The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Carving Out a World of One’s Own

"Okay, I’ll partner with you, but I might bring one more person. I want Brother Jia Ming to go with me."

Gu’er nodded. She wanted Sun Jiaming to come along. With him by her side, she would feel braver. Besides, if possible, the two of them could even take over the business themselves. Also, she didn’t want Sun Jiaming to get the wrong idea. Having him accompany her would make everything proper and aboveboard.

Li Zhi watched Gu’er for a long moment before sighing. ’This Gu’er is always thinking about Sun Jiaming. I hope he doesn’t let her down in the future.’

"Alright. As long as he’s willing, he can come. It’ll be safer with the four of us anyway. But Gu’er, I need to be clear about something. We need a leader for this venture, and I expect you all to listen to me once we’re there. As for profits, we’ll split them according to our investment. It’ll be a two-way split: one share for me and my friend, and one share for you and your Sun Jiaming."

Li Zhi laid it all out for Gu’er. In business, especially partnerships, disagreements over profit distribution often turned friends into enemies. That’s why finding a good partner was so hard.

"That’s no problem. By the way, is it simple to go to Russia? I’ve heard some people go by boat, but the river’s frozen now. How will we get there? Are there any special procedures?"

Gu’er asked. In her past life, she had only heard rumors and didn’t know the details.

"Of course."

Li Zhi said with a smile.

"We have to get visas. It’s a two-step process. First, we need to go to the Public Security Bureau, but don’t worry, I can handle that. Then, we have to make a trip to the consulate in Dalian. We can only go abroad after our visas are approved. I’ll tell you what to watch out for over there when the time comes, so relax."

Li Zhi had clearly done his homework on all of this.

"That’s good. I have to admit, your connections really make things easier."

Gu’er smiled. It was true that knowing the right people made things easier. If it were just her, she’d probably be completely lost. Even if she managed to do it, it wouldn’t be this simple.

"Haha, so now you see my value, huh? You see how useful I am." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Li Zhi joked.

"Yes, yes, you’re so useful. Speaking of which, how much money should we bring? Let me know so I can prepare."

Gu’er silently calculated how much money she had on hand.

"The more money we have, the more goods we can buy, and the more money we’ll make over there. That way, we can buy more of their local products to bring back. But for our first trip, let’s start small. We should each prepare a thousand yuan for now, though more would be better, of course. We’ll head out after the fifteenth of the month, get our visas at the consulate, and then purchase some goods. We’ll take the train the first time since the river hasn’t thawed and we can’t go by boat, so we’ll need money for tickets. Also, if customs inspects our things, we might have to... grease some palms. A thousand yuan is the absolute minimum."

Li Zhi had clearly thought this through.

Gu’er’s brow furrowed slightly. She had earned a decent amount since starting her business and now had about eight hundred yuan. It was a considerable sum—she felt like she could almost buy a small gatehouse with it—but now it seemed far too little. ’Should I borrow money?’

"Don’t you have enough? I can lend you some."

Li Zhi could see she was in a bind.

"No, it’s fine. Just worry about your own share. I need to talk to my dad about this when I get home anyway. Oh, right, why don’t you come over to my place after the fifteenth? We can discuss this in more detail then."

Gu’er had no intention of borrowing from Li Zhi. She had no idea where his money came from, and since they were going to be partners, she couldn’t start by being in his debt.

"Alright, I’ll come over on the fifteenth, then. Make sure you clear it with Uncle Lin. Don’t let him think I’m tricking you into leaving with me just to sell you off."

Li Zhi nodded with a laugh.

"Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be able to sell me even if you tried."

Gu’er laughed too. The atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

The two walked a while longer, discussing the trip to Russia. By the time it grew dark, Li Zhi had escorted Gu’er home. He didn’t go upstairs, though. He knew what Chen Fengjiao and Lin Sui’er were after, and their enthusiasm was a bit much for him to handle.

"What’s wrong with you, child? Why didn’t you have him come up for dinner? I had everything prepared, and I even made a few of Xiao Zhi’s favorite dishes."

Chen Fengjiao grumbled as she saw Gu’er walk in the door alone.

Lin Sui’er shot Gu’er a venomous glare. ’She must have done that on purpose! She deliberately kept Li Zhi from coming upstairs so I couldn’t see him!’

Gu’er said nothing. There was no point.

After dinner, Gu’er sat down next to Lin Shan.

"Dad, can you come to my room for a moment? I need to talk to you about something."

Gu’er tugged on Lin Shan’s arm.

"Is it about Brother Li Zhi? Just say it here, Big Sister."

Lin Sui’er, who had sharp ears, immediately piped up.

"I wanted to talk to Dad about going back to the village. I’m thinking of making a trip back before the fifteenth."

Gu’er looked at Sui’er. Nothing was set in stone about the Russia trip, and she didn’t want to discuss it in front of everyone.

"Hmph."

Lin Sui’er snorted, clearly not believing her.

"Let’s go."

Lin Shan stood up, holding his teacup, and went with Gu’er to her room. He knew that Gu’er wanted to see him about more than just going back to the village.

Gu’er closed the door and told Lin Shan about her plan to go to Russia with Li Zhi.

Lin Shan remained silent, his brow furrowed. In his heart, he didn’t approve. Why? Because the venture was incredibly risky. Although government policies had relaxed over the past couple of years and the crackdown on speculation and profiteering wasn’t as severe, many people still looked down on those who went into business.

Of course, some people made a fortune, while others lost everything they had. And this was a trip to Russia, no less. There was a language barrier, and if something were to happen to her so far from home, there would be no way for them to help.

"Gu’er, tell me the truth. Do you really want to go? Have you truly thought about the path you want to take in the future?"

Lin Shan asked, his tone very serious.

"I really want to go."

Gu’er nodded, looking back at Lin Shan with equal seriousness.

"It would be a lie to say I have my future all figured out. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes you can have the best-laid plans, but they’re useless if you can’t follow through. So, I just have a rough idea—a general plan in my mind, so I’m not completely directionless."

Gu’er paused. Seeing her father listening so intently, she continued, "Dad, to be honest, I’m not really an adventurous person. I don’t have grand ambitions. I’d rather have a quiet, comfortable life—marry a man I love... he wouldn’t need to be rich, just as long as he’s good to me, and we could live our lives in peace. But when Li Zhi mentioned this opportunity, I realized... deep down, I’m not satisfied with that. I want to take a chance while I’m still young. I want to make money, build my own career, buy my own house, and create a world that’s mine. Of course, I know it’s risky. But what in life is without risk? Can anyone truly say their life will be perfectly stable? While I’m young, I want to gain experience, take chances, and fight for something. I think... only then will I be able to look back without any regrets."

Gu’er hadn’t been this determined earlier in the afternoon, but now, the light in her eyes was resolute. Youth was her greatest asset. She had truly decided to venture out and carve out a place for herself in the world. Only then would she not have wasted this life.

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