Chapter 27: Growing Bigger and Stronger
The news of the skinheads attacking the Zhongguo Hotel was like throwing a pebble into a combination of mudslide and tsunami; it didn't cause a ripple in the chaotic world of Oros.
Gradually, the traders forgot about it.
Aside from the wounded lying in the hospital and the urns of ashes taken back home by their families, it seems that only the closed Baikal Hotel can prove that a shooting once took place here.
But it doesn't matter, if the Baikal Hotel is gone, there will be the Ural Hotel.
So what if there are bald people? Anyway, there are already corrupt police and gangs. There's no need to worry about a lot of fleas. But we just need to be careful about going bald in the future.
He Changyi did not go to any new Chinese hotels; instead, she rented an office with a warehouse near the Moscow train station.
She used to be a small vendor, carrying goods on her shoulders and in her hands, selling and collecting money, and selling each item directly to the people of Oroqen. Now her business has expanded, and she has transformed from retail to wholesale, connecting with local Oroqen merchants.
He Changyi moved into his new office very discreetly, only informing a few close traders and long-term clients with whom he had cooperated many times.
The streets of Mosk have become increasingly unsafe lately, and the grand openings seem to be paving the way for thieves and robbers.
The traders expressed their understanding and then enthusiastically brought their own ingredients to hold an opening banquet. They also brought a Guan Gong statue, a golden toad ornament, and a huge calligraphy banner that read "May wealth flow in from all directions," which were said to be very effective.
Zhang Jin, who had been stabbed by the van driver, also arrived. His wound was still bandaged, and he was jumping around in the office.
"Sister He, I'll get you a tea set later. Just put it on your desk, and when you pour tea, you can add some Guan Yu patrolling the city and Han Xin commanding troops. The Russians will be completely dumbfounded."
The person next to him retorted:
"Are you running a business or a teahouse? If you ask me, you should put an abacus and two calculators on the table. Combining Chinese and Western methods will be more effective. With that kind of feng shui, you'll make a fortune!"
He Changyi felt a headache coming on; what kind of terrible ideas were these?
"Both of you shut up."
Zhang Jin immediately said to the person next to him:
"Did you hear that? Sister He told you to shut up."
The other party retaliated without backing down:
“I’m going to be Sister He’s slave, she’s definitely not talking about me, you should be the one to shut up first.”
The speaker was Chen Yue, the wounded man rescued by He Changyi during the previous shooting. His personality was as eccentric as his name.
Chen Yue's injuries were relatively minor. Although he was shot, the bullet did not remain in his body. After disinfection, cleaning, suturing, and anti-inflammatory treatment, he was able to be discharged from the hospital.
While the other injured traders were terrified and eager to buy tickets back home, Chen Yue stayed behind and even sought out He Changyi to fulfill his promise to serve him like a slave.
He Changyi pondered.
"You know that the new China has abolished slavery, right?"
Chen Yue was taken aback.
"ah?"
Zhang Jin, who had also come to serve him, didn't hold back in laughing at him:
"So you mean you want to be treated like a slave? Our Sister He doesn't even care. You let someone take you down with one shot. You wouldn't be thinking of asking Sister He to protect you, would you?"
Chen Yue was furious.
"It's not like Sister He would be happy to take you in. No matter what, I was shot by the skinheads, and what about you? A van driver with a knife almost killed you. Who's more useless between us?!"
Zhang Jin and Chen Yue looked at He Changyi at the same time and asked in unison:
"Sister He, who would you choose, him or me?"
He Changyi said expressionlessly:
"Both of you get out of here."
These two clowns kept insisting on repaying He Changyi for saving their lives, and refused to leave.
On the day the office opened, Zhang Jin carried a potted money tree, while Chen Yue carried a flower basket half his height. The two of them were competing at the gate, neither willing to let the other go in first.
Finally, the burly man, unaware of what was going on, pushed them aside with one hand each, went through the door first, and enthusiastically opened his arms to He Changyi.
“Dear He, I’m so glad you’ve decided to stay in Mosk! I’ve brought some colleagues with me, and they’d love to buy from you.”
He Changyi leaned forward, grabbed his raised hand, and vigorously swung it up and down a few times.
