by Cole Reid
“What do you need from them?” asked Mason.
“Some fake bills,” said Xiaoyu.
• • •
Xiaoyu’s next contact with Diana was at the coffee shop. The coffee shop was the Petri dish that started the interaction between them. They didn’t abandon it. The dish was cleaned every evening and ripe for new interaction every morning. Their interaction came in the morning. It was around the usual time 7:49am, just nineteen minutes after the doors opened.
“Hey fancy dresser,” said Diana.
“Hey cosmopolitan,” said Xiaoyu.
“How’s the coffee today?” asked Diana.
“I liked it better yesterday,” said Xiaoyu.
“There’s something about Wednesdays,” said Diana.
“Different from the rest of the week,” said Xiaoyu.
“Right in the middle,” said Diana.
“Like us,” said Xiaoyu.
“We’re in the middle?” asked Diana.
“Thereabouts,” said Xiaoyu
“Really?” asked Diana. Xiaoyu smiled and took a sip of coffee.
“No,” said Xiaoyu, “Now that I think about it. Not quite.”
“Why?” asked Diana.
“I’ll tell you later,” said Xiaoyu.
“You’re shy now?” said Diana.
“Very,” said Xiaoyu, “But I’ll be less shy later.”
“When’s later?” asked Diana.
“After work,” said Xiaoyu, “I’ll pick you up. I’m only reading over and making some suggestions to some contracts. Shouldn’t take too long.”
“Ok, just wait outside the building at six,” said Diana, “I’ll be out shortly after.”
• • •
Xiaoyu was on time. In front of the building was an angular metallic sculpture surrounded by a spraying fountain. It was a strange combination. Management couldn’t make up their mind about the fountain. One manager came through the front entrance. She wore her hair simple as always and the same red top and white skirt that Xiaoyu remembered from the morning. Her lips remembered his. They walked on the sidewalk down the entryway.
“So what did you mean earlier?” said Diana, “You said you’d tell me.”
“About what?” asked Xiaoyu.
“About us not being in the middle,” said Diana, “Or whatever it is that you said.”
“I said that because you haven’t spent the night at my place yet,” said Xiaoyu, “I’ve spent the night at yours many times.”
“I’ve been to your place,” said Diana.
“Not the same,” said Xiaoyu.
“And that hurts your feelings?” said Diana.
“Little bit,” said Xiaoyu.
“That can be easily rectified,” said Diana.
“Let’s rectify it this weekend,” said Xiaoyu.
“OK,” said Diana, “This weekend we stay at your rented, poorly decorated apartment.”
“Now you’re trying to hurt me all over again,” said Xiaoyu.
“You noticed,” said Diana.
“More like noticing a pattern,” said Xiaoyu.
“You’re the one who’s leaving,” said Diana, “I have to get them in when I can.”
“While you can,” said Xiaoyu.
“Now your starting to hurt me,” said Diana.
“I used to box,” said Xiaoyu.
“But you don’t have gloves on,” said Diana.
“I didn’t say I boxed with gloves,” said Xiaoyu.
“If not gloves then what?” asked Diana.
“Just these, with hand wraps,” said Xiaoyu.
“I don’t believe you’re joking,” said Diana.
“Why?” asked Xiaoyu.
“It would explain the scars on your face,” said Diana, “Like that one and that one.”
“You’re good with detail,” said Xiaoyu.
“I’m a systems administrator,” said Diana, “It’s all in the details.”
“That’s good,” said Xiaoyu, “That’s how you know I wasn’t joking.”
“About the boxing,” said Diana. Xiaoyu threw his hands up and balled them into fists.
“Is that a challenge?” asked Diana.
“A demonstration,” said Xiaoyu.
“I may be skinny but that doesn’t mean I won’t kick you in the balls,” said Diana.
“You could,” said Xiaoyu, “But there’s a better use for them.”
“Not until this weekend,” said Diana.
“This weekend then,” said Xiaoyu.
