The perpetrators are also victims, and such matters are indeed difficult to handle within the public security bureau.
If you say these people acted voluntarily, they were brainwashed, so one cannot truly say they were actively committing crimes.
However, to say they did not act voluntarily is also completely untrue.
After all, these individuals were still of sound mind when they committed the kidnappings; you cannot claim they were acting unconsciously.
Moreover, from what can be seen now, every one of them is detestable.
Knowing full well this was a fraudulent organization, they were the first to step forward and distance themselves. But was there genuine remorse in their eyes?
Neither Yu Zhou nor the police officers saw any.
Especially Yu Zhou, seeing their faces almost made him laugh hysterically. They were doing this simply to evade punishment, weren't they? If this matter were left uninvestigated, wouldn't his efforts be in vain?
He should know that Yu Zhou, due to his wife, detested kidnappers the most.
It was one thing for him to be kept on edge, but to have his entire family suffer the same anxiety as him was a grave offense.
"Manager Yu, what about these people? How should they be handled?"
The one speaking was a police officer accompanying them. He had already received orders: even if Yu Zhou softened his heart and decided to let these people go, they could only, within their authority, slightly mitigate the reasons for their crimes.
Matters requiring official proceedings would still be handled by them.
However, the nature of this case was inherently complex, and they were unsure of Yu Zhou's true intentions, which was why their superior had subtly prompted them to inquire.
It was also a matter of preserving Yu Zhou's dignity.
Furthermore, since the incident had originated because of Yu Zhou, it would not be appropriate not to consult his opinion.
"Manager Yu?"
As those people were all feeling dejected, the head of their dormitory looked at Yu Zhou in surprise, completely bewildered as to whom this "Manager Yu" was being addressed.
Could it be that their crackdown and encirclement by these police officers were indeed because of these two individuals before them?
While others might not know, she understood certain things with absolute clarity.
It was true that some individuals involved in this so-called key support project had also been apprehended, but in the eyes of many, they were merely victims sacrificed to quell public outcry for being too conspicuous.
Although she now realized this might not be entirely accurate.
Yet, at the mention of "Manager Yu," she couldn't help but ponder.
Was it not because they had genuinely committed crimes, but merely because they had offended someone they shouldn't have? Did this salesman named Yu Zhou truly possess such great influence?
Some things became very clear when viewed this way, especially the captain's casual, even somewhat respectful, demeanor when speaking to Yu Zhou. This person began to grasp the essence of the situation.
Could this salesman they had apprehended truly be someone of importance?
If that were the case, then even if she were arrested, she wouldn't feel it was unjust.
After all, in their world, where money reigned supreme, only true wealth could make countless matters bend. If this person did not wish to prosper with them and strongly disapproved of them, it was entirely possible that, immediately after escaping, he would have found the police and demanded their arrest.
Others might not have the ability, but if this person were truly a super-influential figure, such a possibility truly existed.
After all, as far as she knew, there wasn't just one faction like theirs operating such projects in the entire Ningzhou City; there were many factions, and their numbers approached ten thousand.
Why target them specifically instead of others?
So that was the reason.
At that moment, the head of the dormitory felt a sense of confusion. She couldn't ascertain Yu Zhou's identity, nor could she comprehend the power of the person she had offended.
However, she knew she had stumbled, and it was a significant fall.
"Is that so? They've all been apprehended? The big boss isn't abroad? Good! Control them immediately; we've caught a big fish this time."
At this moment, a police officer received a phone call.
Here, he didn't need to conceal anything and celebrated loudly.
But these words made the people from the pyramid scheme organization's heads spin.
The big boss was also arrested? How was that possible?
They believed that this kind of "rocking machine" project, even if not secretly supported by the state, was not illegal.
Why was the big boss arrested as well? He didn't participate in any kidnappings.
As if to respond to their thoughts, or perhaps to explain to Yu Zhou.
At this point, the police officer directly stated, "Heh!"
"If you want to blame anyone, blame yourselves for trying to cut corners even on the cost of goods, and then resorting to kidnapping and restricting personal freedom."
"Your so-called big boss always claims he's just a direct sales product dealer, but without any products, isn't that just fleecing people?"
"The amount involved is several million, enough for him to spend his days in prison."
Indeed, in this era, pyramid schemes and these so-called "rocking machine" projects were not explicitly prohibited, or rather, there were no specific laws against them.
However, one could not deny that the municipal police bureau had countless ways to bring down such an organization and arrest everyone involved.
You claim to be in direct sales, selling products?
If you don't even have products, what are you doing?
Even if you can't convict them of pyramid scheming, charges of kidnapping and illegal fundraising could easily be applied.
That's several million Longxia coins. It's easy to imagine that once this case is fully solved, it would be a significant accomplishment.
In essence, it all boils down to an issue of attitude.
If you conduct legitimate business and abide by the law, they can still find loopholes and make things difficult for you.
Much less an organization that already operates on the fringes of the law; finding dirt on you would be incredibly easy.