Shanghai Girl

by Vivian Yang

  The voice sounds vaguely familiar.

  “Evening Pearls. How may I help you?”

  “Gordon Lou, please.”

  “Who’s calling?”

  “My name is Ed Cook. I’m an acquaintance of Mr. Lou’s.”

  The familiar voice hesitates for a second. “What is this regarding, Mr. Cook?”

  “Business.”

  There is a pause. “Did you say your name was Edward Cook?”

  “Yes. He’ll know who I am.”

  “Are you the Ed Cook I know? I am-mmmmmm … ”

  My brain has switched gears within seconds. The woman who works for Lou could actually be someone I know. “Wait! You sound … Let me see … ”

  She giggles, followed by a weak, once familiar orgasmic moan: "Mmmm-Lo-Lo!-Lo!! Shoot!!!"

  "Lotus Siew!"

  The sound of her suppressed laughs tells me she’s cupping the receiver with her hand. “Small world. What are you calling Mr. Lou for?”

  “Business,” I repeat. “I didn’t know you work for this guy.”

  “You never asked, did you?”

  “Listen, we have to get together. Let me take you out to dinner one of these days.”

  “Since when are you interested?”

  “Look, I’m serious. We should get together and catch up on things.”

  “We can catch up on things on the phone. What have you been doing lately?”

  “Well, believe it or not, I am a Wall Street lawyer now. I work as an associate for a firm downtown. But I mean we really should get together, for old time’s sake.”

  She gasps. “No kidding. Which firm?”

  “Sachs & Klein.”

  “Oh, my God. It’s weird I never saw your name on the circulation list. So you’re talking to Mr. Lou about the listing in Hang Seng?”

  My heart tightens. The old fart uses us as his counsel. Christ! I have to be a little discreet. And listing in Hang Seng? He’s moving overseas.

  “W-well … , look, I told you I was new with the firm. But actually I was trying to talk to Mr. Lou about something else. Is he available?”

  “Let me check, Ed.”

  “Thanks, Lotus. And I will call you back so we can talk some more.”

  “If you don’t, I know where to find you, now. Hold on, Ed, I have Mr. Lou for you.”

  “Yes,” his deep voice comes across curtly.

  I go straight to the point. “Yes, Mr. Lou. I wondered if you know Miss Sha-fei Hong’s phone number. If you can give it to me.”

  “I thought she was with you.”

  “Not anymore. And I think you know why. Now I don’t want to be unpleasant, but you shouldn’t stop a woman from seeing a man just because you don’t happen to like it.”

  “Enough! How dare you call this office and discuss Sha-fei Hong after what you did to my daughter? Lucky I didn’t … “

  I jump in. “Listen, old man. Two can play the game. How does this sound for a front page headline of The Gotham Tribune: 'Federal prosecutors have indicted Gordon Lou, President of Evening Pearls, Inc., a former New York-based garment firm, for evading U.S. customs duties and corporate taxes. Lou is charged with defrauding the U.S. government by ... '"

  “Shut up! You’re bluffing!"

  "Oh, yeah? We shall see! Good day!" I slam the receiver down.

  “Evening Pearls.”

  “Listen, Lotus. It’s Ed again. Do me a favor: say absolutely nothing to Gordon Lou about knowing me.”

  “Why? What’s the big deal?”

  “Sorry, Lotus. I had an unpleasant exchange with your boss. Just don’t mention anything about me to him. Nothing! Can you promise me that?”

  “If you say so. But why? We use your firm. You may have to deal with him one way or another.”

  “Look, Lotus, just listen to me, okay? Plus I really want to get together. What are you doing tonight?”

  “I have a date.”

  “Oh come on. Cancel it!”

  “I can’t. I’m engaged.”

  I gasp. “Holy shit! You’re not kidding?”

  “Congratulations are due, Mr. Cook.”

  “Jesus, of course! Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “You don’t know him.”

  “Is he Chinese?”

  “Yes.”

  I’m on the verge of saying “Your boss will be happy” but I ask instead, “Is there a date for the wedding yet?”

  “November ninth.”

  “Send me an invite, will you?”

  “Just give me your address.”

  “You want to come over and visit? I will cook dinner for you. Sauna Barbecued Moratorium with duck sauce.”

