‘Maybe.’
Neil was stonewalling, and Kai needed him to be more honest. He said: ‘Do you know which criminal enterprise is the largest in the world today, in money terms?’
‘You’re going to tell me it’s the trade in illicit weapons.’
Kai nodded. ‘Bigger than drugs, bigger than human trafficking.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
‘Both Chinese guns and American guns are easily available on the international black market.’
‘Available, yes,’ Neil conceded. ‘Easily? Not really. The gun that killed Corporal Ackerman was not bought in a regular black-market transaction, was it? When that sale was made, two governments looked the other way: the Sudanese and the Chinese.’
‘Don’t you understand that we hate Muslim terrorists as much as you do?’
‘Let’s not oversimplify. You hate Chinese Muslim terrorists. You’re not so worried about African Muslim terrorists.’
Neil was uncomfortably close to the truth.
Kai said: ‘I’m sorry, Neil, but Sudan is an ally and it’s good business selling them guns. We’re not going to stop. Corporal Ackerman is just one man.’
‘This is not really about poor Corporal Ackerman. It’s about howitzers.’
Kai was taken aback. He had not expected this. Then he recalled a detail from a report he had read two weeks ago. The Americans and others had raided a large and important ISGS hideout called al-Bustan that had truck-mounted howitzers.
So that was what had prompted the UN resolution.
The food came, giving Kai time to reflect. He felt tense, despite his facade of relaxed camaraderie, and he ate his noodles slowly, with little appetite. Neil was hungry after his workout and wolfed his congee. When they had finished, Kai summed up. ‘So President Green is using the North Korea sanctions to punish China for the artillery at al-Bustan.’
‘More than that, Kai,’ said Neil. ‘She wants you to be more careful about the end-users of the weapons you sell.’
‘I’ll make sure that gets through to the highest levels,’ Kai said.
That meant nothing, but Neil seemed satisfied to have delivered the message. He changed the subject. ‘How is the lovely Ting?’
‘Pretty good, thank you.’ Neil was one of the millions of men who found Ting devastatingly attractive. Kai was used to it. ‘Have you found an apartment yet?’
‘Yes – at last.’
‘Good.’ Kai knew that Neil had been looking for a better place to live. He also knew that Neil had found one and moved in, and he knew the address and phone number. He also knew the identities and backgrounds of all the other residents of the building. The Guoanbu kept close track of foreign agents in Beijing, especially the American ones.
Kai paid for the breakfast and the two men left the restaurant. Neil headed for the embassy, walking, and Kai hailed a cab.
*
North Korea’s demand for emergency aid was discussed at a small high-powered meeting called by the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party. The department’s headquarters, at No. 4 Fuxing Road in Haidian District, was smaller and less impressive than the Foreign Ministry, but more powerful. The Director’s office overlooked the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution, which had a giant red star on its roof.
Kai’s boss, Minister of State Security Fu Chuyu, took Kai with him. Kai guessed that Fu would have preferred to leave Kai behind, but did not have at his fingertips all the facts about the crisis in North Korea, and was afraid of looking foolish. This way he could call on Kai for any details – and blame Kai for any gaps.
All those at the table were men, although some of the aides sitting around the walls were women. Kai thought the Chinese governing elite needed more women. His father thought the opposite.
The Director, Hu Aiguo, asked Foreign Minister Wu Bai to outline the problem they had gathered to discuss.
‘There is an economic crisis in North Korea,’ Wu began.
‘As usual.’ The comment came from Kong Zhao, a friend and political ally of Kai’s. It was mildly disrespectful to interrupt the foreign minister like this, but Kong could get away with it. In a brilliant military career he had completely modernized the army’s communications technology, and now he was National Defence Minister.
Wu ignored him and went on: ‘The government in Pyongyang has asked for massive aid.’
‘As usual,’ Kong said again.
Kong was the same age as Kai, but he looked younger; in fact, he looked like a precocious student, with his carefully disarranged hair style and his cheeky grin. In Chinese politics most people were careful to look conservative – as Kai was – but Kong allowed his appearance to advertise his liberal attitudes. Kai liked his nerve.