Neil hugged Jack tightly as if they were long lost brothers, "How are you, my brother? Welcome to China! You are going to hate it!"
Jack let out a hearty laugh, "I am as good as one can be in this situation. How have you been? Sorry, I have been out of touch for a long time."
"I am sorry about your grandad, my friend. These are tough times but will pass soon."
"Thank you, buddy. So, what are you doing in China?"
Neil winked at Jack, "I am part of the security team at Shanghai consulate."
"Great, so you know good restaurants around. Won't be lonely after coming back from Wuhan."
"Hey, why don't we catch up for dinner once you are back from Wuhan. It should be easy. Only twenty-three Canadians are left. Most of them are concentrated in the Cihui residential district and are recovering well. I guess you will be back by tomorrow night. Hit me up when you are back, we need to catch up. I got to run now for a meeting. Great seeing you, bud!"
Jack realized that Neil did not know the real reason for his trip. He wondered how many people actually knew. He went to see Ambassador Rachel Thompson with Emily. Ambassador's office was no short of the royal court. Even though it was her secondary office, with the main office in the country's capital, Beijing. It was a large office with massive glass windows looking over a big Shanghai city. A massive painting of Queen Elizabeth II hanging behind the luxurious wooden desk made of English oak. The walls were filled with portraits of Canadian Prime Ministers, Governor Generals.
Ambassador Rachel Thompson walked in alone for the meeting. She was in her mid-sixties, a very well reputed diplomat. She was instrumental in finalizing the new trade deal with China two years back. She was also known for negotiating terms in favour of Canada in the Paris Climate Deal of 2016. She was appointed as an Ambassador to China in 2018. She had since executed many trade and immigration deals with China. After 2016, Canada had become a popular destination for Chinese to immigrate.
Ambassador Thompson welcomed her tired but excited guests, "Welcome to Shanghai, Mr. Wilson, Dr. Rogers. You have been assigned a car, a driver who speaks Chinese and English. He should be waiting for you at the front in a few minutes. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of non-violence in this assignment. You are to talk to Dr. Chung and try and convince him to go back with you. Nobody except my assistant and me knows the real reason for your visit, and I intend to keep it that way. Any questions?" Jack and Emily nodded in agreement and left the room.
The drive to Wuhan was pretty uneventful. They passed through huge city buildings, the beautiful countryside and then some areas which looked very poor and underdeveloped for one of the world's biggest economy. The driver dropped them off at the hotel and left for Shanghai. He was supposed to pick them up in two days or earlier if they convince Dr. Chung. They checked in to hotel, Holiday Inn, in Wuhan downtown. The hotel was a regular American hotel, except for all signs, mainly in Chinese and then English translated explanations.
Jack was looking at Emily to suggest a plan of action. Even though there was no official title or ranking established for this simple talk-convince-escort assignment, he thought of Emily as the lead for this appointment. Emily was busy checking her long trench coat in the mirror. Jack found it funny. He could not look at himself after almost a day of travelling and no sleep. For a second, Jack thought Emily must be one of the self-obsessed millennials who lived on social media and looked for approval from strangers. Emily then suddenly turned to Jack and said, "Let's take a shower, some quick rest, and meet in the lobby for lunch in an hour? We do have a few hours to kill."
Jack was startled by a sudden interruption in his thoughts, "Sure. See you"
Jack entered his room, threw his luggage on the side, and jumped on the bed, lying on his stomach. Within a few seconds, he was sound asleep.
The next moment, Jack suddenly woke up to loud noise. It took him a few seconds but realized that someone was banging at the door. It was Emily.
"Were you sleeping? I have been waiting for you in the lobby for the last forty-five minutes, called you at least a hundred times, and have been banging on your door for five minutes."
Jack checked the time on his wristwatch, "I am sorry. I guess this is the jet lag, you were bragging about on the plane."
"I was not bragging; I was telling a fact which is now proven. Alright, get ready and meet me down. I am hungry."
