Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 390 European Trip Part 1
In the days that followed, Ho Yiu-cho and Lok Wai-chun met several more times.

Sometimes the three of them would travel together under He Ningxue's name, and sometimes He Yaozu would take the initiative to invite them to see art exhibitions, listen to concerts, or take a walk on the beach.

The two became increasingly comfortable with each other, and their mutual affection quietly grew without them even realizing it.

After the first month of the lunar calendar, as the festive atmosphere gradually faded, He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang began to talk about returning to Beijing.

He Yuzhu knew that things might not be peaceful in Beijing, so he could only try his best to persuade them to stay: "Dad, Mom, the weather in Hong Kong is warm, so it's suitable for you to stay for a while longer. It's still chilly in Beijing right now."

"No, no, I'd rather go back home and feel more at ease," He Daqing said firmly.

“Exactly, it’s so inconvenient to have someone follow you just to go out here. I miss Yangyang,” Chen Lanxiang added.

Just as He Yuzhu was in a bit of a predicament, Old Master Chen coughed a few times, saying, "I'm getting old, even my daughter doesn't want to stay with me anymore."

Chen Lanxiang hurriedly said, "Father, I didn't mean it. You didn't want to come back with me."

"My old arms and legs are too weak to do anything. Besides, your eldest and second eldest brothers both want to stay here." Old Master Chen said something against his will. He stayed in Hong Kong because of pressure from his son, and he wanted to leave his daughter in Hong Kong because of hints from his eldest grandson.

"Dad, you're in great health."

"What's so good about it? Cough cough cough."

"Dad, what's wrong? Should we go to the hospital to get it checked out?"

"Oh, I'm getting old."

"Lanxiang, how about we stay a little longer?" He Daqing suggested.

“Let’s stay a little longer. I’ll talk to my older brothers and ask if Dad is feeling better so he can come back to Beijing with us,” Chen Lanxiang said.

Grandpa Chen winked at He Yuzhu, who gave Grandpa Chen a thumbs-up, his face saying, "You're the best."

"What about the situation in Beijing?"

"Tell them to handle it themselves for the first half of the year. I refuse to believe they can mess things up without you."

"No, I'm just worried."

"Then let them do it. And tell them that no matter what happens, their own safety is the most important thing."

Xu Damao, on the other hand, didn't have as many problems. He mainly stayed in Guangdong Province and rarely went to other places.

Then there's Gong Xue. Her film wrapped up before the new year, and she called home to ask for a long leave of absence due to illness. This made Cherie Chung extremely happy, as the two sisters-in-law got along very well, and now she had company.

At the same time, the first film prepared by Yellow River Culture has also been officially put on the agenda.

After returning from his studies, He Yaozong spent most of his time in the Yellow River Culture office.

His first film project was "The King of Thieves," based on Ho Yiu-cho's own kidnapping experience with some artistic embellishment.

In the study, He Yaozong placed a detailed script and proposal in front of He Yuzhu. "Dad, brother, this is the first movie I want to make. The core of the story is based on what happened to you back then, but the characters and specific plots have been greatly fictionalized."

He Yaozu picked up the script and flipped through it page by page, his expression complex.

He Yuzhu didn't look at the script, but directly asked He Yaozu: "Yaozu, you are the most qualified to speak on this matter. What do you think? If you think it's inappropriate, we will reject this project."

He Yaozong looked at his elder brother with some nervousness.

He Yaozu was silent for a moment, put down the script, and looked at his younger brother: "Actually, it's nothing, it's all in the past."

He Yuzhu said, "Yaozong, actually your script could be made into multiple films."

"what?"

"Didn't you and your fourth uncle both know that these people did some cases at the beginning? Those were the initial materials. But you can't smear the mainland's background. You can use other places."

"I know this."

"If the first one sells well, you can make a second one, the one your brother went through."

"Ah."

"I'm just suggesting that you two brothers decide on this company yourselves. Actually, there's another film you could make: the one where your fourth uncle brags about how brave he is during the New Year. That's a great subject for that too."

"Is that true?" He Yaozong asked.

"Does it matter whether it's true or not?" He Yuzhu asked with a smile.

"Dad, what you've mentioned makes me need to change my plans."

"Do it yourself."

"Ok."

Next, He Yaozong devoted himself to the first film project on Yellow River culture.

He took his father's advice and decided to break the project down into a series.

The first script focuses on the early, insane crimes of a notorious gangster, set in Hong Kong, but the gangster's identity is changed to that of a "monkey country" (a derogatory term for a country with a large population of monkeys).

He started meeting with directors and casting actors, his desk piled high with resumes and project proposals, keeping him extremely busy.

He Yaozu also received a new assignment.

“In Europe, a few labs have come up with something new that they call the ‘World Wide Web’,” He Yuzhu said, pushing a briefing to his son. “This could be key to future information transmission. You should lead a team there, make contact, and see if it’s possible to buy the core protocols or technology licenses. You need to act quickly; I estimate that this kind of technology will be strictly controlled very soon.”

