Chapter 132 Ackermanstein (Revised)...
Central Asia, Akmenstan.
As He Changyi emerged from the old airport, she immediately spotted Xie Xun.
He stood in the crowd, tall, thin, and straight, with a bright smile. He didn't look like a fox; he looked more like a vibrant little poplar tree.
"Changyi!"
Xie Xun raised his hand and waved vigorously, then walked quickly against the flow of passengers exiting the station until he stopped in front of He Changyi.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with undisguised joy. At that moment, winter seemed to have ended in his gaze.
"You must have had a tiring journey. I've already booked a hotel. You can take my car there later and get some rest first."
He Changyi said nonchalantly, "What's this? Back then, we took a train for six days and five nights. Now it's just a few hours on a plane. It's not hard work at all. It's more like enjoying life."
Xie Xun simply shook his head and said, "How can they be the same?"
He brought three cars to pick them up from the airport, enough to fit all his entourage and luggage. When assigning vehicles to each person, Xie Xuejun hesitated for a moment and looked at He Changyi questioningly.
Xie Xun laughed and said, "What, don't our imperial guards trust me?"
Xie Xuejun scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "No, it's just that we're in a foreign country, and we don't know anyone here..."
Xie Xun said, "You can rest assured with me. Even if something happens to me, nothing will happen to her."
Xie Xuejun chuckled twice, then went to look at He Changyi again. Seeing that she nodded, he then got into another car.
Xie Xun opened the door of the most expensive car, holding the roof with one hand, gesturing for He Changyi to get in, like a dutiful doorman.
He Changyi smiled and glanced at the guy, then bent down and got into the car. Xie Xun quickly followed and got in, closing the door behind him.
On the way to the hotel, Xie Xun gave He Changyi a detailed introduction to the background of this cooperation.
Although he had mentioned it once before on the phone, he spoke rather vaguely to avoid possible eavesdropping, only saying that there was a barter cooperation project in Central Asia, in which the other party was willing to exchange high-quality tungsten ore for food and light industrial products.
He Changyi was very interested in hearing this. She had recently made a fortune from oil and felt that selling primary mineral products was a quick way to make money. Otherwise, how could the Middle Eastern princes burn money without feeling any pain?
If oil could be found right outside his door, He Changyi would be willing to pave the ground with gold, inlay diamonds on the stair railings, and buy missiles to watch them explode.
Therefore, when Xie Xun mentioned that the other party wanted to pay with tungsten ore, He Changyi flew to Akmantan with great interest.
However, before we officially begin our collaboration, there's one more thing that needs to be confirmed—
"Is that Medardinov you know reliable?"
He Changyi asked Xie Xun, "How does he manage to obtain high-quality tungsten ore? Can he make that decision?"
Xie Xun said knowingly, "Don't worry, I've already had someone investigate him. Megerdinov is indeed the general manager of the Mineral Distribution Company of the Ministry of Industry of Akmanstein. He can make the decisions."
He Changyi pressed further, "How did you verify Mederdinov's identity? Is it credible?"
She wasn't doubting Xie Xun, but in the years she had been doing business in Oros, she had seen too many scoundrels who claimed to want to do a big deal with her, but in reality, they were just there to freeload, and it would be even better if they could leave with two cases of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
At first, He Changyi was interested in joking around with these guys, talking about deals worth hundreds of millions, but in reality, he couldn't even bear to buy the cheapest cigarettes, and waited expectantly for Boss Zhong Guo to give him cigarettes.
Later, as her business grew bigger and bigger, she became busier and busier, and she became too lazy to play around anymore. However, the scammers became even more enthusiastic. Every day, there were suspected businessmen outside her office carrying folders to promote cooperation projects. It was a good opportunity for Zhong Guolai's new bodyguard to practice his spoken English.
This man, Megerdinov, who claimed to be the general manager of the Mineral Distribution Company of the Ministry of Industry of Ackerman, didn't have a high-ranking title. Compared to the swindlers He Changyi had met before, he was very low-key and unassuming. At least he didn't say that he was the president's son-in-law/brother-in-law/mistress (...).
However, it is still advisable to be cautious when it comes to cooperation projects involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
Xie Xun wasn't angry about He Changyi's suspicions, after all, he had seen many similar swindlers and could empathize with them.
"I had someone follow Megordinov for a month, and he does indeed work in the government building. As for his specific job title and authority—"
Xie Xun drawled out his words and winked mysteriously at He Changyi.
