Enigma of China(84)

“Mr. Gu of the New World Group?”

“Yes. Considering the history of the park, this should be a Western-style restaurant, one that is full of nostalgic flavor. However, Gu wouldn’t think of it. He wanted to serve Chinese cuisine to Chinese customers. This may just be his way of showing his patriotism.”

“It’s also a gesture of political correctness. There was the legendary sign outside the park, back in the twenties, that read ‘No Chinese or dogs.’ Of course, some scholars claim that the sign never existed, that it was a story made up by the Party authorities after 1949.”

“Well, the line between truth and fiction is always being constructed and deconstructed by the people in power. Whether or not Gu believes in the authenticity of the sign, I don’t know, but the controversy about it has helped the business. The restaurant is very expensive, which is symbolic of China’s new wealth. Of course, it is open to Westerners, too, as long as they are willing to pay the prices. In fact, I’ve heard that quite a number of Western businessmen make a point of inviting their Chinese partners to dine here.”

She looked at the menu and the prices, which were shocking, even after Chen’s warning.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chen said. “We don’t have to order a lot, and Gu won’t charge me those prices. I just wanted a quiet place to talk to you.”

She had no idea what he wanted to talk to her about, and she was debating with herself whether she should say something first. She had rehearsed a speech, but she hadn’t worked up the confidence to deliver it.

“So, do you know a lot of Big Bucks, Chen?”

“Not a lot, but in today’s society, even a cop can hardly accomplish anything without connections.”

“Do you know Xiang Buqun of Purple City Group?”

“Xiang Buqun—isn’t he the head of a large property group? I think I met him at the opening ceremony of the New World Project. Maybe on some other occasions as well. Why do you ask?”

“I want to talk to you,” she said with difficulty, “about something I might not have told you. I’ve been seeing Xiang Haiping, Xiang Buqun’s son, for quite a while. Last month he went to Shenzhen on business, but now he’s back, and he’s proposed to me.”

“Xiang Haiping, the successor to the group?”

“Possibly the successor,” she said in a low voice. She couldn’t look him in the eye, but she caught sight of something indecipherable in his expression. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the reaction she’d anticipated.

Before either of them could say anything further, Gu burst into the room. He was wearing a pair of rimless glasses, a light-colored wool suit, and a scarlet silk tie. A dapper man, though short in stature, he looked expansive.

“It’s the first time you’ve come here, Chief Inspector Chen. I’m honored to have you here,” he said, his glance taking Lianping in with unconcealed approval. “And Lianping is here with you today. I’m really honored to have both of you here.”

She’d met Gu at some business conferences, though they were barely nodding acquaintances. As the chairman of the New World Group, Gu kept a low profile and had declined her request for an interview.

“We needed a quiet place, so I thought of you,” Chen said. “But you’ll have to treat me as you would an ordinary customer, Mr. Gu.”

“How can you say that, Chief Inspector Chen? You’ve finally accepted the invitation to my restaurant that I extended a long time ago. No, there’s no way I can allow you to back out. Besides, you don’t want me to lose face in front of a beauty like Lianping?”

“So you’re buddies,” she observed, not knowing what else to say.

“Let me tell you something about him, Lianping,” Gu said with a serious air. “Do you know how New World became so successful?”

It was obvious that Gu was in no hurry to leave them alone, and she felt somehow relieved. It might be just as well that there was another person with them in the private room doing the talking. She had already said what she had to say.

“How?” she asked.

“It was all due to a crucial loan made at the very beginning of New World, which was possible only because of Chen’s superb translation of the business plan for the project. That translation was so difficult. A lot of the business terms didn’t even exist in the Chinese language then. The translation had to convey the meaning textually as well as contextually. When the American venture capitalist read the business plan in English and learned that it had been translated by a high-ranking Shanghai police officer, he was so impressed that he immediately approved the loan.”