Chapter 21 Rising to Fame
Before leaving Mosk, He Changyi went to the wholesale market one last time.
Xie Xun opened the door, and he looked somewhat surprised.
I thought you didn't want to come anymore.
He Changyi countered with a question:
"Why didn't you come? I still have debts to pay. Here, this is the two hundred dollars I owe you. Now we're even."
Xie Xun refused the money, his expression somber.
"I'm the one who owes you... I'm sorry for making you go through all this trouble for nothing. I can't accept this money; consider it my apology."
The cluttered background and dim lighting made Xie Xun's delicate and handsome face look exceptionally charming.
Especially when he looks at people with those puppy-dog-like, wet eyes, it seems like you can't help but forgive him no matter how big his mistake is.
Besides, it wasn't his fault in the first place.
He Changyi remained unmoved.
She reached out and stuffed the US dollar into his shirt pocket, then casually patted his chest.
"I have no comment on your business styles, uncle and nephew. If I had to say something, it would be that you have different principles and cannot work together. I don't know whether Xie Shirong's bargaining over prices was his own decision or a mutual agreement between you two—"
Xie Xun was about to explain something when He Changyi raised her hand to stop him.
"Although it did cause me some trouble, the problem has been solved, and I even turned a misfortune into a blessing, which pointed me in a new direction."
He Changyi suddenly changed the subject.
"However, I do not intend to forgive you, and I will not accept any so-called apology. I have always believed that it is best to be clean and honest in one's conduct. Once debts are paid off, there will be no further entanglement between us, and we can be strangers in peace from now on."
Xie Xun pondered for a moment, then said with a wry smile:
"Miss He, you've made me feel even more ashamed."
He Changyi said with a heart of stone:
"That's your surviving conscience acting up. Once you reach Xie Shirong's level, you won't feel anything anymore."
Xie Xun lowered his head, and when he raised it again, the pitiful bitter smile on his face had vanished, replaced by his usual smiling face.
“Miss He, you don’t need to be so wary. I have no ill intentions towards you.”
He Changyi crossed his arms and said casually:
"Who knows? Didn't you say yourself that you should be careful of your fellow countrymen when you're abroad? I always follow advice."
Xie Xun smiled and shook his head.
"Ms. He, I really just want to be friends with you."
He Changyi was too lazy to continue the pretense. This pretty little fox, seemingly innocent but actually cunning, was no easier to deal with than Xie Shirong, that bald old fox.
"I never make friends with men."
Xie Xun asked her curiously:
"Don't you ever have any male friends? How do you usually interact with the opposite sex?"
He Changyi glanced at him and suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“Choose the ones you find most pleasing to the eye, and then take care of them.”
Xie Xun: ? ? ? !!!
Xie Xun choked and burst into a violent cough.
He Changyi was pleased to see Xie Xun's face turn red from choking, and felt that she had said everything she needed to say, so she decided to leave.
Xie Xun stopped her.
He Changyi asked impatiently:
"What's up?"
Xie Xun's face still had a flush from coughing. He looked down at He Changyi and suddenly revealed a beautiful smile that was completely different from his usual one.
"Miss He, do you find me pleasing to the eye?"
When the China-Emei International Train, which departed from Mosk, arrived at its final destination, a sandstorm was raging in Beijing.
He Changyi, wearing sunglasses and carrying a small bag, got off the train with a flourish, only to be covered in dust and dirt as soon as she left the station.
It was morning, but the sky was so dim and yellowish that it looked like someone had put a cyberpunk apocalypse filter on Beijing. You couldn't tell men from women from three meters away, you couldn't tell humans from animals from five meters away, and you could enthusiastically wave to telephone poles from ten meters away.
With sand and stones flying everywhere, cars on the road were collectively forced to undergo a thorough and free sandblasting process.
He Changyi fled in a disheveled state, hailed a taxi, and rushed inside. Only after entering the hotel did she finally feel like she could catch her breath.
If you take off your clothes and shake them, you can sift out at least two pounds of sand.
He Changyi carefully untied her stylishly braided hair, and along with the sand, several gold necklaces fell out.
Fortunately, her hair had grown a bit longer during this time, otherwise it would have been inconvenient to braid things into it.
