Chapter 141 The First Conflict (Revised)
When Xu Shaobo learned that He Changyi was going to take the lead in purchasing the aircraft carrier, he reacted extremely strongly.
"No, I disagree! Why should I? You come here and take all the credit, leaving me to do all the work for someone else!"
Xu Shaobo's face turned extremely ugly. His previous smiling demeanor vanished, and his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses glared fiercely at He Changyi.
"Whatever you say goes! I'm not going to Uzbekistan. I'm going to find Deputy Commander Qin and demand an explanation!"
He Changyi said in surprise, "You're exaggerating. What do you mean by 'picking the fruit' or 'doing the work for others'? It's all contributing to the country. How can you say that someone is stealing credit? Do you think someone can profit from buying an aircraft carrier?"
Xu Shaobo was speechless for a moment, while He Changyi pressed his advantage: "The so-called full responsibility is just to facilitate decision-making. After all, this is a big matter, and we can't let everyone have their own ideas when the time comes, which would delay the important matter."
“Mr. Xu, we are both businessmen. Buying an aircraft carrier can neither be used as a political achievement to get promoted or make a fortune, nor can it be used as an opportunity to make a fortune. So what is there to compete for? In the end, everyone’s starting point is a patriotic heart, nothing more.”
Xu Shaobo hesitated for a long time before finally managing to stammer out, "Of course I'm not doing this for fame or fortune, I'm just not convinced! You want to kick me out of the aircraft carrier project, is this how you use someone and then discard them!"
"Use and then discard?"
He Changyi asked with a half-smile, "The aircraft carrier hasn't even arrived yet. We're only just starting to discuss things with the shipyard. How can you say it's 'used up'?"
Xu Shaobo hesitated, managing to stammer out only, "Anyway, I just don't agree!"
He Changyi was easy to talk to, and upon hearing this, he readily said, "If you really can't accept it, that's fine too. Then let's split up and negotiate with the Usak shipyard separately. As long as we don't deliberately raise prices and cause trouble, more competition is not necessarily a bad thing."
She then said to her assistant, "You can return the items to Mr. Xu now. Our custody obligation ends here."
The assistant suppressed a laugh, handed the jewelry box to Xu Shaobo, and said, "Mr. Xu, please keep it safe. We are not responsible for anything once you leave the store."
Xu Shaobo was taken aback by He Changyi's reaction. He was counting on this wealthy man to provide the funds, and was immediately stunned.
Just as boarding was about to begin, He Changyi took the lead and walked towards the boarding gate, followed by a large group of people.
She brought a large group of people with her from China to Uzbekistan this time, including bodyguards, assistants, professional Uzbek translators, and shipbuilding experts—more than a dozen people in total.
That's not all; her people in Emirates, along with lawyers proficient in local law, are already waiting for her in Uzbekistan.
Xu Shaobo's face alternated between pale and flushed as he stood motionless until the airport announcement urged boarding. A subordinate cautiously asked, "Mr. Xu, are we still going to Uzbekistan...?"
Xu Shaobo angrily retorted, "Go! Why wouldn't I go! I went through all this trouble, not to be someone's stepping stone!"
He lifted his leg and walked towards the boarding gate, and several people behind him hurriedly pushed their suitcases and followed.
When He Changyi saw the group of people entering the cabin, he was not surprised at all. He just shook his head with a smile and then took out the information about the Uzbek aircraft carrier from his bag and began to read it.
Buying an aircraft carrier is a huge deal involving tens of millions of dollars, and she can't go to the battlefield unprepared.
Xu Shaobo, sitting in the same row, glared resentfully at the woman surrounded by bodyguards and assistants, thinking to himself, "Just wait and see, I don't believe she'll still be so arrogant in Uzbekistan!"
The passenger plane soared into the sky, heading north.
It was already night when we landed in Uzbekistan. In winter, the sun sets particularly early in these former Allied countries.
There were few pedestrians outside the airport, and only black and white were visible under the dim streetlights: white was the reflection of the snow, and black was the muddy road. There was a thin layer of ice where vehicles had not driven.
The airport's heating was inadequate, and the newly arrived Chinese travelers huddled together in the cold, frantically pulling thick clothes out of their suitcases while chattering amongst themselves: "It's so cold up north, much colder than back home. How could the locals survive without heating at home..."
"How else can we live? If we don't die, we'll just have to endure it. Humans are the most pathetic and easiest to feed. As long as we're not dead, we just have to keep going."
The traders who frequently travel between the two countries are much more skilled; before they've even changed their clothes, they've already left the house with bags and bundles.
By the time the Chinese tourists had changed their clothes and left the airport, most of the taxis waiting for passengers had disappeared. The remaining taxis were mostly wrecked and nearly totaled, and the drivers were clearly not friendly; their eyes gleamed as they looked at the group of foreigners.
Under the cover of night, ghostly figures seemed to lurk everywhere, and the sub-zero temperatures of forty degrees Celsius exacerbated the panic.
Although it was the first time for everyone, they weren't stupid. Hesitating to move forward, their breaths gathered into a small cloud of mist.
"What should we do now? Is it still possible to get a taxi?"
"Go ahead and hit it. There are so many of us. We can just squeeze into one car. I don't believe the driver would dare to cause any trouble."
"That's hard to say. We should be careful on their turf..."
At that moment, a private car that drove by stood out conspicuously.
