Chapter 26: Surviving the ordeal but seeking pleasure...
"Da da da da da da—"
Gunshots rang out inside the room.
But there were more than just gunshots.
Screams, pleas for mercy, curses, shouts of resistance... there was also the crisp sound of a porcelain lamp being smashed, the muffled sound of a bullet hitting a sofa, and the sound of chaotic footsteps.
All sorts of sounds filled the hotel, like echoes reverberating in a valley, crashing down like a tsunami.
Suddenly, at a certain moment, all the sounds gradually faded away.
The place was deathly silent.
He Changyi leaned against the wall, listening intently, while the delicate-looking but burly man beside him trembled like a leaf, frantically making the sign of the cross on his chest with his right hand.
They were currently on a decorative arched balcony outside the room, extremely narrow and separated from the room by a wall. The two of them were crouching together, barely able to squeeze in, like a deflated loaf of bread, with not a single extra bit of air inside.
Fortunately, the layout of the hotel room was quite clear. The gunman fired a burst of shots, and seeing that no one was in the room, he turned around and left to kick down the next door.
He Changyi didn't move, and neither did the big man.
—Of course, it's also possible that his legs were too weak to stand up.
After a burst of intense gunfire, sporadic gunshots occasionally rang out.
Some are downstairs, some are next door, and some sound like they're right at the doorway.
After an unknown amount of time, the belated sound of police sirens rang out outside.
The beautiful but burly man was overjoyed and immediately tried to stand up to call for help, but He Changyi pressed his forehead down and forcibly suppressed him.
The next moment, gunfire suddenly erupted from downstairs.
The attackers attacked the police car that came to their aid.
The big man's face turned pale instantly, and his hands trembled so much that he couldn't even draw a cross.
However, He Changyi stood up, quickly climbed over the wall, and returned to the room through the broken glass window.
"What are you doing? Come back here! It's dangerous!"
The big man and He Changyi had been through life and death together. When he saw her suddenly return to her room, he hurriedly half-squatted up and frantically waved to her.
He Changyi ignored him, nimbly dodging the shards scattered on the floor, and silently walked to the door, turning to observe the movement in the corridor.
A moment later, she turned and shouted at the burly man in a low voice:
"Walk!"
Before Jiao Hua could respond, He Changyi left the room first, not forgetting to take a briefcase full of cash and jewelry with her before leaving.
Seeing her figure disappear outside the door, the big man dared not stay alone. He gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and awkwardly climbed over the wall to chase after her.
The corridor was a mess, most of the room doors had been kicked open, only a few doors remained open, obviously blocked from the inside by wardrobes and sofas.
These doors were also the most severely damaged, covered with countless bullet holes, like target paper at a shooting range.
The rooms with their doors open exuded a strong smell of blood and were eerily quiet.
The big man was terrified and dared not look any longer. He stumbled and ran after He Changyi.
After finally catching up with her, they saw her stuffing pieces of fabric she had torn from her clothes into the wounds of a wounded man lying on the ground.
The injured man had clearly crawled out of the room, leaving a long trail of blood behind him, like a scene from a horror movie.
The burly man's legs went weak, his vision blurred, and he instinctively grabbed the wall for support, but he heard He Changyi's commanding voice that brooked no refusal.
"You carry him on your back!"
Big Man: ? ? ?
The burly man was on the verge of tears, forced to carry the blood-soaked wounded man on his back, and forced himself to follow the woman in front of him despite his weak legs.
He Changyi was clearly very familiar with the layout of the hotel. He led them down the stairs through a secluded area reserved for staff, rescuing several wounded people who were still alive along the way.
As the group pushed open the back door, gunshots could still be heard intermittently coming from the front door of the hotel.
Back in the sun, the big man's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.
He Changyi gave him a disdainful tug, to prevent him from causing further injury to the wounded person she had just rescued.
Just when the group thought they were safe, suddenly, the big man shouted in alarm behind He Changyi, his voice almost splitting into two.
