Ruse

by Cindy Pon

  It had taken only a few days to set the plan in motion. Yet so much of it relied on all my friends being invested in what we wanted to do, not to mention relying on the god of luck to smile down on us. Would Iris and Arun be on board?

  And all of it hinged on Daiyu, whether she would be able to carry through for us to the very end, while deceiving her father the entire time.

  It was a dangerous game to play, and she was risking everything.

  DAIYU

  Daiyu waited fifteen minutes after her father left their suite before calling for Xiao Wu to bring the airlimo around. She put large diamond studs into her earlobes and pulled an expensively carved jade bracelet onto her bare wrist. Giving herself a final once-over after powdering her face and applying a light lip gloss, she made her way to their suite’s heavy door.

  The two security guards followed her movements but let her open the door. She was stopped by the guards outside when she stepped through. “Ms. Jin,” one muscular man said in a polite voice. His huge arms strained his suit’s sleeves. “Your father gave explicit instructions that you are not to leave the suite.”

  “Yes,” she replied coolly. “But I’m running an errand for him at his request.”

  “He made no mention—”

  She had been ready for this and pulled out her Palm, showing a message from her father that she had manipulated to display on her device: This needs to be taken care of today, Daughter, as we discussed. The director will be expecting you. She had created the image to show that the message had been sent today, just ten minutes ago, after her father had left. The security guard squinted at her screen. She knew it all looked legit. Fooling these goons was nothing compared to dealing with her own father; still, she consciously controlled her nerves, exuded cool aloofness. If this didn’t work, she would fail Jason and his friends.

  Daiyu pulled the Palm to herself again. “I could call him if you want—but he’s not going to like the interruption. He’s in an important meeting now.” She fiddled with her touch screen in the pretense of placing a call, mouth pulled down in displeasure. Daiyu had no issue using her status to act the imperious heir when she needed to. These men worked for her father, but they also technically worked for her.

  The beefy man threw a nervous glance at his partner, then raised a hand. “That’s all right, Ms. Jin. We wouldn’t want to bother Mr. Jin with trivialities.”

  “You’re free to come along if you want, but my car is waiting for me.”

  The man looked at his partner again, and the thinner guy shrugged. He might as well have thrown his hands up to indicate how much he, too, was at a loss. Daiyu kept her expression one of detached annoyance.

  “Go with Ms. Jin,” he suggested.

  She turned and called the elevator, not bothering to see if the guard was following. When the doors opened, he stepped inside with her. She pressed the button for the rooftop garage.

  When they slipped into her airlimo, Xiao Wu greeted her with a simple, “Good afternoon, Ms. Jin.”

  “The Bank of China on the Bund, please, Xiao Wu,” she replied. “You can wait in the limo for me,” Daiyu said to the guard, who had seated himself across from her. “The bank has its own security, and this matter is private.”

  She saw the man consider her proposal, uncertainty crinkling the corners of his eyes. “It’s as my father wished,” she said. She knew if she spoke assertively enough, he would never question her.

  He blinked twice. “Yes, of course, Ms. Jin. I’ll wait for you in the car. Message if you require assistance.”

  It was a short ride to the bank, but she hadn’t wanted to deal with walking in the heat. Daiyu needed to do this with not one hair out of place. She nodded at the bank’s security guard and stepped out of the limo when he opened the door for her. Murmuring a thank-you, she watched the man run up the steps to open that door for her as well.

  She had never been inside this particular bank before, but they were all the same. And they all reacted the same way too, when they learned who she was. Daiyu touched her hair, which she had pulled back into a low bun, to better show off the giant diamonds in her earlobes. When she stepped up to the front desk, the clerk smiled at her. “Good afternoon. How can I help you?” he asked.

  “I’m Jin Daiyu, the daughter of Jin Feiming. I need to speak with the director of your bank.”

  The clerk’s eyes widened. “Yes, of course. I believe Vice President Ms. Yang is in her office today. Let me tell her you are here.”

  “Only the director, please,” Daiyu replied firmly.