She unscrewed the huge stainless steel thermos, poured out the boiling water, then reached in and turned it around a few times, took out a tightly sealed lid, and then tilted the thermos over, causing a shower of jewelry to fall.
This time, He Changyi was lucky enough not to encounter the exceptionally meticulous and conscientious staff member from last time when she went through customs.
In addition, she filled in $500 when declaring foreign exchange at the border, which greatly reduced the scrutiny she faced when returning to China with less travel.
Even so, if customs finds any jewelry she is carrying, it will probably be confiscated.
He Changyi braided part of the soft, easily bendable gold necklace into her hair, and hid the rest in the compartment of her newly bought thermos. She filled it with boiling water, opened the lid, and placed it in the most conspicuous position on the table, where steam rose.
When customs officers entered the compartment for inspection, they didn't even glance at the thermos cup. Instead, they reminded He Changyi to cover the cup properly to prevent boiling water from splashing out and scalding his fellow passengers.
He Changyi nodded obediently, her little braid swaying by her ear.
The customs inspection did not last long because they found someone smuggling a dog onto the train in the next compartment.
The dog is a purebred curly-haired breed that can only grow to the length of a forearm. It has black eyes and a wet nose. It is both incredibly intelligent and pitiful. One of these dogs can fetch a high price of eight thousand yuan in China.
This was the first time He Changyi had ever seen someone smuggle a dog onto a train.
However, according to other smugglers on the bus, there are quite a few people in Mosk who specialize in dog trafficking. A thermos can be exchanged for a curly-haired dog, which can then be resold to celebrities and wealthy people in China, and the demand still exceeds the supply.
The thermos only costs thirty yuan, which is simply a business with no investment and huge profits.
However, customs officials in both Zhong and E are now conducting strict inspections, making the dog trafficking business risky.
Just like this time, Oslo customs discovered smuggled curly-haired dogs and immediately required the owners to vaccinate their puppies, costing $150 per shot, along with an Oslo-language quarantine certificate.
Having a certificate of conformity is not enough; you also have to pay customs duties—one hundred US dollars or twenty thousand rubles. It's very humane; the dog owner can choose for themselves.
By the time the train left Russia, the cost of the poodle had skyrocketed from thirty dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars plus thirty yuan, which was well worth the dog's good looks.
The dog owner was furious.
"Those extortionate Russians!"
When the train arrived at Holejin, the Zhongguo Customs also discovered the curly-haired dog.
So, in a very short time, Mao Pitou received two injections.
He Changyi didn't know if the puppy's bottom hurt, but judging from the dog owner's expression, it must have been quite painful for him.
After returning to Beijing, He Changyi rested for two days as usual. On the third day, she wrapped her head in a scarf, put on sunglasses, stood at the hotel entrance, took a deep breath to prepare herself, and then pushed open the door and plunged into the dim sandstorm.
The number of customers in Xidan was not high, and the owners and salespersons of the various stalls sat in chairs, drowsy.
He Changyi, familiar with the place, arrived at a small, secluded stall, took off his sunglasses, and greeted the owner, who was trimming threads inside, warmly.
"Old Wu!"
The leather jackets sold at Lao Wu's stall were the most cost-effective ones He Changyi found in Xidan. Whether it was the style, the material, or the workmanship, they far surpassed those at other stalls.
He Changyi bought leather jackets from Lao Wu twice and never encountered any cheating. He could find a flaw in all the hundreds of leather jackets he bought.
However, Lao Wu was not very happy when he saw He Changyi.
"Why are you here again?"
His attitude made it seem less like he was meeting a wealthy client and more like he was being confronted by a debt collector.
He Changyi didn't take it to heart and pulled up a chair to sit down with a grin.
"Old Wu, let's talk this over. How about we ship the goods first and then you pay? I'll give you a 30% deposit, that's a lot."
"Impossible! Don't even think about it!"
Old Wu refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.
He Changyi wasn't angry. She pulled over the clothes hanging on the wall next to her, touched them, and then turned them inside out to look at the stitches.
"Is this your wife's cooking? I'm telling you, Lao Wu, you're too stingy. You own a factory, why are you still making your wife work as a laborer?"
Old Wu snatched the clothes from He Changyi's hand, afraid that she would get them dirty.
