Chapter 35 Escaping Mosk (Revised)

"And what about you?"

He Changyi said eagerly, "Come with me. It's okay if you don't have a passport. As long as we get to the border, we'll find a way to enter the country."

Alexei remained silent, while Grandma Vitalie stepped forward and gently embraced He Changyi.

“My dear, I can’t leave. This is my country. I’m not going anywhere.”

He Changyi said impatiently:

"But given the current situation!"

Grandma Vitalie, with tears in her eyes, gently interrupted her.

"Someone will always choose to be buried in the same grave as the nation. I'm too old to change anything anymore, but at least... at least let me stay until the very end."

Her eyes were incredibly firm, glistening with tears, which was truly moving.

Please respect my choice.

So He Changyi's words of advice stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

She could only whisper:

"But you shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of political infighting."

Grandma Vitalie winked at her, just like always.

"No, of course not. I have no intention of 'sacrificing myself for my country' right now. There is plenty of food, drinking water, and fuel in the house. As long as the door is locked and the curtains are drawn, no one will be curious about an empty house. This is not the parliament building."

He Changyi was still a little worried, and Grandma Vitalie exaggeratedly said:

"The fastest train to Zhongguo takes at least six days and six nights! I can't imagine spending that much time on a train; it's torture for an elderly person! Let me stay in my warm home, lie in bed eating breakfast, watching TV and listening to the radio, and even crochet a new sweater—"

He Changyi: ...

She seemed a little reluctant to go back to China.

Grandma Vitalie, however, insisted.

“Darling, you are a foreigner, as you know. We Slavs have always been somewhat xenophobic, and it is not safe for you to stay here.”

Then, Grandma Vitalie turned to Alexei and naturally gave him the instruction:

“Alexei, escort He from Oros and ensure her safe return to Zhong.”

Alexei paused, and after a long while, he silently nodded.

It's like a silent promise.

Grandma Vitalie leaned close to He Changyi's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Take him away."

He Changyi looked at Grandma Vitalie in surprise, while Grandma Vitalie gave her a sighing smile.

"Don't let him come back."

"Don't let him block the tank."

He Changyi packed her important items, put her documents and US dollars in her inner pocket, and left the rest of her luggage at Grandma Vitalie's house, except for a small handbag.

Before parting, she said to Grandma Vitalie:

"Please make sure you stay safe. I'll be back soon, I promise, very soon..."

Grandma Vitalie stood by the door, a smile as usual on her face, as if this were just a brief farewell.

"I'll make pies and wait for you to come back."

Alexei, sitting in the car, honked the horn, signaling He Changyi to get in.

After giving Grandma Vitalie a final, heartfelt hug, He Changyi walked down the stairs, opened the car door, and got in.

Grandma Vitalie stood by the gate, waving her arms until the car drove away and she was no longer in sight.

The airport is closed; the only way to leave Moscow is by train.

However, the journey to the train station was not smooth.

He Changyi had walked this road several times, but this was the first time he had seen so many obstacles and barricades on a familiar street.

There were people with guns everywhere. Although no one fired, it was still unsettling to see them looking over.

Tanks and armored vehicles occupied most of the road, leaving only a narrow path for oncoming vehicles, so narrow that they had to lift their rear wheels and tiptoe to pass.

Fortunately, Alexei was a pretty good driver and was able to maneuver the taxi smoothly through such complicated road conditions.

Even so, the car was forced to stop several times on the road.

One time, a man carrying a gun ran into the middle of the road with his arms outstretched, shouting loudly.

He clung desperately to the taxi window, trying to reach inside and grab the steering wheel.

"Damn it, who are you? Who do you support? Where did you get your car? Why are you here? What's the woman in your car doing?"

Alexei didn't look at him or answer any questions; he simply slammed on the gas pedal.

The vehicle suddenly accelerated, and the man lost his grip on the window, fell to the ground, and was thrown far behind.

Through the rearview mirror, He Changyi saw the man angrily get up from the ground and raise his gun to shoot at the taxi.

Fortunately, his shooting skills were not good enough to allow him to hit any fast-moving objects.

Another time, it was a woman holding a child, with an old lady wearing a headscarf standing next to her.

