“What happened?”
“The Chinese government claims they learned of his scheme because Zhou attempted to blackmail the daughter of two of their citizens. When they found out about him, they took the parents into protective custody. Zhou went to their house for revenge and was killed by Chinese police.”
Aaron rubbed his forehead. “Really? What do Kimbo and Xiaowan have to say about this?”
“That it’s a cover-up. They are placing the blame on Zhou. Kimbo knows for sure that it is bigger than Zhou; he was previously handled by Wong Ka Kui, who the Chinese media says was the Director of the program who turned Zhou in.”
“We just about finished a first draft of the President’s speech. It’s all going to have to be changed now, isn’t it?”
The two men and one woman seated in the room with Aaron nodded. They were used to having speeches gutted and thrown out entirely. The short-bearded speechwriter said, “That’s what we get paid the big bucks for, to come in on Sunday afternoon and leave on Tuesday morning, just so we can make the President sound smart.”
“Aaron, guys, the President wants you all to come up the Cabinet Room to meet with him. He wants to have a quick discussion with Xiaowan and Kimbo, along with their attorneys. Then you guys will have an hour to work up the speech. He’ll join you for a re-write, and he’ll be speaking to the world before midnight.”
She looked at the White House aide that accompanied her, as if to ask, ‘Did I leave anything out?’
She received a nod of approval from the aide and, without objection, the group headed to the Cabinet Room. All of the persons that previously questioned Xiaowan were seated in the back row where staffers and aides sat during Cabinet meetings. On the far side of the table, where the President would normally sit during a Cabinet meeting, sat Aaron Baker with Xiaowan and Manny with Kimbo.
Chief of Staff Brandon Joseph, FBI Director Michael Schwartz, Attorney General Erik Carter, and the United States Ambassador to China, Cynthia Ruiz, sat directly across from the four. The President entered the room and sat between the two groups at what would be considered the head of the table.
“Good evening everyone,” the President said as he looked at his watch. “We’ll be working through the night so I can address the nation tonight. I have been briefed with new information and believe I have a handle on everything. I want to confirm it with my speechwriting team, here listening in, along with the team that has been handling the investigation.” He gestured to the back row and then to the people seated at the table. “The top people in my administration are also here to make sure we get this right. I’ll ask a few questions, then stay to answer follow-up questions. I expect everyone to be candid, thorough, and, wherever possible, brief.”
The President took a moment to look directly into the eyes of everyone in the room. “I expect no comments, no leaks, no information to leave this room, unless it’s through me, up until the speech. I will call a press conference on Monday afternoon to take questions, so this speech will not be an end to this situation, rather the beginning. Are we understood?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” was echoed throughout the room. And with that, the President and his team prepared for what would be his second four-alarm scandal in the past month. After an hour of questions and answers, the group adjourned. Atypically, the President joined Aaron and the speechwriters for the next two hours.
After the speech was finished, Aaron went back to the Lincoln Bedroom to join Tina, James, and Xiaowan. Manny and Kimbo were in a small conference room with Aurora and her boss, along with Nat Rosetti. It didn’t matter where anyone was or what television station was on, the presidential address bumped the programming and the United States, along with the entire waking world, stopped to hear the President say:
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘There is not a truth existing which I fear or would wish unknown to the whole world.’ It is with this courage, strength, and resolve that I speak to you tonight.
My administration has learned that the Chinese government, dating back nearly forty years, has had a systematic and intentional program in place with the governments and private sectors of the United States and other sovereign nations.
Recently, one American citizen, born in China, has come forward at great personal risk to disclose she was sent to the United States to attend high school with orders to excel in school and obtain an important job at a world-class company. She was tasked with stealing what was believed to be highly advanced influenza research. She did not attempt to steal from her company; she went to the FBI and exposed this program.
Our investigation has shown she was asked to steal something that did not exist. I believe the great American company Ameriprobe will be making a statement that they do not have advanced-stage research for a cure for the influenza virus. Rather, this program was uncovered because of a hoax. We believe another program member, who was sent here from China as a child and has lived in the United States for thirty-five years, perpetrated the hoax to expose the program and for his personal profit.
We understand there are hundreds of American residents and others all over the world similarly situated as she is. I ask now, in the vein of Thomas Jefferson, for any person living in the United States that was a member of this program to step forward to help expose the truth and scope of the program. Let me first remind everyone, ours is a nation of laws. There is no reason to fear or harm Chinese Americans or our Chinese guests. Of the millions living and working here, only a few were sent by the program, as children, and many of the program members have done nothing wrong.
