October 20, 2022.
Moscow.
A red-eye flight took off from Daxing Airport, transferred at Krasnoyarsk midway, then landed at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, followed by a taxi to the destination. The entire journey took thirteen hours, but due to the time difference, Gao Fei arrived at ten in the morning.
The timing was right, the address was correct, but he didn't know if the person he was looking for would be there.
Gao Fei knocked heavily on the door.
The door opened, and the person opening it was exactly Hou Yanguo. He had found him!
"You're... Xiao Fei? Why are you here!"
And he had the nerve to ask Gao Fei why he had come?
Wasn't it because Hou Yanguo owed money and wouldn't pay!
"I finally found you!" When Gao Fei said this, his teeth were somewhat gritted, but thinking of his father's instructions and exhortations, his tone relaxed, and he forced a smile. "Uncle, I brought some local specialties from back home to see you."
The expression on Hou Yanguo's face changed several times, but he quickly made a welcoming gesture, stepped aside from the door, and said urgently, "Come in quickly, come in and talk."
The inside looked like a normal residence. The layout of the house, the furniture, and the furnishings all looked like a home. Except for the appliances seeming somewhat outdated, everything was very normal.
The address was correct; this was indeed Hou Yanguo's home in Moscow. This time, if Gao Fei didn't get the money, he absolutely wouldn't leave.
Showing Gao Fei to the sofa, Hou Yanguo asked with a face full of concern, "When did you arrive? Why didn't you say something beforehand? Did you come by yourself?"
"I'm not hungry; I ate on the plane."
While speaking, Gao Fei placed the bag on the coffee table. Inside was a carton of Lotus cigarettes and a bottle of 20-year-old Laobaigan.
"Uncle, my dad said you haven't been back in a long time, so he specially had me bring some local specialties from back home. Originally there was also millet and cured meat, but they were all confiscated by customs. Sigh, I've never been abroad before and didn't understand these things..."
Gao Fei had a face full of helplessness, but Hou Yanguo, sitting beside him, said with an annoyed expression, "It doesn't matter that the stuff was confiscated. There's a war on and chaos everywhere—how dangerous! Your dad just let you come running here alone?"
"It can't be helped. The workers' wages have been owed for half a year and still haven't been paid. We can't pay the suppliers for the materials, and they've sued us. The house has already been mortgaged. Now we have to pay the loan interest, and the mortgage too. The car's been sold. If it were just this, I wouldn't have run to Moscow either. The key point is that a few days ago, my dad had a cerebral hemorrhage and is still lying in the hospital now. Uncle, I really have no other way."
Following his father's instructions, Gao Fei first poured out his woes, trying to gain Hou Yanguo's sympathy so he would repay the money.
After finishing his tale of suffering with a bitter face, Gao Fei said extremely helplessly, "Uncle, if it's convenient for you, could you settle the payment for the goods? Our family really has no way out."
Yes, Gao Fei had come to collect a debt.
Russia was at war. Moscow wasn't particularly dangerous, but flights had been greatly reduced, and plane tickets were terribly expensive.
If he hadn't run out of options, Gao Fei wouldn't have spent a huge sum on a plane ticket to fly thousands of miles to Moscow to collect a debt.
Hou Yanguo, the one who owed money, sighed. He pulled over the ashtray, took out a cigarette, and lit it. With a face full of distress, he said, "How did things get so tense? Sigh, but with my situation now, I really can't help..."
When he had mortgaged the house and taken out loans to pay the workers' wages, Gao Fei hadn't been angry.
When the car that had cost 130,000 to drive off the lot could only be sold for 60,000 after two years, Gao Fei hadn't been very angry either. When he used the money from selling the car to pay the suppliers' arrears to avoid becoming a deadbeat, Gao Fei still hadn't been angry.
But now that Hou Yanguo said he couldn't help, Gao Fei was angry. Very, very angry.
How did he have the face to say he couldn't help?
If it weren't for the broken capital chain caused by Hou Yanguo owing payment for goods and refusing to pay, how would Gao Fei's family have ended up in such a situation?
