The King of Shanghai (27 page)

( 39 )

Ava took a taxi from the clinic to the Star Ferry terminal. Thirty minutes later she was in Central, where she bought a disposable phone and a sim card from a shop near the Mandarin. She called Sonny as soon as she stepped outside.

“I have a new phone. Lam needs to know the number — Uncle Fong should pass it along.”

“Okay.”

“Ask Uncle Fong to confirm when he’s done it.”

“I will. Is there anything else I can do?”

“Not right now, but please stay available.”

She walked to the hotel filled with a sense of anticipation. She’d fulfilled her side of the deal and now it was up to Lam to conclude his, and he couldn’t call her soon enough. She checked the new phone to make sure the ringer volume was set to maximum. As she did, her regular phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw a text from Amanda.
Spoke with Gillian again this morning. No decision yet, and I think we have a problem. Call me if you can,
it read.

“Shit,” Ava said softly. “Why now?”

She entered the Mandarin lobby and was almost at the elevators when the new phone rang. “Uncle Fong spoke to Lam. He has your number. He told Uncle Fong that you shouldn’t expect to hear from him till later,” Sonny said.

“Thanks,” Ava said, her anticipation turning into impatience.

When she got to her room, she went directly to the desk. She turned on her computer, and while it was booting up she placed the two phones on the desk within easy sight and reach. She checked her email and saw that Amanda had sent the same message as in the text. Ava called Shanghai on the room phone.

“Amanda Yee.”

“It’s Ava.”

“Thanks for getting back to me, and I’m so sorry I have to bother you,” Amanda said in a rush. “May said you were into something complicated and that we should leave you alone unless there was no other choice.”

“What’s happened?”

“I spoke to Gillian yesterday and then again this morning. Yesterday she was hesitant when I asked her what they thought about our offer. Today our conversation started the same way, until I pushed. She finally told me they had some reservations.”

“What specifically?”

“Our direct involvement in the running of the business.”

“Is it Chi-Tze who’s the issue?”

“She’s obviously part of it, but I don’t think it would matter who we wanted to put in there.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I think Chi-Tze rattled them. The questions she asked really zeroed in on how demanding and difficult it will be to create this business from scratch. I believe they hadn’t grasped the full extent of it. They may be getting cold feet — this is a huge leap into the unknown. There’s no built-in customer base, there are no guaranteed orders, and there are no private label buyers and designers to give them direction.”

“And they’re using our active participation as an excuse not to go ahead?”

“Not directly. Gillian didn’t say anything negative about us. She just kept stressing that she and Clark are capable of running the business on their own and don’t need any help.”

“Maybe she also sees this as a way of protecting him,” Ava said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s been in a controlled and comfortable environment ever since he started working, first with his father, then with his uncle, and then with the company that bought the business. They and the customers have provided him with structure and some degree of certainty. Maybe the reality of what he’s about to undertake has hit home. He’s going to be under tremendous pressure — it will all be on him. That may have brought out his insecurities. He might be feeling a need to be surrounded by people who are familiar and nonthreatening.”

“And we’re threatening?”

“They might see it that way.”

“And Gillian’s definitely familiar.”

“Yes. Now, aside from the issue of our involvement, are there any other problems with our offer?”

“No.”

“So where does this leave us?”

“At an impasse until you talk to Gillian.”

“Why me?”

“She requested it. She liked the approach you took the other day in her office.”

“What does she expect? I’m not going to tell her anything different.”

“Maybe you can put it differently.”

“Have you discussed this with May?”

“Yes. She offered to call Gillian herself, but I told her I don’t think that’s a good idea, given Gillian’s frame of mind. May said if I couldn’t reach you that I should go back to Gillian and tell her we aren’t going to change our mind about Chi-Tze, even if that means losing the deal.”

“Where is Gillian?”

“At the factory,” Amanda said.

“Is Clark there?”

“I think he was listening on the speaker phone when I was talking to her.”

“Okay, I’ll call. Give me the number.”

“Thanks,” Amanda said.

“For what? I haven’t done anything yet. And I’m not sure anything can be done, because I’m not going to change our position either.”

“Ava, I have to tell you that Chi-Tze is still blaming herself for this. If it doesn’t go through she’ll be devastated.”

“I understand.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

Ava sighed as she put down the phone. There weren’t many things more frustrating than trying to close a deal with a reluctant second party. She and Uncle had gone through it more times than she could remember. Her initial response was usually negative, but he counselled patience and urged her to find and then directly address the source of the reluctance. It worked more often than not. What was the source this time? There was quite a list to choose from.

Oh, what the hell
, Ava thought as she picked up her phone. When the receptionist came on the line, she asked to be put through to Gillian and then waited for several minutes.

“Sorry for being slow,” Gillian finally said, sounding breathless. “I was in the plant.”

“And where is Clark?”

“He’s there as well.”

“Could you get him, please? I want to speak to both of you.”

“Is that necessary?”

