LiJinwatchedthemancalledOlegKrachevwalkupthestepstowardsKowloonMosque.HeknewitwastheRussianbecauseeverythingabouthimfittedthedescription.Eventhoughthemanhewaslookingatwassomewhatolderthanhehadexpected,overweightandpotbellied,therewassomethingabouthisstridethatledLiJintofocusonhim.Therewasalsothatdeterminedlook,theblotchyskinfromtoomuchdrinkingandthefactthathelookedsooutofplace.Helookedneitherlikeatouristnoralocalexpatriate.
LiJinwasabouttomovetotheothersideoftheroofgardentowatchKrachevemergewhenhisheartstoppedbeating.Hisbodyhadrespondedevenbeforehe’drealizedwhathisbrainhadregistered.ThesmallChinesemanhehadseenintheshoppingmallwaswalkingupthesteps,obviouslyfollowingKrachev.Howhadthemanfoundhim?LiJinrealizedthatgiventhecurrentsituation,choosingthemazewasaluckybreak.Ifheplayedthingswellandremainedcalm,hecouldstillemergefromhiscurrentpredicamentunscathed.Hequicklyturnedroundandmovedtotheothersideoftheroofgarden.Thesideoverlookingthemaze.
Krachevwaswalkingslowlybutwithdeterminationthroughtheparkinthedirectionofmaze.LiJinremovedhisbinocularsfromhisbackpack,anotheroversightthathehadcorrectedafterfleeingfromtheshoppingmall.Again,thegodswerewithhim.HehadwalkedpastashopsellingcamerasandhugetelescopesandithadoccurredtohimthatitwouldbedifficulttotrackKrachevwithoutapairofbinoculars.Hehadwalkedinandboughtonehagglingviciouslywiththesmallbaldingmanbehindthecounter.
HetrainedthebinocularsonKrachev.Themanhadsomekindofweaponinthebandofhissuittrousers.Thebulgewasglaringlyobvious.LiJinrealizedthenthathewasplayingaverydangerousgameindeed.ThesmallmanhadobviouslybeensentbythePLAtocapturehimandtakehimbacktoNewChina.TheyhadprobablyrealizedthathehadswitchedtheprocessorandthattheAIwasaninferiorproducttoProfessorYao’screation.Infact,fromthelookoftheman,whohadalsoenteredthepark,heprobablywasn’theretotakehimbacktoNewChina.Themanwasakiller,plainandsimple.ThismuchwasclearashetrackedtheChinese.Thaterectback,thefluidtorsoandonlythelegssuggestingmovement,wassomehowalientothewayeveryoneelsewalked.IfthePLAhadwantedhimbackinBeijing,theywouldhavesenttwomen,notone.Definitelynotoneassmallasthisman.Smallmeantdeadly.
Krachevdisappearedintotheentranceofthemaze.ThirtysecondslatertheChinesemanfollowed.LiJinrealizedthattheChinese,theassassin,probablythoughthewasinsidethemaze.ThemanwasfollowingKrachevtogettohim.LiJinreeledwhenhetrainedhisbinocularsontheassassin’shead.Thegraylumponhisnecksuggestedonlyonething.TheassassinwaswearingoneofProfessorYao’sprototypesatellite-basedcyberspaceunits.Theonethatinteractedwirelesslywitheitherapairofglassesordirectlywiththebrain,manipulatingthethoughtpatternsintosomekindofvirtualdisplay.Theprofessorhadthoughtthatthistechnologywouldneverbeusedwithawetinterfacebecausethepsychologicaleffectsonthesubjectwouldbehorrendousandeventuallyfatal.
TheprototypehadbeensenttoaPLAunitinLongmen,ShanxiprovincefortestingandthathadbeenthelastLiJinhadseenofit.TheassassinwasobviouslyusingthedevicetointeractwithAIsanddatabasesinBeijing.ThatwashowtheassassinhadlatchedontoKrachev,throughhismessagingandtelephoneconversations.WhenhecalledKrachevtoexecutethewiretransfer,theassassinwouldbeabletotracehisphone’ssignaltowithinmeters.Yet,hewouldalsohavetonegotiatehiswayoutofthemaze,whichwouldbuyLiJinsometime.Themazewasagiftfromthegods,pureandsimple.
