Chapter 8 Elegant Revenge: Blood Ties and False Brothers
Lu Jin's downfall was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; the ripples spread rapidly, only to be swallowed up by the city's overwhelming clamor. Wen Yu didn't pause for a moment; his gaze calmly shifted to the next name on the list.
Mother: Wang Xiujuan; younger brother: Wen Lei.
His blood relatives, once his deepest bond, ultimately turned into leeches sucking his marrow. In his past life, his mother's rope of filial piety suffocated him, while his younger brother was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled. After the apocalypse, their demands intensified until they finally watched him coldly walk towards death.
In this life, Wen Yu's heart is devoid of warmth, filled only with the chilling precision of calculation. He will sever this twisted bond, in a way that they can best understand and that will cause them the most profound pain—money and betrayal.
Target: Wen Lei, 21 years old, college dropout, idle and addicted to online games and short videos, dreaming of getting rich without working, and only taking from his older brother without any respect.
Wen Yu understood his brother's mindset perfectly. He didn't need to show his face in person. An encrypted, untraceable VoIP call, a meticulously forged screenshot of an invitation to a "high-end financial investment community," and a get-rich-quick story brimming with insider information were enough.
He registered a brand new virtual identity – "Manager Xu", claiming to work at a top investment bank and to have internal subscription quotas for a private equity project that was "about to take off", with an annualized return conservatively estimated at over 300%, but with extremely high thresholds, only open to "destined people" and "relatives of his friends".
He indirectly "recommended" the social media account of "Manager Xu" to Wen Lei's alternate account through several gaming groups and local food and entertainment groups that Wen Lei frequented.
As expected, Wen Lei, who was eager to prove himself quickly and had long taken his brother's support for granted, soon took the bait.
Manager Xu's WeChat Moments are filled with photos of luxury cars, yachts, high-end parties (stolen from the internet), and obscure but impressive-sounding economic analyses.
Occasionally, they would "casually" reveal stories of how a project enabled early participants to achieve "financial freedom overnight."
Wen Lei took the initiative to strike up a conversation, his tone respectful yet urgent. "Manager Xu" initially ignored him, maintaining a cold and aloof demeanor.
It wasn't until Wen Lei repeatedly pleaded and "unintentionally" revealed that he had an older brother who was "somewhat wealthy but very stingy" that "Manager Xu" "reluctantly" relented, saying that he could "make an exception" and give him a chance, but he would need to provide proof of funds and a deposit.
"What kind of project is so profitable?" Wen Lei asked, both excited and wary.
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained. Do you know that regulations have tightened recently, and many good projects are no longer publicly available? We're acting as a conduit for the real big shots, profiting from information asymmetry and speed. The initial allocation is five million, with a minimum investment of five hundred thousand, locked up for three months, and a guaranteed doubling of your investment. If I didn't think highly of you, would you even have this opportunity?"
Manager Xu's reply was full of disdain and temptation.
"Five hundred thousand... I... I can't come up with that much right now."
"Then there's nothing I can do. Young man, the threshold to financial freedom is right here. If you can't cross it, you'll be dreaming at the bottom forever." Manager Xu made a move to end the conversation.
Wen Lei panicked. He could almost see luxury cars and beautiful women beckoning to him, and the thought of his brother Wen Yu, that "miser" who clearly had money but wouldn't help him, made him blinded by lust and greed. "Wait! Manager Xu, I can raise the money! Give me some time! How do we invest?"
"Manager Xu" "reluctantly" agreed to leave him a "share of 300,000 yuan," but required him to raise the money within three days, deposit it into a designated "third-party escrow account" (an overseas shell company account), and sign an electronic "high-risk investment disclosure statement" (the terms of which were extremely harsh, almost exempting "Manager Xu" from all responsibilities).
