Chapter 8, Open and Unabashed

The Heilongjiang River at midnight presents a unique scenery, with the bright moon hanging high in the sky, its silvery light spreading across the ice and snow-covered river surface. Under the effect of light refraction, standing on the Soviet side of the riverbank, one can even see the riverbank directly across the river.

"Smuggling?" Balqiufu scoffed, "I haven't heard of many Chinese people choosing to smuggle themselves over here. As for the smugglers on our side, heh heh, it's not that easy to get through. Do you think we soldiers are just sitting around doing nothing? Just this stretch of desolate riverbank, our patrols go by every fifteen minutes, but tonight I've just reassigned them all."

"Barqieff, is there really no problem here?" Sitting in a GAZ military jeep, Guo Shouyun carefully surveyed the situation in the distance through the night vision binoculars, and then asked somewhat anxiously.

Watching the smuggling army slowly advancing on the ice, Guo Shouyun finally experienced the kind of fear that his predecessor had felt. This fellow is being too blatant; those who are unaware might think that war is about to break out again between China and the Soviet Union, and this army is heading towards a night raid.

OK, we are going! Balqieff appeared very excited; he was the first to jump out of the car, greeted several Soviet soldiers outside, and then strode towards the river.

I said to Balqiefu, "You slipped on the ice and nearly fell flat on your face. After finally steadying myself, Guo Shouyun grabbed Balqiefu's arm and whispered, 'Aren't you making a bit too much noise? With so many people around, what if the news gets out?'

"My people will definitely not have any problems," Guo Shouyun said confidently. "They have been with me for two or three years, and I trust them."

Following the direction indicated by Balqi's finger, Guo Shouyun glanced towards the position on the eastern bank of the river. In the dim light of the moon reflecting off the snow, he saw two prominent lights circling on the opposite bank—this was the signal he had previously agreed upon with the delivery person. To be cautious, Guo Shouyun picked up the binoculars and looked across the river, and sure enough, there were five trucks parked on the riverbank.

"I am concerned about your sales channels," Guo Shouyun said, "You should know that this batch of tobacco is quite substantial, and the shipping process is the most prone to issues. Honestly tell me, who do you plan to sell this batch to?"

"Indeed, it is them," Guo Shouyun said, putting down the telescope and nodding.

"If I don't look for you, who else can I look for?" Guo Shouyun said irritably

Then there will be no problems, what else are you worried about? Balqiefu said with a smile

Following closely behind Bal'kiev, Guo Shouyun walked briskly down the river embankment. Not far from them, five GAZ trucks with extinguished lights were slowly making their way towards the river, accompanied by several hundred Soviet soldiers dressed in military overcoats and wearing high-top military boots.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you scared at this critical moment?" Balqiefu scoffed, "I thought you had undergone a transformation since coming from China, but it seems your courage is still as small as before. Don't worry, I have arranged everything now. As long as your people don't encounter any issues, you will receive the money you deserve in no more than five days."

"Hmm, have your people move a bit faster." Guo and *Tu* Shouyun glanced at the riverbank, responding absentmindedly.

"Hehe, I cannot tell you this," Balqiefu said with a sense of pride. "In your Chinese terms, this is a trade secret that must be kept confidential. Otherwise, would your old friend come to collaborate with me again next time?"

In mid-February, the ice layer on the surface of the Heilongjiang River remains quite thick, sufficient to support the weight of vehicles. During the winter, trade between China and the Soviet Union primarily relies on the passageways formed on this ice layer.

"Hehe, here I am, come quickly and see if it's your person." Just as Guo Shouyun was pondering, Balqiye suddenly patted him on the shoulder and said cheerfully.

"Rest assured, as long as the person you arrange can deliver the goods on time, there will be no issues," said Balqiufu, dressed in military attire and holding a cigarette, sitting nearby with a calm demeanor. "You Chinese have long since canceled the patrols on the river, and the outpost across the way is far less cautious in this regard than it was a few years ago. According to the past practices for this stretch of the river, your public security patrols will have a gap in their patrol between 2:30 and 3:00. Hehe, with a half-hour window, we can make all the arrangements."

This was Guo Shouyun's first personal experience with ice smuggling. In his view, once the military engages in smuggling trade, the scale and scene are truly astonishing. The section where they transported goods is a full forty-five kilometers away from the city center of Blagoveshchensk. Due to its remote location, the embankment here is poorly constructed, with steep slopes and rugged roads. However, this was clearly not a challenge for Colonel Balqiev. To ensure that his trucks could smoothly descend to the river surface, the colonel specifically dispatched an engineering battalion tonight, consisting of over three hundred Soviet soldiers. In less than an hour, they managed to create a passage paved with anti-slip steel plates on a slope of over thirty meters. This is something that ordinary smugglers would clearly be unable to accomplish.

Guo Shouyun nodded in understanding. Indeed, regardless of the time, illegal immigrants tend to choose to cross from economically underdeveloped countries to economically developed ones. Currently, the economic development situation in the country is flourishing, and people's living standards are continuously improving. In contrast, the Soviet Union has reached a state of decline. Who would choose to attempt illegal crossing towards the Soviet border at this time? Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that after the easing of Sino-Soviet relations, China relaxed its patrols along the Sino-Soviet border, while the Soviet side dared not let down its guard.

"Isn't there a fear of large-scale smuggling when such laxity occurs?" Guo Shouyun asked in confusion

"Leak information? Hehe, who dares to leak information to me?" Balqiye's feet moved restlessly as he coldly laughed and said, "Do you think my troops are just any place? These guys are fortunate to follow me, and they never miss out on benefits. But if anyone dares to speak carelessly, they all know the consequences. In this day and age, it is quite common for a few people to mysteriously disappear from the ranks."

Since you will be looking for me again next time, let's not ask so many questions. Let's collaborate just like we are now, heh heh, both sides benefit; isn't that good?" Balqiefu chuckled softly, then pointed to the approaching riverbank and said, "Look quickly, the people over there are coming to greet us. You go handle what needs to be done, and I will arrange for the loading of the goods.

Well, that's good, that's good," Guo Shouyun said, feeling a sense of calmness in his heart as he exhaled. "I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a bit anxious; it seems like something is about to go wrong.