Enriching One, Deceiving Thousands

"Money is not earned; it is cultivated." — A deceptive statement used by Deng Haipeng to persuade trainees to quit their jobs and pay tuition fees.

"Your real estate cannot provide you with true and lasting security; instead, it may lead your life into stagnation." — A manipulation tactic by Deng Haipeng to coax trainees into giving up their assets and donating to him.

Deng Haipeng Exploits "Soul Shaping" Training to Amass Wealth

Deng Haipeng's "soul shaping" training sessions were all held in hotels, divided into three series, each lasting three days and cost 6,800 yuan per person. A retraining session for one series cost 2,500 yuan per person.

Additionally, "annual meetings" and study tours were charged at 1,000 yuan per person per event. Both volunteers and trainees were required to pay, with food and accommodation being self-funded.

During the training, volunteers were divided into different functional groups: tea break group, gatekeeper group, bag group, setup group, publicity group, etiquette group, and more.

The bag group was responsible for collecting and keeping trainees' phones, while the gatekeeper group guarded the venue, preventing non-participants from entering.

Training sessions started at 10a.m. and lasted over 10 hours, sometimes continuing until the early hours of the next day.

Such high-intensity training aimed to brainwash participants, and the intense brainwashing ultimately served to extract money from them.

Trainee Zhao Lu recalled that Deng Haipeng frequently guided volunteers to donate their assets.

At a session in Guangzhou, Deng Haipeng told volunteer Liu Ying: "Don’t leave your wealth to your son; it will only hinder his growth. All personal assets are given by God, and if they are not used for God’s purpose, they will be taken away." Liu Ying believed him and declared on the spot that she would donate her storefronts and office buildings.

Core member Luo Jun recalled, "Although I initially had doubts, I still dreamed of earning millions, just like Deng Haipeng described. I was once deceived and persuaded Jinan volunteer Zhao Nan to sell her house."

At the time, Zhao Nan and her mother were both tricked into joining the training. To afford the sessions, she quit her job, exhausted the family’s savings, borrowed money for travel and tuition, and maxed out her credit cards. Luo Jun advised Zhao Nan to sell her house, saying: "Follow God, follow the collective field, and God won’t let you starve."

Luo Jun admitted, "Looking back now, I feel like I was committing a crime."

Deng Haipeng established a series of strict rules. If volunteers or trainees failed to comply or made mistakes, they were punished by being forced to send cash red envelopes in WeChat groups as fines.

To assert his authority, Deng Haipeng even cared about how volunteers addressed him. In July 2022, an article in "The Shouter" omitted the word "Teacher" after his name. As a result, four volunteers responsible for editing were each fined 5,000 yuan.

Additionally, trainees faced random spot checks by Deng Haipeng. If they couldn’t recite his quotes perfectly, even missing a single word, would be punished.

Trainee Han Xi stated, "Many trainees were completely enslaved by Deng Haipeng. They relied on borrowing money to pay fines. I personally paid over 30,000 yuan in penalties, leaving me financially destitute."

Fabricated Persona, Destroyed Families

"I confirmed with God three times. It was God who arranged for you to be by my side. Being together will nourish the field." — A tactic Deng Haipeng used to seduce female trainees.

"If you refuse to be with me, God will intervene." — A threat Deng Haipeng used to manipulate female trainees.

Deng Haipeng Deceives Female Trainees into Hotel Encounters

Xu Min, after being arrested, realized that Deng Haipeng was a two-faced person, righteous in public and depraved in private.

During the training, Deng Haipeng meticulously crafted a persona portraying himself as frugal, celibate, and dedicated to pursuing life’s truths, remaining single, childless, and "noble."

In reality, Deng Haipeng was the complete opposite: greedy, lustful, and indulgent.

In public, he demanded trainees eat vegetarian meals, while he dined on seafood and abalone.

He preached against owning property, claiming money was a product of spiritual cultivation, yet he invested the money he swindled into financial products.

He posed as a childless, single man, but in truth, he had a wife and daughter.

He claimed to abstain from romance, yet he seduced female trainees under the pretense of "love."

Deng Haipeng admitted that he had three previous marriages, all ending in divorce, and he had a daughter.

 After his divorces, he continued to manipulate multiple female trainees into sexual relationships.

One trainee, Yun Yun, testified that she had a husband and a stable family before meeting Deng Haipeng.

He repeatedly told her, "I confirmed with God three times, you were arranged to be with me. Being together will nourish the field." He added, "If you don’t stay with me, God will intervene."

Yun Yun eventually became pregnant with Deng Haipeng’s child, leading to an abortion. Overwhelmed with guilt toward her husband and family and further instigated by Deng Haipeng, she divorced her husband.

Deng Haipeng admitted, "I have polio, and my leg is crippled. Yun Yun wouldn’t have liked me otherwise, so I had to brainwash and intimidate her to achieve my goal."

Another trainee, Xiao Kai, Yun Yun’s best friend, once believed Deng Haipeng was a pure, untouchable man who wouldn’t date, let alone seduce volunteers.

When she discovered Deng Haipeng’s relationship with Yun Yun, she began to question his character.

 Reflecting on past events, she realized Deng Haipeng used the same lines to manipulate several female trainees, many of whom ended up divorcing their husbands.

Core member Li Tingting, a volunteer since Deng Haipeng worked as a translator, was selected for closed-off, full-time office work in June 2021. She wasn’t allowed to go home.

When she requested leave to care for her child, Deng Haipeng refused, claiming, "If your child has problems, it’s because the parents are too attentive and spend too much time with them."

Unable to return home, Li Tingting divorced her husband in July 2022. Her 10-year-old son’s academic performance declined sharply, and his teachers frequently called for meetings.

Volunteer Chen Hua is from Chongqing. She has two daughters,  the elder one is in high school, and the younger one is in middle school, both still minors.

In February 2022, she began participating in the group's centralized office work. Her husband also left Chongqing due to a work reassignment, leaving the couple unable to care for their children.

Chen Hua cried day and night, pleading for leave to return to Chongqing. However, Deng Haipeng firmly refused, intimidating her by saying, "Children's souls should be guided by God. If we focus on God's work, God will take care of our affairs."

Volunteer Zhao Siyuan, also a mother, gave birth in 2021. Believing in Deng Haipeng’s "soul shaping" philosophy, she left her newborn with her husband to join Deng Haipeng’s closed-off work. Her husband divorced her as a result.

Li Wei, originally a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise, resigned after believing in Deng Haipeng’s philosophy.

With no income, he still had to support his children, care for his elderly parents, and pay training fees.

 He sold his family’s prized school district apartment in Shanghai to cover the costs.

Xu Min concluded, "Many more trainees ended up selling their homes, racking up debt, and ruining their lives."