Zong Shimeng returned the day after she fetched the medicine; she had been away for many days and missed her child at home. Lu Jiaxin did not accompany her back to Hong Kong, as she had some matters to attend to.
Old Geng came over after dark, wearing a hat and a mask. Had Yan Yijun not been waiting for him at the door, the security guards would not have dared to let him in.
Upon seeing Lu Jiaxin, Old Geng reported the business operations of the past six months to her. Lu Jiaxin had provided one hundred thousand pieces as capital. They transported goods that the Longhairs were short of, such as canned food, candy, vodka, clothes, shoes, hats, and even video recorders and tapes—items that were scarce there; then they would trade for furs or purple gold from the Longhairs to bring back to China. Such maneuvers yielded astonishing profits; they earned more than two million in just half a year.
After he finished speaking, Old Geng took out a ledger to give to Lu Jiaxin.
Lu Jiaxin did not accept the ledger, as she believed in trusting those she employed and not using those she doubted. Moreover, she only invested one hundred thousand and did not intend to make money from it. Smiling, she said, "Old Geng, just settle the accounts with Lih Haihan and the others."
This Lih Haihan was the friend skilled in doing business whom Old Geng had recommended. So far, he had proven to be a true talent, making two million from one hundred thousand in just six months. She benefited from the advantage of rebirth, while he earned it completely on his own abilities.
Lu Jiaxin said, "Next time I come back, if he’s willing, I’d like to invite him over to meet."
Once the sl (Soviet Union) disintegrated, she was thinking of bringing this man into her own company. Of course, if he was unwilling, it would be fine too; she could invest in a company for him.
Old Geng responded with a smile, "Old Lih couldn’t ask for more."
After learning about Lu Jiaxin’s accomplishments, Lih Haihan admired her immensely, even lamenting to him that his own forty years had been lived in vain, not as well as a young girl’s. Old Geng felt the same, what was most admirable was that Lu Jiaxin was very polite. He had met many rich people before, and they were all arrogant and condescending, unlike Lu Jiaxin who placed herself on the same level as them. For such a boss, he was willing to work tirelessly.
Old Geng took out a thick booklet from his bag, saying, "Boss, these are things I saw and heard in Moscow. However, the information here is all common stuff; the important things are all in my head."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiaxin immediately took paper and a pen for him to write, while she looked at the information. Although these details were about his everyday life in Moscow, some insights could be gleaned from the living conditions of the common people.
It took Old Geng an hour and a half to finish writing. The booklet he carried was just a cover, what he had just written was the valuable information he had gathered, and this was the measure of how well he had done his job.
Lu Jiaxin took the information he had written and read it seriously; after finishing, she fell into deep thought. In half a year, besides Moscow, Old Geng had also visited Saint Petersburg, Siberia, the Ural, and Gorky City. These places were all heavy industrial areas of the sl (Soviet Union).
After reading, Lu Jiaxin affirmed the information. Some of it she couldn’t understand, but the more obscure it was, the more important it seemed.
Lu Jiaxin said, "Old Geng, the way you keep your information is very safe, but it is very dangerous to do such things in a foreign country. You must take care of your own safety. In critical moments, you can abandon money and things, but you must preserve your life."
Hearing this, Old Geng felt a warmth in his heart: "Boss, I understand."
After the discussion, Old Geng left. He had come at night precisely because he did not want others to see him. This work was dangerous, and the fewer people who knew he was associated with Lu Jiaxin, the better.
Lu Jiaxin sent him out of the yard and then hurried to have her meal. She didn’t feel hungry while engaged in business discussions, but now that she relaxed, her stomach rumbled.
After dining, Lu Jiaxin strolled around the estate. The advantage of a large house was that a walk around it was enough to aid digestion.
When she returned to her own yard, Lu Jiaxin called Li Qing to join her in the study. After sitting down, she handed him the three pages written by Old Geng. The pages mentioned many things, but all were basic.
Li Qing’s face changed drastically after reading the materials that outlined the design and production of airplane and tank factories. "Boss, where did you get these? These materials are highly classified."
Lu Jiaxin replied, "I got them through sl, only cost me some greenbacks. This only involves the names of factories, nothing classified. But if the price is right, even the design blueprints could be in our hands."
Li Qing’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but he quickly calmed down, "Impossible. Boss, although things aren’t stable over there, this is top-secret information. Selling it would be treason."
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, "sl is rife with corruption and embezzlement now, no different from the late stages of The Republic. Just offer a satisfying price, and not to mention airplanes and tanks, even the blueprints for hkmj can be obtained."
Of course, this was too risky, and Lu Jiaxin wouldn’t let herself get involved. Her plan was to first gather detailed information and then discuss it with Xie Kaixiao when the time was right.
Li Qing shook his head, "No, we wouldn’t succeed even if we tried, and if discovered, it would spark a dispute between the two countries."
The chances of success were too low, and the consequences too severe; he did not recommend proceeding.
With a chuckle, Lu Jiaxin said, "What do I need these heavy weapon design blueprints for? Do you think I could even produce them?"
Li Qing also realized that he had fallen into a misunderstanding; as a businessperson, the boss wouldn’t have any use for these design blueprints. In fact, it was useless for an individual to obtain them.
"Boss, may I know the purpose of showing me these materials?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "I have been collecting sl’s information through various channels recently. After reviewing the materials, I found a problem—the Western bandits want to dismantle it."
Having kept an eye on international affairs, Li Qing said, "The Western bandits have always wanted to dismantle sl, but it’s just wishful thinking on their part."
Lu Jiaxin looked at him and said, "My view is exactly the opposite of yours. According to the information I have, sl will sooner or later be brought down and broken apart by the Western bandits; it’s just a matter of whether it will take three years or five."
If it weren’t for the fact that she had come from the future, Lu Jiaxin would not have believed that such a powerful sl could be so easily destroyed by America. Unfortunately, reality can sometimes be more absurd than fiction.
"You don’t trust my judgment?"
After pondering a moment, Li Qing said, "Boss, I don’t know what materials you’ve read to come to this conclusion, but sl is so powerful, it can’t be destroyed by America."
Lu Jiaxin laughed, "If they were attacking from the outside, certainly not, but what if they started from the inside? There’s an old Chinese saying, ’Disasters come from within.’ Once there is internal chaos, external enemies can’t be held at bay."
The rapid disintegration of sl could not be unconnected to the current ruler, who naively hired American financial experts as economic advisors, which led to an economic collapse and a ten thousandfold devaluation of the currency.
Li Qing did not object. If, as the boss said, the disaster started from within, then it might indeed allow the Western bandits to succeed. Internal strife among our own people makes it easy for enemies to exploit weaknesses.