Was this a matter of doing a favor? Paying debts is only right and proper. Gao Fei had come to collect a debt, not to borrow money. On what basis did Hou Yanguo say he couldn't help!
Gao Fei was silent for a moment. The prepared speech he had thought up in advance couldn't be used now.
Those who owe money are all lords. If you want money, you have to play the grandson. Can't get angry, can't reason with them.
"Uncle, if it weren't for having no other way, I definitely wouldn't have made this trip. It's not easy to come here. To be honest, I don't even have the money for the trip back."
Gao Fei's implication was that if he didn't get the money, he wouldn't go back. As for what he would do, he let Hou Yanguo weigh that himself.
Hou Yanguo sighed and said, "Isn't there any way at all? Can't the bank give you more time?"
"There's really no way. The mortgage hasn't been paid for three months. The bank sent a notice saying if we don't pay, they'll seize the house. The factory is the old family home, which can't be sold and can't be mortgaged for a loan. The equipment isn't worth anything and can't be sold for a good price. The suppliers' money is already at the enforcement stage. If we still can't pay, we'll become deadbeats. Uncle! Please help—no matter what, you have to settle the payment for the goods!"
Continue playing the grandson. Try to see if he could get the money back. If Hou Yanguo refused to give it, then he would think of another way.
Hou Yanguo sighed with a face full of difficulty. He appeared very troubled.
"It's not that I'm unwilling to give you the payment for the goods. The key is that with this war, everything is in chaos. I don't have a single cent left back home, and several million in payments here can't be collected. Sigh, I'm having a hard time too!"
Everyone was having a hard time, but Gao Fei's family had mortgaged their house and sold their car to pay back what they owed. And as far as Gao Fei knew, Hou Yanguo wasn't having that hard a time.
These days, if you want to collect a debt, you have to show some sincerity.
Gao Fei lowered his voice and said, "I know you're having a hard time too, Uncle. The total for the goods is 1.16 million. How about this— we'll both bear some of the loss. You just pay one million."
Gao Fei had voluntarily wiped out a large sum. It was the same as always: there was no other way. Since he had come to the door to collect a debt, he had to be understanding.
Hou Yanguo thought for a moment and said, "Alright then... Sigh, since you've come all this way, I can't let you make the trip for nothing. But it has to be transferred through an underground bank."
Underground banks not only had high handling fees, but most importantly, they were very unsafe. The money transferred back might very well get frozen.
"Uncle, can we transfer through a domestic bank? Underground banks aren't safe."
"Where would I have money back home? All my money is tied up in goods. Now even if I collect payments here in Russia, there's no way to transfer them back to the country. Otherwise, how could I have dragged my feet on paying your family?"
After speaking, Hou Yanguo said with a helpless face, "It's fine if we don't use an underground bank, but transferring through a Russian bank will take at least a month. Can you wait that long?"
Every extra day was difficult. Gao Fei sighed and said, "How long would an underground bank take?"
"That would be fast. I transfer the money here, and the other side collects it back home immediately. We can get it done today. But the handling fee is a bit high. However, rest assured, although we're using an underground bank, it's definitely not black money. If it were black money, I wouldn't dare use them either."
"Then how does the underground bank transfer work?"
Hou Yanguo said without hesitation, "It's quite simple. The underground bank has connections. We pay rubles here, and they transfer money to your account back home. For one million RMB, the handling fee is probably around 80,000 to 100,000. The fee is indeed high, but there's nothing we can do."
For the debt of 1.16 million, Gao Fei only wanted one million. But after the exchange rate difference and handling fees, it would be good if Gao Fei could get 900,000 in hand.
But this outcome was already not bad. Anyone who often collected debts would certainly understand.
900,000 could pay off the bank loan, settle the owed workers' wages, and then roughly clear the suppliers' payments too. That way, only the mortgage would remain. Whether he found a job or got the old family factory operational again, paying the mortgage shouldn't be a problem.
This money could save their lives. Gao Fei gritted his teeth and said, "Can't wait. High fees it is."
