Chapter 45 Too Much Coincidence
The person stood at the door of the private room, unsure whether to go in or out, clearly unprepared for this unexpected encounter.
He Changyi crossed his arms and looked at the guy suspiciously.
"You bought a soft sleeper ticket? Don't tell me you sneaked over from the hard sleeper side after boarding the train when the conductor wasn't looking."
Upon hearing this, the visitor, his face flushed red, said:
"Who says I can't afford a sleeper ticket? You're underestimating me! I boarded the train properly with my ticket checked!"
He Changyi scoffed.
"Could it be that you found someone else's lost ticket?"
The person who came was so angry he was about to jump up and down.
"you--"
At that moment, a third person's voice sounded from outside the door.
"Third Uncle, why aren't you going in yet? Is someone in the bunk?"
As he spoke, the man opened the door to the private room wider and poked half his body in.
When he saw He Changyi in the private room, he exclaimed with delight:
"Changyi! How could it be you!"
He Changyi was somewhat surprised, stood up, and nodded to him.
"Xie Xun, it's been a long time."
Xie Shirong said sourly from the side:
"Tsk, Chang'e has always loved young men... How biased! Why don't you ever say 'long time no see' to me?"
Xie Xun pushed aside Xie Shirong, who was blocking the doorway, and enthusiastically squeezed into the private room, wanting to give He Changyi a foreign-style hug. However, he realized that it was inappropriate when he opened his arms, so he quickly stopped and instead subtly extended his right hand to shake hands with He Changyi.
"I never expected to run into you on the train! I'm so lucky!"
He Changyi shook hands twice and then let go, simply smiling and saying, "It is indeed a coincidence."
She looked in Xie Shirong's direction and then asked, "Why are you hanging out with him again?"
Not wanting to be left out, Xie Shirong interjected:
"What do you mean 'hanging out with me again'? We're family. We're inseparable. No outsider is as reliable as family. Otherwise, how could the business be so big? Xie Xun even bought me the sleeper train ticket!"
He Changyi ignored him and watched to see how Xie Xun would respond.
Xie Xun touched his nose.
“After all, we’re from the same village, and we’re all making money in the former Alliance’s territory. It’s not good to completely sever ties with Uncle San. He’s the senior one, and no one knows the goods and routes better than him. I think if we’re going to make money, we should bring our relatives and friends along with us.”
Since the parties involved didn't say anything, He Changyi simply shook his head.
"I don't understand. Relatives are all messy and complicated, laughing and arguing yesterday and today. It's not clean at all. You can handle it yourself."
Xie Shirong said in a very old-fashioned manner:
"Of course you don't understand. He's a lone wolf, going to Mosk all by himself, without even a relative or fellow villager to stick with..."
Xie Xun interrupted Xie Shirong.
"Third Uncle, you're staying in my private room, let's switch."
Xie Shirong opened his mouth as if to say something, but his eyes darted between Xie Xun and He Changyi. He swallowed his words and changed his tone:
"Fine, let's exchange it. I won't be able to sleep soundly at night with my goods at your place anyway, I'd rather keep an eye on them myself..."
Xie Shirong reluctantly carried his old schoolbag to another private room. He Changyi asked Xie Xun:
"Shopping bags stuffed into a soft sleeper compartment?"
Xie Xun: "My third uncle never comes to Oros empty-handed, because thieves never leave empty-handed. I don't have much to take with me, so I'll leave the baggage allowance of both tickets to him to transport goods. He can sell them along the way and make a little money."
His manner of speaking was so natural that only upon careful observation could one discern the unintentional condescension.
Although he kept calling him "Third Uncle," there was no trace of respect for his elders; it was more of a superficial gesture.
He Changyi looked at Xie Xun, who was wearing a smart overcoat, brown camel hair, paired with shiny leather boots, and had mousse on his hair. He looked completely different from the little follower who used to assist Xie Shirong.
Xie Xun brought over an LV suitcase from the next private room. He didn't try to hide it from He Changyi and directly opened the lid. Half of the suitcase was filled with bundles of US dollars.
