Bloody Romance: I, the big troublemaker, Zhong Yuemin!

"I think Miss Meichuan's assessment of you is quite fair."

His wife, Zhou Xiaobai, had somehow appeared beside him and said with a gloating tone, "..."

"Are you really planning to lend them money?"

Zhong Yuemin turned his head, looked at his wife's rosy lips, and explained:

“Honey, I’m ‘lending’ money to this person… oh no, I mean investing. It’s purely from a business perspective, nothing more. He’s leaving tomorrow, so even if he wanted to do something, he wouldn’t have the chance.”

"Is there anything else you want to do?" Zhou Xiaobai reached out and pinched her man's waist.

"If you dare to cause trouble, I won't let you off the hook!"

"No, no, how could I dare? Hehe!"

-

-

After much deliberation, Ning Wei finally made up his mind to join the ranks of "middlemen" and go to Russia to do business. He came here specifically to discuss it with him.

“Brother Zhong, I’ve made up my mind. My brother also supports me in doing this business. We plan to get a batch of clothing first, go to Moscow, and see how things go and get a feel for the situation.”

"It's up to you to decide."

Zhong Yuemin nodded and then added,

"However, Ning Wei, this is your first time going there, and you're unfamiliar with the place. It would be best if you could find an experienced trader to go with you. Having a companion can help you avoid some pitfalls. Traders may seem to make money easily, but there are considerable risks involved, especially when you're abroad. Safety comes first, so you must be careful."

"Brother Zhong, I know that."

Ning Wei also did some research.

“I’ve already found a few companions. The one who’s in charge is quite capable. He often travels between Beijing and Moscow. I heard he’s even been to Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Romania… This time I plan to go with them.”

"Oh?" Zhong Yuemin nodded slightly. "Is he... reliable?"

He would be completely at ease sending Ning Wei on a combat mission, but asking him to go into business... to be honest, he was a little hesitant.

These are completely different things, so we must ask carefully.

"Brother Zhong, this man is called Mu Qizhong. He's quite famous in the Beijing black market."

Ning Wei explained,

"He's a loyal friend, has a good reputation and is well-liked in the industry, so he should be trustworthy. And..."

"and many more!"

Zhong Yuemin suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, a look of surprise on his face.

"What did you say this person's name was? Mu Qizhong?"

“Yeah,” Ning Wei looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong, Brother Zhong?”

"How old is this person? Where is he from?"

"Judging from his appearance... he must be around fifty years old. Where he's from... I don't know, but judging from his accent, it seems like... he's from Sichuan?"

Zhong Yuemin's heart skipped a beat. It turned out that Ning Wei had run into this person!

"Ning Wei, when do you plan to leave?"

"It'll be in the next day or two."

“Alright then,” Zhong Yuemin decided immediately.

"Can you get in touch with this Mr. Mou? I'd like to invite him to dinner."

"This... should be fine."

Ning Wei was even more puzzled.

"Brother Zhong, you...know him?"

Zhong Yuemin shook his head: "I don't know him, but... I've heard of him." He didn't elaborate, wanting to meet this 'legendary figure' in the black market trading circle.

-

-

The next day at noon, in an elegant private room of his own restaurant, Zhong Yuemin finally met the legendary figure who left a strong mark on the Chinese business world in the 1980s and 1990s—Mu Qizhong!

The man was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, with a worn-out black faux leather bag tucked under his arm and an old leather hat on his head. He had a dark complexion and an unremarkable appearance. Walking down the street, he looked no different from any other middle-aged worker and was completely inconspicuous.

As soon as the person entered, Zhong Yuemin immediately stood up to greet him, extending his hand with a sincere smile on his face:

"Mr. Mou, I've long admired your name! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Mu Qizhong looked at the man in front of him, who was much younger than him but had a rather extraordinary demeanor. His mind raced, and he realized that he did not know him.

He extended his hand and shook hands with Zhong Yuemin, then asked with some doubt, "This boss... have we met before?"

Zhong Yuemin smiled and shook his head:

“Mr. Mu, although we have never met, I have heard of your name, Mu Qizhong. In the capital, your reputation has long been known.”

"Really?"

A hint of doubt flashed across Mu Qizhong's face. Although he had been a middleman for some years and had a small reputation, how could he be so famous in the capital?

Why didn't he realize it himself? But he didn't think much of it.

They both sat down, ate, and chatted. That was enough.

Zhong Yuemin got to the point:

"Mr. Mou, my younger brother has just retired from the army and has little experience in business. This trip to Russia is, after all, going abroad and being unfamiliar with the place, I hope Mr. Mou will take good care of him on the way."

"Mr. Zhong, you're too kind."

Mu Qizhong waved his hand, his tone simple and honest.

"When you're out in the world, you rely on your friends. I only got into this business a few years ago. I used to trade in China, and now I trade abroad to earn some hard-earned money from the Russians."

He glanced at Ning Wei sitting next to him, a grateful and sincere smile on his face:

"I get along quite well with Brother Ning. Last time I went to the post office to withdraw money, I was targeted by a few petty thieves on my way back. If it weren't for Brother Ning's help in driving those guys away and getting me out of trouble, I might have lost my life."

So don't worry, it's not about who takes care of whom; we'll support each other and look out for each other along the way.

Zhong Yuemin nodded. He hadn't heard Ning Wei mention this before. Since there was such a favor between them, he felt more at ease.

He then asked with great interest:

"Mr. Mou, you travel back and forth between Beijing and Russia so often, what kind of things do you usually smuggle over there?"

"The main items are clothing, shoes, thermos flasks, canned food... these are all everyday necessities."

Once Mu Qizhong started talking about this, he became quite talkative.

"Whatever they need over there, we middlemen will smuggle it over there. The categories are all kinds. As long as there is demand over there, we'll find a way to get it over there."

Zhong Yuemin pondered for a moment and said:

"Things seem to be going badly for the Russians right now. There are many reports in the news and newspapers saying that many military industrial enterprises can't even pay their workers' wages, and factories are on the verge of bankruptcy. Not to mention the private sector."

He looked at Mu Qizhong, his gaze carrying a deeper meaning.

“Mr. Mou, you’re always running around there, so you must know the situation better than us. If... there are any suitable opportunities, such as companies, factories, or technical equipment that you want to sell, you can introduce them to me. I’m actually... a little interested in these things.”