“Gillian, I’m in Hong Kong on other business. I didn’t want to get involved in this negotiation, but now that I am, I’d like to conclude it one way or another as quickly as possible. That means speaking to you and Clark together.”

Gillian hesitated. “I’ll get him.”

While she waited, Ava almost absent-mindedly drew a chart on the desk stationery. Every line led to her and May Ling.

“We’re here,” Gillian said.

“How are you, Clark?” Ava asked.

“Well.”

“And so you should be,” Ava said. “It isn’t every day that someone offers you ten million dollars and the chance to fulfil your dream.”

“The money is not the problem,” Gillian said.

“Amanda says neither are the share structure or the financial controls.”

“They’re reasonable.”

“So what’s at issue?”

“We want to run our own business within the framework you’ve laid out. We don’t need or want any other help.”

“Meaning Chi-Tze?”

“Anyone that we don’t hire ourselves.”

“Okay, here’s the thing,” Ava said, drawing a deep breath. “You’re being idiots.”

“What!” Clark said.

“You have no real idea who you could be getting into business with. If you did, you’d be saying a prayer of thanks.”

“We know your backgrounds,” Gillian said.

“You don’t know mine,” Ava said.

“Amanda said you were in some kind of finance business.”

“I guess you could call it that. What I did was chase down bad debts. I did it for more than ten years, with a partner whom I trusted with my life. And when I say my life, I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been shot, stabbed, and attacked with just about any weapon you can name. Through it all, I never had to worry about his not being there for me.”

“He’s not involved in Three Sisters?” Gillian asked.

“He died of cancer several months ago. The old business went with him. Three Sisters is my new venture, and I’m blessed to have partners whom I trust as much as I trusted him. They’re smart, they’re strong, and we’d go through hell for each other. Passing up the chance to work side by side with us is why I think you’re being idiots.”

“We don’t want to give up our independence,” Gillian said.

“Who’s asking you to do that? No one will be telling you what to think or what you can say and do. Our intention is to support Clark, and that’s it. You’ve never run a business on your own. Our people have. You’ve never started up a business. They have. They’re there to support you.”

“I don’t know . . .” Gillian said.

“Look, let me make this very easy for you,” Ava said sharply. “We’re offering to put ten million dollars behind Clark without a single guarantee that he’ll be successful. We could lose the money, but we’re willing to make the commitment because of Amanda and Chi-Tze and the faith they have in his talent. To make this work, though, you need to have faith in them.”

“Is there any kind of compromise —” Gillian began.

“No. The deal on the table is the only one you’re going to get. No Amanda and no Chi-Tze means no ten million.”

The line went quiet, and then Ava heard Clark whisper something to Gillian.

“Can we get back to you?” Gillian said.

“No, I want you to call Amanda when you decide what you want to do.”

“Is there a deadline?”

“Call her by the end of day tomorrow. It isn’t complicated — either you want to work with us or you don’t.”

Ava ended the call, then pushed back her chair and walked to the window. Dark clouds had moved in over Victoria Harbour and it looked as if it was going to rain. The weather suited her mood. She turned back to the desk to call Amanda just as the disposable phone rang. She ran to answer it. The number on the screen wasn’t one she recognized.

“This is Lam,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” she said.

“I wanted to know what Xu had to say.”

“Xu is on side. He said he’ll call you to confirm.”

“Did my number show up on your screen?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the number you should give him. I bought the phone this morning.”

“I hope you’re also calling to tell me about Li.”

“I talked to him last night and then again this morning.”

“And was he difficult?”

“It went more or less the way we discussed.”

“So some options are still open?”

“That’s how Li likes to operate — he never likes to close a door. He says he has questions.”

“How many options are there?”

“Three or four, and that’s right now. I told you that’s what to expect.”

“And how will we resolve those?”

“He’s agreed to a meeting.”

“Do you have any idea which way he’s leaning?”

“I don’t want to guess.”

“When do you think you’ll know?”

“It could be at the last minute, it could be when we meet.”

“When and where does he propose to meet?”

“We’re coming to Hong Kong tonight.”

“Hong Kong is fine, but I would prefer to give Xu another night’s rest. He’s recovering, but he’ll be stronger by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow morning will work. How is eleven o’clock?”

“That’s fine. Where in Hong Kong?”

“There’s a small hotel called the Montrose in Happy Valley, which is neutral territory. We’ll meet in the coffee shop.”

“I still have to talk to Xu before I can confirm, but I don’t expect a problem.”

“You’ll call me with his answer?”

“I will.”

“Good. Now let me go over what you can expect from Li and how I think we should respond.”

( 40 )

Ava phoned Sonny as soon as she ended the call with Lam. “I heard from Guangzhou and I’ll need you tomorrow morning,” she said. “How long will it take us to get from Mong Kok to Happy Valley by car?”

“Half an hour in decent traffic.”

“Then we’ll play it safe. Pick me up at the hotel at nine thirty. We’ll go to the clinic and get Xu. You can drive us from there to the Montrose Hotel in Happy Valley.”