“Understood, Dad. I’ll prepare as soon as possible.” He Yaozu took the documents; he knew his father was rarely wrong in his judgment of technological trends.

"Be careful on the road, and bring plenty of help," He Yuzhu instructed.

A few days later, Ho Yiu-cho led a 'lean' business and technical team to Europe.

Wilson also achieved results at Xiao Rizi. Starting after the Lunar New Year, several batches of containers labeled "second-hand industrial equipment" set sail from several different ports in Xiao Rizi, with their destination being Hong Kong.

Inside the box were precision instruments and equipment, as well as some special ship equipment, purchased by the Yellow River Group. As for the technical data, Wilson personally delivered it back to Hong Kong.

Bai Yifeng's men sent back news about Eastern Europe, which reminded He Yuzhu of several important events.

He must seize this window of opportunity to accumulate sufficient strength for the Yellow River Group and for the future.

Industrial machine tools are the foundation of manufacturing, while tunnel boring machines are related to the huge future infrastructure demand. He is determined to acquire both of them.

As for the methods, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

Then Bai Yifeng gave his European subordinates a task: to go to Germany to collect information on industrial machine tool and tunnel boring machine manufacturing companies.

While waiting for news from Germany, He Yaozu's European team also sent back a preliminary report on their contact with "World Wide Web" technology.

The situation is more complicated than expected. CERN is cautious about commercializing the technology, and it has already attracted the attention of other tech giants.

He Yaozu reported over the phone: "Dad, they are unwilling to sell the core protocol, but there is a possibility of cooperation in application development and technical services related to the protocol. In addition, I noticed that several key personnel involved in the early R&D seem to be interested in leaving to start their own businesses. Perhaps we can start from this aspect."

"Approach those with innovative ideas, offering generous terms. If we can't secure the agreement itself, we must ensure we don't lag behind at the application level, and even take the lead. If necessary, we can establish a cutting-edge technology research institute in Europe to attract talent," He Yuzhu instructed.

"Okay, I'll try to move forward."

In early March, Bai Yifeng delivered intelligence from the Germanic side.

"I plan to go there myself."

"Boss, the risk is too high, you can't go," Bai Yifeng said urgently.

"Only I can handle this, so I must go in person." He Yuzhu's voice left no room for argument.

"Boss, given your current status, there's no need for you to take this risk. Just let me take some men."

"Hey, Lao Bai, do you think I want to take this risk? I'm almost sixty, this might be the last time I 'move,' and from now on I'll really have to rely on your soldiers." "Not this time?"

"No, do you know how big the mother bed is? Do you know how big the tunnel boring machine is?"

"Then you must bring Wolf Fang."

"That works. Prepare two squads for me, preferably with Western faces."

"Then I'll transfer people from various places to you. When do you plan to go?" Bai Yifeng asked.

"I'll give you ten days."

"Yes!" Bai Yifeng knew that no one could change He Yuzhu's decision, so he could only accept the order.

Five days later, Bai Yifeng came to report.

"Boss, the personnel have been selected. They are all top-notch and absolutely reliable. The equipment has also been transported to the safe house through special channels."

"Okay. Please take good care of things back home, and contact us immediately if anything happens."

"Ok."

He Yuzhu went home and made some arrangements, mainly telling He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang to stay in Hong Kong, and then he called Yuxin and Damao, telling them to stay in the south.

Finally, He Yuzhu thought for a moment and made a phone call to Fan Hu in Beijing, giving him some secret instructions. Fan Hu was shocked and then began to make preparations in silence.

A few days later, He Yuzhu left Hong Kong with a capable "business team" under the pretext of investigating the European investment environment.

The expedition's first stop was France, where it briefly stayed before disbanding.

In the following month, several strategically important heavy machinery manufacturing companies in Germany experienced a series of bizarre "accidents" or "thefts".

Some companies' core laboratories mysteriously caught fire in the middle of the night, "unfortunately" destroying some valuable drawings and experimental data; some companies' warehouses were burglarized by "skilled thieves," and several core components of industrial mother machines representing the most advanced technology and a complete set of tunnel boring machine design drawings disappeared.
In early April, in Poland, a single emergency light provided a dim illumination in the cellar of an abandoned farm.

He Yuzhu looked at the several hand-drawn route maps spread out on the simple wooden table, pondering where to go next. His small elite team had been operating like ghosts in German territory for nearly a month, successfully achieving their predetermined objective.

But the process was far more dangerous than expected, touching a nerve with the other party and leading to continuous investigation and encirclement.

"What's the situation with the pursuers?"

"We shook off three groups and took out four tails near the border. The other side used some shady local forces, but the trail went cold in Warsaw. We're safe for now, but we can't stay here any longer," a squad leader replied respectfully. They weren't among the first members of the Wolf Fang team, so they didn't know He Yuzhu. They thought it was a protection mission, but He Yuzhu's performance astounded them and showed them what a true king of soldiers was. Even though this king of soldiers was already fifty-four years old, he was someone they could only look up to.

"Rest for four hours to replenish your strength, then proceed with the planned transfer to Kyiv," He Yuzhu ordered.