Jack rushed through the shower and met Emily in the lobby. He was not so confident about the smell of his body. Emily had already decided to have lunch at a steakhouse nearby. Jack was nervous about the type of food he wanted to eat, especially since he read the reports on the virus. But steak sounded like home to him. They stepped out of the hotel. Wuhan city was beautiful, with a small number of high-rise and a lot of low-rise buildings. In the middle of the tall buildings, there was a large scenic area similar to the Central Park of New York City. Still, it was converted into space for temporary make-shift hospitals. Jack thought he should definitely visit back as a tourist once this pandemic is over.
Jack did not realize he was hungry until a nice fourteen-ounce medium-rare steak came in a plate for him. He gulped through the steak like he had not eaten for days. Although the restaurant had a complete western menu, they had a very Asian tradition of serving a complimentary peppermint tea after the main course. Jack was drinking peppermint tea for the first time. He loved it.
Emily, who had also rushed through her food, was now checking something on her phone.
"Surprisingly, the food was great. Listen, let's go over the plan for tonight."
Jack, who was lost in the thoughts about steak, tourism in Wuhan, peppermint tea, came back to reality. Emily continued, "The restaurant where we are supposed to meet Dr. Chung is twenty minutes away. We will take a cab at 8 PM and be there early. Once Dr. Chung walks into the restaurant, we will approach him, and I will start the conversation. We will offer him to join us for dinner and then slowly ease him into the conversation. You can talk to him about your years at Queens if you want. Let's keep it candid."
Jack asked no questions. He was fascinated by everything foreign around him and was the victim of jet lag.
They reached their hotel one hour later. Jack was contemplating between the ideas of taking a nap or going through the file of Dr. Chung. He did not want to sound completely ignorant, so he opened the file while lying on the bed. The file had Dr. Chung's photo, passport information, address in Canada, family information, and a list of some selective work in the field of epidemiology. Dr. Chung was divorced from a Canadian woman some thirty-plus years back. One of the papers caught Jack's attention. The research article was written in 2011 by Dr. Chung and four other people. Two of them were Asian names; one sounded like southeast Asian name and one middle eastern name. The title of the paper was, "Mutation of Zoonotic Virus and its Effects." Jack browsed on his phone to look up the meaning of Zoonotic. A quick web search explained the virus that transmits from animals to humans. As he was looking for more information, he fell asleep.
Chapter 9
At a quarter to eight, Jack put on his suit and went downstairs to meet Emily in the lobby. They took a cab, and Emily instructed the driver in her very amateur Chinese. They entered a tiny restaurant. The walls were parrot green. Jack saw the art and decor in the restaurant was something related to Feng Shui or similar to what he had seen only in Jackie Chan movies. He remembered of all the fight scenes from the movie Rush Hour. Jack wondered who he would be in real-life situations, Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker. He fancied being Chris Tucker, a cool comedian who was hard on his enemy but still had fun doing it.
They took a table of four in the corner of the restaurant. Jack was scanning the place as an old police habit. His eyes met a tall Asian man standing in the opposite corner of the restaurant, and for a moment, he felt that he had seen that man somewhere. That man was clearly staring at Jack and Emily. Jack smiled at the man, but he ignored and walked away. Jack noticed a tattoo on the man's neck. The s
ymbol was a circular, and what looked like a Z inside the ring. But the Z was drawn as an animal, which Jack could not figure out. It looked like a snake or some reptile. This was the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Jack had felt being watched. But he did not know any tall Asian men. In fact, he did not know anyone in this country.
Emily ordered some soup for both of them. At precisely nine, Dr. Chung walked into the restaurant. Dr. Chung was an old man in his sixties, almost bald, and had an old man's pace. He did not use a cane to walk but looked like he would need it in the next few years. His face looked like he was being burdened with the responsibility of the whole world. He looked pale and stressed as he entered wearing a white lab coat, black trousers, and a salmon-coloured shirt. The lab coat had his name stitched on. He did not talk to anyone while he entered and directly went to the table at the opposite wall. Jack assumed it was Dr. Chung's regular table and was unofficially reserved for him.
