When Li Tanghu heard Jiang Cheng's words, it was as if lightning had struck him; the whole world seemed to collapse before his eyes.
His tears burst forth like a dam, gushing out as he cried even more miserably.
'What about my New-Year money! If Mom finds out, she'll beat me to death! She told me to save it for workbooks!'
While sobbing, Li Tanghu wiped the tears and snot from his face with his hands, looking both pitiful and a little ridiculous.
Huang Yuqi, standing nearby, saw his wretched appearance.
Though she felt sorry for him, she forced back a smile.
She put on a stern face and said mercilessly,
'There's nothing else for it; when you do something wrong, you face the consequences. Next time you want to play this sort of game, use that clever little head of yours first. Your parents are out at the market before dawn, not even resting on New Year's Eve—how hard they work!'
'If this thing really let people win money, why aren't any adults playing it? Because it's designed to trick little kids like you.'
To Li Tanghu, already on the verge of collapse, Huang Yuqi's words were like playing music to a cow—he wasn't listening.
All he did was keep crying,
and the sobs grew louder, as though he could pour out every grievance and fear through his tears.
Seeing him so heartbroken, Huang Yuqi's pity began to win out.
Just as she couldn't help herself and reached to open her small handbag,
Jiang Cheng, quick-eyed, pressed her hand again.
By now Wang Sheng had returned with the marbles machine they'd been playing with.
The kids hadn't needed chasing;
the moment they ran out of the alley they were stopped by some plain-clothes Bodyguards.
Because Jiang Cheng had given instructions, Wang Sheng said, 'Young Master Jiang, the others got away, but they dropped this while running.'
Jiang Cheng looked at the homemade marbles machine
and sure enough found magnets hidden in the middle layer.
He took out his phone and sent Xu Lei a brief message explaining the situation.
Then he crouched, gently patted Li Tanghu's shoulder.
'Stop crying. A big boy bawling in the street—what a sight. I've got a way for you to earn the money back. Want to try?'
At the mention of getting the money back,
Li Tanghu's eyes lit up; he finally stopped crying.
He lifted his head, looked at Jiang Cheng, and asked eagerly, 'Really? What way?'
'Watching you get scammed made me realize you kids are kind of dumb, so I want to shoot some anti-fraud videos. Your experience just now is perfect material.'
Those words stung a little.
When Jiang Cheng called him dumb, Li Tanghu's mouth drooped.
'If you're willing to appear on camera, tell how you were cheated, and warn other little friends, I'll pay you,' Jiang Cheng continued.
Huang Yuqi's eyes brightened when she heard this.
She quickly added, 'Right! That way you help others and recover some of your loss. You just went through it, so your story will be authentic and convincing.'
Li Tanghu hesitated after hearing her out.
He wiped the last tears from his eyes and asked uncertainly, 'Then… how much will you give me?'
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment. 'A hundred and fifty, how's that? One video, a bit of charity work, and it covers what you lost.'
Though it felt embarrassing,
the thought of that hundred and fifty made Li Tanghu bite his lip and finally nod. 'Okay! I'll do it!'
Jiang Cheng smiled in satisfaction. 'Smart. But there's a condition—you have to go to the police station first and make a statement. That'll make the video more convincing.'
'Huh? The police station?' Li Tanghu shrank back. 'Then Mom will find out…'
Huang Yuqi said gently but firmly, 'When you do wrong, you face the consequences. Your mom will know sooner or later; better to admit it yourself. And if you help keep other kids from being tricked, she might even be proud of you.'
Li Tanghu wrestled with the idea for a moment.
'All right… will you two come with me?'
"Of course." Jiang Cheng stood up. "Let's go—get in first."
He led Huang Yuqi straight to the rolls-royce.
Li Tanghu's face went blank.
He gazed at Huang Yuqi enviously. "Sister Yuqi, your boyfriend's loaded—so many cars, and that's a Rolls!"
Huang Yuqi shot Jiang Cheng a shy glance.
"Tanghu, you can even recognize cars?"
"Who wouldn't? One kid in our class has a dad who drives the same one—super cool. We call him Second-generation rich. If Auntie Wang next door knew your boyfriend was this rich, her eyes would pop out."
Huang Yuqi didn't follow Li Tanghu's chatter.
She just poked his forehead with a finger.
"You're only in third grade and already such a little devil."
On the way to the station Jiang Cheng sent Xu Lei a message.
He told him to have the film crew meet them at the nearby police station.
After the statement was taken, the professional crew was already in place.
With an officer's help they borrowed the station's conference room and started shooting.
In front of the camera Li Tanghu was nervous at first.
But under the director's guidance he relaxed and told his scam story with real feeling.
"...They let me win a few rounds, then when I bet big they used a magnet to control the dice... Don't be like me—it's all a con!"
When filming ended Jiang Cheng handed Li Tanghu 150 yuan on the spot.
Staring at the 150 yuan he'd gotten back,
Li Tanghu's tears turned to laughter.
While giving his statement the officer's stern face and harsh words had terrified him.
He'd really feared worse punishment for gambling.
After all, he was just a kid—of course he'd been scared and uneasy.
"Thank you, big bro! I'll never gamble again!" Li Tanghu said, eyes brimming with gratitude, a smile finally showing.
Seeing Li Tanghu's innocent face, Jiang Cheng grinned wickedly.
"Remember the lesson. Oh, and after school starts these anti-fraud clips will be shown in every elementary and middle-school class—you'll be the star."
The words hit Li Tanghu like a thunderbolt; he froze.
His face flushed scarlet, as if it might drip blood.
"Huh? You mean... the whole school will see it..."
Huang Yuqi couldn't hold back: "Congratulations, little anti-fraud celebrity."
Seeing Li Tanghu's crimson cheeks, Jiang Cheng pulled a red envelope from his pocket.
He handed it over. "Here, a red packet for you—everyone who joins this public-service project gets one."
The sight of the envelope eased the boy's shyness about the video broadcast.
Holding the red envelope Jiang Cheng had given him,
Li Tanghu noticed it didn't feel like the thin envelopes his grandma gave.
Kids that age are always careless, and Li Tanghu was no exception.
He couldn't wait to see what was inside and tore it open without hesitation.
When he saw the thick wad of cash his eyes bulged and his mouth dropped in disbelief.
"Big Brother Jiang Cheng, this is for me?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "It's yours, but take it home and let your parents keep it for you."
Hearing that, Li Tanghu's happy face turned redder.
He nodded. "Don't worry, I'll give it to my mom. Grandma's been saying her joints hurt but she won't see a doctor. I'll give it to her so she can get treatment."
Huang Yuqi watched silently from the side,
her gaze fixed on Jiang Cheng as if he were the only person left in the world.
From the moment they'd eaten the jajangmyeon she'd seen everything unfold.
Although she'd already known Jiang Cheng wasn't like the wealthy elite of the capital when he built Hope Primary School,
witnessing this new public-service project quietly reshaped her feelings about him once more.
Even though the cost of this publicity campaign wasn't as high as building Hope Primary School,
though the campaign didn't cost as much as building Hope Primary School,
Jiang Cheng's actions let Huang Yuqi feel his sincerity.