LiJin’srentedvanspedalongthedirtroadcreatingdustcloudsinitswake.Itwasdarkandthedesertedwindingroadwasfullofpotholesandbarelyvisibleinthedimglareoftheheadlights.LiJinwasdrivingwhileLaoZhou,theheadmanofhisremoteShaanxivillage,staredstraightahead,hisbrowfurrowedwithconcern.Inthebackofthevan,thesupplieshehadpurchasedinXian.Beforethat,hehadpaidavisittoabankinthewalledcityandbombardedtheyoungtellerwithabewilderingarrayoffinancialinstructions.IthadalreadybeendarkwhenLiJinhaddrivenuptothevillageandwokentheheadmanup.LaoZhouhadbeenhappytoseehimafteranabsenceofmorethantwoyearsbuthiselationhadquicklytransformedintoconcernwhenhehadseenthevanandthesuppliesstackedintheback.
LiJinhadsimplythrustathickwadofNewChinaYuanintheoldman’shandsandexplainedtohimwhatheneededdone.TheheadmandidnotunderstandwhatLiJinwasaskingandhedidn’tlikewhathewashearingonebit.WherehadLiJingottenallthemoneyfromandwhatwasthiselaborateschemeallabout?Washeintroublewiththeauthorities?LiJin’sinstructionswereevenmoreconfusing?Hewasgoingtospendseveralweeksinaputerandtheoldmanwassupposedtokeepaneyeonhimandwatchnumbersonanotherputer.Ifhesawsomethingblinkinginredorhiscellphonewentoffwithaputerizedvoicesaying“CriticalCondition”,hewastogetinthevan,pickLiJinupandtakehimtothehospital.Allthisstuffaboutputers.Theoldmandidnotunderstandwhathewasbeingaskedtodo.
Whatevertheboywasupto,LaoZhousmelledarat.Yet,LiJinwasthevillage’sgoldenboyandcoulddonowrong.Ifhewasintrouble,LaoZhoupromisedhimselfthathewoulddoallhecouldtohelphim.Andthemoney,severalyearsofineworth,wouldhelpthevillage.Hewouldbuildanewschool,repairthevillageroadsandmaybebuildhimselfanewbrickhouse.AndLiJinhadpromisedmoremoney,wiredautomaticallyintohisaccountattheAgricultureBankinYulincityatweeklyintervals.Whatifthemoneywasdirty?
LiJinwantedaplacetohideout,somewhereremotewithnochanceofbeingfoundandLaoZhouknewjusttheplace,adesertedcavedwellinghighinthemountainsthatstillhadelectricityandwascoveredbytheprovincialwirelessandbroadbandnetworks.YetLiJinhadinsistedthathedidn’tneedelectricity.Hehadboughthisownminigeneratorwithhim.Therewasasmallstretcheratthebackofthevan,andwhatlookedlikemedicalsupplies.Everyfewminutes,LaoZhouwouldturnaroundandlookattheboxesswayinginthebackofthevan.Whatonearthwastheboyupto?LiJinlookedoverattheoldmanandtriedtoputhismindatease.
“Don’tworryLaoZhou.Thisisallpletelysafe.It’saprojectrelatedtothestuffthatIwasstudyingatTsinghua,”heexplained.
“Ifyousayso.Butunderstanditfrommypointofview.Youturnupinthemiddleofthenightafteralmosttwoyearsawaywithallthiscashandaskmetodothis?Andyouseemtobeinthisgreathurry.Idon’tunderstandit.”
“Iwillexplainittoyouafterwards.It’sjustacoupleofweeks.”
“OK,ifyousayso.Goofftheroadhere,”theoldmaninstructedreluctantly.LiJintookaleftturnandthevan’swheelsspunashenegotiatedthevehicleoverroughterrain.Itwasalmostimpossibletoseeclearlyinthenightandonewrongturningcouldplungethemintoasteepravine.
TheywereaboutfiftykilometersoutsidethecityofYulin,afortifiedgarrisontownduringtheMingDynastythathadservedasectionoftheGreatWall.ThiswaswheretheLoessPlateaumetInnerMongolia’sMuUsDesert,amountainousexpanseofyellowearthandsandthatstretchedforasfarastheeyecouldsee.OnthewaytheyhadpassedseveraloftheoldGreatWallbeaconsscatteredacrossthedesertedlandscape,theiradjoiningsectionslongerodedbysand,waterandtherelentlesspassageoftime.
