lijin’srenedvanspedalonghedirroadcreaingduscloudsiniswakeiwasdarkandhedeseredwindingroadwasfullofpoholesandbarelyvisibleinhedimgreofheheadlighslijinwasdrivingwhileozhou,heheadmanofhisremoeshaanxivilge,saredsraighahead,hisbrowfurrowedwihconcerninhebackofhevan,hesupplieshehadpurchasedinxianbeforeha,hehadpaidavisioabankinhewalledciyandbombardedheyoungellerwihabewilderingarrayoffinancialinsrucionsihadalreadybeendarkwhenlijinhaddrivenupohevilgeandwokenheheadmanupozhouhadbeenhappyoseehimaferanabsenceofmorehanwoyearsbuhiseionhadquicklyransformedinoconcernwhenhehadseenhevanandhesuppliessackedinheback

lijinhadsimplyhrusahickwadofnewchinayuaninheoldman’shandsandexpinedohimwhaheneededdoheheadmandidnoundersandwhalijinwasaskingandhedidn’likewhahewashearingonebiwherehadlijingoenallhemoneyfromandwhawashiseboraeschemealbou?washeinroublewihheauhoriies?lijin’sinsrucionswereevenmoreconfusing?hewasgoingospendseveralweeksinapuerandheoldmanwassupposedokeepaneyeonhimandwachnumbersonanoherpuerifhesawsomehingblinkinginredorhiscellphonewenoffwihapuerizedvoicesaying“criicalcondiion”,hewasogeinhevan,picklijinupandakehimohehospialallhissuffaboupuersheoldmandidnoundersandwhahewasbeingaskedodo

whaeverheboywasupo,ozhousmelledaraye,lijinwashevilge’sgoldenboyandcoulddonowrongifhewasinrouble,ozhoupromisedhimselfhahewoulddoallhecouldohelphimandhemoney,severalyearsofineworh,wouldhelphevilgehewouldbuildanewschool,repairhevilgeroadsandmaybebuildhimselfanewbrickhouseandlijinhadpromisedmoremoney,wiredauomaicallyinohisaccounaheagriculurebankinyulinciyaweeklyinervalswhaifhemoneywasdiry?

lijinwanedapceohideou,somewhereremoewihnochanceofbeingfoundandozhouknewjushepce,adeseredcavedwellinghighinhemounainshasillhadelecriciyandwascoveredbyheprovincialwirelessandbroadbandworksyelijinhadinsisedhahedidn’needelecriciyhehadboughhisownminigeneraorwihhimherewasasmallsrecherahebackofhevan,andwhalookedlikemedicalsupplieseveryfewminues,ozhouwouldurnaroundandlookaheboxesswayinginhebackofhevanwhaonearhwasheboyupo?lijinlookedoveraheoldmanandriedopuhismindaease

“don’worryozhouhisisallpleelysafei’saprojecreedohesuffhaiwassudyingasinghua,”heexpined

“ifyousaysobuundersandifrommypoinofviewyouurnupinhemiddleofhenighaferalmoswoyearsawaywihallhiscashandaskmeodohis?andyouseemobeinhisgreahurryidon’undersandi”

“iwillexpinioyouaferwardsi’sjusacoupleofweeks”

“ok,ifyousaysogooffheroadhere,”heoldmaninsrucedrelucanlylijinookalefurnandhevan’swheelsspunashenegoiaedhevehicleoverrougherrainiwasalmosimpossibleoseeclearlyinhenighandonewrongurningcouldplungeheminoaseepravine

heywereaboufifykilomeersousideheciyofyulin,aforifiedgarrisonownduringhemingdynasyhahadservedasecionofhegreawallhiswaswhereheloesspeaumei

ermongolia’smuusdeser,amounainousexpanseofyellowearhandsandhasrechedforasfarasheeyecouldseeonhewayheyhadpassedseveralofheoldgreawallbeaconsscaeredacrosshedeseredndscape,heiradjoiningsecionslongerodedbysand,waerandherelenlesspassageofime

afewdecadespreviously,enerprisingvilgershadransackedhegreawall,usingispoundedearhandbricksobuilddwellingsallhawaslefwasshaeredfragmensofagreahisoryhahadallbudisappearedhediscoveryofnauralgasandoilnearbyhadseenheremoevilgesachievesomesembnceofmoderniywihelecriciy,municaionsworksandsomeru

ingwaerbuhawasinhepasheoilexploraioncorporaionshadlongdisappeared,leavingbehindnohingbuanaridforgoenwasend

aslijinwilledhevanupaseepinclinehecouldmakeouseverarchedsonedoorwayscarvedinohesideofafenedcliffhewoodendoorswerewornoubuheysillseemedobeholdingonoheirrusedhingesozhousignaledhahiswashepcelijinswichedheengineoff,gropedaroundhebackofhevanandfoundafshlighheygoouofhecarandlijinfshedhelighaoneofhedoors

ozhouookheleadandpushedhedooropenbisofroingwoodfelloffheboomasheywalkedroughheywereinaroughcorridorlinedwihpoundedearhsomekindofparasiicweedhadmanagedopopueonesideofhewall,suggesingwaerwihinheyemergedfromhecorridorinoasunkencouryardsurroundedbyseveralroomsozhouwalkedowardsoneofheroomsandpushedhedooropenhegropedalonghewallforheswichandflickedionasinglesixywabulbhangingfromawireinhecrackedceilingcameolife

inonecornerofheroomwasargekang,orheaedpform,madeofunbakedcyherewereafewoldposandpansoonesideofheroomandsomeshelvesmadeofroughwoodaheapofwhalookedlikeexplosivessainonecornerdespiehepnscreepingalonghewallsandhedus,heroomwasinverygoodcondiion