"Run!"
He Changyi suddenly turned his head and saw someone with a gun walking towards him from behind with the backlight on.
Her heart tightened.
The attackers were exchanging fire with the police at the front door, so where did this guy come from?!
Just as her guard was at its highest, a somewhat familiar male voice suddenly rang out.
"Are you injured?"
His voice was cold, hard, and deep, and he spoke very quickly, concealing a tension and worry that was difficult to detect.
Hearing this voice, He Changyi slowly relaxed.
"It's someone else's blood."
The person walked up to He Changyi, and the sidelight shone on his face, outlining his distinct features. It was Alexei.
He reached out his hand, stopping in front of her as if to touch her, then paused and withdrew it.
He Changyi, however, did not notice and asked warily:
"You did this?"
Alexei lowered his eyes and replied stiffly:
"No."
He Changyi relaxed a little.
That's good, otherwise she wouldn't know how to face Grandma Vitalie in the future.
"I'm taking them to the hospital. You can do whatever you need to do."
After saying this, without waiting for Alexei's reaction, He Changyi had the big man help the wounded man to the roadside away from the hotel.
There was no time to wait for an ambulance, so she spent a lot of money to take taxis to send all the injured to the nearest hospital and paid enough medical fees in advance.
When the medical staff in Emei took over the wounded, one of the injured, a familiar black marketeer, tugged at He Changyi's clothes and said weakly:
"Sister He, you saved my life. You are my second parents. I will never forget you..."
He Changyi gently pried his hands open.
"Don't be like that, I don't have a son as big as you."
Another trader, whose injuries were less severe, couldn't help but laugh out loud, which aggravated his wounds and caused him excruciating pain, yet he still had to contort his face to mock the other man.
"You've made our Sister He sound so old... Sister He, he can't speak properly, but listen to me, I'll repay you even if I have to be your slave in my next life!"
He Changyi said softly:
"Let's not wait for the next life, let's do it in this life. I'll wait for you to recover so you can be my slave."
She paused, her tone becoming even softer.
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be a good cowherd, and I guarantee I'll whip the cow no more than ten times a day."
The lightly injured smuggler: "...Huh?"
The scalper next to him coughed with laughter, gloating:
"He's thick-skinned; he could be whipped a hundred times and it wouldn't hurt!"
After settling the wounded, He Changyi stood by the roadside with his suitcase, unsure of where to go next.
Should I go find a new hotel that I don't know if it's safe?
Should we shamelessly go and stay at Grandma Vitalie's house?
He Changyi said to himself:
"If I went to see Grandma Vitalie wearing blood-stained clothes, do you think she would believe it was just paint spillage?"
Alexei followed closely behind her, never leaving her side, like a silent and repressed black dog.
Hearing He Changyi's words, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
"She will believe what you want her to believe."
This sounded like a tongue twister, but He Changyi strangely understood it.
She tugged at her blood-stained shirt in distress, then suddenly looked at Alexei.
"We can't be too blatant about it."
Alexei probably guessed what she was going to say, but he was too slow to stop her.
"I heard that a new gang has taken over the hotel to collect protection money—they take the money but don't do anything. Don't you think they should be held responsible for the damage caused by this attack?"
He Changyi winked meaningfully at Alexei.
"I need to receive the compensation I deserve."
Alexei took a deep breath.
He knew he would never have to worry about that damned, petty, vengeful woman!
When Grandma Vitalie opened the door, a happy little titmouse dressed in new clothes flew into her arms.
"Grandma Vitalie, it's been a long time! How are you?"
Alexei stood at the bottom of the steps with a sullen face. Two women were affectionately kissing at the entrance, seemingly unaware that there was someone else there.
After the pleasantries, it was, as usual, black tea and dessert.
Grandma Vitalie said with concern:
“I saw on the news that a group of extremists attacked the hotel where Zhong Guoren was staying. My dear, thank goodness you are okay. You have no idea how worried I was before I saw you.”
