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Chapter 559: Li Qing
Chapter 559: Li Qing
The day after Zong Shimen returned home with the medicine, she left again, worried about her children back home. Lu Jiaxin didn't go back to Hong Kong with her and stayed back to take care of some matters.
Lao Geng arrived after dark, still wearing a hat and a mask. If it weren't for Yan Yijun waiting at the door, the guards wouldn't have let him in.
Upon seeing Lu Jiaxin, Lao Geng reported on the business operations for the past six months. Lu Jiaxin had provided a capital of 100,000 yuan. They traded goods that were scarce in the West, such as canned food, candy, liquor, clothing, electronics, and VCRs, in exchange for fur, gold, and other commodities to bring back to China. Their profits were astonishing; in just six months, they had made over 2 million yuan.
After his report, Lao Geng took out an account book and offered it to Lu Jiaxin.
Lu Jiaxin declined to take the book. She trusted her people and didn't micromanage, especially since her investment was a modest 100,000 yuan, and she didn't intend to profit from it. Smiling, she said, "Lao Geng, just settle the accounts with Li Haihan and the others."
Li Haihan was the business-savvy friend Lao Geng had recommended. So far, he had proven to be a talented individual, turning the initial 100,000 yuan into 2 million in just six months. Lu Jiaxin had the advantage of her reborn memory, but Li Haihan's achievements were purely based on his own capabilities.
"Next time I come back," Lu Jiaxin said, "if he's willing, I'd like to meet him."
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, she even planned to bring him into her company. Of course, if he wasn't interested, she could always invest in his own business venture.
Lao Geng smiled and said, "Old Li would be delighted."
Li Haihan deeply admired Lu Jiaxin's accomplishments upon learning about them and often lamented to Lao Geng that his forty years of living had been a waste compared to a young woman like her. Lao Geng shared similar sentiments. What impressed him the most about Lu Jiaxin was her humility. In his experience with wealthy individuals, they often carried themselves with an air of arrogance and superiority. Lu Jiaxin, however, treated him as an equal. For such a boss, he would go above and beyond.
Lao Geng pulled out a thick booklet from his bag and said, "Boss, these are things I saw and heard in Moscow. But the information in this booklet is just mundane stuff. The truly important intelligence is stored in my head."
At this, Lu Jiaxin immediately asked him to write it all down while she perused the booklet. Although it documented Lao Geng's daily life in Moscow, some valuable insights could be gleaned from the details of a common citizen's life.
It took Lao Geng an hour and a half to finish writing. The booklet was merely a decoy; the real intelligence he had paid for was what he had just written down—the true measure of whether he had accomplished his mission successfully.
Lu Jiaxin carefully read through the information he had provided and then fell into deep thought. In the past six months, Lao Geng had not only visited Moscow but also St. Petersburg, Siberia, the Ural Mountains, and Gorky. These places were all heavy industrial zones in the Soviet Union.
After reflecting on the information, Lu Jiaxin expressed her appreciation. Some of the details were beyond her understanding, but that only underscored their importance.
"Lao Geng," Lu Jiaxin said, "the way you've preserved this information is very secure. However, conducting such activities in a foreign country is dangerous. You must always prioritize your safety. In times of crisis, don't hesitate to abandon the money and goods to ensure your life is spared."
Hearing these words, Lao Geng felt a warmth in his heart. "Boss, I understand."
After their discussion, Lao Geng took his leave. He had come under the cover of night to avoid being seen. The nature of his work was risky, and the fewer people who knew of his connection to Lu Jiaxin, the better.
Lu Jiaxin saw him out of the yard and then hurried to eat. She hadn't felt hungry while they were discussing matters, her mind too focused and alert, but now that she had relaxed, her stomach rumbled in protest.
After dinner, Lu Jiaxin took a stroll around the mansion. It was nice to have a large space to walk off her meal.
When she returned to her courtyard, she called Li Qing to join her in the study. Once they were seated, she handed him the three pages that Lao Geng had written. These pages contained a lot of information, although most of it was basic.
Li Qing's expression changed drastically as he scanned the pages, which included designs for aircraft and tank factories. "Boss, where did you get these? This information is highly classified."
"I got it from the Soviet Union," Lu Jiaxin replied. "It only cost me a small amount of green coins. These pages only mention the names of the factories and don't contain any confidential details. But if the price is right, even the blueprints can be obtained."
Li Qing's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Impossible. Boss, while things may be unstable over there, these are top-secret documents. Selling them would be treason."
Lu Jiaxin smiled. "Corruption in the Soviet Union is rampant these days, comparable to the latter days of the Republic of China. As long as the price is right, not only aircraft and tanks but even H-bombs could be within reach."
Of course, such an endeavor would be extremely dangerous, and Lu Jiaxin had no intention of getting directly involved. Her plan was to first gather information and then, when the time was right, approach Xie Kaixiao.
Li Qing shook his head. "No, even if we tried, the chances of success are slim, and if we're caught, it could lead to serious consequences and spark a dispute between the two countries."
The probability of success was too low, and the potential fallout was too severe, so he advised against it.
Lu Jiaxin let out a peal of laughter. "What would I do with the designs for these heavy weapons? Do you think I can produce them myself?"
Li Qing realized he had fallen into a misunderstanding. These blueprints would be useless to a businesswoman like his boss. In fact, they would be useless to any individual.
"Boss, may I ask why you're showing me this information?" Li Qing inquired.
"Recently, I've been collecting intelligence on the Soviet Union from various sources," Lu Jiaxin explained. "After reviewing the materials, I noticed something. The Western powers want to dismantle it."
Li Qing, who also kept a close eye on international affairs, commented, "The Western powers have always wanted to break up the Soviet Union, but it's just their wishful thinking."
Lu Jiaxin looked directly at him and said, "My conclusion is the opposite. Based on the information I have, it's only a matter of time before the Western powers tear the Soviet Union apart, whether it takes three years or five."
"Impossible," Li Qing refuted.
If it weren't for her knowledge from the future, Lu Jiaxin herself wouldn't have believed that such a powerful country could be so easily destroyed by America. Unfortunately, reality could sometimes be more absurd than fiction.
"You don't believe me?" she asked.
Li Qing considered his response carefully. "Boss, I don't know what information you've come across to reach that conclusion, but the Soviet Union is so powerful that it's unimaginable for America to destroy it."
Lu Jiaxin smiled faintly. "An external attack would indeed be impossible, but what about an internal one? There's an old Chinese saying, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand.' If the internal strife comes first, the external enemy will inevitably breach the walls."
The impending dissolution of the Soviet Union was closely tied to its current leader, whose naive decision to hire American financial advisors had led to an economic crisis and a thousandfold devaluation of their currency.
Li Qing didn't argue. If the boss's prediction of internal strife came true, it was indeed possible for the Western powers to achieve their goal. Internal conflicts would leave them vulnerable to external enemies.
(End of Chapter)
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