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“Which would have to be launched from a surface ship or dropped froain: hoas it not prevented?”

The Admiral took the veiled accusation of malfeasance in stride “I assure you, comrade, no American aircraft or vessel has entered our zone of control But an ROV was detected”

Wen took a deep breath The Admiral was a friend He would not have come here in person only to lie If the security forces had slipped up and allowed an American incursion, he would have hidden it, burned the reports and erased the data tapes to prevent his own embarrassment “You insist there were no American ships nearby?”

“None”

>

The answer ca his old friend The vehicle was the only clue he really needed: a sht It had to be the NUMA agents who’d flown to Japan for the ist

Walter Han had failed to eliminate the Americans, despite his claims to the contrary Now Wen would see to it himself

He stood, signaling the end of thetodown there for the Americans to find That said, hts and respond accordingly”

The Admiral stood “Be careful, Wen This is not the nation it used to be With wealth coenerated in the last twenty years The Party is not absolute anyreater volume That is the price of economic success”

Wen understood the warning The reat fortunes and those who rode their coattails did not want anything to derail the economic train They needn’t have worried If his plan ca but the track ahead would be clear as far as the eye could see

It would happen, he told himself But first, he had to eliminate the threat

26

SHANGHAI HARBOR

PAUL STOOD on the ferry’s top deck, staring at the Shanghai skyline It was a beautiful city A h-speed trains anditif they ever got there

“Any idea what’s causing the holdup?” Gamay asked