Chapter 406 - Business Controller (1/2)
At precisely ten o’clock, the task force set off from the police station. Due to this operation’s covert nature, they drove in ordinary sedans, not police cars, so as not to alert the target.
According to Qiu Yuanjie, the MLM operation that they would be striking this time was in Yu District, a subsidiary of their primary group in Xiahai City. The information was provided by an undercover agent, and their malefactor was Yao Baishan, a Business Controller at the top of the MLM hierarchy.
“In an MLM organization, the ranks from top to bottom are general manager, regional manager, business controller, team leader, and intern salesman. ‘Tribute’ is channeled up through these layers. Yao Baishan is a business controller, a big one that earns about 100 thousand dollars in tribute every month. Of course, our goal is not only the business controller, but we also have to arrest the regional manager, general manager, and the speakers involved in these brainwashing seminars, bringing each of them to justice, and finally uproot the entire MLM group.”
In the car, Qiu Yuanjie briefed Xiao Luo on the operation and expressed his determination to bring down the organization. In fact, the reason he did this was essentially to introduce Xiao Luo to the overall situation of MLMs. After all, everyone in his team was a veteran in the war against MLM and needn’t be told.
“Are there a lot of MLM organizations in Xiahai?” Xiao Luo asked.
“No. There are many MLM groups, but there’s only one MLM organization. It goes by the name of ‘Fog,’” Qiu Yuanjie replied.
“‘Fog’ is also the head of this MLM organization, plans all MLM activities, and is the mastermind above the general managers. Our ultimate goal is to catch ‘Fog,’ because no matter how many general managers or regional managers we arrest, it will not change the situation at all. As long as ‘Fog’ is still there, new general managers will be developed, and the operation will take root again, and in a short time, the MLM groups will return,” Qiu Yuanjie further elaborated, “But ‘Fog’ is very cautious and secretive. He never participates in MLM activities directly, and despite planting our undercover agents in this organization for the many years, the highest they can come in contact with were the regional managers. Even the general managers are as secretive as “Fog,” and ordinary members don’t have the chance to meet any of them.”
Listening to Qiu Yuanjie’s explanation, Xiao Luo gradually realized that the MLM organization and its subsidiaries were a well-disciplined and well-structured criminal group. It was not surprising that so many people were deceived. It was relatively easy to attract victims who desired to get rich overnight, but the most compelling factor for MLMs to thrive was that they had a well-honed system for converting and retaining members—for once a person fell into their hands and had gone through a series of brainwashing seminars, they readily fell into the trap.
If he wanted to complete the task that the NSA had assigned to him, he had to arrest ‘Fog’ as well.
“Regarding ‘Fog,’ do you have any clues on him?” Xiao Luo inquired.
Qiu Yuanjie chuckled wryly then shook his head. “So far, there has been no progress in the investigation of the mastermind. He is too cunning and only works behind the scenes; he never shows up. I also suspect that he ever keeps a one-way communication with the general managers,” he said.
Xiao Luo nodded in agreement and said, “Cunning indeed.”
In a cynical tone, Luo Shuang said, “I heard that all of you in the NSA are powerful people. Since the arduous task of uncovering the true identity of ‘Fog’ depends entirely on you, make sure you don’t smash the NSA’s signboard.”
Her words were heavily laced with sarcasm and sounded offensive to Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo did not respond to her, but instead closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat comfortably to rest.
“This bastard…” Luo Shuang muttered to herself.
Luo Shuang didn’t take it too well being ignored by Xiao Luo and felt slighted.
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The highways were multi-leveled, and they were like a dense network covering the motherland.