Chapter 37 is just starting over (revised)...

When He Changyi woke up again, she was in an unfamiliar office.

She lay on the wire bed, covered with an old leather jacket, the taste of chocolate lingering on her tongue.

Someone opened the door and came in, his face covered with a thick, bushy beard, making his features almost unrecognizable.

When he saw He Changyi sitting up, propped up on his arms, he said in surprise and politely in Emei:

"You're finally awake."

Before He Changyi could answer, he turned and rudely shouted towards the door:

"Hey, Aleoniska, your Sleeping Beauty is awake! Damn it, get your girl out of my office!"

The man spoke with a heavy accent, and every sentence contained many "interjections" ending with "Suka," which made it quite difficult for He Changyi to understand. She wondered who "Aleoniska" was and whether she knew him.

“Ivanovsky, if your fists were as hard as your mouth, I could have had an easier time back in the Middle East instead of dragging a two-hundred-pound dead pig out of a blown-up bunker.”

A familiar, deep voice rang out, followed by a tall shadow appearing by the door.

Ivanovsky chuckled, stepped aside from the doorway, and then punched the newcomer hard on the shoulder.

"I'll give you half an hour, maybe that's a bit too long for you? Don't look at me like that, this is an office after all, you should go find a love hotel!"

Alexei walked into the office, roughly shoved Ivanovsky out, and slammed the office door shut, leaving Ivanovsky and his complaints outside.

Then he turned around and looked at He Changyi, who was sitting on the wire bed.

"Good day?"

He Changyi raised one hand and waved it at him with a small gesture, while also giving him a puzzled smile.

"I thought you had already returned to Mosk."

Alexei stood expressionless at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, I even ate my grandmother's homemade pies, they tasted amazing."

He Changyi was indeed frightened.

"Uh, sorry, this might be a bit offensive, but—aren't you furious?"

Alexei gave a dismissive snort, which made his expression much more vivid.

"I don't think my nerves are that fragile."

Alexei suddenly stepped forward, reached out and touched He Changyi's forehead, then withdrew his hand before she could react.

"The fever has subsided."

He Changyi also raised her hand to test her forehead temperature, and asked uncertainly:

Do I have a fever?

Alexei stared at her intently, then suddenly gave a somewhat frightening smile and said softly:

"Of course not, you are just slow cooking yourself at a low temperature, a very good cooking method that makes the meat delicate and tender."

He Changyi sighed loudly and heavily.

"Alexei, can't you speak like a normal person?"

When did this bear learn to speak in such a sarcastic and unpleasant way?

His current level of Chinese proficiency can no longer be described as "making rapid progress," it's more like "traveling 80,000 miles a day while sitting still," his progress is frighteningly fast.

Alexei finally stopped laughing and said coldly:

“I thought that using your usual way of communicating would make you feel more comfortable, especially when you are sick.”

Helpless, He Changyi raised his hand to support his still somewhat dizzy head and surrendered.

"Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm not a qualified Chinese teacher, Uncle Alexei, please, stop torturing me, I'm really going to throw up if you keep going..."

Alexei looked at He Changyi for a while, and finally decided to let her go.

With both sides ceasing hostilities and resuming normal communication, He Changyi eagerly asked:

Why are you here? Where is this?

Alexei said, "This is the border guard office."

From Alexei's brief account, He Changyi learned that after their parting at the customs gate, Alexei did not return to Moscow. Instead, he stayed nearby and watched He Changyi cross the border back to his country.

Alexei refused to think about why he stayed, considering it only to give Grandma Vitalie an explanation.

However, due to the delay in allowing people to cross the border by the Oros customs, He Changyi was forced to stay in the open for three days and three nights.

For reasons unknown, Alexei never appeared in front of He Changyi, but instead watched her from a distance.

Watching her jump around because of the cold, watching her buy a military coat from a vendor, watching her being swept up by the crowd and rushing towards the customs gate, narrowly avoiding the border guards' batons.

