Encounter with Mr Wu
Time passed quickly, there was so much to see and to do.
A day later, tired from a lengthy morning excursion to Hong Kong Island, Amanda walked along the long silent corridors of her hotel, pleasurably anticipating kicking off her shoes and sinking into her comfortable bed for a refreshing slumber. The voice of reason kept telling her to wear comfortable sneakers, but who could listen to the voice of reason when all around her walked hundreds if not thousands of slender Chinese women, catwalk style, on elegant high heels as if they had been born wearing them. But this afternoon she’d switch to jeans and sneakers, a decision that by no means was linked to the fact that Geoffrey had excused himself for the afternoon as he was planning to meet David.
‘The show must go on,’ Geoffrey had said with a shrug. ‘In Hong Kong everything is about money, and David and I have a project that simply can’t wait. I hope you don’t mind?’
‘Of course not,’ Susan and Amanda had cried in unison. ‘We’ve been abusing your time vastly already.’
‘You’re totally wrong – no question of any abuse at all. On the contrary, it’s a pure pleasure to have you staying in Hong Kong with me,’ Geoffrey had replied, and guiltily Amanda had recognized that she had felt the same, although Daniel was still showering her with ‘missing you’ messages every day.
She had reached her room and her mind was dwelling on the pleasures of a prolonged siesta, a luxury she’d miss as soon as she was back teaching at school. Why was time passing so quickly?
Amanda had just kicked off her shoes when there was a knock at her door. Irritated, she flung the door open, prepared to chase the unwanted intruder away. Why did room service or housekeeping have the annoying habit of passing by several times a day?
But her visitor was no employee of the hotel. Without asking for her permission to enter her room, Mr Wu Junior strode inside.
‘I won’t ask you if I may come in. My grandfather told me you wouldn’t receive me with open arms.’
‘Aren’t you being just a trifle impolite? I’ll call the concierge to escort you to the exit.’ Amanda tried hard to sound aloof and quell her rising fear.
Mr Wu Junior chuckled. ‘Try, madam, but as my grandfather owns this property, I’m not convinced that the concierge would feel inclined to be very helpful.’
‘What do you want?’ Amanda asked as soon as she had digested the simple logic of his answer.
‘What do you want?’ Wu Junior asked, dropping the last pretence of a courteous attitude. His suave voice took on a sharp edge. ‘You upset my grandfather greatly last time you met him – you bring bad feng shui to our family. It can’t be sheer coincidence that you turn up here in Hong Kong, and only days later Cynthia Li is murdered. What are your connections with the Li family? Why have you been meeting her brother? What the hell are you doing here?’
‘If your grandfather didn’t pass his time by intimidating me or trying to get other people out of his way, his feng shui might turn out to be more auspicious…’ Amanda couldn’t help answering, regretting her bold speech the moment the words were out. Mustering all her resolve she continued. ‘I have no connections with David Li, as you call it, and I’m certainly not involved with poor Cynthia’s sudden passing. I’m a simple tourist, invited by a friend, and I’d appreciate it greatly if you could enlighten your grandfather that this is the simple truth. Now leave me in peace!’
‘I don’t believe a word of what you’re saying. No simple tourist ever gets invited to the Li’s house. Don’t mess around with us. This is a warning, Miss Lipton. Don’t fool around with the Wu family’s interests or we’ll make sure that you join your ancestors much earlier than you might appreciate. In Hong Kong you have to choose sides – it’s either us or David Li – choose your allegiance carefully. I leave you now, but please be assured that we’ll keep watching you – every single step you take will be reported to me.’
Wu Junior disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving Amanda feeling very confused. Reason told her the young man wouldn’t have taken the trouble to warn her if her demise was either be already planned or imminent, but her heart was beating like a drum and the mere idea of having a peaceful siesta was forgotten. If she was entirely honest with herself, Amanda was scared to death.
But why had Wu Junior come to warn her? He wouldn’t bother unless big money was involved, BIG, in capital letters. David Li must somehow be greatly upsetting him; had she been chosen as messenger to pass the message on to him, knowing that she’d be an easy victim to frighten? Amanda felt annoyed to say the least at the idea of being used as a cog in this game of two tycoons, but she knew she must be very careful now.
