The Interior - Страница 35

So, if the information Sandy Newheart and the Knights were giving him was correct-and David would have to check that it was-then he felt confident that this aspect of the deal would be all right. That still left what Tartan and Knight, as public companies, needed to disclose to the government: the financial details on past performance as well as what the consolidated company would look like, what the shareholders would get and if it was fair, documents dealing with antitrust issues since the original companies were both in the toy business, and affidavits stating that their officers and directors were in compliance with their respective companies' codes of conduct-meaning no instances of bribery, undisclosed transactions with vendors, or violations of the laws of the countries in which they operated.

"I see that Keith and your people have already provided the SEC with what it needs to know," David said, flipping through the papers.

"As you say, we're square on all of that," Henry said. "You've got the evidence right in front of you."

And on it went.

At four a young woman escorted Governor Sun Can and Assistant Secretary Amy Gao into the room. Unlike the last time that David had met Sun in Beijing, for this occasion he was dressed quite casually in slacks and a short-sleeve white shirt which emphasized his physical strength. From his vantage point David could see the incredible charisma that Sun exuded as he circumnavigated the table, exchanging individual greetings with everyone in the room. David supposed that Sun's ability to make people feel special was what had made him such a successful politician.

All the while Amy Gao stood patiently with her back against the wall, her impenetrable brown eyes coolly surveying the room. David was aware that in China an underling was hardly ever addressed or acknowledged and would never be presumptuous enough to step forward and introduce him- or herself. So David decided to approach Amy, for the very simple reason that if he was to represent Sun, then he would need to have a good relationship with his right-hand woman. Most likely Amy Gao would be able to provide more details on a particular matter or be able to look up information more quickly than the governor himself. But where Sun projected ease, his assistant appeared beautiful but undeniably stiff and formal. Her response to David's self-introduction was a brief handshake and a clipped "How do you do?"

Once they all resumed their seats, with Amy taking a chair against the wall behind her superior, Sun addressed Henry. "I know you're all very busy with your sale, but I wanted to come and see if there's anything I can do to help facilitate matters."

"I'm always grateful for any help that the governor can provide," Henry said. "But in this instance things are moving along fine. We see nothing but clear weather ahead."

"This is good news," Sun responded, keeping his official demeanor. He cocked his head in David's direction. "You may not know this, but Henry Knight was the first to recognize the possibilities of Shanxi Province."

"Oh, now, Sun," Henry interrupted. "We're all friends here. You don't need to give David the full treatment, you know."

The two men laughed, and the others from Knight quickly joined in. Then Henry, still beaming, explained to David, "We've known each other since the war. Hell, we were a couple of kids, but we did some serious carousing, didn't we, Sun? When I came back to China, I knew whom I had to find. Only I didn't know what I'd find-some broken peasant, maybe he was dead, I didn't know. But I get over here and look who's practically running the show. I can't tell you how easy he made it for us. He found this property. When we were building the compound and I was home in the hospital, he got the tradesmen here on time, he kept the work moving steadily forward, and he dealt with all the red tape. We never would have gotten up and running if not for him."

Sun acknowledged this with a slight bow of his head, then said, "It is I who owe much to you. I had a vision for my province. You were the first to turn it into reality. Now we have other companies from France, England, Australia, Germany, and, of course, the United States. We may not have Mattel, Nike, or Boeing yet, but once they see what we've done here, they'll come. Why? Because our land and labor prices are cheaper than on the coast. But the real gift is not what we can give you. It is what you have given us. You remember, Henry, what it was like here fifty years ago? Terrible poverty. Always we were having famine or drought or flood, then you add to that war… It was bad. Even when you first came back to visit in 1990, life for common people had not changed so much. But today you can see what prosperity has done not only to our big provincial cities of Taiyuan and Datong but also to our villages."