Amidst the curious gazes of the crowd, the car stopped in front of Xu Shaobo and the others. The passenger got out and jogged over to invite Xu Shaobo into the car.
Xu Shaobo wasn't in a hurry to get into the car. Instead, he turned to the person standing behind him and said, "Miss He, how about it? Do you want me to give you a ride?"
He Changyi said calmly, "I never expected Mr. Xu to have such a high status in Uzbekistan."
Xu Shaobo waved his hand, pretending to be humble even though he was clearly very proud: "It's nothing, I just set up an office here."
He then said, "Miss He, it's getting late, and the security situation in Uzbekistan isn't great. And you've brought so many people with you. What are your plans? Of course, if you ask for my help, I'll definitely agree, but we'll have to discuss the issue of who's in charge..."
This was clearly an attempt to take advantage of someone in distress, but the weather was freezing cold, and there were unidentified people lurking nearby, creating a dangerous situation. He Changyi was unfamiliar with the area in Uzbekistan and seemed to have no choice but to compromise.
He Changyi asked, "What you're saying is, if I don't agree and something goes wrong, wouldn't it all be my fault?"
Xu Shaobo didn't say anything, he just smiled, but that was clearly what he meant.
He Changyi readily agreed: "Alright, then you can go. We'll figure out how to solve any problems ourselves. Don't delay your important business."
This put Xu Shaobo in a difficult position. With so many people around, could he really just leave the person there unattended?
“Ms. He, don’t act impulsively. In this freezing weather, are you really going to let everyone freeze outside? Even if you don’t consider yourself, you should at least consider the expert translators!”
He Changyi said with a half-smile, "I would like to consider it, but the cost of riding in your car is too high; none of us here can afford it. Besides—"
She pointed to the car that had come to pick them up. "Even if you cram two people into the trunk, it still won't fit everyone here. Mr. Xu, are you genuinely going to pick them up, or are you just saying it casually?"
Xu Shaobo was stumped; the reason he had prepared was stuck in his throat.
He Changyi glanced in a certain direction outside and suddenly smiled.
"Alright, Mr. Xu, I can't afford to ride in your car, so please don't trouble yourself. We'll figure something out ourselves."
Before she could finish speaking, a convoy of vehicles sped along the highway toward the airport, kicking up clouds of snow dust.
The bright headlights were dazzling, but they all dimmed as soon as they entered the airport area and stopped neatly in front of the terminal.
Leading the way was an imported, factory-made Mercedes-Benz. Another person jumped out of the passenger seat, wearing a hat, with a few strands of brown hair sticking out lively from under the brim. He was a Russian with a high nose and deep-set eyes.
The young Russian had a smiling face and a cheerful voice.
"Your Majesty, I hope we're not too late~"
A burly man with a thick beard got out of another car and shoved him aside. He said to He Changyi with a serious face, "Sorry, boss, we're late. We encountered a carjacking gang on the way. There were quite a few of them, so it took us a little longer to deal with them."
He Changyi didn't ask them how they dealt with the carjacking gang, but simply told them, "Don't be late next time."
The man in the hat raised his hand in salute and said with a smile, "Don't worry, next time we'll just run right over them!"
He turned to the giant and yelled, "Did you hear that, Lermontov? Don't use such trivial matters as an excuse next time!"
The giant complained loudly, "Mikhail, don't you know that cars are hard to wash in winter!"
Xu Shaobo was dumbfounded. Both the expensive convoy and the group of foreign subordinates completely shattered his understanding of He Changyi.
Even if she has a large business in Oros, does she think she can just hire a bunch of foreigners?! Especially since these people seem to be talented even in Moscow today, are they really willing to be lackeys of a Chinese woman?!
Xu Shaobo was completely baffled, while He Changyi and his group had already boarded their vehicles. Not only was there no need to overload the vehicles, but there were also plenty of seats available.
"Mr. Xu, do you need a ride? It seems your car can't fit so many people—don't worry, there are no extra requirements for riding in my car, as long as you are Chinese."
With the car window half-rolled down, He Changyi looked up at Xu Shaobo, clearly in response to his earlier words.
Xu Shaobo's face was extremely ugly. Compared to this imposing motorcade of luxury cars, the car that came to pick him up looked utterly lackluster.
"No need! We have enough room!"
He Changyi didn't say much, and simply said, "Then we'll take our leave first, goodbye."
As it had come, the convoy swept through the snow and dust, disappearing into the dark highway, with only the distant headlights proving its existence.
Xu Shaobo almost gritted his teeth, his face sprayed with exhaust fumes from the convoy, and angrily opened the car door and got in.
"drive!"
The passenger in the passenger seat cautiously reminded him, "Mr. Xu, well, the others haven't gotten on the bus yet."
Xu Shaobo: "...You go to the back, I'll sit in the passenger seat."
Passenger: ...
Finally, seven adult men squeezed into this hatchback family car. The four tires visibly sank, and the driver wished he could slam the accelerator into the gas tank. The engine roared weakly, emitting plumes of black smoke.
Apart from the driver, Xu Shaobo had the most spacious seat in the car, but his face remained gloomy.
His silhouette, carrying a luggage bag, was reflected in the car window. He was tall and muscular, huddled in his seat with two suitcases stacked at his feet.
—He should have known that nothing good ever came of meeting He Changyi!
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Author's Note: The Cossacks have been changed to Ussacks, and the first few chapters will also need to be revised.
With the flu going around lately, everyone please take care of your health!
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