Chapter 53: The Breakup of the Partnership in Eastern Europe (Complete)

The Ma Sanhua gang has been dismantled, bringing the transnational train robbery case to a close.

But this does not mean the end of the matter.

He Changyi was taken to the hospital to have her wound stitched up again. Once she was able to move around a little, she immediately left the hospital on crutches and, through the connections that Director Blok had made before his death, found a lawyer from Estonia for Alexei.

This lawyer is neither the most highly educated nor the most professionally competent in the local legal profession; in fact, most of his legal documents need to be drafted by his assistant.

However, one advantage is enough to overshadow all the disadvantages—the lawyer himself has an extremely reliable background in the Moscow judicial system.

Of course, the lawyers' fees are also exceptionally high.

Fortunately, He Changyi had made some money in Vladimir before, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to afford the lawyer's fees.

After entrusting Alexei's case to a lawyer, He Changyi rushed to the hospital where Xie Xun was.

Even when she was very busy, He Changyi would always make time to visit Xie Xun every day, bringing him a special meal prepared by the hotel chef, along with the freshest fruits, flowers, and the latest Chinese newspapers and magazines.

She was both visiting him and offering support, so that the caregivers and medical staff wouldn't assume he was alone and treat him coldly, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Xie Xun had his usual smiling face, but his complexion was pale and there was a shadow in his eyes.

"Thank goodness you're alright."

He Changyi was unaware of what Xie Shirong had done. Seeing Xie Xun alone in the ward, with only the caregiver by his side, she said somewhat angrily:

"Uncle Xie isn't young anymore, how come he's becoming more and more reckless? It's one thing to be greedy and short-sighted, but he keeps saying he can't even write two 'thank you' characters, and this is how he treats you?"

Xie Xun was ashamed to tell He Changyi what Xie Shirong had done, and only said: "Xie Shirong and I are no longer family. From now on, I am me and he is him. We have no relationship. Even if he dies in front of me, I will at most help him buy a coffin and transport it back to his hometown."

He Changyi looked at him in surprise.

How could Xie Shirong have done something so heinous that Xie Xun had to say such a resolute thing?

He couldn't possibly have broken into Xie Xun's safe, poached his clients, and then pissed on his private accounts, could he?

At least it wasn't about stealing Xie Xun's girlfriend... Of course, you never know, some people just have weird tastes.

He Changyi has kept a respectable silence on this matter.

Xie Xun was unwilling to talk much about Xie Shirong, and instead asked He Changyi:

"Are you injured again? I saw you being carried into the ambulance. Was that policeman your friend?"

His gaze fell on He Changyi's injured leg.

He Changyi astutely retorted, "How did you know? Were you also at the Ural Hotel at the time? How come I didn't see you?"

Xie Xun twitched the corner of his mouth.

"I'm outside the hotel."

Xie Shirong was arrested at the time, while Xie Xun, who had reported the incident, was released after a more detailed interrogation.

As soon as he left the police station, he took a taxi to the Ural Hotel.

When Xie Xun arrived, the area around the Ural Hotel had already been cordoned off by the police. Fire trucks occupied more than half of the road in front of the hotel, while the rest was occupied by police cars.

The flashing police lights painted the night sky with a mix of red and blue.

Xie Xun anxiously explained to the police on the perimeter that his friend was inside the hotel and he needed to go in.

But the fat policeman in charge of sealing off the area yelled at him to step back and not to approach the area.

Even in his anxiety, he didn't forget the local unspoken rules and immediately slipped a stack of rubles to the fat policeman.

The fat policeman looked at him, then at the ruble, and muttered, "There are only policemen and dead people inside now... Well, I guess you do have a genuine friendship. I'll take you to see your friend, but you have to promise not to make a sound or be discovered by anyone else."

True to his word, the fat policeman led Xie Xun to an open space outside a hotel.

The open space was already littered with corpses, and police officers continued to carry bodies out of the hotel, blood dripping onto the ground.

There were both men and women, and most of them were from China.

Xie Xun's face instantly lost all color.

He forced himself to continue, and under the supervision of the overweight policeman, he examined the appearance of each corpse one by one.

This isn't it... Thankfully, this isn't it either...

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the entrance of the hotel. Xie Xun looked over and saw a very tall and strong Ego man being led out.

From a distance, you could only see his profile, his gloomy face with his brows furrowed and eyes downcast.

murderer……

He killed everyone!

Xie Xun could barely contain the hatred churning within him.

Kill him! Kill him!

Several reporters with cameras chased after him, snapping photos and conducting interviews. The Eka man remained silent, struggling to turn around to look at something, but the police forced his head down and roughly shoved him into the back of the police car.

At the same time, a familiar blond policeman discreetly carried someone out of the hotel.

For some inexplicable reason, Xie Xun's attention was drawn, and he subconsciously took a few steps forward until he could clearly see the person in the blond policeman's arms.

The blond police officer didn't notice this unrelated person who shouldn't be there. He gently placed the person in his arms on a stretcher, then took off his police uniform and covered her with it, wearing only a white shirt in the chilly spring weather.

Before the stretcher was loaded into the ambulance, the blonde policewoman brushed aside the messy hair sticking to her forehead and wiped away the drops of blood splattered on her face with her thumb.

His face was expressionless, but his movements carried an extremely subtle tenderness and affection.

Unlike the relationship between police and victims.

More like a lover.

Xie Xun finally remembered where he had seen the blond policeman.

Earlier at the police station, when the Chinese police officer slammed his fist on the table and roared at Xie Shirong, the E'guo police officer glanced at his watch indifferently and gave some instructions to the person next to him.

He was the youngest and highest-ranking officer present, a young and promising man who inspired envy.

He knew He Changyi.

No, it's much more than just knowing each other.

The blond policeman didn't get in the ambulance; he stayed at the scene and watched the ambulance take the injured away before turning back to his post.

Before Xie Xun was discovered, the chubby policeman roughly pulled him back, whispering angrily:

"Damn it, what are you doing?! That's our manager! You broke your promise to me! You almost got caught! Now get back to your friends, and then get the hell out of here!"

Xie Xun was pulled and staggered, his back wound throbbing with pain.

He seemed to feel no pain, and finally spoke when the fat policeman tried to drag him back to the open space where the bodies were placed.

"No, thank you, but it's not necessary... I've found her."

But she didn't need him.

Inside the ward, Xie Xun looked at He Changyi.

Perhaps due to her injury, she looked much weaker than usual, her skin as pale as paper, and her lips bloodless.

Even those eyes still shone brightly.

It dazzled and mesmerized him.

But it was more than just something that fascinated him.

That's terrible.

Xie Xun smiled nonchalantly at He Changyi and said, "I'm so glad you're alright."

He Changyi raised his eyebrows.

"Of course, how could Sister Ma Sanhua possibly hurt me? It was only because I was caught off guard on the train that they managed to get to me. It's just unlucky that you had to take the knife for me."

Xie Xun just smiled, greedily tracing her eyebrows and eyes.

However, He Changyi suddenly changed the subject and brought up another matter.

"I'll transfer all of my Eastern European share to you."

Xie Xun stopped laughing, frowned, and asked her, "What do you mean by this? Are you going to break up the partnership?"

He Changyi said, "I guess so. I'll transfer the share to you and then withdraw. From now on, you can make the decisions directly without going through me."

Xie Xun stared at He Changyi without saying a word.

When He Changyi asked, "What's wrong? Are you so happy you've gone mad?" he suddenly became angry, couldn't help but sneer, and said in a sharp tone:

"What, I took a knife for you, and you want to repay me with a share of Eastern Europe? Why don't you just offer yourself to me? That would be a beautiful story."

He Changyi didn't take his words seriously, thinking they were just said in anger.

"Wouldn't it be a huge loss for you to offer yourself in return? Losing both your virginity and your money would be a terrible loss."

Before Xie Xun could speak, He Changyi said in a soothing tone, "Actually, I've been thinking about this for a long time, even before the robbery happened. It's not because you took the knife for me that I want to repay you with a share. Please don't get agitated, let me finish, okay?"

He Changyi was unusually gentle, and Xie Xun, who was seething with anger, could only listen with a sullen face to how she would explain herself.

“Because of the riots that happened last October, I owed money to both customers and manufacturers. My cash flow was cut off, and I was at my wit’s end. If it weren’t for your willingness to distribute dividends in advance and take money out of the account to pay off my debts, I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on. Although I didn’t say it, I am extremely grateful to you.”

Xie Xun's expression softened somewhat.

"If you're grateful to me, why break up the partnership? I don't think I've done anything to wrong you, or did I offend you somehow?"

"Of course not! It's just that I feel I can't keep pretending not to know and taking advantage of you anymore."

He Changyi gently stroked Xie Xun's back as if coaxing a child, carefully avoiding the horizontal wound.

Even through his clothes, Xie Xun still showed an unnatural expression, his body stiff as a board.

...too warm, too gentle.

It makes you want to get addicted.

Seeing Xie Xun's expression, He Changyi assumed he had hurt him and readily withdrew his hand.

Xie Xun: ...Did he mean to refuse?

He Changyi, unaware of his complex inner thoughts, continued to explain:

“I’m focused on making a comeback and have no interest in dealing with things in Eastern Europe anymore. You’ve been handling everything, even paying Zhang Jin and Chen Yue’s salaries. I’m just a nominal shareholder. Now that I’ve decided to focus on the scrap metal industry in Vladimir, I have even less energy to manage the wholesale market in Eastern Europe.”

Xie Xun: "So you're going to abandon me?"

He Changyi slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Why are you talking like a child abandoned by their parents... I can't just take a share of the profits for nothing. You know, even siblings who go into business together often become enemies because of unfair profit-sharing. I don't want to lose you as a friend. I can't end up with you doing the work and me getting paid, can I?"

Xie Xun blurted out, "What if I wanted to?"

He Changyi looked at Xie Xun in surprise, finding it hard to believe that this shrewd strategist would say such a thing.

Xie Xun realized he had misspoke and quickly covered it up, saying:

"What I mean is, if you hadn't been willing to put up the money in the beginning, I would have worked myself to the bone and never been able to open the wholesale market. Even if it's just to repay a debt of gratitude, I'm willing to let you share the profits, even if you don't have time to manage the market..."

"I don't want to."

He Changyi interrupted him.

“I hate taking advantage of kindness more than anything in my life, and I swear I will never be that kind of person. You can’t force me to become the kind of person I hate the most. Of course, it’s nice to take money for free, who doesn’t like money? But this is not a long-term solution. One day you will hate me. Rather than making things worse, it’s better to make things clear now.”

He Changyi did not make the decision on impulse.

She told Xie Xun that she had been considering the matter for some time before the train robbery, and this was not an excuse.

Xie Xun's act of shielding her only made her make the decision faster.

The only difference is that before the train robbery, He Changyi was considering a suitable price for transferring her Eastern European market share; after that, she decided to transfer the share directly to Xie Xun free of charge.

Consider it a thank-you gift.

Thank you for standing in front of her without hesitation.

I have no way to repay the life-saving grace, and it is absolutely impossible for me to repay it with my body. After thinking it over, the most appropriate thing to do is to give him the money that the abacus master loves most.

As for He Changyi, she didn't suffer a major loss; she only lost a portion of the foreseeable future profits from the Eastern European market.

In fact, she had already recovered her initial investment through dividends, and all subsequent dividends were pure profit. In other words, she not only did not lose money on this investment, but also made a small profit. Compared to investors in later generations who lost so much that they lined up to jump off the roof, it was a huge win.

If the October riots had not occurred, He Changyi's original plan was to increase investment and cooperate with Xie Xun to set up a factory in China, so as to firmly control the supply of goods and further strengthen their cooperative relationship.

Alas, it was fate.

He Changyi's financial advantage was completely lost, and her management skills in the wholesale market and her depth of business in Eastern Europe were far inferior to Xie Xun's. The original "money + effort" cooperation model was suddenly disrupted.

A useless shareholder is not even as good as a new employee.

Many people believe that shareholders can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor after investing money, and simply wait for dividends, but this is not the case.

Shareholders can enjoy the dividends of a company's growth because they can consistently provide value, not just because of a sum of money.

They either have powerful connections, whose mere presence is enough to deter those who covet them; or they cultivate deep political and business relationships, are adept at navigating various bureaucratic channels, and are able to get things done by offering gifts and making it easy to obtain rare and highly sought-after permits.

Alternatively, the company's upstream and downstream partners may form a disguised alliance through cross-shareholding, which would benefit both parties.

If you don't want to get involved in any of those things, then you should honestly go to the company from nine to five. Trying to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor is just wishful thinking.

Of course, He Changyi could also ensure her rightful dividends by placing her own people in the finance department, but making the company profitable is not easy, while making the accounts appear to show a loss is very simple.

Unless He Changyi personally intervenes in the management of the wholesale market, he will inevitably be sidelined; it's only a matter of time.

Xie Xun is a peacock with its tail feathers spread wide, but he is also a peacock who is very good at calculating.

He insisted on going it alone and refused to partner with Xie Shirong for two reasons. First, Xie Shirong was greedy and short-sighted, and would not only be of no help but also hinder him. Second, he was worried that Xie Shirong would use his seniority to intimidate him and take away the control and benefits that originally belonged to Xie Xun.

Xie Xun doesn't care if he's labeled as ungrateful.

Hormones can only temporarily cloud his judgment, but when the hormones subside, he will realize how stupid he has been.

If He Changyi wants to maintain his friendship with him, she should avoid getting entangled in matters of money.

Peacocks can peck at people too.

Xie Xun asked her, "You don't believe me?"

He Changyi said bluntly, "I believe you, but I don't believe in human nature."

Seeing that Xie Xun was about to object, He Changyi made the decision directly.

"Alright, that's settled then. By the way, do you still need Zhang Jin and Chen Yue? If you have more suitable people, I'll have them come back. I'm short-staffed here anyway."

Xie Xun almost wanted to applaud her loudly.

Look how considerate he is! Afraid that he wouldn't have the nerve to kick out the elderly, he offered to help share the burden. I've never seen such a harmonious breakup.

Seeing Xie Xun so angry he couldn't speak, his smiling face turning ashen, He Changyi thought for a moment and then patiently comforted him:

"It's not like breaking up a partnership means severing ties. We'll still be friends, and that won't change now or in the future."

Unexpectedly, Xie Xun's expression worsened after these words were spoken.

"friend?"

He said softly, "Oh, just friends."

He Changyi was worried; had this unfortunate child been driven mad by anger...?

She rarely had the patience to comfort people, but to no avail. On the contrary, Xie Xun's tone became increasingly sarcastic.

"So you thought everything I did was just because I was a 'friend'?"

He Changyi retorted, "Otherwise what? Do you think you've fallen in love with me and want to put on a show on the land of Oros, like Ma Fahai suppressing He Suzhen and Xie Xuxian risking his life to block a big sword? I have no intention of disregarding everything for love."

Xie Xun was so angry that he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

He blurted out without thinking, "So who do you want to perform with? That old Russian man?"

He Changyi pressed further, "What Russian? Who are you talking about? Who did you see at the hotel?"

Xie Xun refused to say, but only mocked:

"You don't know who I'm talking about? Is it because there are too many people for you to guess?"

If it weren't for the fact that his back wound hadn't healed yet, He Changyi would have really wanted to give him a good beating.

Her patience was running out, and she finally lost her temper, saying irritably:

"I'm asking you if you owe money. You even have times when you think money is too hot to handle. Where did that person who was going through the accounts with me on the abacus go? Did the hospital switch them out? If you really have too much money to burn, Project Hope in China is desperately waiting for donations!"

He Changyi turned and left angrily, leaning on his cane, leaving behind the words:

"It's settled then. If you still disagree, then transfer my share of the profits to Project Hope's account. Consider it my contribution to the motherland!"

Xie Xun: ...

He really wanted to crack open her head and see if she was missing a nerve like most people!

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Author's Note: He Changyi: How could an abacus spirit possibly like humans? Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Xie Xun: I'm so angry I'm dizzy