119. A smile at the sight of you, and all worries fade away forever.

It was simply impossible for Bai Haonan to drag along a dozen girls just to find someone. Paying that much money was one thing, but secretly hoarding so much cash—that was what would truly cause a stir in these circles. And moving a group of ten or so of the most attractive female MLM members all at once? That was way too conspicuous. Switching teams with just two or three people, especially someone like Bai Haonan who had a poor track record, was far less likely to attract attention.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that, in this environment, merely switching teams could provoke a powerful sense of insecurity, a feeling of abandonment. The woman who knew everyone and gave advice would surely leave as well; Xiao Wan, who constantly followed Bai Haonan around, would most likely be brought along too. But what about the others?

That day, just as Bai Haonan was preparing to tell his team leader he wanted to leave, Chen Meijuan, a somewhat curvaceous married woman, approached him. No longer employing subtle distractions or feints, she called Bai Haonan out directly, her face brimming with mystery: “I heard a beautiful girl just arrived. You’ll definitely like her!”

Back when they were in the provincial capital, Bai Haonan would have salivated at such news—there were all sorts of meats, from lean cuts to fatty pork belly. But he was getting a bit tired of it: “Seriously? You’re still introducing girls to me at this hour?”

Chen Meijuan batted her eyes at him coquettishly. “I don’t even know your type. Honestly, this new girl is stunning—the most beautiful I’ve ever seen!”

To be honest, Bai Haonan had no real feelings for any of the women in these MLM teams. He could turn his back on even someone like Chen Sufen without a second thought, let alone fleeting, shallow relationships. They all used each other for comfort, purely physical connections without emotional attachment—at most, a hint of pity for how these women had fallen into such a trap.

But as soon as he loosened his thoughts and looked at the tens of thousands around him, that pity vanished. Anyone who ended up here had only themselves to blame—whether through foolishness or greed. During his two months here, Bai Haonan had witnessed many who were deceived but resolutely left. For those clear-headed and determined to escape, the MLM groups rarely made things difficult. This, he had heard, was a characteristic of southern MLM circles: there were plenty of fools, so no need to cause casualties that would attract police crackdowns. Those who stayed behind were essentially accomplices to the swamp of MLM, including the still somewhat naive Xiao Wan.

Take Chen Meijuan herself—willing to act like a madam to drag other girls into the mess just to curry favor. Such twisted humanity was both pitiful and tragic.

Only here could one truly feel that the pitiable often had something hateful about them.

Still, since Chen Meijuan insisted the girl was so beautiful, Bai Haonan’s curiosity was piqued. After all, he was a man: “Where is she? The Gathering Hall?”

Chen Meijuan nodded proudly. The Gathering Hall was the vast thousand-person auditorium that had left a deep impression on Bai Haonan before. Now familiar with the routine, he knew it was deliberately used to gather newcomers for a dinner and show the next evening—to harvest the fools after the first round of brainwashing. Securing a big client who could pay 63,800 yuan was ideal; at worst, they’d make a small sale to get the process started. Only the most stingy would face a relentless second round of intense brainwashing. This meant the beautiful girl hadn’t fully fallen for it yet.

Being somewhat of a veteran in this MLM hotspot, Bai Haonan went with Chen Meijuan.

The moment he saw Li Lin, Bai Haonan decided he had to take her away.

Not out of any concern for himself or to stir up trouble, but to prevent this girl from falling into the filthy, sordid abyss of this place.

Even if she seemed like a typical innocent, a bit naive.

Climbing the fire escape behind the market, where sewage flowed, to the back entrance of the Gathering Hall, Bai Haonan hardly needed Chen Meijuan’s guidance. He immediately spotted the girl at the center of the hall, drawing almost every eye.

She looked barely over twenty, dressed in a deep blue uniform skirt, somewhat like a flight attendant’s, or perhaps a high-end cosmetics sales consultant’s. Among the sea of plain, everyday clothing worn by the prospective MLM members, she stood out strikingly. But what captivated him most was her face.