He picked up two stacks of US dollars and handed them to He Changyi, saying with a smile, "This is this year's dividend."
He Changyi took the US dollars, glanced at them, and then tossed them back into her suitcase.
"I haven't paid back the money I withdrew from the account before, so I'll just use my dividends to pay it off."
Xie Xun smiled and shook his head, closed the lid of the box, and hung a stainless steel lock that was completely out of place with the box.
"Okay, once the debt is paid off, I'll give you a big bonus."
The international train traveled peacefully through China for several days. The four steel plant representatives strolled around the carriages with great interest, chatting with fellow passengers and occasionally taking photos of the scenery outside the window.
He Changyi always maintained a respectful yet assertive attitude towards these four gentlemen. She neither fawned them to the point of emboldening them nor treated them coldly to the point of making them want to jump off the bus and return home. Her polite and considerate manner made them more courteous to this female scrap metal dealer who came to her door to sell scrap steel.
Xie Xun, that cunning fellow, deduced something from He Changyi's words and actions on the very day the train departed, and immediately began serving the four representatives as her business partner.
It has to be said that this helped He Changyi a lot.
After all, she couldn't just walk into the bathroom openly when the delegates didn't know how to use the shower/toilet.
After the initial adjustment period, the unfamiliar passengers got to know each other, and the atmosphere on the bus became quite lively.
"Let me tell you, there's gold everywhere in Russia. The Russians are very generous; you can bring anything over there and sell it for this much in one trip!"
Xie Shirong smugly gestured numbers to a group of middle-aged men, drawing gasps of surprise from them.
"So many!"
"I couldn't earn this much money even if I worked for a whole year!"
"Oh my, this makes me really want to quit my job and become a speculator."
Xie Shirong laughed heartily with satisfaction, and instead advised:
"What's so good about being a middleman? You don't know where your next meal is coming from, you can't even pay your social security contributions, and you only make a quick buck for a few years. It's much better for you guys who have a job. You get oil and fruit during holidays, and you don't even have to pay for your own trips abroad. If you bring goods to sell, you make pure profit on the round trip!"
Upon hearing this, someone immediately said:
"I actually brought some goods with me! Look, these sportswear I bought from Quanyechang. I heard Russians love these!"
“I have some here too, wholesale hair clips, less than three cents each, but I haven’t decided how much to sell them for in Oros.”
"And mine, a genuine mechanical watch, all from Hong Kong, it's sure to sell well!"
Upon hearing the words "mechanical watch," Xie Shirong resolutely said:
"Mechanical watches won't do. Who told you to sell mechanical watches? This guy has never been to Oslo. This place has no shortage of mechanical watches. There are several mechanical watch brands here. Even poor Russians bring out their own mechanical watches to sell!"
The person wearing the mechanical watch became anxious and repeatedly asked:
"What should I do? I borrowed money to buy a whole box of watches! If I can't sell them, I can't just bring them back to China like this."
Xie Shirong adopted the demeanor of a seasoned black marketeer, smugly launching his classes on the train.
"It's just that we're destined to meet, otherwise I wouldn't bother telling just anyone. That's why they say it takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride. Let me tell you, just do it this way..."
The passengers on the bus, traveling from all over the country, regardless of their occupations or whether they would be interested in the trade after getting off, all had only one topic of discussion at that moment.
—What the hell is this called making money? What the hell is this called making money?!
The four representatives had originally planned a publicly funded trip and never intended to sell products. Now, unable to join the conversation, they were extremely anxious.
Seeing this, Xie Xun somehow managed to get the miserly Xie Shirong to spare twenty leather jackets, distributing five to each representative so they could also join in the get-rich-quick frenzy.
He Changyi offered him money, but Xie Xun refused, smiling and saying:
"Consider it your third uncle's apology. He's always been a harsh speaker, so please don't take it to heart."
