Uncle Wan’s words stirred the aunts, and they eagerly stepped outside, their scents brimming with determination.
“Brother Wan…” Seeing everyone leave, Brother Gu Yu slowly approached him. “You mentioned you used to organize teams often. Were they like this…?”
Sister Siwei furrowed her brow and asked, “Brother Wan, what exactly did you do before?”
“You’re both smart. You should be able to guess,” Uncle Wan chuckled. “I used to be the ‘patriarch’ who built families—my ‘family members’ are everywhere.”
“You were in pyramid schemes,” Sister Siwei said solemnly. “Are you planning to brainwash us?”
“No, no, no, no.” Uncle Wan shook his head at Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei. “You overestimate me. Do you know Jiang Taigong?”
“Jiang Taigong?”
“Brainwashing someone requires two prerequisites,” Uncle Wan held up two fingers. “First, the target must have a ‘pain point.’ Second, they can’t be too smart. At best, you two have ‘pain points,’ but you’re too sharp to be brainwashed. So-called ‘brainwashing’ has always been about willing participants. Do you think us pyramid schemers are that magical?”
Brother Gu Yu narrowed his eyes. “Since you know we won’t fall for it, why did you reveal your tactics in front of us? What’s your real goal?”
“Haven’t you noticed? ‘The Fragrant Ones’ not only have abilities but can also retain memories,” Uncle Wan explained. “The key to escaping this place lies with them. If we gather enough ‘Fragrant Ones,’ forget the thousands of ‘jade pieces’—we might even stand a chance against the managers here. So right now, recruitment is crucial. We need as many people as possible.”
“It won’t be that easy…” Sister Siwei said skeptically. “Do you really think there are few smart people here?”
“That’s where you’re mistaken,” Uncle Wan shook his head. “This is my expertise, and I can confidently say that true smart people are always the minority. In my past ‘family,’ many were university graduates. Do you think they were fools or geniuses?”
Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei exchanged glances, speechless.
“Like I said… the world has few ‘smart people’ but plenty of ‘self-proclaimed smart ones.'” Uncle Wan stepped forward and patted Brother Gu Yu’s shoulder. “Out there, people’s ‘pain points’ were ‘money’ and ‘success.’ Grasp those, and even smart people act foolish. Here, their ‘pain points’ are ‘escape’ and ‘survival.’ It’s no different in essence.”
Sometimes adults say things too profound for me to understand. But for some reason, Uncle Wan’s words today made sense.
He said that if everyone brought in as many outsiders as possible to join the family, they’d not only get food but also those small stones.
Seeing that Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei remained silent, Uncle Wan added, “I’m being completely honest with you because I need allies.”
“But this is unreliable,” Brother Gu Yu argued. “This place has no laws, yet you want to establish your own ‘order’?”
“So what?” Uncle Wan countered.
“Will they even trust you?”
Uncle Wan shook his head. “Little Gu, I’m not making them lose anything. I’m just gathering more capable people.”
He then pointed at me. “Besides, with this kid here, I’m not taking from them—I’m actually helping. To them, I’m not some scammer in this dead city. I’m its light. Understand?”
Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei wore heavy expressions, deep in thought.
“If you don’t believe me, you’re free to leave. But like I said, you’re smart. You know the fastest way to gather people, don’t you?”
Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei agreed to help, but their scents were different.
Brother Gu Yu smelled conflicted—his agreement wasn’t sincere, and hesitation still lingered in his scent.
Sister Siwei, however, radiated mostly worry.
From that day on, the atmosphere here truly shifted.
I never imagined this city had so many people.
When the aunts returned that night, each had brought seven or eight new “family members.”
Hearing that this place offered food and even supernatural abilities, they entered with skeptical scents, quickly filling the supermarket.
Brother Gu Yu, Sister Siwei, and I sat in a corner, watching the bustling crowd, unsure what to do.
“Gu Yu… I think Brother Wan is right,” Sister Siwei said dejectedly. “There really aren’t many smart people in the world.”
“Yeah,” Brother Gu Yu nodded. “Most who get duped think they haven’t been.”
Uncle Wan first calmed the crowd, then repeated his earlier speech—but with adjusted rules, seemingly caught off guard by the turnout.
He declared that those joining now were “founding members,” entitled to free entry and future food and “jade.”
Because starting tomorrow, newcomers would have to pay ten “jade pieces” as an “entry fee.” Once paid, they’d all be family, bound to support each other.
Uncle Wan had the newcomers line up, each coming before me to be sniffed. But after checking dozens, I silently shook my head.
None carried that fragrance. In fact, in this entire supermarket now, aside from me, no one seemed to.
Uncle Wan had them wait while pulling me into another room. Sister Siwei, concerned, followed.
“Damn it… not a single one?” Uncle Wan whispered fiercely.
I nodded.
“You little brat, you better not be lying…” His eyes turned threatening again.
I hid behind Sister Siwei, who spoke up for me. “Why would Hero lie? There’s no reason for him to.”
Thankfully, Sister Siwei was here—her words always shifted Uncle Wan’s scent.
But this time, things seemed worse. His anger faded briefly, then flared back up.
“Then I’m screwed!” he snapped. “Everything I just said is worthless! There’s not a single ‘Fragrant One’ here except this kid! No one gets food—how do I make them believe me now?!”
He stepped closer aggressively. Sister Siwei immediately shielded me, gently pushing him back.
“Brother Wan, you said this was your expertise,” she reminded him. “So you should be the one to figure it out.”
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