"Thank you, Peshkov. I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends."
Since we've already shaken hands, there's no need to insist on a hug.
The burly, beautiful Peshkov regretfully lowered his arm and introduced his companion to He Changyi.
The office was simply decorated, practically nonexistent. Apart from newly purchased secondhand desks and sofas, there were lucky charms given by middlemen, placed in various corners of the room according to the customs of the North and South.
The Rus' merchants visited out of curiosity, and upon hearing that the giant frog carrying a gold coin could bring wealth, each of them touched it.
Zhang Jin and Chen Yue finally squeezed through the door. One placed the money tree on the left and the other placed the flower basket on the right. At the same time, they turned their heads and snorted, expressing their contempt for each other's taste.
The dishes for the opening banquet were all prepared by the middlemen who came to help. There were rich and flavorful Northeastern stews, sweet and sour pork with fruit, spicy and stimulating Sichuan dishes, and sweet and sour dishes from Jiangzhe where sugar was practically free.
The office desk was transformed into a temporary dining table, and there were three flavors of scrambled eggs with tomatoes: sweet, salty, and spicy. Tofu pudding with gravy and tofu with fermented rice wine competed on the same stage.
Peshkov and his fellow Emirates had never seen such a rich and diverse array of Chinese food before. It completely changed their previous stereotypes about Chinese cuisine and left the guys utterly dumbfounded.
In particular, the braised pork knuckle with sauerkraut was snatched up by several Slavic men as soon as it was served, who wielded their chopsticks like weapons and almost grabbed it with their bare hands.
The onlookers were amazed; these Russians really had never eaten anything good.
Zhang Jin was extremely proud. His sweet and sour pork was devoured as soon as it hit the table. The Russian man named Peshkov kept asking him for the recipe, saying he wanted to make it for his family.
Chen Yue was deeply troubled. His specialty was stewed goose in an iron pot, but there were no geese for sale at the market in Mosk. He couldn't very well pluck the feathers from a swan and stew it, could he?
He settled for second best and carefully braised a pot of chicken feet and giblets, but the Russians took one look and ran away, waving their hands and saying "Нет (no)".
Chen Yue sat sullenly away from the crowd, holding his braised chicken feet. The Russians collectively said his chicken feet were too terrifying, with long nails that looked like a witch's hands, and that they were a bit scary and disgusting to put on the table.
Hmph, those old Russians are just being pretentious.
Chen Yue was munching on a chicken foot in loneliness when someone came over and scooped one out of the pot with their chopsticks.
He looked up and saw He Changyi.
"Your cooking skills are good. It would be even more fragrant if you added some dried chili peppers."
Chen Yue said happily, "Then I'll make the spicy one next time!"
The food at the opening banquet must have smelled so good that it attracted the neighbors next door and the old lady who works as a doorman downstairs.
The building where the office is located has relatively complete security measures. After entering the building, you must first pass through a keypad door and enter the password to unlock it. There is also a doorman next to the elevator. For non-residents, the elderly doorman will confirm that they are visiting guests before letting them into the elevator.
He Changyi invited his neighbors and the old lady at the gatehouse to dine together and enjoy the local delicacies of Zhongguo.
The new guests were initially a little reserved, but once they tasted the Chinese cuisine, the invisible barriers instantly melted away.
Food is a universal language.
The neighbor ran home and brought out slices of his own raw fatty pork, warmly inviting He Changyi to try some.
After taking a bite, He Changyi thought: ...
Thank you, but this is too cold, salty, and fishy. She still prefers it cooked.
The old lady at the door served a purple cream beet soup. Although the color looked like a witch's dish, it was surprisingly delicious, with a sweet and sour flavor that whetted the appetite.
Grandma Vitalie brought Alexei along as invited.
Grandma ate with great relish and even stumbled over asking the amateur cooks for Chinese recipes in Ethnic language.
Big Bear stood silently by the window, not tasting any of the dishes.
It seems that simply staying in this office with its excessively high concentration of Jong-kook's drugs is a very difficult thing for him.
He Changyi poured a glass of vodka and handed it to Alexei, who quietly finished the glass.
He Changyi teased him, "This place isn't exactly a habitable place for flies, is it? So, do you still want to collect taxes from the toilet?"
