small man in a black suit, his white shirt buttoned to the collar.
“Uncle, what’s going on here?”
“Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” he said. “Come with me.”
The middle officer swung around to face Uncle. Ava saw his fist clench and his arm coil. She was about to reach for it when it stopped in mid-air.
“Sir, I apologize,” the officer said to Uncle.
“You need to talk to your superiors,” Uncle said. “This young woman is with me.”
A phone rang. Ava looked around the customs area and couldn’t see where the ringing was coming from. She woke up, and it took her ages to realize it was her phone.
“Ms. Lee, this is Feng. I hope I’m not calling too late.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“We reached an agreement with the woman at Founders’ Bank. She’s printing documents as we speak.”
“Is she at the bank this late?”
“No, she’s at home, but she can access everything from there. The plan is to meet her tomorrow morning just outside Shanghai. She wouldn’t do half and half, but she has promised we can take all the time we want to go through the documents before paying her.”
“She’ll wait?”
“She took the day off work.”
“How much are we giving her?”
“Two hundred thousand renminbi. I know that’s more than Huan projected, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“No, it’s fine. Who will be meeting with her?”
“Me and Zheng.”
“The woman won’t know who you are?”
“Nope.”
“How much are we paying Zheng?”
“Twenty thousand RM.”
“What time is the meeting?”
“It’s at ten.”
“I’ll go to the bank in the morning to get her money.”
“Ms. Lee, I’ve got the cash here. Xu wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Call me Ava, and I wanted to pay for this myself.”
“You can’t. He’d kill me.”
First Suen and now Feng , Ava thought.
“I won’t argue,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“You said you’re meeting her outside of Shanghai, but how far out?”
“In Nanqiao. It’s a suburb only thirty to forty minutes from central Shanghai.”
“And where in Nanqiao is the meeting being held?”
“I told Zheng to rent a hotel room. I figured we’d want privacy, and if we need to check any of the documents we have somewhere for her to stay while we do.”
“What’s her name?”
“He calls her Lanfen.”
“Feng, I’m starting to think that I’d like to go to the meeting.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Feng said slowly. “You may have some questions after you look at the documents, and she’ll be there to answer them. When she gets her money, we’ll want the transaction to be complete.”
“How are you going to get there?”
“I’m going to drive. If you want, I’ll pick you up at your hotel.”
“That would be fine.”
“I’ll be there around nine fifteen. I drive a red Toyota Reiz.”
“I’ll be at the entrance.”
Ava went to her computer and emailed May Ling. I have to leave the hotel early to go to a meeting that’s related to the Xu affair. I think it’s best if we skip breakfast. Call me when you get to Wuhan and I’ll bring you up to speed.
Then she sent one to Amanda. I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Pudong tomorrow. That other business I’m trying to deal with has raised its ugly head. I’ll call you when I get back, but my cell will be on in case you need me.
She started to get up and then saw that an email had arrived from Maria. She hesitated and then opened it.
I haven’t heard anything formal about the appointment extension yet, but the Consul-General seems to think it’s a done deal. And that’s got me thinking about my house. If the extension is granted then I have to decide whether to renew my lease. The landlord has been making noises about selling it and I’m unsure about what to tell him or what to do. Do you have any ideas? Maria wrote.
Well, she is trying to be subtle , Ava thought, but the last thing she needed right now was any
“Uncle, what’s going on here?”
“Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” he said. “Come with me.”
The middle officer swung around to face Uncle. Ava saw his fist clench and his arm coil. She was about to reach for it when it stopped in mid-air.
“Sir, I apologize,” the officer said to Uncle.
“You need to talk to your superiors,” Uncle said. “This young woman is with me.”
A phone rang. Ava looked around the customs area and couldn’t see where the ringing was coming from. She woke up, and it took her ages to realize it was her phone.
“Ms. Lee, this is Feng. I hope I’m not calling too late.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“We reached an agreement with the woman at Founders’ Bank. She’s printing documents as we speak.”
“Is she at the bank this late?”
“No, she’s at home, but she can access everything from there. The plan is to meet her tomorrow morning just outside Shanghai. She wouldn’t do half and half, but she has promised we can take all the time we want to go through the documents before paying her.”
“She’ll wait?”
“She took the day off work.”
“How much are we giving her?”
“Two hundred thousand renminbi. I know that’s more than Huan projected, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“No, it’s fine. Who will be meeting with her?”
“Me and Zheng.”
“The woman won’t know who you are?”
“Nope.”
“How much are we paying Zheng?”
“Twenty thousand RM.”
“What time is the meeting?”
“It’s at ten.”
“I’ll go to the bank in the morning to get her money.”
“Ms. Lee, I’ve got the cash here. Xu wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Call me Ava, and I wanted to pay for this myself.”
“You can’t. He’d kill me.”
First Suen and now Feng , Ava thought.
“I won’t argue,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“You said you’re meeting her outside of Shanghai, but how far out?”
“In Nanqiao. It’s a suburb only thirty to forty minutes from central Shanghai.”
“And where in Nanqiao is the meeting being held?”
“I told Zheng to rent a hotel room. I figured we’d want privacy, and if we need to check any of the documents we have somewhere for her to stay while we do.”
“What’s her name?”
“He calls her Lanfen.”
“Feng, I’m starting to think that I’d like to go to the meeting.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Feng said slowly. “You may have some questions after you look at the documents, and she’ll be there to answer them. When she gets her money, we’ll want the transaction to be complete.”
“How are you going to get there?”
“I’m going to drive. If you want, I’ll pick you up at your hotel.”
“That would be fine.”
“I’ll be there around nine fifteen. I drive a red Toyota Reiz.”
“I’ll be at the entrance.”
Ava went to her computer and emailed May Ling. I have to leave the hotel early to go to a meeting that’s related to the Xu affair. I think it’s best if we skip breakfast. Call me when you get to Wuhan and I’ll bring you up to speed.
Then she sent one to Amanda. I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Pudong tomorrow. That other business I’m trying to deal with has raised its ugly head. I’ll call you when I get back, but my cell will be on in case you need me.
She started to get up and then saw that an email had arrived from Maria. She hesitated and then opened it.
I haven’t heard anything formal about the appointment extension yet, but the Consul-General seems to think it’s a done deal. And that’s got me thinking about my house. If the extension is granted then I have to decide whether to renew my lease. The landlord has been making noises about selling it and I’m unsure about what to tell him or what to do. Do you have any ideas? Maria wrote.
Well, she is trying to be subtle , Ava thought, but the last thing she needed right now was any
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