Wen Lei didn't understand it at all, nor did he want to. All he saw was a 300% return. He began frantically raising money: maxing out his own credit cards and several cards registered under his mother's ID to withdraw cash; borrowing from classmates and friends, promising exorbitant interest rates; finally, he turned to a notorious local underground bank—using his mother's old house as "invisible collateral" (he stole copies of his mother's ID and property certificate) to borrow 150,000 yuan at a high-interest rate with weekly interest.
Three days later, Wen Lei transferred the 280,000 yuan he had scraped together (he was still short 20,000 yuan and had no other choice) into the designated account. Then, he waited expectantly for the notification of "financial freedom".
A week passed, and "Manager Xu's" replies became slower. Two weeks later, "Manager Xu's" account suddenly deleted all content and then disappeared completely.
Wen Lei frantically tried to contact them, only to receive a cold "the other party has deleted their account" message. He then snapped out of his daze and frantically checked the "third-party escrow account," only to find it completely empty.
The dream of getting rich quick shattered, debt piled up like mountains. Loan sharks immediately started calling, their tone aggressive. Friends and classmates joined in the pursuit. Credit card bills came flying in like snowflakes.
The mother, Wang Xiujuan, was terrified by her son's wailing and the arrival of debt collectors. She had always been cautious and timid, her only hope lying with her son and his eldest son, Wen Yu, who was good at earning money. She immediately called Wen Yu, crying and wailing, "Xiao Yu! Come back quickly! Your brother has been scammed! He owes so much money! Those debt collectors are ruthless! You have to save him!"
On the other end of the phone, Wen Yu's voice was eerily calm: "Mom, as I said last time, after the mortgage is settled, I have my own difficulties and can't take care of myself. Wen Lei is an adult now and should be responsible for his actions."
"How can you say that! He's your own brother! Are you going to just stand by and watch him die?" Wang Xiujuan screamed.
"I have no money. All my money is tied up in projects, and I'm barely able to support myself. You'll have to figure it out yourselves." Wen Yu hung up the phone and immediately blocked the number.
Wang Xiujuan called again, but the line was busy. She couldn't believe that her eldest son, who had always been the most obedient, the most family-oriented, and almost always obliging, could be so indifferent. Panic and anger overwhelmed her.
To prevent her son from having his legs broken, Wang Xiujuan gritted her teeth and sold her house in her hometown (the one Wen Yu had paid for). Because she was in a hurry to sell, the price was driven down very low.
The proceeds from the sale of the house were used to cover the high-interest loan and some loans from friends, but the credit card debt and interest are still accumulating.
Wen Lei hid at home, afraid to go out, spending his days complaining and blaming others, cursing the swindlers, cursing society, and finally starting to curse Wen Yu: "It's all his fault! If he had given me the money to invest in a legitimate lawyer earlier, why would I have gone to that kind of person! He clearly has money! He just stood by and watched me die! Cold-blooded!"
Wang Xiujuan initially defended her eldest son, but as the pressure of debt and the hardships of life (rent, cost of living), listening to her younger son's complaints and recalling Wen Yu's resolute attitude, the scales in her heart gradually tipped.
Yes, Xiaoyu wasn't like this before... Has he really stopped caring about our lives?
The mother and son lived in a cramped rented room, arguing and blaming each other over a little money for living expenses, and the superficial harmony they once had was completely gone.
Wen Yu occasionally received text messages from his mother through a temporary number, some pleading and some cursing, but he would only read them and not reply. He knew that the money from selling the house wouldn't last long.
With Wen Lei's laziness and his mother's excessive pampering, an even greater abyss lies ahead. And this is exactly what he wants—to exhaust all their resources before the apocalypse arrives, immersing them in poverty, debt, and mutual resentment, losing all possibility of turning their lives around.
The bloodline reckoning has temporarily come to an end. Wen Yu's gaze turned to the last three names: Zhang Hao (Haozi), Li Qiang (Qiangge), and Zhao Feng (Madman).
His so-called "brothers in arms" from his past life ultimately betrayed him, stabbing him in the deepest wound in the heart. In this life, he will make them fall to their deaths in their respective fields of expertise.