Alexei: ...
He Changyi also invited Andrei, but he apologized and said he had to work that day, so he sent a gift through someone else.
The gift box was exquisite, containing a beautiful deerskin wallet. He Changyi opened the wallet; inside was a brand-new US dollar bill.
It is said that the Oroqen people believed that giving an empty wallet was equivalent to cursing the recipient to go bankrupt, but if the wallet was filled with banknotes, it became a wish for the recipient to be rich forever.
He Changyi happily accepted the lovely gift and immediately transferred the contents of her old wallet to her new one.
The person who came to deliver the gift on behalf of Andrei was his colleague Grigory.
Seeing the table full of delicious food, he was reluctant to leave after the gift was delivered, and made various explicit and implicit advances.
He Changyi went along with it and let him stay, allowing the fat man in the police uniform to happily plunge into the crowd and, taking advantage of his physique and status, wreak havoc at the dinner table.
"Ha, another cop."
Alexei scoffed.
He Changyi shrugged.
"At least his presence will make those restless guys outside restrain themselves a bit."
Gregory is a little better than the corrupt cop, but a little worse than Andrei; in short, he's a person who drifts along with the tide.
If a colleague extorted money from a black marketeer, he would share some of the money; when he was alone, he was too lazy to stop them and would simply let them go.
He accepted gifts from He Changyi without hesitation; if He Changyi indicated that the goods were for resale, he would take out his wallet and ask if he could get a discount.
This fat guy wasn't that good, nor that bad; he was as mediocre as any other faceless policeman in the city.
When the opening banquet ended, there was still a lot of food left on the table. Guests who were not satisfied could pack it up and take it home.
Gregory excitedly grabbed the largest takeout box and devoured every dish, even Chen Yue's braised chicken feet.
After returning to the police station, he first hid the takeout box before going to find Andrei.
"I've already given the gift to your Zhongguo girl. To be honest, you really should have taken the day off to attend this banquet. You missed out on so much delicious food that you'll regret it for a whole year!"
Andrei showed no regret, only saying:
She is not mine.
Gregory slapped Andrei's shoulder hard with his fat hand.
"Hey lad, we can all see that you're really into that girl from China. The alliance has dissolved, so you can marry any woman you like, no matter what country she's from. Even if she's American, no Ministry of the Interior will stop you."
He looked around to make sure no one was there, then lowered his voice:
"You need to hurry up. Pretty girls won't wait for you forever, especially a rich and generous one like her! If I weren't already married, I think I would have fallen in love with her too..."
Andrei: "...Thank you for remembering your married status."
Grigory chased after Andrei, shouting:
"I'm telling you, you really need to be more proactive. Good girls won't just wait around forever!"
Andrei walked even faster and soon disappeared from sight.
A middle-aged policeman walked over and asked Gregory:
"What are you talking about, Miss Jong-kook?"
He had a huge hooked nose and looked like a cunning vulture.
Gregorica paused, then said, trying to cover it up:
"Yevgeny, we were just chatting casually, you must have misheard me."
The middle-aged policeman Yevgeny scrutinized Grigory, and finally reached out and patted the food scraps off his clothes.
"I hope I misheard."
After a lively opening banquet, He Changyi officially transitioned from a retailer to a wholesaler.
She no longer personally promoted the goods, but instead dealt with the merchants of Oros.
Fortunately, she had already mastered Ethnic language during this time; otherwise, she would have had to hire a student translator from Moscow State University.
The merchants introduced by Peshkov were working with her for the first time and were very cautious. Although they were very interested in the list of goods she provided, they initially placed only small orders and requested payment upon delivery.
They won't pay a single penny unless they see the actual item.
He Changyi didn't take it seriously and readily agreed to the request from the group of Russians who had been traumatized by the scam.
Both parties solemnly signed a sales contract, specifying in detail the quantity, total price, and delivery time; every clause was a lesson learned through hard-won experience.
However, they realized they had worried unnecessarily after receiving the first batch of goods.
He Changyi is completely different from the Chinese scalpers they had worked with before. In fact, she is an anomaly in the scalper community. Sometimes, the Russian businessmen even doubt whether she is really making money.
