“Scammer?”
“Not your apprentice?”
“How could it be? Dr. Ava is always on TV.”
Aaron Mateo sighed, “You’ve all been fooled! Where in this world is there a medicine that can cure all diseases? It’s all fake! It’s just to take your money!”
The elderly man kept shaking his head, “Impossible! Owen is a good person, he wouldn’t deceive us.”
“Exactly.”
Sophia and Aaron Mateo exchanged a glance. She picked up the trial product Owen had handed out earlier, opened a capsule, poured it into her palm, and sniffed it. Immediately, her eyebrows knitted tightly.
Sophia stepped onto the stage, approached the table piled with health supplements, and picked up a box.
“Hey! What are you doing? Bodyguards! Bodyguards!” Owen shouted.
However, the bodyguards didn’t show up. Moments later, Officer Mike poked his head in, “Owen! Your bodyguards are at the station. Later, you can join them and keep them company?”
Owen was stunned and then exclaimed, “I’m just selling health supplements! On what grounds are you arresting me?”
“On what grounds?” Sophia sneered, “Because the health supplements you’re selling are fake!”
With that, she opened all the health supplement boxes, pouring the capsules’ contents into her palm.
Opening capsule after capsule wasn’t easy. After several minutes, Sophia had gathered all the powders together. A small pile of fine white powder lay on the table.
“Pure plant-based? Pure traditional medicine products? No additives?” Sophia questioned.
Owen averted his gaze and replied, “Our products are very good! There’s absolutely no side effects!”
“Of course! It’s indeed pure, plant-based, and natural! Definitely no side effects! That’s certain, because if there were any side effects, wouldn’t it mean that all of America’s population of over a billion would be poisoned?”
Hearing this, Owen turned pale, unable to believe it. “What… what nonsense are you spouting?”
The crowd below started whispering. Sophia spread the powder in her palm, showing it to everyone.
“Everyone, take a good look! This is the so-called miracle health supplement you believe cures all diseases! Take a look, smell it! Doesn’t it look familiar?”
An elderly man made a sound of realization, pondering, “Now that you mention it, it does look a bit familiar!”
“Exactly! I’ve been cooking all my life, and this stuff looks just like the stuff we use at home!”
“Doesn’t it? Now that you’ve mentioned it, it does look familiar.”
Those who couldn’t see kept asking, “Young lady, what exactly is it? Tell us!”
Sophia opened her hand, presenting the powder to everyone, sighing as she spoke:
“This so-called miracle drug, this health supplement selling for hundreds per box, is indeed pure, natural, and additive-free! Because this is something you, I, and everyone has in our homes! And it is…”
Sophia said in a serious tone, “Flour!”
“Flour? How could that be?”
“Come to think of it, it does look like it!”
“Now I understand why it looked so familiar!”
The crowd erupted in an uproar. These elderly people genuinely believed in these health supplements, thinking that even if they cost a bit more, it was fine as long as there were no side effects. They hoped it would at least nurture their health. Who could have imagined that the expensive stuff they bought was just flour from their kitchens!
Flour that costs a few cents could make dozens of boxes of “medicine.” These heartless scoundrels dared to pass off flour as health supplements! It’s truly enraging!
Soon, the police arrived, with Aaron Mateo bringing a lawyer. Due to his influence, the police were handling the case with utmost seriousness, hoping to recover the tens of thousands that Ms. Mia lost.
Outside the venue, Aaron Mateo chuckled, “You clever little devil! How did you manage to tell it was flour?”
Sophia laughed too, “Aaron, if I can’t recognize flour, could I even call myself American?”
The two exchanged a smile.
In reality, Aaron Mateo had been after these people for some time. They had used his name and image to deceive people, tarnishing his reputation, though he had never received a penny from them!
The media was also present, wanting to interview Aaron Mateo.
Seeing this, Sophia tried to slip away but was stopped by an elderly man, who started asking her questions.
Meanwhile…
Not far from the hall, in a black sedan, the driver stared at Sophia for a moment, pondering:
“Why does she look like the young madam?”
Scott Livinus lifted his gaze, spotting Sophia in a black, tight-fitting long dress standing by the roadside, answering questions from some elderly people, with police and media nearby. Glancing at the banners outside the hall, it wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.
“Do you want me to call her over?”
“No need!” Scott Livinus quickly lowered his head, returning to his documents.
The incident quickly trended online. After several major news accounts posted about it, it swiftly made the headlines. Many had seen Ms. Ava on TV, but little did they know Ms. Ava had no real connection with Aaron Mateo, and the so-called Aaron Mateo brand health supplements had nothing to do with him!
“Wow! Selling flour as health supplements!”
“That’s some impressive bluffing skills, almost rivaling Olivia!”
“Ms. Ava? Isn’t she the multi-talented health product advertising star?”
“Who is this girl who exposed the scam? Why isn’t there an interview with her? Just slipping away, leaving her good deed unknown?”
Sophia looked at the comments on Facebook and chuckled.
Reporting it to the authorities and preventing elderly people from getting scammed was the best outcome. As for recovering Ms. Mia’s money, that was out of her hands.
At noon, Nancy took Sophia to her brother’s restaurant for lunch.
Today, the restaurant had a few tables occupied, probably the busiest Sophia had seen it. Liam was busy cooking as the sole chef, serving dishes directly to the customers.
From the open kitchen, one could clearly see all his actions.
Liam, who had a gentle and pleasant demeanor, seemed even more charming while cooking, with girls at neighboring tables occasionally sneaking photos, clearly captivated by him.
