Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 391 European Trip Part 2
After entering, he carefully locked the door from the inside, then had the thick curtains drawn before sitting down.

After taking a sip of water, he opened the suitcase and unfolded some blueprints wrapped in waterproof tarpaulin and several thick Russian technical manuals.

“Uncle He, this is what I dared to show you because my father trusts you. These are some notes on the factory’s latest special steel heat treatment process. They’re not complete, but the core parameters are all there. Also, these are improved diagrams of the transmission system for a large combine harvester that leaked from the design bureau next door.”

He Yuzhu picked up those things and flipped through them for a while, then nodded and said, "Very good, Matvey, I will keep my promise to your father."

"Great, I can finally get away from this damn place."

Mihai's expression was not good; this was the place where he was born and raised, and it was indeed not a good thing to say such a thing.

Ignoring his father, Matvey continued, "Uncle He, I know someone who has something even more powerful."

"Oh? Tell me about it." He Yuzhu said calmly.

“It’s about large ships at sea,” Matvey said, his voice even lower.

"How big is it?"

“Bigger than those oil haulers,” Matvey said.

The word 'aircraft carrier' flashed through He Yuzhu's mind.

Then he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Well, but his information is incomplete; it's just some structural design and application data for special steels. He also said that some of his friends can get aircraft blueprints that are compatible with the large ship, and even aircraft are possible, as long as the price is right."

He Yuzhu was shocked. "People are already dealing in this stuff now!"

He asked calmly, "Do you have a specific model number?"

"It's said to be an SU-33."

"Is the information reliable?" He Yuzhu asked.

"I am not sure."

"What are their demands?" He Yuzhu asked.

“They have huge appetites: a safe road to the West, and enough security for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives. They only believe in hard currency and the US dollar.”

Can they guarantee the security of the transactions?

"I'm not sure either. Do you want me to ask around for you?"

"Could you arrange for one of my people to meet with the people over there?"

"it should be OK."

"Matvey, no matter the outcome, your own safety is the most important thing, understand?"

"Understood, I will be careful."

After Matvey left, He Yuzhu looked at the worried Mikhail beside him and comforted him, "Old buddy, don't worry, I've sent people to follow Matvey, and we'll make sure he's safe."

"That's good, that's good! Hey, have all these people gone mad? Has this country gone mad too?"

Faced with Mihai's criticism, He Yuzhu had no way to respond; he had brought this upon himself, so who could he blame but himself?

Next, He Yuzhu contacted his men who remained in Kiev to come and provide support, while patiently waiting for news from Matvi.

During this period, He Yuzhu also used his connections with Mikhail and Matvi to exchange for other technical information, including some tank engine improvement drawings and special welding process manuals, using the hard currency he carried (retrieved from his spatial storage) – mainly US dollars and canned food.

A week later, Matvey finally sent a reply.

“Uncle He, they have agreed to meet. The meeting is scheduled for the evening of three days from now, at an abandoned fishing port on the Black Sea coast. The exact location is here.” Matvey handed over a simple hand-drawn map. “They only agree to let you bring two attendants.”

He Yuzhu carefully examined the map. The fishing port was in a remote location, which was conducive to concealment and also made it easy to evacuate or deal with the situation from the sea.

“Okay.” He Yuzhu put away the map. “Tell them that the person will arrive on time.”

Three nights later, the night was dark and windy.

A squad leader who was already active in the area, along with two of his most capable team members, drove an unassuming old Lada to the agreed-upon abandoned fishing port.

The salty sea breeze, carrying a chill, whistled through the tattered fishing nets and planks.

Deep in the fishing port, a faint light flickers in the wind.

Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a wooden hut that was almost completely collapsed.

Two burly men in old-fashioned navy wool coats stood outside, their sharp eyes scanning them.

The squad leader could sense that there were more than one pair of eyes fixed on him from the shadows.

One of them whispered in Russian, "Mr. Edward?"

“It’s me,” the squad leader replied calmly.

