Chapter 489 - 243: This Is a Scam

Chapter 489: Chapter 243: This Is a Scam

"Uh, well..." Su Chen feigned a look of temptation mixed with hesitation. After a moment, he said, "Brother, let me think about it. I’ve got work to deal with on my end. I’ll call you once I’ve made up my mind."

"Hahaha! No problem. You’d better call me soon, little brother. Remember, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Chen Fan’s voice was impossibly cheerful.

"Oh, right, don’t tell anyone I called you," Chen Fan added, making sure to stress the point. "I don’t want the family finding out I’m making money and calling to borrow some."

Hearing this, Su Chen raised an eyebrow. ’He’s trying to get ahead of this.’

"Alright, Brother!" Su Chen said before hanging up.

He placed his phone on the table and replayed the details of the conversation in his mind.

Just then, Li Li, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

"Boss, if you don’t mind me asking... was that person on the phone telling you to go to Southeast Asia to strike it rich?"

"Yeah, you heard my side of it. What do you think? What’s the catch?" Su Chen felt something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

Hearing this, Li Li took out her phone. After tapping on it for a moment, she turned the screen and handed it to Su Chen.

Su Chen took it and saw it was a short online video. He glanced at the title: "Fraud Awareness Starts Close to Home!"

He tapped play. The video was a PSA about scams, and it specifically highlighted several high-risk regions—including Southeast Asia, where his older cousin Chen Fan was.

"You’re saying he’s trying to lure me over there? But shouldn’t scams be about money? Why would they want me, in person?"

"Boss, sometimes a person has a price tag. It doesn’t matter if they’re a man or woman, young or old," Li Li remarked grimly.

A chill went down Su Chen’s spine. Of course, he knew exactly what Li Li meant. People could be valuable commodities, too—especially young, healthy people like himself.

At first, Su Chen had assumed that if Chen Fan was trying to trick him, it would be for hard labor at worst. He never imagined they might be after his kidneys.

"Heh... What a great older cousin I have," Su Chen said, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smirk. A strange glint flashed in his eyes.

Of course, nothing was certain yet. For now, it was all just speculation on his and Li Li’s part.

He handed Li Li’s phone back to her and said, "I’m planning to fly back home tomorrow. I’m leaving you in charge of everything here. Whenever you feel you’re no longer needed, give me a call."

"If you run into anything you can’t handle, remember to call me immediately!"

"Also, pick two of my top four to act as your temporary bodyguards and driver, just in case anything happens. As for the specifics... I’ll leave that to you."

"Okay, Boss!" Li Li stood up and thanked him.

She didn’t stay at the ranch for long. After packing her things and grabbing her briefcase, she gave Su Chen a bow and left.

Watching Li Li go, Su Chen’s gaze lowered as he mulled over the situation with Chen Fan.

After a moment of thought, Su Chen picked up his phone from the table and called his mom, Chen Shufen. He wanted to confirm whether Chen Fan had called anyone else in the family, lest someone rashly decide to actually go to Southeast Asia.

The call connected quickly. On the other end, Chen Shufen’s groggy voice came through. "Hello? Son, what’s wrong?"

From her tone, Su Chen knew he had woken his mom up from her afternoon nap.

"Mom, I have something important to tell you!"

Hearing the words "something important," Chen Shufen immediately sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake.

She knew that for those two words—"something important"—to come from her son, the matter had to be serious.

"Hold on, I’m going to wash my face!" Before Su Chen could even reply, she was already hurrying toward the bathroom.

After the sound of SPLASHING water, Chen Shufen was back in less than ten seconds.

"Alright, Son. Go ahead. What’s so important?"

Su Chen didn’t immediately bring up his older cousin, Chen Fan. Instead, he quickly summarized the situation in his head, trying to figure out how to phrase it to avoid a misunderstanding with his mom.

He was her nephew, after all—someone she’d watched grow up. If she heard he was in trouble in Southeast Asia, of course she would worry.

"Mom, Uncle’s back, right? How is he doing?"

"Your uncle?" Chen Shufen had been bracing herself for something serious; she hadn’t expected him to ask about that.

"He’s been back for a while now. The two kids have been enrolled in the best school in Fuzhou, and your uncle is helping out at the shop for the time being."

"What is it? You didn’t call just to ask about your uncle, did you? Stop beating around the bush and get to the point!" Chen Shufen was no longer the simple woman who only knew how to cook. After the last incident, she had joined the association and had become much shrewder.

"My cousin, Chen Fan, called me just now. I just wanted to ask if he’s been in contact with Uncle and the others."

The words had barely left Su Chen’s mouth when Chen Shufen’s furious shout erupted from the phone. "Chen Fan called you? Where the hell has that little bastard been hiding?"

"It’s bad enough that he abandoned his own kids and parents, but he also left a mountain of debt for the family! We’ve had debt collectors showing up at the house! It makes me furious!"

Seething, Chen Shufen recounted all the recent events. Only then did Su Chen realize the amount of money Chen Fan had borrowed was far beyond his imagination. Besides using up his savings and borrowing from friends, he had also taken loans from various online lending platforms and loan sharks.