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So this was to be a job interview
“I’m one man with a small practice”
“Ah, Chinese modesty I’ve heard you are an expert”
“Many people say s, but are they reliable character witnesses?”
“I’m sure Minister Li at the Ministry of Justice would be amused to hear you question his reliability He says you are a Zhongguotong—an honorary Chinese”
“The iven to exaggeration”
Ho laughed “Old Li said you would say this as well”
“I’m happy to be predictable then”
The irony, if such a thing could be said of David’s career, was that the Chinese governner, because he adhered to Ae in all of itswork product This was especially important to bureaus andan attorney to conduct an internal investigation of otiate restitution and punishment—was a rarity in China, but word had circulated that David could get results without necessarily bringing in the police Furtherh he was still basically illiterate He’d gotten pretty far with his tutor in the written language until he’d reached the word yang The word s when pronounced in each of the four tones: disaster, sheep, raise one’s head, and sample He’d mastered the distinctions but had finally balked when he learned that yang in the second rising tone could alsoon the intricacies of the written character But he’d stuck with the spoken language, which hy he knew gutter curses and wasn’t shy about using them if a case required it
He was also well-respected in the foreign business community If he accepted a matter, it was because he knew he could deliver And deliver he did, for in these last five years David had developed that quintessential prerequisite for good business dealings in China—guanxi, connections No matter which side of the cultural fence a client was on, David had impeccable connections He worked hard to maintain his contacts back in the States with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office, but the people he had private access to in China were even more impressive He often consulted with the Ministry of Public Security Beyond this, it was a well-known fact that his as a Red Princess, very rich, very well connected in her own right
For these reasons, David’s practice thrived He’d conducted nuations of corruption for a variety of Chinese governmental entities and had handled several politically aard matters that required soated on behalf of the Ministry of Culture in a dispute with an American film company over a proposed theme park He’d worked as a liaison between US and Chinese Custoled artifacts These cases rarely e in some circles
“It is your absence of predictability that has made you a friend to China,” Ho continued “My old friend Nixon Chen said this about you as well”
No one had better guanxi than Nixon Chen Nixon was a childhood friend of Hulan’s, a former associate at Phillips & MacKenzie, a Red Prince, and probably the
“Again you embarrass me, but let me say that it’s an honor to e of your reputation…” Unlike Hulan, David couldn’t pull a dangan, a secret personal file, but he’d chatted just enough with Nixon and a few others thisto be able to flatter the director
They could go on this way for hours David used to chafe at these fore of co that were part of the delicate dance leading first to business, then to deeper relationships But Director Ho glanced at his watch, settled further into his chair, and stared at David The e was clear: he wanted to move on