The Money Is Green

by Mr Owen Sullivan

  After a minute he hung up and shook Jason’s hand. “How are you doing there, buddy?” he asked in a jovial tone. “I’m sorry for holding you up, but my attorney was going over some final changes to the BLM lease for Antelope Valley.”

  “No problem,” Jason said as he opened his briefcase. “Do you know anything more about Andrew’s death?” he asked in a somber tone. “I mean, it seems so senseless and random.”

  Brian shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything other than his funeral is on Thursday. The police have no suspects or motives. I don’t know why anyone would want him dead.”

  “I don’t either. What a shame.”

  Brain nodded. “Sure is.”

  Jason pulled out a document and handed it to Brian. “I’m sorry we have to talk business at a time like this, but I know you’re running short on days before you have to make your decision. Here’s my revised bid for Copper Mountain. It has all the changes you requested and includes everything we discussed. Do you want me to walk you through it?”

  Taking the document, Brian set it on the corner of the desk without looking at it. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” He put his elbows on the desk and rested his chin in his hands. “I wanted you to come here and see me so I can tell you personally where I’m coming from on this project. Soltech is the low bidder and I should give you the job. But I’m still having reservations about how the products are made and the warranty behind it. Mei Chen is a good businessperson, but I’m responsible to my investors and if the product I chose for this solar farm isn’t up to the industry standards, I’m the one who’s going to have to answer for that.”

  Jason leaned forward in his chair. “I completely get that, but one of the reasons I took this position at Soltech was to change the way we did things. I can assure you that the product we sell to you and the product that ultimately generates electricity for your solar farm will be as good as or better than any other solar panel on the market.”

  “That’s what Mei Chen has promised,” Brian said. “I’m leaving right after the funeral to meet her in Hong Kong to discuss that very issue.”

  “You’re not considering using someone like RayTech are you? This isn’t a made-in-the-USA thing, is it?”

  Brian waved his hand dismissively. “Oh hell no, I’m not using them, although the public relations angle of that might be good. Their solar panels are way too expensive. I’ve also heard they’re having major cash flow problems and might be out of business in less than a year.” He laughed. “After a five-hundred-million-dollar loan from the federal government, they still can’t be competitive. Great use of our taxpayer money, isn’t it?”

  Jason shrugged. “I’d heard those rumors also. But I wasn’t sure who else’s panels you would be using instead of Soltech’s. With Earth-Sun out of the picture, we’re the best option for you.”

  “And you still might be. Mei Chen has a way of getting her way with me.” He winked. “She can be very persuasive, but I’ll be careful with her. I just want to hold off my decision until after we meet. I want to hear it from her how she’s planning to stand behind her product.”

  “So you’ll let me know after you meet with her this Friday?” Jason asked. “Because if we get the job, I’ve got to gear up the production facility. Spitting out nine hundred thousand solar panels in six months is going to require some preparation.” He pulled out a flow chart and scanned it for a second. “We had talked previously that you were going to start grading the site to make it flat and even next month. Is that still the target?”

  “Yes, that’s still the plan, and I’ll let you know Friday if it’s yours.” Brian stood up and stretched. “Everything is on schedule to start in three weeks. I’ve got all the permits pulled, the land lease with BLM is executed, and the Power Purchase Agreement is finalized. All we need to do is build this thing and start collecting revenue from the sun. How exciting is that?”

  “It’s very exciting, and I want to participate in it. I want Soltech to be the supplier of your solar panels. Is there anything I can do to convince you you’re in good hands and that our warranties are solid?”

  “No, Jason, you’ve done everything I’ve asked and then some. I just need some reassurance from Mei Chen.” He sat back down at his desk. “Just out of curiosity, when are you going back to Shanghai to check out your facility? If Mei Chen is convincing enough and I give Soltech the job, I might want to meet up with you and take a look at what you’re doing there.”

