The story of Little Brother Fried Chicken has been buzzing these days. I don’t know him personally, but many friends I know have been caught up in it. Still, I want to add a few words to remind everyone to watch out for pitfalls and how to prevent scams! Many people have heard the full story, so I won’t repeat it here. I’m not new to this kind of story; it’s roughly about this post-2000s guy claiming he made over a billion dollars, helping to leverage profits and earn annualized returns through trading. Many have invested in him, and the amount scammed should be in the tens of millions of dollars. But if you’ve been in this circle long enough, you’ll realize: stories like this aren’t unusual; in fact, they are very “human nature.” I’ve also written about my story with Master M before:

In crypto, we have an almost instinctive tolerance and admiration for “young people who suddenly become rich.” A story about someone in their twenties with over a billion in assets is rarely questioned; it’s often repeated as a legend. Because it hits everyone’s deepest hidden expectations: What if, I could be next? But the reality is quite the opposite: actually making big money is extremely difficult and highly counter-human. Timing, geography, and people—none can be missing. If you must remember a few fundamental judgments, I’ll only say three points:

1️⃣ Truly impressive people often don’t show off their wealth. Money is a tool to them, not an identity. The further someone goes, the more they understand that “exposure” itself is a risk. You rarely see real big shots repeatedly emphasizing how much they’ve earned in public.
2️⃣ Always be wary of someone who borrows money from you. Especially if they look “very rich.” When someone starts explaining: funds are just temporarily unavailable, the project is about to take off, the opportunity is only for you—be aware that this is an abnormal signal. Truly resourceful people don’t need to seek help from strangers.
3️⃣ Packaging and presentation often are inversely proportional to true strength. I’ve also seen some people who look extremely glamorous. But from the moment they start borrowing money, I knew: the story has begun to change. It’s not indifference, but common sense: risk always begins with “I’m sorry, I can’t refuse.” The most expensive thing in this world is never information asymmetry but judgment. And judgment often comes from whether you’re willing to accept a harsh fact: the real path to wealth is usually silent, slow, and boring. Those stories that seem too smooth almost always come at a cost.
Remember: you can be greedy or foolish, but never be greedy when you’re foolish, and never be foolish when you’re greedy.