  The clerk’s mouth fell open, and it would have been comical if this wasn’t so serious. He picked up a sleek in-house receiver and spoke quietly. It didn’t take more than the mention of her name, and who she was, before he placed the receiver back on the glass counter, nodding at her. “We’re in luck. Mr. Hong, our director, is available to see you. Let me take you to his office.”

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  She followed the man’s straight back past the open wood-paneled cubicles for the average clients who needed to discuss their needs with a banker. But she had been deemed more than average. Instead, the clerk knocked on a wide redwood door gilded in gold, before opening it for her with a flourish. She walked into the large office, and the man disappeared before she was able to thank him.

  A short man with thick black hair and silver-rimmed glasses rose from his leather chair. “Ms. Jin, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He thrust out a hand and she clasped it, before sitting down across from him.

  Daiyu folded her arms in her lap. She had not changed her outfit since she’d met her father earlier, and she fingered the jade pendant at her throat. The character Jin was carved in the stone and inlaid with gold. “I’m here to discuss business. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Mr. Hong.”

  This far back in the building, there were no windows in the opulent office. Still, it had plenty of ambient light from sconces overhead, and the room was filled with orchids blooming on tables and set on tall stands. A large scroll of a landscape was hung on one of the walls.

  “Do you come on behalf of your father?” Mr. Hong had sat back down and steepled his fingers, his round face shining with inquisitiveness.

  “No. This is my own venture,” Daiyu replied. “My father has taught me much and has encouraged me to have my own pursuits since I was a child.”

  Mr. Hong smiled. “Wonderful. Wonderful. Tell me, how old are you, Ms. Jin?”

  “I’m eighteen.”

  “So young! And already an entrepreneur.” He beamed in delight. Mr. Hong was obviously pleased that the heir to Jin Corp had chosen their bank to do business. “Tell me about your venture.”

  Daiyu proceeded to discuss Jany’s invention with him, how the catalyst was the most powerful filtration system the market had yet to see, compact, energy efficient, and much cheaper to build. Jason had told her that Jany’s family had agreed to take a royalty for every unit sold from the patent and leave the financing and production up to them. Daiyu was the only one in the position to bankroll this, and quickly, using her money and status.

  “This sounds like an amazing venture.” Mr. Hong nodded. “Your father must be so proud.”

  She smiled brightly at him, and the older man leaned forward over his desk. Daiyu had saved this smile for when they were about to seal the deal. “My father doesn’t know yet. It’s a surprise.”

  The man clapped his hands together. “Well, your secret is safe with me, Ms. Jin. And what a surprise it’ll be!”

  “I hope so, Mr. Hong.” She tucked in a strand of hair that had escaped from her tight bun.

  “And do you have a manufacturer lined up as well?” Mr. Hong asked. “Or will you be using Jin Corp for production?”

  “Oh, no. But I do have a manufacturer in mind.” Nothing had been signed yet, but Jason had told her they’d already contacted the manufacturer who’d helped to produce Jany’s prototype, and the company was eager to enter into this lucrativ
e collaboration. She also leaned forward, as if sharing a confidence. “We can begin production as soon as we have the financing.”

  Mr. Hong grinned and slammed a palm against the desktop. “It would be a pleasure to do business with you, Ms. Jin.”

  She smiled graciously. “I don’t mean to rush, but I need to have the loan funded as soon as possible.”

  “How soon?”

  “Tomorrow, if possible.”

  Mr. Hong’s eyes widened, so they appeared huge behind his glasses. “That is highly unusual, Ms. Jin.”

  “I understand, Mr. Hong.” She tapped a finger against his desktop. “That’s why I came to you. I knew that if anyone could do this special favor for me, you could. There are many other banks in Shanghai”—she paused and gave him a nod—“but I chose yours.”

  The man straightened, and she swore he seemed to puff his chest out. “I’ll need to pull some strings, but I am happy to make an exception. Everything will be ready to sign this evening. I can send the paperwork directly to you electronically.” The older man reached for the receiver and spoke to someone on the other end, giving them specific instructions to expedite her loan.