“There’s a meeting?”

“Yes, and I’ll want you to stay there until we’re done.”

“How about Suen and Lop and Xu’s other men?”

“They can meet us at the Montrose.”

“So you cut a deal.”

“Sonny, I can’t talk about it. It isn’t that I don’t trust you; it’s more that I’m superstitious. Uncle always used to caution me about assuming that a job was done until it was well and truly done.”

“I understand. Will you need me for anything today?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She called the clinic, asked for Xu, and found herself talking to Doctor Lui. “I was just about to call Sonny,” he said. “Mr. Xu’s condition is stable enough for him to leave.”

“That’s good news. My plan was to pick him up tomorrow morning anyway. Thanks for everything you’ve done.”

“It’s my job,” Lui said, and then paused. “Despite the fact that his condition has improved, he shouldn’t be taking on too much for a while. He still needs rest.”

“What about the stitches?”

“He should wait for another couple of weeks before seeing his own doctor. If the wounds are sufficiently healed, the stitches can come out.”

“You’ve told him all this?”

“I will.”

“Thank you. Now could you please transfer me to his phone?”

Suen answered with a gruff “
Ni hao
.”

“This is Ava.”

“He’s been waiting for your call.”

“Before you give him the phone, did you have any luck finding a jacket and shirt?”

“One jacket, two shirts. I brought them here for him to try on. Then I had to exchange them for larger sizes because of all the bandages.”

“That was smart of you.”

“I’m not just a pretty face.”

“No, I guess you’re not.” Ava laughed. “Now let me speak to him.”

“
Ni hao, mei mei
,” Xu said.

“I just spoke to Lam.”

“And?”

“Li seems prepared to make a deal.”

“Seems?”

“He needs some clarification on a few points and he wants it to come directly from you. He told Lam it was time for the intermediaries to get out of the way.”

“And Lam thinks that is a positive sign?”

“On the surface, yes, he does,” she said. “They’ve proposed a meeting tomorrow morning at eleven at the Montrose Hotel in Happy Valley.”

“Do you know the place?”

“No, but I assumed that Suen or Lop could check it out tonight.”

“One of them will. And how many people can we bring tomorrow?”

“No limits as far as I know. In the actual meeting it will be me, you, Lam, and Li. We can surround the place with fifty men if we want.”

“How many will they have?”

“Lam said they were bringing ten men in total to Hong Kong for the meeting of the Mountain Masters. I imagine they’ll all be at the Montrose as well.”

“There is not a lot of time to reach an agreement with Li. If we cannot finalize things tomorrow, then the Triad meeting the next day will be interesting. I was talking today with some people and they tell me that Li is still working the phones. He has also invited them to a dinner in Hong Kong tomorrow night.”

“Are you having second thoughts about doing the deal?” Ava asked.

“And third and fourth. But I keep coming back to the idea that things cannot continue as they are. We need to at least make an effort to broker a peace deal without totally abandoning our position.”

“Neither of you can see this as capitulation. It has to be win-win, or eventually it will be lose-lose.”

“I know, and that is why I am prepared to do it.”

“I spoke to the doctor before I spoke to you,” she said. “You’re strong enough to be released tomorrow, so you should get someone to book a hotel for you for the next few days. How long do you think the meeting of the Mountain Masters will be?”

“We are scheduled to meet at one. There will be a lot of general discussion, then a dinner, and then we will have the vote in the evening. No matter what the outcome is, I have other business to do with some of the organizations, and that will take at least another day or two. So I think I will be here at least another four or five days.”

“You aren’t to overdo it. You still need rest. And you’ll need your bandages changed.”

“Suen is handy with bandages.”

“I’m sure he is.”

“Ava, just a second,” Xu said, and his line went quiet. “You still there?” he said a moment later.

“I am.”

“The doctor is here.”

“Okay, I’ll call Lam and confirm that we’ll be at the hotel tomorrow. My plan is for Sonny and I to pick you up between ten and ten fifteen.”

“That sounds fine.”

“If anything changes, I’ll phone.”

“The same from this end.”

After Ava had given Xu Lam’s number, she put down her phone and took a deep breath. Then she called Lam. He answered on the second ring.

“We’ll see you at the Montrose at eleven,” she said.

“If I need to talk to you before then?”

“Call my new cell.”

“See you tomorrow,” he said.

She reopened her inbox and started reviewing the messages with a less cluttered head. May had copied her on all the correspondence between Richard Bowlby and the lawyers in Beijing and Shanghai. The questions and comments were minor. There wasn’t anything that May thought Bowlby couldn’t handle quickly and completely. Ava emailed May.
Thanks for keeping me in the loop. It all looks very encouraging. Things here are as well.

She pushed the chair back from the desk and went to the mini-bar to get a bottle of wine. Then she walked over to the bed and lay down with her back against the wall of pillows, turned on the television, and searched for something mindless.
By tomorrow
, she thought,
I may finally be able to get on with my new life.