The voice is telling me that my father was right.
He has seen too much pain in this world to stay in it any longer, and so have I. It is telling me that every time my dad told me I wasn’t good enough as a kid, and that I never would be, that he knew the truth all along.
A few more sips of that baijiu stuff and I have seemed to break past the barrier where I feel pain. Now I am numb, albeit a little drunk too, and the depressed, anxiety-ridden side of me is disappearing into the shadows as the more confident, driven side of me is emerging into the light.
Jake taps me on my shoulder and looks at me all excited as he glances at one of the women that he has his arm around. I don’t even know any of their names, and Jake doesn’t either. They are all planted here just to play into the weakest, most vile parts of our minds.
The president wanted to see us like this: weak. Where we cave in to our desire to escape, and let our minds operate on their fundamental instincts. I look away from Jake, not interested in hearing his heroic tales of how his night has been so far, and instead I stand up, trying to find where the president wandered off to amidst this madness.
The same hypnotic traditional Chinese music sounds in my ear above the conversation of the Chinese statesmen gathered in the grand living room. For the time that I experienced my mental breakdown, the seconds melted into minutes as I sat on the couch, glancing at the dancing models with tears in my eyes.
Now, I’m hyper alert.
My brain has never been apt to waste time. Once it kicks into gear, and it almost always is, it is ready to go. And now I don’t care about any of these people. My initial lust to each of these women is gone, and deep down inside I can hear the voice of my mother scolding me for even viewing these women as objects of my desire for a single second.
I push past the tall man in front of me, his glasses nearly knocking to the ground with how hard I push him. I am to the point of being drunk where not only can I not recall exactly how much I drank to get to this point, but my own vision and coordination are beginning to falter.
I grip the smooth, firm strap of the backpack, the Chimera Cube the one thing that I remained conscious of even during the deepest lows of my mental break.
“Where are you going?” Jake grabs my shoulder. From the glassy layer over his eyes, I can tell he has drunk his fair share too.
“I’m finding the president,” I say as a ball of spit drips out of my mouth.
“You are so shit-faced, man.” Jake laughs and pretends to wipe the spit off my chin. “You can’t talk to the president like this.”
“I don’t know what this show is about, but something is up.” I continue walking forward across the marble floor tile. The living room has a large fireplace at one end and Chinese decorations lining the wall. Every piece of furniture inside is likely hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, with beautiful hand-crafted ceramics adorning each table.
Even with the large number of people in the living room, everyone is careful not to bump into any of the furniture, the atmosphere much tamer than the night clubs I am used to going in after a successful conference.
“Why can’t you just enjoy one night of your life?” Jake stands in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
“Get out of my way.” I push him to the side, but due to my lack of coordination, my effort is not very effective at forcing him out of the way.
“I got out of prison. Out of a fucking federal prison for crimes that you largely committed, and you don’t even ask me how it was or how I’ve been?”
“What does that have to do with any of this?” I sigh, growing frustrated with his stubbornness. The alcohol certainly has not helped him become more agreeable.
“Because you are so caught up in the world around you that you won’t even take the time to be present with the people you care about, never mind yourself.” Jake puts a hand on my shoulder as if he is an elder giving me life-changing advice. His voice is merely a dull echo in my ears amid the sounds of music and dozens of people chatting.
Various smells of certain passed meats and sweet deserts tickle my nose. My stomach growls at all the various foods that roam throughout the room, but something about the prospect of eating them makes me uncomfortable.
“Why do you say that?” I have an air of uncertainty in my tone, when in fact I know exactly what he is talking about. And he is right. I can’t admit that to myself, though. The second I let my own problems take precedent over those of the world around me, I risk using the Chimera Cube for the wrong reasons.
I risk letting the secret get out.
“You just had a mental breakdown at the sight of what was maybe one of the most beautiful women I have seen in my life.” Jake’s eyes are wide as he leans in, making sure that I hear him. “I know how you work, dude. You push everything to the side and only worry about your stupid goals. You never allow yourself to be vulnerable, to feel anything, when that’s exactly what you need.”
“Ha, like you are an expert on emotional wellness.” I scoff at him, my eyes wandering above his head to scan the crowd for Noah, for Li, or for anyone who might be able to give me answers on why this show is taking place. The thing is, I know if I look into his eyes, I won’t be able to hide from the fact that he is right. Seeing that beautiful girl made it impossible for me to escape, because even her beauty paled in comparison to that of Riva’s in my mind.
And I know I will never be able to get her back.
And that breaks my heart.
“I’m not an expert, just a friend trying to help you out. I can’t watch you go through this, man. Not when this whole world is falling apart. I need to know that you are okay.”
“Why do you suddenly care now? Before you went into prison, all you could ever talk about was how you couldn’t deal with your own past. Now you want to help me deal with my past?” I pause, studying his expression as it shifts from one of genuine care to one that is disheveled. His fists tense as his eyes wander around, trying to suddenly look for a way out. “I appreciate it. But I finally agree with what you said, let’s just move on to the future. And the only way we can do that is by making sure that we survive in the present. I just had a weak moment, is all—don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. It’s not me that I’m worried about.”
