Chapter 57
CaldwellfeltastrangemixtureoffearandexcitementasheandMeiLindisembarkedfromtheplaneatShanghai’sHongqiaoairport.Itwasrainingslightlyoutsideandastheywalkedthroughthemakeshifttunnelonthewaytothearrivalsareahecouldhearthesoundoftheraindropsthuddingontheroofabove.TheinformationtheyhadgleanedfromthefourPLAofficersontheplanehadbeenastrokeofpureluckandtheimplicationswerestillcascadingthroughhismind.
He’dwatchedinaweasMeiLinhadremovedaminisculeeavesdroppingkitfromherluggageandplacedthetinyaudiotransmitteronthetipofherindexfinger.Itlookedlikeasmallroundpieceofgrayfelt.Shehadthenwalkeduptheaisletowardsoneoftheairhostesses,engagedherinidleconversationandthenmadeherwaybacktoherseat.Hermovementhadbeenablurwhenshe’dattachedthetransmittertotheshoulderofoneofthePLAofficer’sjackets.ThePLAhadturnedaroundabruptlyandMeiLinhadthrustherhipsintheofficer’sdirection,brushinghisshoulder,herheadturnedtheotherwaytoavoidthePLAmanregisteringherface.ThemanhadspentsometimeadmiringMeiLin’srearandCaldwellhadduckedoutofsightjustintime.
Later,listeningtotheconversationonMeiLin’stinyearpiecestheyhadjustlookedateachotherandsmiled.Caldwellcouldn’tunderstandeverythingthemenweresaying,theyhadthickBeijingaccents,buthecouldcatchthedriftofmostofit.TheserverwhichcontainedtheAIwasbeingtransportedtotheformersiteoftheNo.455MilitaryHospital.MeiLinhadcheckedtheaddressonthein-flightentertainmentsystemandwrittenitdown.No.388HuaihaiRoadWest.Thehospitalhadbeendesertedforalmostayear,accordingtothesearchresults.TherewereplansforsomekindofrestorationasamedicalfacilityforthePLA.Themenweresupposedtowaitintheoldmansiononthehospitalgroundsuntilthemajor-generalarrivedinShanghai.Major-generalWang?ThiswholefiascowiththeAIextendedrightuptotheupperechelonsofthePeople’sLiberationArmy.
WiththeChinesearmyinvolvedatthislevel,thingsweregoingtogetdangerous.Yet,CaldwellfeltthathewassoclosetogivingFoulerwhathewantedandreclaiminghispast,thathehadnooptionbuttopressforward.AndhehadMeiLinwithhim.Hesuspectedhewouldn’tbeabletomakeitwithoutherpracticalmonsenseandobviousfieldskills.Yet,Caldwellstillfeltlikehewasapawninadangerousgame,hisfateentirelyatthewhimofFoulerandhisorganization.
HethoughtaboutthelowlevelhackinghehadbeenusedtointheUnion.Thesmall-timescoresofTheHUBseemedinconsequentialinparisontowhathewascurrentlyinvolvedin.Someoftheskillsetswereidenticalbutthescopeandelementofdangerwereordersofmagnitudelarger.ThehackingofNEXTTowerhadgonedownwell,givingthemtheleadthathadtakenthemtoTsinghua.HisinstinctshadbeenrightingoingforstudentdatatonaildownthewhereaboutsofthelabwherethisAIwasfabricated.IthadbeenyetanotherstrokeofluckthattheyhadarrivedonthecampusjustwhenthePLAwereremovingtheAIfortransportationtoShanghai.AndifthewizenedoldtaxidriverhadlostthePLAontheroadsofBeijing,everythingmighthavejustscreechedtoadeadend.OrifthePLAhadnotinfactbeenheadingtotheairportwhatwouldhehavedone?Now,heretheywereinShanghaiwiththeabilitytolistenintoconversationsofatleastoneoftheseguysandpossiblyothersdependingontheman’sproximitytotheotherPLAagents.Withlucktheymightgetsomesoundbitesfromthemajor-generalhimselfandthosewereboundtobeinteresting.
Later,whenMeiLinhadloggedintoanetbaselinkedtothebugsshehadplantedattheKornhillresidenceofHideoSatoandJunichiroMiyagi,anotherbombshellhademergedfromtherecordedphoneconversations.TheYakuzatoowereheadingbacktoTokyoandthentoShanghaiandtheyweregoingtokillaMajor-generalWang.Waitaminute.Coulditbethesamemajor-general?Itmadesense.Themajor-generalhadKenzoYamamotokilled.Apparently,hewaskilledbysomekindoftoxicpound,oneusedforassassinationspredominantlyinChina.TheYakuzarevengetheirown.Thekeythingwastomanagenottogetcaughtupintheensuingcrossfireascollateraldamage.So,theyhadnotonlythePLAtoworryaboutinShanghaibutalsotheYakuza.ItseemedtheJapanesewereunstoppable,trackinghimfromLondontoHongKongandnowtoShanghai.Theywouldhavetobeextracareful.Caldwell’sthoughtswereinterruptedbyMeiLintuggingathisarm.
“Usethispassportchip,it’sinanothername.”Shegavehimthechip,tooktherealonefromhimandplaceditinasmallcontainer.
“WoulditbyanychancebeaMr.Johnson?”
“That’sright.”
“Butwhataboutthedigitaltagthatgetsplacedonpassportchipseverytimeyouusethem?”Caldwellasked.
“Don’tworryaboutthat.Ibribedthecheck-ingirl,it’sallsorted.ItoldherIwasgoingonadirtyweekendwithamarriedlaowaitoShanghaianddidn’twantthetriptoshowuponhischip.AndbeingayoungShanghaigirlsheunderstoodtotallyandwassympathetic.”