• • •
Thursday came and went as did Friday. Diana packed an overnight bag and prepared to spend the next two nights away. Xiaoyu’s rented apartment was like a rented apartment. The furniture didn’t impress. The dinnerware wasn’t enough. But it was near the embassies, which was great for getting in touch with the Chamber of Commerce. The US Chamber of Commerce hosted a reception on Saturday and Xiaoyu showed Diana the invitations. She was happily surprised and hotly appalled that Xiaoyu hadn’t told her in advance. She didn’t bring anything to wear to a reception. Xiaoyu had planned ahead. He took her shopping. He didn’t just go with her. He also set two conditions. He wouldn’t pay for anything more that $1,000 American and she had to buy from a store east of downtown near the embassies. He explained that she could buy something over $1,000 but she would have to make up the difference. She called him cheap. He said the key to successful transactions was regarding limitations.
In the end, she picked out a black silk dress that matched her silk black hair. The fit was flattering and the dress was within range, $729. At the register, Diana was almost giddy. Her giddiness left and returned with alarm when she noticed Xiaoyu paying with cash. She had never seen him do it before. And the amount was large. He gently laid ten hundred dollar bills on the counter, counted them out and returned two to his wallet. The boutiques near the embassies accepted Dollars, Yen or Pounds. Diana remembered Xiaoyu saying he would pay as long as she shopped in the area near the embassies. It was odd for him to want to pay cash. The real oddity was throwing away cash. Boutiques near the embassy offered transactions in foreign currency as a courtesy to the diplomatic circles. But the transactions were one-sided. The stores were a cartel. They all agreed to offer the service and all agreed not to accept a bill lower than twenty. Any excess amounts would not be returned in foreign currency or Ringgit. It would be absorbed by the boutique as cost of doing business. Xiaoyu put $800 down on a $729 dress. The extra $71 went missing. He would never see it again. Diana looked at Xiaoyu and he thanked the clerk as the clerk thanked him. He didn’t seem to care about the money. If he did care, it wasn’t $71 worth. The clerk handed the boxed dress to Xiaoyu who handed it to Diana.
• • •
They ate lunch in the city center. It was a salad bar. The topic of the dress purchase didn’t come up, other than Xiaoyu congratulating Diana on her good taste. After lunch, they went back to Xiaoyu’s rented apartment. Xiaoyu said he wanted to take a nap before the reception. He retired to the bedroom. Diana stayed up to watch TV; something wouldn’t let her sleep. Xiaoyu took his shower first. When Diana entered the bathroom, she smelled a strange chemical vapor. Hairspray. Deoderant. Eau de Toilette. She couldn’t decide. She took a shower almost somber. She was excited about going to the reception, but the week had brought out subtle differences in Xiaoyu, subtle but noticeable. He had never complained about her not spending the night at his apartment before. Her apartment had always seemed more comfortable because she actually lived in it. Making love in a rented apartment gave way to wandering thoughts. How many couples came before us? Were they’re only couples? If you like to party, why do it at home? Why not rent an apartment? At least no one had to know where you lived.
• • •
Xiaoyu and Diana arrived at the reception fifteen minutes after the time listed on the invitation. It was no one’s fault. Diana was fashionably late when she could be. Xiaoyu learned the technique from her. The reception had a flair all its own. No exp
ense was spared. Champagne Krug. Hors d’oeuvres of smoked ham and strawberry cream cheese. Stuffed olives and African peppers. The high cost was as obvious as owing the tab. The catering was a gross mess in terms of organization. Organized messes were always expensive. And security had to be served along with the finger foods. But the Chamber of Commerce had to put its best foot forward for local business interests. The event couldn’t just be good enough for government work. The money was well spent.
Diana saw some familiar faces. Joe was there. Mason was there. Alex and Bobby were together. The conversation was lead by Diana. She felt comfortable around men. Women were competitive. Attention was best if undivided. It was wasted if vied for by a multitude. Diana had a shyness that turned itself inside out with an audience. Mason didn’t see what Xiaoyu was talking about. The self-conscious woman with dissolving jealousy didn’t arrive. But Diana—the cosmopolitan—did. She held her champagne flute just right, tilting her head just so. It became immediately clear why a girl from a small town in Manchuria hadn’t gotten homesick and gone back there. The key to Diana was in her conversation. A skinny doll-faced girl living in the city didn’t look tough enough for the town. But the big city didn’t cater to the tough. It catered to those who did anything to survive. Knowing what Diana was involved in made it all the more obvious. She helped Malpen forge currency because it was a way to come up in the city. By the time the evening was done, they all understood. Her skinny frame was deceptive. Diana was the type not to go down without a fight.