He Changyi and Alexei exchanged a knowing glance.
She asked first, "Grandma Vitalie, what else did the news say?"
It is said that the gunmen who attacked the Baikal Hotel were so-called skinheads, a foreign import from the Sunset Empire, characterized by extreme nationalism and racism, and extreme xenophobia.
As a newly emerging criminal gang in Da'e, the Skinhead Gang was eager to make a name for themselves, so they set their sights on Zhong Guo, a notorious and high-profile black marketeer.
In fact, when the traders first arrived in Oros, the locals were quite friendly because they brought scarce supplies.
However, as more and more counterfeit and shoddy goods entered the market, the people of E'guo, who paid high prices for a pile of garbage, began to hate these profit-driven middlemen. Some even came to hate China as well.
In addition, most of these middlemen are of questionable character and have low moral standards. After becoming rich overnight, they abuse their wealth and humiliate others, which arouses strong hatred and jealousy from the locals.
They were like targets stuck in their own heads, making those with guns want to aim and pull the trigger to empty the magazine.
Due to a combination of factors, the skinheads targeted the Baikal Hotel as their battleground for establishing their reputation.
He Changyi complained in Emei dialect:
"If anyone thinks there are too many idiots in history books, they should look around at whether the concentration of idiots is even higher."
Alexei looked up and gave her a mocking glance.
He was implying that there weren't enough idiots at the Baikal Hotel.
He Changyi then switched to Chinese and said:
"Of course I'm not targeting any particular group of people who have failed in their duties, but I personally believe that unregistered social organizations have the highest concentration of idiots."
She gave Alexei a fake smile:
"Of course, I wasn't talking about you."
Alexei finally spoke, in Chinese.
"It doesn't seem any better to associate with a bunch of lawless nouveau riche; only flies would think a toilet is a habitable place."
Faced with He Changyi's glare, Alexei calmly added:
"Of course, I wasn't talking about you."
The atmosphere was subtle. Grandma Vitalie, who couldn't understand Chinese, asked in confusion:
"What, Alexei, what are you talking about?"
He Changyi said sweetly in Emei language:
“I’m giving Alexei some job advice. By the way, it’s amazing how quickly his Chinese has improved.”
Alexei stared intently at He Changyi, then suddenly laughed and switched to speaking in the Emei language:
"Fortunately, I have an excellent Chinese teacher. I have learned a lot of vivid rhetoric and metaphors from her."
Grandma Vitalie looked at this and then at that, a knowing expression appearing on her face.
"My pie is going to burn."
The old lady walked briskly toward the kitchen, her steps showing none of the slowness typical of the elderly.
The instant Grandma Vitalie turned around, He Changyi immediately dropped her fake smile and said quickly and in a low voice:
"Flies only live in toilets, but some people want to collect taxes from toilets!"
Alexei retorted:
"Yes, to protect the flies."
The two were evenly matched, neither willing to admit defeat, and glared at each other angrily.
Alexei suddenly propped his head up with his hand and chuckled softly.
No, we're just having a tiff, can't we be serious for once?
He Changyi asked incredulously:
What are you laughing at?
Alexei raised his head and said calmly:
"I originally thought I was going to the hotel to collect a body today."
The topic changed so quickly that He Changyi paused for a moment, then replied awkwardly:
"You didn't expect to still be alive, did you? Hmph, I'm not someone to be trifled with. It's just that I wasn't on guard today, otherwise I would have shown you what the unique Chinese characteristics of millet and rifles and the vast ocean of the people are all about."
"Besides, even if I really die, I'll crawl back from hell to take revenge."
Alexei stared at He Changyi in silence for a long time, which gave her a chill down her spine.
—Has this bear finally realized it's a carnivore and decided to use its teeth as well as its mouth?
Alexei suddenly reached down, pulled a pistol from his back, and slowly pushed it along the table in front of He Changyi.