I understand that the Premier of China has stated the program was isolated to one or two rogue operatives and justice will be meted out. We believe the numbers are greater. No matter the number, ours will not be a knee-jerk reaction. We will not erect a wall to prevent the best and brightest in China from entering our shores. As Emma Lazarus said:
‘From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
‘Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she
With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’
Whether they enter from New York harbor and gaze upon the Statue of Liberty or join us from the golden coast, or anywhere in between, we will welcome any bright and hardworking person to our country. The United States and China are almost identical in the amount of land within our borders, but China has one billion more people than the United States. We aren’t scared of your children. We have the ability and resources to welcome them into our country. Smart children from all over the world are welcome here.
In smart planning we need to recognize what works, what doesn’t, and what laws will lead to the best outcome. I implemented a healthcare reform act and I hate to admit that a billion dollars was spent on it and it is an abject failure. But I must be honest and candid. I thought the problem could be solved by increasing insurance rolls, but that had no effect on the cost of medical care. What we need are more physicians. The fastest way to get more physicians is to ease immigration restrictions on foreign physicians for an immediate influx, and then to create an environment conducive to healthcare.
My administration is ready to lead the United States into not only the medical arena, but all fronts of global commerce where we train, recruit, and retain the best and brightest in the world. The United States, with only three hundred million citizens, is the global leader in medical innovation, and all other innovation, and we intend to keep it that way. China, the rest of the world, send us your smart and hardworking, in a responsible way, and we will gladly take them.
Sometimes in the quest to do what a person thinks is right, they do wro
ng. Our own NSA was too aggressive with listening in on private phone conversations. Despite the best of intentions, the government under my stewardship did wrong. All governments in the quest for the betterment of their people make mistakes. Parents, in the quest for the betterment of their children, make mistakes. We will make room for those who are smart and hardworking in this country, but it must be done legally and in an organized manner. My solemn promise is to be candid and forthright, and to devise a plainly understood policy regarding immigration.
In the next few days, I intend to present Congress with ideas so they can present me with a bill to solve our immigration problems. There is no perfect solution. There is no way for everyone to be happy. But here are the general guidelines for the bill I want before me.
First, anyone entering the country illegally from this moment on will never become a citizen of this country and you will be deported. I will sign this into action via an executive order later this evening. You will be held in a detention facility, much like a prison, until such a time when we can return you to your country of origin. I cannot adequately stress, do not attempt to enter the United States illegally.
Second, we must radically overhaul our visa program, which will address our immigration problem. The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 requires employers to spend almost two thousand dollars per year to hire a guest worker. I want to drastically expand the guest worker visa program so that almost anyone without a criminal record can qualify to become a guest worker in the United States.
Instead of having B visas for tourists, H visas for guest workers, and F visas for students, we will have a simple and understandable program. After a sixty-day tourist period, everyone wishing to stay as a guest in the United States must not only pay the application fees, but also pay a fee of approximately one hundred dollars per month if you are over the age of eighteen; fifty per month if you are over ten; and twenty-five dollars per month if you are under ten.
It may not be fair that laborers will have a tougher time with this fee than surgeons. But the sad reality is that life is not fair. Our current Green Card program consists of a lottery; nothing could be less fair, and less American, than letting chance outstrip hard work and ingenuity. Our government’s job is not to make life fair; it is to give people a fair chance. Immigration worked well in this country for a century. It has been common for a parent to come here, become established, and then bring the rest of their family to the United States after establishing themselves. Our policy needs to promote immigration for guests who can support themselves and their families after a sixty-day tourist window expires. If guests can find employment here and pay the monthly guest fee, they should be allowed to stay longer if that is their wish. If it is too hard, the guests can return to their country of origin.
Guests could, after a period of four years, without any government assistance, and if they haven’t committed any crimes, apply to become a permanent resident; and then after a period of time, apply to become a citizen. Our permanent residents are identified by a Green Card. Green signals go. Yellow signals caution, so everyone that enters this country and stays beyond sixty days must obtain a Yellow Card and post a bond or face time in detention followed by deportation.
I am loathe to unleash such massive registration requirements, and the headaches that will follow, but we are a nation of laws. We cannot allow millions of people to reside in this country in violation of the law.
The United States is more than just a country, it is an idea. An ideal. With open arms, we await those willing to work hard and swear loyalty to the idea and ideal that a person succeeds on their own hard work. I will work tirelessly to craft policies to make that easier.
We start with this truth, Premier Mao. We welcome your best and brightest to stay here forever, where they can breathe clean air and know they are safe to speak out and oppose our government programs when they go awry. The United States is a country where we work together to accomplish great things, starting with a clear immigration policy.