  In truth, Daiyu had chosen Mr. Hong because she had gone through her father’s contacts in his Palm, and no one from the Bank of China was listed. She wanted to approach someone who had not previously worked with her father.

  The director offered his hand across the desk. “The loan will be available by the end of the business day tomorrow, Ms. Jin.” He smiled widely, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

  She shook his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Hong.” Daiyu glanced at her Palm. She needed to be back at the Peninsula before her father’s own meeting was over, or all their plans could be ruined. “I truly appreciate it.” At that moment, another clerk dressed in a navy suit entered the room, bearing a tray of tea and refreshments. He set it down on Mr. Hong’s desk.

  She had no appetite but forced herself to sip the fragrant jasmine tea and nibble on some candied persimmons out of politeness before she excused herself. Daiyu hoped that time—and luck—was on her side.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ZHOU

  “You what?” Iris rarely raised her voice, but this was close. “You asked Daiyu to help fund Jany’s invention? So she can hand it straight to Jin?”

  “She’s working with us,” I said.

  “You would think so,” Iris spat out. “But I can’t believe you bought into this too.” She glared at Lingyi. “You’ve both jumped off the deep end. The longer we play Jin’s game, the sooner another one of us will die.”

  I felt as if Iris had slapped me hard across the face. The sudden silence in our suite was eerie, too loud in my ears.

  “Iris—” Lingyi said, her voice catching. “We’re doing what’s right.”

  “For the principle of it. For your ideals.” Iris kneeled in front of Lingyi and grabbed her knees. “Why must it be us? Why does it have to be you?”

  Color had risen to Lingyi’s face, mottling her cheeks. “If not us, my heart, then who?”

  Iris jumped to her feet and snarled in frustration.

  “Tell us the rest of your plan,” Arun said.

  Iris scowled at him, and he gave an exaggerated shrug. “They’ve already set things in motion. I don’t like it any more than you do, but I’m not about to let them flounder, either. Zhou somehow managed to steal the prototype back like some superhero—”

  Iris snorted.

  “So let’s hear them out,” Arun continued. “They need us.”

  “I didn’t want to keep you in the dark, love—”

  “But you did.”

  Lingyi let out a long breath. “I hated it.” She followed Iris’s angry stalking with bright eyes. “But there isn’t a choice for me. I need to right this or . . .” She trailed off. Her face had paled, her expression pinched.

  I sensed her suffering and remembered how useless I had been after witnessing her nightmare the other night. Too shocked and scared to comfort her. Not this time. I moved onto the sofa beside Lingyi and wrapped an arm around her. She rested her head against my shoulder, her body shaking with sobs. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Lingyi made a choking noise through her crying. “I think it’s too late for that. Sometimes life leaves you with nothing but shitty choices.”

  Arun passed over a tissue, and she swiped it over her eyes, then blew her nose noisily. “We’re all here for you, Lingyi,” Arun said.

  “I’ve been a bad friend for months,” I added. “I’m sorry.”

  She looked between Arun and me. “My heart isn’t at peace. I have to finish this.” She turned to Iris. “And you’re right, what we’re attempting is dangerous. And we’re all still grieving . . . for Vic. For Dr. Nataraj. I shouldn’t have kept anything from either of you. I’m sorry.”

  I glanced at Arun; he had paled at the mention of his mother. It’d been over a year, but that didn’t matter. I knew from experience. When your mother died, it was a loss you lived with, like a hole in your heart, for a very long time. Maybe forever.

  “I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for what happened to Jany—” Lingyi said.

  “You did everything you could,” Iris interjected. “There was no way you could have taken on Jin’s thugs. You would have died too.”

  “Maybe,” Lingyi replied. “But I was frozen in fear—I couldn’t help her.” She looked at each of us in turn.

  “I can do something now,” Lingyi finished. “We can do something to change the ending to this tragedy.”

  “We’ll see this through,” I replied. “We’re here for you, boss.”

