The Rice Thieves

by William Claypool

  Chao smiled and said, “That’s right. What’s your name?”

  “Yuen Chu, but I’m used to being called ‘Carl.’ I live in Boston now and I’ve gotten used to my Anglo name. It’s easier for them.” He gestured to the barman for a refill. “I only went to Pelham for three years after we moved from Shanghai.”

  “You didn’t play football at Pelham, did you?”

  “No. I played handball.”

  “That’s a good game; you can keep up with it all your life without needing a team,” said Chao, taking a sip of his drink.

  “I prefer to play squash now—same idea.”

  “What do you do in Boston?”

  “I own a software company I started after college.”

  “You went to college in the States?” asked Chao.

  “Yes. I did the dutiful Chinese son route. I worked hard at PC and left to study with the barbarians in the U.S. After graduation, I had opportunities there, and took them.”

  “Are you back here visiting family?”

  “No. My parents died a few years ago and my only relative is a cousin who lives in Singapore. I just came back to visit the city. I try to make it back about every three years. The place changes so quickly.”

  “That’s for sure,” said Chao, sipping his drink.

  Then Hal asked, “What did you do after Pelham?”

  “I stayed local and went to university here for a year. It wasn’t for me. I left, and joined my brother’s company.”

  “What do you do?”

  “Well, we scout out and broker technology from the originators to companies we think would be good customers in China. We do mostly computer hardware components. We’ve also done several big software deals.”

  Hal listened closely and looked very interested.

  “Tell me about your company,” Chao said.

  “Are you actually interested in it? Most people find it kind of boring.”

  “No. Really I am,” said Chao. “Tell me about it.”

  “Okay,” said Hal. “Well, we deploy a mechanical engineering approach to software or a software approach to mechanical engineering, depending on how you want to look at it. Basically, we design computer holographic quality assurance into assembly lines or packaging lines. We image items as they roll down the line and infer the production quality from the images we see. Depending on the product, the tolerances obviously vary widely. We can measure down as far as we need to, with the right optics.”

  “Who do you sell to?” asked Chao.

  “We’ve installed our systems in lots of diverse industries,” explained Hal. “We have lines that image low-tech molded plastic items, like kid’s toys. We also have lines in both a microprocessor factory and a finished electronics factory. We’ve learned that if the image of the product looks all right to our computer algorithms, and if they had good QA of their materials, their electronics work right 100 percent of the time. We’ve shown the value of our systems in a wide group of industries.”

  Chao asked, “Have you set up any systems in China for U.S. companies who manufacture over here?”

  “Not yet,” said Hal. “All of our assembly line systems are in the States.”

  “Are you going to expand into China?”

  “We’re growing like crazy in the U.S. We’ve talked about working in China—certainly for U.S. companies manufacturing here, although we haven’t done anything about it yet.”

  “That all sounds great,” said Chao. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of revenues do you have?”

  “We did 40 million U.S. last year,” said Hal, “and we look to grow it to 60 million next year, if all our orders come through.”

  “Impressive!. You know, if you are interested in expanding in China, I may be able to help you out,” said Chao. “My brother and I have a lot of the right kinds of connections, and we could make it much easier for you to start your operations here.”

  “Thanks,” said Hal. “Like I said, I’ve certainly thought about it. We could export a lot of what we design. There is definitely a fit for us with many companies in China.” Hal reached into his pocket. “This is my business card.”

  Chao examined it carefully. “I might be able to place your technology in China. I have clients who I think would be very interested in what you do.”

  “That’s great. I’d like to hear about them.”

  “Let’s talk about it. What are you doing for dinner tonight?”

  “I don’t have any plans,” said Hal.

  Chao looked pleased. “I was going to meet a few friends at a restaurant. I’ll call them and cancel. It’s not every day I can enjoy dinner with a fellow Pelham man, who lives among the barbarians.”

  Hal smiled and started to sing, “Pelham men will stand courageous, true and strong forever.”

  Chao responded, also singing, “Love for school and classmates guiding, duty beyond measure.”

  They both laughed.

  “Let’s eat here,” said Chao. “I’ll call to cancel with my other friends. You grab a table for us. We can talk import and export.”

  “Great. I’ll see you at the table,” said Hal, as his new friend walked off to make his call.

  CHAPTER 19

  Chao was impressed that his new friend’s company did 40 million U.S. dollars in revenue after being in business for only three years. Chao told “Carl” that he felt very positive about his interest in expanding to China. “Carl” said he was willing to hire a staff of ten Chinese nationals to start, and they discussed the optimal placement of their office. They agreed that the office placement should not be decided until they had their first Chinese customers, and that it would take further analysis.

  After dinner, Chao suggested they have a nightcap.

  “Count me in for that,” said Hal. “I’ll buy. What do you want?”

  Chao appeared to think carefully about his words before he spoke again.

  “I was thinking of maybe going to a club I know over in Kowloon. It’s kind of a wild place if you’re interested.”

  Hal said to him, “Sure. I’m game for anything. Will we see any other PC alums?”

