The Money Is Green (17 page)

She opened the door and stepped inside. She walked past the startled Chi and Pin and went to the master bedroom. As she walked by them, she yelled over her shoulder, “Don’t stop. You need to keep practicing. Right now you sound like two cats in a gunny sack.”

Upon reaching the walk-in closet, she flung racks of clothes aside as she searched for a particular dress. She pushed wave after wave of clothes to the side until she finally found what she was looking for. All right, she thought. This is what I need for tonight. She pulled the outfit out—a long velvet evening gown with sequins up and down the sides. She laid it across the bed and returned to the closet to look for a matching set of shoes.

A soft rustling noise caused her to look up to see Pin standing contritely in the doorway, her head looking down at the ground. “What is it, Pin?” she demanded.

Pin shuffled her feet nervously. “Excuse me, Madam Chen, but your husband, Ho, has arrived and requested to speak with you. What should I tell him?”

Mei gave her a look of disgust and waved her hand in the air. “Tell him I’ll be with him in five minutes.” She turned and focused back on matching her shoes. What could Ho possibly want now? I’m sure it has something to do with the Party and all the drivel that goes with them. I can’t help that those people are a bunch of sheep willing to follow whatever order that comes down from the top. That’s not how I operate.

A shadow was cast over the room and she could feel Ho’s presence. Without looking she asked, “What is it, husband? I told you I would see you in five minutes. What have you asked to see me about?”

Ho moved a few feet from her. “It has come to this,” he said in a firm but low voice. “I must ask permission to see you. Do you not see
how this looks to the outside world? Do you not know what a mockery you are making of our marriage?”

Mei turned to him, her hands on her hips, frowning. “You asked to see me. I’m a busy woman and I don’t have time for one of your foolish lectures. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise leave me alone.”

He cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back. “I have received word that you have told David Wilson, the hotel magnate, that the government of China is getting ready to nationalize his hotel chain.” He started to pace in front of the bed. “And you have informed him that, of course, there is one way to save Mr. Wilson’s properties and that is for him to cede one half of his interests to a citizen of China. A citizen such as yourself.” He stopped and stared at her. “Is this true what I’ve heard?”

Mei laughed at him. “This is the reason you interrupt me while I’m getting ready to go out? I’m meeting with Mr. Wilson tonight, and what I tell him is my business and nobody else’s. Whatever myself and Mr. Wilson work out is between us.”

Ho pointed a finger in her face. “Oh no, Mei, you are so wrong. A lot of people are interested in what you do. You are married to a high member of the Party and as such are very visible to the common man. You cannot go around and use the threat of the government to make private citizens give up their possessions to you.”

She picked up a shoe and threw it at him, missing his head by a few inches. “Who says I can’t?” she screamed. “I am the government! It was my family who marched with Chairman Mao in the early days of the Revolution, not yours. We were the ones who sacrificed and suffered. Don’t tell me I can’t use the government to get what I want!”

Turning away from him, she stormed past him. Ho followed close behind.

“Everyone knows the role your family played in the Revolution,” he said, his voice rising. “Your indifference to me makes it clear to the Party members that you feel you are the reason I have my position
and that, because of that position, it allows you to do whatever you want.” He stopped a foot away from where she was leaning over the bathroom vanity mirror and applying mascara. “I am warning you, Mei, for your own good. You cannot flaunt your wealth like you do or seize private property. The Party has many eyes, and many eyes are watching what you are doing. They don’t like what they are seeing.”

She sneered at him in the mirror. “Those people in the Party whom you refer to are jealous jackals. They can’t hide their loathing because they don’t have what I have. But they don’t have what I have because they’re lazy. They want to hide behind the shield of the Party and have the Party take care of them.” She set her mascara case down on the counter. “Nobody is going to do a thing to me. If I want to nationalize a business or seize a property, I will do it. Now leave me alone and let me finish getting ready.” She pushed him out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her mascara and started applying where she’d left off.

His voice thundered through the door, startling her. “I’ve warned you, Mei. Do not come crawling to me looking for an ally after the Party turns on you! You will be on your own!”

