Chapter 484: Chapter 484 Evidence

After saying this, he made a gesture towards Master Sande, then with Zhou Yong to his left and right, they escorted Master Sande back to Jiji.

Back at Jiji, Zhou Yong fetched some dishes from the kitchen and two bottles of white liquor, bringing them to a private room on the second floor as a late-night snack and celebration.

“Master Sande, let’s have a drink! Thank you for your performance with me!” Zhang Dadan raised his glass in a toast.

By now, Master Sande had just lost a full hundred thousand yuan and was feeling quite down. Seeing Zhang Dadan toasting, he had no reason to refuse.

After Zhang Dadan’s toast, Zhou Yong also raised his glass to Master Sande. Being a lover of good food and drink, Master Sande never refused anyone.

As they drank merrily, Zhang Dadan asked, “Master Sande, what made you think of making money by pretending to catch ghosts and monsters?”

In his life, Master Sande had no real skill, except for being quite adept at scamming. Living off scams, he found his days fairly comfortable.

So when Zhang Dadan asked about his speciality, he was somewhat intoxicated and boasted, “Not much thought to it. I used to be a Taoist, but later I was kicked out by my master.”

“I thought I would end up on the streets after leaving the Daoist temple, but right after coming down from the mountain, I encountered someone possessed by evil spirits.”

“Their family saw me wearing a Daoist robe and assumed I had divine skills, inviting me in and treating me well with food and drink, though I knew I had no exorcism capabilities!”

“Helpless, I waved my hands a bit and tricked them, saying I had cast a spell and their condition would improve in a few days!”

“I lied just to get away, but their family actually gave me a thousand yuan. From then on, I knew a Taoist could make money by exorcism! It doesn’t matter if you have real skills, as long as you can deceive!”

Hearing about his ‘journey’, Zhang Dadan couldn’t help but be a bit stunned. So he stumbled into this profession by accident!

Seeing Master Sande boast about his deceptions, feeling that the world is full of fools and only he is wise, Zhang Dadan couldn’t help but feel disgusted!

Public misconceptions about Taoists likely stem from such crafty frauds, much like with traditional Chinese medicine, where people misunderstand due to interactions with fake practitioners and charlatans!

“Master Sande, what’s the most you’ve ever earned from a scam?” Zhang Dadan asked, pretending to be curious.

Master Sande, already a bit tipsy, seeing Zhang Dadan’s curious soul igniting, boasted, “Do you think today’s hundred thousand is a lot?”

“Let me tell you, two years ago, I helped exorcise evil spirits from a family’s son in the city and earned two hundred thousand!”

Two hundred thousand? Even Zhang Dadan couldn’t help but be impressed. He earned just tens of thousands with real skills every time, but you made two hundred thousand with casual deception. That’s really something!

Zhang Dadan casually praised him, then asked for more details before starting to get Master Sande heavily drunk.

With Zhang Dadan and Zhou Yong taking turns toasting, Master Sande finally got drunk and fell asleep on the table.

After confirming that Master Sande was asleep, Zhang Dadan picked him up, threw him onto a nearby sofa, and smiled at Lin Wan, “Journalist Lin, can what we just talked about be used as evidence?”

Lin Wan, hearing this, took out her recording phone from her pocket and smiled, “Of course it can!”

“Just now, he personally confessed how he scammed people, with all the details. As long as we follow up on what he said, we can convict him!”

Bai Jie, seeing the two conspiring to extract a confession, felt a bit sour and teased, “Zhang Dadan, are you really going to burn the bridge after crossing it?”

“Master Sande may be a big fraud, but at least he helped you calm the town’s panic and made you a hundred thousand yuan!”

After saying this, she found her words ridiculous and quickly changed her tune, “But he deserves it! Serves him right!”

Zhang Dadan got Master Sande drunk, took the chance to get some information out of him, and had Lin Wan record it on her phone as evidence.

However, his act of treachery and betrayal raised Bai Jie’s criticism, making her somewhat disapproving.

Bai Jie, being a businesswoman, valued her reputation above all. Since Zhang Dadan had promised to let Master Sande go, he should have kept his word.

But in Zhang Dadan’s eyes, dealing with crafty people, worldly frauds, one doesn’t need any morality or consistency in words and actions.

Just as he was about to explain to Bai Jie and clear himself of guilt, he saw Bai Jie spontaneously blame Master Sande for his woes without his prompting.

Bai Jie’s stance, whether to appease Zhang Dadan or truly reflecting her thoughts, no longer mattered, as it was already three in the morning.

Seeing that Bai Jie had no objections, Zhang Dadan ordered, “Everyone, go get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow!”

Everyone looked at the clock on the wall, then slightly tipsy, they left to find places to sleep.

“You’re not seriously staying with him, are you?” Bai Jie glanced at the snoring Master Sande on the sofa and asked incredulously.

Zhang Dadan helplessly raised his hands, pouted, and bitterly smiled, “If I don’t stay with him, who do I stay with? With you…”

He hadn’t finished his unintended words when he raised his hand and slapped his own mouth.

“What are you doing? I’m not blaming you, really!” Bai Jie scolded playfully before turning and leaving.

Once Bai Jie left, Zhang Dadan locked the private room door and lay down on another sofa to sleep.

The next morning, around nine, the still-sleeping Zhang Dadan was woken up by a loud knock. On opening his eyes, he saw that Master Sande was still asleep like a dead pig.

Zhang Dadan responded, quickly got up to open the door, and it was none other than Bai Jie who entered.

She glanced around the private room, seeing Master Sande still asleep, then asked Zhang Dadan, “Are you going to escort him?”

Although Master Sande was sleeping soundly, no one could guarantee he wasn’t faking sleep.

“Lower your voice! Let’s talk outside… outside…” Zhang Dadan shot a guarded glance at Master Sande before pushing Bai Jie out and heading downstairs.

Although it was past the mealtime at nine, Jiji was still bustling and fully occupied.

Most patrons at Jiji didn’t need to go to work on time. They were either self-employed, factory executives, or at the very least, retired old men.

After much difficulty, the two found a secluded corner, ordered two steamer baskets of buns and two bowls of porridge, and began to talk while eating.

“Dadan, you haven’t answered me yet. Are you going to the city today?” Bai Jie solemnly asked after sipping a spoonful of meat porridge.

Seeing her slightly serious demeanor, Zhang Dadan felt a sense of familiarity and replied, “I’m not going. Journalist Lin and her assistant should handle it.”

Hearing this, Bai Jie’s eyes flashed with disappointment, then she smiled, “But you have to go! My grandpa wants to see you, you wouldn’t refuse him, would you?”

Elder Bai wants to see me? Zhang Dadan was puzzled. Although he was close to Mr. Bai, who was always busy, why would he want to see him?

Is there another Boss needing medical help? Am I going to be asked for a mediation fee again?

“Are you going to see my grandpa or not?” Bai Jie, seeing him in a daze, frowned and asked angrily.

Before Zhang Dadan could respond, Hu the Third from the next table seriously commented, “Boss Zhang, are you really going to see her grandpa?”