Chapter 92: Prepare Mentally for Taking Criticism

After hearing Liu Jian'an's account, Lu Cheng only then realized they had missed a big fish.

Although this man and woman use a simple con, it resembles the Xianren Jump Scam, winning by being blunt and crude; even if the first few people know something's off, they still have to obediently hand over money.

Otherwise you'd be a thug who ogled a woman's butt, and you'd fear the incident getting big, being reported to the authorities, and then being nailed to the shame pillar.

The two swindlers also target this mindset, using this trick, and it never fails.

Four victims are known; if Niu Da Kui is added, that's five people, two yuan each, five people make ten yuan.

There may be other victims too shy to come forward, or the pair may keep conning, so in a single day they could easily earn at least several dozen yuan.

That's equivalent to a regular worker's monthly salary.

In a year of scamming, they'd become a ten‑thousand‑yuan household; the speed of making money is absurd.

One could say the money‑making business is already written into the criminal law.

However, whether the two are truly husband and wife remains to be confirmed.

If not, the man is unbelievably bold, letting others look at his wife's butt, each viewing fetching two yuan.

Not to mention, he has great potential for pimping.

Such scum must be arrested, otherwise when the flesh‑and‑skin industry develops, they'll surely become a harmful Big Chicken Head in the region.

Unfortunately the train was at the station during the boarding rush, and Lu Cheng and his men searched around but found nothing.

Most likely they were beaten, or they're afraid the Train Police will zero in, so they probably got off the train.

In the Dining Car, everyone, having failed to catch anyone, had little appetite for the meal.

Lu Cheng truly hadn't expected a man to use his own wife's butt to make money.

Indeed, the world is vast and full of oddities.

If he had known those four people's reports were about this, he would have stayed on the spot to question them; by learning the situation early and rushing over, he couldn't possibly let the two escape.

Now saying anything is useless; we can only blame a bit of bad luck.

He's the group leader; if the group leader's morale is low, the team members lose their spirit even more.

Lu Cheng tapped his lunch box: "Everyone, pull yourselves together, don't lose heart. Though we didn't catch them this time, it's not like there are no more chances."

Liu Jian'an looked up: "Any more chances? Everyone's off the train! I rushed both fast and slow, but still arrived a step too late; had I been earlier, they definitely wouldn't have escaped."

At that moment, no one imagined the two were con artists; they only knew Niu Da Kui had been beaten, and everyone's thoughts were on Niu Da Kui.

Lu Cheng looked at the few: "Why is there no chance? Their way of making money is both easy and lucrative; do you think they'd be willing to give up such an easy profit?"

Liu Jian'an understood: "Right, they definitely won't do this just once. This time they escaped, but next time they'll be on a train again, and then we can catch the two."

Lu Cheng nodded: "Exactly, that's the logic. Now everyone eat properly. By the way, next time you see that woman go to the restroom, don't go in—let me go."

Liu Jian'an asked: "Why?"

Lu Cheng tapped him with chopsticks: "Why why? I'm afraid you might get ripped off; I'm not afraid of being ripped off."

Niu Da Kui sniffed: "He wants to see people's buttocks."

The few nodded in sudden realization, and a furious Lu Cheng gave Niu Da Kui a chopstick: "Trying to look clever, huh?"

"Who's clever?" Jiang Mengmeng, cradling her lunch box, plopped onto the bench.

Chang Jinbu glanced: "We're a bunch of Big Old Masters, what are you squeezing into this!"

"Yo, you call yourself a Big Old Master, yet you're not even as tall as me."

Having been called out by Jiang Mengmeng, Chang Jinbu instantly lost his temper and buried his head in his food.

Group Leader Lu, what happened on the train just now? Was there another Murderer?

Jiang Mengmeng, unable to find out, couldn't even finish her meal.

Lu Cheng smiled: "Nothing, this time it's not a Murderer, it's a Fraudster targeting men."

Upon hearing it's only targeting men, Jiang Mengmeng pressed her chest and exhaled: "That's good, I was afraid it was one of those kill‑then‑rape villains."

Lu Cheng laughed: "By the way, Comrade Jiang Mengmeng, you have wide connections; could you help me find suitable brides for a few of our team members?"

Jiang Mengmeng scanned the few; the tall ones too tall, the short ones too short, and shook her head: "Oh my heavens, Group Leader Lu, this is a tough one for me—what about widows with children?"

Lu Cheng was about to speak, when the usually taciturn Zhao Jinzhu nodded: "Hmm, okay."

Lu Cheng was speechless: "What do you mean 'okay'! Raising someone else's child? You think it's that easy, just becoming a dad? You think being a step‑father is that simple."

Jiang Mengmeng couldn't help but laugh: "Buy one, get one free—doesn't that sound good?"

Lu Cheng quickly shook his head: "Never mind, their seals aren't even opened yet; just scout for someone, not necessarily as pretty as you—just kind‑hearted, able to make a living."

Given their own circumstances, they can't set high standards; being able to get by is the main thing.

Jiang Mengmeng smiled and agreed: "Alright then, Group Leader Lu has spoken; I'll try to keep an eye out. Besides, they're Train Police, far stronger than Blind Drifters."

"Right, right, that's what I mean—Turtle watching mung beans; maybe he'll spot someone he likes."

Niu Da Kui sniffed: "I'm not a Turtle; I want the Master's Wife."

Lu Cheng, furious, kicked him directly, causing Jiang Mengmeng's hair to flutter wildly.

At dawn the next day, they finally arrived at Guangcheng Train Station.

The local Railway Bureau had already arranged a Worker Dormitory; the lodging wasn't great, just a temporary stopover.

The dormitory had four stacked Iron Bunk Beds, enough for five people to sleep.

When they reached the dormitory and opened the door, the Big Old Masters were too lazy to wash their feet, collapsed onto the beds, and fell asleep.

Lu Cheng slept on the upper bunk of Niu Da Kui's bed, near the window; he cracked the window open a sliver, lit a cigarette, and began smoking.

Guangcheng's night sky was no different from Capital City's; there are still no towering skyscrapers, the view is wide, the stars bright, and the moon also bright.

Only after finishing the cigarette did he wrap himself in the blankets and sleep with his head covered.

This low‑rise worker building is specifically for on‑train staff to rest; the personnel rotate, so the beds aren't fixed.

He didn't know who slept there before, but a strong foot odor filled the blanket; Lu Cheng, stung by it, ripped the quilt open and gulped a few breaths.

But the dormitory smelled bad too; the Big Old Masters had been on the train for nearly two days, their bodies already sour, and combined with the foot stink, the odor was like a tossed gas bomb.

After Lu Cheng lay down again, he somewhat missed Lin Qingyan sleeping beside him; although a curtain separated them, the faint fragrance on Lin Qingyan's body still easily lulled one to sleep.

In the end he was exhausted, and in his drowsy haze he managed to fall asleep, only to be awakened at dawn by the sound of basketball being played in the courtyard.

He rested briefly for a morning, had lunch at the Railway Bureau Canteen at noon, wandered around the area, and in the afternoon rode back to the Capital City with the train.

One advantage is that Train Police don't have fixed rest periods like desk staff; after each long‑distance duty they receive three days off.

After getting off the train, the escort‑duty mission was over; Lu Cheng slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to go home, when Ding Han Zhen told him to make a trip to the Traffic Police Unit, saying Lei Zhan Ge was looking for him and urging him to brace himself for criticism.