Reborn in Russia as a Big Shot

28. Ambition

The police have left, and 17 October Street has been ransacked, just like a bandit's passage.

Uyungerile is packing his things.

"Was we robbed?" Marina hadn't booked a hotel and went home with Li Xiang.

"I got into some legal trouble." Li Xiang looked at Wuyun Gerile and asked, "Where's Aunt Dalia?"

Uyungerile truthfully replied, "She asked me to tell you that she's going back to Vladivostok for a few days."

The safe in the house was opened, and the police seized twelve million rubles, which was the remaining thirty million rubles that Dalia had brought from Vladivostok, the money that hadn't been laundered.

Did they hide because things weren't going well?

"No need to clean up. Just hire a part-time helper tomorrow. Get some rest." Li Xiang didn't comfort Wuyun Gerile; the mother and daughter had caused him a lot of trouble.

"I'm not tired. Doing some work helps me stay focused." Uyungerile glanced at Marina and quickly said, "The second floor is all cleaned up. You can go and rest."

-

The second floor.

Li Xiang had just finished showering when his phone received a call from an unknown number.

"Mr. Li, I've taken care of your troubles. The police station will release him by tomorrow night at the latest. Get a good night's sleep." It was a young woman's voice.

"Who are you?" Li Xiang frowned slightly.

"I've been thinking about you all this time, but you've already forgotten my voice so quickly," Galina said in a flirtatious tone. "You're so skinny, but you're quite muscular."

Li Xiang recalled for a moment and smiled, "I haven't forgotten, the voice on the phone sounded a little different."

Galina reminded her, "You owe me a favor this time, remember to pay it back."

-

After being shot, Sasha hid in Dacha, Pavel's hometown in the countryside, and played a trick to hide in the dark.

He still has some assets that he hasn't sold, and he plans to leave St. Petersburg once he has cashed them all out.

"You're trying to run away before you've paid back all the money? You still owe me $170,000."

Sasha was better than Pavel when it came to his wife and children, but it was precisely because of this weakness that Galina was able to find it.

"It's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's that I don't have it right now. Please give me some more time," Sasha said with a mournful face.

"You're lucky this time. I'll waive the $170,000 for you. Go to the police station first thing tomorrow morning and report that you were attacked and that the person who shot you was a man." Galina had already taken $830,000 from Sasha.

That's how the underworld is—there are no laws, no rules, and everything is maintained by violence.

You can eat others, and others can eat you too.

"So, I took that shot for nothing?"

"He was avenging his father. You're lucky he didn't kill you with that shot. And you still want revenge?" Galina kicked Sasha hard in the stomach. "Subuda is now with Mr. Li. If you go against Mr. Li, you're going against Gusinsky. I think you're tired of living."

Sasha said with a wronged expression, "How could I dare to retaliate? I'm afraid Subu will keep shooting me in the back."

"Galina, you can speak with Mr. Li. Please put in a good word for me. I will definitely rescue Subuda. Let's just forget about the past grievances."

Galina reassured Sasha, "Subuda has decided to immigrate to South Korea. The sooner you get her out of the police station, the sooner she can leave."

"Use your brain and think about it. If Mr. Li wanted you dead, would it be Subuda who shot you in the back? Don't make trouble for yourself when you have a way out."

-

Li Xiang browsed the programming forum for a while, then looked at his watch and saw that it was already past eleven o'clock. He was just about to go to sleep.

There was a knock on the door.

"The door isn't locked, come in."

Li Xiang thought it was Uyungerile, but he didn't expect it to be Marina.

Marina was wearing a white camisole nightgown; the fabric was very thin and slightly see-through.

"Didn't you say you were going to stay in the guest room? What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" Li Xiang's lips curled up slightly, his gaze unabashedly fixed on Marina's cleavage.

"Your house is too old. The windows rattle when the wind blows outside. I'm scared to sleep alone." Marina closed the door and went to make the bed. "It's so late and you're still playing on the computer. Staying up late all the time is bad. You need to make sure you get enough sleep."

"I was going to sleep, but what's the point of sleeping now?" Li Xiang hugged Marina from behind.

