Siheyuan: A master brewer starts with a jar of bone-strengthening wine!

Liu Dong nodded: "Then next time I get foreign exchange certificates, I'll donate them directly, and I won't argue with you anymore!"

Chen Xueru laughed: "Okay! Anyway, keeping too much of this stuff is just a hot potato. Donating it will only improve your reputation, and you might even get an award at the end of the year!"

"But let me make this clear first—you are not allowed to touch a single penny of our pots and pans, food coupons, cloth coupons, bankbooks, or cash!"

"I'm not stupid!" Liu Dong rolled his eyes.

After Chen's mother went back to her room to sleep, Chen Xueru's face suddenly darkened, and she leaned closer to say, "Liu Dong, something terrible has happened!"

Seeing her tense face and gleaming eyes, Liu Dong immediately dropped his playful grin and sat up straight: "Speak!"

"Vladimir, here he comes again."

Liu Dong's pupils contracted.

Didn't this guy just fly to Hong Kong? How come he's back like a shadow?

"Did I cause you any trouble?" he immediately asked.

"No!" Chen Xueru shook her head. "He's been hanging around our little tavern drinking every day for the past few days. I was wondering why he had so much free time, but today he finally blurted out—he wants to see you."

"Here, this is the address he gave me."

Liu Dong sneered.

Chen Xueru frowned: "He clearly knows where we live, why doesn't he just come directly to our house? Why does he have to go through all this trouble, making it all so mysterious, like something out of a spy movie?"

Liu Dong retorted, "Because he doesn't dare."

Early the next morning—

After getting up, Liu Dong first took a stroll around the factory to get a feel for the operation of each workshop.

Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he gulped down half a glass of invisibility liquor, slipped away, and disappeared!

Our first stop was the subdistrict office.

As soon as he entered, he recounted the entire incident from the previous night, in which the three old men had ambushed him in the courtyard, interrogated him, and pried into his private affairs.

Upon hearing this, Director Zhang slammed his fist on the table in anger: "So, Yi Zhonghai! You've been a veteran employee for decades, and now you're leading the charge in muddying the waters?!"

"Don't worry, Xiao Liu, I'll verify this immediately! Once it's confirmed, I'll not only talk to them, but also send a letter to the factory to bring this issue to the table!"

"Thanks, Director Zhang!"

Liu Dong turned and went out, took out the small note Vladimir had given him, and went to the address—it was a quiet little courtyard with a trellis and roses.

As soon as he stepped across the threshold, Elena rushed up to him and hugged him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

Liu Dong felt a chill run down his spine on the spot—he simply couldn't resist the "primitive scent" emanating from the Russian man, a mixture of vodka and pine resin!

"Speak your mind, or shut up!" He struggled free and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, crossing his legs.

Vladimir raised his hand in a gesture, and Elena immediately retreated to the courtyard gate to look around warily.

"My dear friend!" Vladimir offered a cigar, its gold-leaf wrapping gleaming. "Try it! It's from Cuba; you won't find another like it in the whole world!"

Liu Dong didn't stand on ceremony; he tore open the foil, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Hmm, it's quite flavorful and has a consistent aroma; it's really not bad.

"Cuba, ah..." Vladimir chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "Beautiful scenery, hot girls, and the sun so strong it makes your bones melt!"

"Heh." Liu Dong exhaled a smoke ring. "I love its cigars the most—nothing else."

"Oh dear!" Vladimir slapped his thigh. "Just say it! We need to transport a shipment to Cuba, but the seas are rough, and we'd like to ask you for help!"

"The boss said—if you agree, this is the pay!"

He held up two fingers: "Two tons of gold!"

Liu Dong's heart skipped a beat.

Two tons? That's enough to buy half a factory! It's the hardest of the hard currencies!

The more money they spend, the more suspicious the product seems. This deal is likely fraught with risk.

"Show us the goods first!" Liu Dong stubbed out his cigarette. "What are you transporting?"

"Just a small item!" Vladimir grinned. "You don't need to know what it is, just make sure it arrives safely. Of course—the price is negotiable!"

"Okay, add three more tons."

He had barely finished speaking when he quickly doubled the number: "Five tons! All for you!"

Liu Dong grinned: "There's no such thing as a free lunch. I know exactly what's going on—you guys are probably planning to build a medium-range missile site in Cuba, right? You've got a good plan, but you've picked the wrong people."

"I'm not taking this job!"

"Huh?!" Vladimir jumped up from his chair. "You...how did you guess that?!"

—I guess?

I'm guessing nonsense!

You, a broker with Soviet background, are flying to Cuba with mysterious cargo boxes. What else could you be after if not to plant a mushroom cloud right on the doorstep of our neighbor, the Americans?

Going crazy is fine, but don't drag me down with you!

Liu Dong stared at him, saying each word clearly: "Vladimir, if you want to remain friends, stop with your convoluted tactics. Also—no matter what you're transporting, I must personally inspect the goods. Don't try to deceive me. There are some things I'd rather lose money than handle!"

"Would I be out of my mind to help you transport nuclear warheads?"

"No, no, no!" Vladimir, sweat beading on his forehead, immediately changed his tune, "Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! Since you're not happy about it, let's find another way—"

"Natural dried rubber, proven quality, safe! Still at the old price!"

Liu Dong grinned: "That works... How much stock do you have on hand?"

Transporting rubber? No problem.

Transporting mushrooms? No way!

Vladimir slapped his thigh: "This time the quantity is huge—a full 20,000 tons! But there's a small change: it has to be distributed to four different places!" As he spoke, he pulled out a crumpled map. "Here, take a look!"

The image clearly shows four red dots circled.

One wasn't in Haishen City, two were far away, and the three simply settled in Mo City—the most ruthless one was located right in the city center.

"It's all inland!" Liu Dong slapped his forehead. "No matter how awesome my boat is, it can't even get into someone's alleyway, can it?"

Vladimir chuckled: "Brother Liu, we both know perfectly well—you can fly! You can walk in the sky, glide on the ground, and even bypass toll booths without paying! This little job is just a step away for you, right?"

"No problem!" Liu Dong said decisively. "As usual, payment in gold."

"That's fantastic!" Vladimir clapped his hands. "I knew it! With your skills, you could just point anywhere on a world map and clock in with your eyes closed!"

"Oh, right..." He scratched his head, "This batch of goods hasn't been fully collected yet, we'll have to wait a while. Our people are still in Malaysia staking out the goods, and I estimate we can pack and ship them out in about a month!"

"Alright!" Liu Dong nodded. "Then that's settled for now—if you need anything, don't wander around looking for me. Just go to the steel mill's foreign exchange earnings office and call out, 'I'll come pick you up personally, my little attendant'—and remember that!"

"Don't go to the tavern to ambush them again!" His voice turned serious. "Otherwise... hmph."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he gulped down the invisibility potion—in the blink of an eye, right under Vladimir's nose, he vanished as if erased by an eraser.

"Hiss—hiss—hiss—"

Vladimir's legs went weak on the spot, and his crotch became hot and wet.