Final Civilization

Chapter 50: Date

Zhong Jiawen wasn't just a streaming con artist; she was also an offline meal scammer.

Her game was to clean people out online and slaughter the pigs and sheep offline.

This money-making method was much more practical than relying on sheer luck to hook old men. After all, more and more people were trying to eat from the streaming bowl. At her age, finding a long-term meal ticket was basically impossible. Being a meal scammer brought in money fast and didn't require romancing old men. It was a pretty good deal.

Seeing that Han Ming had seen through her at a glance, Zhong Jiawen's expression immediately changed, but she first put on an innocent look and said:

"It's just a meal, why are you so stingy?"

"Stingy?" Han Ming chuckled.

"I didn't even notice you ordered so much. Are you that hungry?"

"Of course not!" Zhong Jiawen gave a light humph, looking at him with a smile. "I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just ordered a little bit randomly. If we can't finish it, we can just take it away, it's fine~"

With that simple sentence, an image of a simple, genuine, and kind-hearted person was instantly established, making Han Ming marvel at this woman's acting skills. Through his precognition, he had already seen this woman change faces as easily as breathing, but he wasn't in a hurry to completely dismantle her act just yet.

Because someone else hadn't made their entrance.Han Ming then pushed the bill forward and smiled, saying, "But, it's our first meeting, and you're already trying to eat me into bankruptcy."

Zhong Jiawen naturally caught Han Ming's subtle expression. She had seen plenty of men putting on a brave front and joking to save face. At this moment, she inwardly scoffed, thinking that whether they were old men or young men, they were all just putting on an act.

However, thinking was one thing. After Han Ming finished speaking, she immediately feigned surprise.

"Ah, you think it's very expensive?" Then she put on an innocent expression, gazing softly at Han Ming:

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you rarely eat at places like this. It's okay, I'll pay the bill."

This sentence was absolutely lethal. It seemed like an apology, but in reality, it had a death grip on a man's sense of face.

What did "I didn't know you rarely eat at places like this" mean?

It indicated that she was unintentional, while also hinting that her social circle and class were higher than his. Finally, topped off with the seemingly comforting 'It's okay, I'll pay the bill,' she simultaneously dispelled suspicion of being a meal scammer and appeared more generous than him, directly grinding a man's self-esteem into the dirt!

What man wouldn't immediately feel his bloodline pressure spike upon hearing that?

"Really? That's great!"

However, Han Ming's response directly caused Zhong Jiawen's expression to freeze on the spot. Her pupils slightly trembled as she looked at Han Ming, only to find that this guy ignored her and directly opened the expensive red wine, pouring himself a glass.

He drank while looking at Zhong Jiawen: "Aren't you going to eat? The food will get cold soon."

"Mhm, okay~"

A flicker of disgust passed through Zhong Jiawen's smiling eyes. In her heart, she had already cursed Han Ming out thoroughly.

She had seen men putting on acts, she had seen men flipping tables, and she had seen spineless softies trying to run away and beg for mercy, but this was the first time she'd seen someone so shameless. This guy looked quite handsome and was dressed respectably. Although lawyers rarely fell for these traps, Zhong Jiawen knew that the white-collar workers in Puxin District were all masters of putting on airs. Why did today's guy seem to have absolutely no face at all?

After mentally cursing Han Ming from head to toe, her face remained impassive. After all, once she sat in the private room and finished ordering, her task was already complete. Acting a bit longer was just to minimize the chance of conflict. Plus, some men, after suffering a big financial loss, always wanted to get something back from her, and these types often yielded even more "gold coins," so she usually wasn't in a hurry to run.

But this Han Ming probably wasn't going to work. Her mood sank, and she picked up her bag, preparing to make her escape.

"You eat first, I'm going to the restroom."

"Okay."

Han Ming smiled and nodded at her. As she stood up, he pushed the bill over: "Why don't you settle the bill first, otherwise what if you run away?"

Hearing this, Zhong Jiawen froze in place, immediately putting on an angry expression to look at Han Ming.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Han Ming shrugged. "Didn't you say you were going to pay?"

"You!"

Zhong Jiawen was so angry she almost laughed, looking at Han Ming with utter disgust. "I've never seen a man as shameless as you."

"Giving up the act already?" Han Ming wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking at her. "Or are you preparing for the honey trap now?"

Bang!

