shapely girl beside him, and muttered, ‘
Stone’s swiveled towards the girl — it couldn’t be, could it? Oyang had just spoken Japanese to her. Stone thought of Junko at the press conference, and in Ekstrom’s sick video.
It wasn’t Junko, of course it wasn’t, but it was creepy nonetheless. After what had happened Oyang had a half-naked Japanese girl with him. She didn’t look up — seemed unaware of it. And as Oyang chatted in fluent English, and occasionally Japanese, it was clear he had the natural manners of a diplomat. He looked a little older than thirty-four, tall and thin, with sparse hair that had been dyed a greasy black. One of those men who looks elegant in a suit, but scrawny and out of shape in a bathing suit. At the moment he had on tennis gear. Shorts, shirt, tennis shoes — all the best brands, the highest quality, but the clothes hung off him untidily.
Oyang had a definite sparkle of intelligence though, and the self-confidence that flows from a first class brain, skill with languages and the knowledge that he’d clawed his way to the top in the most populous country on earth. He was no faker, Robert Oyang.
Stone could see why Junko had liked Oyang — believed every word he said. And the fact that he was credible was no reason to assume he was phony, as Ying Ning had done.
Oyang explained that the Chinese government had tasked him, as a bright young diplomat in California, to make friends with influential young figures in Silicon Valley and make assessments of them and their technology. At that time, though barely in his twenties, Semyonov was already one of the most influential figures in Silicon Valley, rising to pretty much the top of the tree.
‘And what was your assessment of Semyonov?’ asked Stone. ‘You must have got close to him?’
‘As close as anyone, yes. But it is not possible to fly too close to the sun,’ said Oyang wistfully. ‘Semyonov was not like the others. The others were very intelligent people who were driven, worked hard and had some luck. Semyonov was different. A quite extraordinary man.’
‘In what way extraordinary? More intelligent?’
‘Certainly he was more intelligent. And the others had luck, sometimes a lot of luck. It would surprise a lot of people to learn that Semyonov had no luck at all, but he couldn’t fail. You see there was a depth to his intelligence, he was not like other men,’ said Oyang. ‘Firstly, it was like talking to a man of great age, who had learned so many things. But not only facts and languages and technology. It was understanding. To be with Semyonov was to see only the surface of a deep ocean of understanding. How far can a man see into the ocean? Five or six metres, even in the clearest water. Yet when he looked at other people, Semyonov was able to divine everything in their minds. Our motivations, our worries, what made us happy.’
Oyang kept glancing at the Japanese girl’s almost naked body. She hadn’t said much, but she was charmed by Oyang for sure. Not just by his money, by his confidence, relaxed demeanour, and his florid but fabulous command of English. Oh yes, Junko would have believed this guy.
‘That could be intimidating,’ said Stone. It would have made Stone clam right up, for a start. But it kind of explained the feeling Stone had had at the party in Hong Kong that Semyonov was one step ahead of him. ‘Did that make you keep a distance from Semyonov?’ asked Stone. ‘Were you worried he would see your motives? What your government had asked you to do?’
‘Perhaps,’ Oyang replied. ‘But Semyonov saw everything in any case, from the very first time I met him. One did not analyse Semyonov. One stood before him as if naked, and divined the truth from what he said.’
Oyang’s English had a slight accent, but otherwise was better than perfect. It was easy to forget that he was Chinese at all.
‘Nonetheless you got him interested him in China,’ asked Stone. ‘In working and investing in China?’
‘You could say so, Mr Stone, but I never persuaded Semyonov of anything. It was his idea to work in China, and I followed him like a disciple,’ explained Oyang. ‘In Beijing, I took the credit of course. I told them that I had Semyonov interested in China, and as you know, things worked out that way. It was a great success for me. I was richly rewarded, let me tell you. I asked to leave the Chinese Foreign Service and take a job with ShinComm. I helped Semyonov set up New Machine Technology as a subsidiary of ShinComm. The money… well. The money with ShinComm is beyond my wildest dreams.’