When He Changyi was catching up on sleep in the sun during the day, Alexei briefly appeared beside her, like a silent hellhound, scaring away all the petty thieves who wanted to take advantage or steal.

Just as she was about to wake up, Alexei disappeared silently into the crowd, just as he had arrived.

He Changyi was unaware of this and thought that the scalpers at the customs gate were being unusually well-behaved, leaving her with no use for the sharpened dagger she had hidden in her pocket.

Why didn't you tell me?

He Changyi asked softly, "At least we can take turns resting."

Instead of one person anxiously catching up on sleep while the other stays awake for three days and three nights.

Alexei had dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot eyes, and half of his face was covered in bluish stubble that looked prickly, making him look more like a bear.

He Changyi reached out her hand to him, and Alexei did not dodge, so her hand successfully landed on his face and gently slid across it.

The stubble was indeed as hard and prickly as it appeared.

What are you hesitating about?

He Changyi asked again:

"Alexei, what are you so afraid of?"

Is it really that difficult to tell He Changyi that he still cares about her?

Alexei didn't answer, but suddenly grabbed He Changyi's wrist and slowly pulled her hand down with an irresistible force.

"We should go."

Ivanovsky was Alexei's comrade-in-arms during their military service. After retiring from the army, Alexei returned to Moscow, while Ivanovsky returned to his hometown town on the border and became a border guard officer.

After He Changyi fainted, Alexei picked her up and carried her away from the customs area. Just then, he ran into his old comrade-in-arms whom he hadn't contacted in a long time.

Ivanovsky was very generous; he not only gave up his office but also found the local military doctor to give He Changyi, who was running a fever, an IV drip to bring down her high temperature.

Alexei didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled a box of chocolates from his desk and, amidst Ivanovsky's complaints ("That was a Valentine's Day gift from my wife!"), unwrapped the chocolates and awkwardly fed them to the unconscious He Changyi.

He Changyi's illness was not completely cured, or rather, it was not a disease in the true sense, but rather a crisis of physical endurance caused by excessive stress and harsh external environment accumulated in a short period of time.

It's like having a phone display a "low battery" warning but still running a high-energy-consuming app, causing the phone to shut down automatically when the battery is depleted.

He Changyi's fainting was like a forced shutdown due to exhaustion.

After receiving nutrition and a short sleep, He Changyi regained some energy, which barely allowed her to maintain a relatively clear state.

But compared to a healthy person, she clearly needs more rest.

However, in Alexei's view, staying in Oros would not do He Changyi any good for her health. Only by returning to Zhongguo as soon as possible could she get real relaxation and rest.

He Changyi agreed with this.

She needs a king-size bed in a star-rated hotel, roast duck wrapped in lotus leaf pancakes at the Summer Palace's Tingli Pavilion, and preferably a nourishing pork rib and lotus root soup.

With the help of Ivanovsky, an insider, He Changyi no longer needed to squeeze through the iron gate with the scalpers, but instead smoothly passed through customs through the internal passage.

Before entering the country, she stopped and looked at Alexei.

He stood far away, quite a distance from the border, as if the country that gave him his other half of his blood was some kind of monstrous monster.

Noticing He Changyi's gaze, Alexei quietly raised his eyes and looked at her.

It seemed as if it was puzzled, or perhaps it was just a silent farewell.

He Changyi pursed her lips, turned around and walked over, her steps quickening until she reached Alexei.

"Thanks."

She suddenly reached out and, under Ivanovsky's enthusiastic gaze, gave Alexei a tight hug.

"And, I'm sorry."

Alexei didn't move, but just looked down at He Changyi.

She let go of his hand, took a step back, and suddenly gave him a bright smile.

"But if I had to do it all over again, I would make the same choice."

After saying that, He Changyi turned around and left decisively, striding across the border and truly returning home.

She was like Achilles, who could have endless power as long as he stood on the ground. The moment he stepped onto his own land, even though there was no physical difference between the two sides, his body felt as if it had been rapidly recharged and was immediately full of vitality.

He Changyi stood on the other side of the border, turned around and waved vigorously at Alexei.