Tossing around restlessly on her great bed, Amanda decided not to say anything to Geoffrey or Susan; it would spoil all the fun. But she must pass a word of warning to David – she knew from experience that Mr Wu was a very dangerous man, ruthless and devoid of any inhibitions when it came to ensuring his own interests prevailed. David must be warned and Amanda was sure he’d know how to deal with the Wu clan.
Consequently, Amanda was feeling less rested than she had hoped to be when she met Susan to continue browsing the streets of Kowloon. Luckily Susan didn’t notice that her friend was bit less talkative than usual, and she easily made up for the lack of conversation coming from Amanda.
‘Tonight we’re invited to a festive dinner hosted by the organizers of the convention,’ Susan said as they sat down for a cup of tea. ‘I hope you don’t mind joining us?’
‘Not at all.’
‘That’s a relief. I know it’s a sacrifice. I saw myself sitting at the table surrounded by people with an average IQ of at least a hundred and fifty or more – but people incapable of any conversation that would make sense to ordinary people like you and me. I always wonder how such intelligent people even notice the world around them.’
‘I guess they live in their own world. But never mind, I’ll join you with pleasure. Will there be anybody there I’d know?’
‘No idea, honestly. Neil’s trying to drag Geoffrey along, but I don’t know if he’ll be able to come. Be prepared for a long, boring dinner, my dear.’
‘Worst case, we look at the photo album on our mobiles – my mother and my nephew have sent me some new pictures from their winter holiday. Don’t worry, let the geniuses around us talk about the conundrums of the world of toxicology, and we’ll say “Oh yes, isn’t that impressive” and simply talk amongst ourselves. But most important and being practical: what’s the dress code?’
‘Formal attire. Neil’s expected to wear a tie, although he hates them.’
‘Five minutes in and he’ll have forgotten he’s wearing a tie at all.’ Amanda laughed. ‘He’s amazing – and a very lucky guy to have found you.’
‘That’s what I keep telling him – he tends to forget that.’ Susan grinned back and raised her teacup for a mock toast: ‘To the men of science!’
‘And to the women behind them!’ Amanda replied.
The festive dinner was taking place in one of the numerous palatial hotels nestling on Hong Kong Island. As the British ambassador from Beijing and an important Chinese dignitary were present to deliver the opening speeches, police were all over the place and the three friends were pleased when they finally spotted their table and could settle down.
Amanda looked around and was surprised to see that the men and women of science were almost in the minority. The dinner had turned into an important social event and getting hold of one of the prized invitation cards had become a matter of importance among Hong Kong society. Even Mr Wu could be seen waddling into the great hall that would be hosting the event, accompanied by his grandson and a young lady of great beauty.
‘Any idea who the lady is next to the fat Chinese man?’ she whispered to Susan.
‘That’s Mr Wu’s latest wife,’ a voice behind them answered. ‘You should be more discreet when you ask such questions.’
‘Geoffrey!’ Amanda and Susan ex
claimed simultaneously.
‘That’s me! David dragged me here, he said he couldn’t stomach sitting alone among the men of science or alternatively among the bores from the Royal Yacht Club. So I’m afraid I won’t be able to share your table – a promise is a promise.’
Amanda felt a pang of disappointment but she made sure to turn on her brightest smile. ‘Don’t worry about us. We’ll be able to cope alone, just like grown-ups.’
‘That’s what I was afraid of…’ Geoffrey answered darkly and disappeared in the direction of his table.
Luckily Susan’s premonitions didn’t come true after all. Amanda’s table neighbour was a charming man who had a soft spot for history – just like Amada – and soon they were engaged in lengthy discussions about local history.
The official speeches varied between boring and extremely boring; only a fellow professor from Neil’s university made a pleasant change by combining the art of being witty and funny. Thus the evening continued and finally Amanda started to relax, forgetting the strange meeting with Wu Junior and no longer expecting the next dead body to crash onto one of the tables at any moment. The two Mr Wus didn’t even bother looking at her, as if nothing had happened. Had she imagined Wu Junior’s visit?