As soon as the words fell, the private room door was pushed open without warning. The restaurant owner, named Zhao Xianyang, was a lean man in his early forties, wearing a black shirt and exuding a thuggish aura. It was also his first time seeing a mark who forced a woman to pay the bill. After hearing the surveillance audio, he didn't hesitate and directly rushed in with his underlings.

He walked straight up to Han Ming and impatiently issued an eviction notice: "Friend, time to settle up!"

Han Ming stood up with a bewildered look, seeing so many people. "Did I say I wanted to settle up? I haven't finished eating yet?"

"Sorry, pal. In this establishment, you pay after ordering." Zhao Xianyang looked Han Ming up and down with a cocky expression. He looked to be around thirty, and his feigned composure made Zhao Xianyang find it somewhat amusing.

"Oh, is that so~"

Han Ming made an "oh" sound, then pointed at Zhong Jiawen, who hadn't yet managed to leave the room from behind the crowd. "You've got the wrong person. This lovely lady said she'd pay."

As soon as these words were out, several burly thugs immediately laughed. Restaurant owner Zhao Xianyang looked at Han Ming with a mocking smile:

"Brother, have some face when you're out and about. Having the girl pay when you're picking her up isn't very good, is it?"

Han Ming immediately said, "But yours is just too expensive. I didn't know it was this pricey. A few dishes cost enough to buy a house. Isn't this a honey trap?"

"Honey trap?"

"What are you talking about!" Before Han Ming could finish, a big man beside him stepped forward with a fierce look, pointing at the QR code on the table and raising his voice:

"See clearly, the menu prices are clearly marked. Isn't paying for a meal just common sense?"

"That's right, inviting a beautiful lady to eat, and you can't even afford this little money?"

"Are you even a man!"

Han Ming's gaze swept over the group, and he spoke very innocently:

"I didn't even say I was paying, and you guys rushed in with a crowd to force me to settle the bill. Normally, wouldn't a server come? But you brought five or six people. Isn't this still a honey trap?"

Hearing Han Ming's words, the smile disappeared from Zhao Xianyang's face. He took a small remote control from his pocket and directly turned off the surveillance camera in the private room. Then, with a sinister glare, he took a step towards Han Ming, leaning forward slightly, and said in an impatient tone:

"Are you really stupid or just pretending? I don't have time to waste words with you. Pay the bill, then get lost!"

Seeing Zhao Xianyang turn off the surveillance, Zhong Jiawen shot Han Ming a look as if he were an idiot, then hurriedly prepared to leave the private room. She knew what Zhao Xianyang turning off the camera meant, but she didn't care. What happened next had nothing to do with her.

"OK!"

Seeing the surveillance was off, Han Ming took a step back, raised his hands with his phone, signaling surrender.

Then he directly scanned the code and completed the transfer.

Ding~

A payment received sound rang from Zhao Xianyang's phone.

"Haishang Bank reminds you: 2,000,000 yuan received."

Instantly, the room suddenly fell silent.

Zhong Jiawen, who had just been about to leave, stopped in her tracks, turning back with a face full of astonishment, thinking she had misheard.

Not just her, everyone else in the room was also stunned at this moment.

Zhao Xianyang tapped to check the payment details, and his expression immediately changed.

"You motherf... This is..."

He was clearly caught off guard, looking at Han Ming with confusion in his eyes. Having been in the underworld for so long, he couldn't figure out what play the other party was running for a moment.

"Oh, it's like this. According to Article 226 of the Criminal Law, using violent or threatening means to forcibly buy or sell goods or force others to accept services constitutes the crime of forced transactions. And with the purpose of illegal possession, threatening or coercing the victim to forcibly demand property constitutes the crime of extortion. Both are applicable to the current situation."

Having completed the transfer, Han Ming now looked at Zhao Xianyang and Zhong Jiawen, speaking very calmly:

"Assessing it as the crime of forced transactions, the sentencing standards are divided based on the severity of the circumstances. An amount above 5,000 yuan is considered 'relatively large,' resulting in up to three years of fixed-term imprisonment. 30,000 to 100,000 yuan is considered 'huge,' resulting in 3 to 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment. I thought 60,000 was still too little for you guys, as it would only get you three to five years. But if it's 2,000,000, it can reach the standard of 'especially huge amount.' In that case..."

"There's hope to help you, the principal offender and accomplice, jointly strive for the special reward of over 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment."