The scam unraveled-time to run!

May, the 26th year of Konoha.

The headquarters of the Angel Fund in the Capital of the Land of Wind.

As usual, just as dawn was breaking, a dense crowd had already gathered outside the Company's main gate.

There were ordinary citizens, small vendors, wealthy nobles and merchants from the city, and many caravans from all over the Land of Wind. Everyone's face was filled with anticipation, and they clutched the deeds to which they had invested, eagerly awaiting today's dividends.

"The day has finally come..."

"Hehe, I'm just waiting for this share of the profits to hire a couple of maids."

"You little rascal, you've really made something of yourself!"

Many people chatted amongst themselves, their words filled with anticipation, all planning what to buy after receiving the bonus and how to improve their lives.

As the crowd grew larger, the noise rose and fell, and the sun gradually climbed higher, shining on the magnificent Company headquarters building.

But the door, which should have opened on time, remained tightly shut.

The door was firmly locked, and the area in front of it was deserted. No staff came out to greet guests, no manager showed up, and none of the people who used to come and go were to be seen.

Time passed slowly, from dawn until the sun was high in the sky.

At first, everyone just whispered among themselves, thinking that it was just before the appointed time, or that the person in charge had made a last-minute delay.

"Why isn't the door open yet? It's usually open by now."

"Could it be that today's dividend amount is large, and we need to prepare more silver?"

"But the doors shouldn't be kept closed all the time..."

"Masaka..."

"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense!"

But after a long time, the door remained unmoved.

Someone stepped forward and pounded on the door, making a loud banging sound, but the heavy door didn't respond at all.

Some people went around to the side and back doors to check and found that all the entrances and exits were locked. It was eerily quiet inside, and not a sound could be heard in the entire building.

Anxiety began to spread among the crowd.

Some people felt a chill run down their spines, sensing that something was amiss.

Something's not right... Why is there absolutely no sound from inside?

"Could something have happened?"

"Impossible! There's absolutely no problem, don't talk nonsense..." a grocery store owner said, feigning composure.

He then turned to the people around him and forced a smile:

"Don't panic, everyone!"

"What if they have a day off today, right?"

"Why are you trembling? You've only invested a few coins! I've invested twenty million taels!" a man in fine clothes shouted.

Some were nervous, some were comforting themselves, and some were encouraging each other...

That's right, the people from the Angel Fund must have something to do today, but tomorrow... they'll definitely be back tomorrow...

One day, two days, three days...

Fear spread throughout the Capital, eventually engulfing all towns in the Land of Land of Wind where Angel Fund branches were located.

Most people who only invested a portion of their assets could barely afford it, but there were also quite a few who invested their entire fortune, guarding the gates of all the branch offices within the Land of Wind.

No one is going home, or rather, they can't go home. People are selling off their land and mortgaging their houses everywhere...

A few days later, a number of furious people smashed the locks and rushed inside, demanding an explanation.

But upon entering, they were all dumbfounded. The room contained only messy tables and chairs and self-help quotes pasted on the walls.

To succeed, you must first go crazy!

"Fraud!"

"They're all liars!"

"This is a shocking scam!"

"My money, my house, my land, I have nothing left..."

"Impossible! Impossible! The Angel Fund treats us like family; we're all brothers and sisters..."

"Hahaha, I knew there's no such thing as a free lunch. Luckily, I got my money back early..." a portly rich man said disdainfully.

Upon hearing this, all the people who had lost everything stared at him with bloodshot eyes!

"Catch him! He must be in cahoots with those swindlers, otherwise why is he the only one who hasn't suffered any losses!"

"It wasn't me... Hey... Stop it! It's yourselves who are being stupid..."

To be honest, Angel Plan wasn't exactly a sophisticated scam, but it was still way too over-the-top for the Shinobi World.

No matter how flawless a plan may be, there will always be clever people who can see through it. However, many clever people are often defeated by the greed in their own hearts.

The Angel Plan has been running in the Land of Wind for over a year, and quite a few people have made money from it.