  “Sauna-barbecued what?”

  “Got’ya! Moratorium is my dog.”

  “Oh, God! You got a dog now? And you’re going put him on sauna grates? I’m grossed out.”

  “I thought you guys like dog meat. Remember the saying ‘The Cantonese will eat anything with legs but tables and chairs’?”

  “Give me a break, Ed. You’re really sick. I have to go. Got work to do.”

  “One last thing. Did you notice any young women from China in your office recently?”

  “We run a factory here. Most of the people are young women from China. What are you getting at?”

  “Oh, forget it. Stay in touch. And, congratulations.”

  I am determined to nail the mean-spirited Gordon Lou. I’m certain of one way: If you can't catch someone elsewhere, you can always do it on tax evasion charges. I threatened him with that on the phone and he really seemed to react. He must have something he’s trying to hide.

  I give the eager new paralegal this assignment: Here's a Lexus/Nexus and Westlaw search request. Use the client/matter code of General Solutions, Inc./Bankruptcy for billing. Everyone in the firm I have observed - from partners to paralegal to proofreaders to temps - has been charging on the "GSI/brpt" account for miscellaneous, unrelated, and unaccounted-for expenses. Small wonder General Solutions is bankrupt. Every buck they make goes to our legal fees and bank interest. Sure, it’s against the law for the firm to do this, but we are a firm of legal experts. As long as the interpretation sticks, anything is legal. Everybody in the firm just looks the other way.

  I give these headings for the para to search: Evening Pearls, Inc., Gordon Lou, IRS, Personal Income Tax Returns, Federal corporate tax, New York State tax, New York City tax, Securities and Exchange Commission, Universal Commercial Code, and charitable contributions. Mix and match whichever way you want. Just give me clues. Clues to the dirt on Gordon Lou.

  The girl works at it for hours. Finally, the report comes out fast and clean. A Westlaw search has this headline for a February 1985 story in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post: "Evening Pearls purchases Shanghai Garment Factory. To List on Hang Seng." The old fox has indeed moved his operations offshore. Now there's something for me to go after. Nobody can do such a cross-border deal seamlessly, not even my own old man if someone is determined enough to get him. And a half-minted so-called Chinese-American like Gordon Lou? He doesn’t even stand a chance!

  But the man obviously is an old client of the firm. I don’t want to make waves before I really have something. And I’ll make sure Lotus doesn’t tell Lou who I work for.

  16 Gordon Lou: The Lofty Move

  Yesterday, the Nice Jewish Boys Moving Company pretty much cleaned out this place. All the machinery and equipment packed up and out, I let my workers and office staffs go last week. The only thing left is my personal office furniture. My desk, my display case, and my phone.

  The Israeli boys, who spoke Hebrew among themselves, were just moderately fast. Hard for me to know how nice they were. Moving. Selling physical labor. The line of work for new immigrants to America. The Irish, the Italians, the Chinese, the Eastern Europeans, the Jews. Nearly every ethnic group that has set foot in New York has gone through this phase. Becoming a mover in New York is easy. Becoming a mover and a shaker in this town is a different story.

  Up un
til a week ago, I thought I was well on my way to becoming a mover and shaker here, what with the final sale of the business and rubbing shoulders with the likes of DellaFaves. But I was wrong.

  First, there was the call from that Ed Cook. Then, Sha-fei showed up for her meeting with me the very next day. Not only did she come with her usual impeccable report but also with an unwelcome surprise: she wanted an H-1 professional-worker sponsorship and a raise matching that status. She told me that I wasn’t the only person interested in her abilities, that she had been given recognition for her work by some political entities.

  “DellaFave’s campaign for Governor?” I asked anxiously.

  She nodded with a faint smile and proceeded to add, “To avoid possible embarrassment for you, Uncle Gordon, I did mention that we’re friends, and that I do occasional work for you as well.”

  “Occasional work? This is absolutely brazen, disrespectful, and ungrateful!” I banged my palm against my desk. “This is a betrayal! How dare you, you underling that I took pity on in China in the name of Tao?”

