Chapter 22 Don't Mess with Women

Alexei no longer wanted to recall how the two of them finally got home that day.

In short, when the taxi, fully loaded with goods, stopped in front of the mansion, Alexei angrily slammed the door and got out.

He would rather fight tigers in Siberia than share a space with He Changyi again.

Damn it, that cunning, treacherous, and vengeful woman from Zhongguo!

Alexei wanted to light a cigarette, but the next moment, a swarm of elderly men and women pushed him aside from the car.

"Look, Comrade He is here!"

"She's such an honest little angel. You know, I've been worried she might not come back... Of course, I'm not saying she's a bad person, but you know..."

"To be honest, I haven't been sleeping well these past few days. That was my last necklace."

"I believe her. She is our comrade, and she would not deceive us."

Grandma Vitalie went up to him and hugged He Changyi tightly as he got off the bus.

"My dear girl, I've really missed you while you were gone."

He Changyi affectionately hugged her back, rubbing her cheek against Grandma Vitalie's body like a spoiled kitten.

“Grandma Vitalie, I miss you so much. I kept thinking about your pies and borscht while I was on the train.”

Grandma Vitalie's usually stern face broke into a smile, and she affectionately kissed her on the cheek.

"Alright, Vita, you'll have plenty of time to express your feelings now. But let's give way to us poor old folks for a bit. You know, my little granddaughter has been waiting for her milk powder for a long time."

"Yes, my family can't wait to try sausages from Jong-guk, or canned goods, anyway, we've been eating potatoes for far too long."

"I wonder if I've managed to buy my shoes yet? This is really making me anxious..."

He Changyi turned around from Grandma Vitalie's arms, smiled, and said to everyone:

"Don't worry, I brought 300 kilograms of goods from Zhongguo. I have everything you want, and even more."

A small cheer erupted from the crowd, and even the most conservative and serious person couldn't help but smile.

That's fantastic! That's exactly what they wanted!

Grandma Vitalie lovingly embraced He Changyi and led her toward the mansion.

"Three hundred kilograms? My poor child, you must be exhausted. Come, you need to sit down and rest."

The elderly men and women echoed in agreement:

"Yes, yes, three hundred kilograms of cargo is far too heavy for a young lady."

"The capital is a full 6,000 kilometers away from Moscow, which is a long and dangerous journey."

"I can't even imagine how He managed to transport 300 kilograms of goods to Moscow..."

“Comrades, we were too hasty. You really need to rest for a while.”

Surrounded by the crowd, Grandma Vitalie put her arm around He Changyi and walked towards the mansion.

Suddenly, He Changyi stopped in her tracks. Amidst the puzzled gazes of the others, she hesitated before speaking:

"But what about the goods on the truck..."

Grandma Vitalie immediately gave the order:

"Alexei, bring all the goods in."

Alexei, who had been neglected for a long time: ?

I'm not there when it comes to showing care and concern, nor when it comes to praise and commendation, but when it comes to doing hard labor, I'm the one who gets to do it, right?

Alexei did not move.

Grandma Vitalie urged him with a hint of doubt:

"Alexei?"

A refined-looking old man wearing glasses rolled up his sleeves, revealing his thin arms, and stepped forward to unload the goods.

“I’ll do it. After all, it’s 300 kilograms of cargo. Even for a young person, that’s not an easy task.”

Seeing this, other elderly men and women also stepped forward, eager to help the young Alexei.

Alexei squeezed his eyes shut.

He threw the cigarette, now covered in ash, onto the ground, extinguished the embers with his foot, and stopped the kind-hearted old man with glasses.

"I'll do it."

The old man with glasses hesitated:

"but……"

Alexei was resolute.

"I'm fine with that, please come in."

Having said that, as if to prove he really could, Alexei lifted the large bundle of goods tied to the roof of the vehicle with one hand.

Grandma Vitalie thoughtfully invited the elderly men and women into the house.

"Give young people a chance to prove themselves; it's their time now."

The bespectacled old man was worried and repeatedly asked Alexei if he could manage on his own before finally hesitatingly joining the main group.

Before entering the house, He Changyi hid in a blind spot and turned to wink slyly at Alexei.

Alexei was so angry he almost threw the goods he was carrying away.

She did it on purpose!

The bespectacled old man, unwilling to accept his age, noticed this keenly and asked with concern:

"Are you out of strength?"

Alexei: ...

After He Changyi finished a pot of black tea and ate three of Grandma Vitalie's small pies, Alexei finally moved all 300 kilograms of goods into the house.

She sat lazily on the sofa, clapping insincerely.

"That's fantastic! You can represent Oros in the World's Strongest Man competition now!"

Despite the chilly spring air, Alexei was covered in sweat.

