My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 159 The True Face of the Market

In Moscow, markets using shipping containers as stalls are not uncommon. But back then, when Chinese people mentioned "container market," they usually meant the market in Izmailovo, located in the northeast of the city, which is commonly known as the "ant market" or the "big market."

At the time, the container market was the largest distribution center for goods in Russia and was also known as the largest open-air market in all of Europe. When Hu Yi was studying in Maji, he went there a few times with Yan Zhiwen and Lu Tao, but he mostly ate and strolled around the residential area and the nearby secondhand market, and knew almost nothing about the inside of the market.

After the end of the Soviet era, almost all Russian cities simultaneously experienced a surge of long-awaited, yet complex and chaotic, market demand. Merchants, bringing all sorts of goods and supplies, quickly and spontaneously formed many commodity distribution centers.

Take Chinese businessmen in Moscow as an example. In the 1990s, they came to this unfamiliar land one after another by train. Since they did not understand Russian, most of them could only stay together with the help of their compatriots and relatives, hoping to stick together for warmth.

At that time, most of the businessmen who came to Moscow were itinerant merchants who conducted their business wherever they lived. If they rented a suitable stall in the market, they would move to nearby areas where Chinese people gathered, gradually forming many early Chinese merchant settlements. Among the more famous ones were "Suokou" near Maji, "Bingying" mainly composed of fur merchants from Xinji, and various "Chinese Buildings" and "XX Buildings" scattered around.

The early 1990s was an era of pioneers. Although there were many Chinese merchants, most of them were middlemen who carried heavy loads and traveled back and forth. The supply capacity could not fully meet the market demand, which objectively made Chinese goods extremely popular. You could make extremely high profits by simply reselling some goods. In addition, the Russian customs at that time were practically non-existent, and many people became rich overnight as a result.

However, high profits inevitably come with high risks. The early gold rush journeys of Chinese merchants were fraught with danger and offered no security. They often faced exploitation, robbery, and extortion from various local forces. For example, the infamous K3 international train robbery occurred during that era and has since been adapted into numerous films and television series.

At the beginning of the new century, with the continuous introduction of new economic policies, the sustained growth in commodity demand, and the rapid development of the logistics and transportation industry, the Russian government began to make a firm decision to vigorously rectify the market business environment.

Moscow was the first to be targeted, shutting down some poorly managed businesses and directing merchants from various countries to several larger markets where they were managed in a more standardized manner.

The already sizable container market underwent renovation and expansion at this time, and in the newly opened areas, it adopted preferential measures such as giving away stalls and reducing management fees in order to attract operators to set up shop.

With both administrative and commercial measures employed, merchants flocked to the market. A few years later, the container market experienced unprecedented growth, presenting a completely new picture.

Many Chinese business owners operating in the market have transformed from itinerant merchants who buy and sell goods to factory direct sellers. With improved security and greater convenience, their businesses have grown significantly, and their profit model has shifted from the initial strategy of hoarding rare goods and making huge profits to one of low profit margins and high volume sales.

Today, the entire market is a city within a city, with a large number of merchants from countries such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, China, Vietnam, and Turkey operating numerous shops. Chinese owners alone own thousands of stalls. Countless migrant workers also depend on this place, earning a living by every imaginable means.

The market is operated by a Jewish multinational business group headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It is divided into several areas, each managed by one or more market management companies.

The largest and most reputable and secure section, Aste, is located in the heart of the market and is managed by a Jewish business group. Aste is home to a large number of Chinese clothing and footwear brands, and Li Baoqing's boss does business in this section.

The nearby Old Sun District was a relatively large area where Chinese businessmen were concentrated in the early days, and it is currently managed by several different companies.

The New Sun area, which is adjacent to the Old Sun, is relatively small and is the only area in the market managed by a Chinese company. Therefore, most of the stalls in this area are owned by Chinese business owners.

The merchants in the New Sun District mainly engage in the wholesale of clothing. The district is further divided into different smaller areas according to the roads formed by the arrangement of the containers. Hu Yi's boss is in Zone 8 of the New Sun District.

There are over a hundred stalls in Zone 8, and many of the owners come from Xiaozhoushan, a place in Furong Town, Yueqing, Zhejiang. Most of them have surnames like Fu, Yu, or Cai, and they seem to be related to each other in some way.

The containers on both sides of the road were neatly arranged, each stall consisting of two boxes stacked together. When Hu Yi and Li Baoqing arrived, it was almost noon, and some of the boxes were still locked, so they didn't seem to be very busy.

People sat next to the open boxes, basking in the sun and chatting loudly about everyday life. Hu Yi had been in Moscow for over three years and could already exchange insults with Russians, but he couldn't understand a word of the Zhejiang businessmen's hometown dialect.

Walking through the dirty, icy snow, they arrived at a box in the middle of Section 8. The young man sitting in front of the door got up to greet them: "Baoqing, you're here!" His accent was a much more authentic Beijing dialect than Li Baoqing and Fang Qing.

"Oh my, it's so cold today, I'm freezing." Li Baoqing turned around and patted Hu Yi on the shoulder: "Come on, let me introduce you, this is Hu Yi, my best buddy."

"Hello, Brother Hu." The young man smiled casually and extended his hand: "Fu Jiahui."

"Oh, you flatter me." Hu Yi had already heard from Li Baoqing that this Boss Fu was the same age as them, but a few months younger. He quickly shook hands with him politely: "Please don't be so polite. My name is not suitable. You can call me Xiao Hu or Lao Hu from now on."

"Of course, Xiao Hu won't do." Fu Jiahui laughed heartily again: "Come, please sit down."

Fu Jiahui was not tall, but had a fair complexion and delicate features. His family ran a pants business, with a factory in Daxing, Beijing. He moved to Beijing with his family when he was a teenager, which is how he learned to speak fluent Beijing dialect.

"I've known Baoqing since Beijing. Although we haven't known each other for long, he's a very honest person with no ulterior motives, so I trust the people he introduces." Fu Jiahui's face had a sincere naivety. "My family has always made pants, but we only came to Moscow last year. I don't speak much Russian, so I'll have to trouble you to take care of things from now on."

"You're too kind," Hu Yi said seriously. "I will do my best. Please feel free to assign me any work you need."

"Alright, let's not stand on ceremony then. And please stop using 'you' so formally; it sounds uncomfortable." Fu Jiahui waved his hand gently. "You're familiar with our situation here, right?"

"I've heard Baoqing mention some of it."

"We sell fashionable women's trousers under our own brand," Fu Jiahui explained briefly. "Our main job is picking up and sorting goods. Sometimes the goods arrive late, so you might have to wait here."

"No problem, it's not hard work."

"Most clients usually come in the afternoon, though some come in the morning too, but they generally make appointments a day in advance. Baoqing mentioned that you sometimes have classes in the morning, but that's not a big problem; we can coordinate the time if needed."

"Don't worry... I'll manage, and try not to interfere with my work." Hu Yi was very grateful for his boss's accommodating attitude. "It's winter break now, so I can be here all day. What time do we start work in the morning?"

"Going to work...it's not certain. Places like Aste and Old Sun that sell miscellaneous goods open as early as 5 a.m.." Fu Jiahui hesitated for a moment, "We mainly depend on customer demand here, so it's okay to come a little late."

"Understood, I'll come as soon as possible." Hu Yi nodded vigorously. "So, what should I do today?"

(End of this chapter)