  But she sat there and calmly replied, “No, Uncle Gordon. You know, and I know, this is not entirely true. And I didn’t betray you at all. To the contrary, I let them know I was working for you so you could save face. I realized you’ve been reviewing the information we gathered to prepare for DellaFave’s big fund-raising event. Incidentally, I’ve been invited, too.”

  “Damn!” I cried out aloud. What a back-stabber! I couldn't believe I was fooled by this young woman. I should have clipped her wings in China and never agreed to sponsor her into the United States. I thought about Ed Cook’s phone call the day before. Could he be masterminding all this for Sha-fei? “You told me you needed more money because you’re on your own now. Is that the truth, Sha-fei?”

  Her large almond eyes glared at me. “Yes, Uncle Gordon. It is the truth.”

  “Why did you leave him?”

  “It wasn’t a healthy relationship. I thought you would be happy to hear that.”

  “It doesn’t make a difference to me anymore, Sha-fei. You’ve double-crossed me, and I cared so much about you.” I shook my head and uttered a wry laugh at myself. “Did he tell you to ask for a raise and an H-1?”

  “No! He didn’t even know I worked for you. You told me not to let him know that.”

  “What did he tell you about me?”

  Sha-fei rolled her eyes and appeared to be thinking hard. “I can’t think of anything, honestly. He hardly mentioned you.”

  “Do you still get together with him?”

  “No, Uncle Gordon. You have to trust me. He doesn’t even know my phone number or where I live.”

  I suddenly believed her. That rascal Ed Cook called me to ask for her phone number. And Sha-fei is absolutely capable of leaving the guy like that. This woman is just too good ……

  An urge to strip her right then and there ripped through me. I wanted to gratify the craving that had been buried in me for so long. Look at her, in a charcoal gray suit, something I had never seen her wear before. And those long legs wrapped inside the nylons. Staring at this creature in front of me in sheer bewilderment, I extended myself and pled, “Come, Sha-fei, come to me. Just come … ” She didn’t move. I walked over and hugged her.

  She eased out just as fast and began in her same composed voice, “I have to get going, Uncle Gordon. I really came to ask for a sponsorship and a raise. I thought if other people were offering, you deserved to have a chance first.”

  Quietly, I pushed my glasses up my nose bridge and considered. Then, I held her hand and said, “Sha-fei, my child. I can certainly give you a raise to nine hundred a month. As to the sponsorship, you know I’m caught in the midst of this move and the sale of the company. I’ve got some very thorny matters to settle. I’m afraid this is not the best time.”

  Her hand still in mine, she looked at me understandingly and said, “Thank you very much for the raise. I do appreciate it, as always. Can I be of some help in the matters you mentioned?”

  I smiled fleetingly and let go of her hand. “I can deal with them just fine, Sha-fei. And thanks for asking. Now take care of yourself.”

  She flashed her dimples while giving me a firm handshake. “Thanks again, Uncle Gordon. You take care of yourself, too. And happy moving.”

  She walked out with those legs on heels before I could say anything else. I stood in my office transfixed, until I heard the faint “ding” of the elevator outside.

  And there goes Sha-fei and that dream.

  Have mercy on me, Almighty Buddha Bodhisattva!

  The expression Nong Qiao Cheng Zhuo jumps into my head after Sha-fei leaves. I have tried to be cunning yet ended up being outwitted by foxiness itself. I have underestimated Sha-fei and got myself into an absurd position. All my efforts lately have been devoted to closing the business here. I hardly thought about this Ed Cook, or even Sha-fei Hong. Big mistake. Well, live and learn. And continue to bear and endure - Ren. Be the Ninja soldier with a design.

  The battle with Ed Cook is fate. Bad karma exists between us. I had sensed the negative Qi, the perverse energy already when I met him in Shanghai by accident. I tried to stay away from him, to deny his existence after what he had done to Irene. But karma keeps bringing him back to haunt me. First through Irene, then through Sha-fei. And now, he even threatens me directly over the phone.

  Tax evasion and illegal dealings abroad. If the accusations stick, he could ruin me and my career. If he dug further, he might find out my transactions through Hong Kong over the years. Sachs & Klein are the only people who know about such matters. This is no joke. Ed Cook has to go. I have no other choice. The Ninja is a warrior with the right moves.

