Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 80 Elevator
I strolled back to the residential area and, unsurprisingly, saw several people gathered at the entrance of that building again.

It was still the same 'helpful' auntie, but this time she was accompanied by two men in suits. One of them looked refined and held a tablet, while the other, wearing glasses, held several sheets of paper and explained things to the auntie in detail.

On the man's shoulder bag, Lin Ge saw the words "Chu Province Jiejia Elevator Installation Co., Ltd."

So, this woman managed to bring the elevator installation company and its staff all to the site in one go?

Did these two people know that the residents of this building had not yet reached an agreement on whether to install an elevator?

Lin Ge was puzzled and curious, so he decided not to go back to sleep. He looked around and found a tree that was suitable, jumped up, found a hollow to lie down in, and began to observe the movements of the people around him.

"Does installing an elevator cost that much?"

The woman who was so aggressive yesterday appeared clueless and cautious when facing professionals today.

"Sis, elevators aren't like small appliances, they definitely won't be cheap! Besides, the more expensive the thing, the better it is, you must understand that, right? Spending a little money will make going up and down the stairs easy and enjoyable every day, it's a great deal, isn't it!"

The man in the suit looked to be under thirty, yet he shamelessly called a woman in her fifties or sixties "sister," and the woman was deeply moved by his words.

Seeing the older woman still hesitating, the man in the suit looked around and whispered, "Besides, let me tell you the truth, sister. There are always some annoying people upstairs and downstairs who don't want to be around, right? Before, when we lived on a high floor, we had to walk past their doors every day, it was unavoidable, it made us want to vomit! But it's different now that the elevator is installed, right? We can just not see them and not be bothered, we can just avoid walking past their doors and not look at that eyesore of garbage..."

The older woman's eyes lit up as she listened, and she nodded repeatedly.

It's inevitable that there will be friction between neighbors. Most people are easygoing and will just laugh it off, but this auntie always remembers those trivial matters.

She's really excited about installing an elevator. But then she thinks about how much money it costs and is a little reluctant to spend it.

Seeing the older woman's interest, the man in the suit revealed a predatory smile, and immediately pulled out his last resort: "Sister, how about this! The total price for installing the elevator definitely can't be changed. You understand, safety comes first, right? Installing some cheap equipment might mean I'll earn a little less, but for you, safety is a different story, isn't it? So... the 880,000 yuan written in the contract definitely can't be less. But... just between you two, there's actually a way to handle this money, right? It's not just you paying; it's a shared cost, right? It's only a few tens of thousands of yuan per person, and I can help you withdraw some from your housing provident fund, so it'll be about the same! And then, there's something I'll secretly suggest to you, okay?"

The woman remained calm despite being asked for money, and didn't budge, only gesturing for the man in the suit to speak first.

"Ninety-eight hundred thousand!"

The man in the suit held up one finger: "I'll change the elevator price on the contract to 980,000, and then you convince everyone in the building to split it equally! Hey, don't worry, I won't take a penny of that extra money! I'll give you the 100,000 yuan afterward! After deducting the cost of installing the elevator, you'll still have some left! In other words, as long as you get these people on your side, you can not only get a brand new high-end elevator without spending a penny, but you can also make a fortune! I'll also give you a big gift package later, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

The aunt's eyes lit up, but she still pretended to be reserved and said, "Don't try to fool me! Do you think I'm too old to go online? Other people only spend four or five hundred thousand to install an elevator online, how come you're asking for eight or nine hundred thousand? What, are you embezzling the extra money?"

The man in the suit remained completely unfazed: "Didn't I tell you? Sister, you get what you pay for! This is top-of-the-line stuff! I'm telling you, it's guaranteed for ten years! I guarantee there won't be any malfunctions within ten years, and I won't charge you a single penny for repairs! Think about it, how much money and trouble will that save you? Other elevators cost four or five hundred thousand, right? Then they break down once a year and have to rest for half the year. Are you going to pay for repairs or just leave it as a decoration? Right? They have ways to squeeze money out of you; they'll only charge you more! But mine... I'll say it again, a ten-year free warranty can be written in the contract! That means that even if an earthquake or something destroys the elevator within these ten years, I won't charge you a single penny. I'll rebuild it perfectly intact!"

