79:Seeing It Through

The salesman instantly bristled, bellowing, “What do you mean, young lady? Are you suggesting I’m a cheat? This magnetic therapy bracelet is worth far more than its price; it can cure a hundred ailments! Even if you don't buy it, you have no right to slander my reputation!”

Ye Xingkong cast a cool, indifferent glance at the salesman, letting out a faint scoff.

“Elder, don't listen to his sweet talk. Don't buy it,” Su Muqing also advised.

The salesman grew even more indignant, clamoring, “Listen, beautiful ladies, you’re slandering me with baseless accusations! This is High Mountain Magnetic Jade (Gaoshan Ciyu), its magnetic force is incredibly strong, capable of attracting metal. How can you say I’m just using sweet talk?”

Liu Xiaoxiao's face was flushed with anger, yet she couldn't refute him.

Shen Yifei suddenly sneered, “High Mountain Magnetic Jade? That trinket of yours is nothing but a fake.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? You claim it's fake without proof?” the salesman fumed.

“Young man, this bracelet *can* attract metal!” the elder said to Shen Yifei, holding up the bracelet.

Shen Yifei originally had no intention of interfering in other people's business, but seeing Su Muqing and Liu Xiaoxiao's genuine concern, he decided to lend them a hand. Shen Yifei addressed the elder, “Elder, it's true the bracelet can attract metal, but that doesn't mean it's actual Magnetic Jade. The beads on this bracelet aren't real jade; they're synthetic. The cost of one such bracelet is, at most, seven or eight yuan (a small amount of currency).”

“Whoa!”

A ripple of astonishment swept through the crowd. Su Muqing and Liu Xiaoxiao were momentarily stunned. What was Shen Yifei playing at? How did he know the composition of this thing?

The salesman’s face visibly paled, yet he still roared, “What in the devil are you rambling about?! This is clearly Magnetic Jade! How can you claim it's synthetic? If it wasn’t Magnetic Jade, how could it attract metal? Our company never sells fakes; you’ll be held accountable for your words!”

Ye Xingkong watched Shen Yifei with a flicker of interest, anticipating what this man would say next.

“Young man, this bracelet doesn't look fake to me; you shouldn’t just speak carelessly!” the elder told Shen Yifei.

The yellow-haired youth (a young man with dyed blonde hair) standing by naturally wouldn't miss the chance to mock Shen Yifei, sneering repeatedly: “Synthetic? You, a mere soldier (someone who served in the military), probably haven’t even attended college, have you? Do you even know what synthetic means? Then tell us all, how is this ‘Magnetic Jade’ synthesized? Don’t think that just because you were a soldier, you can spout nonsense. These days, even a barking dog has to take responsibility for its noise!”

“Shameless!” Liu Xiaoxiao's pretty face was contorted with fury. She was about to step forward and confront the yellow-haired youth, but Su Muqing held her back.

“Xiaoxiao, don't get involved. Shen Yifei will handle it,” Su Muqing whispered into Liu Xiaoxiao's ear.

From what she knew of Shen Yifei, she believed he must have seen through the deception to speak as he did.

Shen Yifei didn't even bother looking at the idiotic yellow-haired youth. He picked up the bracelet and explained to the elder, “Elder, true Magnetic Jade has mottled internal patterns; it wouldn't have this smooth, uniform color. Something with a transparent surface and murky interior is clearly a synthetic composite. The reason this trinket has magnetic properties is because there’s a small, hidden layer inside each bead, encapsulating something akin to a tiny magnet. If you hold it up to the light and look closely, you can see that small inner layer.”

The moment he spoke, many passengers holding the magnetic bracelets began examining them intently.

The salesman’s face turned a hideous shade of purple (like a pig's liver). Shen Yifei had hit the nail on the head; as a vendor of fakes, he naturally knew the true composition of the stones best.

“It’s true! I see the inner layer!” a passenger exclaimed.

“Yes, I see it too!”

“Damn it! The scoundrel dared to sell fakes; he almost conned me!”

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in shouts and clamor. Several men grabbed the salesman’s arms, swearing and insisting they would take him to the police station.

The salesman completely lost his bravado, falling to his knees and begging for mercy. The entire crowd of passengers looked on with undisguised contempt.