Hou Yanguo took out his phone and said, "There's an underground bank I'm very familiar with. We've cooperated many times. It's definitely very safe. Let me call and ask first."
Hou Yanguo's call went through. Gao Fei saw the screen; someone really had answered the phone.
Hou Yanguo began speaking a few words of Russian, then looked at Gao Fei and made a gesture.
Gao Fei was somewhat baffled because he couldn't understand what Hou Yanguo was saying, nor did he understand what the gesture meant.
Realizing Gao Fei didn't understand his intention, Hou Yanguo waved his hand and spoke for a long time, finally hanging up. With a delighted face, he said, "It's settled. Seven points on top of the official exchange rate. We have to hurry and get it done, or the price might go up again if we're late."
One million, seven points. That meant 930,000 would remain.
Pretty good. Gao Fei was very satisfied, and he truly hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
Now Gao Fei didn't even hate Hou Yanguo anymore. He said sincerely, "Great, thank you, Uncle!"
"What are you thanking me for? Sigh, your dad and I have been friends for so many years. To be honest, my losses this time are too great. Mainly the ruble has dropped too severely. Originally it was one to eight; now it's one to twelve. If it weren't for my relationship with your dad, there's no way I'd bear this loss... Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's go get this handled first, then come back to eat and rest. Leave your things at home. Let's set out quickly."
This matter of transferring money had to be handled urgently. Gao Fei put down his backpack. Carrying it was indeed cumbersome, but he didn't put down his small bag. After all, his passport and the little money he had left were inside.
They went out, got into Hou Yanguo's car, and went directly with him to find the underground bank.
Gao Fei wasn't particularly worried about anything, because Hou Yanguo was a fellow townsman from a neighboring village, and Hou Yanguo's wife and children were back home. Honestly, this was the confidence that allowed Gao Fei to come to Moscow to collect a debt.
They chatted casually along the way. The road wasn't very far; they arrived after just over ten minutes of driving.
It was considered quite a bustling area in Moscow, but Gao Fei didn't know exactly where. Hou Yanguo parked the car by the roadside, then directly pointed at two people and said in a low voice, "We're here. It's them."
The car was stopped at the entrance to a small alley. There were two middle-aged white men at the mouth of the alley. Judging by their clothes, they didn't look like wealthy people; rather, they looked very much like hired thugs. But it was normal for people doing black market transactions to keep a few thugs around.
"Uncle, how will the transfer work in a bit?"
"I have to transfer the money to them first. After they receive it, they'll transfer it to your account. Rest assured, we've cooperated several times. Reliable."
Hou Yanguo got out of the car. He greeted the two white men warmly, then began muttering and chatting with them.
The conversation seemed pretty good. Hou Yanguo said to Gao Fei, who was waiting nearby, "Black market transactions require caution. They'll only take us to the office after they've confirmed it's safe."
One of the white men made a phone call. After hanging up, he waved at Gao Fei and Hou Yanguo.
The alley wasn't long, only about thirty meters. In the middle of the alley was a metal door.
The white man leading the way didn't knock; he pushed the door directly open, and Gao Fei and Hou Yanguo followed right behind.
The room wasn't large and was simply furnished. There was a long sofa and a few chairs, with a desk in the middle. A white man around thirty years old sat behind the desk. Upon seeing Hou Yanguo, he didn't stand up. With an arrogant face, he sized up Gao Fei with a couple of glances, then pulled open a drawer, took out a rolled-up item, and tossed it directly to Hou Yanguo.
Hou Yanguo caught it, and what he caught was a roll of banknotes!
Before entering this small door, Gao Fei had been somewhat vigilant. He knew black market transactions carried risks, so it was normal for both parties to act mysterious.
But only now did Gao Fei understand that the reason things had progressed so smoothly was that Hou Yanguo had never had good intentions.
No matter what, the underground bank people shouldn't be giving Hou Yanguo money.
The moment Gao Fei discovered the anomaly, he made his decision: he absolutely couldn't wait around to die. If he was going to run, he had to do it immediately.
