hewesenranceofkowloonparkislocaedaheeemingendofnahanroad,aseeminglyneverendingsripofhoels,midrangefashionsores,resaurans,cafes,bars,jewelrysoresandelecronicsshopssellingjapaneseandchineseimporsagrosslyinfedpricesdespiehelongradiionofbargaininginmanyofheneonbahedreailesablishmenslininghepavemens,iwasararepunerindeedwhocameawaywiharealbargainhowever,priceswerecheaperhananywhereinhewesernworldsoeverygadgeoriemboughonnahanroadwassillconsideredabargainbyamoslyourisclienele

heamosphereahisendofnahanroadisdisinclyourisy,racedwihhinsofillegalimmigraion,visiorsfromlessaffluencounriesinasiaandafricawhohaveousayedheirhreemonhvisashere’sasrongmuslimelemenonnahanroad,especiallyaprayerimewhenasizeablechunkofhongkong’smuslimresidensandourissheadowardshewhiemarbledomeofkowloonmosquewihisfourminaresdefianlyprociminghefaihinandwhereaoism,buddhism,confucianismandadwindlingchrisianiyarehekeymediumshroughwhichhongkongciizensfulfillheirneedforreligion

here’sacerainanyhinggoesqualiyosimshasui,heareasraddlinghisendofnahanroad,whichsandsinsarkconrasoprimandproperhongkongisndjusacrossvicoriaharborifhongkongwasheoldersonofawealhymerchanwhoexcelledaschoondwashandpickedorunhisfaher’sempire,henkowloonasviewedfromsimshasuiwasheyoungerbroherhanevergraduaedfromhighschool,can’holddownajobbusureknowshowohaveagoodime

inhe1830s,kowloonparkusedobeabriishmiliarybaseoverlookinghevesselsanchoredinvicoriaharborheoverzealousndrecmaionpoliciesofsuccessivehongkonggovernorsandgovernmenshadsinceresuledinheharborshrinkingoverheyearslikearecedinghairlineye,nomaerhowmuchmorendwasrecimedorhowmanynewskyscrapersemergedfromhesidewalks,kowloon’shirsformerceandhefasbuckremainedunquenchable

lijin’sslowrainfrombeijingarrivedaheeasrailsaion,knownashekowlooncanonrailwaysaioninpreunificaionimes,aapproximaelywoo’clockinheafernoonihadbeenamereenhourripfrombeijing,yehejourneyhadfellikeihadakenforeverihadakenhimascaryhalfanhouroemergefromhecusomscheckpoinnobodyhadcheckedhisbagsheimmigraionofficers,saedfromlunch,didnoseemohaveheenergylijinboughhimselfaickeoxianforeigho’clockhasamenighandheadedowardsnearbysimshasui

heediumofhejourneyhadhadsomebenefishoughihadaffordedlijinsomemuchneededimeofiunehishasilyconsrucedpnswhyusearadiowhenhecouldhaveinsrucherussianopickupadisposablemobilephoneaoneofhemanysundayphoneshopsdoedaroundhongkongyoucouldorderhephoneonline,chooseanumberandprepayforaspecificnumberofminuesinpleeanonymiy

herewasadiryconsoleinherainparmenparofhemoniorhadbeendiscoloredwihsomeunknownliquid,probablyheresulofmoionsickness,buiwasdefinielyuseablelijinwaiedunilheoherpassengersinhisfourpersonparmen,ayoungmanwihabuzzcuandhisoverpainedgirlfriendandamiddleagedacademicype,wereasleepandloggedonosunday’shongkongsiehepcedanorderforaphonewihenhoursofprepaidalkimeinkrachev’snamehepickuplocaionwasoneofsunday’swalkinshopsonnahanroadhenhesenanemailokrachevnoifyinghimwhereopickuphephoneandheneneredhenumberinhisconaclisnexheseupaninsrucionwihhehongkongandshanghaibankoimmediaelyransferanypaymensoverhenexforyeighhoursoanobscureaccounwihabankinxian,shaanxiprovince