Goodbye, and goodbye again.

A temporary farewell, and a look forward to seeing each other again.

The sunlight seemed a bit too bright, and Alexei squinted, his gaze following He Changyi until her figure completely disappeared.

Ivanovsky put his hand on Alexei's shoulder and said casually:

“Hey, I think He is a good girl. Seriously, you need a wife and then have a bunch of kids, just like me, who comes home every day to endless ‘Daddy, Daddy’ calls.”

Alexei turned around, casually shaking off Ivanovsky's hand, and replied coldly:

"Yeah, you still have endless baby bottles to wash. I'm so envious of your bed covered in baby diapers. Do you even have a clean sheet in your house? By the way, can your salary support your whole family?"

It took Ivanovsky a moment to understand what Alexei was saying, and he angrily chased after him.

"You vicious bastard! You're just jealous! I'm going to drown you in Piano Brand vodka!"

Alexei replied bluntly:

"Okay, I'll take you home safely, so you won't end up like you were on the battlefield, crying and clinging to a tank cannon, looking for your mother."

Ivanovsky became anxious.

"Hey! We agreed you wouldn't bring this up again!"

Alexei calmly said:

"No, that was just your request, but I never agreed to it."

The two men walked further and further away until they disappeared on the other side of the border.

After He Changyi returned to China, she did not immediately return to the capital, but instead stayed in this small border town in northeastern China.

The best hotel in the area was the government guesthouse. He Changyi gave the receptionist 100 yuan and checked into the best room in the guesthouse, which had a simple private bathroom.

The guesthouse was very well heated, and the room was as warm as summer.

He Changyi threw all his clothes on the ground, rinsed his whole body with hot water, and collapsed onto the bed, soaking wet, and slept soundly for a full day and two nights.

During this time, the receptionist knocked on the door several times out of concern. He Changyi groggily got up to open the door and then continued to sleep.

During her deep sleep, her body was slowly repairing itself.

When He Changyi woke up again, she was lying in her warm bed, feeling limp and almost didn't want to get out of bed.

But now is not the time for recuperation; she has more important things to deal with.

Despite not being fully recovered, He Changyi checked out of the hotel and bought a ticket for the next available train to Beijing.

Upon arrival, the first thing she did was go to the bank, retrieve the gold bars from the safe deposit box, and immediately exchange them for cash at a jewelry store.

The unrest in Russo-American War broke out so suddenly that it gave no one time to prepare; it was like a massive, unannounced explosion in a Middle Eastern port.

—Although everyone knew that the port was managed in a chaotic manner, like children's building blocks, and that the excessive storage of dangerous materials in the warehouse would eventually turn the place into a wasteland, the experts' long-standing warnings finally came true when someone recklessly walked into the warehouse with a welding torch, and sparks from the welding landed on the flammable materials, accompanied by a huge shock wave and mushroom cloud.

He Changyi was like a poor crane operator unloading containers at the port. Even though she was aware of the potential danger, she couldn't let go and roughly throw the container onto the heads of the busy workers below. Instead, she did her best to place the container steadily on the ground before the explosion.

Before October, He Changyi had already consciously scaled back her business. Apart from some collaborations that were in transit and could not be stopped, she delayed or stopped other collaborations whenever possible. Even when customers complained and threatened to switch to another Chinese wholesaler, it did not change her decision.

But we were still a step too late.

No one could have predicted that the power of Black October would sweep across the entire Oros, causing wounds that would take decades to heal and dragging countless lives into a bottomless quagmire.

What was initially thought to be a short-lived cold snap turned into an ice age that lasted for several years.

People often say that human will can conquer nature, but in reality, human will conquering nature is an almost impossible miracle, while nature conquering human is the norm.

Fate is unpredictable, and human power is limited.

He Changyi was like a worker ant diligently building its nest, when suddenly a pot of molten aluminum was poured down from the sky.

Her anthill was completely destroyed.

In the upheaval that swept through the entire Mosk society, her warehouses were smashed, looted, and burned; none survived.