The team members quietly dispersed, each finding a corner to sit down, checking their equipment, eating their high-energy rations, and closing their eyes to rest.

He Yuzhu also leaned against the cold earthen wall, closed his eyes, and his mind was not on their current situation, but on what was happening in China.

During the time when He Yuzhu was "on the run", Lao Fang and Lao Zhao took turns calling Hong Kong, almost one every day, just to ask when He Yuzhu would return.

A few days later, the group split up and, using forged identities, made their way into Ukraine, where the situation had already begun to deteriorate. Once inside the country, they were met by others.

"Boss, are you going back or...?" the person who was supposed to meet you asked. The atmosphere here was oppressive, like a storm was brewing, and the person who was supposed to meet you was worried that something might happen.

"Let's go to Kyiv first."

"Alright." The person in charge dared not disobey.

Upon arriving in Kyiv, He Yuzhu thought of his old friend and decided to make a trip to Mariupol to see if his old friend Mikhail was still there.

However, he only brought two people with him, as more people would make him too conspicuous. The others stayed behind to see if there were any targets worth targeting.

He Yuzhu, along with two team members, arrived at a somewhat dilapidated factory residential compound on the outskirts of Mariupol, following the address they remembered.

Following his memory, he knocked on a weathered wooden door and heard a rustling sound and an old, wary voice inside: "Who is it?"

“Mikhail, it’s me, He,” He Yuzhu called out in Russian.

There was a moment of silence inside the door, followed by the sound of the door opening rapidly.

The door was pulled open halfway, and a wrinkled face with white hair and beard peeked out.

When Mihai saw He Yuzhu standing outside the door, his cloudy eyes widened instantly, filled with unbelievable surprise.

"What? God, it really is you!" Mihai took a few quick steps forward, hugged He Yuzhu, and patted his back forcefully.

“You old man, what brings you here? It’s been over thirty years. I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime!” Mihai’s voice choked with emotion.

"I'm here now. Luckily it's not too late, otherwise I would have gone to your grave to offer you a toast."

"Hahaha! Come in, come in quickly!" Mihai released He Yuzhu and ushered the three of them into the house.

He Yuzhu glanced around the room and found that it was largely unchanged from what he remembered, except that it had become old and worn.

There are old photos hanging on the wall, one of which is a photo of He Yuzhu and Mihai together.

"You still have this photo? Has it caused you any trouble?"

“Hehe, I hid it back then, and no one has been paying attention to it for years, so I took it out,” Mihai said.

"Where are your children?" He Yuzhu asked after sitting down.

Mikhail's excitement faded somewhat. He sighed and poured He Yuzhu a glass of homemade kvass. "My eldest son died in a work accident a few years ago. My daughter married and moved to Moscow and rarely comes back. Now it's just me and my youngest son Matvey's family living nearby, but..." He lowered his voice, "Matvey is in a bad situation at the factory. His wages have been three months behind, and everyone is living in constant fear. This godforsaken place, I think it's doomed."

He Yuzhu listened silently, sensing his old friend's confusion about the future and dissatisfaction with the present.

“Mikhail, I came here for two reasons. First, to see you. Second, I wanted to ask if you or your son could obtain some information.”

"What information?" Mihai asked in return.

He Yuzhu said, "I'm also interested in the smelting process of new special steels, or the design drawings of large agricultural machinery, and of course, the things that those factories produce as an add-on."

Mihai narrowed his eyes slightly and did not answer immediately.

He stood up, walked to the window, peeked through a corner of the curtain at the empty street outside, then turned back to look at He Yuzhu: "He, you're still the same as ever, bold and greedy. It's certainly easier to do these things now, but our personal safety will be a big problem after the transaction, and you know our current situation."

He Yuzhu met his gaze and said, "I know there are risks, but there are also opportunities, aren't there? For you and for Matvey, it might be a way out to leave here and find new opportunities."

“Leave?” Mihai murmured, the word clearly affecting him.

He walked back to the table and sat down, lost in thought, the only sound in the room being the ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock.

After a long silence, he suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Let's do it, He. Wait for me for a few days. You're not in a hurry to leave, are you?"

"No rush, I still have some time."

"No rush, but I don't have anything to offer you right now."

"I brought some food with me, enough for us to eat, and it can also improve your family's meals."

"Where?" Mihai's eyes were practically glowing green.

"We'll go get it after dark. You don't want people to see us openly bringing things to your house, do you?"

"Yes, yes, let's go tonight, let's go tonight."

That evening, Mihai's family had a family dinner. He Yuzhu brought (from his spatial storage) food, canned goods, dried vegetables, dried meat, and so on, which shocked everyone in Mihai's family. The two people who came with He Yuzhu thought that He Yuzhu had arranged it in advance, so they did not suspect anything.

The Mikhail family started crying as they ate; they couldn't remember the last time they had such a sumptuous dinner.

Afterwards, Mihai spoke alone with his son Matvi for a while before they parted ways.

A few days later, late one night, Matvey quietly arrived at Mikhail's residence carrying a suitcase.

(End of this chapter)