  “If you want, I’ll meet you there right after you meet with Mei Chen,” Jason said enthusiastically as he moved to the edge of his seat. “You let me know when you want me there and I’ll make arrangements to join you. I would be happy to give you a tour of our Shanghai facility.” He closed his briefcase and stood to leave.

  “Uh, one more thing before you head out of here. One of the other reasons I want to meet with Mei is to discuss the way she does business. I’m sure you’re going to make a difference in how Soltech will manufacture its solar panels, but I want to make it clear to Mei that I won’t tolerate any slimy deals or underhanded transactions. I want to know that her hands are clean and she had nothing to do with Andrew Dillon’s death.” He paused to let his words sink in. “I have no knowledge she was involved, but we both need to be aware there is that possibility she was involved and, as such, both you and I could be in danger if we do something she’s not happy with. We can’t forget which country she owes her allegiance to and how they solve problems—usually by eliminating them. I’m also somewhat concerned that by not picking Soltech, I might be putting myself and my family at risk of Mei’s retaliation. Who knows what she or her government might do.”

  Jason somberly shook his hand. “I get what you’re saying. I’ll be vigilant.” He turned and headed out of the building, rubbing his sweaty palms together. Oh boy, he thought. I hope Brain is wrong about Mei, but I’m getting uneasy about her too. She has a callousness about her that’s unnerving.

  As he drove away from Inter-Power’s facility, he tapped his index finger on the steering wheel. I need to figure out what to do with Crystal. This is very short notice if I’m going to be on a plane to Shanghai in two days. Should I try to let Janine keep her one more time? It would only be for a couple of days.

  He turned the stereo down and dialed his phone. Janine answered on the second ring. “Hi there.”

  “Hey, good looking. What are you doing?” Jason asked, trying to make his voice upbeat. “Do you have time to meet for lunch?”

  “Of course,” she answered. “Where and what time?”

  Jason thought for a moment. “How about Angela’s over in Fremont? I can be there at 12:15.”

  “You’ve got a date. I’ll see you at 12:15.”

  He turned the stereo up. John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” was on and he hummed along. What a breath of fresh air she is. She’s never demanding, is always in a good mood, and seems to appreciate our time together.

  His thoughts turned back to his conversation with Brian. He furrowed his brow, took a deep breath, and sat up in his seat. He reached up to adjust his rearview mirror, but abruptly stopped. That white van looks like the one that was following me earlier this morning, he thought as he nervously pulled on his collar. He half turned in his seat to get a better look. I can’t make out who’s driving.

  The hairs on the back of his neck started to stand and his palms felt sweaty holding the wheel. He tried speeding up, only to see the van had sped up as well. He put on his blinker and slowly merged into the right lane, his eyes nervously checking the van. Who are those guys? He slowed down, and the van crept up and slowly went by him. He turned and looked at the passenger and the driver, but neither of them paid any attention to him as they made their way down the freeway. Jason’s breathing slowed down as he wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. “Jason,” he admonished himself out loud, “you’re being a paranoid moron! Nobody is interested in you!” He checked the mirror again and let out a sigh. “At least
not yet. Maybe when I return from Shanghai, but not yet.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  The enormous black Steinway piano’s notes carried softly around the room, resonating off the light-stained hardwood floor and the thickly paneled walls. A violin joined in, its notes intertwined with the piano’s, creating a full, rich sound that resonated around the house. An older Chinese woman, dressed in a starched white smock, sat stiffly at the piano, her legs crossed and at least a foot above the ground. Chi, her hair in pigtails and still in her school uniform, stood next to the piano bench, reading the music score over her instructor’s shoulder. Pin, the nanny, sat across the room in an overstuffed chair, silently listening, her hands folded across her lap.

  The woman stopped playing suddenly and pointed at the music score. “That’s an A flat, Chi!” she said angrily. “Why can’t you get this part correct?”

  Chi brought the bow and the violin to her side and started sobbing. “I can’t concentrate anymore, Miss Kim,” she said through sobs. “I’ve been practicing for four hours and I’m tired.”

