"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Li Qiang couldn't help asking when he saw Zhao Xiaohai's absent-minded look.

"Oh, nothing," Zhao Xiaohai recovered, put his arm around Li Qiang's shoulder, and smiled. "I was thinking about the concern you mentioned earlier. Well, you're quite reasonable, but from another perspective, considering the current state of mind of the Russians, I feel that while your concern is unlikely to materialize, the chances are slim. The Russians are currently engaged in intense internal strife, and each side faces a major dilemma: a lack of funds. Politics isn't just about power; on a deeper level, it's also about money. Without sufficient financial support, even the reincarnation of Stalin wouldn't be able to survive in this world. Every ship needs people like us. We're like ballast. Without us, they can't withstand the brunt of the storm. And our inclinations can directly affect the stability of each side. Hehe, the most crucial issue now is whether we're sufficient ballast—in other words, whether we have sufficient financial resources."

Li Qiang naturally had no doubts about his brother's opinion. In his opinion, there was no one in the world with a clearer mind than his elder brother, not to mention that his analysis just now was absolutely reasonable.

"Brother, what do you think I should do next? Find someone to contact the troops on the trade route?" Li Qiang continued to ask.

"No, you have to go there in person," Zhao Xiaohai said without hesitation. "I think we can do this. When the next batch of goods arrives, you can go directly to Ussuriysk to pick it up. I think by going there this time, you'll have met everyone you need to."

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Li Qiang nodded in agreement.

"Qiangzi, if you want to have a good relationship with the Russians, you must remember one thing: you can't be stingy or petty at any time," Zhao Xiaohai said earnestly as he pulled his brother back. "You need to pay special attention to this this time. As long as their requests are not too excessive, you can accept them without discussing it with me. Even if they don't make any requests, you should take the initiative to offer benefits. Haha, in our line of work, the most feared thing is that people only care about putting money in their own pockets and are reluctant to spend money. Only by sharing the benefits equally can we get people to work for us wholeheartedly."

As they talked, the two of them walked to the corner of a row of warehouses. Zhao Xiaohai remembered the matter that had been on his mind for some time, so he said to Li Qiang, "Li Qiang, I'll let your sister Jin return home next month. By then, it will be just the two of us left here. I've also made up my mind. I want to focus on developing here in the future. I don't think I'll have many opportunities to return home this year."

"That's great." Li Qiang was excited at first, but soon his mood became depressed.

Zhao Xiaohai knew why. Business was his priority, so returning home would be difficult. Without saying anything, Zhao Xiaohai patted his brother's shoulder and pushed him towards his residence.

Holding an umbrella, the two brothers slowly walked along the tarmac road between the warehouse's granaries. As the small building came into view, they saw a drenched officer running toward them in a panic. Looking closely, Zhao Xiaohai realized it was none other than Kochamov, the man he'd been drinking with. For some reason, at that moment, Zhao Xiaohai had a terrible feeling—something was wrong.

"Mr. Zhao, Mr. Zhao!" Kochamov obviously saw the two brothers and shouted from a distance, "It's not good, it's not good..."

"What's the matter?" Not caring about getting wet in the rain, Zhao Xiaohai rushed out from the shelter of the umbrella and walked quickly towards him to ask.

"Secret police, secret police are coming." Kochamov was a little out of breath. He grabbed Zhao Xiaohai's arm and said breathlessly.

"Secret police?!" Zhao Xiaohai's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help but ask, "What are they doing here?"

"They're coming after you, and they're coming with such force, it doesn't look like they're up to no good." Kochamov was also starting to panic. The secret police were a terrifying presence to begin with, and now, there were over twenty of them, all armed, led by a second lieutenant. And now, Kuvalkin wasn't around. This was a serious problem.

"Where are they?" It would be a lie to say that he wasn't worried, but Zhao Xiaohai hadn't lost his composure. He even remembered what Sophia had said at the beginning, but these people showed up too quickly.

"They're still at the door. I've temporarily blocked them outside, using the excuse that this is a strategically located storage facility and outsiders must seek permission from higher-ups," Kochamov said hastily. "But I don't think they'll be delayed for long. The most important thing now is to quickly notify divisional headquarters and have Comrade Zyuganov intervene. Otherwise, sir, you'll be in big trouble."

"Are they here just to find me?" Zhao Xiaohai nodded first, then asked calmly.

"Yes, I'm looking for you." Kochamov looked at Li Qiang with a serious face and said.

"Okay, I'll go meet them right away. You can't avoid this kind of thing," Zhao Xiaohai put his hand on Li Qiang's shoulder and said in a deliberately relaxed tone, "Li Qiang, go contact the outside world now and tell General Zyuganov everything that happened here truthfully. Remember, don't let him rescue me. Just get some information for you. Tonight, if you don't get any news from me, you...you immediately take your sister Jin back home and don't bother me anymore."

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