Ch 167: Dealing with a “Swindler”
The next day, Chen Nanmu, Teacher Zhang, and Du Qingyang arrived at the Dong Town Post Office earlier than the agreed time.
This was Du Qingyang’s first time stepping into a post office of this era, and she couldn’t help but look around with curiosity.
The post office wasn’t large, but it was packed with people. In fact, there were only five staff members; the rest were people waiting in line to make phone calls.
With so many people in line, wouldn’t there be no privacy when answering the phone?
No! Because there are two rooms for making and receiving calls. Once the door is closed, no one else can hear.
One room is for people making outgoing calls, and the other is for people receiving callsโthat is, calls coming in from outside.
Du Qingyang observed for a while before she understood how a phone call was made.
When it’s their turn in line, people go up and tell the staff the phone number they want to dial. The staff then dials the number. Yes, it’s the staff who dials the phone, not the person making the call.
After the staff dials the number, it doesn’t connect immediately; it has to connect to the other post office’s phone line. If the signal is bad, or the other party’s line is busy, they have to redial.
Du Qingyang saw one person dial three times before getting through.
Once the call connects, the staff lets the person making the call into the room to answer it. Once the door closes, Du Qingyang has no idea what’s going on inside.
Du Qingyang was wondering, if connecting is so difficult, will the call be interrupted due to a bad signal after it’s connected?
Alas, Du Qingyang suddenly missed her era from her previous life.
As soon as the room door opens, it’s the next person’s turn in line. The staff is busy helping to connect calls, really busy non-stop.
There’s a long line in front of the room for making outgoing calls, but only a few people in front of the room for receiving calls. Du Qingyang and the others don’t have to wait in line at all; they just listen quietly for the staff to call their name and wait for notification.
After the agreed time, they finally heard the staff call out, “Chen Nanmu, phone call.”
Chen Nanmu responded and went into the room with Teacher Zhang and Du Qingyang.
Finally, Du Qingyang saw the situation inside the room again.
The room wasn’t big; it could be said to be very narrow. Three people squeezed together couldn’t even turn around. In fact, the room was designed for the space of one person.
There was only a table and a chair in the room, with a landline phone on the table and nothing else.
Chen Nanmu sat down to answer the phone, while Teacher Zhang and Du Qingyang stood.
“Hello, hello.” Chen Nanmu’s voice was a bit nervous as he answered the phone. Originally, he didn’t make many phone calls, and now he had to deal with a “swindler,” so he was even more nervous.
Du Qingyang looked at the phone in front of her and noticed a speakerphone button. She reached out and pressed it, gesturing with her eyes for Chen Nanmu to put down the receiver.
Once the speakerphone was on, all three of them could hear the other person’s voice.
“Principal Chen, hello.” It was a man’s voice, very calm, and you couldn’t detect any nervousness.
Du Qingyang’s heart gedeng a little. It seemed this was a talent of the jianghu. He had been tempered and refined, and was unusually calm.
Principal Chen was silent; he didn’t know what to say.
“Principal Chen, please tell me your account number.” The other party spoke again.
As soon as the account number was mentioned, Chen Nanmu became even more nervous. He raised his head to look at Teacher Zhang and then at Du Qingyang.
Du Qingyang shook her head, signaling with her eyes not to tell him.
The other party waited for a while and didn’t hear Chen Nanmu respond, thinking the line had been disconnected.
“Hello, can Principal Chen hear me?”
“Is the signal bad? Is the line disconnected?”
“I can hear you, I’m here.” Chen Nanmu quickly replied. “But I don’t have an account.”
โโโ Chen Nanmu directly said that he didn’t have an account, rather than saying he wouldn’t give the other party an account.
This time, it was the other party’s turn to be silent.
No account, how to remit money?
That’s not right, how could he not even have a bank account?
If he really doesn’t have one, he can open a new one.
On the other end, Xiang Xingzhong was stunned while holding the phone. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
This time, it was Chen Nanmu’s turn to think the line had been disconnected, and he was gudลซ-ing.
“Is the signal bad? Is the line disconnected?”
“Hello, hello…”
After saying hello a few times, they finally heard a response from the other party.
“I’m here, the line hasn’t been disconnected.”
Du Qingyang reached out and supported her forehead. A few minutes had passed with the two of them just saying hello back and forth. Isn’t there a charge for phone calls? This is a two-way charge.
“Principal Chen, if you don’t give me your account number, how can I donate to you?” Xiang Xingzhong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The other party is a principal; how can he not even understand this principle?
“I don’t have an account.” Chen Nanmu didn’t know what to say and repeated it again.
The other party was silent again.
Du Qingyang was getting anxious listening and used her mouth to say two words to Chen Nanmu: “Meet him.”
Quickly get to the point.
“Let’s meet, you can just give me the donation money directly.” Suddenly, Chen Nanmu started to get to the point.
But this was said too stiffly and directly, wasn’t it? Du Qingyang reached out again to support her forehead.
Du Qingyang couldn’t wait to snatch the phone and let her deal with the “swindler.”
On the other end of the phone, Xiang Xingzhong was stunned for a moment.
Meet to donate money? That’s not very good; he was thinking of being anonymous.
“Principal Chen, isn’t that inconvenient?”
“Then we don’t want this donation.”
As soon as Xiang Xingzhong said it wasn’t very good, Chen Nanmu immediately refused the donation.
Chen Nanmu was thinking, if the other party really has the sincerity to donate, what’s inconvenient about it? After listening to Du Qingyang’s analysis yesterday, he started to deeply analyze the other party’s words today. After analyzing, Chen Nanmu really felt that there was a problem with the other party.
Du Qingyang turned her face away; she couldn’t listen anymore. Didn’t they agree to find a way to get the other party to come out? Why doesn’t Principal Chen know how to speak tactfully?
Du Qingyang guessed that this phone call wouldn’t go anywhere.
Unexpectedly, the other party anxiously replied, “No, no, this money must be donated to you.”
Chen Nanmu and the others were stunned at the same time, looking at each other.
What do you mean it must be donated to them? Why does this sound so strange?
Chen Nanmu frowned deeply. There must be a problem with this person; he’s most likely a swindler!
“Then let’s arrange a time and place to meet.” Principal Chen responded with full confidence, without any of the nervousness from before.
“Okay, let’s meet then.” Xiang Xingzhong finally compromised. As soon as he said this, he also felt it was inappropriate. Clearly, he was donating money to them, so why did it seem like he was begging them to take the money? He was even afraid that the money wouldn’t be donated.
Agreed to meet! He really agreed to meet! Sure enough, this person is a swindler! Chen Nanmu, Teacher Zhang, and Du Qingyang have unanimously decided that the other party is a swindler!
I coded for a while tonight and watched the men’s singles final in table tennis. It was wonderful! After watching the final, I’ll continue coding, so the update will be late…