And then there are those customers who have received their goods but haven't paid yet.

Some of them died, some were seriously injured, and some, like snowflakes, melted away in the chaos, as if they had never existed.

Ultimately, all the inventory ready for delivery turned into a line of zeros in the ledger, along with her accounts receivable, which vanished into thin air.

Although He Changyi prepared sufficient reserves to avoid a break in the capital chain, it was not enough, far from enough.

Domestic manufacturers who have already shipped the goods are urging her to pay the balance, while surviving overseas customers who haven't received their goods are urging her to ship the goods or refund their prepayments—she's caught in the middle.

Like in tomb raiding novels, the tomb passages from all sides squeeze towards the center at the same time, trying to crush the intruder into a meat pie.

A huge debt fell from the sky.

Of course, He Changyi could also choose to default on his debts, take the remaining assets and live in anonymity, leaving his suppliers and customers to weep in despair.

But she gritted her teeth and did not back down. She sold her gold bars and real estate to pay the remaining balance to the domestic manufacturers and then refunded the customers' advance payments.

In the end, almost all of He Changyi's assets were wiped out overnight.

After a crisis, like Pompeii after a volcanic eruption, there are no buildings or living people left on the original site, only thick, steaming ashes.

Everything has returned to square one.

He Changyi stood in her new house in the capital, and the buyer excitedly took the keys from her hand, praising her repeatedly.

"Your house is decorated really well! You have excellent taste; you're clearly a learned person!"

He Changyi forced a smile.

"Whatever you like is fine."

He Changyi put a lot of effort into decorating this house, and every brick and tile reflects her favorite style. It is her old home in China.

I had originally planned to invite Grandma Vitalie and Alexei to stay here when they traveled to China, but it seems I can only ask them to stay at a hotel for the time being—provided, of course, that she can still afford the hotel fees.

Before leaving, He Changyi hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something to the new owner of the house, but it seemed that saying anything would no longer make any sense.

So she gave a self-deprecating laugh, shook her head, and strode out without further hesitation.

When he walked down the street, He Changyi had nothing in his pocket except for the ledger recording his debts.

But what's the big deal? It's just starting over.

He Changyi let out a long breath and looked up at the sky.

She's already tried starting from scratch once, so she can do it again without any problem.

A woman will not be defeated by such a small setback.

He Changyi boarded a bus after a long absence and arrived at Yuezhou Village, located in the suburbs.

She walked into the village with practiced ease, knocked on the door of the "Zhaoxia Clothing Company" sign, and calmly greeted the unfamiliar employee who opened the door:

"Hello, I'm looking for your big boss."

As a well-known female middleman in the industry, He Changyi's business has been exported and then re-imported domestically, reaching the ears of her domestic counterparts at an astonishing speed.

Some people praised her for her loyalty, some said she was too stupid, and some wanted to see her make a fool of herself. Can this difficult woman still maintain her carefree attitude?

At this moment, Sister Xia said to Old Wu with a worried expression:

"Miss He, you've really had a terrible time. Who would have thought that the Russians would turn on each other and make such a mess of society? The newspapers are full of news about people dying every day. I heard that their president even sent tanks to attack the government building... Oh dear, how can you do business in a place like that? You can't even survive. Luckily, our country isn't like that, otherwise we would have to go back to our hometown to farm."

Old Wu slammed the newspaper down.

"Stop talking, it's bad luck. You should use this time to find new customers. Now that Ms. He is out of money, what are we going to do with our goods?"

Xia slapped him and said angrily:

"You scoundrel, all I ever know is your scoundrel, you heartless wretch! Have you forgotten how good Miss He was to us?"

Old Wu dared not resist and covered the spot where he had been hit, crying out for justice.

"If that stuff doesn't sell and just piles up in the warehouse, won't we be the ones who suffer? You have time to pity others, but you should pity ourselves first!"

He muttered something under his breath:

"Besides, why would someone like Miss He need our pity? She's no ordinary person..."

