After seeing Liu Gaolou off, Li Long called Chen Dajun again and reported what Liu Gaolou had told him. He said nothing about Liu Shanmin's contact with Old Nursultan, figuring Liu Shanmin would report that through his own channel.
Old Nursultan was the man who would remain president on the Kazakh side for the next twenty or thirty years. He was quite formidable.
After hearing and recording Li Long's report, Chen Dajun surprised him by asking for his opinion.
It was mainly about trade with the Kazakh side. He wanted Li Long to discuss, from a private entrepreneur's perspective, what deserved attention when trading with them.
Li Long froze for a moment. Two things surprised him. First, when had he become an entrepreneur? He had always seen himself as a middleman, someone doing small business, or, at his core, a farmer-a farmer who dreamed of becoming a great landowner of the new era.
The second surprise was that Chen Dajun would actually ask for his thoughts on trading with the Kazakh side.
"I think now is a good time to trade with the Kazakh side," Li Long said after some thought. "Their economy is relatively chaotic right now, inflation is getting worse, and all kinds of daily necessities are in short supply. This is exactly the time for us to enter the market.
"But there are several things to consider. First, their economy and society are both being rebuilt, so safety matters. Without sufficient security guarantees, it's best to trade at the international trade market. The profits may be smaller, but at least your personal safety can be assured.
"Second, avoid using their domestic currency as much as possible. They're still using Soviet-era rubles at present.
"I've heard they're planning currency reform, but either way, without economic safeguards, their money