Upon seeing a taxi in the distance, the woman handed the child to the old lady and rushed forward to flag it down.

"Please, my child has a fever, please take us to the hospital!"

Alexei hesitated for a moment, but decided to drive away anyway.

It was He Changyi who stopped him.

"Let them come up."

She said softly, "It won't make a difference if it takes a little more time."

Seeing He Changyi open the car door and gesture for them to get in, the woman's desperate and devastated expression relaxed.

She expressed her gratitude to He Changyi for his kindness without thinking, and hurriedly let the old lady and the child get on the car first, with the three of them squeezing into the back seat.

The child was only a few years old, wrapped in adult clothes, with an abnormally flushed face, rapid and heavy breathing, and occasional twitching.

The woman painfully stroked the child's face repeatedly, while the old woman clutched the cross tightly, praying silently.

The nearest hospital is in the opposite direction from the train station, which means that getting to the hospital requires taking a detour and involves more uncertainty.

Alexei's expression was tense as he stared at the road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that the veins bulged.

He Changyi reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of his hand.

"It's okay."

She said in Chinese, "If I can't go back, I can't go back. I'd rather stay with you all."

To lighten the mood, He Changyi joked:

"Otherwise, we could die together."

Upon hearing this, Alexei turned and glared at her fiercely, saying in a hoarse voice:

"I'd rather you go back to Jong-kook right now!"

The third time the car was stopped, it was by soldiers conducting a checkpoint inspection at the intersection.

The soldiers, dressed in camouflage uniforms, wearing helmets and carrying automatic rifles, looked extremely vigilant.

Many private cars had been stopped near the checkpoint, and the drivers were ordered to get out of their vehicles, raise their hands, turn their backs, and squat down for inspection by the military.

This is the only way to the train station.

Alexei ignored He Changyi's advice and decided to send her away first, then take the mother and her two daughters he met on the road to the hospital.

But man proposes, God disposes; who could have imagined that the military would set up a checkpoint here?

Alexei slammed his fist on the steering wheel, forced to step on the gas and stop the car in front of the sentry's dark gun barrel.

The soldier stepped forward with his gun and knocked hard on the car window, signaling everyone inside to get out.

Before getting off the bus, He Changyi smiled and sighed, saying:

"Looks like I'm really going to die with you this time. It's not a complete loss, at least I'll have a bear to die with me."

Alexei didn't speak, his teeth clenched tightly, his cheeks taut, as he glared fiercely at the soldiers outside the vehicle.

He Changyi believed that if he were given a gun, Alexei would not hesitate to open fire on the checkpoint.

He Changyi patted Alexei's hand lightly.

It's both a reassurance and a deterrent.

Alexei looked over with suppressed emotion, his eyes showing hesitation as well as a reckless madness.

But we haven't been forced to that point yet.

He Changyi decided to get out of the car first to cooperate with the inspection, but before she could get out, the woman in the back seat rolled down the window.

"Please, please, my daughter is dying, please let me take her to the hospital!"

The soldier was getting impatient and was about to open the car door when he heard the woman's words. He paused and glanced at the child inside the car.

The child's eyes were tightly closed, and the high fever had covered her doll-like face with ominous papules.

She was breathing heavily, each breath requiring all her strength, yet she was still almost suffocating.

Even someone unfamiliar with pediatric medicine could tell at this moment that the child's condition was very bad.

The old woman in the headscarf was also pleading with the soldier. She was a sad and desperate old grandmother, which reminded him of his own grandmother.

The soldier stopped what he was doing, looking somewhat bewildered, and stood frozen by the car for a moment.

His superior noticed the unusual situation, frowned, and strode over, scolding the soldier for dawdling.

When his superior saw what was happening inside the car, he was stunned.

The woman, with her disheveled hair and haggard, looked exhausted and wretched, yet a powerful force erupted within her, driving her to fight for her dying daughter.

“Please, have mercy on us! This child’s father is serving in the Far East, and she is also a soldier’s daughter! I’m not lying, my husband’s unit number is ***, he is a major, and he hasn’t seen his daughter for a year…”

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant colonel was clearly moved, probably thinking of his children whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Please, don't let him come home to find only his daughter's gravestone..."

