“Pulling a single hair can move the whole body.” Chinese Idiom

  Hangzhou, China – October 23rd, 12:00 PM

  It’s go time. Kang zeroes in on a person emerging from the post office. He calls it in. “The package is moving. Suspect is wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a medical mask.”

  When the perp is roughly four meters away, Kang gets out to follow on foot.

  He doesn’t go far.

  The suspect enters a nondescript apartment building less than a kilometer away. Middle-income, quiet. At noon, most residents are gone. An elderly man prunes his potted plants on his patio. The main door isn’t even locked.

  Kang strolls straight in and hits the button for the single elevator. The door opens right away—either the suspect took the stairs or he lives on the first floor.

  A door opens, and the old man comes out holding his shears. “Are you lost?”

  Kang holds up an envelope, “A young guy in a black sweatshirt dropped this. He came in a minute ago.”

  “That’s the kid from 2A, you can leave it in his box over there.” The old man points to a row of mailboxes on the wall.

  “Thank you,” Kang nods, dropping the letter in the slot.

  ***

  Democratic or socialist, politicians are all the same; they love to hear themselves talk. This meeting could have been over an hour ago, Ryan thinks as he scrolls through emails on his phone. It’s almost time for the meeting to end when the topic of the security budget comes up. Perfect timing.

  “I’ve proposed that funds be reallocated toward upgrading the facial recognition software and expanding the use of CCTVs to the outskirts of the city.” The mayor addresses the bored public and tired party members.

  Ryan glances up, curious to see people’s reactions when the meeting goes off script.

  The Deputy Mayor’s voice comes over the microphone. “I’d like to propose that the funds remain with the Public Security Bureau budget and that we increase their budget. As important as it is for the city to be a front runner of technology, we also need to invest in our best resource, the men and women who protect the citizens and the city’s assets.”

  It takes a moment for the crowd to realize there is some debate happening. A single clap comes from the corner of the room, where the Chief of the PSB is sitting. The rest of the room quickly joins in.

  The stunned mayor doesn’t stay speechless for long. He smooths down his tie and leans into the mic, “It’s late; we will evaluate all the proposals and continue the discussion at the next hearing.”

  Muffled conversations fill the room. Ryan can see the assessing looks the party members are giving the deputy mayor after the public's positive response. They won't want to lose face by rejecting the proposal too quickly, so there will be some pretense of consideration.

  Ryan grins. Soon they will have something real to talk about.

  ***

  “Dad! I need to talk to you.” Lina comes flying at him before he has time to take his coat off. He does a quick head-to-toe exam, no signs of blood, bruises, or tears.

  “What’s up, Melon?” he asks, kicking off his shoes. He hopes it’s something easy because all he wants is food and sleep. His late night turned into an early morning, and he could be called in again any minute. If he is lucky, the suspect will hold up until tomorrow.

  “We need to help Teacher Westcott!”

  Instantly alert, but careful to keep his voice even, he asks, “What happened?”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “She wasn’t at school today,” Lina says, bouncing on her toes. “What if she has a fever and needs to go to the hospital?”

  More like a massive hangover, Man Zhu Bai thinks as the tension drains from his shoulders. She didn’t even wake up when he carried her up to her apartment last night. He set the alarm while Kang checked the locks before leaving the pair of them passed out like overfed kittens.

  “Let your dad get inside the house, “his mother scolds, exasperated, from the kitchen. Man Zhu Bai follows the smell of soup and braised pork belly.

  “But Grandma,” Lina pleads, “She is all alone. What if something is wrong? She doesn’t have anyone?”

  Logically, Man Zhu Bai knows the only thing wrong with Hailee can be cured with a tablet and sleep, but…

  He has an urge to see for himself that she is fine. “Mom, can you pack the soup to go?”

  “You don’t need to give in to Lina’s wild imaginings.” She frowns in disapproval. “Can’t you just text?”

  He could if he trusted Hailee to tell the truth, but she is the type who would say she is fine while on her deathbed. It’s better to see with his own eyes. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Excited, Lina grabs his coat from the entry and hurries him on his way.