Many passengers who had been considering buying the bracelet rushed to thank Shen Yifei. Had it not been for his warning, they would have likely squandered over six hundred yuan (a significant amount of money).

“Young man, thank you!” the elder repeatedly expressed his gratitude, then couldn't help but ask, “But young man, how did you discern it was fake at a single glance?”

“I’ve simply been duped before,” Shen Yifei replied casually, not wanting to explain further.

The elder chuckled, patting Shen Yifei on the shoulder. “Society needs more warm-hearted young people like you.”

“Even genuine Magnetic Jade, if it existed, wouldn’t have such miraculous healing effects. At best, it would only show a faint improvement after wearing it for several years. Elder, please don’t fall for such tricks again in the future,” Shen Yifei added with a smile.

In truth, one could usually spot such fakes if they were just a little sharp-eyed.

The elder felt deeply ashamed, nodding. “Young man, thank you for your kind advice.”

Ye Xingkong’s pretty face showed a hint of surprise. She had been observing Shen Yifei the whole time; he had barely glanced at the bracelet before declaring it fake, yet he spoke with such sound reasoning, not like someone just making things up.

Such discerning eyes were certainly not something an ordinary person possessed.

The yellow-haired youth felt unwilling to concede; his earlier words had turned into a complete joke. As everyone praised Shen Yifei, they didn't forget to mock him, making it impossible for him to hold his head high.

Staring at the bracelet in his hand for a long time, the yellow-haired youth spat in disgust, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it.

“CRACK!”

The bracelet was indeed flimsy; a single stomp shattered several beads, revealing the inner layers, which truly encased tiny magnets.

Someone took a one-yuan coin (a small denomination) and tested it; apart from the magnets inside, the outer material had no magnetic properties whatsoever.

It was exactly as Shen Yifei had said!

Amidst the general astonishment, the yellow-haired youth shot Shen Yifei a side-glance, saying in a sarcastic tone, “So that’s all you’ve got, eh? If you hadn’t been conned before, would you even know any of this?”

Shen Yifei’s face darkened. *Damn it*, this fellow was truly insufferable.

Just as he was about to retort, a commotion suddenly erupted further down the subway car.

Everyone turned their heads towards the rear of the car, only to see a person collapsed on the floor, limbs convulsing, continuously spewing white foam from their mouth.

The sight startled everyone, and some women even shrieked.

“Help! My colleague is having an epileptic seizure! Is there a doctor on this train?!” a man shouted loudly.

“Call 120 (the emergency medical service) quickly!” Liu Xiaoxiao urged.

Su Muqing knew Shen Yifei possessed some medical skills. She instinctively tugged at his sleeve, urgently whispering, “Shen Yifei, can you… can you find a way to help him?”

Shen Yifei shrugged. He didn’t consider himself a good person; after all, countless lives had ended by his hand. Years of such experiences had forged a rather detached personality in him.

He rarely interfered in others’ affairs, but seeing Su Muqing and Liu Xiaoxiao’s concerned expressions, Shen Yifei sighed inwardly. *Very well*, he thought, *this time, I’ll see this good deed through to the very end.*

The crowd immediately cleared a path. The middle-aged man (Cheng Zhi) quickly stepped forward and gently laid the epileptic patient flat on the ground.

He repeatedly patted the patient’s chest with his right palm, while his left hand pressed on the patient's leg, seemingly massaging several pressure points (acupuncture points used in traditional Chinese medicine for healing).

The patient struggled violently, his hands trying to push the middle-aged man away.

Sweat beaded on Cheng Zhi’s forehead. From his many years of medical experience, he could tell that this epileptic patient was uncontrollably seizing and needed immediate hospitalization.

Cheng Zhi hastily pulled out his phone, just as he was about to call the hospital, when…

Shen Yifei walked over unhurriedly, saying calmly, “Allow me.”

To the astonished gazes of Cheng Zhi and the others, Shen Yifei had already helped the patient sit up.

The yellow-haired youth let out a scornful sneer, yelling, “Hey, what are *you* doing? You’re not a doctor! If anything happens to this person, you’ll be held responsible!”

“Get lost!” Shen Yifei’s face turned menacing as he shot a piercing glare at the yellow-haired youth.