Page 277 of Never
‘I really want to phone my wife.’
‘Not possible, sorry.’
Kai took off his watch and held it in his hand for Liang to see. ‘This is a steel Rolex Datejust that cost eight thousand US dollars second-hand. I’ll swap it for your watch.’ Liang was wearing an army-issue officer’s watch worth ten bucks.
Liang’s eyes glittered with greed but he said cautiously: ‘You must be corrupt if you can afford a watch like that.’
‘It was a present from my wife.’
‘Then she must be corrupt.’
‘My wife is Tao Ting.’
‘FromLove in the Palace?’ Liang was thrilled. ‘I love that show!’
‘She plays Sun Mailin.’
‘I know! The emperor’s favourite concubine.’
‘You could call her for me on your phone.’
‘You mean I could speak to her?’
‘If you want. Then pass the phone to me.’
‘Oh, wait until my girlfriend hears about this!’
‘I’ll write down the number for you to dial.’
Liang hesitated. ‘I’ll take the watch as well, though.’
‘All right. As soon as you pass me the phone.’
‘Agreed.’ Liang dialled the number Kai gave him.
A moment later Liang said: ‘Am I speaking to Tao Ting? Yes, I’m with your husband, but before I pass you to him, I just want to say that my girlfriend and I love the show and it’s such an honour to speak to you – Oh, you’re very kind to say that, thank you! Yes, here he is.’
He gave the phone to Kai, and Kai gave him the Rolex.
Then Kai said: ‘My darling.’
Ting burst into tears.
‘Don’t cry,’ said Kai.
‘Your mother told me they put you in jail – she says it’s your father’s fault!’
‘That’s true.’
‘And the Americans have destroyed half of North Korea with nuclear bombs and everyone says China will be next! Is that true?’
Kai felt that if he answered honestly she would become even more upset. ‘I don’t think President Chen is so foolish as to let that happen,’ he said, not really telling a lie but not telling the truth either.
‘Everything’s going crazy,’ she said. ‘All the stop lights in Beijing have been turned off and the traffic is gridlocked.’
‘That’s the Americans’ doing,’ he said. ‘Cyber war.’
Liang took off his old watch and put on his new Rolex. He held up his wrist, relishing how it looked.