  A call to Dong Kee Siew is in order. The young man had telephoned me about a week ago to offer Chairmen Siew's assistance with my move.

  "We'll arrange to have it done for you free of charge, Boss Lou," he assured me. "The Chinese boys are excellent. All new from Guangdong Province, strong as bulls. They are used to carrying a couple hundred pounds of wheat on their shoulders.”

  But sheer physical strength wasn’t my only concern. “Have they been movers before?” I asked politely. “My mahogany furniture does need to get from point A to point B, scratch free.”

  Dong Kee paused briefly then said, “For you, Boss Lou, we’ll select the best. They won't leave dents anywhere or knock off anything."

  I asked him to thank the Chairman for his kindness, but no, thanks. I did ask him about something else, though. I had found out upon returning from China, that he had asked Lotus out to lunch when I was away. "Lotus is a nice girl," I said.

  "Thank you, Boss Lou. She really is. She told you already?"

  The excitement in his voice made me realize there was something more. “Yeah?” I uttered ambiguously.

  “The invitations will be out soon, Boss Lou. You sure will get one.”

  “Ah. Congratulations, young man. I’m happy for her. You must know that I'm closing shop here, don't you?"

  "Heard a little here and there, yes."

  "Then you know she won’t have to work any longer.”

  “Yes, yes, Boss Lou. And I won’t let her. Just allow me to thank you for providing her years of employment. I’ll let her stay home and bear sons.”

  “Good. I wish you 'Sons and grandsons filling the house.'”

  “It’s certainly most kind of you, Boss Lou. But I thought you were a high-class, American-educated gentleman. You believe in our prayers for male seeds as well?”

  "Do in Chinatown as the locals do."

  It took Dong Kee a few seconds to respond. "Is that a saying I don't know, Boss?"

  I laughed. "No, it isn't. You take care now. And give my regards to the Chairman."

  "Thank you, thank you, Boss Lou. You take care of your precious health yourself. Give me a call if you need anything."

  And now I need something. I will call him to make a deal. As it happens, Mr. Stockman, the owner of Nice Jewish Boys Moving Company
, bought this factory building of mine. The Israeli boys came as part of Mr. Stockman's package deal that I couldn't refuse. In eighteen months, the building will be converted to fifteen loft units for rent, a sure cash cow in the Manhattan housing market. And I have retained an interest in the management company.

  Dong Kee sounded delighted over the phone. He and Lotus will be eternally grateful for my wedding present -- a loft apartment. They, in turn, he vowed in the name of the Clan, would do everything possible to accomplish their end of the deal.

  Soon after my placing the call to Dong Kee, Lotus enters my office to thank me. “Boss, this is marvelous! A 2,000 square feet loft in this building? It must be worth over a million! Brainy and I could never dream of owning an apartment here. Thank you so much!”

  I point at the display case. “Had you told me you were engaged, this could have been yours as well.”

  Lotus’s lychee eyes expand like I never saw them before. “Can I still? Oh, Boss!” She pulls my sleeve coquettishly. “I’ve been taking care of it for so long.”

  I change the topic abruptly. “Did your fiancé tell you what the loft comes with?”

  “Sure, he did. We are still elated.”

  “Think you can handle that?”

  “Absolutely, Boss. Brainy will make sure it runs smoothly. You want to see something?”

  “What?”

  “I’ll show you this, and I then can have the display case, okay?” she says with her head tilted.

  For a split second I envisioned Sha-fei.

  “Show me first.”

  Lotus opens a small, velvet box. Her engagement ring. "It's from the best jeweler in Chinatown, my Lao Dao's old customer. Twenty-four K, not a speck of impurity. The half-carat diamond is imported directly from South Africa. The jeweler has relatives in Johannesburg."

  “Beautiful,” I comment weakly, drawing her to me. “Soon to be a Mrs., aye? So, what stopped you from sharing the good news with your boss? Afraid I wouldn’t like it?”

  Lotus looks frightened, and I am reminded of the fear Sha-fei showed when she saw me changing in the hotel room in Shanghai. Oh, that devilish Sha-fei Hong! I lead Lotus’s hands to my tie and press my lips against hers. She unbuttons my shirt dutifully, as usual, from top to bottom.