  Chao shook his head slightly. “I don’t think we will. It’s not a Pelham College kind of a club.”

  “All the better,” laughed Hal. “Let’s go.”

  From the background investigation, Hal knew where they were going. He was very curious to see if the reports about the place were accurate.

  They waited at the valet stand until the parking attendants pulled Chao’s car around. The car was a late model Porsche 911 Carrera.

  “Business must be good,” said Hal enthusiastically, seeing the car.

  “Yes. We’re doing okay,” said Chao, as he sat in the car.

  Hal bent over the seats as Chao was fixing his seat belt. “I’ve always wondered about the back seats in these models,” he said, as he stuck his head behind the passenger seat. “Have you ever had anyone back here?”

  Chao laughed, and said “No.” He didn’t see his new friend slip a small, tightly rolled, plastic bag with powder into the pocket behind the passenger seat. He also didn’t see that Hal did it with a small dark eyeglass cleaning rag in his hand. Had Chao cared, he might have seen Hal use the rag to grasp and wipe down both the inside and exterior door handles.

  Chao waited for Hal to buckle up, which he did while he again palmed the black rag in the darkened car. After he was satisfied that Hal was secure, Chao let the car spring to life and they headed directly to the East Tunnel crossing under the harbor to the Kowloon side.

  The tunnel was clear and there were no delays. On the Kowloon side, they trekked a little west to a neighborhood of midrise buildings and nondescript storefronts. They drove down a side street and entered a dimly lit alley. Several other high-end cars were parked in the alley. They all seemed to be
watched by a large, burly man standing by a black steel door in the center of the block.

  Chao parked the car in the alley and they walked toward the bear of a man who greeted Chao by name. The man stood aside, allowing them to enter.

  The entrance room to the club was small and dark, and another bouncer guarded the front of an inner metal door. The room was vibrating with the techno music coming from within. Chao patted the inside guard on the back who returned the gesture as he opened the door for them.

  Inside the club, the loud music required shouting to communicate. The room was surprisingly large and Hal saw that two exits led off the main room. One door led to a long hallway and the other to a set of stairs. The women at the bar were young, beautiful and wore stylish, revealing dresses. Several other women were dancing with one another. The men were older; most wore suits, and most were older than Chao. The women outnumbered the men by two to one. The circulating barmaids wore short black skirts and were topless. They all wore a large red feather in their hair.

  Chao looked at his guest, “Carl, do you see anyone from Pelham?”

  Hal laughed and shook his head.

  “Stay here a minute. I have to see a friend at the bar.”

  Hal watched closely. Chao walked to the dark end of the bar where a man in a suit sat alone on a stool. Chao greeted him and they looked like old friends as they talked. The man left the stool and they walked further into the shadows. He exchanged something with Chao. The man turned his back and Hal was screened from the transaction. He did not see what was traded, but had a pretty good idea of what it was, knowing Chao’s tastes and interests.

  While Hal watched Chao, he saw two couples, both middle-aged men and beautiful women in their twenties, come down the stairs. Hal also had a pretty good idea of what was going on upstairs.

  When Chao returned, he gestured for Hal to come with him. Chao walked to the bar and tapped two of the young women on the shoulder and gestured for them to join him. The trio walked down the hallway beyond the bar and Hal followed. Many of the doors to the rooms were left ajar and Hal saw people dancing in a few of the rooms. Some of the people, both male and female, were naked.

  Chao led Hal and the two girls to an unoccupied room with a couch in each corner. The furnishings were expensive and after they entered, Chao closed the door. Although the base vibrations continued, the rest of the music nearly vanished.

  Hal and Chao sat on separate couches, each joined by one of the girls.

  “Who are our new friends?” asked Hal.

  “We don’t usually use names,” said Chao. He turned to the girl sitting with him, “Do you want to use names?”

  She giggled and said, “Just call me number one.”

  “That’s funny,” said the other girl, “That’s my name, too,”

  “See?” said Chao, “No names.”

  Chao was being a conscientious host, and gestured to each of the young women while asking Hal, ”Which one would you like, Carl? Any one you want. Would you like ‘Number one?” he gestured to the first girl, “Or perhaps ‘Number one?’” he said, gesturing to the other young woman.

  Hal looked at the women saying nothing.

  “Perhaps you’d like a little fog,” Chao continued pulling out a small bag with rolling papers and cut leaves, “or maybe a little snow?” He pulled out another bag with white powder.

  “How about just a little bourbon on ice for now?” asked Hal.

  “No problem,” said Chao and he pressed a button on the end table. In about five seconds, one of the barmaids entered the room. She took drink orders from all of them and left.

  “Tell me about this place,” said Hal.

  “Well, it’s pretty much what you see. For a monthly fee, the members can come here, relax, and have whatever they want… absolutely anything they want. The only rules are no needles, no drugs or booze for the girls, and no female guests. The security guards at the door are off duty cops. The girls are checked weekly for, let’s call it, microbial hygiene. The rooms upstairs are very nicely furnished and cleaned after every club member is done. It’s a first-class operation.”

  “I imagine the monthly fee is hardly worth mentioning,” said Hal.

