Chapter 46

LiJinwatchedthemancalledOlegKrachevwalkupthestepstowardsKowloonMosque.HeknewitwastheRussianbecauseeverythingabouthimfittedthedescription.Eventhoughthemanhewaslookingatwassomewhatolderthanhehadexpected,overweightandpotbellied,therewassomethingabouthisstridethatledLiJintofocusonhim.Therewasalsothatdeterminedlook,theblotchyskinfromtoomuchdrinkingandthefactthathelookedsooutofplace.Helookedneitherlikeatouristnoralocalexpatriate.

LiJinwasabouttomovetotheothersideoftheroofgardentowatchKrachevemergewhenhisheartstoppedbeating.Hisbodyhadrespondedevenbeforehe’drealizedwhathisbrainhadregistered.ThesmallChinesemanhehadseenintheshoppingmallwaswalkingupthesteps,obviouslyfollowingKrachev.Howhadthemanfoundhim?LiJinrealizedthatgiventhecurrentsituation,choosingthemazewasaluckybreak.Ifheplayedthingswellandremainedcalm,hecouldstillemergefromhiscurrentpredicamentunscathed.Hequicklyturnedroundandmovedtotheothersideoftheroofgarden.Thesideoverlookingthemaze.

Krachevwaswalkingslowlybutwithdeterminationthroughtheparkinthedirectionofmaze.LiJinremovedhisbinocularsfromhisbackpack,anotheroversightthathehadcorrectedafterfleeingfromtheshoppingmall.Again,thegodswerewithhim.HehadwalkedpastashopsellingcamerasandhugetelescopesandithadoccurredtohimthatitwouldbedifficulttotrackKrachevwithoutapairofbinoculars.Hehadwalkedinandboughtonehagglingviciouslywiththesmallbaldingmanbehindthecounter.

HetrainedthebinocularsonKrachev.Themanhadsomekindofweaponinthebandofhissuittrousers.Thebulgewasglaringlyobvious.LiJinrealizedthenthathewasplayingaverydangerousgameindeed.ThesmallmanhadobviouslybeensentbythePLAtocapturehimandtakehimbacktoNewChina.TheyhadprobablyrealizedthathehadswitchedtheprocessorandthattheAIwasaninferiorproducttoProfessorYao’screation.Infact,fromthelookoftheman,whohadalsoenteredthepark,heprobablywasn’theretotakehimbacktoNewChina.Themanwasakiller,plainandsimple.ThismuchwasclearashetrackedtheChinese.Thaterectback,thefluidtorsoandonlythelegssuggestingmovement,wassomehowalientothewayeveryoneelsewalked.IfthePLAhadwantedhimbackinBeijing,theywouldhavesenttwomen,notone.Definitelynotoneassmallasthisman.Smallmeantdeadly.

Krachevdisappearedintotheentranceofthemaze.ThirtysecondslatertheChinesemanfollowed.LiJinrealizedthattheChinese,theassassin,probablythoughthewasinsidethemaze.ThemanwasfollowingKrachevtogettohim.LiJinreeledwhenhetrainedhisbinocularsontheassassin’shead.Thegraylumponhisnecksuggestedonlyonething.TheassassinwaswearingoneofProfessorYao’sprototypesatellite-basedcyberspaceunits.Theonethatinteractedwirelesslywitheitherapairofglassesordirectlywiththebrain,manipulatingthethoughtpatternsintosomekindofvirtualdisplay.Theprofessorhadthoughtthatthistechnologywouldneverbeusedwithawetinterfacebecausethepsychologicaleffectsonthesubjectwouldbehorrendousandeventuallyfatal.

TheprototypehadbeensenttoaPLAunitinLongmen,ShanxiprovincefortestingandthathadbeenthelastLiJinhadseenofit.TheassassinwasobviouslyusingthedevicetointeractwithAIsanddatabasesinBeijing.ThatwashowtheassassinhadlatchedontoKrachev,throughhismessagingandtelephoneconversations.WhenhecalledKrachevtoexecutethewiretransfer,theassassinwouldbeabletotracehisphone’ssignaltowithinmeters.Yet,hewouldalsohavetonegotiatehiswayoutofthemaze,whichwouldbuyLiJinsometime.Themazewasagiftfromthegods,pureandsimple.