After dinner, coffee and tea were served and the so far very formal congregation split into smaller groups who were now chatting animatedly; the level of noise could easily match that of a gathering of Italian soccer fans. As Amanda glanced over in the direction of the table where Geoffrey was sitting with David, she was surprised to see David exchanging words with old Mr Wu; hadn’t Wu Junior just told her this morning that there was a kind of war raging between both camps and that she must choose sides?
Geoffrey looked up and noticed Amanda watching them. He whispered something into David’s ear, stood up and walked to her table.
‘I’m sorry, Geoffrey, I didn’t mean to be rude and interrupt you,’ she exclaimed as soon as Geoffrey had joined their table.
‘It would be an interesting experience to see you ever saying something rude.’
‘Oh, don’t worry, when I’m in school I can easily activate a vocabulary that would make you blush!’
‘Well, that would be an experience, I’m sure.’ He grinned. ‘Actually, I wanted to talk to all of you. David has agreed to meet Mr Wu and his grandson on his yacht tomorrow afternoon. The idea is to see if they can find a compromise and end their feud. You can imagine it’s a highly confidential business meeting.’
‘Probably regarding the takeover of a Chinese pharmaceutical company,’ Amanda suggested.
‘I can see it’s no longer that confidential – how come you know?’
‘I can read newspapers, sir.’
‘Well, anyhow, David is regretting his decision to meet them alone and has asked me to bring you along to give the meeting a more informal touch.’
‘With pleasure!’ Susan beamed. ‘I always wanted to see Hong Kong from a boat – it must be fabulous and they have predicted sunny weather for tomorrow.’
Neil cleared his throat. ‘Ahem… I’m sorry, darling, but that’s really not possible.’
‘Why not?’
‘I’ve accepted an invitation to accompany the dean of my college tomorrow on an excursion to Lantau. We’ll be four couples in total.’
‘You mean I have to give up a wonderful trip on a luxurious yacht in order to drive to Lantau, where we’ve been already, just three or four days ago as a matter of fact, accompanied by three fellow scientists who’ll be talking about subjects that I won’t even understand?’ Susan was fuming.
‘Please, don’t be upset, my love. Just imagine! Professor Eisenhart from Harvard will be joining us and we’ll have the rare opportunity to discuss in length why the transmitting speed and cycle of neuron activity is so different in a variety of mammal species. This may be key to finding a new cure in cases of an acute septic shock – I’m convinced that there must be a way to manipulate the system by slowing down the information chain of the neurotransmitters.’
‘I’m beaten,’ Susan gasped. ‘Mankind will never forgive me if I don’t join this wonderful excursion tomorrow. Geoffrey, sorry, but science comes first. I must serve mankind and… my country – remember Admiral Nelson’s famous last words!’
Geoffrey laughed. ‘Yes, England expects everybody to do his duty… well, that leaves Amanda. I hope you at least won’t let me down?’
Big, blue eyes looked imploringly at Amanda.
‘On a small yacht with the two Mr Wus, what a nightmare!’ Amanda tried not to panic – but how could she let Geoffrey down after he had been such a kind host? ‘All right, I’ll join you. What time?’ Amanda hoped fervently that Geoffrey wouldn’t spot that her voice had suddenly become a bit shaky.
‘Let me pick you up around ten at your hotel. Bring a jumper along, it can be a bit cold on board.’
Amanda had difficulty sleeping that night, knowing that she must face the infamous Wu family once again – and at close quarters too. Not that any real nightmares were marring her slumber, but sleep came late and was interrupted with all sorts of unpleasant dreams. Amanda was content to notice the first rays of daylight seeping through her window blinds.
‘Maybe I should take a short stroll before breakfast.’ This idea seemed appealing and, forgetting her present woes, she went downstairs heading for the scenic promenade that led from the hotel along the seafront to the Star Ferry terminal. There stood a lonely survivor of Hong Kong’s obsession with constant change: the clock tower of the long-forgotten Kowloon rail terminus.