  I thought about Daiyu, and how we’d hurt each other, intentionally or unintentionally. I had wanted to kiss her so badly in that hot closet in the ceramic shop; she’d stood close enough that I could smell her skin. But I had sensed her hesitancy, an uncertainty and tension that hadn’t been there in months. That stopped me. It felt as if I were trapped in a Zhang Ailing novel: undelivered letters and missed phone calls, small misunderstandings that ultimately destroyed passionate romances.

  We love each other, we hurt each other, we forgive or we move on.

  Iris stalked toward us, coiled and lethal as ever, but her face was open, the emotions plain and raw upon her features. I rose, and she took my place.

  “We’ll take him down together.” Iris grasped Lingyi’s hand. “Then we’ll be done with it.”

  Lingyi stroked Iris’s cheek. “I won’t keep anything from you again, my heart.”

  The afternoon light suddenly seemed overbright in our suite, illuminating my friends’ features in sharp relief: the tenderness in Lingyi’s dark eyes juxtaposed with the determined set of her jaw, Arun’s black eyebrows drawn together in grief, but his shoulders thrown back, chin raised, as if he were ready to fight. Iris’s head was bowed, and the sunlight glanced over her platinum hair in a way that reminded me of a silver flame. Her shoulders were relaxed as she drew Lingyi’s hand closer, kissing her fingertips. But I knew she could be on her feet in an instant, poised to kill or protect, do whatever was necessary to survive.

  I closed my eyes, capturing this moment, filing it away.

  “Should we talk about how we’ll destroy Jin, then?” Arun asked after a long pause. “For good?”

  “It’ll be public,” Lingyi said. “So there’s no denying his guilt.”

  “Our hope is to have my meeting with Jin broadcast in all-media news, in the biggest way possible.” I grinned. “We’ll use what Jin has created against him. Because what does he hate more than losing money?”

  “Losing face,” Lingyi replied. Her eyes were bright, and the color had returned to her face.

  I knew this from everything Daiyu had told me about her father, from observing Jin’s every action and decision made since Daiyu’s kidnapping.

  “I like it,” Arun said.

  Iris nodded.

  I truly grinned then and sat down with my friends to go over our plans.


  DAIYU

  The entire meeting with Mr. Hong at the Bank of China had taken forty minutes. Daiyu returned to her airlimo, and the security guard who had accompanied her let out an audible sigh when she got in. Xiao Wu rolled down the street, then lifted into the air above the traffic at the first opportunity. The closer it got to the end of the workday, the more crowded it became along the Bund. Before she exited the airlimo, Xiao Wu handed her a brown package. She knew what it was and thanked him.

  When they returned to the suite, the other security guard nodded at his colleague without saying anything. No news was good news. Daiyu retreated to her bedroom and opened the package Xiao Wu had passed to her. Inside was a cheap Palm knockoff, but it’d do its job. Best of all, it couldn’t be tracked by her father.

  An hour later, she heard her father enter the suite. His footsteps were brisk, and she trusted that his always urgent demeanor had deterred the security guards from saying anything to him. The fact that he was so busy and so intimidating worked in her favor. He was asking the butler, Mr. Han, to pour him a whiskey when his Palm chimed with an incoming call. He picked up immediately.

  “You’ve found him?” her father asked.

  A pause. “The hacker girl too?”

  Daiyu slid toward her open door, straining to hear the rest of the conversation.

  “So close?” he said. “Capture them.”

  She gripped her doorframe. She knew they were talking about Jason and his friend.

  Another pause.

  “No, not yet,” her father replied. “Not until I get my hands on the prototype or that laptop.” She heard ice clinking against glass as her father took a long gulp of whiskey. “I know this kid. He’s not afraid of dying, but he won’t like it when his friends do.”

  Another silence. Then her father said, “Let me know when you have them.”

  Daiyu switched on the dummy Palm with shaking hands. The cheap device took forever to power up. She continued to stay by the door, mentally preparing if her father decided to come down the hallway to see her, even though he’d never done so once since they’d stayed in the suite.