Chapter 9 First Impression of Mosk (Revised)

Surprisingly, the Moscow train station is very—

Dirty and messy.

The ground was littered with garbage, sewage flowed everywhere, and beggars and drunkards were everywhere.

It's clear that this train station in the heart of Mosk was once magnificent, but now it's dilapidated, like a yellowed lace dress riddled with holes by insects.

Unlike China, train stations in Russia do not require ticket checks, and people can enter and exit freely.

Inside the station, some people lay down on the ground with newspapers spread out on the floor, some leaned against the wall drinking, and there were smokers everywhere.

Passengers on the Zhong'e train filed out, their unfamiliar foreign faces attracting many ill-intentioned stares.

The traders instinctively clutched their leather bags, filled with rubles, to their chests, trying to shield themselves from the covetous glances coming from all directions.

He Changyi followed the crowd out of the train station, looking at the scene before him with curiosity.

Everything here was completely unfamiliar to her.

A new map that urgently needs to be explored.

"Miss He, you must be very careful. Don't trust anyone here. Absolutely do not trust the Russians, and it's best not to trust any Chinese people you don't know either..."

Before parting, Xie Xun enthusiastically shared some survival tips for Moscow with He Changyi.

Xie Shirong impatiently interjected:

"Are you ever going to stop? Stop nagging and talking so much! Hurry up, we still need to pick up our checked luggage!"

Xie Xun fell silent with some regret, then extended a hand to He Changyi.

"Then, Miss He, will we say goodbye?"

In theory, a handshake should be initiated by the lady or the person in a higher position. However, after six days and six nights of living and eating together, it seems somewhat inappropriate to be concerned about such social etiquette at this point.

He Changyi simply grabbed his hand, shook it twice, and then let go.

"Go ahead and do your thing, there's nothing to worry about here."

Xie Shirong said, "Did you hear that? They don't need your concern!"

Xie Xun wasn't annoyed. He smiled and said, "At least let me call a taxi for Miss He to go to the hotel. She just arrived in Mosk and can't even speak the Emei language properly. I'll see this through to the end."

Xie Shirong couldn't persuade Xie Xun otherwise, so he had no choice but to huff and puff as he let him fawn over that fierce woman who had nothing but her pretty face.

However, when Xie Xun turned around, he couldn't find He Changyi.

"Miss He?"

She flowed smoothly into the bustling crowd of Mosk, like a drop of water.

Xie Xun lowered his eyes thoughtfully, and the hand he had just shaken lightly closed again.

...very vigilant.

Xie Shirong urged, "Let's go! They don't even care about you, I can't be bothered to talk to you, you just fawn over any pretty woman you see..."

Xie Xun simply said, "Miss He is not the kind of person you described."

Xie Shirong scoffed, "Then who is she? Is she some kind of fairy?"

Xie Xun revealed a smile that was completely different from his usual one, and carried a hint of aggression.

"A very capable and interesting woman."

The voices of the Xie family uncle and nephew grew fainter and fainter until they were completely drowned out by the Emei dialect of the surrounding crowd.

He Changyi walked on the streets of Mosk, where her height was no longer noticeable, and she even appeared somewhat petite.

However, her usual long strides do give her a certain imposing presence.

Reaching a crossroads, He Changyi looked at the map and gestured that he wanted to take a taxi.

However, before the taxi arrived, local specialties came first.

A young man dressed in a full Adidas tracksuit and shoes, dressed in a stylish Osaka style, blocked He Changyi's way, eyeing her luggage bag menacingly.

Her bag was full of rubles; if someone robbed her, she was prepared to beg all the way to the embassy to be repatriated.

She took a step back, staring at the energetic young man, while wrapping the strap of her duffel bag around her wrist.

Passersby were unfazed and walked past the suspected robbery scene with blank expressions.

The energetic young man pointed to the duffel bag in her hand and said a long string of words to He Changyi in a menacing manner.

"I don't understand, but—"

He Changyi suddenly laughed: "You dare to steal my money? Let me give you a piece of advice: Sukabul."

The young man couldn't understand He Changyi's Chinese, but Sukabrüt could. He was immediately surprised and angry, not expecting that this Asian woman would not only refuse to hand over the rubles but also dare to curse him.

He stepped forward and raised his hand to push He Changyi's shoulder.

He Changyi narrowed his eyes, clenched his fist, and aimed at his wide-open liver area.

Just then, a Russian male voice suddenly rang out.

The energetic young man paused, and he and He Changyi looked at the Russian man who had spoken.

A bear...

This was He Changyi's first reaction when she saw him.

The man was extremely tall, about 1.9 meters, with broad shoulders and a strong build. The shadow he cast when he stood there could completely envelop a person.

Black hair, gray eyes, and a gaze like that of a wolf on the hunt.

He wore an old jacket, his hair was shaved very short, and he had a dangerous air about him, like a mafia member.

Or perhaps he always was.

The young man muttered something unwillingly, but under the man's silent and pressure-filled gaze, he was forced to give up the easy prey he had just obtained. He glared fiercely at He Changyi and turned sullenly to another passenger carrying a bag who had just gotten off the train.

A cry for help came from the side. He Changyi looked at the man in front of her, her fist, which was ready to strike back, was not relaxed, but instead became even more taut.

The man showed no interest in her luggage, merely glancing at her coldly before turning away without a word.

He Changyi only slowly exhaled after the man had walked away.

This awful place is no place to stay; we have to get out of here right away.