  Her instructor slammed her hands on the piano. “You don’t have time to be tired, Chi. We don’t have time to be tired. If you don’t do this duet perfectly, you will embarrass your parents in front of the whole Party.”

  Pin, her nanny, stood and walked over to where Chi stood, her shoulders heaving. Pin put her arm around her and spoke to her softly, “How about if you take a fifteen-minute break? Go into the kitchen and see if you can find yourself a treat. Nothing too sweet though.”

  After Chi left for the kitchen, Pin came and sat next to Kim at the piano. “You know how anxious she gets when her mom is about to come home. She’ll be here tonight and I think it affects her a lot.” She patted Kim’s hand. “Try to be patient with her. This concert will come and be gone before you know what happened and she’ll perform it perfectly.”

  Kim looked at her with a resolved expression. “That’s probably true, but then her mom will sign us up for another intense concert with a more intense music piece, and she’ll demand that we practice twice as long. Besides, it’s easy for you to find time to take a break, but you won’t be the one who’s fired and sent to a Chinese prison if Chi isn’t perfect at the concert. I know about a lot of things that go on in this household, and if I wanted to make trouble for Mei, I could easily do it.”

  Pin sighed and stood from her chair. “I don’t think that is wise to speak like that in this house. Why don’t we go join Chi?”

  ♦

  The limousine pulled up through the circular drive and stopped in front of the massive hand-carved oak doors. A short young man leapt out of the front passenger’s seat and hustled to the back door, opening in a swooping motion.

  Mei Chen stepped out, pulling her blue skirt down and brushing it off. Without hesitating, she strode by the man, walked up to the doors, and stopped. She could hear the piano and violin coming through the doors. She turned her head to one side and listened for a minute. Finally she yelled out, “Chi, make the vibrato even! It sounds like you’ve got blisters on your fingers!”

  She opened the door and stepped inside. She walked past the startled Chi and Pin and went to the master bedroom. As she walked by them, she yelled over her shoulder, “Don’t stop. You need to keep practicing. Right now you sound like two cats in a gunny sack.”

  Upon reaching the walk-in closet, she flung racks of clothes aside as she searched for a particular dress. She pushed wave after wave of clothes to the side until she finally found what she was looking for. All right, she thought. This is what I need for tonight. She pulled the outfit out—a long velvet evening gown with sequins up and down the sides. She laid it across the bed and returned to the closet to look for a matching set of shoes.

  A soft rustling noise caused her to look up to see Pin standing contritely in the doorway, her head looking down at the ground. “What is it, Pin?” she demanded.

  Pin shuffled her feet nervously. “Excuse me, Madam Chen, but your husband, Ho, has arrived and requested to speak with you. What should I tell him?”

  Mei gave her a look of disgust and waved her hand in the air. “Tell him I’ll be with him in five minutes.” She turned and focused back on matching her shoes. What could Ho possibly want now? I’m sure it has something to do with the Party and all the drivel that goes with them. I can’t help that those people are a bunch of sheep willing to follow whatever order that comes down from the top. That’s not how I operate.

  A shadow was cast over the room and she could feel Ho’s presence. Without looking she asked, “What is it, husband? I told you I would see you in five minutes. What have you asked to see me about?”

  Ho moved a few feet from her. “It has come to this,” he said in a firm but low voice. “I must ask permission to see you. Do you not see how this looks to the outside world? Do you not know what a mockery you are making of our marriage?”

  Mei turned to him, her hands on her hips, frowning. “You asked to see me. I’m a busy woman and I don’t have time for one of your foolish lectures. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise leave me alone.”

  He cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back. “I have received word that you have told David Wilson, the hotel magnate, that the government of China is getting ready to nationalize his hotel chain.” He started to pace in front of the bed. “And you have informed him that, of course, there is one way to save Mr. Wilson’s properties and that is for him to cede one half of his interests to a citizen of China. A citizen such as yourself.” He stopped and stared at her. “Is this true what I’ve heard?”