"Why don't you come and confirm it yourself?"
He Changyi raised an eyebrow: "Should I confirm?"
The car happened to stop in front of the hotel, and Xie Xun got out first, opening the car door for He Changyi before the actual doorman could.
"Rest first, change your clothes, and I'll pick you up tonight."
The little fox finally couldn't resist showing off its smug big tail.
"We are going to the Prime Minister's Office in Akmantan for a welcome dinner."
Akmenstan was once a member state of the Union. After the red flag fell, this impoverished Central Asian country regained its independence, or rather, truly became a modern nation-state.
However, independence did not bring Akmenstan many benefits. Apart from all officials being promoted on the spot, the country that broke away from the Union was like a premature fetus whose umbilical cord was forcibly cut. In the moment of losing the supply of oxygen and nutrients, it almost suffocated and died.
Ackermantan was once part of the Union, and its economy was not designed as an independent nation, but rather as a link in the Union's vast division of labor, serving as a base for the supply of raw materials and primary products. All of its industries were heavily dependent on Ros and other constituent republics.
When the alliance disintegrated, the previously close industrial and supply chains were instantly disrupted, the market disappeared, and the role lost its stage.
This is no longer just a one-man show.
It's like a cybernetic human who has been forcibly fitted with mechanical limbs being left with only their original human torso when they are completely unprepared, and at the same time, being thrown onto an unlimited fighting ring.
To be or not to be, is no longer a famous saying, but a dilemma that Ackermanstein must face in reality.
But this is not the end.
After gaining independence, Akmenstan's leaders continued to follow in the footsteps of Russia and also adopted shock therapy.
For Oros, his health bar was thick enough that he could still catch his breath after all the commotion; he was just a muscular strongman who turned into a skinny dog, but at least he survived. But for Ackermanstein, who was already in the intensive care unit, the whole ordeal turned him into a vegetable.
Although during the Union era, rigid decision-making at the top caused a famine in Akmenstan that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, at least the Union would lend a helping hand to its ally after realizing its mistakes. But now, Oros is too busy to help and has no time to spare, so Akmenstan can only struggle to save itself.
The elder brother is dead, and the younger brother, Akmanstein, will soon follow suit.
Supply chain disruptions, market shrinkage, hyperinflation, political instability, food crisis...
Ackermanstein has all the diseases that Oros has, and also has diseases that Oros does not have.
This is a city of despair.
In his desperate struggle for survival, the instinct for survival drove Akmanstein to frantically search for any chance of survival. He was willing to treat foreign businessmen as honored guests of the entire country, as long as he could live.
This explains why Ho Chang-yi was greeted with warm smiles everywhere he went when he arrived at the Prime Minister's Office.
"Xie Xun, are you sure this is really the Prime Minister's Office?"
He Changyi hesitated and said, "Why do I feel like I've stumbled into a den of thieves?"
Xie Xun smiled and said in Chinese, "They say that those who are overly solicitous for no reason are either treacherous or thieves. But what if they are overly solicitous for something? I remember there is an old saying, 'If you need something from someone, you must treat them with courtesy.' They are begging us to buy ore, so of course we should treat them with courtesy."
He Changyi praised in surprise, "Your Chinese language skills are getting better and better."
Xie Xun smiled and said softly, "I can't keep confusing golf with Gorky."
Compared to the dilapidated and old city center, the Prime Minister's Office is decorated in a lavish and opulent style, with gold plating covering the entire building.
Persian hand-woven carpets, porcelain from ancient Eastern countries, large sandalwood carvings on the walls, and an overpowering fragrance... When He Changyi was welcomed into the reception room, he was momentarily dazed—with such extravagance, would the prime minister of a country really care about a small project worth a mere hundred million US dollars?
However, when He Changyi met with Akmanian Prime Minister Targat, he confirmed that, well, he really did care.
Prime Minister Targat warmly grasped He Changyi's hand, shaking it vigorously, and said enthusiastically in Ethnic language, "Welcome, welcome to our country, my friends!"
He Changyi quietly withdrew his hand and said politely, "Mr. Premier, thank you very much for your invitation."
The Prime Minister of Targat smiled like a Maitreya Buddha. He had classic Central Asian features: brownish-yellow eyes, fair skin, and facial features that were somewhere between Caucasian and Asian. He looked both strange and familiar.
After shaking hands with He Changyi, he shook hands with Xie Xun, and then with several other members of the Zhongguo business group who had come with him.
