MMB 15. Becoming a father unexpectedly
15. Becoming a father unexpectedly
Starting from Shenzhen, the ship travels north to Vladivostok, then transfers to a railway to Moscow.
Compared to direct sea freight to St. Petersburg, this route costs about 20% more, but it is also faster.
Sergei was tasked with planning the Belarusian route.
The 50,000 bowls destined for Lithuania haven't even arrived at the port yet, but the goods from Vladivostok have already entered Moscow.
Pavel transferred his remaining fixed assets, the warehouse where he stored clothing, to SnowFlying.
The house was used as collateral to settle payments for goods.
Li Xiang used SnowFlying as his business entity to obtain a loan of US$200,000 from Deutsche Bank.
This is a business loan, and there are requirements for the use of funds; the funds must be consistent with the purpose of the loan.
With this cash flow of 200,000, SnowFlying's clothing business finally got on the right track and started operating smoothly.
-
Li Xiang and Natasha skipped half a semester of classes. According to school regulations, insufficient attendance means they cannot take the final exam and will fail the course and have to take a make-up exam.
If you fail the make-up exam, you have one more chance. If you fail the second time, you've wasted your time taking the course.
"How can you be so stupid? There's only this much stuff over and over again. You could just flip through it and memorize it."
With the aid of [scanning], Li Xiang's learning efficiency is astonishingly high.
Over time, he lost empathy for "ordinary people" like Natasha.
He just hasn't realized it yet.
"I'm not studying anymore, I'll buy the answers." Natasha's pride was hurt, and she threw a tantrum.
Where can I buy it?
"I don't know, you find a way to buy it for me."
Natasha had a sudden inspiration and was about to suggest that Oleg steal the exam papers when she suddenly burst into a dry retching.
"Is your stomach upset?" Li Xiang handed a tissue to Natasha.
"I didn't notice." Natasha wiped her mouth, then looked up and noticed Li Xiang's expression. "Why are you looking at me like that? What's with that expression?"
"My period is still more than a week late. Could I be pregnant?"
Li Xiang, who had never married or had children in his previous life, was a little nervous about suddenly becoming a father. "I'll go get you the pregnancy test. Where is it?"
"We're out of them."
"I'll go buy it." Li Xiang was about to leave but then turned back. "Let's go to the hospital instead."
-
Li Xiang's hard work these past few days hasn't been in vain; Natasha really is pregnant.
"Help me a little." With Li Xiang's help, Natasha slowly sat down on the sofa and muttered to herself, "The doctor said the first three months are the most dangerous, and I need to rest more. I definitely can't take the make-up exam in this condition. What should I do?"
Li Xiang suppressed a laugh and sat down next to Natasha. "Want to chat?"
"What are you going to talk about?"
"Let's talk about your future plans."
"I'm already pregnant, what else can I do but give birth?" Natasha mumbled, sounding a little embarrassed.
Li Xiang placed his hand on Natasha's stomach and coaxed, "What do you think our child will be when he grows up? A doctor? A lawyer? A judge?"
"Still the Mafia?"
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Natasha's expression changed instantly.
Li Xiang retorted, "I will never let my child join the mafia. You must sever all ties with your family."
Natasha was silent for a moment, then showed her wrist to Li Xiang. "I have my father's blood in my veins. Can you draw a clear line? I don't want any title to be with you. I'm having your child to help my family. Now you want to back out?"
"I didn't say I was going back on my word. I will definitely keep my promise to you." Li Xiang emphasized, "When I asked you to draw a line, it didn't mean I was severing ties with you. Private contact is fine, but there can be no public relationship."
"With the collapse of the Soviet Union, some soldiers and experts stationed in Vietnam did not return to Russia; their numbers are estimated to be between one and two thousand. If you're willing, I can change your identity to that of a Vietnamese of Russian descent, allowing you to say goodbye to the past completely."