The night ended without Xiaoyu or Diana saying much when they got back to Xiaoyu’s apartment. It wasn’t long before they fell asleep. The next morning was surreal for Diana. For Xiaoyu, it was as real as could be. She woke up to a lonely bed. But she had space. She didn’t see Xiaoyu so she stretched out her arms and legs to feel for him. She felt nothing. She idled on top of the bed for several minutes before she heard the shower and realized he was still around. She got out of bed out of curiosity. She put her t-shirt on. The apartment was a one bedroom. Besides the bedroom, there was only a small foyer, a sizeable living room, a medium kitchen and a bathroom. The living room had a modern glass coffee table. Apartment management kept current magazines on the table for guests. The magazines were gone. They had been replaced. Where the magazines should have been were dollar bills, stacks of bills. Five rows of hundreds were neatly stacked with one row of fifties. Diana stood staring at the stacks of money. She thought nothing. The shock wore on and on. Her mind’s eye was snow blind, lost in a white maze. There was nothing to think, only to look and be lost.
She was in a stupor that she couldn’t be brought out of, but distracted from. The distraction came when Xiaoyu emerged from the bathroom covered only by a bath towel wrapped around his waist. There was nothing else covering him, not even his polymer skin. Xiaoyu stood in full view of Diana. Diana had a full view of his tattoo.
“What is that?” asked Diana pointing at the tattoo
“It’s called the Reverse Mark or the Backward Scar,” said Xiaoyu.
“The tattoo?” asked Diana.
“Yes,” said Xiaoyu.
“Why do you have it?” asked Diana.
“I earned it,” said Xiaoyu, “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
“What do you mean?” asked Diana.
“In Hong Kong, the Triads choose one boy to carry this mark,” said Xiaoyu, “But he earns it by living. They put him in a cage and he has to fight for years. Killing anyone else in the cage with him. If he can do that for eight years, he earns the Mark.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Diana, “Triads?” Xiaoyu nodded his head staring at Diana. The bubble full of idiosyncrasies in his behavior spooked Diana. She ran for the door. Xiaoyu was faster. Before Diana had time to open the door Xiaoyu used his body weight to pin her against the door. She didn’t scream she squeaked. He took off his towel and used it as a tie for her hands, grabbing one hand then the other, tying them behind her back. He pulled her by her arms back into the living room and threw her down on the sofa. She was still warming up her voice to scream.
“Liu Dan,” said Xiaoyu, “If anything were going to happen to you it would have happened by now.” Diana looked at Xiaoyu standing in front of her covered only by his tattoo.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” said Xiaoyu. He was half right. She had seen him naked. The dragons suspended on his body were new. He appeared more animal than anything else.
“You want to know what I want,” said Xiaoyu, “I want to save your life.” The mention of her life made Diana panic. She started to scream for help.
“If you leave this apartment with anyone but me you’re going to regret it,” said Xiaoyu. He didn’t tell her to stop screaming. He wanted her to figure it out for herself.
“Those bills over on the table are from Malpen. The Americans know Malpen is counterfeiting Ameican bills and you are one piece of it,” said Xiaoyu. The mention of her company name made her choose hearing over yelling.
“I’m being honest with you because now is the time,” said Xiaoyu.
“For what?” asked Diana.
“Honesty,” said Xiaoyu.
“I took you to the reception last night so you will believe what I’m saying,” said Xiaoyu, “I do not work in finance in Hong Kong. I work for American intelligence. So do my friends, the guys you met. This tattoo you’ve never seen. They give me a high-tech spray to cover it up. Everything is to disguise who we really are.” The story wouldn’t have been believed the first time they met or on their first date. But he knew about the counterfeiting and his tattoo showed he had been hiding something. She was inclined to believe him.