After the Angel Plan collapsed, many people committed suicide, many others went to the authorities to seek answers, and some who had been completely brainwashed still believed in their families!

This nationwide scam enraged the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, who immediately sent a letter to Sunagakure, ordering them to capture the fraudsters!

According to rumors circulating among the people, even the Daimyo himself invested a considerable amount of money in it.

--

The news of the Angel Plan's collapse swept through the entire Sunagakure like a terrible sandstorm.

In a short period of time, everything changed dramatically.

Eight hundred and sixty million ryo was almost the entire annual budget of Sunagakure, not to mention the private savings of numerous ninjas and ordinary villagers who had staked it all in, all of which vanished into thin air.

The once peaceful streets and alleys of Sunagakure were now in complete chaos.

Countless people flooded the streets, their shouts, cries, and curses mingling together.

"You're lying! You promised compound interest! You promised dividends!"

"My savings! That's the money for my child's medical treatment!"

"Ebizo! Come out and give us an explanation!"

The people's anger spread like wildfire throughout the village.

Ebizo, who was once revered as the "Ebizo of the Sea God" by countless people, is now blocked outside the Kazekage Building by a surging crowd.

His face was deathly pale, and he was trembling all over; his former high spirits had vanished completely.

He never imagined that the investment he had staked on with the entire village's savings was actually a complete scam.

The image of Jiushi Luren's righteous and generous demeanor, and the two of them addressing each other as brothers, kept replaying in his mind.

Shamon sat in the Kazekage's Office, his face grim, radiating a chilling killing intent.

All the ledgers were laid out on the table, and the numbers on them were shocking. Military expenses, pensions, village repairs, medical supplies—all the reserves had been emptied.

Originally hoping to escape poverty through the Angel Plan, it ended up pushing Sunagakure into an abyss instead.

Chiyo stood to the side, her expression cold, her gaze towards Ebizo filled with disappointment and heartache.

She tried to dissuade him repeatedly, but he wouldn't listen, and now the consequences are coming.

"It was my carelessness... I was blinded by greed."

"I'm so sorry to the Lord Kazekage, and even more so to my countless comrades in Sunagakure..."

Ebizo's voice was hoarse, and he seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant.

The Elders' Council was in an uproar, with each faction blaming the other. Some angrily denounced Ebizo for wreaking havoc on the village; others clamored for an external war to plunder resources to make up for the losses; still others were terrified, fearing that the village would decline as a result.

Bang!

"Alright! Shut up, all of you!" Shamon slammed his hand on the table, shouting angrily.

"Now that things have come to this, what's the point of you all shifting blame and pointing fingers at each other?"

"The most important thing right now is to stabilize the morale of the villagers. I will immediately send someone to the Capital to apply for financial assistance from the Daimyo."

"Secondly, Ebizo, you have committed such a grave mistake that even if I were to skin you alive, it wouldn't be too much for me!" Shamon turned to look at Ebizo, whose face was filled with despair, and said in a deep voice:

"But considering your original intentions—all for the sake of Sunagakure —I'm giving you a chance to atone for your sins. Remember, don't even think about suicide. You have no right to die until you've atoneed for your sins!"

Chiyo, standing to the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Lord Kazekage was afraid that her younger brother would take a desperate path, so he used righteousness to restrain him. She felt grateful and looked at Shamon.

Shamon nodded slightly, then continued, "Finally, regarding the Company President of the Angel Fund, our intelligence is extremely limited. Immediately issue a nationwide arrest warrant for this person, as well as that senior director of the Angel Fund, Jiushi Luren!"

"Jiushi Luren?... Just a passerby?"

The Shamon muttered to himself, then, realizing what was happening, he flew into a rage and cursed:

"Ebizo, you idiot, get out of here right now!"

Upon hearing this, the others in the Meeting Room instantly realized what was happening.

In other words, the swindler whom Ebizo fraternized with ended up not even knowing the other's real name.

For a moment, the Meeting Room was filled with a strange and absurd atmosphere!