“I’ve always got your back,” Jake says, finally letting his guard down and stepping to the side. “No matter what, I’m here for you always. We are still blood brothers even if we are disgraced from the Syndicate. We have our own pact, and I just want you to be okay. I know you want the same for me.”
“I do. I do.” Tears form in my eyes again. I open my mouth to say something else, but no words come out. Now I finally know how my dad felt all those years. He loved me more than anything, but it was so hard for him to say it, never mind show it, because he was feeling so much pain and guilt too.
And even my guilt won’t go away. I know that so much of the pain in Jake’s life was all caused by the very technology I hold in my backpack, and I can’t even bring myself to tell him the simple truth that we both know, which is that my dad killed his father. It already destroyed his mom’s and dad’s lives and nearly wrecked his. That’s why part of me is scared to get too close to him, close to anyone, because I don’t want to watch anyone I care about hurt again.
“Oh my, this is perfect timing.” President Li barges into us out of nowhere. I almost feel like touching him to ensure he is not some fake holograph that randomly popped up. “I was just looking for you, Sam.” He smiles, causing Jake and I to exchange uncomfortable glances. “Jake, if you excuse us, Sam and I are going to go talk in private. Feel free to talk with anyone here. Everyone is very friendly, and me and Sam should not be too long.”
“Okay.” Jake nods as Li eyes me.
He doesn’t have to say another word for me to know that I need to follow him. There is an urgent tone to his voice that makes my heart race with excitement and trepidation.
There is a glow in his eyes when he looks at me
, a deep smile on his face as if he can see through me and dissect my insides.
I look at Jake one last time, the blank expression on my face all I can muster as a goodbye to him.
There is a cold energy to Li that causes the hairs on my arms to tingle. This man has an agenda, just like everyone else in this world, and I know for a fact that it isn’t good.
All I hope is that it doesn’t end up with me dead.
Because if it does, I will make sure I am not the one going down first.
Chapter 4
“You are one special little boy.” President Li, whose full name is Li Wang, taps his fingers against the glass table in front of him. We are both seated across from each other on couches covered in exotic animal fur, the tension between our glances enough to make my skin feel hot.
We are in a dimly lit room near the top of the imperial palace. Ancient manuscripts fill the large bookcases that make up the walls of the noiseless room fit for diplomatic discussion.
I can’t help but think about how many powerful people have sat in the same chair I am sitting in right now, but the moment I reconnect with Li Wang’s punishing stare, the only thing that matters is him.
“What’s up?” I say in a nervous, unsure tone that is even pitiful when compared to how a third grader would speak. With every passing second that Li’s eyes remain glued on me, without his mouth opening up to say a word, I grow more uncomfortable. I don’t know if it’s just me, or it’s the alcohol talking in my mind, but I feel like he can see through me.
“I always like to see how people operate in silence.” He smiles, taking a sip of whatever hot liquid is in the glass next to him. The device he whispers into pumps out his voice in English in a monotonous tone that causes everything to be even creepier.
“Oh.” I fumble for the strap of my backpack, it quickly becoming a compulsion of mine to make sure that it is there. I have no clue what to say to this man. Even with the Chimera Cube in my backpack, there is something about this man that intimidates me.
There’s something about the way in which his hands slide calmly back and forth on the table that signals that he is reading me, and from the glow in his eyes, I can feel that he is figuring me out.
“Do you not like the silence?” he says, his words being followed up by another awkward silence. In some moments stillness is nice, where there is nothing that can be heard save for one’s thoughts. However, the silence that follows his words is one that feels like a round of static in my ears.
“I’m fine with it.” I meet his gaze.
“You look restless.” Li takes his hands off the table and sets them on his lap, his intense analyzation of nearly every one of my movements finally ending. A large shadow from one of the looming skyscrapers prevents any light from entering through the windows or skylights, leaving his bony face blanketed in darkness.
“I don’t—”
“No, no,” he interrupts, holding up his hand as if to call me out on my bullshit before I even begin. “You are restless. I can sense it in the way your eyes dart about. And being restless is one of the fundamental weaknesses that can destroy any empire—in fact, restlessness can destroy anyone. Do you know why?”
“I have no idea.” The words roll off my tongue in a more sarcastic manner than I would like, but I can’t hide my annoyance. This man is no older than his early fifties and has an arrogant, pompous way about him that he communicates through nothing more than his glances.
Yet there is a deeper level of insecurity that I can sense somewhere beneath the outer shell of toughness and power he exudes.