After moving two loads of 300 kilograms of goods in quick succession, he was too exhausted to speak and could only kill He Changyi with his eyes.

With Grandma Vitalie by his side, He Changyi acted without restraint, slowly taking a bite of the pie and exclaiming with exaggerated expression:

"Mmm, this is so delicious! I can't imagine anything more perfect than a freshly baked pie! Look at that crispy crust and the juicy filling—every bite is a gift from heaven!"

Grandma Vitalie smiled so hard her eyes narrowed, praising He Changyi as "a sweet little candy."

Alexei, enraged, strode over to He Changyi, snatched the pie from her hand, stuffed it into his mouth without a word, and swallowed it in a few bites.

He stared at He Changyi and licked the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

"It really tastes good."

Grandma Vitalie gave him a reproachful slap.

"Hey, you naughty boy!"

He Changyi coughed.

"Alright, let's sort the goods."

Holding the long, scroll-like list, He Changyi distributed the goods ordered by the elderly men and women to them.

"My God, this is canned food from China, weighing a full kilogram, and it's only 150 rubles! In Moscow, even expired military supplies wouldn't be this cheap."

"It's not nice to say it like that, but what's the quality of this canned food? Could it be filled with bone meal and starch...?"

Grandma Vitalie had previously tasted the canned food He Changyi had brought her, and she explained enthusiastically:

"You don't need to worry, this is the best canned food I've ever eaten. It's full of big chunks of meat, very plump and fresh. He told me that this is the most popular canned food in Zhongguo, and its name is 'Coal Mine House'—it sounds a bit strange, like a union or something... Anyway, you can add the canned food when you're cooking potatoes and cabbage. The wonderful taste is so amazing that even a poet in his grave would write a poem to praise it with his decaying fingers."

Upon hearing what Grandma Vitalie said, the old lady who had bought the canned goods showed a look of surprise and delight.

"Great! This is exactly what I need!"

Others who hadn't pre-ordered canned goods looked on enviously, and some tried to negotiate buying a few cans.

The old lady shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

“No, I have a big family, and my family members are all waiting for me to bring canned goods back. You can order from He next time, and I think you'll be able to taste Zhongguo canned goods in just half a month.”

The person asking the question said regretfully:

"Half a month? If I keep eating mashed potatoes, I'll turn into a potato. Maybe by the time Comrade He returns with his goods, I'll already be sprouting in the ground."

The other person carefully examined the packets of milk powder. Although she couldn't understand the Chinese characters on them, the black and white cows were a universal language.

He Changyi said, "I'm not sure which flavor of formula your child prefers, so I bought all the formulas on the market. You can tell me next time which flavor she prefers."

The other person happily said, "I think she would love any milk powder from China!"

Another elderly woman, after receiving the new shoes, couldn't wait to take off her old shoes, which were covered in patches, and put on the new ones to try them on.

"It's amazing! These shoes fit my feet perfectly, it's like they were made to fit my feet. I've never worn shoes that fit like this before! Amazing Jong-kook manufacturing!"

He Changyi distributed various goods to everyone present according to the list.

Someone received the white sugar and jumped for joy, finally able to luxuriously add a spoonful of sugar to their tea;

When someone received the electronic calculator, upon seeing this ingenious and inexpensive gadget, they exclaimed that China's technological level had surpassed that of Russia.

Someone immediately opened a bottle of Red Star Erguotou, took a sip, and claimed that it was more potent than vodka. The key point was that there was a red five-pointed star printed on the bottle.

Some people carefully examined their new shirts, determined to wear this beautiful garment only on important occasions.

Some people, after receiving the medicine, saw the instructions for use written in Ethnic script on the box and expressed their gratitude:

"Comrades, I will always remember you."

The bespectacled old man looked at the mountain of Chinese products piled up in the room, took off his glasses, wiped them, and sighed:

"Having experienced the most severe wars and the most difficult times, the alliance no longer exists; it is rotten from the inside out. But Zhongguo did not collapse; it successfully handled the emergency, and now the whole world is full of Zhongguo people and Zhongguo products."

"A great country, a great people."

In less than a day, all 300 kilograms of goods brought by He Changyi were sold out.

Those who learned the news late kept asking if there was any left, and even after learning that it was sold out, they still refused to leave, begging He Changyi to bring more goods next time.

Those who had previously placed orders showed a surge in trust in He Changyi after receiving the actual goods.

This time, they brought out their most prized jewelry and Alliance Gold, handing them over to He Changyi without hesitation.

In an instant, the wealth concentration in this mansion soared, even rivaling that of some small banks' vaults.

Many jackals, drawn by the scent, lurked nearby, but when they discovered that the territory already had an owner, they reluctantly retreated, wandering the area, ready to pounce and tear off a piece of flesh at any moment.

Alexei began spending more time at home.