Afewdecadespreviously,enterprisingvillagershadransackedtheGreatWall,usingitspoundedearthandbrickstobuilddwellings.Allthatwasleftwasshatteredfragmentsofagreathistorythathadallbutdisappeared.Thediscoveryofnaturalgasandoilnearbyhadseentheremotevillagesachievesomesemblanceofmodernitywithelectricity,municationsnetworksandsomerunningwaterbutthatwasinthepast.Theoilexplorationcorporationshadlongdisappeared,leavingbehindnothingbutanaridforgottenwasteland.
AsLiJinwilledthevanupasteepinclinehecouldmakeoutseveralarchedstonedoorwayscarvedintothesideofaflattenedcliff.Thewoodendoorswerewornoutbuttheystillseemedtobeholdingontotheirrustedhinges.LaoZhousignaledthatthiswastheplace.LiJinswitchedtheengineoff,gropedaroundthebackofthevanandfoundaflashlight.TheygotoutofthecarandLiJinflashedthelightatoneofthedoors.
LaoZhoutooktheleadandpushedthedooropen.Bitsofrottingwoodfelloffthebottomastheywalkedtrough.Theywereinaroughcorridorlinedwithpoundedearth.Somekindofparasiticweedhadmanagedtopopulateonesideofthewall,suggestingwaterwithin.Theyemergedfromthecorridorintoasunkencourtyardsurroundedbyseveralrooms.LaoZhouwalkedtowardsoneoftheroomsandpushedthedooropen.Hegropedalongthewallfortheswitchandflickediton.Asinglesixtywattbulbhangingfromawireinthecrackedceilingcametolife.
InonecorneroftheroomwasalargeKang,orheatedplatform,madeofunbakedclay.Therewereafewoldpotsandpanstoonesideoftheroomandsomeshelvesmadeofroughwood.Aheapofwhatlookedlikeexplosivessatinonecorner.Despitetheplantscreepingalongthewallsandthedust,theroomwasinverygoodcondition.
“Isthatdynamite?”LiJinaskedpointingattheexplosives.
“Yes,Iwillmoveit.Whatdoyouthink?Thisplacehasbeenuninhabitedforyears.ThefamilywhousedtoliveheremovedtoXian.Theirfarmwasdestroyedbyencroachingsanddunesinonesingleday.”
“Thisisperfect,LaoZhou.Thankyou.”
“OKIwillhelpyoumovethethingsinthevan,”LaoZhousaid,headingbackthewaytheycamein.
“Thanks.”
LiJinfollowedtheoldman.Thiswastheperfectplace,safefrompryingeyes.Yet,LiJinwonderedwhetherhisoldguardiancouldbetrusted.Therewastoomuchnewinformationherefortheoldmantokeeptohimself.
“LaoZhou,youwon’ttellanyoneaboutthis,right?”
“WhywouldIdothatLiJin?AsfarasIamconcernedIhaven’tseenyoufortwoyears.Ijusthopeyouarenotintrouble.”
“Iamnotintrouble.Ipromiseyou,”LiJinlied.
“OK.That’stheendofitthen.”
Twentyminuteslater,theequipmentandtheboxeshadbeenmovedintotheroom.LiJinhadthegeneratorgoingandtheequipmentwasallhookedup,includingtwouninterruptedpowersupplyunits,agenericconsole,ProfessorYao’sbackdoorrigandacheapfuelcellbatteryforbackup.LaoZhoutookinallthisequipmentlikeafarmerfromaremoteprovincevisitingalargecityforthefirsttime.ItwasonlywhenLiJinstartedstringingtheIVunits,dripsandpumpstoanaluminumarmnexttotheKangthattheoldman’seyestookonthatworriedlookagain.
“Whatarethosefor?”LaoZhouaskedpointingattheintravenousdrips.