  “Make sure she has plenty of warm cola and ginger,” Lina instructs, following him to the door. She rushes to the kitchen for the soup and brings it back before he has his shoes on.

  “Bye, Dad.” Lina pushes him out the door. “No need to rush home.”

  Before he thinks too much about why he is willing to take any excuse to see Hailee, he is on the road.

  ***

  The chime of the doorbell drags Hailee’s eyes open. After dropping Anna at the airport, she crashed on the couch. She buries her face deeper into the pillow only to discover a puddle of drool.

  A follow-up knock forces her to get up. Her head feels heavy as she lumbers to the door. She moves to open it, then remembers the peephole. Oops, too late. To her horror and relief, the person at the door is Man Zhu Bai. Hailee straightens up, and her hands automatically go to her hair.

  “What are you doing here?” She blurts in English, her brain's ability severely diminished.

  “I brought you some hangover soup.” Man Zhu Bai says, holding up a thermos.

  “Come in.” Hailee steps to the side, letting him through. It isn’t the first time he has been here, but it is the first time they are alone in her apartment. The room suddenly feels smaller.

  “Are you feeling better?” He asks as he goes straight to the kitchen.

  Memories from last night rush forward, short-circuiting her brain. She looks down at the floor, searching for the dignity she had abandoned. “Much better.”

  He must remember her making tea before he easily finds the spoons, while she gets down two bowls. She tries to pull her thoughts together as she watches him pour the soup. Why did he come to check on her? Is he interested in her or just being polite? Why is she always a mess when he is around?

  Hailee’s mind races, trying to figure out what to say as she stares at him across the table.

  “Thank you—” she begins, but his phone rings, drowning out her soft voice. His brows narrow at whatever is being said.

  “I need to go back to work.” He pushes back his chair. “Make sure you finish eating and drink more water.”

  Urgent strides take him out the door before Hailee can finish processing. She puts down her spoon as she faces the empty place setting. She doesn’t know what to make of the encounter, and her head hurts too much to figure it out tonight.

  ***

  Kang passes the taxi in his vehicle as the perp gets out in the warehouse district. He parks not much further up and circles back on foot. The security booth is well lit, but unmanned. Kang is able to walk right in. He keeps his head lowered and his face partially covered with a Yankees cap. The complex’s motion sensors blink like a cheap nightclub as trucks and night workers pass by.

  He crosses in front of the long alleys in-between the buildings. In the first two lanes, the lights are clustered around one or more of the buildings that are bustling with activity. However, in the third alley, it is quiet, and the lights flick off and on, illuminating the path.

  Kang stays close to the walls, out of the sensor's range, as he makes his way down the alley. The lights inside the last warehouse at the end of the row come on. Kang waits outside the building for a few minutes, and the lights go off again.

  The door opens, and the suspect comes out. His hood is still up, but Kang can hear him talking on the phone.

  “I finished the system upgrades; even a cockroach won't be able to get in.” The hacker’s voice is low and immature. Most likely a male in his twenties. “Cops are dumb. I trashed the phones.” Kang can hear the smugness. “I’ll send the Black Tigers a single-use code once you confirm the money has been deposited. They’ll have fifteen minutes to load up and get out.”

  Kang moves to the next building as the hacker punches in a code, activating the warehouse's security system. He can only hear pieces of the conversation at this distance, until the hacker let out a high-pitched whine, “but it’s the League of Legends tourney.”

  Kang doesn’t make a sound, but inside, he scoffs. The kid will miss a lot more once he is behind bars.

  Boston, Massachusetts, USA – October 23rd, 12:00 PM

  It is like time traveling, Anna thinks, as if the twenty-four hours on the planes didn’t exist. She doesn’t even have time to look for her parents when she is swallowed in their warm embrace. All the terror from the past two weeks evaporates. She is home.

  Hangzhou, China – October 24th, 12:00 AM

  From the 25th floor, Ryan stares out at the night. The lights from the city overwhelm the stars, making it nearly impossible to see them. He calls Li Jing-Sheng.

  “Tell them they have one hour, or the deal is over.”

  Ryan hangs up the phone. It’s time to finish the game.