My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 281 A Desolate New Year's Eve

Aste's experience served as a wake-up call for everyone doing business in the container market. Unlike the previous minor seizures, customs and other law enforcement officers soon welded the container doors shut in the warehouse, making it wishful thinking for cargo owners to try to move their goods by following the example of others.

Overnight, the entire city of Aste was filled with despair. Many people lost everything, and many more were burdened with debt. Some became lost souls in the marketplace, some chose to leave in despair, and some even took their own lives in despair.

Not only the Asterisk businessmen themselves have been severely impacted, but also their creditors, suppliers, domestic factories, and even the upstream supply chain. In the face of the already surging global economic crisis, the consequences of this large-scale seizure are far-reaching.

For more than two months, the expressions on the faces of the other business owners in the market were different from before. They were terrified of anyone in uniform, fearing that something else might go wrong. They were on edge, seeing threats everywhere, just like ordinary people living in occupied territory, living in constant fear.

Hu Yi, Fu Jiahui, and others followed a conservative business strategy with trepidation, keeping their purchase volume and inventory very low. However, in business, the bold always succeed and the timid starve. Seeing the market gradually recovering, they were unwilling to give up their long-accumulated customers. So, before long, they mustered their courage and resumed their normal purchasing pace, ready to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival of 2009.

Since arriving in Moscow eight years ago, Hu Yi has spent almost every Lunar New Year's Eve here. They always have a lively gathering with a large table, sometimes seven or eight people, sometimes more than ten. Even though they are in a foreign country, they are always happy and full of the festive spirit.

But this year, nothing was going to be lively. The students from Friendship University had all graduated and left school, and Fu Jiahui and Uncle Yu had also returned to China to reunite with their families. Only Xiao Linzi was left at the market, saying that he was going to have an online New Year's Eve celebration with his friends in online games and wouldn't have time for New Year's Eve dinner.

In the end, only Li Baoqing brought wine and meat to Hu Yi and Natasha's house to spend New Year's Eve together, and also brought a dark-skinned, petite NMG girl.

"This is my girlfriend, a graduate of Moscow State University. She's not exactly an outsider; she used to work at the same travel agency as Yu Feifei," Li Baoqing introduced, beaming. "She's a better cook than me; she'll be in charge of cooking tonight's New Year's Eve dinner."

After years of buying and getting by, Li Baoqing finally obtained his long-awaited bachelor's degree last summer. He then moved out of the university and rented a house near Lyublino with other people.

He only worked at Anna's shop for two months. After getting to know the other shop owners, he couldn't stand being alone and started his own retail stall. With the experience he had gained over the years in the container market, he did quite well. But recently, like Hu Yi, he handed over his stall to someone else and started doing other things.

"I've only just realized how low-level selling is. It's a lot of hard work, you don't earn much money, and you're always living in fear." Li Baoqing sat on the sofa with a slight hunch, holding a teacup in his left hand and a cigarette between his right, his face once again filled with anticipation for the future.

"That's true." Hu Yi chuckled and sighed, "What, has Boss Li found another way to make a fortune?"

"Heh, what boss? Just a middleman." Li Baoqing laughed smugly. "Right now, I'm just running a stall."

"How do I do it?"

"Didn't the Aste warehouse get shut down a few months ago? I've noticed that a number of Chinese people have been going to Lyublino to look for stalls, which has gradually driven up the rent there."

"Oh! So you just—"

"I asked Brother Abbasaf—that's Anna's lover—to help me get a bunch of stalls, and then I transferred the leases to other people. It'll be easy money in no time." Li Baoqing slowly sipped his tea. "Now there are no monthly rents under a thousand dollars in Lyublino. I still have six stalls, and they're being watched by people. I estimate I can sell them around the fifteenth of the first lunar month."

"Damn, you're pretty shrewd," Hu Yi laughed, slapping his thigh. "Isn't this just land speculation?"

"Yeah, it's because the land there is cheap. I've thought it through. If the prices go up again, I'll keep a few stalls and rent them out as sub-landlords. I can just count the money every month. Wouldn't that be great?" Li Baoqing's small eyes narrowed into slits. "To be honest, I'm grateful you reminded me back then."

"Me? What should I remind you of?"

Li Baoqing gritted his teeth slightly: "It's that Yuri. You said he was... that... what was his name again? Swordsman? Or... Jacket?"

"A middleman." Hu Yi spat. "Look at your lack of education. Stop embarrassing yourself in public."

"Oh, a middleman, hehe." Li Baoqing grinned. "Anyway, it's just being a middleman, all you do is talk and make connections. Making money like this is so easy!"

"That's not a bad approach." Hu Yi nodded, then paused for a moment, staring at him intently from head to toe.

"What's wrong?" Li Baoqing asked, feeling a little uncomfortable being stared at. "What are you looking at?"

"How's your back doing lately? Are you alright?"

"It's nothing!" Li Baoqing twisted his body from side to side. "I can run and jump now. Just take it easy and don't overexert yourself."