The air was fresh and crisp, only a light tinge of sewage marred the perfect breeze. The harbour was still hovering under a light veil of mist, which was dissolving quickly under the silvery rays of the rising sun. The sight reminded Amanda of Turner’s paintings of the harbour of London she had admired years ago in the Tate Gallery. She’d been at a loss to understand how Turner had been able to freeze those sights on his canvas and preserve them for eternity. A true genius of his art.
Hong Kong, the ever-so-hectic city, had, for once, slowed down. A group of women wearing the traditional Chinese trouser suit so typical of women beyond their sixties were practising tai chi in slow movements. Suddenly a sensation of calm and peace spread into her soul and Amanda stopped. One of the women smiled at her and made a sign to join in and – to her own surprise – Amanda followed the invitation. As she moved in unison with the others she discovered that the seemingly slow and simple motions demanded considerable effort and concentration.
After this pleasant excursion Amanda returned to her hotel where she enjoyed a long hot shower. As soon as a steaming mug of coffee was placed in front of her she felt she was ready to tackle the most difficult of tasks – including dealing with the Wu clan.
Geoffrey came to pick her up, this time in his weekend car as he called it, a Mini convertible.
‘What a cute car – you’re lucky that it has right-hand steering, otherwise I might be tempted to drive it myself.’
‘Yes, it’s a nice toy.’ He looked a bit guilty. ‘An expensive weekend toy though, no way you can drive a convertible every day in Hong Kong. I’d be suffocated in no time.’
‘How far is it from here to the marina?’
‘Not too far, but it all depends on the traffic. If we’re lucky, it’ll be slow, if we’re unlucky it’ll be… very slow.’
But today fate must have been smiling on them. Only half an hour later they were approaching the parking lot of the marina.
‘Wow, that was fast. I hope David’s already here.’
Gallantly he helped Amanda out of the car and guided her to a yacht that was gleaming in white splendour; a nice boat, but far smaller than the kind of boat Amanda would have associated with one of the richest men in Hong Kong.
‘That’s his yacht? Nice, but I had imagined it much bigger, somehow billionaire bling-bling style. This boat looks almost like it could be owned by a normal human being.’
‘Yeah, it’s no
t that big – by his standards. You could call it his fishing boat actually. He owns a much bigger one, of course. It’s moored in Miami at present, no idea why. But as David wants to talk with Wu in private, a small boat will be ideal to keep things confidential.’
David was waving at them from his boat and greeted them enthusiastically.
‘Thank you so much for joining me today. I never trust the Wus, I know them too well. But as they insisted our meeting remain confidential, I couldn’t invite any of my Chinese friends. This news is just too juicy and valuable to be kept secret. If we come to an agreement, the stock exchange will go crazy. I’ll spare you the details.’
Geoffrey grinned. ‘You spare me the details because you don’t want me to grab my cell phone and buy a package of shares while they’re low. Great friend you are!’
David only laughed and turned to Amanda. ‘As if he hadn’t bought a package already – he always forgets that we share the same investment banker. But let’s take a drink and get comfortable.’
They sat down and David asked, ‘Getting used to Hong Kong, Amanda? How do you like it?’
‘I love it,’ she said. ‘I cherish every minute! Actually, I told your brother how much I adore this mix of modern lifestyle and traditions when he was kind enough to explain to me the Chinese zodiac signs.’
David gave her a long glance and answered drily, ‘Did he?’
‘He told me that he’s a goat, “gentle and calm” as he described himself, and Cynthia a rat. Not very flattering if you ask me.’
‘And what did he say about me?’
Amanda wasn’t sure but she thought she heard a note of strain or nervousness in his voice.
‘A monkey in disguise.’ She laughed. ‘He said you’re an exceptionally gifted businessman.’
‘Did he? Nice to finally hear some praise from my brother…’ He suddenly stopped almost in mid-sentence. ‘Oh my God, they’re coming already – that’s their Rolls Royce over there. Usually they like to arrive late. No time for us to talk in private then, maybe later. I must greet our esteemed guests and pretend to be delighted to see them.’
Death in Hong Kong: (Amanda Lipton Mysteries Book 3) Page 8