The woman was completely defeated: "Really? Ten years... no, you'll give me back 100,000 yuan after it's all installed, right? Not a penny less, don't try to fool me."

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

The man in the suit held up another finger: "Let me tell you the truth, sis! This extra ten thousand is my commission! But since you're like a sister to me, I won't take your money! I'll give you this ten thousand as a red envelope!"

When will it be sent?

The woman was completely tempted. Now it wasn't a question of whether or not to install an elevator, but whether or not she could make money from it.

The elevator costs 980,000 yuan, split among 14 households, meaning each family only pays 60,000 to 70,000 yuan. They also have some housing provident fund in their accounts, which they can use to offset the cost, reducing their contribution to just 40,000 yuan! The remaining 70,000 yuan is pure profit!
Seventy thousand!
If we don't make such a big sum of money, wouldn't we be struck by lightning?
The woman nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, leave this to me! I'm telling you right now, this elevator is definitely going to be installed! Anyone who dares to disagree, I'll lie down in my funeral clothes at their doorstep and die right there!"

As she spoke, the woman gritted her teeth, and her eyes turned bloodshot.

"Okay, okay! Then I'll leave it to you, sis!"

The man in the suit grinned and looked around before pretending to lean closer, saying, "Sister, on the day we sign the contract, I'll give you a big red envelope of ten thousand! I'll take the money myself; it's my own savings to thank you and show you my sincerity."

"Then it's settled!"

The auntie was smiling very happily.

The two fiddled around for a while longer, sneaking around like underground party members making a meeting, before quickly separating again.

The older woman went home to think of a solution, while two men in suits walked out of the residential area laughing. One of them took out cigarettes, lit them, and the two chatted and laughed as they puffed on their cigarettes.

"Are these two really from a legitimate elevator installation company?"

Lin Ge quietly walked among the flowers behind.

He stared intently at the backs of the two young men in suits, his mind filled with doubts.

Kickbacks are indeed a common occurrence in society.

A one million deal with a ten thousand kickback, while exaggerated, is not impossible.

However... rebates and additional cashback are completely different things! Is modifying contract prices really as simple as this person says? These days, can the prices on business contracts be changed so easily?

Even if it can be changed, can it be decided by a salesperson like you?
Lin Ge didn't believe it!
If the other party were a legitimate company, they would never have done such a shoddy job. Moreover, the man in the suit did not mention anything about the elevator itself during the conversation; he only used money to lure the ignorant elderly woman and encouraged her to do things she shouldn't have done.

With this attitude and this approach, with the mindset of taking the money and leaving, who would dare to believe in the quality of their elevators or their after-sales service?

Lin Ge even had another suspicion: could these two be scammers?
They were only after money from beginning to end, aiming for the hundreds of thousands of yuan needed to install an elevator. They likely bribed more than just the old lady. They lured her with bait of tens of thousands of yuan each, but she probably only received the initial ten thousand. Then these guys might disappear instantly after getting the nine hundred thousand yuan for the elevator, or they might install a substandard elevator and then vanish. In any case, they'll most likely use deception to leave the building empty-handed, losing both the money and the elevator.

This is not the first time such a thing has happened in China.

However, tempted by money, some people continue to fall for the scam.

Not long after Lin Ge arrived at Zhanghe Police Station, he heard Nie Guoqiang mention a very outrageous case during a meeting.

A group of home appliance scammers turned all the residents of the entire community of over a thousand into their insiders. They made each of them believe they were getting a good deal, that their neighbors were being taken advantage of, and that they were the only ones getting cashback and even making a profit!

Soon, each of them readily paid 21,000 yuan for the so-called whole-house appliance package. After receiving a 1,000 yuan thank-you bonus on the spot, they began to wait for the appliances to be delivered and for the subsequent double cashback.

And then?
There is no more!
It's exactly the same as what's happening right now!

(End of this chapter)