“Thatwouldexplainthemischievouslookonherfacewhenshegavemetheticket,”Caldwelllaughed.MeiLinwinkedathim.
“Wouldn’ttheauthoritieshaveyouonfileasanagentandalertsomeonewhenyouwentthroughimmigration?”
“TheynormallywouldbutFoulerhassomethingontheheadofimmigrationforthewholeofNewChina.Somethingbad.You’llfindnoHYDRAnamesonthelist.Weknow.Wehaveaccesstothelist.Besides,IamtravelingasMs.Zhu,anattachéattheUnionEmbassyinBeijing.”
“Talkabouthackingthesystem.”
“Alittlereverseguanxineverhurtanybody.”
Eventhoughtheyhadnoluggageintheholdoftheaircraft,theystillproceededtotheluggagecarouselstayingreasonablyfarbackfromtheotherpassengersbutwiththetallframesofthePLAofficersalwaysinsight.Theywaitedattheluggagecarousel,takingcaretostayoutofsight.MeiLinhadtheearphonesconnectedtotheplantedbuginoneofherears.
“Anythinginteresting?”Caldwellasked.
“Onlytoaguy,perhaps.Theyaretalkingaboutwheretheyweregoingtoforabitofentertainmentafterthisisallover.”
“Soallthisissomethingthathasafinitetimeframe?”
“Itwouldappearso.”MeiLin’smouthopenedinhorrorasCaldwellutteredexactlywhatshewasthinking.
“TheAIisgoingtobeinsertedintocyberspace?ButwhyShanghaispecifically.Thissuggestssomekindofclosednetworklocatedhereinthecity,”Caldwellsaid.
“Possibly.Evenso,it’sjustamatteroftimebeforetheshithitsthefananyway,ifsuchanAIreallyexists.WithanAIthatpowerfulinthere,who’stosayifFoulerorwhoeverelsecandoanythingtopenetrateit?”
“Ineedtogainaccessbeforethathappens.”
“Howareyougoingtodothat?”
“Noidea.I’llleaveittoKenzoYamamoto’sconsoletofigurethatout.”
“Greatstrategy,Caldwell,”MeiLinsaidsarcastically.JustatthatmomenttheTsinghuaserversemergedfromthedepthsofthebaggagehandlingsystem.TheyhadbeenenclosedinmilitarygreencontainersbutthePLAs’determinedmovementtowardsthecontainerswasconfirmationenough.ThePLAheavedthecontainersoffthecarouselandproceededtopushthemthroughtothearrivalsarea.MeiLinandCaldwellfollowedandwatchedthemmoveofftowardsthediplomaticchannel.Twoothermilitary-lookingmeninplainclothesandsportingrecentbuzzcutssidledupandstartedtalkingtothePLAofficers.MeiLinindicatedthattheybetterhurryastherewasaqueueforforeignnationals.Caldwelltookhisplacebehindalivelygroupofaboutadozenover-weighttouristsandwaited.
MeiLinwentquicklythroughthediplomaticchannelandstoodwaitingforCaldwellontheotherside.TheAmericantouristswereallgoingthroughimmigrationasagroup.AChinesetourguidewascollectingtheirpassportchips.Caldwellstoodimpatientlywaitinghisturnandscannedthecrowds.
TheAmericantouristswentthroughpassportcontroltothearrivalsarea.MeiLinhaddisappeared.Itwashisturn.Hewalkeduptothecounterandhandedtheimmigrationofficerhispassportchip.Thedark-skinnedyoungmanlookedathimcloselythroughcoldunsympatheticeyes.
“FirsttimeinShanghai?”Caldwell’schipwentintothereader.Theofficer’seyeswerefocusedonwhateverthechipsaidonhisputerscreen.
“Yes.”Caldwellwasn’tsurewhetherMr.Johnson’sprofilewouldmatchhisresponse.
“Businessorpleasure?”
“Justheretoseethecity.”Caldwellsaid,tryinghisbesttosoundlikeawell-offEuropeaninShanghaiforabitoffun.
“WeletoShanghai,Mr.Johnson,”themansaidatlength,givingCaldwellbackhischip.Therewasnohintofweleintheboredofficer’seyesbutCaldwellcouldn’tcareless.HewasthroughandhejustwantedtofindMeiLin.TherewerethreeuniformedPLAofficersstandingbehindtheimmigrationcounter,scrutinizingthepassengersastheywentpast.Oneofthemenhadhiseyespermanentlyfixedonthescreenofamilitaryscanner.Theywereprobablyscanningthepassportchipsinpassenger’spockets.MeiLin’sprecautionswereprovinginvaluable.Themendidn’tevengivehimasecondglanceandCaldwellwasdevelopingadeeprespectforherforesight.
CaldwellwalkedintothearrivalsareasearchingforMeiLin.Ahugecrowdofwell-dressedShanghainesestoodbytherailingswaitingfortheirassociatesandlovedonestoemergefromthearrivalsarea.Someofthemheldupprintedplacardswithcorporatelogosandthenamesofpassengersprintedonthem.CaldwellnoticedatleastthreeMr.Johnson’s.TherewerealsoquitealargenumberofPLAsoldiersmovingaroundtheairport.Caldwellsuspectedthatifhehadusedhisownpassportchip,hewouldn’thavemadeitoutofpassportcontrol.HespottedMeiLinstandingnexttotheautomaticdoors.Shesignaledforhimtogooverandherushedthroughthewaitingthrongtowardsher.Thedoorsslidopenandtheyemergedintoaseaoftaxis,coachesandprivatecars.
WWw。xiaoshuotxt.neTt。xt-小.说。天/堂