Next were the spare magazines, fully loaded with bullets.
"It's better not to go to hell."
Alexei stood up, lowered his eyes to look at her, the light casting a shadow in his deep eye sockets, making it impossible to see the expression in his eyes.
"You crawled out in an awkward way."
He Changyi: ...nmd
For the sake of the stunningly beautiful Gloucester, she gritted her teeth and decided not to stoop to his level.
Having survived the ordeal, He Changyi gave herself a few days off.
When He Changyi went to the hospital to visit a patient, she happened to run into other traders who had escaped the disaster and poured out their grievances to her.
"Sister He, I'm suffering! I'm suffering so much! I wasn't beaten to death by the skinheads, but I almost got killed by the police!"
He Changyi asked curiously:
"Didn't they say the hotel paid protection money to the police station? Why would they kill you?"
He explained sadly:
"It wasn't the police, it was some kind of federal special police, named Omoh. They came to the hotel to search, insisting that we were hiding skinheads in our room, and made us raise our hands and line up to leave. Then they turned the whole hotel upside down, and when they left, they took all our cash and valuables!"
Someone nearby added:
"These Amon guys are armed with guns, batons, and dogs. Anyone who dares to resist gets a beating. In my opinion, they're all just taking money and not doing anything. They're not even as disciplined as the mafia!"
He Changyi: ...
Well, that's very Russian.
Sometimes hostages have to work together with their kidnappers to break out, otherwise the police will write in their reports, "All suspects have been wiped out."
—Hostages? What hostages? This place is full of kidnappers.
Fortunately, she took her suitcase with her when she left, otherwise she would have been one of the many people crying in the ward today.
He Changyi also accompanied Grandma Vitalie to buy groceries.
They first went to a nearby store.
The store opens at nine o'clock, but long queues have already formed outside much earlier.
When the store opened, everyone rushed in and rushed to the shelves, buying whatever they could get their hands on, whether it was birch sap, Indian tea, or even the unpalatable grey macaroni.
He Changyi, quick-witted and agile, managed to snatch the most sought-after and rarest sausages and condensed milk. Grandma Vitalie praised her happily, saying, "Well done!"
But grabbing the goods is one thing, paying for them is another.
The store has two counters; one is only responsible for weighing and packing the goods, while you need to go to the other counter to pay.
If you want to buy potatoes after buying cabbage, you'll need to queue up again to get them to go and then queue up again to pay.
Finally, two long lines formed in the store, and after a long wait, people could go home exhausted with the perhaps useless items they had managed to snag.
Besides the shops, Grandma Vitalie also took He Changyi to a military base near Mosk to make purchases.
Yes, you heard right, going to the military base to buy groceries.
The two took the subway to Mosk train station, where they bought tickets to the town where the military base was located.
During this time, He Changyi wanted to take a taxi, but Grandma Vitalie firmly stopped her.
“Honey, we’re going grocery shopping, and there are rules for grocery shopping.”
According to Zhong Guo's rules for buying groceries, he should take the free bus to a place 20 kilometers away and queue for three hours to get free eggs.
He Changyi thought, well, at least they didn't compete with office workers for the bus.
When buying tickets at the window, the ticket seller's eyes lit up when she saw He Changyi's black hair and black eyes. She gestured for her to pay for the tickets in US dollars, and the exchange rate with the ruble was much lower than the current official exchange rate.
Grandma Vitalie, like a lioness protecting her cubs, fiercely shielded He Changyi behind her.
"Are you crazy? I've never heard of paying for train tickets in US dollars! Who is your superior? I'm going to file a complaint against you for abusing your power!"
The ticket seller was surprised to find that this East Asian woman was different from the foreigners she usually harassed. She actually had an elderly grandmother from Emei. Looking at He Changyi again, the seller could see a hint of mixed race in her fair skin.
"This is a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding!"
The ticket seller kept wiping away sweat, trying to cover up his act of extorting foreigners.
