Chapter 20 Those Damn Nouveau Riche

The taxi driver had been planning for this day, for this moment, for a long time.

It will last long enough to erode the last shred of conscience.

He specifically drove around near the Baikal Hotel, where Chinese speculators gathered, just to wait for a lone, wealthy customer.

Unfortunately, most of the brokers he encountered were cunning and ruthless men, and several times he saw knives hidden in his customers' waistbands in his rearview mirror.

Fortunately, he finally found the perfect target.

A young Chinese woman.

Overwhelmed with excitement and tension, the driver couldn't help but swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

He witnessed the woman enter the hotel with a scoundrel who was exchanging currency, and when she came out of the hotel again, her bulging pockets had suddenly shrunk.

She must have exchanged her rubles for dollars!

In that instant, the driver swore that all the guys around him were eager to move closer to the woman.

He was the fastest, taking the woman away first.

Those dawdling idiots, go ahead and yell and curse at his car exhaust!

The driver couldn't help but grin smugly, though it looked more like a hyena baring its teeth.

"parking."

The driver was taken aback. Who was speaking Emei? He seemed to be hallucinating.

"parking."

In the rearview mirror, Fatty Sheep stared at him expressionlessly.

The woman's expression made her look less like a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered and more like a lion or tiger, a beast that had tasted blood and wouldn't mind tasting it a few more times.

The driver suddenly panicked. He forced himself to calm down and muttered:

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. You can’t park here. You have to stay in the car. This is Oros, not your poor and backward country.”

The woman seemed to understand only a fraction of what she was saying; she simply leaned forward, reached out from the gap between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, and pressed her hand firmly on the driver's shoulder.

"I said, stop the car."

Her strength was abnormally great; her slender fingers, which were normally adorned with jewels and gold, were now gripping him tightly like a pair of pliers, causing the driver to cry out in pain.

“If you don’t understand Emei language, I also know a little bit of sign language.”

He Changyi threatened with a displeased expression.

The ruble's sharp depreciation, resulting in a third less dollar in exchange, was bad enough, but to make matters worse, I ran into a stupid driver trying to rob me.

Does she have "Easy to bully" written on her forehead in bold Ethnic script?

Just because she's a woman doesn't mean someone can easily take advantage of her.

He Changyi increased the pressure on the driver's hand, and in the midst of the excruciating pain, the driver spoke faster, babbling out a long string of words.

She didn't understand everything, but she caught a few key words: "road construction," "traffic," "police," and "fine." It seemed he was trying to say that he had to change routes because of road construction ahead, and that he couldn't park there because the police would issue a fine.

He Changyi didn't believe a single word of it.

"Either you stop the car now, or I'll make sure you never have the chance to drive again for the rest of your life."

The driver either didn't understand or didn't take the Chinese woman's threat seriously.

His gaze met He Changyi's in the rearview mirror, like a trapped beast, like a gambler at the end of his rope.

Suddenly, the driver jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the gas pedal. The taxi, creaking under the strain, managed a difficult drift.

Caught off guard, He Changyi was thrown to the other side of the seat by the enormous inertia, his forehead hitting the car window with a loud crash.

A corner of the car window shattered, and the sharp edge immediately cut her skin, causing blood to flow down her cheek.

The driver practically slammed his foot into the gas tank as the old taxi's engine roared under overload.

Due to excessive speed, the tires even lifted off the ground when the road surface was uneven, causing the vehicle to sway dangerously.

If the steering wheel deviates even slightly, the taxi will immediately lose control and crash into a wall or oncoming vehicle, until it is smashed into a pile of scrap metal like it has been compressed in a junkyard.

The driver stared intently ahead.

Hurry up, hurry up, we'll be in the suburbs soon.

He had already chosen a deserted wilderness, a place where even homeless people wouldn't come, only where packs of hungry wild dogs roamed.

He can do whatever he wants here.

any.

The police won't know, and nobody will know.

After washing his hands, changing into new clothes, and perhaps even buying a better car—he'll still be him, just richer.