LiJinwatchedKrachevmakeseveralwrongturnsinthemaze,withtheassassinjustonestepbehindhim.Themanwasgood.EverytimeKrachevbacktracked,theassassinwouldretreat,hisheadcocked,listeningforKrachev’sfootsteps.Abunchofchildrenhadmadeittothecenterofthemaze.LiJincouldseetheirparentswaitingattheexit.Italllookedsoeasyfromuphere.Finally,Krachevmadeittothecenterofthemazewiththeassassinjustonestepbehind.

Usingtheearpieceofhisphone,LiJinspeeddialedKrachevandwaited.

“Whatthehelldoyouthinkyouaredoing?”Krachevasked.Hesoundedangry.

LiJinkeptthebinocularstrainedontheRussianandtheassassinwhowasstandingverystillafewfeetaway,onlythethickhedgeofthemazeseparatingthem.

“Iamnearby.Don’tworry.Icanseeyou.”

TheRussianlookedatthechildrenwhowereleaving.Theydidn’twanttosharetheenclosedspacewiththeheavilypantingforeigner.

“Everycorneroftheparkisbeingwatchedbymypeople.Tryanythingandyouaredeadmeat,”Krachevbluffed.Hehadunderestimatedtheseller.

“Justmakethetransactionandeverythingwillbefine,”LiJinsaid,givingtheRussianthewirelessIDofhiscreditreceiverunit.ThemanmutteredsomethingtohimselfinRussianandpulledoutacredittransmitterfromhissuitpocket.LiJinwatchedhimpunchintheID.Helookedathiscreditreceiverandwasrelievedtoseethemessagethataremotecreditdevicewasattemptingtoconnect.Heacceptedtheconnectionandwatchedapulsatingbarindicatethatdatawasbeingsentacross.Agroupofpeoplecameuptotheroofgardenandstartedmovinginhisdirection.Credittransferplete.LiJinquicklyscrolledthroughthesimplemenuandcheckedhisbankaccount.Themoneywasthere.Herefreshedthedisplay.Themoneywasgone,automaticallywiredintohisotheraccountasperhisinstructions.LiJinswitchedoffhiscreditreceiver.HecouldheartheRussianbreathingovertheline.

“OK.Youhaveyourmoney.Whereisthechip?”

Theassassinhadwalkedintothecenterofthemaze.KrachevspunaroundandlookedattheChineseman.TheRussianseemedtothinkthemanwasLiJinbuthecouldn’tmakeuphismind.Krachev’shandsinstinctivelyreachedbehindhisjacket.

“Don’tdoit,ifyouwanttogetoutoftherealive,”LiJinwarnedtheRussian.

Krachevhesitated,hishandsreadyathisside.

“ThechipisinabearersafetydepositboxinyournameattheHongKongandShanghaiBankon82NathanRoad.Justafewminuteswalkfromhere.It’sa24-hourbanksoitwillbeopenwhenyougetthere.”

“WhyshouldIbelieveyou,youpieceofshit?”Krachevhissed,turningaround.

“Iamabouttosaveyourlife.Themanstandingintheenclosurewithyouisnotatourist.HeisakillerfromNewChinaouttoretrievethechipandeliminatewhoeverpossessesit.Hetriedtokillmeearlier.”

LiJinmovedthebinocularstowardswheretheassassinwasstanding.Hehaddisappeared.Thenhespottedhiminthemaze,runningtowardstheexit.Heseemedtobehavingtroublefindingityethewasmovingthroughthemazeatbreakneckspeed.Theassassinhadpinpointedhislocationfromthenetworksignalofhiscellphone.LiJinplacedthedepositslipunderaconcreteflowerpot.

“Whichmanareyoutalkingabout?”Incredibly,Krachevwaschasingaftertheassassin,hisphonetooneear.

“Theoneyouthoughtwasme.”LiJinsaid,rapidlydescendingthestairsleadingfromtheroofgarden.

“Youareadeadmanyoufuckin”

“Theslipisunderneaththethirdstoneflowerpotfromtheleftontheroofgardenabovetheparkentranceyoucamethrough.Nicedoingbusinesswithyou.”LiJinhungupandwalkedbrisklythroughtheparkentrance,downthestairsofKowloonMosqueandmeltedintothecrowds.