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant colonel finally made a decision, took a step back, and led the soldier next to the car away, signaling the checkpoint to let the car leave.

Seeing that the road ahead was passable, Alexei immediately stepped on the gas, giving the other party no chance to back out, and the taxi quickly drove away from the checkpoint.

He Changyi breathed a sigh of relief and said to Alexei:

"Let's go to the hospital first."

We can't wait any longer; any further delay could have irreversible, lifelong consequences for the child with the high fever.

At least for the sake of this child being able to get them out of the checkpoint safely, let's send her to the hospital for treatment first.

Alexei gave her a cryptic look, then glanced at the three people in the back seat through the rearview mirror. At the next intersection, he finally made up his mind, abruptly turned the steering wheel, and the car headed in another direction.

When the taxi arrived at the hospital, it was already overflowing with injured people everywhere—gunshot wounds, stab wounds, burns…

The pain from their wounds caused the injured to groan incessantly, a sound that sent chills down one's spine.

Some people lay silently on the ground, unable to make any more noise.

The medical staff were so busy they were practically running, their white coats stained with blood.

He Changyi quickly grabbed a passing doctor. Just as she was about to get angry at He Changyi, Alexei had already brought the child to her, followed by a woman and an old lady who were panting heavily.

The doctor's expression changed, and he immediately removed the stethoscope from his chest and quickly listened to the child's lungs.

"Come with me quickly! She needs emergency medical attention!"

Alexei handed the child over to her mother and grandmother, and before they could express their gratitude, he had already dragged He Changyi away from the hospital.

The taxi was parked on the side of the road, and in that short time, someone had already tried to pry open the car door.

Alexei ruthlessly shooed the other person away and roughly shoved He Changyi into the car. Before she could even sit down, he had already started the car, reversed sharply, and sped toward the train station at breakneck speed.

“If you can’t leave Mosk today, I’ll throw you into the Mosk River. You can swim away and cool down your overly kind brain.”

Alexei kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his foot almost never leaving the accelerator.

The taxis were driving recklessly on the road, more like large trucks with maximum insurance coverage than four-wheeled cars, exuding a wild and unrestrained air of "you can talk to my insurance company."

Fortunately, there aren't many vehicles on the road now, and even fewer brave enough to physically stop them, thus preventing a potential Emei Road serial killer.

It wasn't until the car arrived at the train station that He Changyi, who had been holding back all the way, finally spoke to Alexei:

"You should thank me for my kindness. If I hadn't let them get in the car, we would probably have had to spend the night at the checkpoint with the officers, just like the other drivers."

It was unclear whether Alexei was being sarcastic or praising.

"Yes, what great kindness! The Virgin Mary will sing hymns for you."

He Changyi retaliated without backing down:

"Then I will definitely listen carefully to this hymn sung for me."

The two bickered, but they were quick on their feet.

Alexei threw the taxi to the side of the road, not caring whether someone would try to steal it again, and grabbed He Changyi's hand, running towards the train station.

However, just as the magnificent buildings of Mosk train station came into view, a line of police officers at the entrance stopped everyone who wanted to leave Mosk by train.

Alexei paused, his gaze quickly sweeping across the entire train station as he frantically searched for any gaps or lax defenses that would allow him to scale the wall and deliver He Changyi to the train.

He Changyi was also observing these police officers.

They were completely unfamiliar to her; she had never seen these people before, and they were nothing like the police officers she used to know.

However, considering the bloody clashes that occurred a few days ago, in which many police officers from the train station police station were injured or killed, the sudden appearance of unfamiliar police officers is not surprising.

Meanwhile, the police were also observing the people in front of the train station.

Among a group of Slavs with high noses and deep-set eyes, the East Asian woman with black hair and black eyes who suddenly appeared was very conspicuous.

A strange policeman reached out his hand to He Changyi and said curtly:

"Your passport!"

Just as He Changyi was about to take out her passport from the inner pocket, she suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of something.

Due to the sudden unrest, the government shut down, and she had not yet had time to renew her visa.

In other words, He Changyi's visa has expired, and she is now an illegal "illegal" resident in Moscow.

Alexei noticed He Changyi's hesitation and asked in a low voice:

Is there a problem?

He Changyi gave him a wry smile.

"I might really have to stay here with you..."