“We craftsmen earn our money through hard work, unlike you middlemen who make money off of the wind. We work a day to earn a living, and if we don’t work, we have nothing to eat. Not to mention my wife, I have to trim loose threads whenever I have a spare moment, and when I get home, I have to work the night shift on the sewing machine!”
He Changyi argued:
"Old Wu, you're prejudiced against middlemen. Who says money falls from the sky? I'm always risking my life, okay? One wrong move and I'm dead. Just this time, a taxi driver almost dragged me to the wilderness and killed me!"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Old Wu's face, and he said stiffly:
"Aren't you perfectly fine?"
Before He Changyi could continue to refute, he changed the subject and said:
"Alright, I know you want a leather jacket. I'll still give you sixty yuan this time. You can carry as many as you want from the warehouse later."
He Changyi knew this was Lao Wu's disguised apology, so he immediately seized the opportunity.
"What about a deposit? Is 50% okay?"
Old Wu's powerful roar burst forth from the small stall.
"Get out of here!"
He Changyi dropped the money and fled in his leather jacket.
Old Wu is a skilled tailor, but he's too rigid and inflexible. Compared to his fellow villagers, he's practically a blockhead.
While his fellow villagers' businesses grew bigger and bigger, Old Wu was still running a small family workshop with slow business, barely making ends meet.
However, precisely because of Lao Wu's meticulous personality, he never thinks about cutting corners, let alone doing anything like selling inferior goods or cheating acquaintances. You can always feel at ease buying goods from him.
When He Changyi took the initiative to come to him, Lao Wu was indifferent and unresponsive, acting like the client when he was clearly the service provider.
At the time, other stalls on the market would ship the goods after receiving a 20% deposit, but Lao Wu insisted on full payment and offered no discounts whatsoever; rounding down was absolutely out of the question.
After a moment's consideration, He Changyi agreed. Old Wu looked at her with particular surprise, probably because he had never encountered such a straightforward sucker before.
Later, when He Changyi came to buy goods again, he saw a little girl obediently doing her homework on a chair; it was Old Wu's daughter.
She was quite surprised, never expecting that Old Wu, with his coffin-like face, could give birth to such a soft and cute daughter.
She happened to have nowhere to put the Oros matryoshka dolls she had bought on the train, so she gave them to the little girl.
The little girl was overjoyed and couldn't put the giant nesting doll down her hands. She struggled to carry it to show Old Wu.
Old Wu glanced at He Changyi and said stiffly:
"How much is the matryoshka doll? I'll pay you; I won't take your stuff for free."
He Changyi patted the little girl's braids and said with a smile:
"I'm happy to give it to her, because the little girl looks so radiant and full of hope for a peaceful and prosperous nation."
She glanced at Old Wu, then said:
"If I looked like you, I wouldn't sell myself even if the price were increased tenfold."
Old Wu: ?
No, how can this person be so mean, insulting people indirectly!
Whether it was the power of the matryoshka dolls or the little girl's infectious smile, Old Wu relented and reduced the price of the seventy-yuan leather jacket by ten yuan.
—Of course, it's also possible that He Changyi bought more than fifty leather jackets in one go, directly solving the problem of Lao Wu's inventory backlog, and the money that had been tied up in goods for a long time finally started to circulate again.
He Changyi spent three days shopping in major stores in the capital. When she arrived at the train station again, she was not alone; three porters were following behind her.
The station staff responsible for weighing the goods all recognized He Changyi, and seeing this, they smiled and reminded him:
"Miss, you've far exceeded the 35-kilogram limit. How much overweight fee will you have to pay?"
He Changyi smiled without saying a word, and held up the train ticket in his hand, fanning it out like a deck of cards.
—The four consecutive train tickets radiated brilliant light.
He Changyi bought all the train tickets for the entire compartment. The temporary workers he hired carried large and small bags onto the train, filling the compartment to the brim, leaving only enough room for one person to pass through.
The other passengers in the carriage came over to admire this spectacle, marveling at it.
"How much will this cost?"
"Hey, do you guys think this woman is the one Lai Zi was talking about?"
"I know, she's that female black marketeer who can fight even better than a man!"
"That's a great idea. I'll do something like that someday. Wouldn't that be much more efficient than ants moving house?"
"Awesome, absolutely awesome!"
"It's really strange these days. Women are more daring and enterprising than men, and the key is that they actually succeed!"