‘And I’m guessing your dreams were fairly ambitious.’
‘Naturally. And the power, Mr Stone. Until you have power over hundreds of thousands of people, you cannot know… But I digress. None of this was my doing. I have done no more than follow Steven Semyonov. I would have done the same, even had the pay been modest.’
‘Hold on,’ said Stone, fighting through Oyang’s elaborate words. ‘You’re saying it was Semyonov’s idea to come to China? Not yours? He was never persuaded, still less blackmailed or brainwashed?’
‘Of course not.’ Oyang looked surprised that Stone had even asked. ‘From the very beginning, it was his idea. In fact, it seemed to me that Semyonov had chosen me, and not the other way around. He wanted to come to China, and he was using me to communicate.’
‘He trusted you?’
‘Yes. He had every reason to.’
‘And now what? What do you think happened to Steven Semyonov?’ asked Stone. There had to be a reason why Oyang had contacted Stone now.
Oyang paused while a servant served a Bellini cocktail. The girl sipped it wrapped in a peach-coloured towel.
‘Who knows?’ said Oyang holding his hands out wide. ‘He was killed by the truck, and all the evidence — his body and the car — was shipped off to Beijing.’
‘He was murdered?’
‘Of course. Steven was killed for a reason. And since I was closer to Steven than anyone else in China, the dark forces that killed him think I know too much. They want me dead too. I am sure of it.’
Here was the whole point of the meeting.
‘And do you know “too much”?’ asked Stone. ‘You said you didn’t know Semyonov well, but do you know why they killed him? What could be the reason? He could hardly have been better friends with China.’
‘I don’t know the reason,’ said Oyang. ‘I wish I did.’ Stone saw there was a “but” coming here. Oyang got up and strolled distractedly around the side of the pool in his tennis whites. Stone observed. Not a drop of sweat on him. He hadn’t played a single point in those pristine clothes. Pure show for Stone’s benefit. ‘But I will say this,’ said Oyang, finally. ‘Steven Semyonov was not forced, or persuaded, or even asked to come to China. He requested it himself.’
‘So you said.’ Stone tried to coax Oyang along. He sensed the man was stalling, but wanted to talk. ‘So when he gave them his fortune — the twenty-five billion dollars — that was all genuine?’ asked Stone. ‘Did he discuss it with you before hand?’
‘Yes, we discussed it, and yes, it was genuine. They took his money, and he was happy with that. A “gesture of good will”, that’s what he told me it was,’ said Oyang. ‘He said it was a small price to pay. You see, Steven had discovered something in China, and it was something he wanted. He wanted to be part of it.’
‘The Machine?’ asked Stone.
Oyang nodded. ‘Yes. That is what he called it.’
‘And what is the Machine? Where is it?’
Oyang shrugged and looked over at the girl’s brown legs again, as if reflexively. ‘I don’t know. And if I make too many enquiries, I’m afraid I will be killed just as Steven was killed. I’m afraid I know too much already.’
‘But you must have asked him about the Machine — privately.’
‘Surely. But Steven was cagey. He said he couldn’t say anything, because the Machine was too dangerous to talk about. It could make people powerful. Whoever could use it — the Americans, the Russians, the Chinese — would dominate.’
This was the point where Stone was supposed to jump in and offer to help Oyang discover the Machine. That was where Oyang had steered the conversation. Stone decided to keep him guessing. He made sure there was there was silence for a minute, while Oyang glanced furtively at him a couple of times over the top of his Ray Bans. Then Stone changed the subject. ‘Do you think he was a good man — Semyonov? You must have heard the rumours about weapons manufacturing. ShinComm is making very nasty weapons. Why would Semyonov do such a thing?’
‘Do you think he would tell a man like me?’ asked Oyang, placing a hand on his chest.
‘You suspected then?’ asked Stone. You’d better believe Oyang suspected. That theatrical hand on the chest
