Bully Lord

Part-118

James’s father's tone turned serious. "Yeah, what about them?"

James explained the situation with Sourov and the online scam. "I know it might sound trivial, but it's really upsetting him," James concluded. "Can you maybe look into it?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "I'll see what I can do, son," his father finally replied. "Give me some details, and I'll look into it."

James provided his father with all the information he had, including the details of the seller and the amount of money lost. After listening patiently, his father said, "I'll check it out and get back to you. Don't worry too much about it."

With a sense of relief, James thanked his father and hung up the phone. He knew his father was a man of action, and he trusted him to handle the situation. As he drifted off to sleep that night, a sense of peace washed over him. He had done his part, and now it was time to let his father handle the rest.

The classroom buzzed with the usual pre-lesson chatter when a sudden outburst shattered the tranquility. A girl, her face contorted with grief, was sobbing uncontrollably, her friends desperately trying to console her.

Intrigued, James approached Mili, who was among the group trying to comfort the distressed girl. "What happened?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Mili, her eyes still wet with tears, explained the situation. "She ordered a new smartphone online," she said, her voice trembling. "Paid in advance, everything. But when the package arrived, it was just a cheap button phone." Her voice trailed off as she tried to contain her emotions.

James felt a wave of sympathy for the girl. It was the same modus operandi as the scam Sourov had fallen victim to. The realization hit him like a cold shower. These online scams were becoming increasingly common, and it seemed like anyone could be a target.

A sense of determination grew within him. He had to do something. He couldn't let these scammers operate with impunity. He remembered his conversation with his father, the promise to look into the matter. Perhaps he could use this new case to gather more evidence, to build a stronger case against these online criminals.

As he sat at his desk, his mind raced. He needed to find a way to connect these two cases, to show a pattern, a modus operandi. If he could do that, maybe he could help bring these scammers to justice.

Over the next few days, a disturbing pattern emerged. The number of students falling victim to online scams increased alarmingly. Each case bore striking similarities: a seemingly too-good-to-be-true offer, an upfront payment, and the subsequent disappearance of the seller.

The first case after classmate's involved a girl named Anya, a year younger than James. She had ordered a limited edition pair of sneakers, paying a hefty sum upfront. When the package arrived, it contained a pair of cheap knock-offs. The seller had vanished without a trace.