Target A: Zhang Hao (Haozi), greedy, shrewd but narrow-minded, always looking for shortcuts to get rich quick.
To deal with the greedy, use even greater greed as bait. Wen Yu, posing as an overseas Chinese returnee named "Chairman Zhou," claimed to possess a key "Western Development 2.0" project secretly supported by the state, involving new energy and rare minerals, and needed to recruit "co-founders." He promoted the project through carefully designed online crowdfunding and offline investment promotion meetings (hiring shills), promising "an investment of 100,000 yuan will yield tens of millions in three years," and "tiered development with astonishing team rewards."
Zhang Hao was quickly pulled into this "wealth community" by a friend. Every day, the group was filled with photos of the luxurious lives of various "successful people" (stolen pictures), "photos" of "Jay Chou" with local leaders (photoshopped), and "testimonies" of early participants getting luxury cars (staged photos of rented cars). The community atmosphere was fervent, filled with slogans such as "change your destiny" and "seize the pulse of the times".
Zhang Hao was initially cautious, but he couldn't resist the constant sense of urgency created in the group ("Only ten spots left!" "The policy window is about to close!") and the "refined demeanor" and "powerful background" (all fabricated) displayed by "Chairman Zhou" during occasional video calls. He calculated the tempting rate of return, thinking about how his savings were depreciating in the bank, and finally gritted his teeth. He not only invested all his savings of 300,000 yuan, but also dragged his wife's relatives into investing, promising guaranteed principal and high interest. In total, they raised more than one million yuan, all of which was transferred to the designated account, making them "regional agents."
He dreamed of achieving financial freedom soon, buying a new car and a new house, and reaching the pinnacle of life. Little did he know that after absorbing enough funds, "Chairman Zhou" and his core team vanished overnight, all contact information rendered invalid. Zhang Hao not only lost everything but also faced relentless debt collection and accusations from relatives, his wife's demands for divorce, and his family and career collapsed instantly. He reported it to the police, but such sophisticated pyramid schemes are extremely difficult to solve, and the hope of recovering his funds was slim.
Target B: Li Qiang (Brother Qiang), violent and impulsive, believes in fists, and has a criminal record.
To deal with a violent person, use the rules and laws they despise. Wen Yu recalled that three years ago, Li Qiang accidentally caused serious injury (a ruptured spleen) to someone in a bar fight. At the time, he managed to settle the matter privately by paying compensation and threatening witnesses, and avoided going to jail. However, the victim's family harbored resentment, and the evidence had not been completely erased.
Wen Yu contacted the victim's brother through the dark web. The brother was an honest, hardworking man whose family had fallen into hardship after his younger brother became disabled. He harbored deep hatred for Li Qiang, but was hampered by Li Qiang's threats and the fact that the case had been dropped years ago.
Instead of revealing himself, Wen Yu, under the guise of an "anonymous insider" and someone who "can't stand bullies," compiled a detailed report containing the events of that year, the hidden story of why key witnesses were forced to change their stories, even a recording of Li Qiang boasting about the incident while drunk (a fabrication, but it sounded very real), as well as clues about several minor violent disputes that Li Qiang had recently been involved in.
He instructed the victim's brother on how to anonymously submit materials to the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Public Security Bureau, and the Anti-Organized Crime Office through multiple channels, and hinted that he could contact local journalists with a sense of justice (Wen Yu provided contact information for several journalists who frequently reported on such incidents).
Meanwhile, Wen Yu himself also used different accounts on local online forums and social media to spread vague information that "a certain thug surnamed Li seriously injured someone many years ago and is still at large, and is still running rampant today," which attracted attention on a small scale.
Under pressure from various parties, the old case was reopened for investigation.
The witnesses from back then were no longer afraid (times had changed, and Li Qiang had recently been having bad luck) and provided new testimonies.
Police quickly apprehended Li Qiang.
This time, what awaits him is no longer mediation and compensation, but a criminal lawsuit for intentional injury causing serious bodily harm.
