MMB 31. Deploy troops
31. Deploy troops
SnowFlying is a niche brand with little brand recognition in Russia, making it difficult to enter shopping malls. However, things changed with Marina's involvement.
The spokesperson personally promoted the brand, accompanying General Manager Sergei to dinners and client meetings, and quickly established connections with major shopping malls in the St. Petersburg metropolitan area.
To boost morale, Li Xiang decided to throw a victory celebration banquet and booked the entire Victory Bar.
bathroom.
Li Xiang had drunk quite a bit of alcohol and was urinating.
Galina quietly slipped in, walked behind Li Xiang, and peeked out to see what was going on.
"This is the men's restroom."
Li Xiang suddenly spoke, startling Galina.
Galina slapped Li Xiang on the shoulder from behind and complained, "You scared me."
Li Xiang shook his penis, pulled up his pants, and said, "Who's scaring whom here?"
"When are you going to pay me back for the favor you owe me? Don't think that spending some money to book this place will make things go away." Galina took two steps back and lit a cigarette.
Li Xiang turned around and came out of the cubicle. "You served me so much fake alcohol and I didn't say anything."
"You can taste it?" Galina blew a smoke ring at Li Xiang.
"I don't like owing people favors, especially not someone like you." Li Xiang, who had been hooked up with Galina's charm and even had a craving for cigarettes, lit one for himself, took a puff, and asked, "Do you have any competitors you don't like? I'll take care of them for you, as a way of repaying a favor."
"Then I'll have to make good use of this opportunity." Galina thought for a moment, then asked with a smile, "I've been fighting with the Malyshev gang for counterfeit liquor lately. If you help me take down their distillery, we'll be even."
"Do you have the address?" Li Xiang asked.
"The Red Torch Machinery Factory in the northern suburbs." Seeing that Li Xiang didn't seem to be joking, Galina's expression also became serious. She continued, "My men only saw them secretly transporting goods out in the middle of the night. We don't know exactly where the winery equipment is hidden in the factory area."
Although the Soviet Union dissolved in 91, Russia still has many old state-owned factories that are effectively shut down but have not officially gone bankrupt.
The factory area is abandoned, and all the equipment and parts that could be sold have been sold. Only the gatekeeper, who was stealing from the factory, is still working on time and occasionally dismantling scrap metal.
Many gangs choose these abandoned old factories as their criminal bases.
Li Xiang said, "I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee it will work."
-
In front of the bar.
"Marina, I heard you've started living with Xiang Ge. Does that mean we'll have to call you 'Boss Lady' from now on?"
Sergei glared at his sister, but Mira had already said what she wanted to say.
Mira arrived late and had not met Natasha.
"What? Your boss is too stingy and won't book me a hotel, so I have to use his place as my dorm." Marina looked at Uyun Gerile and asked with a smile, "You be my witness, what's my relationship with Li Xiang?"
"It's a matter of going upstairs or downstairs," Uyungerile lied.
"Don't get your hopes up for nothing." Mira said, holding Marina's hand. "Since you came, our work has become much easier. Why don't you consider our boss?"
"I like mature and stable men, and I think you two are quite suitable."
Li Xiang had confessed to Marina that he had a girlfriend and was about to become a father.
Marina, after considering all the information, naturally connected it to the fact that Natasha, the former boss who had mysteriously disappeared, as mentioned by SnowFlying employees, had actually been hidden away by Li Xiang and had gone abroad to give birth.
Mira joked, "I wish I had that kind of luck."
"If you've had too much to drink, then talk less." Sergei was still quite sober. He and his sister were just laborers; getting involved in the palace intrigues wouldn't end well for them.
Marina's strategy was clear: she didn't seek titles or titles, but focused on practical matters. She would first play the role of a good wife and solidify her position as the boss's wife. After all, who would win or lose in the future was still uncertain.
Anyone can have a child, she can too.
However, Li Xiang's current situation is still too uncertain, and she is unwilling to tie herself down too early. She always needs to leave herself a way out before she can truly see the odds of winning.
On the surface, they are friends and business partners, but behind the scenes, she is a mistress. Maintaining this distance—neither too close nor too far—is just right, allowing for both offense and defense.
-
23 October Street.
"Boss, good news! Li Xiang's shipment is about to be completed!"
Krylov, who hadn't slept all night on his shift, had just dozed off when he heard his subordinate's report and immediately perked up, asking impatiently, "We've been keeping such a close watch on him every day, where did he get his goods?"
"It must be a train. SnowFlying received a shipment of clothing from Vladivostok the day before yesterday, and the drugs were likely smuggled in there."
Krylov pressed further, "Was the time and place of the transaction mentioned?"
"It was a text message on his disposable phone," the subordinate quickly added. "Knowing the time the message was received and the cell tower, the telecom company should be able to find out."
"Then hurry up and investigate." Krylov's face lit up with joy. "Thank God, after guarding for so long, we've finally caught them."
"Boss, contact the police for backup right away, get ready in advance."
"The police force is too large and complicated, and they have vested interests with local gangs. We've finally gotten this opportunity, we can't take the risk." Krylov hesitated for a few seconds, then said wisely, "Call the National Guard."
"Isn't this making a mountain out of a molehill?"
Krylov argued vehemently, "Li Xiang is Khodorkovsky's man; we're calling in the National Guard to share the credit with them!"
Three days later, Li Xiang left Russia and flew to Vietnam.
This further solidified Krylov's judgment.
Leaving the country before the transaction was a precaution, which is very much in line with Li Xiang's cautious and steady approach. The only drawback is that once the operation in St. Petersburg is launched and Li Xiang learns that the transaction has failed, he will not be able to return.
-
On the day of the transaction.
The National Guard sent a reinforced platoon to support Krylov, and the entire team sneaked into the Red Torch Machine Factory on the northern outskirts of St. Petersburg under cover of darkness.
Although the Malyshev gang members took some precautions, and even set up visible and hidden sentries quite professionally, they were only good at defending against police patrols. When faced with professional soldiers from the National Guard, they were all captured without a single shot being fired.
"Don't shoot! We surrender!"
"We just mixed some fake alcohol, we didn't commit any serious crimes, is it really necessary for you to send the army to sweep us up?" The gang members at the scene were dumbfounded.
"Shut up, I didn't tell you to speak. All of you, squat down."
Leading the charge was the assault team, followed by the platoon leader and officers from the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. They made their way there smoothly without encountering any obstacles.
"Report, we've searched the place. It's a fake liquor den. We didn't find any drugs."
"Since we're already here, let's investigate. Maybe it's hidden somewhere."
While the guards were busy, some were interrogating prisoners, and others were drinking.
Krylov spoke privately with his subordinates.
"Could it be that Li Xiang knew all along that we were listening to him, so he deliberately set a trap to get us to help him take down this fake liquor den?"
"Boss, Galina from the Tambov gang has been involved in a fake liquor business lately, and she's been fighting fiercely with the Malyshev gang. These guys are from the Malyshev gang."
"We may have been wrong from the beginning. We shouldn't have assumed that Li Xiang and the Tambov gang were competitors. Pavel's death may have been due to their internal strife over the unequal distribution of profits."
"They're actually in cahoots!"