Far away in Moscow

Chapter 7 Precautions
"If you can't finish your studies, you will hang yourself." Hu Yi replied solemnly: "If necessary, I can lend it to you."

"Ah? Hehe." Although Li Baoqing was dull, he could tell that Hu Yi was joking, and rubbed his head sillyly and grinned at him: "Nonsense, no wonder your surname is Hu."

"Hang clothes on a rope!" Hu Yi smiled blankly at him, looked up to see that there was a nail on the window frame and the closet, probably left by a former student, and threw the hemp rope to Li Baoqing: "Come on." , you go to the closet and tie it tight."

As soon as the clothesline was tied, someone laughed at the door and said, "Hey? You two are well prepared!"

As soon as the two looked up, Yan Zhiwen walked in carelessly, looked around, and said with emotion: "This room is too empty, there is nothing, just like when I first came here."

Li Baoqing rubbed his hands awkwardly: "Hey, I think this room is pretty good. By the way, Brother Yan, is there anyone living in the room opposite us?"

"Yes, maybe I'm not at home now." Yan Zhiwen opened the sliding door of the kitchen and looked at the opposite side: "An old black, a Chinese."

"A Chinese?" Li Baoqing was slightly excited.

"Well, it seems that the surname is Peng, and he came a few days earlier than you. I didn't pick it up, and I don't know him well."

Yan Zhiwen came to Moscow two years ago. After graduating from the preparatory course, he entered the Maji Engineering Department to study. He just entered his sophomore year this year.Although he usually does not get involved in the business of study abroad agencies, there are few Chinese here, and the agencies occasionally ask him to help settle new students.

Yan Zhiwen reached out and pulled a chair to sit down, raised Erlang's legs, and took out two cards from his pocket: "Here, your international long-distance calling card. Will it work?"

Hu Yi and Li Baoqing shook their heads together: "It's never been used."

"You can buy a local call IC card in the store downstairs. There is a public telephone next to it. After inserting the local call card, dial the main station number of the international long-distance card first. After dialing, follow the prompts to enter the card number and password, and then you can dial the domestic number. Press Minutes are charged, don’t forget to add the area code.”

Li Baoqing hurriedly took out a pen and paper to carefully write down the steps of calling, and then grabbed a handful of rubles from his jacket pocket: "Thank you, Brother Yan, how much is this phone card?"

"This one is included in the fee you gave to the intermediary. If you buy it later, you have to pay for it yourself. Come to me after you use it up." Yan Zhiwen got up and walked to the window, staring at the scenery for a while with relish, then turned back Said: "I will explain to you the precautions, listen carefully."

"Hey, tell me." Hu Yi leaned over and handed him a cigarette.

"I can't." Yan Zhiwen waved his hand: "The faucet is divided into hot and cold pipes. The water in the cold water pipe can be drunk directly, and the hot water can only be used for bathing. It is available 24 hours a day."

"There is hot water all day long? Doesn't that mean you can take a bath anytime?" Li Baoqing stretched out his hands and scratched his back, feeling that the skin all over his body was itching unbearably.

Hu Yi lit a cigarette and took a puff, then squinted at him: "Don't you know? Didn't the agent tell you before you came here?"

Li Baoqing smiled embarrassedly: "No, hehe, my parents were the ones who consulted at the beginning, and they didn't give too much details when they came back, so they just let me come."

"Then you have to listen carefully, the next thing is very important." Yan Zhiwen stared at him with a half-smile: "Except for shopping in class, try not to go out alone when you have nothing to do. It's best to call a few times when you go out." Personally, be sure to bring your passport and student ID card.”

"Then why?" Li Baoqing became nervous: "There are terrorists?"

"There are not so many terrorists, and there are very few chances to encounter them. Besides, once that kind of thing happens, it doesn't matter how many people there are. We foreigners are most afraid of encountering skinheads here."

Hu Yi and Li Baoqing looked at each other: "Huh? Skinheads? What is that?"

