This is a story about a man who became a middleman in a scheme that involved recruiting people to carry debt. He didn’t directly handle the fraudulent activities or the materials, but he was the crucial link connecting vulnerable individuals to the operators running the operation.

• The Setup: The speaker describes his role as an “intermediary” or “middleman”. His job was simply to find people and introduce them to the operators. He claims he wasn’t involved in preparing the fraudulent materials or the specifics of how the operation was run. He just made the introduction.
• The Scale and Profit: Over two years, the speaker found and introduced about 20 people. From this, he profited approximately 8 million. His commission was between 1% and 1.5% of the total amount involved.

• The Deal for “Debt Carriers”: The individuals recruited, referred to as “debt carriers” (professor Debtor), were promised a significant payout. Female debt carriers with a clean background could expect at least 4 to 5 million. Male debt carriers would receive slightly less, around 3 to 4 million minimum. The operators reportedly told these individuals they would receive a down payment of 100,000 to 200,000 for buying a house. The operators claimed that the companies and packaging used were real. They also told the debt carriers that they would later apply for personal bankruptcy for them, with the worst outcome being inability to repay and becoming a debt defaulter (“laolai”). The speaker, however, admits he doesn’t believe the operators’ claims.
• Risk Mitigation Attempts: To cover his tracks and sever connections with the debt carriers, the speaker would instruct them to discard their mobile phones and WeChat accounts after they received the money and get new ones. He claims he operated alone and didn’t have accomplices.
• Handling the Proceeds: The speaker’s significant profit of around 8 million has not been spent, except for a few hundred thousand. He was afraid to spend it or put assets in his name. He converted most of the money into USDT. This cryptocurrency is stored in a cold wallet. The critical information to access the wallet (like the seed phrase) is written down on paper and hidden in his parents’ house. He also received a bonus, a car worth over 100,000, from the operators for bringing in many people. However, he didn’t put the car in his own name, instead registering it under his girlfriend’s name.
• The Psychological Toll: Despite the large profit, the speaker is constantly living in fear. He states he is very anxious, can’t eat or sleep well, and feels the money isn’t worth the stress. He worries about potential future consequences.
• Legal Realities: The interviewer highlights that this scheme likely constitutes fraud. The statute of limitations for such crimes can be long, potentially over 10 years. If caught, the speaker’s profit would definitely be confiscated. The potential prison sentence could also be significant, starting from 10 years or more.
• Contemplating Surrender: Overwhelmed by the pressure and fear of being caught, the speaker is considering surrendering to the authorities. He understands that voluntary surrender and truthful confession can lead to lighter sentencing. However, he is hesitant about having to return all of his profit, hoping he might only have to return a portion. He speculates that by the time he got out after a potential prison sentence, his girlfriend might not even be around.

This story illustrates the lifecycle of the scheme from the middleman’s perspective – from finding participants and profiting to the constant fear, attempts to hide assets, and the eventual contemplation of the severe legal consequences and the possibility of surrender.