Page 217 of Never
He said: ‘China and the US have lost control of events.’
Ting said: ‘Where do you want me to go?’
‘To our house in Xiamen. It’s more than a thousand miles away from here. You’d have at least a chance of survival.’ He looked at Anni. ‘You both should go.’
Ting said: ‘It’s out of the question. You know that. I have a job – a career.’
He had expected her to resist. ‘Call in sick,’ he said. ‘Go home and pack. Leave tomorrow morning in your beautiful sports car. Stop somewhere overnight. Make a holiday of it.’
‘I can’t call in sick. You know enough about our industry to realize that. There are no excuses in show business. If you don’t show up, they find someone else.’
‘You’re the star!’
‘That doesn’t count for as much as you think. I won’t be the star for long if I don’t appear on the screen.’
‘It’s better than dying.’
‘All right,’ she said.
He was surprised. He had not expected her to give in so quickly.
But she was just being theatrical. She said: ‘I’ll go – if you come with me.’
‘You go, and I’ll join you when I can.’
‘No. We must go together.’
That was not going to happen, and she knew it. He said: ‘I can’t.’
‘But you can. Resign from your job. We’ve got enough money. We could live for a year or more without running short; longer, if we’re careful. We could return to Beijing as soon as you think it’s safe.’
‘I have to try to prevent this war happening. If I can, it’s the best way to protect my family and my country. And it’s not just a job, it’s my life. But I have to be here to do it.’
‘And I have to stay here because I love you.’
‘But the danger—’
‘If we’re going to die in a war, let’s die together.’
He opened his mouth to speak, but he had nothing to say. She was right. If there was going to be a war, they should face it together.
He said: ‘Would you like some more tea?’
***
When Kai got back to the office there was a message on his screen from his boss, the Minister for State Security, Fu Chuyu, announcing his resignation. He was leaving in a month.
Kai wondered why. Fu was in his mid-sixties, which in itself was not a reason for retirement in the upper levels of the Chinese government. Kai spoke to Yawen, his secretary. ‘Have you seen the minister’s message?’
‘Everybody got it,’ she said.
That was a significant snub to Kai who, as one of Fu’s two deputies, would have expected a heads-up. Instead, he had been informed at the same time as the secretaries.
Kai said: ‘I wonder why he’s going?’
‘His secretary told me the reason,’ said Yawen. ‘He’s got cancer.’
‘Ah.’ Kai thought of Fu’s ashtray, made of a military shell case, and his brand of cigarettes, Double Happiness.
