Chapter 43 The Snotty Little Black Dog
To save money, He Changyi traveled between China and Emei by train when there was no emergency.
The cross-border train journey took six days and six nights. To avoid wasting time, He Changyi moved between the different carriages, getting to know many junior leaders of state-owned enterprises and private business owners who were on official business in Emei. He also took the opportunity to learn about their types of goods and potential for cooperation.
Some private company salespersons happened to have samples with them. After inspecting the products, if the price and payment terms were suitable, He Changyi could easily finalize the cooperation in the car. He would tear off a blank page from his notebook, write a purchase and sales order by hand, have both parties sign their names, apply lipstick to his finger, and press his bright red fingerprint on it.
State-owned enterprises have it a bit more complicated.
Sometimes He Changyi would reach preliminary cooperation agreements with people in the car, but the other party would be willing but powerless, unable to make decisions for the factory.
After getting off the bus, He Changyi took the person straight to the Moscow Post Office, and took the initiative to pay for an expensive international call to the factory, arranging to send the samples to her address in China for inspection when she returned to China next time.
If the quality and price of the goods meet the requirements, both parties will sign a sales contract in the hope of long-term cooperation.
However, it's not always possible to meet a suitable business partner on a train.
However, He Changyi was familiar with the train attendants in Eguo and often received preferential treatment. He was always able to be assigned to the safest and most comfortable carriage and berth. He could also learn about various news on the line from the train attendants, so the time on the train was not too difficult.
I've heard that the robbery problem on the China-Emei cross-border train has become increasingly serious recently, with people being robbed on almost every train.
The train conductor said to He Changyi with relief:
"Luckily, they only robbed Chinese people, otherwise I would have had to apply for early retirement. These bastards are just too cruel!"
He Changyi has been quite lucky; she hasn't encountered any robbers on the train recently. However, this may also be because she always changes her berth to the carriage closest to the front of the train after boarding, thus avoiding the most dangerous middle and rear carriages.
When the train arrived at Mosk Railway Station, He Changyi often saw fellow passengers with bruises and swelling on the platform.
The unfortunate victims of the robbery were helpless; even calling the police was of no use.
Because cross-border trains are a no-man's land, beyond the reach of Chinese police and neglected by UAE police, they have become a haven for criminals.
He Changyi secretly increased his defenses, carrying the Glock given to him by Alexei with him at all times, keeping it fully loaded.
Fortunately, bullets are not hard to find in Oros now; sometimes a box of bullets is cheaper than a piece of fresh beef.
The guy who sold her the bullets enthusiastically promoted Soviet-made grenades, saying that one shot could kill three Germans, and that it was supposedly his Red Army grandfather's favorite equipment.
He Changyi was very tempted but then regretfully declined.
No, she didn't want to die on the train with the robbers just yet.
Especially since she died at the hands of a World War II veteran who was three times her age.
It's too outdated.
If I'm going to die, I'll die from the latest weaponry; going down there would be more respectable (not really...).
He Changyi returned to China to inspect a number of potential new suppliers, signed a few trial purchase and sales contracts, and selected some new products that the Chinese might be interested in, preparing to take them over to test the market trend.
Before departing, she also visited Sister Xia and Mr. Wu, and paid a visit to several important people with whom she needed to maintain relationships. Finally, she boarded the international train to Moscow with her luggage.
The carriage looked even dirtier and more chaotic than usual. The bedding used by the previous passengers hadn't been cleaned up and was piled up messily on the berths.
Other passengers complained, but He Changyi took out a specially made, thickened, and dirt-resistant three-piece bedding set from his suitcase as usual.
International trains are more courteous; at least they don't ask passengers to pay a 50-ruble deposit for bedding.
When He Changyi was about to change the pillow on her bunk into her own pillowcase, she immediately realized something was wrong as soon as she picked up the pillow.
Why is it so heavy?
Besides, what pillow would hum and move on its own?
He Changyi acted swiftly, throwing the seemingly sentient pillow to the ground. After thinking for a moment, he took out a palm-sized, thin-bladed knife from his pocket and carefully made a cut on the surface of the pillow.