Without saying anything, the instant he discovered that what Hou Yanguo caught was a roll of banknotes, Gao Fei's body suddenly swayed forward, looking as if he was about to pounce toward Hou Yanguo.
Hou Yanguo immediately retreated a step subconsciously, and the brawny man behind Gao Fei, discovering that Gao Fei was about to move, also decisively reached out to grab Gao Fei by the neck.
Now!
Gao Fei, who had feinted, ducked down and turned around, dodging the big hand reaching out from the brawny man behind him, then spun back and rushed toward the metal door behind him.
Very decisive, also very alert, but still too late.
Gao Fei had just grabbed the door handle when someone immediately grabbed his arm from the side, followed by a trip at his feet, directly throwing Gao Fei to the ground.
His body was pressed against the ground, face to the floor. Gao Fei looked sideways at Hou Yanguo and roared at the top of his lungs, "Hou Yanguo! What do you think you're doing!"
Of the two thugs waiting at the alley entrance, one was now holding Gao Fei down, while the other took out a folding knife from his waist.
With a snap, he opened the folding knife, cut the backpack strap, and the thug with the knife yanked out the small satchel that Gao Fei had pressed under his belly.
In the small bag were all of Gao Fei's documents, his phone, and about 1,000 RMB worth of rubles.
The thug rummaged through the bag, took out Gao Fei's documents, and handed them to Hou Yanguo.
Hou Yanguo took Gao Fei's passport and ID card.
Gao Fei said urgently, "My dad knows I came to your place. Don't take things too far. How about I don't want the money anymore."
Soft words were useless now. Hou Yanguo wasn't listening to what Gao Fei was saying at all. He didn't want to waste words and directly turned to leave.
Since soft words were useless, he would say something hard. Gao Fei said sternly, "Hou Yanguo, I'm telling you, I filed a report at the embassy the moment I landed. You can't run. You want—"
The man holding Gao Fei down raised his hand and punched Gao Fei in the face.
He hadn't planned to respond. Hou Yanguo's hand had already touched the door handle, but hearing Gao Fei's threat, he couldn't help stopping. He turned to Gao Fei and said, "Been abroad before? Filed a report—what report? I've been abroad for decades; you think you can bluff me? Country bumpkin!"
Gao Fei said urgently, "Your wife and children are back home! Don't take things too far!"
Hou Yanguo snorted coldly and said with a face full of disdain, "I'm divorced. Besides, you have to have the chance to send a message first. Next, your heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys will exist all over the world. I'll help you with a piecemeal immigration. Considering my relationship with your old man, no need to thank me."
This wasn't kidnapping, nor was it some telecom fraud. Listening to Hou Yanguo's meaning, these people were organ traffickers. That meant... he would die?
Gao Fei suddenly said in English, "Cash, money, I have money, I'll swipe my card, I'll swipe my card to give you money for ransom, let me go!"
He couldn't speak Russian, but most people knew those few English words for money.
The person who had paid Hou Yanguo was probably the boss. Upon hearing Gao Fei's shout, he said with great interest, "Oh, how much money do you have?"
"I have at least twenty thousand US dollars in my card. I'll give you all the money. Just don't hurt me!"
The boss laughed. He said very happily, "Sure, that's a good deal."
Hou Yanguo frowned and said, "He's lying to you! He doesn't have a single cent left."
The boss didn't pay attention to Hou Yanguo, because if Gao Fei couldn't produce the money, he had no loss either. But if Gao Fei really did have money, then there would be extra income.
"How will you give me the money?"
"Swipe my card. My card is in the bag. Give me the card, and I'll immediately swipe it to transfer money to you."
Currently, Visa cards couldn't be used in Russia, but UnionPay cards could. So there was no problem with Gao Fei saying he would swipe his card to give money.
In Gao Fei's satchel was a wallet. In the wallet were his ID card, passport, and three bank cards. Now his ID card and passport had already been taken out, but the bank cards were still inside.
The person holding the bag pulled out all three bank cards from inside. With one hand, he fanned out all three cards, indicating for Gao Fei to choose one.
