The soldiers immediately went forward, took control of the truck's cab, and drove the truck away.

This method is actually quite common, and is often used in ocean freighter transportation.

With this one transaction, three million US dollars were immediately freed up and brought over to Old Yang and his group.

The remaining two million, as agreed, can be transferred to Alexander's overseas bank account.

Alexander casually pulled out a few bills, checked their authenticity, then waved his hand, and several people came over and counted the money in the sack.

There's no need to count them one by one; just count them clearly in stacks.

After all the money had been counted, Alexander ordered his men to carry the sacks away and load them onto the truck. Then, the group hugged Sheng Xiping and Wu Yucheng goodbye.

"Sheng, it was a pleasure working with you. I wish you all the best and look forward to working with you again."

"It's been a pleasure working together. I'll ship the remaining supplies over in a few days. Let's find some time to have a drink together sometime," Sheng Xiping said with a smile, patting the other man on the back.

The transaction was successfully completed, and Alexander, along with his men, returned to the other side of the river.

Sheng Xiping and his team also hurried to get on the bus and return to their border post.

After all that commotion, it was quite late when they got back. The local leaders specially arranged for the cooks to prepare a meal so that everyone could eat and warm up.

"We're making an exception for tonight; you can drink alcohol. This is our victory celebration, and you must drink it."

Old Yang was overjoyed and ordered several cases of wine to be brought over, insisting on drinking a celebratory toast with everyone.

Since Old Yang had spoken, no one else could say anything else, so everyone started eating, drinking, and having a good time.

In the end, whether they were commanders or soldiers, they were all drunk.

It was the middle of the night, and going back would be too much of a hassle, so Sheng Xiping and the others simply stayed at the military camp.

The next morning, Yang and the others were about to leave for another place. Before leaving, Yang and several leaders praised Sheng Xiping again.

"Comrade Xiao Sheng, you've done a great job this time. Don't worry, I'll definitely recommend you for commendation when we get back. I won't let you work for nothing."

"Commander, I was just the one who facilitated the connection. It's nothing special. I was just doing my best to contribute to the country," Sheng Xiping said modestly.

"Good comrade, not arrogant or complacent, not boastful of your achievements, good." A leader of a higher rank than Wu Bingzhong patted Sheng Xiping on the shoulder and exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'll convert those cars into cash and transfer it to your company's account later. And I'll definitely pay you back the one million US dollars you helped raise."

The trucks carrying the cargo containers were obtained by Sheng Xiping through barter for supplies, but they lacked proper customs clearance documents.

If we follow Sheng Xiping's method, we would need to obtain additional documentation from the customs and border inspection department before we can sell the product.

Last night, after discussion, the leaders decided to keep the trucks, which would save them from various formalities. They could simply pay Sheng Xiping the market price later.

After all, Sheng Xiping has helped so much, we can't let him lose money.

"Oh, thank you very much, esteemed leaders. If you need anything in the future, just let me know, and I will do my best to fulfill your request within my capabilities."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Xiping thought the arrangement was quite good, so he politely bid farewell to everyone.

After dealing with the follow-up issues of this batch of special goods, Sheng Xiping did not stay in Heihe for long.

With Sun Jinggang and others here, it's normal trade activity, so Sheng Xiping doesn't need to personally oversee it. However, he's a little worried about the shopping mall and needs to go back to the capital to check on it.

So, on the 28th, Sheng Xiping and Wu Yucheng flew back to the capital to begin preparations for the mall's opening.

The news that the shopping mall will open on January 24 has been widely publicized to the capital and surrounding towns through newspapers, radio, television and other channels.

Normally, once the twelfth lunar month arrives, everyone would be buying New Year's goods.

The mall has announced that many items no longer require tickets; customers can simply pay with cash.

I wonder how many people are waiting and hoping for the mall to open so they can come and have a look.

In fact, starting in 1983, ration coupons such as grain coupons and oil coupons were gradually phased out.

However, many industrial products, especially those in high demand such as home appliances, still require ration coupons.

It's almost the end of the year, and who wouldn't want to bring home a big color TV and watch the Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve?

In the past, color TVs required coupons, and you might not be able to save up enough even after a year. Now that everyone hears that coupons are no longer needed, they're all eager to get their hands on them.

Before we knew it, December had arrived, and the shopping mall was busy preparing for its grand opening ceremony.

Although Sheng Xiping wasn't highly educated, he had at least lived an extra lifetime and seen a bit of the world.

For the opening of this shopping mall, not only were leaders from relevant departments invited to cut the ribbon, but also singers and actors were hired at great expense to perform on site.

In addition, there will be a lucky draw on site. Anyone who spends a certain amount will have a chance to win a prize. The first prize is a car, the second prize is a color TV, and the third prize is a bicycle.

Even if you don't win the grand prize, you'll still receive small gifts such as eggs, toilet paper, candy, and soy sauce.

People say that on the seventh and eighth days of the twelfth lunar month, your chin will freeze off. The capital city is indeed very cold at this time.

We thought that the customer flow wouldn't be particularly large in this temperature, so we chose to open on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, a Sunday.

But no one expected that before seven o'clock in the morning, a long queue had already formed outside the mall, stretching as far as the eye could see.

When Sheng Xiping chose to build the shopping mall near the Third Ring Road, many people laughed behind his back, saying that he was stupid to open a shopping mall in the suburbs and rural areas, and who would go there?

However, at this moment, many people are glad that they chose this location; if they were inside the Second Ring Road, the traffic would be completely jammed today.

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