Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Famous and Richard both had surprised expressions, and Zhang Zian couldn’t believe his eyes.
It was Peter Lee!
Since parting ways at the Devil’s Sea deep in the Sahara desert, he could not believe that he was even seeing Peter Lee’s old face once again.
Peter Lee still wore the white suit and white shoe combination he had on before entering the desert, a wine-red shirt, and a black twill tie over a black background that made him look very personable. Today, he also had a gray wool scarf on his shoulder, drooping across his chest that added a bit of elegance to his appearance.
He wore tan crystal sunglasses and his hair was meticulously combed.
Anyone who saw him for the first time would’ve probably thought he was a big name in the fashion industry, not some crazy psychic who deceived people all day long.
After escaping from the desert, Zhang Zian never heard from Peter Lee again. It wasn’t clear whether he and his men successfully escaped from the desert. He didn’t expect to meet him again in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Such must have been the workings of fate.
Zhang Zian figured that most of them were able to leave the desert alive because their team was highly disciplined, well-trained and experienced, and cruel to themselves and others; this was very different from the scientific research team.
Now it seemed that Peter Lee and his men survived successfully and continued to deceive others.
Peter Lee’s appearance in the United States was unexpected, yet Zhang Zian still expected it to happen for a reason.
The United States was a very free country thanks to the First Amendment to the Constitution. It allowed freedom in all aspects such as personal belief, though perhaps it might have granted the people a little too much freedom.
Based on statistics from the American Sectarian Association, there were thousands of legally registered sectarian organizations in the United States. Additionally, there were countless small organizations and sects in the private sector. Among them, there were many fish and dragons that were of course highly suspicious organizations.
The United States had no way of taking on these suspicious organizations from a legal standpoint. The FBI and the police were only able to arrest them if they determined that someone in the organization was suspected of a crime, but the FBI was powerless against those who weren’t suspected of crimes.
To better understand how rampant these organizations were in the United States, playing computer games such as Far Cry 5 and Escape 2 or those who have watched American Horror Story Season 7 would’ve given people a clearer idea of the situation.
Peter Lee made the United States a base camp and promoted his ideas here, which was actually more appropriate. This was especially so in places like Chinatown, where many Chinese elderly have lived for decades but didn’t understand English or the sciences, nor did they have original beliefs. They were easy to persuade; once their will was shaken, it was difficult to extricate themselves from it. Thus, they were a naturally easy target for exploitation.
Chinatown wasn’t the only place like this, either. Even San Francisco itself was the same way.
Who was most likely to be deceived?
The answer was vulnerable groups who were usually bullied, oppressed, depressed, living in isolation, and living unhappily.
San Francisco was full of people from such groups, considering the number of tramps living on the street.
People who’ve been successful in their careers, happy in life, and always at the center of society would never be fooled. Sadly, they were very few of these people.
Most people will have experienced hardships in life. Times of frustration and disappointment were inevitable. At that moment, they hoped to gain spiritual dependence and sustenance. If they met the right people then, they may have regained their vitality. If they met the wrong person… then they would’ve gone astray.
Peter Lee was here to manipulate people into following his cause. He was allowed to do that. Neither Zhang Zian nor the US government had the right to interfere, but what did he say about the natural plague and the end-time catastrophe?
In particular, the word “plague” rubbed Zhang Zian the wrong way.
The crazy deer disease could’ve been regarded as a plague spreading among deer herds, as well as a potential threat to humans.
Zhang Zian thought this was a coincidence because suspicious organizations like this always used predictions of the end of the world to shake the will of the people into a state of fear and panic, then take advantage of their imagination to obtain things from them. This method was also commonly associated with scams.
Many pedestrians who passed by were drawn in by Peter Lee’s sensational remarks and stopped to watch. Most of them were Chinese with black hair and yellow skin, but a few were of other races.
Peter Lee spoke in Mandarin, while a helper translated his words into English as he spoke so that more people were able to understand.
Zhang Zian also recognized the helper as the balding scholar.
“Are you here to scam us out of our money again? Tell me: how much is the membership fee this time?” Someone coaxed.
Zhang Zian wanted to call out and praise that guy. It seemed that there were also smart people amongst the crowd who knew that this organization was often a front for collecting money. Once the participants who fell for it were brainwashed, they might’ve even given up all their possessions.
Peter Lee laughed. “I won’t take a penny from you, we are not that kind of organization you think. We are trying to save the world with no other ulterior motive,” he said with a gesture.
His men waiting next to him immediately opened the door of a car and took out a variety of food items including rice noodles, oil, milk, eggs, hamburgers, and sandwiches.
Seeing that there were opportunities for them to get free food for themselves, the middle-aged and elderly people amongst the crowd were instantly excited and swarmed to pick them up. A left hand grabbed a barrel of oil while a right hand picked up a carton of milk.
The prices in the United States were relatively cheap compared to per capita income. The same milk of the same weight, when converted into RMB, was sold at an even lower price than in China, but such small favors helped to sway people’s hearts.
Seeing that free food was available, more people gathered around and nearly blocked incoming traffic.
“We are not interested in taking your property. Instead, we will give away our property to you. As the plague approaches, the world is about to change and everything that exists now is meaningless,” Peter Lee said with a smile. “If you want, we can come here at this time tomorrow with more and better things to give to you.”
He raised his finger and pointed to the north. “The catastrophe might strike at any time, and the city isn’t safe. Once it begins, life here will become a living hell. If you are willing to join us and survive the catastrophe, we’ll be waiting for you up in the north. We will provide free accommodation and free food, and we will rebuild our homes together once the catastrophe ends. Only then will we become the masters of the world.”
With that said, he waved goodbye to everyone before getting into the car with his men and leaving.
Some of the onlookers have left the scene, but there were still people intrigued by Peter Lee’s departure. For many people, there was nothing left to lose from doing so.