“Why are you telling me this?” asked Diana.
“Because of Yamila,” said Xiaoyu, “They have decided that she is a priority over you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Diana.
“The Americans are getting close to pulling the trigger,” said Xiaoyu, “Shutting down Malpen. Malpen will not have any fault for this. I’m going to say this again. Malpen will not have any fault for this. It is too important to this country for them to let this get out. My guess is they will pin it on you and other members of the company. All executives will deny knowledge and you and a few others in your department will be left to hang. They’ll prosecute you or deport you. The Americans will not protect you. Yamila they will protect if she cooperates. When this is over, if you’ve lost your job and that is all that happens to you, you will be so very lucky. Malpen may even kill you as a cover up. It depends on them not the Americans. I want the Americans to choose you over Yamila. If the Americans agree to take you in, you’ll be alive and you’ll avoid prosecution. Either way your job at Malpen is gone. Start thinking of it as such.” Diana was startled by how much Xiaoyu already knew. She decided that he had weighed her options for her and trusting him was her only option. She told him what she knew.
She was in charge of logistics programming. She created a curtain that allowed Malpen to mask their counterfeiting by hiding it in a separate database that ran invisible on the servers at Malpen. It automatically fudged raw materials such as cotton to show a reduction in output for any cotton that was used to make fake bills. They also logged all fake bills they had printed. They were over halfway to a billion dollars counterfeited. Diana maintained the database system herself. The less peopled involved the better. Only three board members knew about the counterfeiting and her immediate boss who suggested her as the one to run the database. He was also the one who promoted her every year. Yamila was her liaison. The Kejadian Tempatan was responsible for all shipping and receiving. The paper was processed in India and the bills were printed in Australia and Singapore. They let certain presses lie fallow for long periods to avoid any suspicion. Production had to be shifted and she worked on the entire system. After the bills were produced, she didn’t have working knowledge of where the bills went. The Kejadian Tempatan kept a large quantity for their own purposes. She didn’t know why. But there
was one other thing she knew that was worth its weight in gold. The database program she developed was also used by the Kejadian Tempatan. The program was highly compressed with only administrative access. It took up virtually no memory. It could hide in plain sight. Diana had given the program to Yamila. Her boss at Malpen required it. Yamila was to pass the program over to the Kejadian Tempatan so they could hide their own accounting and update between Malpen’s database and their own. Malpen required this to make sure no members of the Kejadian Tempatan were stealing the money for themselves. It wouldn’t just be theft. It could expose the entire counterfeiting program if a member of the KT was stealing the money to get drunk in a bar or gamble in a casino. Anyone asking serious questions would be serious enough to admit the Kejadian Tempatan didn’t have resources for high quality fakes. Malpen’s three rogue board members were familiar with organizations. They knew organizations were never as organized as they seemed. They forced the KT to be more professional. Fake money couldn’t be spent so liberally. The supply chain was as strong as its weakest link.
The KT had the database that Diana developed and Diana could access it. To Xiaoyu that made Diana more valuable than Yamila but she had to get the database from the Kejadian Tempatan. She didn’t know where the Kejadian Tempatan kept the database but Yamila said the KT owned an exercise gym and hid the database on their computer system but she didn’t know where the gym was. Retrieving the database would make Yamila obsolete to the agency. Xiaoyu knew it.
The gym was in a shopping center on the west end of Kuala Lumpur. Xiaoyu waited until several hours after the gym was closed. The gym closed at 11pm. Xiaoyu and Diana arrived in a rented SUV. Diana had to take responsibility for her situation. She would have to go in and download the database to her hard drive. She would do it alone. Xiaoyu would park the SUV across the street and wait for her. She would call him when she had the database and he would drive over and pick her up. Xiaoyu dropped Diana off at the back of the complex. The back door to the gym had the store logo, Fondness Fitness. Xiaoyu picked the door lock for Diana and used a magnetic keycard to disable the alarm system. He got back in the SUV and drove across the street. He had nothing to do but wait.