The driver glanced quickly in the rearview mirror. Ms. Fat Sheep seemed to be stunned by the impact, leaning against the car window, her black hair covering half of her face, obscuring her eyes.

The driver looked away and took a deep breath.

immediately……

This will all be over soon.

The taxi drove smoothly to the field, and the sound of the engine startled the stray dogs hiding in the bushes.

Their bellies were flat, they were skinny, and their appearance was similar to that of ordinary dogs, but their eyes were purely animalistic. Even when scared away, they still stayed at a distance from the taxi.

The driver got out of the driver's seat, looked around cautiously, and only after confirming that no one was around did he move to the back seat and open the car door.

He stood beside the car, looking at the motionless woman inside, and for some reason, he was hesitant to make a move.

If he were from China, he would know the old saying, "Even after a tiger dies, its might remains."

The driver hesitated for a moment, then reached out and brushed aside the black hair covering the woman's face, revealing half of her blood-stained face.

Her eyes were closed.

He inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and began to drag the woman off the back seat. However, at that moment, the woman suddenly opened her eyes!

The driver was startled and instinctively tried to let go, but it was too late.

He Changyi had been pretending to be dead for so long, just waiting for this moment.

She moved with lightning speed, grabbing the driver's hair and forcefully slamming his head down, followed by a powerful knee strike!

With a cracking sound, you could almost hear the bridge of the nose breaking.

The driver screamed in pain, never expecting that the transformation from hunter to prey could happen in an instant.

He struggled desperately, managed to shake off He Changyi's hand, and scrambled away towards the driver's seat.

He Changyi wiped the blood from his face, jumped out of the car, and chased after them.

She wouldn't have waited until now to take action if she wasn't afraid the taxi would get out of control on the road.

To some extent, the interior of the car is the driver's domain.

If you don't want to die in this mobile coffin with him, you can only wait until the car stops and the driver's hands and feet leave the steering wheel and accelerator.

He Changyi glanced around at her surroundings, and when she saw the pack of stray dogs not far away, she immediately understood what kind of script the taxi driver had arranged for her.

A foreign woman who came alone disappeared on the streets of Mosk. She was never seen alive or dead. Even if someone reported her missing, it would only add a line to the police's missing persons register.

Even if the remains are found and the family is willing to claim them, the identity of the murderer remains an unsolved mystery, while another unsolved mystery is the missing $1,300.

He Changyi even wanted to praise the driver.

As long as Zhong Guo is around, he can continue to exploit the market in this sustainable way.

Compared to him, the robbers on international trains are all negative examples of failing to eradicate the problem completely.

Unfortunately, the driver encountered He Changyi on his first day of business.

He no longer has the opportunity to exhaust the resources of the pond.

He Changyi did exactly what the driver had tried to do to her.

—Perhaps, there are even more.

But it doesn't matter, she's always been generous and won't ask him for interest.

When Alexei returned home and opened the door, he did not hear the cheerful but strangely pronounced Ego language of the Zhongguo woman as usual.

As darkness fell, the lights were not turned on to save electricity, making the room feel particularly cold and desolate.

As usual.

Just like when she wasn't there.

Alexei stood at the door, unsure whether he should celebrate, but he didn't seem as happy as he had imagined.

"He, is that you?"

Grandma Vitalie greeted him expectantly, but when she saw Alexei enter, her heart visibly sank. She mustered her strength and gave her grandson a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Honey, how was your day?"

Alexei simply said, "Not bad."

He then asked, "Has that woman from Zhongguo left?"

Grandma Vitalie gave him a reproachful slap.

“He has a name. You need to be more polite. At the very least, you should address her as Miss He.”

Alexei scoffed.

Miss?

Does that woman still retain even the slightest trace of ladylike demeanor?

She was like a mammoth unearthed from Siberia and thawed, rampaging wildly with her enormous tusks.

Without further discussion of the form of address, Grandma Vitalie anxiously asked:

“He went out a long time ago, but hasn’t come back yet. Could she be lost? I’m worried. Mosk isn’t safe for a young girl like her.”

"No one can do anything to a mammoth."

Grandma Vitalie paused for a moment.