At that time, Peshkov patted his chest and guaranteed:
"He is a true friend; she saved my life! She possesses all the virtues you've heard about in historical legends, and no one will regret working with her!"
Now these Emirati businessmen have discovered that what Peshkov said was actually true, and that He was indeed a trustworthy partner.
On one occasion, a batch of goods with quality problems was shipped from China. Upon discovering this, He Changyi immediately recalled the goods, apologized to the business partner, and compensated for all the losses.
The merchants from Eguo were extremely surprised; this was the first time they had ever encountered a Zhongguo middleman who was responsible for product quality.
After this incident, more and more Eguo merchants began to cooperate with He Changyi, and the number of orders also increased.
From initially buying tickets for an entire carriage of an international train to transport goods, to now specifically applying to the railway bureau for wagons to transport goods, one trip can earn up to ten thousand US dollars.
In order to reduce the amount of customs duties that needed to be paid, He Changyi sent the goods to Mongolia first and then to Russia.
The reason for this hassle is that the tariffs through Mongolia are one-third to one-half lower than those going directly into Oros. Although it is more troublesome, requiring passing through the China-Mongolia and Mongolia-Oros borders consecutively, it still saves a lot of tariffs.
He Changyi was so busy that she worked around the clock. When she returned to Grandma Vitalie's house in the evening, she was so exhausted that she collapsed onto a recliner in front of the fireplace.
The crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace, combined with Grandma Vitalie's tinkering with dishes in the kitchen, created a wonderful, soothing white noise.
He Changyi was drowsy, but he forced himself to stay awake, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Half-asleep, she felt a weight on her body, and the exposed skin felt the rough texture unique to a blanket.
He Changyi struggled to open his eyes, but there was no one in front of him, and the familiar smell of tobacco lingered in his nostrils.
As the business expanded, He Changyi couldn't manage it all by himself, so he asked Zhang Jin and Chen Yue to stay and help out.
She was generous with her money, offering very high wages, 30,000 yuan per person per month, which was more than what they could earn by trading on their own.
Zhang and Chen originally came to serve with the intention of repaying a debt of gratitude, but unexpectedly, this turned out to be the best decision they ever made.
Back in the country, He Changyi handed over the clothing orders to Lao Wu and Sister Xia.
Sister Xia focused on management, while Lao Wu focused on quality. The small stall they originally rented in Xidan was shut down, and the family workshop was transformed into a professional garment factory, producing thousands of garments a day. A sign reading "Zhaoxia Garment Company" was hung at the door.
Old Wu transformed from a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man into a respected figure in Yuezhou Village, while Sister Xia became a charismatic businesswoman, always busy with her mobile phone.
In addition to exporting clothing produced in Yuezhou Village, He Changyi also contacted the Coal Mine People brand canned goods and applied to become an overseas agent.
He Changyi was dealing with a deputy general manager named Xu Heping, who was shrewd, capable, and had a knack for speaking and acting.
Both parties agreed that He Changyi would become the sole agent for Coal Mine People's Canned Food in Oros, purchasing goods at 70% of the market price; in return, she would need to ensure that at least 10,000 tons of canned food were sold in Oros each year.
He Changyi declared, "Don't even mention 10,000 tons of canned goods, I can sell even 100,000 tons."
Xu Heping said, half-jokingly and half-seriously:
"Are you serious? Then I'll have to change the contract to 100,000 tons."
He Changyi said bluntly:
"Mr. Xu, the price for 100,000 tons of sales volume can't be the same as the price for 10,000 tons of sales volume, right? How about we lower it by another 10%?"
After a difficult negotiation, Xu Heping rubbed his temples and complained:
"Mr. He, you are just as good as our CEO He. I think you two can definitely become good friends."
The "Mr. He" he mentioned is He Mingzhu, the head of a leading enterprise in the domestic food industry. She is very young and has great drive, breaking the stereotype that women are not suitable for business.
She not only opened the largest chain of Chinese restaurants in the country, but also a Western fast food chain. She attracted countless customers who were curious about foreign countries with her Chinese-style Western food and affordable prices, causing KFC to suffer repeated defeats.