"Friends from China, welcome! On behalf of all the people of Akmantan, I welcome your arrival!"
After they were seated, amidst the unique aroma of tea filled with honey and spices, Prime Minister Targat warmly addressed the visiting Chinese guests: "You are the hope of our country! Akmantan today doesn't need democracy, it doesn't need freedom, nobody cares about those capitalist issues anymore. Now we only care about one thing, and that is bread!"
He Changyi and Xie Xun exchanged a glance, remained silent, and continued to listen to the Prime Minister's speech.
"Politics is a luxury; only those who are well-fed think about it. When you are hungry, you only think about when you can eat and where you can eat. Your mind is full of bread, bread, and more bread."
Prime Minister Targat patted his belly humorously and said, "Listen, it's making a rumbling sound right now!"
Everyone laughed heartily, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Prime Minister Targat then changed the subject, saying, "But right now, what we lack most is bread. Although our country has countless mineral resources underground and vast lands above ground, bread won't grow on its own, and seeds planted won't be harvested in spring. We can't expect people to eat minerals, so our country warmly welcomes you businessmen, because you bring hope—hope for enough to eat."
After speaking, Prime Minister Targat looked kindly at the crowd, clearly waiting for them to speak.
The members of the Zhongguo business delegation were very nervous. As ordinary businessmen, this was the first time in their lives that they had seen a national leader. Although it was a small Central Asian country, this was still the prime minister!
Everyone was trying to force a smile, but no one dared to speak first, for fear of revealing their timidity if they opened their mouths.
An awkward silence fell over the reception room, and Prime Minister Targat's smile froze.
He Changyi stepped forward again.
“Mr. Prime Minister, as Chinese citizens, we can very well understand the plight of the people of Akmen. Our country also faced the problem of not having enough to eat for a long time. Everyone here has experienced the feeling of hunger. It’s like a fire burning in your stomach. Without food, your stomach even starts to try to digest itself.”
Her voice was bright and clear, echoing in the spacious reception room.
“We have experienced hunger, so we don’t want others to go hungry. Now, through years of development, China has solved the problem of feeding the vast majority of its people. Since the reform and opening up, our agriculture and industry have developed rapidly, with ample food and industrial products, and abundant resources. Mr. Prime Minister, we are willing to do our part to help the people of Akmantan.”
Prime Minister Targat smiled with satisfaction and said, “I know there is a famous saying in your country, ‘Women hold up half the sky,’ but in my opinion, women hold up more than half the sky, and sometimes they can support the whole sky.”
Prime Minister Targat exclaimed, "Miss He, you truly are a woman of Zhongguo!"
The business delegation members looked at He Changyi with envy, jealousy, and resentment. If they had known they would receive praise from the Premier, they should have stood up and said a few words. Now, she had stolen all the limelight.
Xie Xun was also looking at He Changyi, his eyes filled with pride, as if this made him happier than if he were in the limelight himself.
—This is his moon.
—The moon that belongs only to him.
The day after the welcome banquet, the Zhongguo business delegation became the VIPs of the entire city.
The Akmenstan government sent a special car to pick him up, local newspapers and radio stations gave special reports, and ministers from various departments took turns meeting with him. For a time, discussions about Zhong Guo were everywhere on the streets.
"I heard that China is now the richest country in Asia, and they have more food than they can eat!"
"Not only food, but also the world's most abundant and cheapest goods, you can even buy a lighter for just ten rubles!"
"Is China already more powerful than the United States? That's unbelievable. I clearly remember that China was just as poor as us not long ago!"
“What’s so incredible about that? Zhongguo has been rich for a long time. My distant relatives moved to Zhongguo twenty years ago. In their letter, they said that the farmland in Zhongguo is endless, there is not a single piece of land left uncultivated, and every inch of land is used to grow vegetables. How could they lack food?”
"I also want to move to Zhongguo, but I don't know if there's still a chance..."
"Go ahead, go ahead! I've heard that the Zhong people look a lot like us, and they're not as xenophobic as the Oroqen people!"
It wasn't just private discussions among the public; when the Zhongguo business delegation walked through the city, people often came up to stop them.
When she was first stopped, He Changyi's bodyguards warily stood around her, but the other party only wanted to give her a bouquet of flowers.
"Thank you! Beautiful Ms. Zhong Guo! Thank you for coming to Ackermantan, you are all welcome!"