  “Well, you get what you pay for,” said Chao, pulling out the bag of white powder and taking a small glass coaster off the end table.

  He laid out a line of the powder.

  “You want to try?” he offered to Hal.

  Hal said, ”No thanks. A few years ago, I ‘tried’ almost every night for too long, and I nearly went broke. Three months in rehab convinced me that I shouldn’t ‘try’ anymore. I can’t handle that stuff, but don’t let me stop you.”

  “I won’t,” said Chao, laughing as he rolled a bill and snorted the line. “I’ve been able to handle it just fine.”

  Hal looked up as the barmaid returned with their drinks.

  “Great service here,” commented Hal.

  “You have no idea,” laughed Chao again.

  “Do you come here a lot?”

  “Depending on my travel schedule, about twice a week. It helps me unwind.”

  Chao took a sip from his drink. “What do you think? Do you like the club?” he asked Hal.

  “I imagine it’s an easy taste to acquire,” said Hal. “Is there a long waiting list?”

  “Since you are neither a barbarian nor Japanese, I imagine I could move you right into membership if you’d be interested.”

  “Do you think this club is a good argument to headquarter my China operation in Hong Kong?” asked Hal.

  “It would convince me,” said Chao enthusiastically. “We’re still a little more free-wheeling here than on the mainland.”

  “What would Mao say?” asked Hal.

  “I think it would be wise not to discuss it with him, or with other members of the party,” said Chao.

  Hal took a sip from his bourbon. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  The two Number Ones stood and started to disrobe. Chao cheered them on as they began to dance.

  Hal cheered them, too, then said to his host, “I’m sorry to be a kill joy. I think I’ll just have this one drink and go. I was up very late last night and I don’t have the energy to keep up with you.”

  “No problem,” said Chao. “The girls won’t be offended. I’ll run you back to the island.”

  “No, you stay,” said Hal. “I wonder if we could meet again on Saturday night? I’d like to discuss your business ideas more and, perhaps we can see where the evening goes. I’ll be more rested.”

  “I’d love that,” said Chao. “Where should we meet?”

  “Let’s start with drinks at the same place as tonight, and I’ll pick a spot for dinner. Will 7:00 o’clock be convenient?”

  “That’s great. Can I call you a cab?”asked Chao.

  “I’m sure I can find one on the street. See you Saturday.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. We’ll have a great time.”

  “We will,” said Hal. “Goodbye Number Ones.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Franco rose at 5:00 am, but did not call her until 7:00. When he did, there was no answer and he left her a message to call him. By 8:00 am, she had not called back and he phoned again. The message he left this time was not as friendly as the first.

  After the second call, he contacted Sloan who, by this time, was expecting a morning call from Franco. Sloan wanted to do more sightseeing that day, and was interested in riding the tram to Victoria Peak. He asked Franco if he wanted to join him on this glorious day. Franco declined. He was in no mood to deal with the crowds on the scenic tram. Sloan didn’t mention anything about rice, patriots, or smugglers saving the world, and Franco felt he would do just fine on his own for the day. They did agree to meet for dinner.

  Rorke still had not called back. At 9:00 am, his third message w
as even less friendly, now bordering on rude. Just before 10:00 am, his cell phone rang. It was Rorke.

  “Sam, we need to talk,” he said gruffly.

  “Uh, sure Mike. Is something wrong? You sound upset.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Gee, I’m sorry. What’s the matter?”

  “Not over the phone.”

  “Okay, let’s meet.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “I’m at the Hyatt Hotel on Harbor Road.”

  “I’ll see you in the lobby there at 10:30,” he said and switched off the phone.

  He reflected on Rorke’s mood, expecting her to take a hard line. He was confused by her friendly tone and still angry at her having him followed without telling him.

  He quickly put on his shoes and started walking to her hotel. He chose not to take a cab. The walk would take only about fifteen minutes, and he felt it would help him relax before he confronted her.

  The weather was unseasonably warm and delightful. As he walked, the cloudless sky gathered blue and hung over the green, un-shrouded mountains behind Kowloon. Even the busy harbor waters hinted of an azure hue. Although the streets were crowded, he already felt calmer.

  He took a detour and made it to the hotel at 10:25. She was sitting in a chair in the lobby when he arrived. “Good morning, Mike,“ she said happily. “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it? I had a great run out there this morning.”

  “Yeah, it’s nice out.”

  Rorke continued with her cheery tone. “It’s hard to find any city more beautiful than Hong Kong when the weather’s cooperating.”

  “Is there a coffee shop here? We need to sit down and talk,” he said.

  “Do you want to come up to my room?”

  “Let’s see how crowded the café is first.”

  “Sure, it’s this way,” she said, and started down the lobby hallway.

  She was wearing a light cardigan sweater over a tee shirt and wore a very short skirt that might have been a little young for her—except she looked great in it. Her perfect legs were lightly tanned, and she wore a pair of casual flats to finish the look. Damn, he thought to himself, it was hard to stay mad at this woman. Franco was already thinking that if there was an argument between them, it wasn’t going to be a win for him.