“ThosearetokeepmefedwhenIaminsidetheputer.Itmeansyou’llonlyneedtoeonceeveryfewdaystoseehowIamdoing.Thisscreenwillshowyoumyhealthstatus.Thislineandthisnumbershowmyheartbeat.”LiJinplacedoneofthesensorsagainsthischestandthenumberonthemonitorstartedcountingup,withapulsatinggraphicshowinghisheartrate.”
“OKIhaveseenthatinthehospitalbefore.Whataboutwhenyouneedtopooporpee?”LaoZhouasked,scratchinghishead.
“Yes,itisthesamethingasinthehospitals.IfIaminanydanger,thesystemwillswitchofautomaticallybutlongbeforethat,youwillbenotifiedonyourcell.Theputerissetuptocallyouifanythinggoeswrong.Andasforpoopingandpeeing,I’lljusthavetodealwithitafterwards.”
“Computerscandothat?Callmycellphone?”theoldmanaskedindisbelief,animageofLiJindyinginhisownexcrementrisinginhishead.
“Yes,andmuchmore.Thisiscutting-edgestuff,that’swhytheyarepayingmesomuchmoneytotestit.Secretly.”
“OK,”LaoZhousaidlimply.
TheoldmanwatchedasLiJinappliedthesensorsandlaydownontheKang.HeatingelementshadbeenpositionedbelowtheKangandaradiatorhadbeenplacedatthefarcornerofoneroom.
“Soyouremembertheprocedure,LaoZhou?”
“Yes,Iamtoebackeverytwoorthreedays,checkthescreentoseewhetherthislineislikethatandthesenumbersareaboutthesameasthenumbersyouwrotedownonthatpieceofpaper.NextIamtocheckthispumptomakesurethatthatredlightisnoton.Ifthelightisgreenthenalliswell.ThenIamtoaddmorefueltothegenerator,makesureitisfulleverytime.IfeverythingisOK,thenIleave.IfsomethingiswrongorIreceivethatphonecallIamtodriveyoutoDr.Yu’sclinicinYulinCity.”
“Excellent.Thankyouagain.Iwillexplainallthiswhenit’sover.LaoZhou,Iowemylifetoyou.Iwillneverforgetthat.Iamplacingitinyourhandsagain.”
“Don’tmentionit.Youarenotastranger.”
“OK.Iamgoingtogointotheputernow,”LiJinsaidpickingupthegogglesandtheglasses.LaoZhousawtheflickeroflightfromwithinthegoggles’displayandwonderedwhatthatwas.Hecouldswearhesawbuildings,skyscraperslikethosetheyhadinShanghai.HewatchedasLiJintooktheendofoneofthecatheterandremovedtheneedlefromitsplasticsheath.LaoZhouwatchedmesmerizedasLiJintappedatthehollowjustbelowhiscollarboneandinsertedtheneedle,wincingatthepain.Satisfiedwiththeinsertionoftheneedle,LiJinmadehimselffortableontheKanganddonnedthegoggles.LaoZhouthoughthesawfearinLiJin’seyesasheslidtheglovesontohishands.HiseyestracedthewiresthatdisappearedfromtheglovesintothegreenplasticboxthatLiJinhadcoveredwithpolystyrenetomakeitsomewhatwaterproof.
“GoodbyeLaoZhouandseeyousoon.”
“Goodbye.”LaoZhousaidastearswelledupinhiseyes.WhatwasLiJindoingtohimselfandwhy?LiJinsettledontotheKangandLaoZhouwatchedastheboy’sglovedhandsstartedmovingaroundmakingweirdsignsintheair.TheoldmanwassurethathejustsawLiJinopenadoorbuthowwasthatpossible?Hestoodwatchingforafewminutes.Thenumbersonthemonitorseemedfine.HeremovedthepieceofpaperfromthepocketofhisnavyMaojacketandcheckedthenumbers.Yes,itwasallfine.Hestartedmovingtheexplosivestotheyardoutside.WhenhewasdonehepickedupLiJin’sflashlightandheadedtowardsthedoor.LaoZhouturnedaroundandlookedattheboyhehadhelpedraiselyingatoseontheKang.BelowtheKangwastheglowoftheheatingelements.Theoldmanshookhishead,sighedanddisappearedintothecourtyard,closingthewoodendoorsbehindhim.
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