"Don't underestimate women. As Chairman Mao said, women hold up half the sky!"
Meanwhile, He Changyi, who was at the center of the discussion, appeared outside the train conductor's rest room.
She knocked on the door, and the young train attendant opened it in surprise. Behind her, the older train attendants were curiously craning their necks to look at her.
He Changyi held up the green, long-necked glass bottle in her hand, the red five-pointed star on the bottle shining brightly.
"Friend, would you like to try some vodka from China?"
The international train sped along the tracks, passing through the Far East, crossing Lake Baikal, and traversing the Ural Mountains; six days and six nights passed in the blink of an eye.
As the train was about to arrive at Mosk station, the train conductor was extremely reluctant to part with her and confessed her feelings to He Changyi with deep affection:
"You're great, Jong-kook is great, and Jong-kook's vodka is even better!"
He Changyi was in high spirits; this six-day train journey was the most relaxing one she had ever taken.
With the lubrication of Chinese vodka, the train attendants stood guard at the carriage doors at each station, preventing unauthorized personnel from entering.
Passengers in other carriages are also not allowed to do this; the train attendant will keep an eye on them and kick them out if they think they've been there too long.
At night, train attendants voluntarily take turns on duty, and sometimes there can be as many as five train attendants in the same carriage.
— He Changyi had legitimate reasons to suspect that they had come to sample and appreciate Zhongguo's unique adult drinks.
However, because of the frequent appearances of train attendants, the carriages suddenly became safe, and petty thieves disappeared, not to mention lock-picking and robbery in the middle of the night.
He Changyi rarely gets to sleep well on the train.
Not only did the train conductor specially provide her with a clean set of pillowcases, sheets, and blankets, but she also bought the most expensive four-piece bedding set at the Friendship Store before her departure, pretending to be an overseas Chinese, which was enough to give her a wonderful, baby-like sleep.
He Changyi thought deeply, "Women should be good to themselves."
Perhaps in Alexei's view, He Changyi was being a little too kind to him.
He tossed another package onto the back seat of the taxi and asked her with a stern face:
"How much did you bring from Zhongguo?"
He Changyi blinked at him, looking incredibly cute.
"Hmm~ about 300 kilograms."
Each ticket allows for 35 kilograms of carry-on baggage and 40 kilograms of checked baggage. Adding the leather jackets she and her worker were wearing, the total weight is probably more than 300 kilograms.
Alexei's vision went black.
Three hundred kilograms?
And "only"?!
He rarely showed emotion, but he was so angry that he lost his composure.
Whoever is "working" and suddenly receives a call from their grandmother claiming there's an emergency that needs their help, speeds along, running red lights to the designated location, only to find someone leisurely eating ice cream given to them by the train conductor, with a mountain of luggage next to them, waiting for someone to come and be their scapegoat for carrying it.
Alexei silently threw down his luggage, turned around, and prepared to get into the car and leave.
To hell with 300 kilograms!
Sukabul!
He Changyi casually tossed a sentence over from behind.
“I forgot which bag I put Grandma Vitalie’s medicine in. Last time I heard her say that the hospital in Oros hadn’t prescribed her any medicine for a long time, and her medicine was almost finished—it’s not good for her health to stop taking medicine.”
Alexei paused as he opened the car door.
The next moment, he turned his head fiercely and glared at He Changyi, then rushed to her side aggressively, and then—
He hoisted a bag of luggage and, with what could be described as a "gentle" movement, stuffed it into the already overburdened taxi.
After all the luggage was thrown onto the vehicle, and even several bags of luggage were tied to the roof, Alexei glanced at He Changyi, then decisively got into the driver's seat, stepped on the gas, and drove away without any hesitation.
The car viciously spewed out a plume of exhaust fumes, roared, and sped toward the road, disappearing from sight in no time.
He Changyi was left on the side of the road and slowly licked the ice cream in his hand.
"Tsk, what a petty man."
It's just that he carried more than 300 kilograms of goods onto the truck in one go.
Is this a big deal for a bear?
Well, although it does seem to lack a bit of bear-humanitarian spirit...
At this moment, He Changyi saw a familiar figure not far away and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Andrei!"
The young policeman had been observing for a long time. He wasn't sure if He Changyi had been robbed, but she was too calm, even though she watched the taxi driver take all the goods away before she even got in the car.
