Chapter 696: Scam

“Oh? What happened?” Alex asked.

He knew the company declared bankruptcy because it could not repay the loan. But getting scammed was new.

Beatrice hesitated. “It involves a high-ranking official, Sir Edward. It’s better we just forget it.”

“A high-ranking official?” Alex asked. “From which faction?”

Beatrice’s lips pressed tight. “My father said he was the son-in-law of the Veyne family.”

Alex’s eyes lit up slightly. This could be an opportunity for him to make contact with the Veyne family.

“What exactly happened?” Alex asked. “Tell me everything.”

Beatrice took a slow breath. “He introduced himself as an alchemist,” she continued. “He said he had a conflict with his in-laws, and he couldn’t use their money anymore.”

Mingyue frowned. It sounded like an obvious scam.

Why would the son-in-law of a rich family ask others for investment? The reasoning also did not make sense.

If his product was really good, it would raise his reputation within the family. It was not like they were people who acted only on emotion.

As cultivators, and an old influential family, they should know how to put aside emotion for the sake of benefit.

Alex stayed silent and let her speak. He knew that when people were desperate, emotions started taking over.

They kept looking for a way out, even if it was false hope. That was why, even in his old world, these kinds of fraudsters were common.

They sold fake methods to become awakeners, sold miracle drugs, and some even created cults. Yet people still spent their last savings, putting hope into nonsense.

“He said he was developing a new pill that could heal many wounds, even a chopped hand, using low-grade medical herbs,” Beatrice said. “It’s a new method he invented to extract the medicinal essence from herbs without any impurities, and even amplify the effect.”

Alex’s gaze sharpened. “So he mixed essence from another batch when showing it to your father?”

Beatrice nodded. “Yes. The experiment was done in a government alchemy facility, so my father blindly believed the data.”

“He even said he admired my father’s principles,” she continued. “He said Proxima needed people like him, or else the planet would rot.”

She let out a bitter chuckle.

“The proof was there,” Beatrice said. “The government authenticated the report, and everything was cleared. It really looked like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“Where’s the government official who observed the experiment?” Alex asked.

“He died,” Beatrice said. “Or at least that’s what the report says.”

Mingyue frowned. “So you suspect he faked his death to escape?”

“Yes,” Beatrice said. “It’s too much of a coincidence. Right after my father found out, he disappeared from the government and was sent to a rural area to inspect an alchemy facility there.”

“Then the pandemic happened,” she added.

Alex leaned slightly forward. “What?”

Alex began to suspect the man’s disappearance was related to the pandemic. He wondered if the man had been sent there to stop it from happening, or if he was a double agent taking payment from both sides.

“We cannot even see his corpse,” Beatrice said. “Otherwise we could pay an investigator to search his soul.”

Beatrice’s eyes lowered. “My father really thought it was his only chance. After all this time slaving away, he finally got his break.”

“He used this building and our house as collateral,” she continued. “The loan was already approved. The interest started the moment he signed.”

“Was the bank that approved this also suggested by that man?” Alex asked.

Beatrice nodded. “Not directly, but it was a friend of a friend, you know. My father met this bank staff by coincidence.”

“Do you mean there’s a possibility the bank was also in on it?” she asked.

“With his influence, it’s very possible,” Alex said.

It had been a planned scam from the start.

They used the company’s good reputation and their situation to push them into taking a loan, then took the money for themselves. The Veyne family seemed to have targeted Beatrice’s father from the beginning.

They should already know his financial situation, and how he barely had any money.

’The election is close. They should need a lot of funds for the governor campaign.’

It was too much of a coincidence to brush off.

Beatrice continued. “After the first payment, the researcher stayed in contact.”

“He sent updates,” she said. “Images. Reports. He even invited my father to another ’lab visit.’”

Remembering her father’s excitement back then made Beatrice’s chest ache. She knew how much effort her father had put in all his life, and how much hope he had when the loan got approved.

She remembered how happy he was every time he came home, showing her the research progress.

It felt like an average worker living paycheck to paycheck, working hard, taking debt because of an emergency, then one day winning the jackpot.

Everything was fine until the moment he should be paid, and suddenly the lottery company went bankrupt.

Her eyes flickered with anger, and she let out a sigh. She knew her position better than anyone.

Taking revenge was impossible. Right now, she would be happy just to get their life back.

Alex looked at Beatrice. “Do you know the researcher’s name?”

Beatrice hesitated. “We have the name he used.”

“That’s enough,” Alex said. “Tell me.”

Beatrice took a breath. “He called himself Halden.”

Alex stored it in his mind without changing expression.

“Good,” Alex said. “One more thing. Do you remember where your father met the bank employee?”

Beatrice nodded slowly. “I forgot, but I could try to ask my father. I’m sure he remembers.”

With how much contained anger her father had, she was sure he would remember everything in detail.

Alex’s eyes sharpened. “What’s the bank staff’s name?”

Beatrice’s voice lowered. “Darius Varn.”

“Varn? That name feels familiar,” Mingyue quipped.

“Of course,” Alex added. “We just met one of his family members.”

Alex still clearly remember how the man boast on the imigration.

Only to end up begging for his life later, after finding his backing.

’He said his uncle is working on security, I wonder if it’s related.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep