Chapter 55 Back on Track (Complete)

After receiving the stamped purchase and sale contract faxed by Dong Dezhi and others, He Changyi began to purchase scrap steel on a large scale in Vladimir.

Since this was their first collaboration and the scrap steel was imported from overseas, the domestic steel mills were quite cautious. Instead of following the industry practice of "payment in advance," they requested payment upon delivery.

In other words, after seeing the photos of the scrap steel after it was loaded and weighed, and the transportation contract showing that the scrap steel was about to be shipped from the seaport or land freight station, the steel mill would transfer all the payment to the account designated by He Changyi. Only after He Changyi confirmed receipt of payment could he release the goods and provide a bill of lading or weighbridge slip so that the steel mill could pick up the goods.

Although the procedure is a bit cumbersome, it ensures the security of the transaction to the greatest extent for both parties.

He Changyi was worried that the steel mill would try to get something for nothing by taking the goods without paying; while the steel mill was also worried that He Changyi was a transnational fraudster who would take the money and not deliver the goods.

He Changyi was a newcomer to the steel industry, had no trustworthy seniors to vouch for him, and had no family business in China, so he seemed unreliable no matter how you looked at it.

If it weren't for the fact that the quality of the scrap steel from Oros was really good and the price was so low it was practically free, these steel mills wouldn't have taken this risk.

If the first transaction goes smoothly and both parties can establish a mutually beneficial and trusting cooperative relationship, subsequent scrap steel transactions will not need to be so complicated and can be handled according to the "payment in advance, delivery in advance" transaction practice.

However, this also brought He Changyi a little trouble.

—She didn't have enough funds to buy scrap steel.

He Changyi has an order for 6,000 tons of scrap steel. Based on the purchase price of $60 per ton, the total cost is $360,000. If freight, tariffs, and other expenses are added, the cost will be $840,000.

He Changyi currently has less than $50,000 on hand.

Although she did not pay the steel mill in Ego directly in cash, but instead used Chinese goods such as food and clothing for barter trade, even taking into account the price difference from the export of the goods, she still needed to purchase goods equivalent to at least $150,000.

When He Changyi went to buy scrap steel with crutches, he asked the local factory if he could buy it on credit, but was flatly refused.

"Although we very much want to trust you, I'm sorry, previous customers have already overdrawn your credit limit. I will not allow a piece of scrap metal to be taken out of the factory before I see the actual product."

He Changyi tried to make another attempt.

“I can pay a 30% deposit first.”

The factory contact person said expressionlessly:

"That sounds great, but I'm worried that your deposit might end up being the full amount."

He Changyi: ...

What kind of scumbags have been up to?!

It's said that the predecessors plant trees so that the successors can enjoy the shade, but in her case it's become that the predecessors cut down the trees so that the successors are almost dying from the sun.

Left with no other option, He Changyi had to use her own reputation as collateral to request that the domestic manufacturers she had previously cooperated with ship goods on credit. For this, she was willing to give up three percent of the price, which meant that the contract price this time was three percent higher than before.

Most manufacturers are willing to pay, after all, He Changyi is their valued customer. Although he has high requirements for quality, he pays promptly and never deliberately delays payment. Moreover, his order volume is very large, accounting for more than 10% of the total output.

A few manufacturers took the opportunity to raise prices. For example, the straightforward Y chromosome provider, Factory Director Zheng, demanded that He Changyi give up five percent of the price and send over another nephew.

He Changyi was well aware of this; this guy was eyeing her profits and wanted to bypass her as the middleman and personally come to Eros to make money.

Factory Director Zheng didn't treat Geng Zhi like his own son, but rather as a pebble to test the waters. Seeing that this simple-minded boy could live well in E'guo, he felt that he would have no problem moving up the ranks.

He Changyi didn't expose the truth and accepted all comers. She was short of people to do the work, and someone was willing to bring their own food to work for free, which would save her a lot of labor costs. It was like a great philanthropist had fallen from the sky!

Domestic factories began shipping goods to Emei, replacing canned sugar and sneakers with scrap steel, which was then hauled away in truckloads to a temporarily rented storage yard.

The problem of procuring scrap steel has been temporarily solved, but transportation and tariffs are another troublesome issue.

Due to the tight capacity of cross-border trains and the high cost of rail transport, He Changyi plans to transport 6,000 tons of scrap steel back to China by sea, which is cheaper.

This means that He Changyi first needs to transport the scrap steel from the inland city of Vladimir to a port on the Black Sea, and then load the goods onto a ship to Zhongguo, transporting them in two separate segments.

The freight cost within Russia is approximately $15 per ton, while the international shipping cost is $25 per ton, totaling $240,000 in freight alone.

He Changyi could negotiate with domestic manufacturers about buying goods on credit, but she couldn't expect international shipping companies to agree to do the same.

Not to mention the customs duties and customs clearance fees that need to be paid.

If she dares to cut corners on this, the scrap steel will be confiscated before it's even loaded onto the ship, and she'll simply disappear on the spot.

During this period, He Changyi was busy receiving goods shipped from China and exchanging them for scrap steel at the factory in Vladimir; at the same time, he was thinking about how to raise this huge sum of money.

If she were to apply for a bank loan, she wouldn't have any high-value fixed assets like real estate to use as collateral, nor would her personal credit be high enough to allow her to borrow $700,000 from a bank out of thin air.

And opening a letter of credit is out of the question.

Applying for a letter of credit requires depositing the same amount of money into a bank first, but if she already has that money, why would she need a bank?

As for borrowing money from underground banks, the monthly interest rate is often five percent, plus upfront fees, meaning that almost half of the profit will go to loan sharks.

He Changyi's mind is filled with nothing but money, money, money every day; she even considered borrowing money from Xie Xun.

However, she rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.

Putting aside the fact that most of Xie Xun's money is tied up in the wholesale market, even if he really had the money, what kind of situation is it for her to ask him for a loan?

Fortunately, it would take a considerable amount of time to raise 6,000 tons of scrap steel, so He Changyi still had time to raise the money.

At this moment, Factory Director Zheng brought his nephew along with the goods.

The nephew's name was Zheng Xiaowei. He Changyi knew why Director Zheng had sent the man over the first time he met him.

Zheng Xiaowei and Geng Zhi are about the same age, and theoretically their upbringing is similar. However, compared to the headstrong Geng Zhi, Zheng Xiaowei is much more flexible and even gives people the feeling of being a seasoned veteran at a young age.

The moment he saw He Changyi, he fawned over her, carrying her bag, pouring her water, and flattering her like a reincarnation of Li Lianying.

"Sister He, you are even more beautiful and capable than my uncle described. I have never seen such a powerful boss as you. Even my uncle is no match for you. He is just a farmer-turned-entrepreneur. How can he compare to a multinational boss like you? He has hardly ever met any foreigners in his life. It is my honor to have the opportunity to work with you. Don't worry, I will definitely do my best!"

He Changyi asked him with a smile, "Aren't you afraid I'll tell your uncle what you said?"

Zheng Xiaowei's face stiffened, and then he said, "I'm just a country boy, I'm not good with words, I just say whatever comes to mind, and I'm speaking from the heart. I would dare to say this even in front of my uncle, he's just not as good as you."

He Changyi stopped laughing and said, "Alright, then you can work hard with Geng Zhi."

Zheng Xiaowei said in surprise, "But my uncle said I should work for you!"

He Changyi retorted, "In terms of seniority, Geng Zhi arrived earlier than you, so you're his junior. We'll see when you outperform Geng Zhi."

He Changyi handed Zheng Xiaowei over to Geng Zhi. It just so happened that the store was short of someone to move goods during this period. He wanted to see if heavy physical labor could wear down the slickness and cunning of this kid.

Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei looked at each other in bewilderment.

Geng Zhi said irritably, "What are you doing here? What's wrong? Did your family kick you out because they think you only eat and don't work?"

"So you're Geng Zhi. I wondered who it was. You're really something, even changing your surname."

Taking advantage of He Changyi's absence, Zheng Xiaowei changed his demeanor and said arrogantly:

"Do you think I'm like you? I'm always here to eat. If it weren't for your dad telling me to study abroad and help him when I come back, do you think I'd want to come to this godforsaken place that doesn't even have a dance hall or an arcade? Humph, your dad looks down on you, but he's never looked down on his own nephew!"

Geng Zhi retorted angrily, "That's not my dad! I have nothing to do with him!"

Zheng Xiaowei looked Geng Zhi up and down with disdain.

"My uncle isn't your father, so are you the child your mother had with some other man?"

Enraged, Geng Zhi raised his fist to punch Zheng Xiaowei, but the latter was taller and stronger, and Geng Zhi was instead punched back.

Zheng Xiaowei pinned Geng Zhi to the ground. He was wary of He Changyi and didn't dare to throw punches like before. He threatened:

"If you listen to me, I'll tell my uncle that you'll be allowed to return to China in the future; if you don't listen to me, you can forget about ever going back to your hometown!"

Geng Zhi stared intently at Zheng Xiaowei.

"I'm not going back! That's not my home!"

Zheng Xiaowei, letting his straightforwardness go, clapped his hands, stood up, and said disdainfully:

"Go ahead and cause trouble. Be careful, or my uncle will completely disown you as his son, and you won't even be able to be buried in the Zheng family's ancestral graveyard."

Geng Zhi scrambled to his feet, looking disheveled.

"I am not a member of the Zheng family, and I have no relation to the Zheng family!"

Zheng Xiaowei scoffed.

"It's okay? It's like you never ate my mom's cooking or stayed at my house when you were little. Alright, you're such a grown-up and still so childish. Hurry up, what work does Boss He want me to do? I have other things to do after I finish."

Geng Zhi was so angry he was panting heavily, not understanding why the boss had agreed to let Zheng Xiaowei help.

But upon further reflection, what difference is there between him and Zheng Xiaowei? They were both burdens forced upon them by that old man surnamed Zheng. To the boss, having one more or one less makes no difference, which inevitably makes him somewhat frustrated.

He listlessly led Zheng Xiaowei to the warehouse and pointed to the packages that had just arrived that day.

"Unpack the goods, sort them and put them on the shelves, that's it."

Zheng Xiaowei looked incredulously at the stacks of packages, each as tall as a person, on the floor, then at the shelves that reached the ceiling.

"I'm here to be a middleman, not a laborer!"

Geng Zhi said irritably, "If you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then go back to China. We don't need you!"

After he finished speaking, he started unpacking the goods on his own. Zheng Xiaowei was disappointed and stood there for a while before reluctantly pulling over the freight elevator and starting to put the goods on it.

"I must have been blinded by greed to believe your father. That son of a bitch, he can't even treat his own son well, how could he possibly treat his nephew well... Ouch!"

Zheng Xiaowei let out a scream. It turned out that he had lost his footing on the ladder while carrying the goods and had fallen to the ground in a sorry state.

Geng Zhi opened the package with a straight face, but inside he was overjoyed.

Serves you right!

Privately, He Changyi advised Geng Zhi to have a high opinion of Zheng Xiaowei.

"To be honest, I don't trust your cousin, but there's nothing I can do. Director Zheng has spoken, and if I refuse him, he'll try to trip me up later. I'll just have to put up with this for now. Keep an eye on him, and if you notice anything amiss, just tell me. Our shop can't have any bad apples."

Upon hearing He Changyi's words, Geng Zhi's eyes lit up immediately.

It turns out that in the boss's mind, he and Zheng Xiaowei were different!

"Don't worry, boss, I'll keep a close eye on him for you. I don't care if I have to be a mole!"

He Changyi: ...

He Changyi patted Geng Zhi's shoulder forcefully.

Never mind, even though the child is a bit slow and can't speak, the child has a good heart.

"You should read more Chinese textbooks; the term 'traitor' isn't used here."

Geng Zhi was very eager to learn and immediately asked:

"What word should we use? Spy? Traitor? Or spy?"

He Changyi: …………

Just then, Zheng Xiaowei, who had been sent away by her, returned and overheard Geng Zhi's words. Before he could even understand what had happened, he habitually scoffed:

"Uncultured? That's called the KGB!"

He Changyi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

She was truly grateful to Director Zheng for sending such a pair of dragons and phoenixes from so far away.

While He Changyi was busy with business matters, Yan Zhengchuan and others finished up the work of the train robbery case. After arresting the remaining fugitives, they were about to escort all the criminal suspects back to China.

This is quite a difficult problem.

Since there is no extradition treaty or police cooperation mechanism between China and Emirates, Yan Zhengchuan's investigation team entered Emirates in a private capacity and participated in the investigation of the case privately.

Although there was an understanding between the two countries to secretly send the suspects in the train robbery back to South Korea for trial, transporting them back was a difficult task.

First, Yan Zhengchuan and his accomplices cannot act openly as police officers; second, they cannot allow the suspects to escape on their way back to China; and third, they cannot be obstructed by unsuspecting police officers along the way while still within Ejin Horo's territory.

It took Zhou Cheng a lot of effort just to escort Cai Caishu back to China. He had to get a mental illness diagnosis certificate from He Changyi and use Andrei's police identity to bully others. It was only with great difficulty that they managed to subdue the unruly Cai Caishu.

Cai Caishu was just a conman who had never seen blood, and in terms of danger, he was far less dangerous than the suspects in the train robbery case.

How can we get these people out of Emei intact without alerting the local police?

Yan Zhengchuan was somewhat perplexed when he thought about this problem.

Zhou Cheng actively helped his superiors solve their problems.

"Captain Yan, why don't we get a few psychiatric diagnoses from doctors, and have that person in charge send a few police officers to escort them to the station? I don't believe these prisoners will dare to run away again!"

Yan Zhengchuan glanced at him.

"A dozen or so mental patients are living in one carriage. Are you taking a train or have you brought a mental hospital on the train? Are you afraid the Oroqen people won't notice the problem?"

Zhou Cheng was speechless: "Then what should we do?"

Yan Zhengchuan sighed.

"The only thing we can do is contact our country's railway bureau to see if we can free up a carriage on the train."

Zhou Cheng said in a low voice, "But there's still a chance of being discovered..."

Yan Zhengchuan also had a headache.

The international environment is not good right now, and their superiors have instructed them to keep a low profile, especially to prevent those European and American journalists who are faster than rabbits from getting wind of the situation. Otherwise, who knows what kind of earth-shattering articles they might produce.

For example, "Mosk secretly meets with a special envoy from Beijing, seemingly returning to the socialist camp"; another example is "Chinese secret police go to the Far East to escort political prisoners".

Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

However, Russia is currently in a state of political turmoil, and the central government's control over the local areas has been greatly weakened. Not to mention that Moscow will not issue administrative orders to the cities along the train route this time, even if it does issue such orders, it is still unknown how many cities will comply.

Yan Zhengchuan could only hope that the police along the way wouldn't interfere.

But there's an old saying, "What you fear most is what will happen." Based on Yan Zhengchuan's many years of work experience, sometimes things are just that strange; the more you don't want something to happen, the more likely it is to happen in the end.

Just as he was having a headache over this, He Changyi came to visit him.

She learned from the newspaper that all the suspects in the train robbery had been apprehended and guessed that Yan Zhengchuan and the others would return to China soon.

Although Officer Yan needs to improve his language skills, he did help He Changyi a lot back at the Ural Hotel. Even if He Changyi wanted to give him a drug to make him mute, she could only think about it.

well.

If only Officer Yan couldn't speak.

What a fine comrade, why does he have to have a mouth?

After all the suspects were apprehended and there was no longer any risk of surveillance, Yan Zhengchuan and his men moved back to the embassy guesthouse. When the embassy guards told him that a woman named He Changyi had come looking for him at the gate, before he could do anything, his team members were already in an uproar.

"He Changyi? Is she the female middleman that Xiao Zhou mentioned before?"

"What's she doing here? Trying to sell us some goods?"

"Your thinking is too narrow. Can't they be patriotic overseas Chinese visiting to express their appreciation to the police?"

Among the group, Zhou Cheng was the most excited.

"Sister He is here! Make way, make way, I need to go pick her up!"

Several young people who wanted to join in the fun immediately followed.

"Take me with you, I want to go too!"

Meanwhile, the people inside the house were in complete chaos.

"Zhou Cheng, wait! Don't bring anyone in yet, I haven't put on my shirt!"

"Whose socks are these? Why are they stuffed in my hat?"

"Quick, quick, sweep the floor! Where's the trash can?!"

When He Changyi was ushered into the room, the members of the reconnaissance team were all impeccably dressed, the room was spotless, and there was even a scent in the air that resembled perfume.

However, He Changyi had sharp eyes and immediately noticed the half-sock sticking out from under the sofa.

Yan Zhengchuan coughed lightly and kicked the exposed socks under the sofa.

He Changyi silently looked away.

Having not seen each other for some time, their last meeting was an awkward encounter at the Ural Hotel. He Changyi and Yan Zhengchuan exchanged a few lukewarm pleasantries, both feeling that the conversation was progressing rather slowly.

Fortunately, Zhou Cheng was there. He enthusiastically stepped in, holding up the bag in his hand high, and said excitedly:

"Sister He brought us hot pot!"

To be precise, He Changyi brought hot pot base, as well as dipping sauces such as sesame paste, fermented bean curd, and chive blossoms, along with side dishes that are hard to find in Moscow, such as lamb rolls, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried bean curd sticks, tofu skin, and vermicelli.

In an instant, the team members, who were almost injured from eating Emei cuisine, erupted in excitement.

"Oh my god, at least we can finally get a decent meal!"

Give me a hot steamed bun, and I can eat two bottles of fermented bean curd on their own!

"Quickly, bring a sofa over for Miss He! You've really saved our lives and helped us a lot!"

Some people borrowed alcohol stoves and pots from the guesthouse, some brought over a stack of bowls and chopsticks, some brought fresh vegetables from the kitchen, and others quickly cleared space in the room and set up a round table.

In no time, the room was set up for a hot pot meal, with the pot bubbling away and the steaming aroma almost reaching the roof.

He Changyi was forced to sit in the main seat, with Yan Zhengchuan as her companion.

The two looked at each other awkwardly, while Yan Zhengchuan was being poked repeatedly by the elbow of the teammate next to him.

"Say something!"

If we don't start with some opening remarks soon, everyone's drool will be dripping into the hot pot!

Yan Zhengchuan: ...

Wait, why is there a segment where leaders are forced to speak?

Yan Zhengchuan is only good at poking people in the back; he's particularly bad at making polite conversation.

"Well, thank you to our patriotic overseas Chinese, Ms. He, for sending the hot pot. Come on, everyone, let's give her a round of applause."

The crowd applauded enthusiastically.

After the applause subsided and a long silence ensued, Zhou Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Captain Yan, is that all?"

Yan Zhengchuan glared at him: "Why don't you do it?"

He Changyi considerately took out two bottles of Erguotou from his bag—he had hidden the liquor when he entered the guesthouse, fearing it would make a bad impression.

"We're all family, so I won't bother with formalities. What I want to say is all in the wine."

Since arriving in Oros, the group hadn't seen that familiar green bottle again, and they couldn't help but cheer quietly.

Yan Zhengchuan asked doubtfully, "Can you even drink alcohol with that leg?"

He Changyi calmly poured him a drink.

"It's okay, I won't drink, you guys drink."

Yan Zhengchuan: ?

Zhou Cheng urged impatiently, "Captain Yan, hurry up and set the tone!"

He Changyi smiled and pushed a whole glass of baijiu to Yan Zhengchuan's side, whispering:

"Boss, pull yourself together, don't embarrass yourself, the brothers are all watching you."

The initial awkwardness completely disappeared, and Yan Zhengchuan pointed at He Changyi.

"Okay, you've got it."

He raised his glass, stood up, and addressed the crowd:

"First of all, thank you, Ms. He, for coming to express your condolences. The people's police protect the people, and the people support the people's police. This toast is to her."

Zhou Cheng was the first to shout, "Good!"

He Changyi didn't hesitate, poured himself a small glass of baijiu, raised his glass, and stood up on one leg.

"I also want to thank our police officers for traveling all the way to Moscow to apprehend the robbers. Now everyone will no longer have to worry about being robbed on trains. This toast is to Captain Yan and to everyone."