“Restlessness is all because someone can’t stop and be happy where they are today. They can’t learn to appreciate the world around them, to be patient for what is to come, so instead they become restless. The people at the top in the world aren’t impatient. They are determined, patient, and disciplined.” He stops on that one word, disciplined, his voice speaking in Mandarin increasing in volume with that word. “They recognize that to build an empire, you have to be sprinting through a marathon instead of walking until you find a shortcut. Most people are restless. It’s human nature to be impulsive, to be short-sighted, and to act on superficial desires and artificial needs.”
I nod along with him, hoping that the tension between us will fade away as he feels that I agree with him. As he takes a breath, I sense something in the darkness behind him moving, and chills course down my spine.
“The entire world tends to get caught up in stuff that doesn’t really matter,” I say, figuring that he is desiring a response, since it has been a solid three seconds of him staring at me motionless. I do have thoughts on what he is talking about, plenty of thoughts, but I’m not about to go and deliver him an essay of my perspective on the world.
I very well know that every bit of information I feed to him can one day be used to destroy me.
“You’re exactly right,” he says, his lips barely moving as he speaks. The voice of the translating device is monotone as before, making it even more difficult to discern his relaxed facial expression and body that eagerly leans forward. “Most people don’t understand that at the end of the day, all that matters is survival. We all need to eat and drink, we all need a place to call home, and we all need something to look forward to—something to hope for, if you will.”
“Of course. I think in the right moments, we realize that.” I lean forward too, his calming energy drawing me in closer. There is something about this man that, despite his cold eyes and rigid body, is welcoming, almost like a warm aura surrounds him.
“You just answered why I brought you here in the first place.” He places his hands together, his eyes remaining locked on me. I can feel beads of sweat building on my forehead and the sides of my face, my pores giving away the fact that I am not comfortable at all.
“I didn’t answer anything,” I say.
“You did. In fact, I have a feeling that your father was right about you.” He pauses to take another sip from the liquid that steam is still billowing out of. An odd sensation bubbles in my stomach at the mention of my father, my mind still dealing with the aftermath of the wave of emotion that hit me during my breakdown.
“What did my father ever say about me?”
“He said that you would be much better suited to carry on this task than him. He said that I should do anything to make sure that I could get you to join the Party and help China expand our power into the West. He knew you can do what needs to be done. You see, the people of China have forgotten the importance of survival. They have begun to focus on gaining illusory freedoms like you grew up with in the West, or the ability to express themselves in any way they desire. In short, with China’s prosperity, they have forgotten about the hard work that it took to get us here, and are increasingly disinterested in putting even more hard work to get to where we need to be.”
“And where is it that you need to be?”
“China needs to be the most powerful country in the world. We need to return the East to its rightful spot that it has been in for most of human history. We have to take down the West and show them that their abuse of the entire world won’t be forgiven without payback.”
“Okay,” I respond, liking the sound of his idea. Conflict between the West and the East will only mean one thing for sure: chaos. And chaos will make it much easier for me to keep my secret hidden and for me to seize power when the time is right to make sure that this technology can be spread to the world. “How do you want to deliver payback?”
“We want to go to war. World War Three, to be precise.” He smiles, his eyes having the same glow that a little boy would when talking about his favorite sports star. From the way in which his body livens up, I would not be surprised if he fantasizes about dog fights and cyber warfare attacks in his made-up version of World War III. “And we won’t stop until the entire Western world raises up their arms in unconditional surrender. The only problem is we can’t go to war with how things are right now. Militarily, we are pr
epared; we have been for several years now. Politically, we are able to as well. We have strong alliances set up with Russia, Indonesia, and various nations in the Middle East. The only problem is the rén. Rén means ‘people’ in Mandarin, and it is what the hundreds of millions of Chinese rebelling against the Chinese call themselves. They love America—in fact, many of them illegally leave China to go to the U.S. while tens of millions worship Western political systems as a testament of human progress. They would never be in support of war if we went for it, and they won’t ever stop rebelling against us, protesting constantly, burning down government buildings, creating vast black markets to evade government regulations, until we do something drastic.”
“That makes sense. Something needs to change.” I gulp, my voice steady, but my hands shaking slightly as I anticipate what he is about to say.
“We need to create a situation for the rén so desperate that they are only worried about survival. Where they hate America more than anything. And that’s where you come in.” Li smiles, his eyes leaving mine for the first time in our conversation to glance out the window at the row of skyscrapers over a hundred yards away.
“The same reason that the Americans hate you is the reason that we have offered you protection from the U.S. government and the Syndicate, which, according to one of our top-ranking officials who joined that group undercover for us, we know they can be almost as daunting.”
He pauses again, but this time I have nothing to say in the silence. I know what he is about to say, the disgusting, horrible truth. The only reason he saved my life is so that I can kill millions more.
Li shifts his position in his seat, stretching out his lower back. This man acts like he has all the time in the world, or more accurately he acts like the world is his.
“You need to silence the rén,” he says. “You need to make them forget about democracy, forget about their freedoms, about how they express themselves, and make them care about one thing, and one thing only: survival.
The Conspiracy Chronicles Boxset 2 Page 3
