tc.thebearandthedragon-第125部分

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　looked　less　difficult　than　he'd　imagined。　Well；　wasn't　that　good　news？
　
　It　was　another　early　day　for　Minister　Fang　Gan。　He'd　gotten　a　phone　call　at　his　home　the　previous　night；　and　decided　he　had　to　arrive　early　for　the　appointment　made　then。　This　was　a　surprise　for　his　staff；　who　were　just　setting　up　for　the　day　when　he　breezed　in；　not　looking　as　cross　as　he　felt　for　the　disturbance　of　his　adamantine　routine。　It　wasn't　their　fault；　after　all；　and　they　had　the　good　sense　not　to　trouble　him；　and　thus　generate　artificial　wrath。
　Ming　was　just　printing　up　her　downloads　from　the　Web。　She　had　pieces　that　she　thought　would　be　of　interest；　especially　one　from　The　Wall　Street　Journal；　and　another　from　Financial　Times。　Both　mented　on　what　she　thought　might　be　the　reason　for　the　minister's　early　arrival。　His　9：20　appointment　was　with　Ren　He…Ping；　an　industrialist　friendly　with　her　boss。　Ren　arrived　early。　The　slender；　elderly　man　looked　unhappy…no；　she　thought；　worried…about　something。　She　lifted　her　phone　to　get　permission；　then　stood　and　walked　him　into　the　inner　office；　racing　back　outside　to　fetch　morning　tea；　which　she　hadn't　had　a　chance　to　serve　her　boss　yet。
　Ming　was　back　inside　in　less　than　five　minutes；　with　the　fine　porcelain　cups　on　a　decorated　serving　tray。　She　presented　the　morning　drinks　to　both　men　with　an　elegance　that　earned　her　a　thank…you　from　her　boss；　and　then　she　took　her　leave。　Ren；　she　saw；　wasn't　any　happier　to　be　in　with　her　minister。
　〃What　is　the　problem；　Ren？〃
　〃In　two　weeks；　I　will　have　a　thousand　workers　with　nothing　to　do；　Fang。〃
　〃Oh？　What　is　the　reason　for　that；　my　friend？〃
　〃I　do　much　business　with　an　American　business。　It　is　called　Butterfly。　They　sell　clothing　to　wealthy　American　women。　My　factory　outside　Shanghai　makes　the　cloth；　and　my　tailoring　plant　at　Yancheng　turns　the　fabric　into　clothing；　which　we　ship　to　America　and　Europe。　We've　been　doing　business　with　Butterfly　for　three　years　now；　very　satisfactorily　for　all　concerned。〃
　〃Yes？　So；　what；　then；　is　the　difficulty？〃
　〃Fang；　Butterfly　just　canceled　an　order　worth　one　hundred　forty　million　American　dollars。　They　did　it　without　any　warning。　Only　last　week　they　told　us　how　happy　they　were　with　our　products。　We've　invested　a　fortune　into　quality　control　to　make　sure　they　would　stay　with　us…but　they've　left　us　like　a　dog　in　the　street。〃
　〃Why　did　this　happen；　Ren？〃　Minister　Fang　asked；　fearing　he　knew　the　answer。
　〃Our　representative　in　New　York　tells　us　that　it's　because　of　the　deaths　of　the　two　clergymen。　He　tells　us　that　Butterfly　had　no　choice；　that　Americans　demonstrated　outside　his　establishment　in　New　York　and　prevented　people　from　going　inside　to　buy　his　wares。　He　says　that　Butterfly　cannot　do　business　with　me　for　fear　of　having　their　own　business　collapse。〃
　〃Do　you　not　have　a　contract　with　them？　Are　they　not　obligated　to　honor　it？〃
　Ren　nodded。　〃Technically；　yes；　but　business　is　a　practical　thing；　Minister。　If　they　cannot　sell　our　goods；　then　they　will　not　buy　them　from　us。　They　cannot　get　the　financing　to　do　so　from　their　bankers…bankers　loan　money　in　the　expectation　that　it　will　be　paid　back；　yes？　There　is　an　escape　clause　in　the　contract。　We　could　dispute　it　in　court；　but　it　would　take　years；　and　we　would　probably　not　succeed；　and　it　would　also　offend　others　in　the　industry；　and　thus　prevent　us　from　ever　doing　business　in　New　York　again。　So；　in　practical　terms　there　is　no　remedy。〃