Grandma Vitalie whispered to He Changyi:

"To be honest, I'm not used to seeing him at home every day."

He Changyi had found a gun on Alexei once; he had hidden it in his lower back and could easily pull it out with a backhand.

She had a serious talk with Alexei, suggesting that perhaps she should move out.

Alexei glanced at her and said bluntly:

"Is this the first time you've realized you're a problem?"

He Changyi glared, wanting to retort but swallowing it back, looking as angry as a pufferfish.

Alexei softened his tone, but it still sounded cold and hard.

“Grandma will be unhappy if she finds out you’ve moved out. Besides, you’ve already caused trouble, and leaving won’t solve anything.”

He Changyi said indignantly:

"Okay, even if I'm a troublemaker, moving out will at least take half of the trouble with me."

Alexei looked down at her.

"It's too late, it's too late."

He Changyi pressed on, asking:

"It's not too late, how could it be too late? Moving out before anything happens is the best option for me."

Alexei thought to himself, no, it's not that nothing happened.

Some things have already happened, and he can't undo them.

To salvage the situation.

To win him back...

Unable to get a definite answer from Alexei, He Changyi thought about it and decided to move out.

Grandma Vitalie is very old, and her peaceful life shouldn't be disturbed all the time.

She took a taxi to the Baikal Hotel, where there were the most middlemen, the best sources of information, and of course, the most concentrated dangers.

Many rooms in the hotel had their doors open, and most of the guests were Chinese, with only a few foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes coming and going occasionally.

When I glanced at it as I passed by, it was a mess, like a garbage dump. The ground was littered with empty bottles, and there was a lot of smoke, making it look like it was on fire.

Some rooms emitted the clattering of mahjong tiles, while others resonated with shouts and boisterous drinking games. Still others had their doors ajar, from which came obscene duets by men and women.

It's less of a hotel and more of a Russian version of Kowloon Walled City; it wouldn't be surprising to see a few gangsters with dragon and tiger tattoos and worshipping Guan Yu.

He Changyi carefully observed the hotel environment and pondered whether he should stay there.

At this moment, two disheveled women from Eguo were blocking a door, cursing and kicking it from time to time, until the door was about to fall down.

From what they were saying, it seemed that someone had solicited prostitutes but refused to pay, trying to renege on their debt.

The women were furious and blocked the door demanding money, the loud noise drawing people out from nearby rooms.

"Hey, it's that Lai guy again. He's a real scoundrel, he even tries to renege on the debt for the chickens."

"That's why his surname is Lai. It's just like his name."

"He's not just good at defaulting on debts; this guy surnamed Lai also picks up people on the train to play cards, sets up cheating schemes, and deliberately scams people who have just finished selling goods and have money in their hands."

The more He Changyi listened, the more familiar the name sounded. Why did she feel like she had seen this guy surnamed Lai before?

Just then, the women finally kicked the lock off the door and stormed in, carrying small leather bags.

A moment later, a man's voice came from inside.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Even a one-night stand can have a hundred days of kindness, how can you act like this?"

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I'll pay you! I'll pay you, okay?!"

"What? You don't want it? If you don't want it, then kill me! I don't have any money anyway, take it or leave it!"

The crowd was packed at the entrance, and He Changyi couldn't see what was happening inside.

After a while, two women rushed out, their faces full of anger.

He Changyi noticed that each of them had two sets of Adidas shoes hanging on their arms.

...It's hard to say.

The winds of using debt settlement still reached the chicken coop.

"Get out of here, get out of here! What are you all doing blocking my door? I don't have any money for you!"

A short, stout middle-aged man shuffled out of the house, shooing away the crowd of onlookers gathered at the door as if swatting flies.

"Lai Kangmei, you lost again gambling?"

"Hahaha, what bet has he ever won? He always loses, he's just here to give money to the casino."

"What do you know? This is called internationalism. Lao Lai came here specifically to bring warmth to the people of Russia!"

Lai Kangmei, a middle-aged man, was enraged and his fleshy face turned bright red.

Unfortunately, there were many people at the door, so he didn't dare to make a move, fearing he would be beaten up. He could only slam the door shut in anger, pretending not to see or hear anything.

The already damaged door completely broke down; the hinges snapped, and the entire door collapsed with a crash, hitting Lai Kangmei squarely on the forehead and slamming him to the ground like a whack-a-mole.

"Ouch! Help!"

He Changyi watched the spectacle with great interest, thinking to himself that this hotel was quite lively.

She also recognized the middle-aged man; he was the same man who had taken her berth on the train when she first came to Oros.

Although He Changyi always seeks revenge on the spot, she still felt refreshed when she saw Lai Kangmei in trouble.

At this moment, someone nearby noticed the unfamiliar female compatriot and asked:

"Young lady, where are you from? What are you doing here? Are you a middleman? I've never seen you before."