The next second, a furry black dog's head popped out from the broken hole!
He Changyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Ah, it was just a puppy, not a pillow that had come to life.
etc.
How could there be a dog hidden in the pillow!
The little black dog wasn't shy at all. When it saw the only human in front of it, it walked forward confidently, its nose dripping with snot.
However, its body was still trapped in the pillow, and its four little legs were struggling to pupate in place like a big worm.
The little black dog got anxious, lowered its head and fiercely tore at the pillow, making threatening "woof woof woof" sounds.
He Changyi found it amusing and reached out to scratch the little black dog's chin.
The little black dog sneezed enthusiastically, snotting all over her hand.
He Changyi: ...
He Changyi turned around expressionlessly, stretched out one hand, and quickly walked to the water tap at the end of the carriage to rinse.
On the way back, she grabbed a familiar-looking train conductor and asked him where the dog on the train came from.
The train conductor frowned as soon as he heard that.
He Changyi learned from the train conductor that there had been too many dog traffickers lately, who had smuggled sick dogs onto the train. As a result, most of the dogs on the train were infected. The dog traffickers, feeling it was bad luck, abandoned the dying sick dogs and got off the train and left.
Because the dog traffickers emptied the pillows, injected the dogs with sedatives before they went through customs, and stuffed them into the hollow pillows to smuggle them through, almost no one noticed the puppy inside the pillow when they arrived at the station.
The train crew found more than a dozen sick dogs on the train, but due to language barriers and the inability to find a reliable veterinarian in Beijing, almost all of them perished.
The little black dog that He Changyi found must be the one that escaped the net, but he didn't expect it to be so resilient and still alive.
The train conductor, a dog lover, followed He Changyi back to the compartment after learning about the situation, intending to take the puppy to the train conductor's rest room to keep it.
Unexpectedly, the little black dog, though small in size, had a very big temper.
When the train conductor reached out to hug it, it started swearing loudly and grimacing, baring its baby teeth and looking ready to pounce and bite. It was very fierce.
The train conductor shrugged helplessly.
"It seems it doesn't like me."
He Changyi said casually, "It's okay, feelings need to be cultivated. You see, it doesn't really like me that much."
She held up a finger to the little black dog's mouth, and the little black dog immediately licked it eagerly.
He Changyi: ...
Train conductor: ...
He Changyi withdrew her finger, wiped it on the pillow, and chuckled dryly:
"Haha, it seems its personality is still a bit unstable."
The train conductor shook his head sadly.
"It likes you."
He Changyi said decisively:
"It's no use liking it, I don't have time to raise a dog."
The train conductor was very persistent.
"But it likes you."
He Changyi began to look around, searching for the nearest scapegoat.
A plump train attendant, a woman familiar with He Changyi, passed by and loudly proclaimed:
"Don't refuse, it's a good dog! Even if you don't like it, it'll die on its own soon enough!"
The train conductor looked even more depressed.
He Changyi: …………
Auntie, how am I supposed to refuse after you say that?
He Changyi was forced to accept this snotty little black dog.
When she travels, she always carries a portable medical kit containing various medications and bandages, which came in handy this time.
He Changyi gave the little black dog a cup of glucose water, a reduced dose of cold medicine, wrapped it tightly in a used pillowcase, and stuffed a hot water bottle inside.
The little black dog didn't resist at all, only occasionally making soft whimpering sounds, its wet, beady black eyes staring obediently at He Changyi.
He Changyi tore off a piece of toilet paper and wiped away the two lines of snot from his nose, finally making him look much better.
The little black dog stuck out its pale tongue and licked He Changyi's hand.
He Changyi: Hiss...
Her hands were covered in sticky drool!
He Changyi said seriously to the little black dog:
"If you want to follow me in the future, we need to agree on three rules first. The first rule is that you are not allowed to lick me, and the second rule is that you are not allowed to poop in bed."
The little black dog looked at her tenderly, though it was unclear whether it understood what she was saying.
As for the third point—
He Changyi tapped the little black dog's black nose.