　〃Is　this　a　temporary　thing？　Surely　this　difficulty　will　pass；　will　it　not？〃
　〃Fang；　we　also　do　business　in　Italy；　with　the　House　of　d'Alberto；　a　major　trend…setter　in　European　fashion。　They　also　canceled　their　relationship　with　us。　It　seems　that　the　Italian　man　our　police　killed　es　from　a　powerful　and　influential　family。　Our　representative　in　Italy　says　that　no　Chinese　firm　will　be　able　to　do　business　there　for　some　time。　In　other　words；　Minister；　that　'unfortunate　incident'　with　the　churchmen　is　going　to　have　grave　consequences。〃
　〃But　these　people　have　to　purchase　their　cloth　somewhere；〃　Fang　objected。
　〃Indeed　they　do。　And　they　will　do　so　in　Thailand；　Singapore；　and
　Taiwan。〃
　〃Is　that　possible？〃
　Ren　nodded　quickly　and　sadly。　〃It　is　very　possible。　Sources　have　told　me　that　they　are　busily　contacting　our　former　business　partners　to　'take　up　the　slack；'　as　they　put　it。　You　see；　the　Taiwan　government　has　launched　an　aggressive　campaign　to　distinguish　themselves　from　us；　and　it　would　appear　that　their　campaign　is；　for　the　moment；　highly　success…fill。〃
　〃Well；　Ren；　surely　you　can　find　other　customers　for　your　goods；〃　Fang　suggested　with　confidence。
　But　the　industrialist　shook　his　head。　He　hadn't　touched　his　tea　and　his　eyes　looked　like　wounds　in　a　stone　head。　〃Minister；　America　is　the　world's　largest　such　market；　and　it　appears　it　will　soon　be　closed　to　us。　After　that　is　Italy；　and　that　door；　also；　has　been　slammed　shut。　Paris；　London；　even　the　avant…garde　marketers　in　Denmark　and　Vienna　will　not　even　return　our　phone　calls。　I've　had　my　representatives　contact　all　potential　markets；　and　they　all　say　the　same　thing：　No　one　wants　to　do　business　with　China。　Only　America　could　save　us；　but　America　will　not。〃
　〃What　will　this　cost　you？〃
　〃As　I　told　you；　one　hundred　forty　million　dollars　just　from　the　Butterfly　account　alone；　and　another　similar　amount　from　our　other　American　and　European　businesses。〃
　Fang　didn't　have　to　think　long　to　calculate　the　take　the　PRC's　government　got　from　that。
　〃Your　colleagues？〃
　〃I　have　spoken　with　several。　The　news　is　the　same。　The　timing　could　hardly　be　worse。　All　of　our　contracts　are　ing　due　at　the　same　time。　We　are　talking　billions　of　dollars；　Minister。　Billions；〃　he　repeated。
　Fang　lit　a　cigarette。　〃I　see；〃　he　said。　〃What　would　it　take　to　fix　this？〃
　〃Something　to　make　America　happy；　not　just　the　government；　but　the　citizens；　too。〃
　〃Is　that　truly　important？〃　Fang　asked；　somewhat　tiredly。　He'd　heard　this　rubbish　so　many　times　from　so　many　voices。
　〃Fang；　in　America　people　can　buy　their　clothing　from　any　number　of　stores　and　manufacturers；　any　number　of　marketers。　The　people　choose　which　succeeds　and　which　fails。　Women's　clothing　in　particular　is　an　industry　as　volatile　as　vapor。　It　does　not　take　much　to　make　such　a　pany　fail。　As　a　result；　those　panies　will　not　assume　additional　and　unnecessary　risks。　To　do　business　with　the　People's　Republic；　now；　today；　is　something　they　see　as　an　unnecessary　risk。〃
　Fang　took　a　drag　and　thought　about　that。　It　was；　actually；　something　he'd　always　known；　intellectually；　but　never　quite　appreciated。　America　was　a　different　place；　and　it　did　have　different　rules。　And　since　China　wanted　American　money；　China　had　to　abide　by　those　rules。　That　wasn't　politics。　That　was　practicality。
　〃So；　you　want　me　to　do　what？〃