"What mammoth?"

Alexei then realized he had inadvertently spoken his true feelings, coughed to cover it up, and quickly changed the subject.

"He's not an ordinary girl. She's strong, powerful, and fierce. I don't think she'll run into any trouble. In fact, the one who runs into her is the one who needs to worry more."

Alexei recalled how He Changyi had tried to take the plate from him before, and how he had tried to get him drunk with white wine at the restaurant.

A beautiful bandit disguised as a woman.

Alexei.

Grandma Vitalie asked uncertainly:

Did you just describe He as 'fierce'?

Alexei said earnestly:

“Not only fierce, I think words like brutal, violent, barbaric, and treacherous also suit her well.”

The early spring nights in Mosk were still cold, with sub-zero temperatures causing the water on the ground to freeze.

Alexei stood at the doorway, and a gust of cold wind blew by, causing him to sneeze.

His overly eloquent and blunt description infuriated Grandma Vitalie, who waved a broom and chased him out, declaring that he would not be allowed to return for dinner unless Alexei could bring He Changyi back.

Alexei thought expressionlessly that, according to Zhong Guo's superstitions, he and that woman were probably incompatible according to their birth charts.

Even so, he didn't want anything to actually happen to her.

For my grandmother.

Alexei seemed to have convinced himself, and walked outside with a cold face. He needed to find out if anyone in the underworld had made a move on Zhong Guo's woman today.

Or, did any police officers make some extra money?

Just as Alexei reached the intersection, a car suddenly sped towards him from a distance with its high beams on.

The driver seemed drunk, treating the road like an F1 racetrack, drifting around corners, sprinting on straightaways, and finally crashing straight into Alexei.

Alexei was momentarily blinded by the car lights and instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes.

After a screeching sound of brakes, the car came to a steady stop in front of him, and arrogantly honked its horn twice.

Alexei narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Just as he stepped forward to pull open the car door and drag the driver, who had contemplated suicide, the car window rolled down, and a snow-white face appeared.

He Changyi whistled arrogantly and spouted nonsense at the petrified man.

"Hey, beautiful lady, you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Want to go for a drive with me?"

Alexei: ...

He Changyi asked in confusion:

"Why are you looking at me like that? You're as sluggish as a bear waking up from hibernation. Should I book a wake-up call for you?"

After a long silence, Alexei finally spoke, asking sincerely:

How much did you drink?

He Changyi opened the car door and jumped out, casually tossing the car keys to Alexei.

"This car is for you."

Alexei caught the key with a swift motion, and before he could even see what model the car was, he noticed the bloodstains on He Changyi's forehead.

"Are you injured?"

He Changyi flicked her hair, hiding the wound beneath the strands, and said casually:

"It's nothing, just a small problem, but it's been resolved."

Alexei remained silent, observing her intently.

Judging from the location of the wound and the bloodstains on the collar, this was no small matter.

He Changyi was walking ahead when Alexei suddenly strode up to her, grabbed her shoulder, and forced her to stop and turn around to face him.

"You can't just go back like this."

He Changyi stopped smiling and met his gaze without flinching.

"The problem has been resolved and it won't involve you. Even if you're leaving, you should at least let me say goodbye."

Alexei, however, said:

No. What I mean is—

Alexei bent down and reached under He Changyi's blood-stained collar.

Too close.

Their breaths mingled.

Then, he straightened up and slowly withdrew his hand.

He Changyi: "Thank you?"

Alexei didn't speak, but took a step back, widening the distance between them again.

She's very worried about you.

It was as if it were a cover-up, or perhaps an explanation.

He Changyi said knowingly, "Don't worry, I won't let Grandma Vitalie find out about the injury. Even if she does find out, I'll tell her it was just an accidental bump."

The streetlights were dim, and even from a step away, you couldn't see the expression on the person's face.

Alexei stopped speaking, and He Changyi guessed that he was probably quite satisfied with his answer.

Grandma Vitalie was a kind old lady, and her peaceful life shouldn't be disturbed.

Back home, He Changyi used sweet talk to deceive them, and Grandma Vitalie patted her back and affectionately scolded her, "My little rascal."

