Kai reckoned that rebellion would probably last half an hour. The army in Xinjiang would come down on the separatists like a wolf pack on a flock of sheep. But at a time like this even a comic-opera military coup was a blow to China’s pride.
It was unnerving, as General Huang immediately demonstrated. ‘This is reactionary imperialism, obviously,’ he fumed. ‘Look at what has happened in the last two months. North Korea, Sudan, the South China Sea, the Diaoyu Islands, Taiwan, and now Hong Kong and Xinjiang. It’s the death of a thousand cuts, a carefully planned campaign to deprive China of territory bit by bit, and the Americans are behind it every step of the way! We have to stop it now. We have to make the Americans pay the price of their aggression – otherwise they will not stop until China is reduced to the kind of servile colony it was a century ago. A limited nuclear attack is the only possible course for us now.’
President Chen said: ‘We’re not yet at that point of desperation. It may come, I know. But for now we must try less apocalyptic methods.’
Out of the corner of his eye Kai saw a look pass between his father and General Huang. Naturally, he thought, they would be disheartened at losing the argument.
Then Jianjun stood up, muttered something about a call of nature, and left the room. That was surprising. Kai knew that his father did not suffer from the bladder problems that were common among older men. Jianjun never admitted to health issues but Kai’s mother kept him informed. However, Jianjun must have had a strong reason to leave the room in the middle of such a vital discussion. Was he ill? The old man was a dinosaur but Kai loved him.
Chen said: ‘General Huang, please prepare for the People’s Liberation Army to enter Hong Kong in force and take control of the government there.’
It was not what Huang wanted, but it was better than nothing, and he agreed without resistance.
Kai noticed Wang Qingli entering the room. Wang was head of Presidential Security. Although a crony of Huang and Jianjun, he was much better dressed, and was sometimes mistaken for the president he guarded. Now he stepped up onto the stage and spoke in Chen’s ear.
Kai did not like this. Something was going on. Jianjun had left the room, then Wang had come in. Coincidence?
He caught the eye of his ally, Kong Zhao. Kong frowned. He, too, was unnerved.
He looked at the president. Chen, listening to Wang, looked startled, then anxious, and even went slightly pale. He was shocked.
By now everyone around the table had realized that something odd was happening. The discussion came to a halt and they waited in silence.
Fu Chuyu, the Security Minister and Kai’s boss, stood up. ‘Forgive me, comrades, but I must interrupt our discussion. I have to inform you that a Guoanbu domestic investigation has revealed strong evidence that Chang Kai is an agent of the US.’
Kong Zhao burst out: ‘Ridiculous!’
Fu pressed on. ‘Chang Kai has been running his own clandestine foreign policy agenda, unknown to his comrades.’
Kai could hardly believe this was happening. Were they really moving to get rid of him, in the middle of a global nuclear crisis? ‘No, no, you can’t do this,’ he said. ‘China isn’t some banana republic.’
Fu continued as if Kai had not spoken. ‘We have proof of three fatal charges against him. One, he informed the CIA about the weakness of the Supreme Leader’s regime in North Korea. Two, that at Yeongjeo-dong he made an agreement with General Pak that he was not authorized to negotiate. Three, that he gave the Americans early warning of our decision to replace the Supreme Leader with General Pak.’
All of that was more or less true. Kai had done those things – not because he was a traitor, but because they were in China’s best interests.
But this was not about justice. Such accusations never were. He might just as easily have been charged with corruption. This was a political attack.
He had thought he was armoured against his political enemies. He was a princeling. His father was vice-chairman of the National Security Commission. He should have been untouchable.
But his father had left the room.
Kai now saw the profound symbolism of that action.
Fu said: ‘Kai’s close partner in these activities has been Kong Zhao.’
Kong looked as if he had been punched. ‘Me?’ he said incredulously. He quickly recovered his composure and said: ‘Mr President, it’s obvious that these allegations have been brought forward at this precise moment because an aggressive warlike faction within your government sees it as the only way to win the argument.’