Reborn in Russia as a Big Shot

5. Methods of using violence

The 10,000 sets of thermal underwear were loaded into two trucks. Oleg was the truck driver and drove his own truck, while the other truck was hired from a transportation company.

Sergei accompanied the vehicle as an escort.

On the highway, Oleg and Sergei, with their four eyes, watched helplessly as the other car drove away.

If the cargo owner is Russian, calling the police might be somewhat effective; but for Chinese businessmen…

They can't even handle the cases of locals, so who will care about a foreigner like you? Nine times out of ten, the cases will be under investigation forever.

"My car broke down on the way, and the driver asked me to get out and help put up warning signs. But as soon as I got out of the car, he ran back to the car and drove away."

Sergei is on the phone with Li Xiang.

"Didn't the car break down?"

"He said it was broken, but it wasn't. He just wanted to get rid of me," Sergei said in a tearful voice.

"You're so stupid." Li Xiang was almost laughing in exasperation.

It's understandable that Sergei is a bit naive, but Oleg is a KGB agent and a former secret agent. Shouldn't he be like Bond?

"Brother Xiang, it's all my fault," Sergei said through gritted teeth. "If the goods can't be found, I'll compensate for the loss, but you need to give me some time. I'll work and pay it back slowly."

"Slowly or over several years?" Li Xiang asked casually, teasingly, "You've taken the money for insurance, haven't you? You didn't embezzle the money and not buy it, did you?"

"I bought it! The contract's in my dorm." Overwhelmed with emotion, Sergei burst into tears. "My mind went completely blank. I'd completely forgotten about it. I thought my life was over. What if something happens right after we got the insurance? Won't the insurance company accuse us of insurance fraud?"

Li Xiang asked, "Did you call the police? Insurance claims require a police dispatch record."

Sergei was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Oleg told me not to call the police, he told me to tell you... give him some time, he can handle it."

"Where is he now?" Li Xiang's heart skipped a beat.

"They dumped me at the service area and drove off," Sergei confirmed. "What should I do now? Call the police or not? Maybe I should call the police, in case the insurance won't cover it."

-

Natasha was watching TV in the living room.

The news is being broadcast, and the 53-year-old Emperor Pu looks dashing and quite photogenic.

Li Xiang tried calling Oleg, but his phone was off. He had no choice but to come to Natasha. If something serious happened, not only would the insurance company not cover the financial losses, but he could also be implicated in a murder case.

"Who should I text?"

"Nobody." Natasha put her phone aside, looked at Li Xiang with a happy expression, and changed the subject, saying, "It was just reported in the news that Khodorkovsky's sentence has been retried, from nine years to eight years."

"If he can get his sentence reduced, do you think if I pull some strings, my dad could be released sooner?"

Li Xiang sat down next to Natasha and held out his hand, saying, "Give me your phone."

"What are you doing? It's my privacy." Natasha hid her phone under her bottom.

Li Xiang asked, "Sergei lost the goods, Oleg should have told you, right?"

"He told me," Natasha chuckled and said, "Don't worry, he's already found out who hijacked our goods, and we'll get them back soon."

"It's insured."

"I know, I saw the insurance expenses when I was copying the ledger."

Li Xiang took Natasha's hand and spoke softly, "Bring Oleg back. Sergei has already called the police. Give them any clues you find."

"No." Natasha's smile vanished instantly.

"Insurance companies always try to avoid paying out if possible. If they find even the slightest flaw, the compensation might be gone." Li Xiang was still trying to reason with them.

"I already said no," Natasha said firmly. "My dad taught me from a young age that if someone bullies you, you must fight back."

"If someone slaps you today and you choose to endure it without fighting back, then tomorrow, he might dare to hold a knife to the necks of your whole family."

"Those who robbed my goods must pay the price!"

Natasha composed herself and continued, "If Oleg fails to retrieve the goods and it affects the insurance claim, I'll cover the loss."

Li Xiang is still trying to persuade Natasha.

"You can think of our business as gangs fighting for territory. The territory is only so big, and everyone has already divided up how much to take. As newcomers, if we want to get a piece of the pie, we will inevitably have conflicts with other gangs."