He Changyi raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, for your sake, I'll pretend I didn't hear him speak from now on. But I'll still remember this favor, consider it another one I owe you."
Xie Xun asked her, "So how are you going to pay me back?"
He Changyi said half-jokingly:
"Pay back if you have the money, default if you don't, and if all else fails, repay with your body."
"good."
Xie Xun said, "I don't want you to pay me back, just repay me with your body."
He Changyi grinned at him, but didn't respond, jokingly changing the subject.
"You have quite an appetite, aren't you afraid of breaking your teeth?"
Xie Xun neither said yes nor no, but looked at He Changyi, then suddenly lowered his head and chuckled softly.
Completely different from his usual clear voice, it was a deliberately lowered, magnetic voice, full of texture.
He Changyi turned her head away from him, thinking to herself that this guy was becoming more and more unscrupulous when he started using his screen.
When the train crossed the border and arrived at the first major station in Moscow, the sleeper carriages experienced a surge in sales.
The four representatives excitedly rushed into the waiting crowd outside the car, each carrying five leather jackets, and sold them to anyone who offered money.
Even after selling out, they were still eager to help others sell, and only reluctantly returned to the train just before it was about to depart.
"These Russians are so hairy, even young girls of eighteen or nineteen have beards. Razors will definitely sell well here!"
"They smelled so bad! Goodness, it made my eyes water!"
"Being a middleman is really interesting. You can make money so easily by taking the train. I'm thinking of becoming one myself."
When they returned to the carriage and saw He Changyi, they said with lingering excitement:
"Miss He, why are you staying in the car? It's quite interesting outside."
However, the representative of the state-owned steel plant said, "They come to Oros every now and then, we're already tired of seeing them. Do you think we country bumpkins who earn a fixed salary have never seen the world? This little He has personally sold hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of goods, so what's so surprising about this little scene?"
The remark sounded a bit sarcastic, and the shrewd individuals all laughed, but none of them responded.
He Changyi wasn't angry, and said with a smile:
"You can make a lot of money in Russia, but you have to be alive to spend it. While everyone was out selling goods, I stayed behind to watch the luggage, just in case. And guess what? I actually caught a few petty thieves."
She pointed to several wallets, cloth bags, and even socks of different colors and sizes on the table.
One of the delegates exclaimed, "Isn't that the sock I used to carry my money? I remember stuffing it at the very back of my duffel bag!"
"Who found my wallet?!"
"My passport is still inside!"
The delegates, having no time to chat, hurriedly checked their luggage to see if anything was missing.
However, apart from the private room being ransacked, their money, documents, and valuables were still there.
It was a false alarm.
A representative from the private company said, "Luckily, Ms. He stayed in the car to watch our luggage; otherwise, the few dollars we made selling the leather jackets wouldn't have been enough to cover the losses."
The state-owned enterprise representative disagreed and retorted:
"Who knows if there was a real thief or an inside job? It can't be such a coincidence. We got off the bus to sell some things, and then our things were almost stolen. How can it be more coincidental than a movie?"
He Changyi was not surprised by the inexplicable hostility from the state-owned enterprise representative; in fact, he was somewhat used to it.
It's often said that women are narrow-minded, but when men get petty, they can be truly petty.
Especially for junior leaders in public institutions, who have high status but low income, they are so envious of private business owners who are far less powerful than themselves but have far greater economic strength that they are practically bleeding from their eyes.
But they are absolutely unwilling to quit their jobs, start their own businesses, and make big money on their own.
After all, staying within the system means being an official, and everyone has to give him face; but once he leaves the system, he becomes nothing, and this huge sense of loss is enough to make him suffer terribly.
Therefore, representatives of state-owned enterprises often made sarcastic remarks to He Changyi, like a lemon come to life.
He Changyi usually ignored it, but this time she didn't let it go as easily as before.
"Director Peng, look at what you're saying. Reality isn't a movie; there aren't that many coincidences."
He Changyi spoke with a smile, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes.
"I was just trying to help everyone watch their luggage, but what you're saying makes it sound like I'm an accomplice!"