LiJinwatchedKrachevmakeseveralwrongturnsinthemaze,withtheassassinjustonestepbehindhim.Themanwasgood.EverytimeKrachevbacktracked,theassassinwouldretreat,hisheadcocked,listeningforKrachev’sfootsteps.Abunchofchildrenhadmadeittothecenterofthemaze.LiJincouldseetheirparentswaitingattheexit.Italllookedsoeasyfromuphere.Finally,Krachevmadeittothecenterofthemazewiththeassassinjustonestepbehind.
Usingtheearpieceofhisphone,LiJinspeeddialedKrachevandwaited.
“Whatthehelldoyouthinkyouaredoing?”Krachevasked.Hesoundedangry.
LiJinkeptthebinocularstrainedontheRussianandtheassassinwhowasstandingverystillafewfeetaway,onlythethickhedgeofthemazeseparatingthem.
“Iamnearby.Don’tworry.Icanseeyou.”
TheRussianlookedatthechildrenwhowereleaving.Theydidn’twanttosharetheenclosedspacewiththeheavilypantingforeigner.
“Everycorneroftheparkisbeingwatchedbymypeople.Tryanythingandyouaredeadmeat,”Krachevbluffed.Hehadunderestimatedtheseller.
“Justmakethetransactionandeverythingwillbefine,”LiJinsaid,givingtheRussianthewirelessIDofhiscreditreceiverunit.ThemanmutteredsomethingtohimselfinRussianandpulledoutacredittransmitterfromhissuitpocket.LiJinwatchedhimpunchintheID.Helookedathiscreditreceiverandwasrelievedtoseethemessagethataremotecreditdevicewasattemptingtoconnect.Heacceptedtheconnectionandwatchedapulsatingbarindicatethatdatawasbeingsentacross.Agroupofpeoplecameuptotheroofgardenandstartedmovinginhisdirection.Credittransferplete.LiJinquicklyscrolledthroughthesimplemenuandcheckedhisbankaccount.Themoneywasthere.Herefreshedthedisplay.Themoneywasgone,automaticallywiredintohisotheraccountasperhisinstructions.LiJinswitchedoffhiscreditreceiver.HecouldheartheRussianbreathingovertheline.
“OK.Youhaveyourmoney.Whereisthechip?”
Theassassinhadwalkedintothecenterofthemaze.KrachevspunaroundandlookedattheChineseman.TheRussianseemedtothinkthemanwasLiJinbuthecouldn’tmakeuphismind.Krachev’shandsinstinctivelyreachedbehindhisjacket.
“Don’tdoit,ifyouwanttogetoutoftherealive,”LiJinwarnedtheRussian.
Krachevhesitated,hishandsreadyathisside.
“ThechipisinabearersafetydepositboxinyournameattheHongKongandShanghaiBankon82NathanRoad.Justafewminuteswalkfromhere.It’sa24-hourbanksoitwillbeopenwhenyougetthere.”
“WhyshouldIbelieveyou,youpieceofshit?”Krachevhissed,turningaround.
“Iamabouttosaveyourlife.Themanstandingintheenclosurewithyouisnotatourist.HeisakillerfromNewChinaouttoretrievethechipandeliminatewhoeverpossessesit.Hetriedtokillmeearlier.”
LiJinmovedthebinocularstowardswheretheassassinwasstanding.Hehaddisappeared.Thenhespottedhiminthemaze,runningtowardstheexit.Heseemedtobehavingtroublefindingityethewasmovingthroughthemazeatbreakneckspeed.Theassassinhadpinpointedhislocationfromthenetworksignalofhiscellphone.LiJinplacedthedepositslipunderaconcreteflowerpot.
“Whichmanareyoutalkingabout?”Incredibly,Krachevwaschasingaftertheassassin,hisphonetooneear.
“Theoneyouthoughtwasme.”LiJinsaid,rapidlydescendingthestairsleadingfromtheroofgarden.
“Youareadeadmanyoufuckin”
“Theslipisunderneaththethirdstoneflowerpotfromtheleftontheroofgardenabovetheparkentranceyoucamethrough.Nicedoingbusinesswithyou.”LiJinhungupandwalkedbrisklythroughtheparkentrance,downthestairsofKowloonMosqueandmeltedintothecrowds.
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