The unfamiliar policeman, noticing that the East Asian woman hesitated to produce her passport, became suspicious, stepped forward, and said again:

"passport!"

He Changyi took a deep breath. He never expected that at this critical juncture, a passport problem would arise. It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly.

If it were the familiar police officers who came, that would have been great, but unfortunately, we don't know if they are alive or dead now.

Faced with a completely unfamiliar police officer, He Changyi was unsure how to deal with him in order to effectively solve the problem at hand.

Escape in the chaos?

Should she obediently pay the fine and hope that the other party will let her off the hook because of the US dollar?

She pulled a few US dollars from her pocket and held them in her hand, trying to give the unfamiliar policeman a friendly smile.

"I'm sorry, there might be some issues, but I'm wondering if there's a better solution here..."

The unfamiliar policeman looked suspiciously at He Changyi and Alexei, who stood beside her and looked quite threatening, with one hand already reaching for the stun baton at his waist.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

"What happened?"

It's Andrei.

His eyes were dark and swollen from lack of rest, and he looked somewhat haggard. His usually crisp uniform was now disheveled.

As a member of the original team from the railway station police station, he was clearly more experienced in handling issues in this area and had a more convincing ability to make decisions compared to his seconded colleagues.

The unfamiliar policeman visibly relaxed upon seeing Andrei, and pointed at He Changyi, saying:

“This woman refused to produce her passport, so I suspect she is an illegal immigrant.”

Andrei looked at He Changyi, who cautiously gave him a pleading smile.

Andrei's expression remained unchanged; as if he were looking at a stranger, he formally extended his hand to He Changyi.

"Your passport please."

He Changyi was much more straightforward this time, simply taking out her passport and handing it to Andrei.

Andrei opened his passport and paused when he saw the visa page.

He Changyi felt uneasy for a moment when he paused.

Although she personally considered herself and Andrei to be sworn brothers, this stubborn guy was never very flexible and adhered to his principles to the point of being obstinate. She wasn't quite sure if Andrei would really let her off the hook.

Even if he enforces the law impartially, at least he won't lock her up in the police station's dark room...

In the end, Andrei closed the passport and returned it to He Changyi.

"Madam, your visa is about to expire. If you wish to remain in Oros, please apply for a visa extension as soon as possible."

He Changyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps her relaxed demeanor was too obvious, for Alexei, standing beside her, gave her a sharp look.

"Okay, okay, I will definitely process the visa renewal in accordance with the law. Thank you for your hard work, officer."

He Changyi gave Andrei a bright, cheerful smile.

Andrei didn't speak, but looked at He Changyi and then at Alexei standing next to her.

It's hard to say what he was thinking at that moment.

But in the end, Andrei left, taking the unfamiliar policeman with him.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, He Changyi grabbed Alexei's hand.

"Quickly, let's go to the train station and buy tickets now!"

The train station was packed with people, both Russians and foreigners, many of whom were Russian traders carrying large bags and bundles.

Even at this point, they were unwilling to give up the goods they had painstakingly brought over.

The problem is that the station refuses to sell tickets to foreigners.

"Damn Russians, if you want to die, go die on your own! What kind of nonsense is this, dragging me along and not letting me leave?!"

"Why won't you sell us tickets? I'll pay you! How much do you want, double or triple? As long as I can get out of this plague-ridden Moscow, I'll pay ten times the price!"

"Hurry up and sell me tickets! Let me buy tickets!"

"Give me a ticket, any kind will do, even one to Eastern Europe, as long as I can get there!"

The angry and impatient crowd almost blocked the ticket window, and countless hands kept banging on the window, nearly shattering the glass.

Alexei made He Changyi wait, while he used his strong physique to squeeze into the crowd, roughly pushing to the front, leaving behind a chorus of resentful complaints.

He shoved a stack of rubles straight into the ticket window and said to the ticket seller:

"Give me a ticket to the Far East border! Any city, please!"

His requirements were simple; he just wanted a border city. The ticket seller deftly tossed him a ticket.

Alexei grabbed his ticket, squeezed through the crowd, and pulled He Changyi by the arm, running towards the platform.

There were quite a few people on the platform.