Director Peng, the representative of the state-owned enterprise, pretended to be ignorant.
"Is that what I meant? I don't think so. Xiao He, aren't you being too sensitive? I was just saying a few words casually, why are you making such a big deal out of it? Now I'm afraid to speak up anymore."
He Changyi was still smiling, as if this was just a casual chat between friends.
“Hey, you’ve said everything, so what’s there to be afraid of saying? But luckily, after I got everyone’s things back, I also caught the thieves, otherwise this matter would have been completely unexplainable. I’ve handed those thieves over to the train conductor, and the Oroqen police will take over at the next station. Why don’t you come with me to the train conductor’s office and take a look? The thieves are still locked up inside.”
Director Peng was caught off guard when Xiao He, who had been so gentle the whole way, suddenly became tough.
What started as a routine venting session turned into a nightmare.
"This, this, this... It's no use looking at it. I'm not a policeman. If you want to lock him up, then lock him up. Let the people of E'guo handle their affairs. We people of Zhong'guo are better off just sitting quietly on the bus. Ah, I guess I won't go."
Upon hearing Director Peng's words, the three private enterprise representatives exchanged glances and chuckled quietly.
Should!
He always acted like a boss in the car, making everyone on board his subordinates. He looked down on everyone and everyone else, acting like he was some big official. But when he took off his clothes to take a shower, lo and behold, his underwear had two big patches on it.
He Changyi didn't press the matter further, maintaining a sweet smile as she casually remarked:
"Then you'd better keep a close eye on your luggage. This train isn't safe at all. You don't want someone to break into your compartment in the middle of the night."
Director Peng chuckled twice.
"How could that be? How could that be..."
After the four representatives returned to their respective private rooms, Xie Xun smiled and said to He Changyi:
"How impressive!"
He Changyi lay lazily on the quilt, turned her head and asked him:
"What's so impressive about that? I'm practically begging for a ride, what's so impressive about that? If it weren't for selling some scrap steel, I would have kicked him back to his country. This money is really hard to earn."
Xie Xun knelt down in front of her bunk and comforted her:
"That's how it is. You have to put on your socks before your shoes, and you have to act like a grandson before you can act like a grandfather. Right now, it seems like you're the one begging them, but in the future, who knows who will be begging whom?"
As he said this, a sharp glint flashed in Xie Xun's eyes, like a sword hidden in its sheath that could no longer be restrained.
He Changyi raised her hand and patted his delicate face.
Is this based on your own experience?
Xie Xun grabbed He Changyi's wrist with his other hand, and pressed his face against her palm with a little force.
"These are my heartfelt words."
He Changyi asked him softly.
"So what are you doing now? Do you want to be the grandson or the grandfather?"
Xie Xun looked up at He Changyi, his peach blossom eyes devoid of any hazy or tipsy expression, his gaze direct and breathtaking.
Whatever you say goes.
He Changyi's fingers brushed across Xie Xun's eyes, forcing him to close one eye, while the other eye stubbornly remained fixed on her.
Even if it means being a grandson?
Xie Xun asked with a light laugh:
Would you let me do that?
He Changyi used some force to pull his hand back.
Then she straightened up, sat upright on the bunk, and looked down at Xie Xun, who was looking up at her.
“I don’t want to have such a big grandson, and I certainly don’t want to be anyone’s grandmother.”
Xie Xun was clearly in a lower position, but his eyes were exceptionally ardent.
"Then we're a match made in heaven. Whether we fly wing to wing or collude in evil, we'll eventually join forces to conquer the world."
He Changyi looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"I've said it before, I don't make friends with men."
Xie Xun reacted very quickly, and immediately followed up with:
“I remember you picked the ones you liked the most and then kept them as mistresses.”
He stood up and leaned down towards He Changyi until his figure completely enveloped her.
"Am I still pleasing to your eye now?"
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Author's note: I'm really curious if anyone ships Xie Xun [doge emoji with rose in hand]
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