Now I hear she plans to expand into overseas markets and is currently scouting locations abroad; perhaps we'll hear good news soon.
He Changyi raised an eyebrow:
“I also really hope to get to know Mr. He. I think we would definitely get along well.”
Xu Heping muttered to himself:
"My God, two female demons together, it seems that only women can call the shots in this world."
After acquiring the agency rights for the Coal Mine People brand canned goods, He Changyi was even more powerful.
This canned food, made with high-quality ingredients and with a wonderful taste, impressed many hesitant Eurasian businessmen. They made up their minds, waved their US dollars, and surrounded He Changyi.
Unlike Zhongguo, Eguo has an extremely strong market demand for canned goods.
As a country with most of its territory located in the high-latitude, cold zone, Rus' agricultural development is greatly limited, and it cannot be as rich in resources as China. Canned food has become an indispensable part of people's dining tables.
Especially during this period of scarcity, potatoes and cabbages were in high demand and people were scrambling to buy them. Sausages were nowhere to be found, and only huge quantities of expired military canned goods were being thrown into the market like garbage.
Today, freshly made Zhongguo canned goods are like a spring breeze blowing across the Siberian plains, bringing delicacies from the distant East.
More importantly, Jongkook canned food is not out of reach; on the contrary, it is quite affordable, and even the poorest families can buy a can to improve their meals on birthdays and holidays.
For the Oroqen people who had never been to Zhongguo before, they were able to enjoy authentic Zhongguo cuisine without leaving their homes, and many of them began to change their opinion of Zhongguo.
It turns out that the distant Eastern country not only has counterfeit and shoddy goods and nouveau riche, but also delicious food that makes you want to strip naked and run naked in the snow before jumping into the Mosk River for a winter swim.
However, not all Oroqen people can get used to Chinese cuisine. After all, for people who are used to raw fatty pork and sour, salty black bread from childhood, the symbiotic bacteria in their intestines determine their taste.
As sales of Coal Mine People's Brand canned goods in Oros gradually increased, exceeding 100,000 tons, He Mingzhu decisively ordered the cannery to open a new production line specifically to produce canned goods that better suited the tastes of Oros people, with a more acidic and salty flavor and a richer oil content.
When the new flavor of canned goods was introduced to the Eros market, He Changyi's office was crowded with Eros merchants.
Zhang Jin and Chen Yue, leaning against the door with difficulty, desperately shouted towards the outside in their broken Emei language:
"The orders for canned goods are already booked six months in advance, please calm down!"
Someone outside slipped banknotes under the door.
"Let me in. I can wait a year!"
"I'll pay in full!"
Some people even said in broken Chinese:
"Let me in first, and I'll give each of you a hundred dollars!"
—This is someone who specifically learned Chinese and wanted to use money to corrupt the two Zhong Guo comrades.
However, before he could finish speaking, equally broken Chinese curses came from the side.
"Damn it, I understand! If you let him in, you have to let me in too! I'll give you a hundred dollars!"
Zhang Jin, Chen Yue: ...
He Changyi was watching the two of them with great interest.
"Oh my, you two are making extra money? What, do you think your wages are too low?"
Zhang Jin said with difficulty:
"Sister He, let me explain, the Russians are just making things up..."
Chen Yue looked miserable.
"I really didn't take any money from the Russians. If I'm lying, may I be castrated and never be able to get married!"
Zhang Jin hurriedly said:
"Me too!"
He Changyi said with disdain:
“I’m not Empress Dowager Cixi, what would I do with so many eunuchs? But if you two really took money you shouldn’t have, I wouldn’t mind sending you to the Gulag Hotel for further training.”
Zhang Jin: "What is the Gulag Hotel?"
Chen Yue: "Is it expensive? If it is, can we get a cheaper one?"
He Changyi took a deep breath.
"I always told you to read more books in your spare time, otherwise you won't even understand the jokes in the League."
"You even asked me what the Gulag Hotel is—it's the Alliance's labor camp for prisoners!!! It includes food and lodging, and even teaches you how to dig potatoes, all for a super cheap price!!!"
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Author's Note: Zhang Jin and Chen Yue: We were shocked! It turns out it was just digging potatoes.
Gulag permanent resident: ? ? ?
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