No matter how he explained, Grandma Vitalie was determined to file a complaint and actually called out her boss, who was hiding in the office, and made the ticket seller apologize in public.
He Changyi leaned happily against Grandma Vitalie's broad back, like any child who had been wronged and was going to complain to their parents.
It feels so good to have someone to rely on.
They were traveling on a Russian domestic train, which, unlike the one in China, had three wooden seats in each row.
The carriage was very crowded, with bicycles blocking the aisle, several dogs barking wildly, and bundles of saplings piled up in the corner.
Most of the passengers were from Emei, but when He Changyi boarded the train, the ticket inspector, who was hiding in the crowd, suddenly put on armbands and headed straight for her.
He Changyi showed them her ticket, but the ticket inspector insisted on a ten-dollar fine, clearly trying to take advantage of her.
Then it was time for Grandma Vitalie to make her appearance.
The old lady, hands on her hips, held her own against the two ticket inspectors, beating them so badly they fled to other carriages.
If the train hadn't been moving, these two people probably would have opened the window and jumped out.
He Changyi was so happy that he didn't even care about the biological weapons in the carriage, which smelled strongly of cumin mixed with moldy cheese.
—Of course, it's also possible that because she stayed in Oros long enough, her olfactory cells had learned to strike when necessary.
The train pulled out of Mosk, from the city to the suburbs, with abandoned factories and rusty iron towers flashing past the window.
It was desolate and bleak, like a huge funeral in progress.
Upon arriving in the town, Grandma Vitalie led He Changyi along a path across the edge of the town to a seemingly endless wall with the sign "Do Not Approach".
She skillfully searched for an opening in the wall, and with He Changyi, she nimbly ducked inside. Then, she dashed off to a low building not far away, with a sign hanging on the door that read "Military Store No. 37".
Theoretically, this store is only for military personnel and their families, but there are just too many people buying things, and the sales staff can't verify everyone's identity. Otherwise, the store could just close down.
They bought fresh beef and cheese here, as well as a large bag of toilet paper, thirty rolls in total.
The two ladies returned home laden with purchases, perhaps even a little overloaded.
When He Changyi walked out of the train station carrying a cloth bag containing a large piece of beef that had left marks on her hands, the sun was hanging low on the horizon, and the light was already somewhat ominous and dim.
There were two women, one older and one younger, one of whom was a foreigner.
The hyenas, drawn by the scent, gathered around. Grandma Vitalie, with a serious face and somewhat apologetic expression, said to He Changyi:
"Honey, we need to get out of here quickly."
He Changyi comforted the old lady:
"Don't worry, I know this place better than anywhere else in Mosk. Everything will be fine."
Even so, He Changyi took the things from Grandma Vitalie's hands, and the two quickened their pace toward the brightly lit subway station.
But Grandma Vitalie was getting old, and the journey had been too tiring, so her pace gradually slowed down.
"Hurry up, my good girl, don't wait for me. Even a vicious dog won't gnaw on an old bone with no meat."
He Changyi refused to leave. He quickly looked around the train station, his eyes lit up, and he waved and shouted in a certain direction:
"Andrei!"
The young policeman had changed out of his uniform. After a day's work, he looked like a jewel covered in dust, not as upright or neat as before. His blond hair was slightly messy, and he looked tired, yet pitiful.
Hearing someone call his name, Andrei looked in the direction of the sound with suspicion.
“It’s you.”
His expression was a mix of surprise, amusement, and exasperation. He walked over and stopped a step away from He Changyi.
He Changyi said with a smile:
“Officer, could you take us home? Mosk seems too dangerous for the two ladies at night.”
Andrei suppressed a laugh and tried to keep a serious face.
"I'm happy to serve you."
When Grandma Vitalie saw the beautiful little golden retriever, a knowing smile appeared on her lips, as if she had just thought of something.
It's like reminiscing about one's youth, or perhaps gloating over some little guy's misfortune.