"A group of dangerous extremists." Yan Zhiwen put away his smile and turned serious: "Skinheads are no joke, they are Russians who are extremely hostile to other ethnic groups. They usually hang out in groups on the street. They beat foreigners when they see them. Their characteristics are very obvious: they have big bald heads, wear leather jackets and boots, and have messy metal rings nailed to their clothes.

Li Baoqing swallowed with difficulty: "Then, what if... suppose... what if it happens to me?"

"Be sure to hide!" Yan Zhiwen's voice suddenly rose a few degrees: "If you really encounter it, run away, and you will be miserable if you can't run! There have been many cases of skinheads attacking foreigners in the past two years. Someone was beaten to death."

"What?! He, why did they beat him?" Li Baoqing's voice trembled.

"There's so many why? It's xenophobia, especially blacks and yellows, followed by non-Russian whites. They claim that foreigners came to Russia and took their jobs, their money, and their money. Their girl." Yan Zhiwen spat angrily: "Pure bullshit, those people are a bunch of social scum, scum! Even if there are no foreigners, they won't go to work."

"There is such a thing?" Hu Yi frowned and took a breath: "I have never heard from the intermediary that the Russian government allows them to do evil things like this? Do the police not care?"

"The intermediary will definitely not tell you this, otherwise, would anyone dare to come to school?" Yan Zhiwen chuckled: "After the new president took office, the government has already started to take action against skinheads. But the police can only come across them and commit crimes." Tube—by the way, you need to be careful when you meet the police.”

"The police also beat people?" Li Baoqing almost cried: "My mother, where are we here!"

"That's not true. There are many foreigners in Moscow. The police often check the passports of foreigners. If you don't bring your passport, you will be in trouble. People are often taken away and locked in iron cages. You have to pay some money to get out."

"You need money without a passport?" Hu Yi felt unbelievable: "Why?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. But they mainly target businessmen and migrant workers who don't understand Russian. It's pretty polite to meet students like us, as long as the documents are complete." Yan Zhiwen looked at them with a smile: "But when the police call you You must be obedient, don’t run around, and don’t make unnecessary moves. The security situation in Moscow has been very bad in the past two years, and the police patrol the streets with live ammunition. They are highly nervous and might shoot when they are stimulated.”

Hu Yi and Li Baoqing were both stunned, and stared at each other in blank silence.These few words of Yan Zhiwen were a little exaggerated, and the original intention was to emphasize the effect. Before the meeting, the two freshmen were bluffed by his few words. It won't be hard for you either."

Hu Yi hesitated and said: "We will definitely not cause trouble, the police have nothing to worry about. But those skinheads...is it difficult to deal with?"

"Don't worry too much. Skinheads are not very common near our school. And they are all cowards. They like to bully the few with the most. When you go out, gather a few more people and try to go to unfamiliar places as little as possible. Generally, there will be no Big problem."

After Yan Zhiwen finished explaining, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch: "Okay, you can get something to eat later, go to bed early, and wait for me in the lobby on the first floor at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, and take you to report to school."

The two nodded in agreement, and Li Baoqing asked again: "Brother Yan, what time do you turn off the lights in the dormitory?"

"Lights off?" Yan Zhiwen was taken aback: "The lights are not turned off here."

"Don't turn off the lights? Is the electricity bill expensive?"

"You really came to school without knowing anything?" Yan Zhiwen smiled with his arms akimbo: "This place doesn't charge for water, electricity and heating, just use it as you like."

"No charge?" Li Baoqing was overjoyed: "Hey! Don't look at the disintegration of the Soviet Union, but Russia is still the style of the big socialist brother!"

"It's not like a big brother. They want to collect money now, but they didn't install water meters and electricity meters when they built the building, so they couldn't bill." Yan Zhiwen stepped out of the house, leaned back and told: "Later you Go downstairs and call home to make sure you're safe. Don't forget, the first floor at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

(End of this chapter)