"No one is allowed to die before I approve it."
The little black dog continued to stick out its tongue tenderly.
He Changyi abruptly pulled his hand back.
"You've already broken the first rule! How dare you disobey orders!"
The puppy doesn't understand; the puppy just wants to stick to something.
When the train arrived at Mosk station, He Changyi got off the train, exhausted.
In addition to her usual large luggage, she also had a lively little black dog in her arms.
It wasn't because the long train journey was too tiring, but because the puppy was too annoying.
How can there be such a clingy person in the world who has absolutely no sense of distance?!
First, she has to see He Changyi every moment, otherwise she'll yell at the top of her lungs, making people think she's abusing her love.
Next, He Changyi was required to pet its fur every day, from its head to the tip of its tail, then rub its belly and pinch its big paws. Then, still wanting more, it would ask to do it a few more times, which would eventually end with He Changyi impatiently slapping its butt.
After that, it went even further, with its front paws gripping the edge of the bunk and its hind paws hopping around, persistently demanding to be on the bed to serve the emperor.
He Changyi, expressionless, picked up the little black dog by the scruff of its neck.
The little black dog clung obediently to her hand, its limbs hanging naturally, only its tail wagging like a propeller.
"You know I just changed into this three-piece bedding set, right? And you know you haven't showered yet, right?"
The puppy doesn't understand, but it wags its tail happily.
The train conductor, passing by unintentionally for the nth time, peeked into the compartment and once again revealed an envious expression.
He Changyi immediately handed the dog to him.
"It's for you!"
The little black dog barked fiercely, "Woof woof woof woof woof!!!"
The train conductor waved his hand sadly.
"No, I'm pretty sure it doesn't like me at all."
Even when he brought him his share of sausages and cheese, the little black dog remained indifferent to him.
well.
He Changyi placed his hands under the little black dog's armpits (?), lifted it up in front of him, and compromised:
"Okay, okay, now you're really going to stick with me."
The little black dog grinned, revealing a happy canine smile.
At Mosk train station, He Changyi ran into an acquaintance named Bacha.
He brought many uncles, nephews, and brothers from his hometown, monopolizing half of the train station's business, and now he has become the head of the porters.
Upon seeing He Changyi, the leader, who had been away from frontline work for a long time, immediately came forward, personally carrying the largest bag of luggage, and then directing others to carry the other luggage.
"Miss He, it's been a long time. Are you staying in Moscow today?"
He Changyi, holding the dog, didn't give a direct answer, but politely asked the other party to help her hail a taxi.
Bacha stopped the car and diligently tied the large pieces of luggage to the roof and stuffed the smaller pieces into the back seat. He also blocked the driver's side to prevent the driver from running away with the goods until He Changyi got into the car with the dog.
He Changyi offered to pay him for his work, but Bacha refused, only saying as he said goodbye, "Please give my regards to Captain Andrei."
Yes, Andrei has been promoted.
After most of his colleagues at the police station were tragically killed, Andrei, as a survivor, immediately organized the remaining police force after the unrest broke out and maintained stability in the area around the train station.
He is young, highly educated, and his file is full of positive reviews. What's even more remarkable is that he is quite clean and has no connections with any party.
After the purge, many leadership positions became vacant. Andrei was promoted exceptionally for his merits, rising from a patrol officer to a mid-level leader in the police station, with a promising future clearly visible to the naked eye.
But He Changyi saw him even less often.
Since Andrei was no longer in charge of patrolling in front of the train station, and He Changyi visited Moscow less often, usually getting off at Vladimir station, the two sides had almost no chance to meet.
It was rare to run into him at the train station, but either Andrei was followed by a group of subordinates, or He Changyi was busy taking clients to the post office, so they could only exchange glances.
Andrei has lost a lot of weight.
The baby fat that once represented youthful innocence quickly faded, and the lines on his face became sharper, making him look more three-dimensional and firmer.
The smile was gone from his eyes; he looked gloomy, indifferent, even cold.
The Andrei of the past was like the early spring wind, a little cold, but mostly gentle; but now Andrei is like a birch tree in the dead of winter, its branches weighed down by heavy, icy snow.