Emily looked like she had a fanboy moment for a second. She went up to Dr. Chung and greeted him, "Hello, sorry to bother you. Are you Dr. Chung?".
Dr. Chung had a deep, typical elderly voice. His voice showcased wisdom, experience, and intelligence. "Yes. Do I know you?"
"I don't think so. I am Dr. Emily Rogers, a fellow Canadian and a huge fan of your work. I am here with my colleague Jack Wilson", She said, pointing at Jack. Jack gave Dr. Chung a smile, but he received a suspicious look in return.
"Dr. Chung, it would be our honour if you can join us for dinner. I will earn a good amount of bragging rights with my friends if I have dinner with you. Of course, if it's not too much of a bother. I have been inspired by you my whole life."
Dr. Chung hesitated for a few moments but agreed. The first task completed.
Jack extended his hand towards Dr. Chung, but he refused to shake. He politely said, "Young man, I work in the laboratory. You would not want to shake my hands, knowing they have touched many diseases throughout the day."
Jack let out a false laugh and sat down. Dr. Chung was served his food. He probably had the same dish every day - a boiled pork Ramen and a pot of green tea.
"So, Dr. Rogers and Mr. Jack, what brings you to Wuhan?" asked Dr. Chung, focusing on his bowl of soup.
Emily quickly answered, "We are here to assess the situation on twenty-three Canadians who are recovering from VD-19. We are here as representatives of Health Canada."
Dr. Chung stopped sipping his soup halfway at the mention of Health Canada. His heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face nonchalant. He was now more suspicious of two strangers who had graciously invited him to have dinner with them and were representing an institution that wanted him back in Canada. He continued eating his ramen as if he did not care.
Jack was getting impatient with small talks and now wanted to steer the conversation to the main topic. "Dr. Chung, have been in touch with these Canadians? Do you know what their situation is?"
"I visited once or twice, but I am a scientist and not a medical doctor. And I am old. I try not to go near the hospital unless necessary". He gave a very cunning smile, which made Jack uncomfortable.
Emily was playing a good cop and wanted to appreciate Dr. Chung more before asking for his help.
"Dr. Chung, I have read most of your papers. Your work on the MERS was eye-opening for the healthcare systems globally. You must feel so proud."
Dr. Chung again showing indifference on his face, "I try."
Jack was getting annoyed at Dr. Chung's attitude. He thought he is a celebrity, who is used to blowing off people like Emily, or he is very cleverly, avoiding having a meaningful conversation. He decided it was time to take a shot at bull's eye. The time to ease-him-in was over, and it is time for real discussion. But he knew he had to be careful.
"Dr. Chung, so how long are you in Wuhan, and what are you doing here?"
Dr. Chung casually replied with his focus still on his food. "I am here as a consultant to Wuhan Pharma."
"OH, I just read that they now have a vaccine for VD-19. Is it true? Have you worked on it?"
Emily gave Jack a "what-the-hell-are-you-doing" stare. Jack ignored her.
Dr. Chung was still calm and took a big gulp of tea. "They indeed have the vaccine, but it has not been tested on a large number of human samples. Unfortunately, I was hired to consult on a different project. Still, I have lent them my expertise on a couple of times."
Jack realized that Dr. Chung was playing him. He was cleverly avoiding giving any definite answers. But Jack was not going to give up easily and decided to keep digging. "So, till when are you in China? Because from the way Emily was excited to see you, I think you might be instrumental in our country's fight against this virus. Maybe we can develop the vaccine too."
Jack had hit the nerve. He had exhibited confidence but was very much anxious about Dr. Chung's reply. Had he taken it too far, too fast?
Dr. Chung took a deep breath, and after only moment's thought, "True. Actually, I have been getting a lot of calls from the government to go back and help. I told them that my commitment here is solid and cannot be broken. But I was thinking today in the lab about the number of people affected in Canada and worldwide. I think my expertise is better served to the current crisis than the vaccine on eradicating smallpox. What do you think, Dr. Rogers?"
