See, a real con artist isn't someone who makes others doubt you every time you ask for money. A true master is someone who makes people beg you to take their money, and if you refuse, they will insist until you do. That's the art of deception at its finest, a subtle manipulation that turns the mark into the aggressor.
"Dear Doctor, what matters most right now is making sure more people can eat! You have no idea how important the Life Water you created really is. Please, let's handle the Austin Castle matter. You just focus on increasing production." The men gathered around him, their faces leaning into the light.
Seeing that Dr. B clearly had no desire to go to such a dangerous place, the big shots all started trying to persuade him, throwing out promises left and right. Their voices overlapped in the small room, a chorus of desperate greed masked as concern. At last, Dr. B revealed the real difficulty, his shoulders sagging as if under a great weight.
In the corner, Jing Shu stayed quiet, observing everything like a transparent ghost. She kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the scuff marks on the floor, grateful that Zhen Nantian wasn't here. If he were, she might have slipped up under his sharp gaze.
Dr. B raised a hand to calm everyone down, the room falling into a sudden, expectant silence.
"Gentlemen, your kindness has been witnessed by God, and may you all be rewarded for your good hearts. But there's one more reason I refuse to go into the crustal rift. You all understand energy conversion, right? Once oil is gone, it's gone. The raw materials for Life Water there can convert about eight million pounds (3,600 tons) of supplies. Before I find another resource point, I don't want to waste this one."
Eight million pounds. Jing Shu rubbed her chin, her fingers grazing her skin. That number must be the supplies Dr. B and his team planned to take off with. It was a lion's mouthful, a staggering amount of wealth in a world of scarcity.
That much material might not fill a full cargo ship, but it was more than enough for a handful of people to live in luxury for the rest of their lives. In this apocalypse, that was a jackpot. By the third year of the end times, anyone who still had such abundant resources was practically untouchable.
And the 'slave master' sitting nearby was proof of that. He had brought the resources of an entire city to Austin. Even though he got robbed halfway, he still lived comfortably there now, his face twisted with greed and cruelty as he listened to the proposal.
The farm owners and directors at the table exchanged looks, each catching the same gleam of satisfaction in the other's eyes. That number was more than enough for them to get their share. If they invested 300,000 pounds of goods, in a few days they would get 500,000 back. Who wouldn't jump at that?
Under their collective persuasion, Dr. B finally nodded, his expression reluctant. "I do have a few conditions. If you agree to them, I can take the risk and process it for you."
"Of course, that's your right," one of the directors said quickly, nodding so hard his jowls shook.
Dr. B extended his hand, ticking off points on his fingers. "First, Austin must send no fewer than thirty armed men to protect me, fully equipped and with enough ammunition. The situation over there is dangerous, and I have to think about my safety."
The Austin director secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had been wondering how to send guards to 'watch' Dr. B while keeping him within Austin's control. After all, Dr. B was far too valuable to lose, especially now that he had developed Life Water. Austin couldn't afford to let him out of sight. Fortunately, Dr. B's own team was weak. Aside from his two assistants, D and C, and a handful of slaves, he had no real combat power. A thirty-man escort sounded perfect for both safety and surveillance.
The first condition passed smoothly. Dr. B continued, "Second, I understand how everyone feels. You all want more food and supplies, and I can convert everything into Life Water. But first, I need to use the Life Water to strengthen the seed vault's collection. I haven't located the next resource point yet, so I need to ensure Austin's seeds can grow well before then."
Jing Shu's heart skipped a beat. There it was. That was the benefit Dr. B was fighting for on her behalf.
The Austin director hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing. "And how much would converting the seeds cost?"
"Not much. Same as any regular material."
He exhaled in relief. There weren't that many tons of seeds anyway. "Alright, I understand. You're doing this for everyone's good, Doctor. You're truly a generous man. I will have someone deliver the seeds to you."
"Third," Dr. B continued, "Life Water doesn't keep long. To maximize its effect, we will have to move all supplies into the area at once for simultaneous conversion."
No one objected. That wasn't a big deal. In fact, doing it all together would prevent fights later over who went first.
"Fourth, each group will need to guard their own supplies. That region is full of unknown creatures, and the scent of food could attract attacks."
Everyone nodded. The condition was fair, even thoughtful. Many were now convinced Dr. B was truly considering their safety.
"As for how much each of you contributes, work that out among yourselves. I will only accept eight million pounds total, and I will take a twenty percent cut as my fee," Dr. B said calmly.
Not a pound more.
Now that's how you play a con. Take just enough to seem fair, then let them fight over who pays what. You sit back and collect. Everyone nodded in agreement, the tension in the room easing into a predatory excitement.
"Fifth," Dr. B said, "I need to borrow the castle's vegetable dehydration equipment. I have a bold new idea I want to test."
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. There it was. The real target of their mission. She wondered if they would agree or tack on extra conditions.
"Of course. How long will you need it, Doctor? We use it daily to dry vegetables."
"Two days," he replied.
"No problem."
They agreed just like that. Jing Shu could barely believe it. The seed vault and their mission target were both secured without a single fight. They had almost gone to rob the thing earlier. How dangerous that would have been.
Fighting is never better than scamming. And scamming is never better than making people hand you the prize themselves. Dr. B's reputation worked like a charm. No one would ever suspect that a man who could build a city wall out of Luminite would be eyeing a vegetable dehydrator.
It was like a man driving a million-dollar car and wearing a luxury watch borrowing five bucks and never paying it back. Who would think he would waste a whole day scheming over five bucks?
Dr. B played the part of a cowardly genius perfectly, asking for protection and acting cautious. That only made everyone more relaxed. After all, what could one powerless man do in a group of hundreds? Run off with thousands of tons of supplies? Him? And his handful of people?
If only they knew.