Natasha pouted and protested, "I want to immigrate to England, I'm not going to Vietnam."
Russian oligarchs are flocking to Britain, where the legal system is sound and financial regulations are relaxed.
It's not enough for people to go; money also needs to be able to get there.
How many wealthy Russians are there in Britain? London has a nickname right now – Londongrove.
Li Xiang explained, "It's not about letting you stay in Vietnam long-term."
"I'll get you a local household registration in Vietnam first, and then you can use this new identity to immigrate."
"From the perspective of the country you want to immigrate to, you are Vietnamese."
"But from Vietnam's perspective, once you've emigrated and your household registration has been cancelled, is there any question of whether it's genuine or not?"
"Once you pass through this water, your identity will be completely cleared, and no one will know you're a member of the Mafia anymore."
"Vietnam's household registration system is not yet digitized. You can just slip in any file and they'll add you to the household register. But once they connect to the internet in a few years, it will be much harder to do it again."
Natasha stared intently at Li Xiang. "You had already thought it through, so why didn't you discuss it with me first? You're making me feel very insecure."
Li Xiang took Natasha's hand and said slowly, "We have no emotional foundation; we're together purely for mutual benefit. Building mutual trust can only be done little by little."
"You admit that, don't you?"
"You're carrying my child now, you're the mother of my child, so naturally I'll consider your needs."
Natasha calmed herself down. "I need to talk to my family about it."
"I understand, but don't drag it out too long." Li Xiang hugged Natasha. "I was originally planning to open a factory in Vietnam in the second half of the year, after the jerseys were sold out."
"Now that you're pregnant, let's go there sooner rather than later. I've told my mom to go to Vietnam to be with you during your pregnancy."
"You don't need to leave home to have a baby, and by the time the baby is born, the new immigration paperwork will be almost done."
"Think about which country to go to."
"I don't recommend going to the UK. There are too many people of Russian descent there, and it would be troublesome to run into acquaintances."
Natasha rested her head on Li Xiang's shoulder: "If I leave, will I ever see my dad again?"
Li Xiang comforted him, saying, "Your dad will have to immigrate after he gets out of prison, so you just won't be able to visit him in prison for the next few years."
Natasha confided, "I think you're a reliable person, but I'm also a little hesitant to trust you."
"Take your time," Li Xiang promised. "Keep your own money, and I'll cover your and the child's daily expenses. As long as I don't go bankrupt, I'll take care of everything."
Natasha asked, "Do you have enough funds to do business?"
"Big deals are for big businesses, small deals are for small businesses, and if all else fails, we can just rip off Old Li." Li Xiang smoothed Natasha's bangs and revealed, "Pavel is involved in smuggling. If something happens to him, it could implicate me. With you gone, it will be easier for me to do things without so many constraints."
Natasha hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll leave Oleg with you."
"You still don't believe me?" Li Xiang said with a look of resistance.
Natasha playfully punched Li Xiang in the chest with her little fist. "I made him protect you."
Li Xiang declined, saying, "Let him come with you. He'll be in a completely unfamiliar place in Vietnam, so he'll need someone he can trust."
-
Natasha didn't like her stepmother, and her closest person outside of prison was her aunt Dalia.
The two spoke on the phone.
Natasha recounted in detail her trip to Vietnam to give birth.
"Aunt Dalia, I need to thank you again about the goods. Thank you for your help."
"Your sweet talk is still so good." Dalia chuckled, though her laughter was a little eerie. "Nephew-in-law, I heard from Natasha that you're going to send her to Vietnam."
"I'm worried about her going alone. How about this, let Roman go with her."
"Huh?" Li Xiang was a little confused.
Dalia said coldly, "You're helping Natasha immigrate, one or two at a time, so what? How come... when you needed me I was your aunt Dalia, but now that I need you I'm ignoring you? You haven't even paid me for the house yet."
Besides making money, Li Xiang was also able to help people make money, which was an unexpected bonus.