lijinshoulderedhiswayhroughheeemingnahanroadcrowdsowardshehongkongandshanghaibank’snahanroadbranchhelookedupaheeboraeneonsignagejuingouonohesreeinvariousshapesandsizesandwonderedwheherhewouldeverseehemliupagainhehadcheckedhisaccounbeforeherainpulledinohehunghomsaionandhadbeenpleasedoseehakrachevhadgohismessageasimplehackrevealedhakrachevhadloggedinocyberspacefromaserverhabelongedohepeninsuhoeljusdownheroadlijinsmiledwrylyohimselfashewalkedinoagrayseendgssbuildingjusasone’shrowfromkowloonpark

lijinkephiseyesrainedonanyonewholookedcaucasianandmiddleagedheshinghewanedwasforherussianobeailinghimherewereafewsuspecsbuhefiguredheyweremoslyamericanandbriishbusinessmenorourisshewasfamiliarwihrussiansfromherussianquarerinbeijingandcerainshoppingmallsandoudoormarkeshacaeredalmosexclusivelyorussianraderswhofrequenlyravelledviasiberiaandmongoliaobuygoodsinnewchinaandresellhemaamarkupalloverrussiahecouldellhemaparquieeasilyhewalkedupooneofhemachineshadoledouqueuenumbers,ookanumberandsadownononeofhemanygraymealseasfacingheservicecounerswohundredandeighyeighiwasaluckynumberohecanonese,whichsuggesedeasyricheshegodswereonhissideoday

lijinwenhroughherevisedpnhewouldwalkaroundkowloonparkforabi,figuringouhebesspoomakeheransacionhewouldhencallkrachevaprecisely538pmandinsruchimonhepceforhemeeinggivenhakrachevwassayingahepeninsuhoel,lijinfiguredhaherussianwoulduseheenrancebesidekowloonmosquewhaimewouldhemuslimsbehavingheireveningprayers?evenasheponderedheanswerohisquesion,lijinwasformuingapninhisheadhepuerhamanagedhequeuescalledhisnumberandinsrucedhimoheadocounernumbereighanoherluckynumber

enminueser,lijinhaddeposiedhequanumneuroprocessorinabearersafeydeposiboxheconensofheboxauomaicallybelongedoanyonewhohadpossessionofhedeposisliphawouldavoidanyplicaionsdespieheassociaedriskashewalkedbackdownnahanroad,hehoughabouheimplicaionsofwhahewasdoingforhefirsimewhahappenedifkrachevsoldhechiporussianmobserswhohenresoldioerrorissorcriminalsyndicaes?ifhefinalownersknewwhaheyweredoing,andheprocessofsellinghechiponwouldsurelyensurehaheydid,heycouldpoeniallybringabouamajordisrupioninhebanceofpowerbuhen,whagoodwashechipwihouhebenefiofapowerfuioakeadvanageofi?anailikebckjadeyoucouldfabricaeasmanyofheseprocessorsasyouwanedbuwihouherighsofwareallyouhadwasasmarprocessor,ohaincreasedisperformanceoverimeevenwhenmoore’swwassillineffecandpuingpowerdoubledeveryeigheenmonhs,heckofrulyinelligensofwarehadmeanhamuchofheincreaseinrawprocessingpowerhadbeenwasedonmeaninglessapplicaions

asignousideamallcalledhemiramarshoppingcenrea

ouncedhaherewasafoodcourinhebasemenlijineneredhemalndfelhisbodybreakouingoosepimples,orchickenskin,ashephenomenonwasknownamongchineseheaircondiioningwasupoohighhongkongpeoplelovedheiraircondiionedshoppingmallsandcoveredwalkwaysheyofferedrefugefromsweleringheaandoppressivehumidiyhearificiallycooledineriorremindedlijinofhebasinghuahahewouldprobablyneverseeagain

asherodeheescaorsohebasemenlijinfelhasrangefeelingpeoplehadwhenheywerebeingwachedhelookedupandsca

edhecrowdsonheescaormovinginheopposiedirecionasmallchinesemanwassaringinenlyahimasheescaorwenbylijin’shearskippedabeahemanwasamainnderandhelookonhisfacehadunmisakablybeenoneofrecogniionheman’smasklikefaceshowednohingbulijinhadseenhiseyesheyhadbeensudyinghimwihheinensiyofapredaorabouopounceonispreylijinurnedheoherwayandwhenhewassurehemanwasouofsighsaredwalkingbrisklydownheohersideofheescaorassoonashehiheboom,lijinbrokeinoarun