He Changyi quickly left the area, and when he was pleasantly surprised to find a group of people of Asian descent among the Slavs with their high noses and deep-set eyes, he hurried over to them.

At least let her get a taxi here in peace.

However, instead of seeing the friendliness of their compatriots in this foreign land, the group looked at He Changyi strangely.

Several of them took a few steps to the side, subtly forming a circle around each other.

No way...

He Changyi immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to leave.

However, someone pulled out a foot-long Xiongnu knife from their clothes and pressed forward towards He Changyi.

He Changyi: ...She just escaped one wolf's den only to fall into another. What bad luck! How did she end up in the den of thieves among the Xiongnu?

She had heard other traders mention the Hunnic thieves on this train while she was still on the train.

This group fully embodied the nomadic spirit of their ancestors; if they couldn't steal, they would rob; if they couldn't rob, they would beat; they even dared to swing axes and chop people up from their vehicles.

The traders suffered greatly at the hands of the Xiongnu, and they spoke of it with a vengeance.

He Changyi was initially relieved that he hadn't encountered any Hunnic thieves on the train, but unexpectedly, he ran into a well-organized Hunnic gang after getting off the train.

She then thought of going to church to offer some rubles to the local Godfather.

He Changyi's mind raced, trying to figure out how to escape unharmed from the knife-wielding bandits.

She caught a glimpse of a policeman in the distance and immediately shouted at him:

"Kadaw!"

Kada'u means "lifesaving" in the Ego language. Apart from Sukabul, He Changyi remembers this word the most clearly.

"Kadau! Kadau! Kadau!"

Fearing the policeman might not hear her, He Changyi waved her hand and shouted at him several times.

However, the middle-aged policeman merely glanced in their direction indifferently before turning and leaving.

He Changyi was taken aback. Was her explanation not clear enough? Or was the situation here unclear?

A lone woman carrying a duffel bag is surrounded by a group of men with knives who seem to have ill intentions. Even a fool would realize something is wrong.

And the policeman just left as if nothing had happened?

After letting his own countrymen go free and beating foreign victims, He Changyi was once again shocked by the Russian police.

Although it is no longer a socialist country, it can't just give up being a modern civilized society, can it?

—Clearly, they really dare.

He Changyi watched helplessly as the middle-aged policeman walked further and further away, while the Hun man in front of her showed a mocking expression, as if laughing at her, a foreigner, for not adapting to local customs at all, and actually daring to expect the local police to save her life.

It seems I can only rely on myself...

He Changyi pursed his lips, staring intently at the Xiongnu people around him, observing the gaps between their positions, ready to flee for his life at any moment.

The Huns also realized that this woman was not the pushover they had previously taken advantage of.

They exchanged glances, blocking all possible escape routes for her, like hyenas hunting.

Just as a conflict was about to erupt, suddenly, someone abruptly barged into the hunting grounds.

"#￥%&*@#!"

The Xiongnu people's expressions changed, and they hid their drawn swords back in their sleeves, retreating nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.

He Changyi only saw a figure blocking her way, wearing a police uniform, thin and tall, with golden hair peeking out from under the hat.

He gripped his holster with one hand, his body tense, and looked warily at the Hun.

Once the Xiongnu people had scattered, he turned around, grabbed He Changyi, and walked away at a very fast pace, almost half-carrying and half-dragging her, until he brought her to a safe place before slowing down.

It was only at this moment that He Changyi could see his face clearly.

blonde hair and blue eyes...

A familiar face, but an unfamiliar expression.

He didn't seem so serious, at least not at the Friendship Store.

The young policeman recognized He Changyi and stared in surprise, muttering something in English.

He Changyi shrugged apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying."

She only learned a few phrases for selling goods and asking for help, cough cough, and some swear words; she hasn't had time to learn anything else yet.

The young police officer realized that the two could not communicate, so he reached out and took the map from He Changyi's hand, gesturing to ask her where she was going.

He Changyi pointed out the location of a hotel circled on the map to him.

The young policeman looked around, then flagged down a taxi by the roadside, opened the door, shoved He Changyi inside, leaned over and said something to the driver before closing the door and signaling the driver to drive off.

He Changyi rolled down the car window.

When will I be able to see you again?

The young policeman raised an eyebrow in confusion. His face was like that of the Happy Prince from a fairy tale, radiant and pure, with a strange allure.

At least that's how He Changyi sees it.

His behavior, especially when he had just escaped danger, was strikingly different and left a deep impression.

Absolutely captivating.

What's even more fascinating is his uniform.

He Changyi grabbed the young policeman's hand, handed him a pen, and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his snow-white arms.

Write your phone number here.

"At least in Mosk, I want to see you again."

Whether the young policeman understood or saw through He Changyi's actions, he pursed his thin lips and his ears flushed slightly.

The taxi driver didn't rush him, but instead peered over with great interest, his face full of gossip.

He Changyi pulled his hand and urged him to write quickly.

The young policeman glanced at He Changyi, quickly wrote a string of numbers on her hand, then forcibly shoved her arm back into the car and signaled the driver to hurry up and drive.

He Changyi smiled and said goodbye to him, admiring the beautifully written numbers all the way until the vehicle arrived at the Swan Hotel.

This hotel was recommended by Xie Xun. It is said to be run by Chinese people and is specifically for them. It was the most suitable place to stay when you first arrive in Moscow.

However, when He Changyi arrived at the hotel, she found a huge sign at the entrance with a line of Chinese characters written on it in stiff font—

[No entry for Chinese citizens!]

A note from the author:

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Again at midnight~

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