The man made a "please" gesture, his gaze lingering for a moment on the two team members behind He Yuzhu, clearly assessing the threat.

The squad leader gestured for his team members to stay outside, and went in alone.

Inside the wooden house, a kerosene lamp sat on a wooden box in the middle, casting a dim yellow light.

A man in his fifties was sitting on a box, with a slightly younger man standing next to him.

“I am Andrei,” the old man said, his voice hoarse. “Matvey said you are interested in some big toys at sea?”

“Mr. Andrei, I’m interested in anything good.” The old man, the squad leader, sat down on an empty wooden box opposite him.

"Let our friends see what good things we have."

Andrei gestured to the man next to him.

The man took a booklet out of a waterproof canvas bag and handed it to Edward.

Under the kerosene lamp, Edward's eyelids twitched as he read the contents of the booklet. It contained everything except 'Ivan': light and heavy, land, sea and air.

Edward closed the booklet, looked up, and said, "Name your price."

Andrei quoted what he considered an astronomical sum, and demanded that at least ten nuclear families, including himself, be provided with new, legitimate Western status and resettlement guarantees sufficient to allow them to live out the rest of their lives in peace.

"Money is not a problem, and I can pave the way. But I need to make sure that what I receive is complete, and that you guarantee the safety of the transaction."

Andrei nodded and said, “We understand the consequences of failure better than you do. Rather than letting these things rot here or be used by some parasites to exchange for alcohol, we should give them to those who truly need them. We only ask for a way to survive and a future for our descendants.”

Edward gave him a disdainful look; wasn't this old man just a big parasite himself?

"What's the transaction method?"

Andrei pretended not to see it and continued, "My people will finalize the specific transaction method and route with your people. Please leave your contact information."

"can."

"So how do you plan to pay?"

"The first deposit and some identification documents will be paid after the first verification of the information. Your people can send them out first. We will pay the balance after the items leave the port. As for where they are going..."

Andrei took a deep breath, stood up, and extended his hand, saying, "Deal. You don't need to worry about me over there. If I can't survive here, then I might as well die."

Edward raised an eyebrow; it seemed the person who sent it out was just keeping a backup plan.

A few days later, the two sides finalized the details of the deal.

The initial data verification was conducted in a safe house outside Odessa, where technical experts from the Yellow River Group (temporarily transferred) confirmed the authenticity of the drawings and data.

According to the agreement, the first deposit and the identity documents of several people to be sent out were delivered.

The plane was then delivered, and the people were sent out of Ukraine, eventually reaching France after several transfers.

Then came the delivery of aircraft and ship data. The people sent out this time had reached North America, though they were still under the 'protection' of the Yellow River.

Once the final item is delivered, the person in North America confirms its safety and informs them that the money has been credited to their account, the transaction is complete.

What puzzled the other party the most was that they never asked them to help with the shipping or anything like that. Keep in mind, it involved many shipping containers, and they went to check on it afterward, only to find the warehouse completely empty.

This made them even more hesitant to take any further action, and they even left their contact information, indicating that they would contact Edward as soon as they had anything better in the future.

In May, He Yuzhu led the Mikhail family, via the Black Sea, through the Balkans, and finally back to Hong Kong.

The whole process was not smooth, with multiple encounters with local forces and Western intelligence personnel, but 'Wolf Fang' managed to defuse them all. They were really going all out, just to show off in front of their boss. Such opportunities are too rare.

Upon returning to Hong Kong, He Yuzhu first arranged for Mihai's family to be settled in, and then went home. When he arrived home, Chen Lanxiang's first words to her son were: "Zhuzi, why were you gone for so long? You have no idea that your two uncles have been calling the phone at home non-stop."

"uncle?"

"Old Fang and Old Zhao, who else could it be?"

"How are they now?"

"What do you mean, 'how are you?' You're doing just fine in Beijing." Clearly, Chen Lanxiang was unaware of what had happened.

"Oh, then I'll call them back."

He Yuzhu went to the study, picked up the phone, and dialed the Fang family's number first.

