The Money Is Green (2 page)

“See what you can do,” she said as she stood up, “as it would be a shame to fly those planes back empty. I want you to come with me to Shanghai to tour my solar panel production facility there. I know we can’t build our facility in California exactly like that one, nor can we use the labor here like over there, but I’d at least like you to see what we’re doing.”

How am I going to pull this one off? Jason thought, trying not to show any emotion.

Mei looked at him. “Does this create a problem for you? You will only be gone a week at the most.”

He took a deep breath. “No, it’s not so much a problem as it is the logistics with my daughter and getting her where she needs to be while I’m gone.”

She knows I’m a single parent raising a fifteen-year-old girl, he thought as he looked into her eyes. It’s not like I can lock Crystal in her room while I’m gone. Someone has to watch her and get her to all her activities. She probably thinks I have a fulltime babysitter for her.

Mei arched an eyebrow, folded her arms across her chest, and started pacing in front of him. “You’re a smart man, Jason, and a resourceful person. I’m sure you can find a caretaker for your daughter for a short period of time.”

Jason nodded, feeling a tinge of excitement and guilt. He really wanted to see Shanghai, but at the same time he hated being away from Crystal. This would be the first time he would leave her with someone since the divorce, when his wife Debbie had walked out on them two years ago. She’d moved out of state to North Dakota with her new boyfriend to chase oil leases and left him to raise Crystal alone. He had recently found love with Janine, his current girlfriend, but Crystal was not pleased with their relationship.

He hadn’t noticed that Mei had stopped pacing and was staring at him. She rested against the conference table and asked, “Well, are you going to accompany me or not? I’ll show you China like no one else will, I guarantee you that. I’ll give you my key to my presidential suite at the Grand Hyatt and you can use it whenever you want. It’s a great way to unwind.”

Jason let a grin come across his face. “I appreciate your generosity, Mei. Just give me a little time to figure out everything and I’ll be ready. I agree with you it would be important for me to see how your panels are made there. I’ve never been to China or Hong Kong, so it ought to be an interesting trip.”

Mei smiled a wiry smile. “I’ll give you a day to iron out your personal issues, but I expect a positive reply. I’ll be taking the corporate jet to Hong Kong for a few days before you leave and then
I’ll meet up with you in Shanghai.” She turned and left the conference room, leaving Jason by himself.

Oh boy, he thought. This is going to be tricky. I know Janine will help out with Crystal and stay at the apartment while I’m gone, but how will Crystal react? Fireworks probably.

♦

His daughter, Crystal, sat quietly at the kitchen table, making pencil marks on a paper as she went back and forth from the paper to the open math book in front of her. She wore a dirty yellow and green soccer jersey with black shorts, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a ribbon tied in a bow. At her feet, a small dog lay outstretched across the linoleum floor. A stack of schoolbooks and a half-opened backpack sat on the corner of their small walnut-stained kitchen table. Absentmindedly, she reached into a small bowl of Cheerios and popped a couple into her mouth.

Jason watched her as he leaned against a small white stove, stirring a pan of spaghetti sauce as he waited for the noodles to boil. Two white plates sat on the light brown Formica countertop. He stopped stirring the sauce. “Do you need any help, Crystal? I know that algebra can be daunting sometimes.”

Crystal looked up over her shoulder and smiled. “No thanks, Dad. I think I’ve got it so far. When will dinner be ready?”

“In about ten minutes.” He wiped his hands on a towel, came over, and sat across from her. “How was soccer? Is your team ready for the Union City tourney?”

She put her pencil to her mouth. Jason couldn’t help but look at her delicate face with her bright hazel eyes and think about how much she looked like her mother. Crystal was only six years younger than Debbie was when I first met her. That was a much happier time. He sighed.

“What are you staring at?” she asked. “I’m not a circus animal.”

Jason smiled a weary smile. “No, you’re not.” He stood up and returned to the stove. A few minutes later, he served the steaming plates of spaghetti. She had moved her books and backpack to the side of the table and was hungrily diving into the meal. Jason cleared his throat. She looked up, a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.