David glanced around the room, noting that the others looked bored with this ongoing mutual admiration fest. Perhaps they'd listened to it too many times and no longer heard the real content of the words, but David heard them. Sun had obviously done a lot to make things run smoothly for his old friend. In the West this might have meant a few phone calls, but in China it could mean anything from a few phone calls to coercion, graft, or bribery. Despite these red flags, David couldn't imagine that the governor-with his straightforward manner, his ease with people, his obvious love of his home province, and his rapid rise in power-could be personally involved with such underhanded business practices. For that matter, neither could Henry Knight. Watching the two of them together, David saw two mannerly gents bound together by some good times in the past. On different continents and in vastly different cultures, they had both risen to prominence. They had made money. They had achieved success.

11

WHEN THE BELL RANG FOR LUNCH, HULAN AND THE other women filed out into the courtyard. Except for one fifteen-minute break, Hulan had stood in exactly the same spot for six hours, so she was grateful to have the opportunity to stretch her legs. And, hot as it was under the sun, it was far cooler outside than on the factory floor. She was thankful as well for Peanut's take-charge attitude. Smiling, Peanut had linked arms with Hulan and Siang, pulling them along. Through the crowd Hulan caught a glimpse of Mayli and Jingren, but they were in the company of their own teams. In fact, all of the groups seemed to be made up of people who worked together. After standing or sitting in such close proximity to the same people day after day, week after week, how could they not be friends, how could they not know each other's most intimate secrets?

For a moment Peanut broke into an old harvest song. Her voice sounded sweet, and a few of the women around them joined in for a verse or two. Then someone spotted the foreigners, and word quickly passed that Old Man Knight himself was in the courtyard. Hulan rose up on tiptoes to see the foreigners. Dressed in suits and ties, they looked wilted and suprisingly indistinguishable as individuals. Then she spotted David. She looked right at him, but he didn't see her. Around her, the women dared each other to go up and talk to the Americans.

"Suchan, tell that young one over there you are burning hot for him."

"Um, no, I like the old one. Who wants a hard jiji when you can have hard currency?"

The women laughed appreciatively at this tart rejoinder. Then another voice called out.

"In this hot place I am parched. I long for clouds and rain." The time-honored euphemism for the sexual act made the women laugh louder.

Looking at the men's faces, Hulan knew they had no understanding of the words being hurled their way. None, that is, except Aaron Rodgers. Even from a distance Hulan could see that his ears had gone bright red. She wasn't the only one to notice his discomfort.

"Hey! Look at Manager Red Face! I think we're making him hot!"

"Choose me! I will let you feel my love button!"

"No! Pick me! I will be so carried away I will forget to count the thrusts!"

"Forget your dreams, sister. He has found his new conquest. Where is that new girl? Who is she anyway?"

Hulan peered sideways and saw Siang in much the same condition as Aaron. Her eyes were cast down and she was blushing from embarrassment, but the smile on her face showed her pleasure.

Peanut, keeping her voice low, said, "Don't listen to them, Siang. They're just having fun."

"Do you think so?" Siang asked.

Peanut grinned conspiratorially. "Tell us. What did the manager say to you?"

"That I was doing good work. He said I was learning faster than anyone he had ever seen."

They entered the cafeteria building, picked up trays, and joined the line to receive a bowl of rice with some stewed meat on top. Peanut and Siang went to find a table, while Hulan got herself a mug of weak tea. By the time she reached her co-workers, they were deep in conversation, their heads together.

"Are you going to meet him?" Peanut asked Siang as Hulan sat down.

"Do you think I should?"

"Of course. I would if he asked me," Peanut answered.

Obviously a lot had happened in the few minutes Hulan had gotten her tea.

"But where?" Hulan asked. "I thought there were no places to be alone."

Peanut and Siang exchanged glances.

"The people who run this place think we have no needs, but we do," Peanut said delicately. "So we have found places to meet here inside the compound and ways to get out when we can."

"How?" Hulan asked. She picked up a piece of the meat, noticed that the hair was still attached to the skin, set it against the side of her bowl, and looked for another, more appetizing morsel.