The phone was answered after one ring, and Lao Fang's familiar yet somewhat urgent voice came through: "Hello?"

"Uncle Fang, it's me, Zhu Zi."

"Zhu Zi!" Old Fang's voice immediately rose eight octaves. "You finally showed up! Where have you been? You've been deliberately hiding from us every now and then. We two old brothers almost called your phone off the hook."

“I went to Europe to look for investment opportunities, but the locations were remote and difficult to contact,” He Yuzhu said.

"Bullshit, just because it's such a coincidence, does that mean we have to go and investigate?" Old Fang cursed directly.

"Really, things are in chaos over there. Isn't it normal for me to see if there's any opportunity?"

"Really? I don't believe it. Are you trying to fool me? Did you already know something big was going to happen?"

"Uncle Fang, what makes you say that? What do I know?" He Yuzhu continued to play dumb.

"Stop pretending! I'm asking you, why did you insist on sending us south during the New Year? Was it just to escape what's going on right now? And those guys who moved into this courtyard one after the other, I know exactly what they do." Old Fang said irritably. From the other end of the phone came Old Zhao's low voice, advising, "Old Fang, talk this out."

"How can we talk about this properly? This is such a big deal. If we had known beforehand that it would turn out like this, would we have agreed?"

"You think knowing in advance will prevent it? What will you say when people ask you how you knew?" Old Zhao got angry too.

"This...that pillar."

"What's wrong with Zhu Zi? Why didn't they remind us? Whose fault is it if your men can't find out?" Old Zhao said.

"Hey Zhuzi, I'm not blaming you for anything, but this matter is too big, it's caused a huge uproar."

He Yuzhu was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Uncle, I really don't know what you're talking about. Otherwise, my mother and the others would have been worried a long time ago if you had made so many phone calls. She didn't say anything when I came back."

"really do not know?"

"do not know."

"Then pretend you don't know. Now do something for me. It seems that only you are capable of doing this."

"Old Fang, you're putting Zhuzi in a difficult position," Old Zhao said.

“I know it’s difficult for him, but I had no other choice. If there had been any other way, I wouldn’t have asked,” Old Fang said in a muffled voice.

At this moment, Old Zhao picked up the phone and said, "Zhu Zi, do what your Uncle Fang said if you can, but don't force yourself if you can't. This wasn't originally your business."

“I understand,” He Yuzhu replied.

"That's good."

The phone was back in Lao Fang's hands. Lao Fang said, "Uncle, I want you to investigate who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes, and whether they have any other people in the country."

Although He Yuzhu knew what Lao Fang was going to say, he still frowned. This mission wasn't dangerous, but it was too sensitive.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle Fang, I can only say I'll try. The outside world is too complicated, and it's hard to distinguish the truth from the falsehood of a lot of information. I'll try my best to inquire through some business and intelligence channels, but I can't guarantee that I can find out anything conclusive."

"Just give it a try, it's good to have a direction," Lao Fang said.

Old Zhao snatched the phone back, saying, "Safety first. It's okay if they can't find out, just don't get yourself involved."

“Okay, I understand,” He Yuzhu said.

Then He Yuzhu called He Yuxin and Xu Damao once each. The two of them didn't dare to call home so many times, and stopped calling once they knew He Yuzhu hadn't returned.

"Brother, do you have eyes in the back of your head?" These were He Yuxin's words.

"Get lost. By the way, how are the employees at Beijing Capital City?"

"Everything's fine, we're on holiday."

"You have all the supplies, right?"

"Yes, I asked them to prepare in advance in case something went wrong."

"That's good."

"Brother, thank goodness we listened to you. The shipments to the north were all stopped, so the company didn't suffer any losses." These were Xu Damao's words.

"That's good."

"No," Xu Damao said worriedly.

"No, it will be over soon. Just focus on doing your job well."

"Ok."

Before He Yuzhu could even begin his investigation, Lao Fang called again, asking if he had ordered his men to operate in Beijing, and that several FH thugs had been skewered with crossbow bolts and turned into roast meat.