Before Sister Xia could continue scolding, the new worker walked straight into the room without knocking and began to say:

"Third Aunt, someone is looking for you."

Sister Xia asked curiously, "Who is it?"

The worker said, "I don't recognize her, she's a woman."

He then added, "He looks like a poor wretch. He walks into the village without even a briefcase or a car."

Xia Jie was displeased upon hearing this. She wanted to speak but held back and gestured to Lao Wu with her eyes, "Take care of your family members. It's one thing to be brainless and unskilled, but to be such a snob is another."

Old Wu coughed awkwardly, then waved to his nephew in the distance:

"Come on, let me explain this to you properly, that's not how it's said..."

Xia went out to meet a client. A short while later, she suddenly rushed into the house excitedly, grabbed Lao Wu's arm, and pulled him out.

Old Wu was startled. His nephew was watching from afar, and who knew what he would say to his family back home about his henpecked husband.

Old Wu awkwardly tried to break free from Sister Xia's hand, but when he heard what Sister Xia said, he was so shocked that he forgot to struggle and obediently followed her out the door.

"Miss He is here! She's outside!"

He Changyi stood up from the sofa and greeted Sister Xia and Old Wu and their husbands in a natural manner, as if nothing had happened.

"Sister Xia, Lao Wu, long time no see! How's business lately?"

Old Wu stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say, while Sister Xia excitedly rushed over.

She held He Changyi's hand tightly and carefully looked him up and down.

"I'm so glad you're alright! Ever since I heard that things were in chaos in E'guo, I've been worried about you every day. I didn't even dare to answer the phone, afraid of hearing bad news. Thank goodness you're back in the country, otherwise I would have been frantic with worry!"

He Changyi patted Xia Jie's hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, don't worry, look at me, I'm standing here perfectly fine, aren't I?"

She spun around jokingly, "I'm all back, no missing arms or legs. But apart from myself, I'm all gone, and now I'm penniless again. Don't look down on me, Sister Xia."

Xia Jie was both amused and annoyed, and finally, with a tender heart, she put her arm around He Changyi and sat her down on the sofa.

"Stop talking, money can be earned again, as long as you're alive, that's all that matters."

The two sisters were being incredibly affectionate, while Old Wu stood there helplessly as punishment. Upon hearing this, he quickly said:

"Yes, yes, being alive is the most important thing..."

After exchanging pleasantries, He Changyi got straight to the point:

"Sister Xia, Lao Wu, you both know my current situation. Logically speaking, I shouldn't ask you for this, but I really have no choice now. Even if it's an unreasonable request, I have to ask. Please forgive me."

Sister Xia seemed to have already guessed what He Changyi was going to say, and readily replied:

“Miss He, there’s no need for formalities. Our friendship doesn’t require that. If you ask, I will definitely help if I can. If I say anything more, I’ll be considered heartless and ungrateful. If it weren’t for your help back then, we wouldn’t be where we are today. It’s not human to rush forward when there’s no meat, but to shrink back when there’s hardship.”

After Xia finished speaking, she looked at Lao Wu standing to the side.

"Don't you think so?"

Old Wu, who hadn't gotten a chance to speak yet, quickly chimed in upon hearing this:

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Xia Jie didn't give him a chance to continue speaking, and instead said to He Changyi:

"If you borrow money, I won't charge a penny of interest; if you place an order, I won't charge a penny of deposit. You can pick any goods in the warehouse; if you don't find anything you like, I'll go prepare the materials and start work right now!"

He Changyi sighed, "Sister Xia, I don't know how to express my gratitude..."

Xia interrupted her somewhat rudely.

"Don't say such things. If you really consider us friends, then don't say these polite words!"

That was too impolite, and Lao Wu tried to salvage the situation.

"Honey, could you please speak more politely?"

Xia ignored him and just looked at He Changyi.