Emily was startled as Dr. Chung abruptly asked her opinion. She stammered a little bit but calmed herself very quickly.
"Dr. Chung, I definitely think you are one of our best hopes. As an employee of Health Canada and a Canadian citizen, I would request you to consider the government's request. I might be a little selfish here as I might get a chance to work with you."
Dr. Chung smiled. He just drank the rest of his tea in silence and asked for a check. Dr. Chung told the waiter in Chinese to separate his check from Emily and Jack. As he was getting up from the table, he said, "Dr. Rogers, can you meet me tomorrow here for dinner? I would like to know more about the measures our government is taking and any work you have done to analyze this virus. Maybe I can help. You can come too, Mr. Wilson."
Emily gave a sincere smile and said, "Thank you, Dr. Chung. I will see you tomorrow."
Jack smiled at Dr. Chung. Emily paid the bill, and as they were leaving, Jack tried to locate the tall Asian man he had seen before. He was nowhere to be seen.
They rode back in the cab, in complete silence. This helped Jack analyze Dr. Chung's behaviour. Emily was very much satisfied with how the staged run in into Dr. Chung went. Jack was, however, playing the entire conversation in his mind. He was not happy with the way Dr. Chung had agreed to help the Canadian government suddenly. He was sensing some foul play.
As they entered the lobby, Emily turned towards the reception, "Jack, you go ahead, I need to get coffee maker in my room fixed. I will see you tomorrow for breakfast. Good Night".
Jack fell asleep as soon as he hit his bed even though it was only 10:15 PM. The jet lag had kicked in again.
Chapter 10
Jack got up early the next morning. He had a missed call and a voicemail from his sister, Julie, "Hi bro, sorry about the lunch. I am doing well. The workload is quite hectic here, but it is a proud thing to be serving the community in these difficult times. I hope you are doing well on your assignment. Text me the details if you can. Let me know when you are back. Now they are allowing us to take a couple of days off, so I will coordinate when you are back in Muskoka. Take Care. See you soon."
Jack had played that message over ten times. It was very soothing to his ears to listen to Julie's voice.
He wanted to reply to his sister and decided to send an assuring message. He texted back, "Hi Julie, I am across the world in China for a simple assignment of situation assessment. I shall be back in a couple of days. Take Care."
After spending over an hour in the hotel gym, Jack met Emily for breakfast at 9 AM. The hotel had a complete American breakfast buffet—scrambled egg, sausage, bacon, toast, pancakes. Jack did not miss his home so much.
&nb
sp; Emily looked cheerful as she sat down on the table, "Good morning!"
"Good Morning Emily, you are looking very jolly today!"
"Yes. I think last night was very much a success. I am excited at the prospect of working with, uh, Dr. Chung."
Jack noticed the momentary pause before Emily mentioned Dr. Chung's name. But intending to keep the mood happy, he ignored that pause.
They were chatting about the latest news when both got a text message from Sarah, "Dr. Chung was found dead in his hotel room this morning. Call me as soon as possible. Make sure no one is around."
Emily let out a small shriek in shock. Jack dropped half-eaten sausage and read the message four more times. He looked at the stunned face of Emily, "Let's go to my room." They rushed to Jack's room and called Sarah from his computer.
Sarah was at her home in her white shirt and pyjamas. It was 8:30 PM in Canada. Sarah skipped the pleasantries, "What did you discuss last night? Dr. Chung had sent a message to our representative in the Shanghai consulate that he was considering coming back to Canada, and now he is dead."
Jack summarized the conversation from last night. He had played it in his head so many times.
Sarah listened carefully.
"Apparently, he was found in the morning by a housekeeper with a gun and a suicide note. I want you to go to the hotel asap. Jack, now is the time to play all your police tricks, but be discreet. We do not know who is involved. Neil will directly meet you at the hotel. I want a summary of your findings by tomorrow morning, Canada time. I have to present the first report to Commissioner Ryder first thing in the morning. Good luck"
The Hidden Agenda Page 5