During this time, Alexei sat at a distance, neither too close nor too far, like a marble statue.

His gaze, however, would occasionally fall on He Changyi, like a silent question mark.

After Grandma Vitalie fell asleep, He Changyi secretly went to clean the bloodstains on her clothes. When she returned to the room, she found a bottle of iodine, some band-aids, and a few anti-inflammatory pills on the bedside table.

On the third day after arriving in Mosk, He Changyi woke up to find that many guests had come to Grandma Vitalie's house.

As she walked into the living room, countless eager eyes were cast upon her at the same time.

He Changyi paused, subconsciously looking down at her watch. Had she overslept today? Why did she only wake up when the guests arrived?

Clearly, He Changyi hadn't overslept; these guests had come specifically for her.

"Comrade Zhong Guo, do you still have a leather jacket?!"

"Comrade, could you bring canned goods from Zhongguo to sell?"

"Ms. He, I would like to ask you to bring me some medicine. I really need it, and I'm willing to pay any price."

"Davarishihe..."

"what……"

"Miss……"

Almost simultaneously, everyone started speaking, and the sound waves nearly drowned out He Changyi.

Some people even worried that He Changyi might not be willing to do personal shopping, so they offered her a commission first.

Seeing this, the others rushed forward and hurriedly stuffed money into He Changyi's hands.

Before He Changyi could say a word, a handful of rubles was shoved into his hand.

Grandma Vitalie had to step in to maintain order.

"Wait! You should at least let He have breakfast!"

The guests fell silent, and the next second, a refined old lady was the first to stand up.

"I've been to China, and I can cook Chinese food. Comrade, what would you like to eat?"

The others were a beat slower to react.

"I can cook Chinese food too!"

"I can cook rice, and everyone in China eats rice!"

"Let me do it! I can learn, all I need is a leather jacket!"

Under Grandma Vitalie's forceful suppression and He Changyi's strong refusal, the guests finally regained their polite demeanor and quietly sat back down in their chairs.

But as soon as you see their eager, expectant eyes, you know that the so-called calm is just a lull in the eruption of an active volcano.

He Changyi quickly filled his stomach with bread and tea, then took paper and pen and walked to the guests.

"I'm sorry, all the goods I brought have been sold out."

When everyone showed expressions of regret and remorse, she changed the subject and said:

"However, I'm going back to Zhongguo soon. If you need any of the goods, I can bring them next time. But let's make it clear beforehand: you need to pay a deposit first. If you don't pay the balance upon delivery, the deposit will not be refunded."

After a very brief silence, the living room became lively again.

"I need baby formula!"

"I need my blood pressure medication!"

"I need a pair of shoes, a pair of shoes without holes and that fit perfectly!"

"Please give me canned food or sausage, any kind of meat is fine!"

The guests eagerly listed out all the items they needed, from small things like white sugar to large things like leather jackets; they had everything they needed for daily life, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

If He Changyi hadn't had a limited weight limit, the sheer number of items they listed would have been enough to empty a small supermarket.

He Changyi reminded:

"A deposit must be paid in advance, at least 20% of the price of the goods."

She has limited funds and can't tie up too much money in inventory. What if someone changes their mind later? Wouldn't she have to waste time finding a new buyer?

Since the goods were pre-ordered by the customers, they should rightfully pay the upfront costs. This way, even if the order is cancelled, He Changyi's losses will at least be within acceptable limits.

The living room fell silent for a moment upon hearing that a deposit of more than 20% was required.

Someone asked cautiously:

"I don't have much cash, can I exchange it for goods?"

She pulled out a gold necklace hidden in her clothes, unfastened the clasp, and handed it to He Changyi.

"How much baby formula can this gold necklace be exchanged for?"

Another person took off their gemstone ring, and someone else unfastened their watch.

Someone who hadn't brought anything asked anxiously:

"I have a mink coat and a fox fur hat..."

He Changyi's heart stirred.

Isn't this the solution to the risk of a ruble crash that has been troubling her all along?