She stared at herself in the mirror in silence. Humph, she thought. Why did I choose such a gutless man to marry? I could have had any man in the country yet I chose Ho. I was too young to understand that his standing in the Party would be eclipsed by my own and I wouldn’t need his influence. What does he know anyway? He’s always kissing up to the President and Vice Chairman. He can never have his own mind.

Pulling out a small tube from a drawer in the cabinet, Mei started to apply a bright red-colored lipstick. After a minute she smacked her lips and checked to see if it was on evenly. She held her head high. Nobody is going to tell Mei Chen what she can or can’t do. Nobody! Tonight I will talk some sense into Mr. David Wilson, then tomorrow it’s off to Hong Kong to close the Inter-Power deal with Brian Thompson. It’s good to be the queen!

♦

David Wilson sat alone in a corner table in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out to the west side of the city. Two pigeons, one with a colorful ring around its neck, strutted on the cornice below. The view from the Longang restaurant at the top of the Ritz-Carlton gave a breathtaking sight of Beijing, twenty-five floors above the city, except that most days the pollution was so intense, only vague outlines of buildings could be seen. Crystal glasses clanged and voices speaking various dialects of Chinese filled the vast room as male servers in white coats and black ties made their way around the white linen tables, balancing silver platters filled with succulent dishes of veal, prime rib, and the like.

“Flying rats.”

David jumped. He looked up to see Mei Chen standing over him. She was smiling and looking in the direction of the pigeons.

“I wish the city would declare open season on them and have anyone who wanted shoot as many of them as they could. Get rid of all of them.”

David stood up and picked up Mei’s hand, giving it a gentle kiss. “Ah, Mei, you always show a soft side to your tough exterior.” He let her hand drop and looked her up and down. “You look splendid as always.” He held her chair as she sat down, and he returned to his seat.

Mei took a sip of water and looked out of the window. “You have chosen an excellent table, David. If it wasn’t for the horrible smog, we would have a wonderful view of the city.”

“Well, this is one of the benefits of owning the hotel. I get to choose the best seat in the house.” He waved his hand at the window. “The smog, there’s nothing I can do about that.” He leaned his head forward. “Now, you, on the other hand, as high up as you and your husband Ho are in the government, you could do something about the smog.”

A young man in a crisp military uniform appeared at their table and bowed before Mei. “Excuse me for interrupting you, Madam Chen,” he said in a low voice as he reached out to hand her an envelope. “A message from the Interior Department.” Mei snapped the envelope from his hand as the man backed away and left. She looked up at David as she ripped open the envelope and quickly scanned its contents. She folded it and stuck it in the small purse by her side.

A server appeared with two glasses of champagne and set them down. Mei raised her glass in a toast and took a sip. “Where were we? Ah yes, fixing the smog. Don’t confuse me with my husband. If I want something done to fix the smog, I promise you it will get done.” She looked out the window. “But remember that smog is because of progress. China has grown from a poverty-stricken, backward country to a world power in a matter of decades. That is progress, and sometimes there are side effects of progress. Smog is one of them.”

“Well, I hope progress doesn’t choke everyone to death. Enough about the smog.” He nodded toward her purse. “I hope the message you received wasn’t bad news. Things appear to be changing in China, especially in Hong Kong. The Interior Department seems to have their hand in everything.”

Mei waved her hand dismissively. “They want me to attend a Party function tomorrow night. There’s a lot of angst lately about what to do with Hong Kong, as it appears its citizens have grown accustomed to British rule and law and don’t understand the Communist way.” She sipped her champagne and kept her gaze on his. “This will change with time.”

David took a sip from his drink and set his glass down, cocking his head slightly. “I hope you’ll keep me informed if anything transpires that affects my business.”

She smiled sweetly. “Of course, that’s why I wanted to meet.”

David snapped his napkin and placed it on his lap. “I’m sorry, Mei, I’ve almost lost all my manners talking all this business and
ignoring you. How have you been? I assume you’ve been busy with the solar factory pumping out panels and saving the planet.”