Even though the station prohibited the sale of tickets to foreigners, resourceful scalpers still managed to obtain tickets through their own channels.

But they still couldn't get on the bus.

The station staff in Oros repeatedly chased away the group of traders carrying large bags, from the front of the train to the back, as if shooing away flies, and refused to let them board the train no matter what.

"I have a ticket, why can't I get on the train!"

"You bunch of sons of bitches, let us get in the car! I don't want to die in Moscow!"

"You Oroqen people are fighting Oroqen people, why can't we Chinese people go home!"

"Please, let us get on! What do you want, a leather jacket or Adidas? Just let me on the bus, I'll give you anything you want, I'll give it to you for free!"

However, no matter how much they cursed or pleaded, the Oros station staff seemed not to hear them, keeping a straight face and only allowing the Slavs with high noses and deep-set eyes to board the train.

This is the last train leaving Mosk today, and as the departure time draws ever closer, the people on the platform are almost going crazy.

Some people dropped their packages and rushed forward to force their way into the carriage, where they got into a fight with the station staff.

Someone tried to squeeze through the train door, but was kicked out by the train attendant guarding the door.

Some people knelt on the platform in despair, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Let me get in the car! I'll pay! Isn't that enough? How much money do you want to let me in?!"

In the utter chaos, Alexei held He Changyi tightly in his arms, forcefully pushing through the crowd and squeezing to the door of a less crowded, secluded carriage.

His mixed-race appearance made the station staff guarding the door hesitate for a moment, unsure whether to let him on the train or stop him.

"Wait... are you from E'guo?"

Alexei did not answer, but spoke in a low voice in Ethnicity:

"She has a ticket, let her get on the train!"

But when the station staff saw He Changyi's Eastern face, they shook their heads vigorously.

"No, no, I can't let her come up, but you can."

Alexei threatened viciously:

"You have no right to decide! She has to get on the bus, or you can choose to lie under the wheels forever!"

The station staff were just ordinary people who had never seen such ruthless gangsters before. They were frightened for a moment, and their hands were not so firm in stopping people.

He Changyi, quick as a flash, stuffed the US dollars he had been holding all the way into the station attendant's pocket.

"Please, do us a favor, we just want to leave."

The station clerk noticed the green banknote peeking out of his pocket and his heart skipped a beat—it was US dollars!

The ruble is now worthless "wooden money," while only the US dollar is a real hard currency.

Seeing that the station attendant's expression wavered slightly, He Changyi immediately increased the amount by stuffing another US dollar into his hand.

This time, the station staff saw it more clearly; it was a $100 bill.

This single thin banknote is worth three months' salary for him.

At this moment, Alexei urged fiercely:

"Do you really want me to tie you to the railway tracks?"

With a combination of threats and inducements, the station staff couldn't think of a reason to refuse.

"Okay, but you need to hurry..."

The station attendant stepped aside slightly, making a gap so that the two of them could get on the train.

Alexei grabbed He Changyi's waist and lifted her from the lower platform to the higher carriage.

Before he could even stand up straight, He Changyi turned around and grabbed Alexei's arm, pulling him inside.

At this moment, the train had already started moving slowly, and the whistle sounded a beat late.

The people on the platform had gone mad, chasing the train recklessly. Some even clung to the doors, half their bodies dangling outside the train under the horrified gaze of the train conductor, pleading:

"Quick! Pull me in! I'm going to fall!"

The car doors were still wide open, and a cold wind was howling into the carriage.

Alexei looked at He Changyi in astonishment:

"What are you doing?!"

He Changyi was breathing heavily, gripping Alexei tightly with both hands, as if afraid he would jump off the train.

“You promised Grandma Vitalie that you would see me off, but you shouldn’t just see me off to the train.”

Alexei was so angry he almost laughed.

"Do you still need me to send you to Zhongguo?"

He Changyi immediately said:

"Yes, please take me back to my country. I can't leave you."

Alexei's expression suddenly went blank.

He awkwardly turned his gaze away, letting the fleeting scenery outside the car slide across his retina without leaving any impression.

...Can't I leave?

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Author's Note: Although this is a fictional story, the plot references the real-life events of 1993, including Yeltsin's shelling of the White House, also known as the "Black October" incident. This was another major event following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Those interested can search for it online.