Imprisonment looms large. The aura of violence and the gangster circle upon which he relied for survival crumbles in an instant.
Target C: Zhao Feng (the madman), a speculator, obsessed with virtual currency and blockchain concepts, always wanting to gamble big.
To deal with speculators, give them a seemingly sure-win gamble. Wen Yu transforms into the mysterious "crypto tycoon - Brother Jiu," active in a niche but highly "prestigious" cryptocurrency forum and Telegram group.
"Ninth Brother" is sharp-tongued and "accurate" in his analysis of market trends. He occasionally "predicts" a few minor fluctuations in advance, and they all "come true" (in reality, Wen Yu uses his reborn memories and a small amount of capital to manipulate the small market). He quickly accumulated a group of followers.
Zhao Feng was one of them. He was impressed by "Brother Jiu's" "strength" and "vision" and regarded him as an idol.
When the time was right, "Brother Jiu" began to discreetly recommend a new project called "StarChain," claiming it had "disruptive technology," a "strong-background team," and was "about to be listed on major international exchanges." He also claimed that it was currently in the "early mining bonus period" and posted a screenshot of himself "heavily holding" the coin (which was fake). He predicted that the coin would surge "fifty to one hundred times" in the next two months.
Zhao Feng studied the white paper (an incomprehensible book filled with impressive-sounding terms), looked at the "team background" (a lavishly packaged fake resume), and saw that "Brother Jiu" and several other "big shots" were unanimously optimistic about it, making him incredibly eager. He already held some Bitcoin and Ethereum, but always felt the price increases were too slow. This time, he decided to take a big gamble, fantasizing about getting rich overnight.
He sold all his mainstream cryptocurrencies, along with his savings and money borrowed from online lending platforms, and converted it all into "Starlink." In the first few days, the price of the coin rose slowly amidst minor fluctuations, and Zhao Feng was overjoyed, increasing his leverage to invest more.
However, this was simply a scam orchestrated by "Brother Jiu" and the project team. After absorbing a large amount of funds from retail investors, the project team suddenly announced a "technical upgrade and suspension of withdrawals," after which the team disappeared, the official website shut down, and the coin price instantly dropped to zero on exchanges.
Zhao Feng lost all his investments and was burdened with heavy online loan debts.
"Ninth Brother" and the entire community vanished without a trace.
Zhao Feng was unable to accept reality and was on the verge of collapse. He tried to report it to the police, but cross-border recovery of cryptocurrency scams is extremely difficult. His speculative dream was completely shattered, leaving him with huge debts and the look of disbelief from those around him.
Wen Yu calmly monitored the conclusion of these three "dramas".
Zhang Hao hides amidst the beatings of his relatives and the cries and curses of his wife; Li Qiang is handcuffed and put into a police car; Zhao Feng stares blankly at his zero-value digital asset account.
There was no direct physical contact, no bloodshed. They simply exploited the inherent flaws in their character—greed, violence, and opportunism—and crafted a trap perfectly tailored to them. Using their strength against them, precise and efficient.
Looking at the last report he received on his phone about the tragic fate of the three men, Wen Yu showed no joy or sorrow. He opened the notebook containing the list of those seeking revenge, picked up a pen, and slowly drew three horizontal lines over the names "Zhang Hao, Li Qiang, and Zhao Feng."
The sound of the pen nib gliding across the paper could be clearly heard in the quiet hotel room.
Thus, all the deeply unforgettable betrayers of their past lives have already fallen into the abyss they dug themselves. Before the apocalypse officially arrived, they had already lost their wealth, freedom, hope, and even family ties. They will face that even more cruel world with fear, debt, regret, or shackles.
Wen Yu closed his laptop and locked it in the safe.
As dusk settles over the city outside the window, the traffic flows like a river, still a scene of bustling prosperity.
But Wen Yu knew that this scene only had a few days left to last.
His fortress is nearing completion, and supplies are pouring in.
The chapter of revenge has been turned.
Next, we must go all out and face the real test of the apocalypse.
Countdown: 5 days.