Andrei stepped forward and took the cloth bag from He Changyi's hand, walking on the outermost side of the two to block the malicious gazes in the darkness.
He Changyi, with an obedient demeanor, asked in a soft voice:
"Andrei, am I going to cause you trouble?"
Andrei stared straight ahead, as if something on the road was attracting his attention.
"No, it's my duty."
During this period, He Changyi frequently appeared at the train station, carrying a mountain of luggage, like a piece of bloody meat falling into a swarm of piranhas. Almost every time something happened, and Andrei would respond to the call.
Perhaps it was because it was the area he was responsible for, or perhaps it was simply because he was one of the few police officers with a strong sense of responsibility.
In short, He Changyi and Andrei's interactions increased, though they began on official business, they did not end on official business.
Police officers like Andrei don't earn much, and he's unwilling to work with shady dealers for extra money. With prices rising, he's even more strapped for cash.
On several occasions, He Changyi noticed the patches on the shirt he wore under his uniform.
A poor modern knight.
He Changyi wouldn't give him money, but he was happy to give him some Chinese goods. However, Andre insisted on paying, otherwise he would rather fight potatoes for every meal.
However, Andrei's colleagues readily accepted the offer. In return, they would not confiscate the passports of He Changyi and the veterans she hired to escort the car, and would occasionally help scare away robbers and thieves when they were in a good mood.
In contrast, Andrei was so upright that he seemed somewhat out of place.
However, it is precisely because he is pure white that he is so attractive.
People are always attracted to those who are completely different from themselves.
The subway was past its peak hours, and there weren't many people on board; there were even a few empty seats.
The three took their seats. Andrei sat opposite He Changyi. Facing her keenly observing gaze, he lowered his eyes and stared at the pole, as if the patterns on it were a masterpiece.
He Changyi thought regretfully, "He's really developed an immunity to it. How come he doesn't blush anymore?"
As the subway stopped and the doors opened, a drunk man staggered onto the train, plopped down on a bench, and swayed back and forth like a roly-poly toy, one seat away from He Changyi.
Andrei looked up, hesitated for a moment, and then made no move.
As the subway started moving, the drunk man, with his eyes half-closed, seemed to be half-asleep, his head drooping and then suddenly jerking back up, struggling against sleepiness.
Finally, unable to resist the fermenting intoxication, he slid down like a mollusk, from sitting to slumping, and finally his head tilted to the side as he collapsed towards He Changyi.
In the blink of an eye, Andrei suddenly stood up, rushed forward, grabbed the drunkard by the collar, and lifted him up to sit upright.
He then forced his way into the narrow middle seat, physically separating himself from the drunkard.
He Changyi tilted her head to look at him.
"Hi?"
They were very close, or rather, too close.
Andrei's posture was stiff and upright, as if he were practicing a military sitting posture. Perhaps he himself did not understand why he was sitting here.
He Changyi pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh, and leaned close to his ear, whispering:
"Thank you, officer."
Her voice was so soft, as if a gust of wind could carry it away, that it was almost inaudible amidst the rumbling noise of the subway.
But clearly, Andrei heard it.
Or rather, he felt the airflow blowing towards him.
Small, warm, yet so impossible to ignore.
He Changyi was pleased to see a lovely pink tinge spread across Andrei's neck.
"Officer, you look a little hot. Would you like to take off your jacket?"
Andrei was almost in a panic.
"No, no, I mean I'm fine, thank you for your concern!"
He Changyi said, "Don't be so polite. You've helped me so much. You should relax more and not be so... tense."
She lowered her eyes sadly.
"I thought we were already friends."
Andrei, somewhat flustered, awkwardly offered words of comfort:
“We are indeed friends, I'm just a little… well, I am a little hot…”
Grandma Vitalie, not far away, watched all of this with a smile.
Young people, what a wonderful youth...
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Author's note: Hehehe, sorry, but the little golden retriever is really fun to tease~
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