  Mei laughed at him. “This is the reason you interrupt me while I’m getting ready to go out? I’m meeting with Mr. Wilson tonight, and what I tell him is my business and nobody else’s. Whatever myself and Mr. Wilson work out is between us.”

  Ho pointed a finger in her face. “Oh no, Mei, you are so wrong. A lot of people are interested in what you do. You are married to a high member of the Party and as such are very visible to the common man. You cannot go around and use the threat of the government to make private citizens give up their possessions to you.”

  She picked up a shoe and threw it at him, missing his head by a few inches. “Who says I can’t?” she screamed. “I am the government! It was my family who marched with Chairman Mao in the early days of the Revolution, not yours. We were the ones who sacrificed and suffered. Don’t tell me I can’t use the government to get what I want!”

  Turning away from him, she stormed past him. Ho followed close behind.

  “Everyone knows the role your family played in the Revolution,” he said, his voice rising. “Your indifference to me makes it clear to the Party members that you feel you are the reason I have my position and that, because of that position, it allows you to do whatever you want.” He stopped a foot away from where she was leaning over the bathroom vanity mirror and applying mascara. “I am warning you, Mei, for your own good. You cannot flaunt your wealth like you do or seize private property. The Party has many eyes, and many eyes are watching what you are doing. They don’t like what they are seeing.”

  She sneered at him in the mirror. “Those people in the Party whom you refer to are jealous jackals. They can’t hide their loathing because they don’t have what I have. But they don’t have what I have because they’re lazy. They want to hide behind the shield of the Party and have the Party take care of them.” She set her mascara case down on the counter. “Nobody is going to do a thing to me. If I want to nationalize a business or seize a property, I will do it. Now leave me alone and let me finish getting ready.” She pushed him out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her mascara and started applying where she’d left off.

  His voice thundered through the door, startling her. “I’ve warned you, Mei. Do not come crawling to me looking for an ally after the Party turns on you! You will be on your own!”

  She stared at herself in the mirror in silence. Humph, she tho
ught. Why did I choose such a gutless man to marry? I could have had any man in the country yet I chose Ho. I was too young to understand that his standing in the Party would be eclipsed by my own and I wouldn’t need his influence. What does he know anyway? He’s always kissing up to the President and Vice Chairman. He can never have his own mind.

  Pulling out a small tube from a drawer in the cabinet, Mei started to apply a bright red-colored lipstick. After a minute she smacked her lips and checked to see if it was on evenly. She held her head high. Nobody is going to tell Mei Chen what she can or can’t do. Nobody! Tonight I will talk some sense into Mr. David Wilson, then tomorrow it’s off to Hong Kong to close the Inter-Power deal with Brian Thompson. It’s good to be the queen!

  ♦

  David Wilson sat alone in a corner table in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out to the west side of the city. Two pigeons, one with a colorful ring around its neck, strutted on the cornice below. The view from the Longang restaurant at the top of the Ritz-Carlton gave a breathtaking sight of Beijing, twenty-five floors above the city, except that most days the pollution was so intense, only vague outlines of buildings could be seen. Crystal glasses clanged and voices speaking various dialects of Chinese filled the vast room as male servers in white coats and black ties made their way around the white linen tables, balancing silver platters filled with succulent dishes of veal, prime rib, and the like.

  “Flying rats.”

  David jumped. He looked up to see Mei Chen standing over him. She was smiling and looking in the direction of the pigeons.

  “I wish the city would declare open season on them and have anyone who wanted shoot as many of them as they could. Get rid of all of them.”

  David stood up and picked up Mei’s hand, giving it a gentle kiss. “Ah, Mei, you always show a soft side to your tough exterior.” He let her hand drop and looked her up and down. “You look splendid as always.” He held her chair as she sat down, and he returned to his seat.