Two days later, at the border checkpoint of a major city in China, Song Heping presented his passport and flight itinerary.
Standing at the small window, Song Heping watched the serious-faced officer inside and couldn't help but feel his heart pounding.
It had been a long ti since he had been back, and Song Heping didn't know if his activities overseas would bring any trouble here.
After examining Song Heping's passport and flight itinerary, the male officer held the passport, his eyes sweeping over Song Heping several tis as if to make so sort of confirmation.
Song Heping could only maintain a smile.
"You haven't been ho in a while, are you coming back from Illiguo?"
The officer seed very curious about Song Heping.
After all, the whole world knew that Illiguo was not a peaceful place at the mont.
"Yes, I had to make a living, no choice," Song Heping explained, "Just a hard-working common man."
The officer nodded slightly, seemingly convinced by Song Heping's words, put down the passport, opened a page, lifted the stamp, and stamped it down, then pushed out the passport and flight itinerary.
"Welco ho."
This phrase made Song Heping, who was reaching out to take his docunts, pause slightly.
Normally, he was definitely not the type to be sentintal, but the stranger officer's words suddenly made his nose feel a slight tingle.
"Thank you."
He quickly expressed his thanks and then put away his passport, striding past the border checkpoint.
His pace quickened as he went.
Until he walked out of the airport terminal doors.
He looked up at the sky and then at the bustling traffic all around.
The din of voices everywhere, all speaking familiar Mandarin.
Song Heping felt as if he was in another world.
"Old squad leader!"
Jiang Feng, lugging his suitcase, walked out of the terminal and ca up behind Song Heping.
"Why are you walking so fast?!"
"It was too stuffy inside," Song Heping explained and then asked, "This is where we part ways, after you go back, rember what I told you, it must be done quickly."
"Understood, I already called our comrades before I ca back."
Jiang Feng checked his watch.
"I should be ho tonight. Once I et with them, I'll talk to them. Many of the comrades from the old QQ group said they were interested, gathering a few dozen people shouldn't be a problem. In one week, the task will definitely be completed."
"That's what I've been considering. Once I get back ho, I'll register a company in my city under the na of a security company and sign contracts with those comrades of yours. After that, I'll have Ferrari sign a contract with us under the na of an overseas company requesting labor dispatch. It's better to follow formal procedures with so many people involved, to avoid trouble later on," Song Heping said.
Jiang Feng was sowhat surprised by Song Heping's plan.
"Old squad leader, does it have to be so complicated?"
Song Heping asserted confidently, "Of course it does. Otherwise, going out under a personal na not only creates a visa timing issue but also complications with insurance and salary. Even if Venezuela there has Ramas helping us with visa procedures, it's safer to follow this model, and your comrades will feel more at ease. Otherwise, who knows if you're not running so scam selling piglets?"
Jiang Feng grinned and said, "That makes sense, better to keep it official, better to keep it official. You've thought this through, old squad leader."
"Okay, let's have a al. My plane is in two hours, so let's part ways here. After you handle your business, contact to regroup."
"Okay."
"Oh, one more thing," Song Heping suddenly rembered sothing, he looked around, "Be aware, see if anyone is following you. With the years you've worked overseas as a rcenary, you never know if you'll have caught soone's attention."
Jiang Feng waved his hand dismissively, "How could that be? I ca back once a year ago, and no one paid any attention to . Who cares what I did outside? Besides, they wouldn't know, would they?"
In this aspect, Song Heping had less experience than Jiang Feng.
He had not returned ho at all in the past two years.
It was Old Demon who had arranged a labor visa for him to go abroad; he hadn't expected to actually end up as the boss of a PMC company.
Caught up in this, two years had passed without him returning to the country once, and he had no idea what might happen now with this status.
The two returned to the airport, found a restaurant, ate sothing, and chatted leisurely until boarding ti when Song Heping bid farewell to Jiang Feng and took the plane back to his hotown.
Song Heping's hotown was actually in a small eighteenth-tier county town, so after getting off the bus in the city, he had to switch to a bus for another eighty kiloters to reach the county town where he went to school. And from there, it wasn't over yet; he had to ride on a motorized tricycle for another eight or nine kiloters to reach his village.
What do you call feeling apprehensive as you approach your hotown?
Song Heping was experiencing it now.
He disembarked from the plane in the city, took a taxi, and hurried toward his village.
The closer he got to his hotown, the more nervous Song Heping beca.
His younger brother and sister were still in university. Song Heping hadn't planned to alert them to his return; he wanted to co back, handle his business first, then register a security company in the city.
It was actually a simple matter to register a shell company, which could be done quite quickly if you paid extra for expedited service—within seven days, you could get the license. There was still one week left to sign contracts with Jiang Feng's comrades.