But when he saw He Changyi, his snow melted briefly, and his eyes couldn't help but follow her.
He Changyi was very busy, so he quickly greeted them and whispered to Andrei, "I had someone put something in your office. Don't forget to open it and take a look. There's some of your favorite Jong-guk smoked meat inside."
As He Changyi was about to leave after speaking, Andrei instinctively grabbed her arm.
"But I haven't paid yet."
The customers kept glancing this way, wondering to themselves how this female middleman was so familiar with the Emei police. No wonder her business was so big; she must have a local backer.
He Changyi smiled at Andrei, said, "I'll owe you money for now. I like it when you owe me money," and then left without looking back.
Andrei followed her back until she completely disappeared from sight.
Bacha is a rather cunning fellow.
Even though He Changyi is now down on his luck, he remains as enthusiastic and attentive as ever; it can't be because of the tips.
She was fully aware of this.
When the taxi arrived at Grandma Vitalie's house, He Changyi didn't pay the fare but asked the driver to get out of the car and take out all the luggage bags.
The driver lingered in the driver's seat, muttering various excuses and glancing at her every now and then.
The little black dog jumped out of He Changyi's arms and barked fiercely at the driver.
Unfortunately, its deterrent effect is basically zero.
Without wasting any words, He Changyi quickly leaned over from the passenger seat and swiftly pulled out the car keys.
The driver was taken aback, but He Changyi had already taken the keys, pushed open the door, and gotten out of the car, slowly untying the rope securing the luggage bag on the roof.
"Give me back my key!"
The driver roared angrily and jumped out of the driver's seat with a swift motion, showing no trace of his previous sluggishness.
He Changyi didn't even look at him, and continued to unload her luggage.
To be honest, if all of Mosk's taxi drivers were imprisoned, some would certainly be innocent; but if only half were imprisoned, some would definitely slip through the net.
Clearly, this driver was one of those who slipped through the net.
He saw that He Changyi was a single East Asian woman. Although she was dressed in an inconspicuous manner, she was carrying so much luggage that she was clearly a delicate but fat sheep.
But the fat sheep refused to obediently stretch out its neck to be slaughtered.
"You damned Asian bitch, this isn't your territory, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"
The driver raised his two large, hairy fists and lunged at her menacingly.
The little black dog jumped off the car in a panic. Even though it was so scared that its tail was tucked between its legs, it still trembled and stood in front of its beloved human's feet.
He Changyi didn't even turn his head.
Because in the next second, the driver was knocked to the ground from behind, without even having a chance to make a sound.
A real giant bear emerged from behind the driver and said impatiently to He Changyi:
"Where's your gun? Don't tell me you forgot to bring it."
He Changyi took the luggage bag out of the back seat and casually threw the car keys into the roadside drain.
The driver, lying on the ground, stared wide-eyed as the key passed through the drain grates and fell to the bottom of the drain.
His car keys!
Those damned scoundrels were still chatting as if nothing was wrong.
"Please, this is the city, not a battlefield. Besides, who would just open fire in front of their own house? Are you going to wash the blood off the ground?"
"So that's why you brought the robber to your doorstep?"
"Come on, he's just a part-time criminal who failed in his attempt. After all, there are also full-time gangsters here who have already succeeded."
He Changyi threw the dismantled hemp rope on the ground, signaling the giant bear to come over and work as a laborer.
The giant bear grumbled as it walked over, and with a flick of its wrist, it lifted the luggage bag off the roof of the car as easily as picking up a bag of potato chips.
The little black dog strained its neck to look up at the enormous human.
It was quite shocking.
But it's okay, the brave little dog is not afraid of difficulties.
"Woof woof woof woof woof!!!"
Hearing the dog bark, Alexei glanced at the ball of fur on the ground and asked in confusion:
"Have you started selling dogs yet? They don't look very valuable. What breed are they?"
He nudged the fuzzy, seemingly fierce but actually cowardly ball of fur on the ground with his foot. The ball bared its tiny teeth, let out a howl, pounced on him, and bit his trouser leg, refusing to let go.