“When things got chaotic in Eguo, you still had a few outstanding payments to make to us. Everyone was saying you were going to run away with the money, and our company was going to go bankrupt… Everyone was pressuring us then. Suppliers were desperately demanding payment, and some people were even trying to take advantage of the situation to buy our goods at low prices. Even the landlord was coming to collect rent… I thought it was all over, and that Lao Wu and I would have to spend the rest of our lives paying off debts. But when the suppliers forced me to go to the bank to withdraw money, they told me that a large sum of money had been transferred into our account…”

One step away from the abyss.

He Changyi said softly, "That money was originally something I was supposed to return to you."

Sister Xia just shook her head.

“It’s different, it’s different… I’ve seen plenty of bosses who have money but refuse to pay their debts. Who would be as foolish as you, willing to use all your money to pay off your debts?”

Old Wu was so anxious he almost jumped up, and interjected:

"Wife, how could you call someone stupid!"

He Changyi finally couldn't help but laugh.

“I’m stupid, but you’re stupid too, Sister Xia. Everyone else is avoiding me now, but you’re the only one who doesn’t avoid me and even comes up to give me money.”

Xia Jie had tears in her eyes, but a smile appeared on her face.

"Fools are sometimes lucky; my sister and I are both fools..."

Old Wu was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand women at all, how could they cry one minute and laugh the next!

Xia Jie no longer addressed He Changyi as "Miss He" in a polite manner, but instead called her "Ah He" affectionately.

He Changyi stopped with pleasantries and stated his needs directly.

She wanted 10,000 down jackets, on credit.

Sister Xia readily agreed, while Old Wu, standing to the side, hesitated to speak.

He Changyi said with a smile, "Old Wu, just say what you want to say."

When the two parties first started cooperating, Lao Wu insisted on paying in full, which made He Changyi, who had limited funds at the time, grit his teeth in anger.

Later, when Sister Xia took over the management, the full payment became a half deposit. As the cooperation deepened and He Changyi's purchase volume increased, it eventually became the industry standard of a 20% deposit.

Now that He Changyi is trying to take away 10,000 down jackets without paying a cent, given Lao Wu's stingy nature, he's probably bleeding inside even if he doesn't say it.

Upon hearing He Changyi's words, Sister Xia immediately tried to stop him, but Old Wu had already blurted out:

"Ten thousand pieces aren't enough; we need at least fifty thousand!"

He Changyi was taken aback, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he was doubled over, his teeth and eyes completely obscured.

Xia Jie breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to twist Lao Wu's ear, but then she caught a glimpse of her distant nephew peeking in from the doorway. She lowered her hand angrily and muttered a curse under her breath:

"You old dog, you scared me for nothing!"

Old Wu was completely baffled and utterly confused. He asked cautiously:

"What did I say wrong? Is 50,000 pieces too few? What about 100,000 pieces?"

He Changyi wiped away the tears that came out of her laughter and deliberately asked him:

"Old Wu, aren't you afraid I'll run off with the goods and not give you a single penny?"

Old Wu waved his hand repeatedly.

“Miss He, you’re not that kind of person. My wife trusts you, so I should trust you too.”

But after a moment, he hesitated and said:

"Miss He, were you joking just now? You're not really not going to pay, are you?"

Sister Xia slapped Old Wu hard on the back.

"What nonsense are you talking about! Ah He isn't that kind of person!"

Old Wu grimaced in pain and begged for mercy repeatedly.

"I was just saying, just saying..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his nephew staring in shock at them from afar, and hurriedly waved him away as if shooing away a fly.

"What are you doing here? Go and cut the thread!"

How embarrassing! I was so careful, but someone still caught me red-handed...

While Sister Xia and Lao Wu were working at full speed to produce 10,000 down jackets, He Changyi had already boarded a train and re-entered the borders of Russia.

As the international train sped across the Siberian plains after the first snowfall, He Changyi sat by the window, the snow scene reflected in her eyes, bright and without a trace of gloom.

When He Changyi saw the familiar buildings of Moscow Railway Station again, he raised his face and smiled silently.

—I'm back again!

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Author's note: Finished reading, so sleepy, going to bed now. Goodnight everyone = =