Chapter 323: Breaking dream
“The millionaire-making business model that will take over the world, the financial plan that will be our key to wealth, the novel plan that will shake the industry!
“Everlasting and ever-popular!
“Enter an idiot and leave a genius!
“Enter a poor man and leave a millionaire!
“The fantastic automatic money-making machine that is our key to success!”
Brother Lu, the speaker at this seminar, led the people in shouting a slew of slogans, using both pa.s.sionate words and positive body gestures. By injecting this energy into the speech, he encouraged the audience to be more enthusiastic and excited about the business. As a recruiter, his job was to emphasize the money-making method and how the model could multiply indefinitely. Every listener who was there gave him their undivided attention and looked up to him as their messiah.
Xiao Luo was sitting next to Ding Zhenyun and tried to talk some sense into him. “Zhenyun, this is a scam and a complete lie. No business can give you such profits by merely investing some three thousand bucks, they’re fabricating this fairy tale to entice you.”
Ding Zhenyun immediately became upset. “Cousin, how can you say that? Brother Lu is a successful businessman and the cream of the crop in this industry. His annual income has already surpa.s.sed millions. He’s only willing to help us because he has been through it all, and now it’s his time to give back to society and make more people succeed in life. He’s walking the talk.”
“Any business model with no actual product, and that relies purely on downline sales to profit, is considered multi-level marketing. You’ve been working for so long, haven’t you heard of the word MLM?”
“I’ve said countless times that this is not MLM, why do you refuse to believe me? We have a product, and it’s a kind of software,” Ding Zhenyun said, clearly agitated.
“Software? Do you really believe that you are in any way a.s.sociated with the IT sector?”
Ding Zhenyun tried very hard to convince Xiao Luo, whom he saw as an unenlightened man, and said, “Yes, we’re selling software, and we run the sales. Cousin, if you do not know anything about us, keep quiet and listen to Brother Lu. You might actually learn something and discover the path to wealth through this business model. Just listen to his speech.”
Xiao Luo laughed when he heard those words. Ding Zhenyun’s silly att.i.tude of taking everything he was told for granted was why he had fallen into the trap without even being aware of it.
There were both men and women present in the room, and they immediately turned and stared at Xiao Luo for disrupting the seminar. Brother Lu also gazed at Xiao Luo and smiled. “It seems like brother Xiao Luo doesn’t agree with our path to wealth. Why don’t I preach to you now so that you can understand us in-depth? I want to build mutual trust and hope that you eventually join us,” he said.
“Join you guys? I’m sorry, but first, I have two questions based on your lecture content.”
“Oh? And what are your questions?”
Brother Lu was taken aback, but he maintained his calm composure and said, “Why don’t you tell us? Our team values freedom of speech the most and the individual’s opinion. Everyone, let’s welcome Brother Xiao Luo to point out our shortcomings.”
The men and women had by now been entirely conditioned by brother Lu, and they clapped spontaneously the moment he spoke those words.
Xiao Luo glanced at Ding Zhenyun and decided that he had to burst his delusional bubble and wake the poor lad up.
He stood up to address brother Lu and the crowd. “My first question is a pragmatic one—for every dollar that you make, how many did not earn a thing? Let’s not look at how much a successful member can earn personally; instead, let’s count those who did not receive anything. From level two onwards, when you’re promoted to tier D, the difference between tiers D and E would result in four individuals having no income. In level three, the difference between tiers C and D would result in thirty individuals…
“And, when it comes to the difference between tiers B and C, it only gets worse. Three hundred and ninety-four individuals would have no income. Which means to say, the wealth in your hands does not increase in value but only stream towards the highest rank, so the people at the top of the food chain earn the most money.”
Xiao Luo’s summation was quick and concise, and it made Brother Lu frown and glared at him with a little apprehension. Xiao Luo had listed out the number of people from each tier that would not make any money. As the base grew, the numbers would multiply exponentially, and this meant that the joining fees from people at the bottom were simply enriching the people at the top of the pyramid.
Xiao Luo continued and said, “My second question is based on this story—a mountain is one hundred meters high, and one day someone climbs up to reach a point at fifty meters, and then, every subsequent day he would climb half of what he had climbed the first day. So, can you tell me, in reality, when would this person ever reach the peak?”
Brother Lu started to panic. The crowd of brainwashed members became confused, and they kept looking at both brother Lu and Xiao Luo. Doubt began to form in their minds as they questioned the plan’s veracity that offered them a quick path to wealth.
“Are you guys are starting to form doubts? It’s getting confusing? Actually, it’s straightforward. This has nothing to do with the ‘multiplier theory’ that you have been told, but it’s a cla.s.sic MLM model that will lead you to prey on your friends and families. How can anyone guarantee you a hundred percent success in business? Look around you—there’s no operation, no profit, and no value-adding. So, how is the income generated? This is solved by recruitment that will continuously increase the people at the bottom level. And, the people who have just joined are all the mountain climbers I’d just mentioned, they will never reach the top.”
When he finished, Xiao Luo had a smirk on his face.
The room fell into dead silence as the last thing that Xiao Luo had said struck a nerve—they could never reach the top!
Brother Lu’s was enraged, his eyes bulged, and his mouth was in spasms. It has never crossed his mind that any person could debunk his “multiplier theory” with just two points. He had to do something, or all would be lost. Standing up suddenly, he roared at Xiao Luo, “This man is insulting our great business! He is in the way of our road to wealth and prosperity, get him out of here!”
The two men who had picked Xiao Luo up and brought there, suddenly showed their true colors as they quickly rolled up their sleeves and went after Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo dispatched them with just two swift kicks before he turned his attention to brother Lu. Xiao Luo grabbed him by his collar and lifted him off the ground. “You should be grateful that you have not messed with my cousin. If not, I would’ve squashed every single of you up like bedbugs!”
The air was heavy with fear and trepidation, and overcome with fright, brother Lu wet his pants.
The members who had come to brother Lu’s aid were stunned by Xiao Luo’s tremendous power, and they stopped in their tracks, staring at him with a terrified look on faces.
Xiao Luo threw brother Lu aside and turned to Ding Zhenyun, noticing the bench in his hands, he said, “What, even you want to attack me?”
“You don’t understand me at all, you keep thinking that I am doing MLM, why do you all think that I’ve been cheated?” Ding Zhenyun was furious with Xiao Luo and had been quite upset with his family for not understanding and supporting him.
Xiao Luo sighed and empathized with Ding Zhenyun. “That’s because you’re really cheated… let’s go home. Take some time to think about this, and you’ll realize eventually that this is a scam, an illegal MLM operation.”
BOOM!
Suddenly, the door of the rented apartment burst open.
A squad of policemen rushed in, ordering everyone to stay down. Brother Lu and his two subordinates that were beaten by Xiao Luo panicked, and their faces turned pale and white as a sheet.
“You called the cops here?”
Ding Zhenyun glared at Xiao Luo with a glint of hatred in his eyes, he now saw him as the enemy.
Xiao Luo nodded and said, “That’s right. If this is really a proper business, as you said, then the police will drop all charges and release them. Now, it’s time for you to wake up from this fantasy world.”
…