"Stop it," Zhao Xiaohai pouted and scolded with a smile, "I'm high enough to be sent to a labor camp, but what about you? I'm afraid you can't even leave the labor camp."
"Hehe," Yakov rubbed his nose and chuckled, ignoring Zhao Xiaohai's teasing. He walked straight to a guard in front of the door, reached out and tugged at his collar, and said gloomily, "Where's Colonel Kuvalkin? Tell him to get out of here."
The young soldier carrying a rifle was only a corporal. He clearly didn't have the skills to tell Kuvalkin to "get out," and certainly didn't have the courage to say "no" to a Security Committee officer. He clutched his rifle belt tightly, but cast his gaze towards Zhao Xiaohai, who was about to approach him. In his opinion, Zhao Xiaohai was obviously easier to talk to.
"Hey, brother, what do you want to do now?" Zhao Xiaohai pushed Yakov and said with a smile, "This place is half mine now, after all. Can you please stop messing with me?"
After saying this, without waiting for Yakov to react, he turned to the corporal and said, "Where is Comrade Kuvalkin? Has he returned from the division headquarters?"
"They're back, Mr. Zhao," the corporal replied hastily. "Comrade Kuvalkin returned shortly after you left today. And so did Comrade Zyuganov and the others. They're all inside now. And Comrade Kochamov just reported in. I think they'll be out soon."
Zhao Xiaohai nodded. He guessed that Kochamov must have run in to report after seeing the Security Committee's car. He guessed that the generals and colonels inside must be upset again.
"Let's go, let's not wait here, let's go in together." Zhao Xiaohai said, turning his head to look at Yakov who was standing next to him with an impatient look on his face.
"What are you going in for?" Yakov shook his head. He grabbed Zhao Xiaohai's arm and dragged him towards the car, saying as he walked, "We'll wait in the car. You just came back to say hello to your brother, right? We'll just say a few words and then leave. It's not appropriate for me to come to a place like this."
Zhao Xiaohai understood why Yakov said this. In the Soviet Union, the relationship between the Security Council and the military was a delicate one. Due to the Great Purge, the military had always kept a distance from this powerful institution. Furthermore, after their forces withdrew from the military in the latter stages of the Great Patriotic War, the Security Council lost its ability to effectively intervene in military affairs. While the relationship between the two sides wasn't harmonious, it was generally kept to a minimum. After entering the Far East, Zhao Xiaohai had extensively colluded with the military to engage in illegal trade, and it was precisely for this reason that the Security Council, with its ubiquitous reach, failed to apprehend him immediately.
"What? Do you still feel it's inappropriate? Then when you sent someone here to mention me today, why didn't you know to be a little cautious?" Zhao Xiaohai walked to the car door, holding the door and said with a smile.
"Hey, hey, how can this be compared?" Yakov didn't get in the car. He leaned his elbows on the roof, tapping his five fingers on the gray iron sheet, and laughed. "Besides, when my people came here, they didn't say they were arresting people, but inviting them. This military supply depot is not the Kremlin. Why would I be offended by inviting two people back?"
"I can never win an argument with you," Zhao Xiaohai sneered at Yakov's words. He waved his hand and asked, "Hey, brother, we're already here, so let's not go to your place tonight. I have food and drinks in my warehouse. It's not abundant, but there is no shortage of champagne, red wine, cigars, and canned delicacies. In my opinion, we..."
"Oh," Yakov laughed out loud before Zhao Xiaohai finished speaking. He said, "Brother, you are really good. No wonder these soldiers treat you like a treasure. It turns out that you not only fill their pockets, but also fill their mouths."
"Hehe, it's just a small feedback, nothing, nothing." Zhao Xiaohai laughed shyly.
"Well, that's right. I think you should listen to me today," Yakov said with a smile. "Look, I'm going to arrange an unforgettable program for you. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. As for champagne, red wine, and cigars, well, those are good things. I'll ask someone to pick some up later. These consumer goods available on the market are getting more and more expensive. When I first arrived in Khabarovsk a few days ago, I bought two authentic 'Spartans' from a bootlegger. Guess what the price was?"
"It should be no less than 5,000 rubles, right? Otherwise they will not make any profit." Zhao Xiaohai smiled and said casually.
"Hey, that's a good guess," Yakov said, not reacting for a moment. He slapped the roof twice and said loudly, "Five thousand eight hundred rubles a cigarette, more than four times the normal market price. I..."
Yakov stopped talking here and stared at Zhao Xiaohai in confusion. The other party's expression of trying hard to hold back laughter made him realize something.
"Hey, brother, you're a bit incompetent as Chairman of the Security Committee," Zhao Xiaohai said with a smile, meeting Yakov's gaze. "If you had done a more thorough investigation ahead of time, you wouldn't have suffered this loss. Most of the tobacco available in the Far East right now, whether it's regular cigarettes or high-end, mid-range, or low-end cigars, comes from me."
"Oh?!" Yakov's eyes widened. He finally understood why Felikonovich was so wary of the young man before him. To put it bluntly, this young man wasn't just engaging in semi-smuggling, nor was he merely colluding with the Far Eastern military and government officials. He was also quietly monopolizing the market. What did Zhao Xiaohai say about a premium "Basda" cigar—"It should be no less than 5,000 rubles." What kind of message did this imply? It undoubtedly meant that, at least in the Far East, the price of cigars was set by Zhao Xiaohai. If he said no less than 5,000, it was no less than 5,000. You could consider it expensive and choose not to buy it, but you definitely wouldn't find cheaper in the Far East.
Yakov didn't understand the art of business, but he did understand the art of governing. In his view, an official must possess a commanding presence, and this presence manifested itself on the face—the so-called dignity. He looked at Zhao Xiaohai, and no matter how he looked at him, he found the young man unremarkable and ordinary; the so-called dignity was simply impossible to find on his face. But from a business perspective, Yakov felt that this Chinese man, so cherished by his sister, was undoubtedly very commanding, even overbearing. He had quietly and quietly monopolized the Far Eastern market without making a sound. How much profit did this entail? Yakov didn't know, and he wasn't bothered to investigate. He only knew that he was guaranteed a monthly income of millions in extra income.
"Don't say anything!" Yakov waved his hand vigorously, clearing his mind and saying firmly, "Later... No, tomorrow, tomorrow I'll come and see what's in your warehouse. If I need anything, I won't hesitate to ask for anything!"
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