Her long black hair was tied in a small ponytail at the back of her head, with a slight fringe at the front—what Yu Jiali described as a style that, on a less handsome face, would seem tacky and vulgar, but on hers, was warm and natural. Her features were fine: big double eyelids, faint delicate eyebrows, lips that were pink, thin, and slightly full. It was precisely this unconventional mouth that left a deep impression.

She wasn’t exactly the unbearably stunning beauty Chen Meijuan boasted about. Instead, her slightly larger mouth was almost always curved in a broad, toothy grin—a clean, bright smile that symbolized hope and sunshine. She smiled in awe at the spacious hall, smiled sincerely at the many eager hands reaching out to shake hers, smiled curiously at the bowls of duck soup mixed with fillers spread over hundreds of tables. It was as if everything around her was worthy of a smile. She clearly knew her smile was the most powerful weapon to touch hearts, but that was all.

If Bai Haonan’s life among professional sports teams had dulled his ability to care for ordinary people, this girl was obviously someone who had grown up in a sheltered, honeyed environment, innocent of the world’s harshness. Because of her beauty and smile, everyone around her treated her gently and protectively. She saw only light and goodness, no trace of darkness or flaw. Perhaps only such a life could produce such a pure, flawless smile.

In polite terms, she was innocent; less kindly, she was foolishly naive.

She simply didn’t realize how dark and treacherous society truly was.

She was the polar opposite of Bai Haonan.

Perhaps it was this stark contrast that stirred Bai Haonan’s appreciation. Like watching a delicate porcelain doll about to be shattered, his love of beauty surged. He leaned close to Chen Meijuan’s ear: “You’d better keep a close eye on her and create opportunities for me anytime.”

Chen Meijuan, naturally, had her price: “Take me with you!”

Bai Haonan, more accustomed to deals: “Alright!”

After briefly explaining their plan to join a new team, they parted ways.

That evening, Bai Haonan formally led Xiao Wan and the guide girl to defect to another team. They were enthusiastically welcomed with a ceremony that even included a birthday cake!

For most of these simple-minded MLM members, that was a feast. The new team leader expressed high hopes for the trio, welcoming them to the family, likely assuming the handsome man and beautiful women would be adept at seduction.

In truth, every faction constantly studied and refined their MLM tactics. From the moment a victim was lured into the city, the method to improve conversion rates was fiercely sought. Those capable of innovating were smart—unlike those who merely cold-called or obsessed over reports on “Private Capital Operation Potential.”

Bai Haonan’s concern was: where was their “lead cow”? He had an idea to operate differently from other companies, using the most positive, healthy approach to present to new recruits, at relatively low cost.

The leader quickly beckoned him closer to whisper, feigning mystery and importance—typical of so-called successful managers and bosses. Bai Haonan pointed to his two smiling female companions: “Look, most of the city is talking about the ‘1040 Project’ and the ‘638 Project,’ about national economic development. When we call new recruits, they immediately sense a problem. If they tell their families they’re involved in economic development, they’re instantly cursed for being involved in MLM. Even if these recruits have decided to join us and accept the hardships, many still waver. A significant number who have barely made it this far never get investment funds. Isn’t that a pity? Can’t we adjust this part?”

This was the kind of conversation smart people had. The manager nodded thoughtfully: “How do you propose we adjust it?”

Frankly, after nearly two months here, Bai Haonan felt that ninety-nine percent of people were parroting their uplines, repeating every word, tone, and gesture exactly as taught. The bosses preached how success was built brick by brick, with every detail immaculate—yet their mimicry was clumsy and unthinking.