“Sometime in the next week or two, I’ve got to take a trip for work. It’s a really important career trip for me.” He swirled some noodles on his fork. She stared at him intently as he spoke. “It’s going to take me away from you for at least a week.”

“Where are you going?” she asked between bites.

Jason looked down at his plate and picked at his food. “I’m going to China to meet with my boss, Mei Chen. I’ve asked Janine to stay here with you and help you get to where you need to be while I’m gone, and she has graciously agreed to help us out.”

Crystal flipped her fork onto her plate. “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” she asked, as she raised her voice. “No way! I don’t want her to stay here and I don’t want her taking me to school. How can you do this to me?” She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Mom told me Janine was the reason you guys broke up.”

“Crystal, please. We’ve been through this before. I didn’t meet Janine until your mother had moved out on me. You can’t blame our divorce on her; it’s not true and it isn’t fair.” He looked into her eyes. “I need some help, Crystal, and Janine can do this. You can’t blame her for something she didn’t do.”

“That’s not what Mom says,” she said, raising her chin. “She says if you hadn’t been so busy chasing Janine around, your business wouldn’t have failed and she wouldn’t have left you.”

Jason could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. “You know that isn’t true. I’ve never laid a hand on another woman while I was with your mom. The reason my business failed was because of things I had no control over. I tried everything to save it. It happened to a lot of people who had construction businesses like mine. I’m sorry your mother left, more than you know. But it was not because of anything
that I did outside of our marriage. And Janine had nothing to do with it.”

Crystal grabbed her books and backpack and stormed out of the kitchen, her bedroom door slamming a few seconds later.

Jason yelled after her, “You’d better get used to the idea of Janine, because whether you like it or not, you’re going to be spending a lot of time together!”

He stared down at the floor for a second then walked over and opened the refrigerator door. He pulled a beer out of the door, opened it, and took a long swig. Oh, Janine, what have I signed you up for? I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but I had hoped Crystal would have come around by now after all the time we’ve been dating. Janine has gone out of her way to be nice and get along. I hope when I get back from China they’re both still talking to me.

Just as he was lifting his beer for a second sip, his phone rang. He recognized Brian Thompson’s number. He answered. “Brian, what’s up?”

“Jason,” Brian said, a tone of seriousness in his voice. “I need to see you first thing in the morning at my office.”

Jason swallowed hard. “Sure, Brian, I can be there right after I drop Crystal off, around 8:00. Can I ask what’s going on?”

“There’s been another accident at the Soltech solar panel plant in Shanghai. Three workers were killed. This isn’t good PR for your firm.”

Jason felt a knot growing in the pit of his stomach. “That isn’t good. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hung up and slumped into his chair. Why didn’t Mei Chen say something about this to me this afternoon? Is this why I’m going to Shanghai? What’s going on over there?

T
WO

T
he sound of engines quietly humming could be heard above the din of voices coming from the front of the plane. A plush Persian carpet of intricately designed peacocks and tigers ran the length of the 747 jet. Walnut paneling with thick crown molding covered the interior, and colorful watercolor paintings hung from the walls. Mei Chen relaxed in the spacious center room of the plane on a massive leather couch. In one hand she held a book,
The Art of the Deal
, by Donald Trump, and in the other a martini.

Small Bose speakers suspended from the ceiling emitted soft piano music. Mei set her drink down on the mahogany coffee table and closed her book. Pulling the curtain back from the small oval window, she looked down at the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean thirty-five thousand feet below her. She could barely make out the white caps of the waves, and looking closely, she could see a tiny dot that would be a cargo ship making its way to the orient.

A young woman in a traditional Chinese kimono came up to her and half-bowed. “May I get you another martini, Madam Chen?” she asked.

“Yes, that would be good, Xie Tung,” she responded, handing the woman her empty glass. “How long until we reach Hong Kong?”

Without looking up, the woman answered in a wavering voice. “We have five hours until we’re in Hong Kong, the last I checked. Would you like me to find out precisely when we will arrive?”

Mei waved her hand dismissively. “No, that will be all. Just bring me my drink.” She leaned her head back and smiled. That should give me plenty of time to get ready for the party at the Royal Plantation and Polo Club. She looked forward to all the pomp and ceremony that the British put out. Not to mention the fact that David Wilson, the largest hotel owner in Hong Kong, would be attending.