He Changyi readily downed his drink, and Yan Zhengchuan didn't stop him. Instead, he downed his own glass of baijiu. The others also raised their glasses, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

The police officers, whose nerves had been on edge ever since entering Eros, were finally able to relax for a moment. Some were laughing, some were drinking heavily, and others were taking the opportunity to feast on hot pot.

Yan Zhengchuan, slightly tipsy, tapped the guy with the tip of his chopsticks.

"I see you're having a hard time getting it in. Why don't you just strip naked and jump in?"

This person was also quite drunk, and even thought about it seriously for a moment.

"It's not that it's impossible, it's just that once you jump in, how are you going to climb out..."

Yan Zhengchuan said, "Why bother with all that effort? Just swim in there."

He Changyi, slightly tipsy, rested his chin on his hand and said to Yan Zhengchuan, "Captain Yan, do you often get beaten up because of your mouth?"

Yan Zhengchuan categorically denied it.

"How could that be? Who could possibly beat me!"

He Changyi pondered.

"Then it seems there are still two types of people who can be defeated..."

Yan Zhengchuan didn't hear clearly and was about to retort:

"What do you mean, Class Two? Even if Class Three and Class Four were all combined, they still couldn't beat me!"

Zhou Cheng turned around with his glass and came back to toast He Changyi again, but Yan Zhengchuan stopped him by covering the mouth of the glass.

"Give me a break. With her legs like that, you're probably afraid she's not lame enough."

He Changyi protested: "No, who are you calling lame?"

Yan Zhengchuan said lazily, "Throw a stone at the pack of dogs, and hit the one that barks the loudest."

He Changyi started rolling up his sleeves.

"Officer Yan, let me tell you, you're damaging police-community relations."

Yan Zhengchuan: "That's really scary. Why don't you go and complain to our political commissar?"

He Changyi pointed at him and said, "You just wait... Zhou Cheng, Zhou Cheng! Write down the address of your bureau. I'm going to report some police officers who are as cold and heartless as a winter to their fellow citizens."

Yan Zhengchuan muttered to himself, "If I were as warm as spring to you, some Russian would be coming to my door demanding an explanation..."

He Changyi asked sharply, "What are you talking about?"

Yan Zhengchuan readily changed his tune: "It's nothing, just expressing my feelings about the deep friendship between the people of China and Emei."

He Changyi: ...

I didn't understand, but that bastard must be talking badly about her.

Zhou Cheng finally realized, belatedly, that he had come to find He Changyi for the original purpose.

"Sister He, can you give us some ideas on how to smuggle prisoners back to Russia right under the noses of the Russians?"

He Changyi: "A diagnosis certificate for mental illness?"

Zhou Cheng immediately denied it.

"No, Captain Yan won't let us run a mental hospital on a train!"

Yan Zhengchuan: ...

"No, wait a minute, is that what I meant?"

Neither of them paid him any attention, and they were both busy brainstorming.

"Knock them out and put them on the train."

"No, no, what if I wake up halfway through?"

"Why don't we just break their arms and legs and poison them until they're mute?"

"Hiss, isn't that a bit too cruel?"

"Oh dear, they didn't feel any cruelty when they were killing people, so why do you pity them?"

"That makes sense."

Yan Zhengchuan finally couldn't help but interrupt the conversation.

"Can't you guys do something that doesn't break the law? After you transport these suspects back to China, are you planning to put them in the prison next door?"

Zhou Cheng chuckled twice.

He Changyi lay sprawled on the table and said lazily:

"Want to make it legal? That's easy. I'll find a truckload of goods to transport back to China from Moscow, without stopping or unloading along the way. You just stuff the people into the truck, and release them after we cross the border. That's all there is to it, isn't it?"

Yan Zhengchuan initially didn't take it seriously, but the more he listened, the more he felt there was a chance.

"Hey, Mr. He, when does your freight train depart?"

He Changyi pretended to be surprised and climbed up from the table.

"Sir, you're using freight trains to transport prisoners. Can't you do something legal?"

Yan Zhengchuan remained calm and composed.

"There's nothing I can do. I've been following you around. Even I, a pure and upright successor of socialism, have been corrupted."

He Changyi: ...

He Changyi said from the bottom of his heart:

"Boss, you should have some shame."