He Changyi said without turning his head:
"No, this is a newly hired employee."
Alexei: ...
My apologies, this is a new intern.
Alexei withdrew his foot, shook his trousers, and shook off the tuft of fur hanging on them.
The little black dog rolled on the ground, then immediately got up and barked at Alexei with great spirit.
"Woof woof woof woof woof!"
Alexei stared at it expressionlessly.
—So she's an intern with a pretty bad temper.
As the driver strained to squeeze his arm into the gap in the grille, the sound of a door opening came from not far away, followed by the voice of a third person.
"My dearest gingerbread, I miss you so much! When you're not here, there's an emptiness in the house and in my heart, and even the dough for the pie can't rise properly."
“I miss you very much... Perhaps Alexei could try kneading the dough.”
"Forget it, flour is a very precious food. I can't take that risk. I'd rather he chop wood; after all, destruction is much easier for him..."
"A grandmother truly understands her grandson! You're absolutely right!"
"Haha, this is just an old man's experience... By the way, what's going on with the taxi outside? Why is the driver lying on the ground? Does he need help?"
"No, he's perfectly fine, he just needs to cool down his overheated mind."
"Oh, there's a puppy here?"
A young male voice suddenly rang out.
"No, this is an intern."
The sound gradually faded away until the sound of the door closing could be heard.
The driver lay on the ground, half his face pressed against the ground, stretching out his arm, his fingertips about to touch the car keys at the bottom of the drain.
Just a little closer, just a little closer...
At this moment, two people walked up to him and roughly pulled him up from the ground.
"Damn it, how could anyone try to rob Miss He? And right in front of Alexei!"
"Who knows? Fools always pop out of nowhere."
"What should we do with this guy? The usual way, throw him in the river?"
"The river is already frozen over. Do we need to break the ice first?"
The driver was so frightened that his legs trembled, all his muscles went into overdrive, his bladder and sphincter failed, and a fishy, foul smell filled the air.
"You son of a bitch! I don't want to get my hands dirty! This is disgusting!"
“There’s a car here. Let’s just dump him in the suburbs. After all, Miss He doesn’t like overly bloody scenes.”
"Okay, okay, who's going to drive?"
"I'll come... wait, where are the car keys?"
The driver was overjoyed.
Great, the car keys were lost!
"Are you an idiot? You can't drive without a key? You might as well go back and help your grandmother wind yarn!"
"Do you think you can drive without a key?!"
"Hmph, just because he doesn't have the key. You know, I almost stole Brezhnev's daughter's Bentley back then."
"But it's still not quite there."
"That's because there were three tons of medals in the car!"
A series of soft sounds were followed by the sudden sound of a vehicle engine starting up.
"Alright, go get the car. Drop them off in the suburbs and we can come back for dinner. Miss He must have brought Jong-guk sausages and Jong-guk bread; I can't miss this meal."
"You stinking piece of dog shit, go eat your black bread. Didn't you complain that Jong-kook's bread was too soft and too sweet, and that Jong-kook's sausages were spicy?"
"I was just saying! Damn it, don't even think about taking my share!"
The driver was roughly shoved into the car, and after a burst of speed, the car drove to a remote suburb. Then he was thrown out, and they didn't even bother to beat him up.
"Hurry, hurry! They must have already started cooking the sausages. My mouth is watering!"
"If it weren't for this bastard, I would have been eating Jong-kook's stuffed bread long ago!"
“That’s not bread, Miss He said it’s ‘baozi’!”
"I don't care what the name is, I need to get back right now!"
The driver stared blankly at the taillights of the departing car; all he could see, besides the muddy, icy road, was gray snow.
It's good that we didn't get beaten up, but what's next?
The sun was setting below the horizon, and the sky was about to turn completely dark.
On a winter night with temperatures dropping to minus thirty degrees Celsius, was he really going to walk back to the city on foot?
A cold wind blew by, and the driver shivered.
No, he has to get back right away; the car keys are still in the drain!
-----------------------
The author's note: The driver who got the car keys: Wait, where's my car?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com