo."

Upon hearing her voice, Luo Kangcheng quickly recognized her. "Oh, it's Chu Yu. How are you doing in Beijing?"

Luo Kangcheng's voice was gentle, neither overly intimate nor overly cold; it possessed the composure and gentleness unique to a mature man. His emotions were very stable. Chu Yu had never been associated with a father in either of her two lifetimes.

Occasionally, she would think that her father should be like Luo Kangcheng, someone who doesn't have much of a presence, but who makes you feel at ease when you need him.

Chu Yu smiled. "I'm doing well. My mom went back to take care of Chu Xiang during her college entrance exams. You've seen her, haven't you?"

I saw your mother when I went out yesterday.

“My mom owns a fast food restaurant in Beijing, and the business is thriving. Thanks to my mom, I have no worries about food and clothing, and someone takes care of me. I’m doing quite well.”

A slight smile appeared on Luo Kangcheng's cold and stern face. He had a son with his ex-wife, but that boy was heartless and not close to him. If he had had a daughter, she would definitely be as sweet and lovely as Chu Yu.

"That's good. If you need any help, just ask Uncle Luo. Don't be shy."

A few minutes later, Chu Xiang came running over, panting and laughing:

"Sis, you finally decided to call me?"

Chu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like you did well on the test. Did you check the answers? What did Old Zhang say?"

Chu Xiang did well in the exams this year and was transferred to Zhang Zhihe's class. Because of Chu Yu, Zhang Zhihe had high hopes for Chu Xiang and always took special care of her.

Chu Xiang lived up to expectations, her exam scores kept rising, and she jumped from an average student to a top student.

In the final exam, he even ranked among the top three in his class.

Chu Xiang performed well, and Zhang Zhihe hoped that she could achieve a surprisingly good result like Chu Yu. Even if she couldn't become the top scorer in the provincial college entrance examination, she could at least be among the top in the city or county.

Chu Xiang did well on the exam, which gave the school a good reputation. Having two college students in one family, and both girls at that, would make many parents envious.

"Old Zhang said I did well on the exam, there were no major problems. If nothing unexpected happens, my score should be in the top three in the whole school. I just don't know what will happen after the scores are released. You know, estimated scores are not always accurate. Last year, someone in our school got a score that was 50 points lower than the estimated score, and he is repeating a year in our class this year."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!