Borrowing from a political textbook, money is a commodity used to serve as a general equivalent. However, when the value of money itself is unstable, its exchange properties are greatly affected.

Just like bread that originally cost 0.2 rubles per kilogram, but due to the sharp drop in the ruble, the price of bread skyrocketed to 3,000 rubles per kilogram.

The bread itself did not become a Devil Fruit in One Piece due to its skyrocketing price.

Bread is still bread, but the ruble is no longer a stable general equivalent.

Since it's impossible to use money to make a "perilous leap for goods," why not skip money altogether and go straight back to the most primitive form of barter?

He Changyi suddenly understood, and the problem that had troubled her for a long time was completely solved.

"I agree to barter."

Amidst the guests' surprised and delighted gazes, He Changyi added:

"Given the soaring prices in Moscow, the prices of the items to be exchanged will be based on the market prices in China at the same time."

In this way, customers can obtain the goods they urgently need at a relatively fair price without worrying about being ripped off; while He Changyi can also obtain expensive valuables such as gold and silver jewelry at low prices and make a fortune.

This is a mutually beneficial cooperation model.

Clearly, not only He Changyi realized the benefits, but these obviously well-educated guests also did.

If the deal goes through, this will be the best value-for-money product they can get in Mosk.

In a short moment, the guests' enthusiasm soared to a new peak.

"Take this gold necklace, and then please buy as much milk powder as you can!"

"Please accept my ring; the gemstones set in it come from the Tsar's family!"

"Please wait a moment, I'll go home to get my things right away!"

"I also have a replica Fabergé egg!"

When bread prices increase 150,000 times, bank deposits are effectively wiped out, and the ruble is plummeting every minute, only barter can bring people the purest sense of security.

He Changyi wrote down the shopping list for the guests on a piece of paper, a long page that hung from the table to the ground.

More and more guests arrived after hearing the news, filling the originally empty hall.

Everyone's faces were flushed with excitement, and it was the first time He Changyi had ever seen so many smiling Russians.

—To be honest, their laughter was a little scary.

Because there were so many items to be exchanged, some of which were traditional Emei silver ornaments, He Changyi was not sure of their value.

That's when it was Grandma Vitalie's turn to step in.

She is knowledgeable and has a keen eye; she can judge the value of an item at a glance.

Some people tried to take advantage of the situation, thinking that He Changyi was a foreigner who didn't know much about the products, and tried to get away with some cheap goods. However, they were caught red-handed by Grandma Vitalie.

He wanted to argue with Grandma Vitalie, but the old lady was more skilled. With just a few words, she made Vitalie blush and leave in shame with her things.

That evening, when Alexei returned home, he inexplicably felt that He Changyi seemed somewhat dazzling.

Hearing the door open, He Changyi rushed over excitedly.

"Ta-da!"

She raised her hands, which were covered in rings, and walked up to Alexei, turning around to show him the dozen or so necklaces around her neck, as well as the diamond headband and gemstone hair clips on her head.

Overwhelmed by the dazzling firelight, Alexei instinctively took a step back and leaned against the door.

"Is it okay if I don't get involved in the underworld?"

He Changyi spoke with a sly smile, like a heartless rich woman who preys on young gigolos.

Alexei stared at her warily, pursing his lips and remaining silent.

He Changyi didn't care. He lowered his voice and imitated Alexei's voice, putting on a one-man show.

"If I don't get involved in the underworld, how will you support me?"

Her voice changed to a female voice.

"I'll take care of you."

She then imitated Alexei's tone.

"Ha, can you afford to support me? You should take care of yourself first."

He Changyi boldly reached out, stood on tiptoe, and pinned Alexei against the wall, saying in a gruff voice:

"I'll raise you, I'll raise you. I'm so rich, can't I even afford to raise a bear?"

Alexei: ...

Drama queen.

And, damn nouveau riche.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The ending is inspired by the King of Comedy, performed by Stephen Chow and Alexei Cecilia. [Sunglasses]

The column has a preview of the next novel; feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested: "An 80s Kid Ventures to America" ​​and "A Young Man Arrives at the Film Studio [70s]".