And that taxi driver didn't seem like a good person.
He should be in a federal felony prison, not running amok on the streets.
"Ms. He, do you need help?"
He Changyi walked briskly to the little golden retriever and observed him with a smile.
Today is a rare good day in Moscow, with bright sunshine and a sky so blue it seems full of hope.
The young policeman's blond hair was also exceptionally dazzling, like flowing gold, enough to arouse the covetousness of any evil dragon.
For example, her.
"Andrei, it seems like I always run into you as soon as I arrive in Moscow. To paraphrase Zhong Guo, we're quite destined to meet."
The young policeman coughed lightly.
"Ms. He, it's because I'm on duty at the train station."
He Changyi pretended not to hear and took a step forward, the distance between the two of them teetering on the edge of social safety.
He was so close that he could even see the small mole at the corner of her eye.
Her skin was like porcelain, with a warm, lustrous sheen. It looked incredibly soft, making you want to reach out and touch it to see if it was really as smooth as it appeared.
And those eyes...
Like a strange, dangerous, corrupting black hole.
Andrei was momentarily dazed.
The next second, he heard He Changyi say enthusiastically:
"We're so destined to meet, it must be God's arrangement. For God's sake, may I treat you to a meal?"
Andrei almost tripped and fell on the spot.
Isn't it said that Korean women are traditionally reserved and shy, possessing the virtue of demureness?
Could it be that he encountered a fake Zhong Guoren?!
Just as Andrei began to doubt whether his passport checking skills had declined, He Changyi suddenly stepped back, increasing the distance between them.
"Sorry, I was just kidding."
Before Andrei could even realize the strange feeling in his heart, a sense of loss, as if he wanted to distance himself from something, he said with unusual seriousness:
“This is not funny. Anyway, please make sure you are safe. If you have nothing else to say, I need to continue patrolling.”
He Changyi thanked him gently, and the young policeman raised his hand in salute. Then, without hesitation, he turned and left, his steps so fast it was as if he were fleeing something.
He Changyi watched his figure disappear into the crowd at the train station.
With his tall stature and crisp uniform, she could still spot him in a crowd even from a great distance.
The world has fallen into darkness, but there are still people holding candles trying to light it up.
Like a faith collapsing and gods being destroyed, the armor of the dying paladin is shattered, his feet stained with blood, yet he still stubbornly raises his greatsword.
How captivating.
How desperate!
Is it pretty?
Suddenly, someone asked in a sinister tone in Chinese, and He Changyi subconsciously replied:
"not bad."
She realized her mistake only after she had said it.
This is Rus', who speaks Chinese here?
He Changyi suddenly turned around to look at the speaker. Not far away, Alexei had a gloomy face.
"How lucky you are to still be standing here intact."
He Changyi retorted guiltily:
"What nonsense are you talking about? This is a train station, not a slaughterhouse. If I'm not whole, do you think I'm made up of pieces?"
Alexei said with a cold laugh:
"Yes, if you stand with the police, even the Mafia will avoid you. You've really found yourself a 'good' bodyguard."
He Changyi shouted angrily:
"Your tongue is so flexible!"
Alexei retorted, not to be outdone:
"Even the eagle would bow down before you if it could not compare to your eyes."
He Changyi retorted shrewdly:
"Shouldn't we first ask who drove my car and abandoned me?"
Alexei sneered and tossed the car keys to He Changyi.
"I don't think there's any driver who hasn't received a penny of wages while working as a mover."
He Changyi was speechless and could only take the keys and walk aggressively toward the taxi.
"I'm going to tell Grandma Vitalie everything you said! You actually asked me to pay your wages!"
Alexei knew she was being unreasonable, but he had no choice but to follow her.
"Yes, and you were chatting quite amicably with the Oroqen police. Ha, police!"
As the two approached the car, they almost simultaneously saw someone pry open the door and cut the ropes on the roof with a knife, about to move all the goods from the unattended vehicle.
He Changyi was furious.
My goods!
Just as she was about to rush forward, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved to Alexei.
"Alexei, charge!!!"
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Author's Note: Alexei: ? No, are you calling a dog?
I'll maintain a daily quota of 6 posts, and if I'm in a good mood, I might reach 10,000 posts a day. Please give me lots of feedback, love you all~
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