"Uncle Fang, this has nothing to do with me. Aren't they all staying at your place, right under your nose every day?"

Old Fang gave a heavy snort on the other end of the phone, but didn't ask any further questions.

He Yuzhu handed over the matter that Lao Fang wanted to investigate to Bai Yifeng. There were no strict requirements; he was to investigate whatever he could. However, he gave Bai Yifeng a special instruction: "Keep all the people who came out of the country here. Don't let a single one of them go."

"Understood, boss. None of them will be allowed to leave."

He Yaozu also returned from Europe empty-handed. He Yuzhu had anticipated this; the mission was merely to give He Yaozu some experience leading a team on his own.

Then he called Chen Sheng, saying that AMD had to get this deal.

After making preparations, Chen Sheng led his team to set off.

The script for the first film in the Yellow River Culture film series "King of Thieves" has been in production for a while now. He Yaozu has gone off to be the screenwriter and producer and hasn't been home for over a month.

After returning home and finishing his work, He Yaozu immediately went to find Le Huizhen to express his longing for her.

"I've never been abroad before."

"Then I'll take you next time."

"I'm not going on vacation; I'm not going if it's for business."

"Where would you like to go on vacation?"

"I'll tell you when I've thought it through."

"Alright, let's go to the film set and I'll introduce you to my second brother."

“He Yaozong? I already know him. Ningxue introduced me to him.”

"This girl"

"But if you take me, I'll go too. I've never seen a movie being filmed before, it must be really interesting."

"Okay."

The two went to the film set together. At first, Lok Wai-jin found it quite interesting, as the fighting and gunfights were very exciting. However, she later found it boring because there were too many takes and the same scene was repeated over and over again.

He Yaozu took her out to eat, and also invited He Yaozong along. It wasn't like the film set was indispensable; that kid just stayed on set.

As a result, after Ho Yiu-chung left, the film set relaxed immediately, and the efficiency of filming actually improved.

Upon returning and learning what had happened, He Yaozong went straight home. The crew had actually thrown a party that night. With the boss and screenwriter involved, the pressure on them was immense.

About a week later, Bai Yifeng reported to He Yuzhu.

"Boss, we've intercepted them near the southern border. There are three of them, two men and one woman."

"What's the question?"

"He was stubborn and only said that he wanted to go out and make a living, but they found some things on him that he shouldn't have."

"Where's the stuff?"

"Here it is." Bai Yifeng handed over a bag.

He Yuzhu opened it, glanced at it, and then closed it.

"Boss, what should we do with the person?"

"Find an island and dump him there. Make sure someone keeps a close watch on him and makes sure he survives."

"clear."

"Don't let your guard down behind us, there should be more. Stop them all, I hate these guys the most."

"Yes."

He Yuzhu did not tell Lao Fang the news; it wasn't the right time yet.

However, he called Fan Hu and only said, "It's windy, close the doors and windows."

Fan Hu understood. They turned to drinking, eating meat, and watching TV every day. They had stockpiled a lot of food beforehand and even sent a lot to No. 66 Courtyard.

A few days later, Bai Yifeng gave another report.

"We stopped two more groups, a total of five people, who were carrying film."

"What's the question?"

"It's the same old story, they call it tourism."

"Throw them all onto the island."

"clear."

Two days later, Bai Yifeng called He Yuzhu: "Boss, those guys are causing trouble on the island and trying to escape."

"Send more manpower, make sure there are no mistakes, and if all else fails, break their legs and see how they run away."

"This one... has already broken."

"It's fine, they're all bad birds anyway."

One day in mid-June, He Yuzhu received a call from Lao Fang.

Old Fang was clearly in a bad mood. "Zhu Zi, let's leave it at that. Don't investigate any further."

"it is good."

Aren't you going to ask why?

"There's nothing to ask. You'll say what you need to say."

"Pillar, thank you."

"You're welcome."

After hanging up, He Yuzhu immediately called Bai Yifeng and said only two words: "Reclaim the land!!!"

(End of this chapter)