“ishadynamie?”lijinaskedpoiningaheexplosives

“yes,iwillmoveiwhadoyouhink?hispcehasbeenuninhabiedforyearshefamilywhousedoliveheremovedoxianheirfarmwasdesroyedbyencroachingsanddunesinonesingleday”

“hisisperfec,ozhouhankyou”

“okiwillhelpyoumovehehingsinhevan,”ozhousaid,headingbackhewayheycamein

“hanks”

lijinfollowedheoldmanhiswasheperfecpce,safefrompryingeyesye,lijinwonderedwheherhisoldguardiancouldberusedherewasoomuchnewinformaionhereforheoldmanokeepohimself

“ozhou,youwon’elnyoneabouhis,righ?”

“whywouldidohalijin?asfarasiamconcernedihaven’seenyouforwoyearsijushopeyouarenoinrouble”

“iamnoinroubleipromiseyou,”lijinlied

“okha’sheendofihen”

wenyminueser,heequipmenandheboxeshadbeenmovedinoheroomlijinhadhegeneraorgoingandheequipmenwasallhookedup,includingwouninerrupedpowersupplyunis,agenericconsole,professoryao’sbackdoorrigandacheapfuelcellbaeryforbackupozhouookinallhisequipmenlikeafarmerfromaremoeprovincevisiingargeciyforhefirsimeiwasonlywhenlijinsaredsringingheivunis,dripsandpumpsoanaluminumarmnexohekanghaheoldman’seyesookonhaworriedlookagain

“whaarehosefor?”ozhouaskedpoiningaheinravenousdrips

“hoseareokeepmefedwheniaminsidehepuerimeansyou’llonlyneedoeonceeveryfewdaysoseehowiamdoinghisscreenwillshowyoumyhealhsaushislineandhisnumbershowmyhearbea”lijinpcedoneofhesensorsagainshischesandhenumberonhemoniorsaredcouningup,wihapulsainggraphicshowinghishearrae”

“okihaveseenhainhehospialbeforewhaabouwhenyouneedopooporpee?”ozhouasked,scrachinghishead

“yes,iishesamehingasinhehospialsifiaminanydanger,hesysemwillswichofauomaicallybulongbeforeha,youwillbenoifiedonyourcellhepuerisseupocallyouifanyhinggoeswrongandasforpoopingandpeeing,i’lljushaveodealwihiaferwards”

“compuerscandoha?callmycellphone?”heoldmanaskedindisbelief,animageoflijindyinginhisownexcremenrisinginhishead

“yes,andmuchmorehisiscuingedgesuff,ha’swhyheyarepayingmesomuchmoneyoesisecrely”

“ok,”ozhousaidlimply

heoldmanwachedaslijinappliedhesensorsandydownonhekangheaingelemenshadbeenposiionedbelowhekangandaradiaorhadbeenpcedahefarcornerofoneroom

“soyourememberheprocedure,ozhou?”

“yes,iamoebackeverywoorhreedays,checkhescreenoseewheherhislineislikehaandhesenumbersareabouhesameashenumbersyouwroedownonhapieceofpapernexiamocheckhispumpomakesurehaharedlighisnoonifhelighisgreenhenalliswellheniamoaddmorefuelohegeneraor,makesureiisfulleveryimeifeveryhingisok,henileaveifsomehingiswrongorireceivehaphonecalliamodriveyouodryu’sclinicinyulinciy”

“excellenhankyouagainiwillexpinallhiswheni’soverozhou,iowemylifeoyouiwillneverforgehaiampcingiinyourhandsagain”

“don’menioniyouarenoasranger”

“okiamgoingogoinohepuernow,”lijinsaidpickinguphegogglesandhegssesozhousawheflickeroflighfromwihinhegoggles’dispyandwonderedwhahawashecouldswearhesawbuildings,skyscraperslikehoseheyhadinshanghaihewachedaslijinookheendofoneofhecaheerandremovedheneedlefromispsicsheahozhouwachedmesmerizedaslijinappedahehollowjusbelowhiscolrboneandinseredheneedle,wincingahepainsaisfiedwihheinserionofheneedle,lijinmadehimselfforableonhekanganddo

edhegogglesozhouhoughhesawfearinlijin’seyesasheslidheglovesonohishandshiseyesracedhewireshadisappearedfromheglovesinohegreenpsicboxhalijinhadcoveredwihpolysyreomakeisomewhawaerproof

“goodbyeozhouandseeyousoon”

“goodbye”ozhousaidasearswelledupinhiseyeswhawaslijindoingohimselfandwhy?lijinseledonohekangandozhouwachedasheboy’sglovedhandssaredmovingaroundmakingweirdsignsinheairheoldmanwassurehahejussawlijinopenadoorbuhowwashapossible?hesoodwachingforafewminueshenumbersonhemoniorseemedfineheremovedhepieceofpaperfromhepockeofhisnavymaojackeandcheckedhenumbersyes,iwasallfinehesaredmovingheexplosivesoheyardousidewhenhewasdonehepickeduplijin’sfshlighandheadedowardshedoorozhouurnedaroundandlookedaheboyhehadhelpedraiselyingaoseonhekangbelowhekangwasheglowofheheaingelemensheoldmanshookhishead,sighedanddisappearedinohecouryard,closinghewoodendoorsbehindhim

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