"Ms. Zhong, are you here to buy ore? Could you buy more? We don't need rubles, we need food!"
Some people even grabbed the burly bodyguard, their eyes gleaming as they stared at the shirt he was wearing underneath.
"Hey bro, wanna sell your clothes? I can give you a ton of cash!"
The bodyguard struggled to pull his hand away, shouting, "No, I won't sell! Don't even dream about it, I won't sell my clothes!"
Someone even tried to point their foot at the bodyguard's leather shoes, then clung to him like a leech.
"Hey bro, your shoes are really nice, sell them to me! I'll pay a high price!"
The bodyguard felt like he was walking barefoot on hot coals, wishing he could dance on the spot to shake off these rude guys who were groping him all over.
"No! Not for sale! Get out of here, all of you! We're not selling anything!"
Reporters rushed up with cameras and microphones, chattering at He Changyi in Emei:
"Hello Ms. He! I'm a reporter from xx newspaper/TV station. How many tons of ore are you planning to purchase this time?"
"Ms. He, have you already signed the agreement?"
"Ms. He, do you have anything to say about the Prime Minister's high praise for you?"
"Miss He..."
"Miss He..."
"Miss He..."
Ms. He looked like a big star being chased by paparazzi, running for her life with her tail between her legs. She relied entirely on her bodyguards to tear a path through the crowded people and quickly jumped into the car.
Even after the car door was closed, the camera continued to film the car window. He Changyi, still shaken, shouted, "Drive! Drive!"
It was terrifying. If He Changyi hadn't known she was doing business in Ackerman, she would have almost thought she had transmigrated into the body of a Hong Kong superstar.
Xie Xun took off his coat and placed it on the car window to block the prying eyes from outside.
"So, do you still doubt the project's legitimacy?"
As the car drove away from the crowd, He Changyi breathed a sigh of relief, slumped unceremoniously into the car seat, and wiped away the sweat that had been seeping into his body.
"I have no more doubts, absolutely no more doubts, unless the liar has extraordinary abilities to get the entire nation of Akmanstein to cooperate in this charade."
She smiled and shook her head. "I never imagined that a great country would be in such a difficult situation that even a few small merchants have to treat it with such seriousness."
Xie Xun chuckled and said, "So you're just a small businessman? Besides you, who else can leverage a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars? Even if other Chinese businessmen are interested, they can't come up with that much money to purchase food and supplies all at once."
He Changyi looked at him with a smile: "And you too."
“If you hadn’t discovered the business opportunity, no matter how much money or ability I had, I wouldn’t have been able to strike gold in the desert. You were the one who discovered this gold mine first.”
Xie Xun wanted to laugh, but forced himself to suppress it, only staring at He Changyi with bright, sparkling eyes.
"I told you, sometimes I also want to help you make money."
He Changyi raised her hand and gently touched his cheek, a rare occurrence for her.
"I know."
She couldn't help but feel happy, yet she also couldn't help but feel emotional.
"Who would have thought that when that shrewd coin was making money, he would actually try to share half with me, or even more than half? Didn't you know that bringing me in would take away your dominant position? You've brought yourself a nasty guest who's trying to steal your food."
Xie Xun chuckled softly.
"I've already told you, I'm just a nobody, but one day I'll make you look at me with new eyes."
He Changyi's hand, which had been stroking him, turned into a pinch, pinching his face neither too lightly nor too heavily.
"You rascal, did you hire a tutor for Chinese behind my back? What, are you studying abroad in Eastern Europe instead of doing business? Or are you going to show up in front of me one day wearing a doctoral cap and give me a big surprise?"
Xie Xun stared at her intently, his smile soft and gentle.
"If I could wear a doctoral cap, would you fall in love with me?"
He Changyi joked, "Let alone wearing a doctoral cap, I'm already falling in love with you. You can't find another Mr. Xie Xun in the whole world who can make money and be generous with his share."
Xie Xun had to laugh while trying to be reserved, like a fox that couldn't help but want to show off its fluffy tail to its sweetheart, or just a peacock that wanted to display its plumage wildly in front of her.
"I'm so happy."
Xie Xun repeated, "I'm really happy."
This time, the cold moonlight finally cast a glance at him.
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Author's Note: I'm so angry! My internet crashed while I was updating, and my little red flower (a popular online novel) is gone! [crying emoji] [crying emoji] [crying emoji]
By the way, Ackermanstein is completely fictional; this country doesn't exist in reality. After all, this is a fictional story.
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