"As the business expands, these conflicts of interest will continue to arise. Will we resolve them all by force?"

"So many countries have nuclear weapons, but which one of them has actually launched them? Aren't they all just talk? The correct way to use violence is deterrence. I have the ability to take everything from you, but if I really take it all away, there's nothing left to lose, and then he won't be afraid anymore."

"It is easy to seek death but difficult to seek life; seeking life will inevitably lead to fear."

"I told Oleg to be careful not to hurt anyone, is that alright?" Natasha lowered her stance and leaned against Li Xiang, acting coquettishly, "He needs to learn a lesson."

[Emotion: Compromise (Greedy indifference)]

Li Xiang said coldly, "Natasha, I think you've had a tough time. I didn't hold it against you when you held a gun to my head, but what happened today has crossed my line."

"Money laundering is an economic crime. The worst outcome is that you go to jail for a few years, and then the matter is over."

"But once someone dies, no matter where you run, you'll carry the label of 'murderer' for the rest of your life. Think about your future children—do you have the courage to tell them that?"

"You always have a point, why don't you just change your name to 'Makes Sense'?" Natasha empathized, having grown up in a mafia family and lived under prejudiced scrutiny since childhood.

[Emotional shift: Compromise (outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant) → Compromise]

Li Xiang pulled Natasha into his arms, his groping hands resting on the headlights with an extremely inappropriate manner. His expression and tone, however, remained serious as he continued to persuade her, "You should call Oleg back right away. I can handle this myself."

"Violence should always be a last resort and should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary. I will tell you if there is a real need."

"Hands! Where do you put them?" Natasha was still leaning against Li Xiang's chest, just watching Li Xiang move his groping hands away, and said with a smile, "I've crossed the line now. If you keep touching me like that, I'm going to use violence."

"I'm pretty tough, I can take a few hits without any problem," Li Xiang said casually.

"Pfft!" Natasha burst out laughing.

-

Dacha is a type of rural villa unique to Russia.

It represents a dual life.

City life is about work and society; Dacha life is about freedom, land, and vodka.

During the Soviet era, dachas were defined as seasonal work sites, and heating was not allowed to prevent people from living there in winter; some even lacked fireplaces.

Although the ban has now been lifted, the lives of ordinary people in dachas are still mainly about escaping the summer heat, and only the wealthy can afford to install heating equipment and turn their summer houses into villas.

With temperatures dropping to minus thirty degrees Celsius and no heating equipment, many Dacha villages become ghost towns as soon as winter arrives, with no one coming except for thieves throughout the winter.

This is what you call a real snowstorm blocking the door; to get inside, you have to dig in little by little.

The room was still cold. Oleg sat in front of the fireplace, drinking vodka and warming himself by the fire. An MP-443 Raven sat on the table in front of him.

The gun was found on Pavel.

Pavel was playing poker at the Victory Bar when he was ambushed as soon as he stepped outside. In the blink of an eye, he was there, stripped of his cotton-padded coat and tied to a chair.

Right next to the window, which was open, a draft was blowing through.

"Friends, can you spare my life? I'll return the goods to you. Just tell me how much compensation you want. I won't haggle if only I can afford it." Pavel was shivering from the cold, his lips were purple, and his face was flushed.

Frostbite isn't caused by cold, it's caused by pain.

The north wind was blowing so hard, it felt like tiny knives stabbing my face, and my skin felt like it was about to crack.

Sweet potatoes were roasting in the fireplace.

Oleg picked one up; it was too hot to handle, so he used his clothes to cushion it before picking it up. He chatted with Pavel while peeling the sweet potato.

"I'll find the goods myself. I'm used to getting back things I've lost myself, so I won't bother you."

"Hold on a little longer. Once you're completely frozen, I'll throw you outside. If I'm lucky, I'll find you next March or April when spring arrives and the flowers bloom. If I'm unlucky..."

Oleg took a bite of sweet potato and continued, "It might have been carried off by wolves."

"Buzz!" My phone vibrated with a text message.

After checking, Oleg turned to Pavel and said, "You're really lucky."