"If you keep this up, I'm going back to my room. I'm quite tired. I'll stay a few more days if I have time, okay?"

Li Xiang whispered in Marina's ear, "If you have something to say, say it first. Don't blame me for going back on my word later if I can't do it."

"Sit down." Marina sat down on the edge of the bed.

Li Xiang stood there without moving, pinched Marina's cheek, and said, "I'll go find a movie, we can watch it and chat, 'The Last Armored Train'?"

"The Last Armored Train" is a TV movie released in May of this year, in which Marina played a supporting role.

Russian television movies are not considered movies at all; they are not shown in theaters.

It will be released on DVD first, and then broadcast on television.

The rampant piracy in Russia today, coupled with this appalling copyright environment, means that the television film business model can only produce low-budget, small-scale productions.

The situation with "The Last Armored Train" is slightly different. Its backer is the state-owned enterprise "Channel One Russia," and it is a co-production between Russia and Belarus.

These kinds of films don't consider return on investment.

"How could I not believe you? You still have my DVDs here." Marina wanted to join the Moscow Modern Theatre and get a permanent position, which was because she had tasted the benefits of official production.

"I downloaded it from a pirated website," Li Xiang said earnestly.

"Stop looking at that. I don't have many scenes in it. Let's watch something else."

All the DVDs in the house were bought by Dalia. Li Xiang brought them over and let Marina choose for herself. In the end, they played the Korean drama "Full House".

In recent years, Korean dramas have been exported overseas. Although they are not mainstream in Russia, the number of viewers has been increasing year by year.

Li Xiang and Marina were lying in bed watching on the computer.

The volume was turned up very high, mainly because there were people listening in the room, making it inconvenient to talk.

Marina rested her head on Li Xiang's shoulder. "I had already finalized a deal with the Moscow Modern Theatre, got a permanent position, but because of my connection with you, they dropped me."

"I know you didn't mean to hurt me, I don't blame you. I only have one request: could you please change the spokesperson so I can cancel my GG account?"

"Okay." Li Xiang focused intently on watching TV; he felt quite pressured reading Russian subtitles.

Marina looked on in astonishment. "You agreed just like that? No other requests?"

Li Xiang glanced at Marina and said, "I prefer mutual consent. It's pointless to treat it as a transaction."

Marina quickly said, "I can pay the penalty for breach of contract; I'll compensate you for your losses."

"No need, it's not easy for you to earn money." Li Xiang reached out and hugged Marina, sighed, and said, "It's just a little regrettable. I thought you came to me to ask me to invest in your movie."

"Don't try to fool me with this." Marina didn't believe it at all.

"The damage has already been done. Do you think it'll be over just because you cancel your contract with GG? It'll take at least a year or two to completely fade away. Even if you're lucky enough to get through this and secure official resources through the Modern Theater, so what?"

While smoothing Marina's hair, Li Xiang said, "No matter how famous you become, you're just a mascot in the hands of the Kremlin. If you're obedient, they'll give you some resources; if you say the wrong thing, you'll be fired immediately. There are plenty of people waiting in line behind you."

"You make it sound so easy. Russia is the biggest Russian-speaking market, and as an actress, I can't leave here," Marina said angrily. "You were going to invest in my movies, weren't you? If you're so capable, send me to Hollywood."

"You're a foreigner. You can make a quick buck and leave, but I have to stay here to live."

"I saw the information Kulistikov gave me, which said you're Hungarian. Aren't you a foreigner too?" Li Xiang flicked Marina on the forehead and continued, "You're certainly enthusiastic and willing to go all out, but you don't have much ambition."

"Looking around, all you see is acting. Even if you made it to the top, how much of a future could you possibly have? A performing artist?"

"I can do anything besides acting," Marina said, but her long-term goals were beginning to waver.

Li Xiang said in a serious tone, "Where are you touching? Just watch TV."

"I'll touch it." Marina turned her head to look at Li Xiang. "Someone told me that your backer is Khodorkovsky, the richest of the seven oligarchs. How much of his assets do you control?"

"Millions of US dollars, tens of millions, hundreds of millions?"

"I know you can't tell, but you should at least show me how capable you are."