Mei shifted in her seat and crossed her hands on the table. “The solar factory is doing well. I’m on my way to Hong Kong to close a deal on one of the largest solar farms in the world. It’s all very exciting.” She looked into his eyes. “Have you thought about my proposal we discussed the last time we were together?”

“You mean the one where if I don’t give you one half of my Hong Kong hotel holdings, the Chinese government steps in, nationalizes them and takes one hundred percent of them?” He raised an eyebrow as he sipped his champagne. “That proposal?”

Mei leaned back in her chair and held her chin up. “It isn’t quite that cut and dry. I’m offering you a way to keep your hotels from the government. It’s only a matter of time before they get them from you. I’ve got inside information and I’m sharing it with you. I’m trying to help you out.”

“Let’s order while I figure out how to repay your kindness,” he said in a sarcastic tone. He picked up the menu and studied it for a second. “Ah, they have braised lamb shank tonight. The chef here makes the best lamb I’ve ever eaten.”

She crinkled her nose. “I’ve never been a lamb fan. I’ll try the salmon.” She set her menu aside. “Listen, David, I’m serious when I tell you the government is looking for different sources of revenue. Your portfolio is a perfect fit for them. They could retain you as a manager and even pay you for your services. They, in turn, get some great assets and steady income.”

“I get why they would want my hotels, Mei,” he said, the frustration in his voice rising. “But I feel I’m being blackmailed. I don’t seem to be given a voice in this conversation.”

“Is that why you made inquiries at the government?” she asked sweetly. “Somebody told someone that I had threatened you, and that, in turn, got back to my husband.” She waved a finger in front of his face. “That’s a no-no. There is no one else involved in this negotiation
at this time but you and me. If you try to go around my back again, it would not work well in your favor.”

David studied her face. This gal is not bluffing, he thought. She is dead serious about taking my hotels. When she first brought this up, I thought it was just some fantasy of hers. I need to buy some time and figure how to keep her at bay. But how? I can’t go to the government; she’d find out. My government, Great Britain, has no control anymore in the matters of Hong Kong. Besides the fact that I would be giving up fifty percent for nothing, I’d also have Mei Chen for a partner.

Their orders came and they both ate in silence. The string quartet continued to play softly as the notes resonated around the room. David finished his meal and set his knife and fork on the plate. “Look, Mei, I understand you’re giving me a heads up and a warning and possibly a way to keep my holdings, and for that I am very much indebted. But this is all such a shock, I really need more time to figure it out. I would like to see if I have any other options than what you’re proposing.”

Mei tapped her napkin around the corners of her mouth delicately. “That’s fine, David. See what, if anything, else there is for you to do.” She set the napkin on the table and stood up. “I’ll give you two weeks to give me an answer.” She turned and glided out of the restaurant.

T
WENTY
-T
HREE

T
he bar at the front of the Golden Dragon was deserted except for the middle-aged, balding bartender who had a cigarette dangling precariously from his mouth. A large aquarium stood behind the bar and a dozen orange and white koi the size of small mice floated lazily back and forth. Wo Sung, in his usual wife beater shirt and dark slacks, sat at the corner of the bar reading the sports section of
The San Francisco Chronicle
.

“Stupid Giants,” he muttered as he read the lead article about the day’s previous game at 3-Com Park, where they had blown a three-run lead in the eighth inning to lose to their hated rival, the Dodgers. “They need to fire the manager.”

He raised his shot glass up, and the bartender ambled over with a bottle of Patron tequila and poured Wo another round. “I should just leave the bottle here in front of you, Wo,” he said, laughing.

Taking the glass, Wo looked at him in silence, tossed the drink down, and went back to the paper. The bartender moved quickly away.

The front door opened and an impeccably dressed black man with a younger white man at his side entered the bar. They waited for their eyes to adjust before spotting Wo and then heading to where he sat.

“It’s good to see you, old friend,” the black man said to Wo as he extended his hand. “You remember my aid, John Clayton?”