Upon hearing this, the others also began to scrutinize He Changyi.

Being a reseller is a risky business, and there are always more men than women, with even fewer beautiful single women.

There aren't many Chinese people in Mosk, and most of the hotel guests are already familiar with each other. When they suddenly see a stranger, everyone is curious and can't help but wonder what she's here for.

He Changyi responded frankly and openly:

"I'm also a middleman. I came to the Baikal Hotel today to check it out. If it's suitable, I'll stay here."

Someone muttered:

"This place is not suitable for a girl to live in..."

Another person exclaimed excitedly:

"You've got guts! I haven't seen a young woman like you doing this kind of business for so many years!"

He Changyi said, "Now you see it, don't you? Making money isn't just for men. Women are just as good. Who knows, there might be more and more women doing trading in the future."

Everyone shook their heads.

"How could that be? Women can't handle jobs that risk their lives. Go home and take care of your children."

He Changyi remained calm and said without getting angry:

"Then let's have a competition and see who ends up going home to hold their child."

Lai Kangmei, feeling neglected, finally pushed open the door that was pressing down on her, and got up from the ground, clutching her head.

When he saw He Changyi, he immediately remembered her.

"It's you!"

He Changyi nodded: "It's me. What's wrong? Do you need me to help you stretch your muscles a bit more?"

Lai Kangmei recalled the excruciating pain from her liver being ruptured, gritted her teeth but remained silent, turned around and went back to her room, even propping up the collapsing door to barely cover the doorway.

With nothing exciting to see, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Before leaving, someone said to He Changyi:

"Girl, if you can't sell your goods, bring them to me. I guarantee you a good price."

He Changyi immediately retorted:

"Brother, if you have any unsold goods, just give them to me, and I guarantee you a good price."

The man was extremely surprised upon hearing this and looked at He Changyi intently.

"You're awesome. If that day really comes, I won't be a middleman anymore. I'll just go home and take care of my kids."

He Changyi said with a smile:

“Sure, male nannies are quite popular these days. You can start a second career and maybe even become the number one male nanny in the country.”

Seeing that he couldn't gain any advantage through words, the man hastily clasped his hands in greeting to He Changyi.

"Heh, you're awesome."

He Changyi's smile remained unchanged.

"I'm serious. If you can't sell your goods, I can help you buy them back. The price is negotiable, and I definitely won't let you lose out."

The man said angrily:

"What Eros needs most right now is goods, how could there be any unsold stock!"

He Changyi countered with a question:

"So what did you mean when you asked me to give you the goods I couldn't sell?"

The man was speechless; he couldn't very well admit that he couldn't stand the woman's arrogant tone and wanted to put her down.

Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand verbally and had instead been outmaneuvered by He Changyi, the man left dejectedly, throwing out a remark before he went:

"Being a middleman isn't easy!"

He Changyi retorted:

“Being a nanny who holds a baby isn’t easy.”

On this day, an explosive piece of news spread through the Baikal Hotel—

A beautiful but formidable woman has become a middleman!

He Changyi booked a room on the top floor of the Baikal Hotel. Although it was expensive, it was relatively quiet.

The old lady was extremely sad on the day she moved out of Grandma Vitalie's house.

"He, will I ever see you again?"

He Changyi stretched out his arms and gave Grandma Vitalie a big hug.

"I'm only leaving temporarily. I'll come back to see you when I have time, after all, I really miss your black tea and pies."

Grandma Vitalie, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, kissed He Changyi's cheek, leaving a mark of blessing.

"My naughty little glutton, whenever you come back, the door here will always be open for you."

Alexei stood silently beside the car, lost in thought.

The two got into the car and left. The car was too quiet, which made He Changyi feel a little uncomfortable.

She took the initiative to speak and break the silence.

"Now you don't have to worry anymore. Haven't you always wanted me to leave?"

Alexei gave her a cold look in the rearview mirror.

He Changyi inexplicably felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Hmm, it must be an illusion.

The taxi drove to Moscow Airport, where He Changyi would board a plane to return to China.

Although a plane ticket from Moscow to Beijing costs a whopping $700, much more expensive than a train ticket, He Changyi now has enough capital to buy time with money.

She doesn't need to waste seven days on the train back home; she can travel light and fly back to China.

In other words, the round trip between Zhong'e, which used to take more than half a month, has now been shortened to eight days.

The most important thing in doing business is the speed of cash flow, and this also applies to middlemen.

After getting off the plane, He Changyi went straight to the gold shop and pawn shop, exchanging all the gold and silver ornaments that Mosk brought back for RMB.

With the money and the remaining valuables, He Changyi went to the largest bank in the capital.

"Hello, I need a safe."

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Author's Note: He Changyi: I'm rich!