The critical task was to find a capable engineering team; this was sothing he needed to think about, as he didn't know anyone in that field. If he couldn't find one, he would have to call Old Demon.
Old Demon had a wide network and likely had resources on hand, but currently, Old Demon was in Africa, so managing this would an remote coordination over the phone. Therefore, Song Heping decided he would try to find one by himself for a few days before bothering Old Demon.
Now, he just wanted to hurry ho to see the new building constructed in his village.
Seven months ago, Song Heping had sent back one hundred thousand US dollars, claiming it was his savings from working abroad. He asked his younger brother and sister to get help from relatives in the village to tear down the old bungalow and build a three-story building. Two months ago, his brother called to say that the building was almost finished and that they were planning to move in by New Year's Day, asking if Song Heping had ti to co back.
At that ti, Song Heping hadn't dared to promise, but now coming back just in ti for New Year's Day, which was only ten days away, was perfect. His younger brother and sister would also be on holiday from school, making it an excellent ti to gather them and take care of everything.
Half a month's ti…
For Song Heping, ti was now the most precious commodity.
He was in dire need of ti.
When the taxi arrived in the county town, Song Heping suddenly rembered sothing. He asked the driver to stop, paid the fare, and got out carrying his large tactical backpack.
The reason he stopped here was that he wanted to buy a vehicle.
Of course, not a car, but a motorbike.
After all, being abroad most of the ti, purchasing a car was pointless since he'd only be in China for a few days before leaving again. It would sit unused, collecting dust; and giving it to his brother and sister… he feared that would spoil them.
An elder brother is like a father.
After their parents had passed away, Song Heping had been strict in looking after his younger siblings.
He feared both that his siblings would suffer hardships and that they would pick up bad habits.
So even though Song Heping's net worth could make him the richest person in the city, he didn't want to show off.
After all, the wise beyond his years already understood the principle of "wealth should not be flaunted."
Show off one's wealth? Definitely not a good thing in China.
The debts that the family had incurred were already paid off, including the interest due, and they were now debt-free.
Motorbikes require a license plate, and buying a new one wouldn't be cost-effective. So getting a second-hand one with a license plate would make it convenient to move in and out of the county town. Moreover, he also planned to pay respects to his deceased parents, donate so money to relatives, and tend to his parents' graves.
After all, he was quite traditional at heart, and such matters could not be neglected.
Song Heping found an ATM, inserted his card.
This card hadn't been used for a long ti, but before coming back, he had asked Ferrari to transfer two hundred thousand US dollars into this account and exchanged it into RMB. The exchange rate of the US dollar was still strong, at about 8-point-sothing. With this exchange, there was over a million RMB in his account.
For the current Song Heping, this was chump change, truly just pocket money.
After checking the account balance, Song Heping withdrew ten thousand in cash and put it into his pocket, then walked out onto the street with a grin.
Standing on the curb in the county town, Song Heping looked at the completely transford county in the past two years and at the various new shops that had opened up. He suddenly felt like everything seed so cheap.
Buy a building?
Buy a house?
It seed very necessary to buy.
If buying, one should buy in the city center.
If buying, one should acquire at least three units—at least three.
One for himself, one for his brother, and another for his sister as dowry.
Then perhaps buy a villa?
Just now, while passing through the city center near the river, he saw a roadside advertisent; it seed villas were for sale, not expensive at all. It was stated that a 500 square-ter unit only cost 1.5 million RMB.
If necessary, he could just transfer a few hundred thousand US dollars more from his overseas account.
Finally, his gaze fell upon a motorbike repair shop across the street.
There was bound to be a second-hand motorbike for sale in the motorbike repair shop; he was certain.
So Song Heping crossed the road and entered the motorbike repair shop called "Happiness."
Inside the shop, around a dozen motorbikes were on display, with a few more in the back, surrounded by parts, grease, tires, and equipnt. There were three workers clad in greasy overalls, heads down, busy with repairs.
Song Heping stepped forward and politely asked, "Brother, do you have any second-hand motorbikes for sale here?"
The worker looked up at Song Heping and said, "You want to buy a second-hand bike?"
Song Heping nodded, "Mm-hmm."
The worker turned his head and shouted into the shop, "Boss, soone's buying a bike!"
"Hey!"
An excited response ca from inside the shop.
"Coming!"
Soon enough, a chubby man with greasy hands and dressed in overalls appeared before Song Heping.
At first glance, Song Heping felt that the man before him looked familiar.
The chubby man seed very glad, "Boss, you want to buy a second-hand motorbike? I've got them, both with and without license plates. I offer registration services!"
Song Heping hesitated and then asked, "Xu Fatty?"
The boss was taken aback, his smile vanishing, replaced by bewildernt and then suspicion as his gaze set on Song Heping's face.
After a mont, he cried out in shock, "Heping! You are Song Heping!"
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