The police officer kept counseling Ms. Mia, helping her to solve her problem.
Sophia asked, “Ms. Mia, you said you were tricked out of your entire savings. How much did you lose in total?”
Ms. Mia started crying as she thought about it:
“Over the past year, I’ve lost more than 700,000 dollars! My husband and I’s entire retirement savings have been swindled away!”
Sophia couldn’t help but shake her head.
On the bustling street, people hurried by.
A few middle-aged men, who looked rough around the edges, were talking to two young newcomers.
“You’re here for the job? No need for an interview. You can start right away! We’re having a Meilani promotional event soon. You’ll help us by selling these supplements to elderly folks, making sure they feel the urge to buy willingly!”
The young people were nervous. “We’ve never done this kind of work and don’t know how effective the products are. What if we don’t do well?”
“Young people need confidence!” The older man said with an experienced tone, “It doesn’t matter if the product works or not. Even if you’re selling trash, as long as you have a sweet tongue and make the elderly happy, you can sell anything!”
“Alright,” one of the young people replied nervously.
Sophia glanced at the name and packaging of the health product, her expression deepening.
An hour later, Sophia entered the venue, supporting an elderly man wearing sunglasses.
“Hey! Young lady, this event is for seniors only,” the middle-aged organizer said.
Sophia smiled, “My grandfather is old and has difficulty moving.”
“Oh, alright! Just keep quiet. Let me tell you, our medicine is amazing! No matter what illness your grandfather has, our medicine guarantees a cure!”
“Well, then, I’ll buy a few bottles for Grandpa!”
“Great!” The middle-aged man handed her a business card, “I’m Zhang Feng, the organizer of this event.”
Sophia entered the venue, noticing hundreds of people, all elderly except for her. Most were around eighty years old or older. The older they were, the more enthusiastic they seemed, trusting the event completely. The event began quickly, with Owen taking the stage and saying:
“Dear aunts and uncles, welcome to Meilani’s expert seminar! Let’s welcome our famous national herbal medicine expert, Ms. Ava! Ms. Ava is the disciple of the renowned doctor! With her superb medical skills, she will explain why our medicine is so effective!”
Applause filled the room as an elderly woman with a scholarly appearance took the stage. She had a full head of silver hair, rosy skin, and few wrinkles, dressed in a refined manner, embodying the image of a well-maintained herbal doctor. Without even speaking, she gained the trust of many in the audience.
“My teacher always taught me to put integrity first in health products! I recommend Meilani because it’s truly wonderful! It’s beneficial for coronary disease, cardiovascular health, arthritis, dizziness, cataracts—you name it! The secret lies in eliminating toxic cells within the body. So, no matter what illness you have, there are toxic cells involved. When Meilani kills them, the disease is cured!”
The crowd applauded enthusiastically, and the elderly attendees seemed convinced.
The “grandfather” Sophia was supporting nudged her with his elbow and whispered, “Sweet granddaughter, go ask her what ingredients are in the medicine.”
With a smile, Sophia raised her hand.
Owen noticed and asked, “Young lady, do you have a question?”
“I’d like to know what ingredients are in this medicine?”
“Ingredients?” Ava smiled warmly, “This medicine is primarily extracted from propolis, along with the latest research from foreign labs, recommended by the United Nations!”
Sophia’s smile grew wider, “Professor Ava, just now you mentioned this medicine is entirely herbal, with no side effects, correct?”
“Of course! Our product has no side effects! It’s completely natural!”
“But Professor Ava, your teacher is Aaron Mateo, a traditional doctor. The biggest difference between traditional medicine and modern medicine is that traditional treatments are personalized, unlike modern medicine, which is based on clinical trials. This medicine is taken orally—how can you ensure it’s suitable for everyone?”
Ava became flustered, adjusting her glasses and stammering, “Our medicine is universal!”
“Alright! Since you claim to be the disciple of AaronMateo, then do you recognize my ‘grandfather’ here?”
Sophia removed the sunglasses from her “grandfather,” revealing his face to Ava.
Ava stared at his face, feeling an uncanny familiarity. Then, her gaze fell on the Meilani packaging. To enhance credibility, the manufacturer printed Aaron Mateo’s portrait on the bottle.
After all, Meilani’s registered brand name was “Aaron Mateo .”
Yes! They had marketed the medicine as a prescription from the renowned doctor Aaron Mateo and claimed it was manufactured by his company, guaranteeing it could cure all ailments!
And as fate would have it, the elderly man before her looked exactly like the portrait of Aaron Mateo on the bottle!
Panic-stricken, Ava stood up to leave, but Aaron Mateo stopped her with a cheerful smile:
“Hey! Why don’t you tell us, when did I ever take you on as my disciple?”
“Heh.” Ava awkwardly took a step back.
Owen, desperate, shouted, “You’re not really a doctor! You’re an imposter!”
“An imposter? I brought my ID with me!” Aaron Mateo took out his ID and showed it to everyone, “I’m the real Aaron Mateo!”
The crowd buzzed with shock; the elderly attendees were confused and didn’t know why Aaron Mateo had suddenly appeared.
“Dr. Aaron, was this miracle medicine developed by you? Please, tell us about its effects!”
“So, it was Dr. Aaron’s magical medicine!”
“Dr. Aaron Mateo, you’re a national treasure! You’re amazing!”
Aaron Mateo looked at them solemnly and said:
“My old friends! Can’t you see? You’ve been deceived! This woman here is not my student! In fact, I’ve never even met her. She’s well-known, though—if you turn on the TV, you’ll see her everywhere, promoting miracle potions, miracle ointments, secret remedies, and rare snow lotus. She’s been swindling seniors like you for years! She frequently uses my name to mislead and cheat people. I’ve had her investigated, and she’s not a professor or a wellness expert. She’s a professional fraud!”