　〃Please；　tell　your　fellow　ministers　that　this　could　mean　financial　ruin　for　us。　Certainly　for　my　industry；　and　we　are　a　valuable　asset　for　our　country。　We　bring　wealth　into　China。　If　you　want　that　wealth　to　spend　on　other　things；　then　you　must　pay　attention　to　what　we　need　in　order　to　get　you　that　wealth。〃　What　Ren　could　not　say　was　that　he　and　his　fellow　industrialists　were　the　ones　who　made　the　Politburo's　economic　（and　therefore；　also　political）　agenda　possible；　and　that　therefore　the　Politburo　needed　to　listen　to　them　once　in　a　while。　But　Fang　knew　what　the　Politburo　would　say　in　reply。　A　horse　may　pull　the　cart；　but　you　do　not　ask　the　horse　where　it　wishes　to　go。
　Such　was　political　reality　in　the　People's　Republic　of　China。　Fang　knew　that　Ren　had　been　around　the　world；　that　he　had　a　sizable　personal　fortune　which　the　PRC　had　graciously　allowed　him　to　accumulate；　and　that；　probably　more　important；　he　had　the　intelligence　and　personal　industry　to　thrive　anywhere　he　chose　to　live。　Fang　knew　also　that　Ren　could　fly　to　Taiwan　and　get　financing　to　build　a　factory　there；　where　he　could　employ　others　who　looked　and　spoke　Chinese；　and　he'd　make　money　there　and　get　some　political　influence　in　the　bargain。　Most　of　all；　he　knew　that　Ren　knew　this。　Would　he　act　upon　it？　Probably　not。　He　was　Chinese；　a　citizen　of　the　mainland。　This　was　his　land；　and　he　had　no　desire　to　leave　it；　else　he　would　not　be　here　now；　pleading　his　case　to　the　one　minister…well；　probably　Qian　Kun　would　listen　also…whose　ear　might　be　receptive　to　his　words。　Ren　was　a　patriot；　but　not　a　munist。　What　an　odd　duality　that　was　。　。　。
　Fang　stood。　This　meeting　had　gone　far　enough。　〃I　will　do　this；　my　friend；〃　he　told　his　visitor。　〃And　I　will　let　you　know　what　develops。〃
　〃Thank　you；　rade　Minister。〃　Ren　bowed　and　took　his　leave；　not　looking　better；　but　pleased　that　someone　had　actually　listened　to　him。　Listening　was　not　what　one　expected　of　Politburo　members。
　Fang　sat　back　down　and　lit　another　cigarette；　then　reached　for　his　tea。　He　thought　for　a　minute　or　so。　〃Ming！〃　he　called　loudly。　It　took　seven　seconds　by　his　watch。
　〃Yes；　Minister？〃
　〃What　news　articles　do　you　have　for　me？〃　he　asked。　His　secretary　disappeared　for　another　few　seconds；　then　reappeared；　holding　a　few　pages。
　〃Here；　Minister；　just　printed　up。　This　one　may　be　of　particular　interest。〃
　'This　one〃　was　a　cover　story　from　The　Wall　Street　Journal。　〃Major　Shift　in　China　Business？〃　it　proclaimed。　The　question　mark　was　entirely　rhetorical；　he　saw　in　the　first　paragraph。　Ren　was　right。　He　had　to　discuss　this　with　the　rest　of　the　Politburo。
　The　second　major　item　in　Bondarenko's　morning　was　observing　tank　gunnery。　His　men　had　the　newest　variant　of　the　T…80UM　main　battle　tank。　It　wasn't　quite　the　newest　T…99　that　was　just　ing　into　production。　This　UM　did；　however；　have　a　decent　fire…control　system；　which　was　novel　enough。　The　target　range　was　about　as　simple　as　one　could　ask；　large　white　cardboard　panels　with　black　tank　silhouettes　painted　on　them；　and　they　were　set　at　fixed；　known　ranges。　Many　of　his　gunners　had　never　fired　a　live　round　since　leaving　gunnery　school…such　was　the　current　level　of　training　in　the　Russian　Army；　the　general　fumed。
　Then　he　fumed　some　more。　He　watched　one　particular　tank；　firing　at　a　target　an　even　thousand　meters　away。　It　should　have　been　mere　spitting　distance；　but　as　he　watched；　first　one；　then　two　more；　of　the　tracer　rounds　missed；　all　falling　short；　until　the　fou