Bai Haonan had survived by being crafty since childhood: “I used to be a fitness coach. My two companions have fitness backgrounds. I can borrow some team members. We won’t do any old-fashioned MLM rituals. We’ll do a Sunshine Project, a Health Project—lining up on the beach to exercise, running by the sea together. Showing new recruits a completely different spirit. Imagine if they take pictures on their phones—working out with a group of passionate athletes, investing in a health project. Later, when we have money, we’ll advertise everywhere, even on national TV! Wouldn’t that make people think of something other than MLM?”

The leader was noncommittal; after all, most MLM participants felt the old structure was safest. Unless the leader was a genius or the old model failed, few were willing to overhaul the system. Bai Haonan hadn’t been paying much attention to lectures these days, but he already knew the pseudo-intellectual jargon about private capital operations by heart—even able to converse fluently in English with the female MLM members. “No need for investment, no need to rewrite the script. I’ll lead people for free. When you’re confident, you can bring new recruits into this system. I’ll handle breaking through this stage. What do you think?”

Running a team cost a lot—rent was small change. Feeding and maintaining hundreds or thousands, even on plain rice and boiled vegetables, was a constant drain. Leaders were under pressure to perform. After some thought, the boss nodded slowly: “How can I cooperate with you?”

Bai Haonan was delighted inside. “I have over ten women, all with good figures. Put them in sportswear, and the atmosphere is right. But we also need some men—strong, fit, preferably with some athletic background.”

That didn’t seem too hard. In the spirit of cautious innovation, the new leader said he’d consider it but that they could start selecting people to try.

Bai Haonan agreed immediately.

He had no real project; he just wanted an excuse to sift through everyone here. Time was tight. After roughly familiarizing himself with the neighborhood housing about three hundred people, Bai Haonan set out with the two girls and the managers to go door-to-door selecting recruits.

Xiao Wan and the guide girl even changed into newly bought tight-fitting sportswear—leggings and sports bras—showing off a seductive flair to convince the team they had great potential.

They’d spent over ten thousand yuan defecting here, and that was their motivation. But after climbing three buildings without success starting around seven or eight in the evening, just as Bai Haonan was about to call it a night and continue tomorrow, something caught his eye on the sixteenth floor of one building.

In a three-bedroom apartment housing twelve people—a “family”—Bai Haonan noticed a hidden door by the bedroom. It was the kind that simple renovations sometimes concealed behind a wardrobe, hiding the bathroom door. And this door was open.

He asked casually, “Doesn’t it stink with the bathroom door always open?”

The family head replied offhandedly, “One of our team members broke his leg—something with his knee and meniscus—so he’s stuck inside. If the police come to search, closing the door means they don’t have to take him out. Otherwise, who’d carry him?”

Indeed, police only intervened when there was a clear complaint, and even then, their inspections were superficial—barely more than a glance, much like routine anti-prostitution sweeps.

Bai Haonan’s heart suddenly quickened. The “lead cow” had left the professional team due to a meniscus injury. Composing himself, he said nonchalantly, “Want me to take a look? I’m a fitness coach and know a bit about muscle and bone injuries. If it’s really bad, we could just dump him outside and let the police handle it—why waste food on him here?”

In his two months’ experience, most MLM folks fantasized about becoming elite middle class. They were ruthless in dragging people down but rarely inflicted physical harm. Violence was usually forbidden. Ironically, Bai Haonan himself was the one corrupting the morals.

Hearing the new bearded recruit’s cold, indifferent words, the accompanying family head and manager were surprised but agreed it might be a solution. They left it to him.

Pushing open the half-closed door, Bai Haonan entered the bathroom, which reeked of urine and human body odor. He switched on the dim incandescent light and immediately saw his comrade lying weakly on the long washbasin, resting on a tattered reed mat that served as a bed. His entire body was filthy and neglected, but his eyes reflected the faint light with joy—just as when Bai Haonan had seen him at the gas station before. There was a certainty in his smile, a firm belief. His cracked lips whispered indistinctly: “I heard your voice… I knew… you would come…”

His words were light, but tears streaked down his face.

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