"Something's not right." Hu Yi turned to look at the two women in the kitchen and said in a low voice, "I felt something was off as soon as you came in. Stand up."

Li Baoqing immediately stood up: "Something's not right? What's wrong?"

Hu Yi pinched his chin and examined him closely, then frowned and said, "Why do you look a little... crooked? It's like you're not standing straight."

"Really?" Li Baoqing subconsciously straightened his back, then frowned. "Hmm, it doesn't feel quite right."

He muttered to himself as he walked to the living room mirror, staring blankly at his reflection for a long time: "Old Hu, what... what's going on? Turns out I've always been crooked?! I thought I was standing perfectly straight!"

"It wasn't this obvious the last time I saw you." Hu Yi stood up and walked to his side. "It's been about half a year since we last saw each other, hasn't it? Is there something wrong with your back again?"

"I don't know!" Li Baoqing wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It hurts occasionally, but it gets better after a couple of days of rest, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"This is no small matter." Hu Yi looked worried. "You need to take this seriously and you should probably go to the hospital for a checkup."

"I see. Damn, I never really noticed before!" Li Baoqing nodded. "I'll go see a doctor once this busy period is over."

That night, Li Baoqing was restless because of his back pain. He kept unconsciously adjusting his posture in his chair and didn't enjoy his New Year's Eve dinner. He rushed home with his girlfriend just after 11 p.m.

Hu Yi watched the Spring Festival Gala recording online for a while, but the boring program completely dampened his enthusiasm. He turned off his computer, took a thorough shower to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, then yawned and crawled into bed.

Natasha was leaning against the headboard reading a Chinese textbook when she noticed Hu Yi's listless appearance. She turned slightly towards him and asked, "Anton, gulp?"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"You, gudu?" Natasha turned to look at the textbook in her hand, trying to correct her Chinese pronunciation: "You, lonely?"

"Lonely? How could I be?" Hu Yi stretched and pulled her into his arms. "You're right here with me, how could I be lonely?"

"I mean, it's usually very lively before Chinese New Year, but there are very few friends here tonight."

"Yeah, it's a bit... quiet. But it doesn't matter, I'll take you back to China for Chinese New Year next year, it'll be so lively then!" Hu Yi smiled slightly: "By the way, that 'Russian Businessmen'... what was it again? Didn't you guys have a gathering at the beginning of the year every year? Are you doing it again this year? We can go and join in the fun."

"It's 'Mins in Russia'." Natasha pursed her lips and shook her head. "We haven't held it for the past two years, probably because coming all the way to Moscow is too much trouble. Everyone prefers smaller, more local gatherings. By the way, Anton, do you remember Dagana from Smolensk? She sometimes works on the Moscow transport route. Maybe next time..."

Natasha was speaking with great enthusiasm when she suddenly heard a soft snore beside her. She gently removed Hu Yi's arm from her neck, tenderly kissed his cheek, and turned off the lamp.

Following the Spring Festival, the damage caused by the global financial crisis became more apparent. Starting in the second half of last year, the US dollar appreciated, oil prices plummeted, and a combination of complex factors led to a sharp depreciation of the ruble, plunging the Russian economy into crisis. Official estimates predicted that Russia would end its long-term growth momentum that year, experiencing its first economic recession of the 21st century.

The macroeconomic downturn won't quickly spread to the consumer market, and business in the container market hasn't been greatly affected for the time being. But Hu Yi is facing a dilemma when he looks at the rubles he's earned: exchanging them for dollars would obviously result in a huge loss; remitting them back to China is also not worthwhile; and keeping them in his hands means he doesn't know how the exchange rate will fluctuate.

After much deliberation, he decided to exchange some of his cash for goods to preserve their value, lock half of the remaining cash in a safe inside a box, and take the other half home to hide.

Fortunately, the bad situation did not last long. After hitting a low in February, the ruble began a long recovery, and by the end of May, everything seemed to have gradually stabilized.

Business at his small shop has been lukewarm lately, and Hu Yi has been constantly increasing his inventory over the past few months; the box in the warehouse is almost full. He plans to rent another box, but he's been hesitant and can't make up his mind.

Last night, Natasha and I lay in bed discussing it for a long time without reaching a conclusion. Today, I spent the whole morning at Fu Jiahui's stall. Just as I was about to have a moment to think about it some more, I suddenly heard someone shouting outside. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be Xiao Linzi.

Hu Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly walked to the door to peek out. He saw Xiao Linzi skipping towards him, holding a newspaper in his hand.

"What's all the fuss about? You scared me half to death. I thought Ah Meng was here again." Hu Yi crossed his arms, annoyed. "It's not even eleven o'clock yet, why are you up already? Looks like you didn't play games hard enough last night!"

"Ugh, World of Warcraft never releases a new version, I'm so tired of it." Xiao Linzi glanced at Uncle Yu, who looked displeased, and then smiled at Hu Yi, waving the newspaper in his hand: "Uncle, Brother Hu, big news! Have you read the newspaper?"

(End of this chapter)