Congress. Country. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 35
A few minutes after midnight, following more debriefing and political pundits’ immediate reactions to the speech, Chief Joseph invited Xiaowan and Kimbo, along with their attorneys, to spend the night at the White House.
Xiaowan and James were situated in the Lincoln Bedroom, Manny was in the West Bedroom, Kimbo was in the East Bedroom, and Aaron and Tina were in the Queen’s Bedroom. Chief of Staff Joseph thought it would be a great PR move to show the world that two former Chinese spies spent the night in the White House as guests instead of being rushed off to prison. The President liked the bold gesture. We are not afraid.
Tina was talking to Aaron in the bathroom while he brushed his teeth. She asked him incredulously, “You told the President of the United States to say all that?”
He nodded and then spit into the sink. “Why do you look so surprised?”
“The President’s plan seems so obvious. If people really want to be here, they can pay for it. So if they can’t find a job, they leave or are less likely to come in the first place. How has that not already been done?”
Aaron took a moment to cup water into his hand and rinse his mouth, thinking for a second. “Because it’s politics. Both sides consider the winners and losers of any bill and try to play team against team instead of putting the country first. With immigration, the Democrats are afraid of losing union support if they allow an influx of cheap labor, and the Republicans are afraid of all the increased costs of social services. Any solution will upset some of their constituents. So if they do nothing, they can get reelected by blaming the other side.”
“Do nothing Congress.”
“The sad thing is, it’s usually better when they do nothing. In the past fifty years, I can’t name more than one or two reforms that did any good. Those that worked well, like welfare reform under President Clinton, came from a sound policy of trying to move people off government assistance and into the workforce. The President needs an immigration policy and I think he has the broad strokes of one now.”
“Allow everyone who wants to work hard to come to the United States. It will cost them whether they find work or not, so those who wouldn’t be able to find a job are less likely to come.”
“Sounds simple and fair. Pay your own way. It also becomes an ideal way to account for seasonal workers who can find agricultural work for only half the year. Their employer doesn’t need to pay a fee for a full year for each worker or look to find people who entered the country illegally.”
Quickly done with politics, as usual, Tina was about to start brushing her teeth when she grasped the toothbrush tightly in her fist. “Do you think Xiaowan will be okay?”
“She didn’t do anything wrong. She was sent here as a child and fell in love with our country and her husband. She never stole any secrets. I think the President recognizes this and will push for a policy that will protect her, one similar to what he proposed in his speech.”
Tina’s grasp loosened on the toothbrush. Knowing that Xiaowan worked as hard as she did, she asked, “What about her job?”
Aaron smiled widely. “You know I always wanted to get into employment law. There are mandatory attorneys’ fees for wrongful termination in California and she didn’t do anything wrong.”
With her free hand, Tina smacked Aaron on the shoulder and teased, “Always the opportunist.”
“Always the capitalist.”
Tina put the bead of toothpaste on her brush. “When Chief Joseph said we could stay in the Lincoln Bedroom, why did you ask him if we could stay here instead?”
“This is called the Queen’s Bedroom because Queen Elizabeth stayed here as a guest. I know how much you like castles and royalty, I thought you would get a kick out of it.”
With a mouthful of foamy toothpaste, she turned around and looked Aaron in the eyes. “Shometimes you do sha shweetest ings.”
“And other
times, I’m getting us chased by dirty Secret Service agents and caught in the middle of international conspiracies.”
Tina spit in the sink. “I think you might be worth the trouble, Mr. Baker.” She rinsed her mouth and dried her face with a towel. “And tonight I’m going to treat you like a king.” She took off his t-shirt and, in all her naked glory, took him to bed.
Directly across the East Sitting Hall, James whispered, “Xiaowan, do you hear that?”
“What?”
“Shhh. Listen.”
“Is it footsteps?”
James smiled. “I think it’s coming from the rumpus room.”
“Rumpus room?”
“That’s what we used to call the playroom where parties took place.”
“You think those footsteps are from a party?”
“A private party for Aaron and Tina.”
Xiaowan recognized what the sounds were. She smiled seductively. “Well if it’s my last night before going to federal prison…”
Manny thought he heard faint sounds coming from down the hall. Now he was sure he was hearing sounds coming from somewhere on this second floor. In a White House bathrobe, he opened the door and looked to his left and right. He took a few steps to the left and was in the middle of the stairway landing on the second floor of the White House when he realized what he heard. Thumping and the occasional hushed moan from the Queen’s Bedroom and Lincoln Bedroom.
Manny smiled broadly. The White House was rocking tonight. He missed his wife and went back to the West Bedroom to call her. It was just after midnight in D.C. but only after nine there. She was happy and relieved to hear he was okay.
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