Reborn in 1999: Starting as a black marketeer

The used BMW 5 Series, priced at just over $40,000, is in very good condition and has a high level of equipment.

Sitting in the large, comfortable leather seat, the heat rushed towards me, instantly warming me up considerably.

Wang Feiyang planned to buy a car once he made money from his shipment. It wasn't to show off, but because while taking the subway and buses in Moscow was convenient, it was really unsafe!

Not only do I have to be wary of those so-called "skinhead" youngsters, but I also have to be wary of the Russian police. It's exhausting...

Driving myself is much better; at least I don't have to worry about personal safety.

The car drove out of the parking lot and sped along the street, stopping next to a high-rise building about ten minutes later.

After parking their car in the parking lot in front of the building, the two of them got out. Wang Feiyang looked up at the tall building, which was about thirty stories high. Such high-rise buildings are relatively rare in Moscow, so this building stood out from the surrounding low-rise buildings.

"This is the Alpha Hotel, located in the area near the market. This hotel is the most upscale, with a five-story annex below. The first and second floors are filled with various high-end restaurants, bars, nightclubs, luxury stores, and the like."

Floors three through five house various companies, such as logistics and freight forwarding companies, money exchange companies, and intermediary companies that handle various procedures, all serving the large market. The hotel accommodations are on the sixth floor and above, where business owners from China who come to inspect the market usually stay, as it's very close to the large market.

Come on, I'll take you to see a place.

Liu Jianjun introduced the hotel and invited Wang Feiyang to go inside together.

When the two arrived at the hotel entrance, two handsome young men in smart uniforms immediately opened the door for them, making it quite a proper occasion.

To prevent slipping, a red carpet is laid out from the hotel entrance. The lobby is very spacious, with a huge crystal chandelier hanging overhead, making it dazzling and bright.

Just inside the entrance, on both sides, are several boutiques and shops selling Russian handicrafts. The glass windows display beautiful and exquisite matryoshka dolls, while luxury brands like LV, Hermes, and Loewe are mixed in with the goods, making it hard to tell what's real and what's fake...

Seeing Wang Feiyang's gaze sweeping over the luxury handbags, Liu Jianjun chuckled and said, "Don't fall for it. I'm in this business. I've been inside. It seems like all the bags sold here are so-called 'end-of-line' or 'Grade A' replicas sourced from China! Think about it, those big brands have their boutiques in the most bustling areas. How could they let you sell them mixed in? Wouldn't they have any face?"

Wang Feiyang was dumbfounded and asked in surprise, "These counterfeit goods are just openly displayed and sold in a high-end hotel, and nobody cares?"

"Who cares? Russia is in such a mess right now, the country can't even handle the major issues that need to be addressed. Who would care about selling a few counterfeit goods? There might not even be a dedicated agency to manage this! Besides, if they really wanted to regulate it, the goods sold by the thousands of merchants in the market are, strictly speaking, smuggled goods, which are illegal, and nobody's regulating that either," Liu Jianjun said dismissively.

After listening, Wang Feiyang nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.

Led by Liu Jianjun, the two took the elevator directly to the fifth floor and walked through a spacious corridor.

The layout of the podium building is in the shape of the Chinese character "回" (hui), with rooms surrounding the perimeter and facilities such as elevators in the center.

One side of the corridor is lined with companies of all sizes, and the walls next to the doors are covered with various company nameplates, all of which are freight forwarding, money exchange, and other companies, just as Liu Jianjun described.

As he approached the end of the corridor, Liu Jianjun stopped, took out his keys from his pocket, and opened the door of a company.

"Come in and see how it is." With that, he pressed the switch and turned on the lights in the room.

When Wang Feiyang went inside, he saw that it was a large open-plan office, not very big, probably around 100 square meters. The basic renovations were all done, but apart from a few sets of desks and chairs and a filing cabinet near the window, the rest of the place was empty.

"Brother Liu, is this your rented office? Why is no one working here?" Wang Feiyang asked curiously.

Liu Jianjun looked helpless and shook his head, saying, "I rented this place last year. I originally wanted to cooperate with a domestic manufacturer to start a company. All the procedures were completed, and the site was rented. But when I went back to discuss the specific terms of cooperation with them last time, they changed their minds..."

He didn't go into the specific reasons, but the fact that the cooperation failed after all that effort must have been a significant blow to Liu Jianjun.

"What does Brother Liu mean by bringing me here?" Wang Feiyang already had some guesses in his mind.

"Hehe, didn't you just say you were going to start a company? Of course you'll need office space, and this place is perfect. To be honest, I signed a one-year lease here, but now the company can't be set up, so I was thinking of subletting it. Since you need it, I'll sublet it to you. The rent is negotiable; I'll give you a 20% discount! Consider it a congratulatory gift for your company's establishment," Liu Jianjun said with a hearty laugh.

That's a nice way of putting it, and Wang Feiyang does indeed need an office space, but his 20% discount rent...

Actually, there's not much of a discount to speak of, since it's not so easy for him to sublet. When Wang Feiyang came over earlier, he noticed that there were still quite a few empty rooms on the fifth floor, which means that the space here isn't in high demand.

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Feiyang cautiously asked, "Brother Liu, how much is the rent here each month? To be honest, I don't have much money on hand right now, and I'm not sure I can afford to rent such a high-end office building."

His original idea was to find a cheap office building in the city and set up a space of 30 or 40 square meters, which would be enough. He only had a few jeans, four styles in total, so he didn't need such a large space to display them...

Liu Jianjun waved his hand and said generously, "The rent in the contract is five thousand US dollars per month, but you only need to pay four thousand. Moreover, you can pay me back in advance, and there's no rush to pay me after the goods are sold."

This offer was very tempting to Wang Feiyang!

Office space is a significant expense, and if it could be paid off in advance, it would greatly alleviate his financial pressure!

Since Liu Jianjun was so agreeable, Wang Feiyang didn't hesitate and nodded, saying, "Thank you so much, Brother Liu! You've really helped me a lot! I'll take this office. How much time is left on the lease?"

"I've only rented this place for less than two months, there are still ten months left. I'll find the contract and show it to you later. If your company is doing well and you want to renew the lease, I'll go with you to sign a new contract."

As he spoke, Liu Jianjun walked to a filing cabinet inside and began searching for contracts.