Gao Fei's right hand was being held behind his back, his arm twisted so much it hurt badly. He stretched out his relatively free left hand, pointed at a China Construction Bank card, and said, "This one."
He wanted to find a chance to escape. It would be best if he could go to an ATM, but that boss pulled open the desk drawer and then took out a POS machine from inside.
The boss stood up, carried the POS machine around the desk, and stood in front of Gao Fei, while one of his subordinates extracted that bank card from Gao Fei's hand.
He swiped it, then the boss thrust the POS machine forward, indicating for Gao Fei to enter the password.
Gao Fei's neck was being choked, his right hand being twisted. He could only stand on tiptoe and angle his body to lessen the pain in his right arm, tilt his head, and stretch out his left hand to press a few numbers on the POS machine.
Incorrect password.
Before the other party could get angry, Gao Fei said urgently, "I pressed wrong. Let me try again."
Gao Fei's posture was indeed inconvenient. The boss shook his head, then said to the brawny man behind Gao Fei, "Let him go."
Gao Fei's hands were both released. The thug beside him waved the knife in front of Gao Fei's eyes and said, "If you enter it wrong again, I'll cut off one of your fingers."
Gao Fei reached out again to press the password. When he had entered four digits, his right hand suddenly swung toward the side. Two fingers pinched the cold blade and simply pulled with the momentum, and a folding knife fell into his hand.
He didn't know martial arts; he was just fast with his hands. At this critical moment, the hand speed Gao Fei had developed in his family's workshop was astonishingly fast.
The boss threw away the POS machine and reached to pull a pistol from his waist—a Makarov pistol.
Two fingers pinching the blade, he let go and flicked it. As Gao Fei's palm grasped the knife handle, he lunged fiercely toward the boss.
Capture the ringleader first, regardless of what was behind him. Gao Fei's left hand pressed down on the boss's right arm holding the pistol, while his right hand holding the knife stabbed wildly toward the boss's head, face, and neck—pfft, pfft.
He stabbed four times in a row, every blow a vital point. Until someone punched Gao Fei in the head, forcing him to stop, and he subconsciously turned around again and slashed with the knife.
Gao Fei's backhand slash caught the thug across the face. The wound extended from his forehead to the corner of his mouth, one eye sliced open. The thug, in pain, clutched his face and just screamed.
It was terrifying when an honest man exploded, and the so-called warrior gene theory definitely had some truth to it.
Gao Fei completely felt no pain now, nor was he afraid. As for feeling nauseous and vomiting at the sight of blood—none of that happened at all.
His hands were shaking, his whole body was shaking. Not from fear, but from excitement, or perhaps exhilaration. The crazy secretion of adrenaline made Gao Fei's brain and body operate at an unprecedented efficiency in his life.
Hou Yanguo instinctively turned and ran. He had already pulled open the room door, but Gao Fei rushed up from behind, raised his knife, and with a pfft, slashed Hou Yanguo in the neck.
Hou Yanguo let out a scream, but after the second stab into his neck, the piercing scream was instantly cut off. Blood began spraying from his neck, spraying Gao Fei's hands and face.
Hou Yanguo fell forward. Gao Fei didn't pull at Hou Yanguo; he just crouched down and bent over to give the downed Hou Yanguo two more stabs to the neck.
Gao Fei had chased Hou Yanguo out, and while he was delivering the extra blows to Hou Yanguo, the thug with the slashed face also came out.
The thug holding the pistol, rushing out the door, fired a shot at Gao Fei's back.
Being blind in one eye seriously affected judgment of distance and direction. Although the thug was only three or four meters from Gao Fei, the shot still missed.
Gao Fei ran with all his might, sprinting desperately toward the alley entrance.
Sorry to have kept you fellow readers waiting so long. The new book is late but has arrived. Very happy to meet you all again.
Special thanks here to fellow reader Gui Jiuyou! Because the title of this book was suggested by him, and then it was finally decided upon through a vote in the reader group.
During the new book period, I'm asking for everything. I'm counting on everyone, thank you.