She pulled a compact from her purse and checked her lipstick. This will be our second meeting, and I left him wanting after our first. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to be his new partner in his hotel business. He won’t be happy about it, but once I explain the alternative, he’ll see things my way.

Two minutes later, the young woman reappeared and set a fresh martini on the table next to Mei. She bowed in silence and left. Mei absently looked out the window again, observing the two massive Rolls Royce engines hanging from under the wing of the Boeing aircraft. The dull white color of the exterior was in sharp contrast to the lavish and lively interior of the plane. The plane was one of fifteen used by the upper members of the Communist Party and as such had to look as non-descript from the exterior as possible. But her husband had allowed Mei to redo the interior, and she’d spared no expense. The fact that she spent more money decorating the plane than whole villages in China made in two years did not bother her. Her family had paid its dues and it was good to reap the rewards.

Her father’s image came into her head and with it the memories. I know you were disappointed I was not a boy when I was born, Father. I did everything I could to prove to you I was worthy. Yet no matter what I did, Father, no matter how hard I tried to prove my worth, I would never be a boy. I out-studied everyone in my class and
graduated number one at the University. I worked harder at my government job than anyone else and was rewarded.

She knew if he had lived, he would be proud of what she had accomplished—both proud and appalled. He’d be proud that I am so elevated in the Party, but appalled at my desire for the material things of this world. Although she knew he would disapprove of her material interests, she couldn’t forget the same dull gray outfits everyone wore as she grew up. She thought about all the meager things they’d had at home, when at the snap of a finger her father could have improved their lives immensely. Not anymore, she thought. She’d worked too hard, had sacrificed enough, and was going to enjoy the privilege her status gave her and take advantage of her power.

She picked up a memo sitting next to her that Jason had given her before she left. She studied it for a few minutes and then set it down. Jason is a great asset to my company. He’s smart, loyal, and works hard. I like his ideas. She smiled to herself. And he’s easy on the eyes. He could almost pass as George Clooney’s younger brother. She licked the rim of her glass, thinking. If he didn’t work for me, I would keep him for myself, to be my paramour. However, since he did work for her, it was out of the question. She envisioned him as being the face of Soltech and being in charge of the whole company.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the plane hit some turbulence and bounced a few feet in the air, causing her to fall forward, almost hitting her head on the table. The martini tumbled to the floor.

She yelled, and immediately a uniformed man appeared at the door.

“Yes, Madam Chen, can I help you?” he asked as he held onto the doorframe for support.

“You tell those two pilots to steer clear of bad air!” she screamed. “Tell them to fly this jet correctly, or I will have them both decommissioned and sent off to the North Korean border.”

The man bowed. “Yes, ma’am, I will order them to fly the plane correctly. There is no excuse for this type of discomfort.”

“Good, and get Xie Tung to clean up this mess and to bring me another martini!”

He bowed again. “Right away, ma’am.”

Mei stared at the spilled liquid in disgust. I need to inform my husband of such poor flying. This type of performance should not be tolerated.

♦

Mei glided down the stairway, her colorful kimono fluttering in the breeze. She walked ten steps and then slipped into a black stretch limo, accompanied by Xie Tung, her valet, and Cho Loy, her personal assistant. Before the doors were closed, she started dictating a letter, speaking so quickly Cho had to use stenography to get it all down. The limo left the tarmac led by two military jeeps in front and two in back. All of the jeeps were occupied with soldiers armed with automatic weapons raised straight up but at the ready. Traffic pulled aside as they approached to let the convoy through, and within twenty minutes Mei stepped out onto the porte-cochere of the Grand Hyatt.

She made her way to the elevator with Cho following close behind, and after a quick ride up, she was standing outside on the presidential suite balcony on the forty-fifth floor, where she gathered in the majestic view of Hong Kong. Inside the suite, a magnum of Dom Pérignon champagne sat in an ice-filled silver container on the granite counter next to an enormous bouquet of flowers. The note on the flowers read in Chinese, “The People of Hong Kong welcome Madam Mei Chen.”