cc.floodtide-第27部分

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　are　still　in　operation　and　can　easily　absorb　all　future　shipments　programmed　for　Orion　Lake。〃
　〃President　Lin　Loyang　and　my　fellow　ministers　will　be　happy　to　hear　you　have　everything　under　your　control；〃　said　Yin　Tsang。　〃But　I　still　have　my　reservations。　Once　the　Americans　scent　a　crack　in　your　organization；　they　will　hound　you　unrelentingly。〃
　〃You　are　afraid？〃
　〃I　am　concerned。　Too　much　is　at　stake　to　allow　a　man　more　interested　in　profit　than　the　aims　of　our　party　to　remain　in　control。〃
　〃What　are　you　suggesting？〃
　Yin　Tsang　looked　at　Qin　Shang　steadily。　〃I　shall　remend　to　President　Lin　Loyang　that　you　resign　from　the　smuggling　operation　and　be　replaced。〃
　〃And　my　contract　to　carry　the　bulk　of　national　Chinese　cargo　and　passengers？〃
　〃Revoked。〃
　
　The　expected　response　of　surprise　and　anger　did　not　materialize。　Nor　was　there　the　slightest　sign　of　annoyance。　Qin　Shang　merely　shrugged　impassively。　〃You　think　that　I　can　be　that　easily　replaced？〃
　
　〃Someone　with　your　special　qualifications　has　already　been　selected。〃
　〃Anyone　I　know？〃
　〃One　of　your　petitors；　Quan　Ting；　chairman　of　China　&　Pacific　Lines；　has　agreed　to　fill　your　shoes。〃
　〃Quan　Ting？〃　Qin　Shang's　eyebrow　rose　a　millimeter。　〃His　ships　are　little　better　than　rusting　barges。〃
　〃Soon　he　will　be　in　a　position　to　launch　new　ships。〃　The　words　came　with　a　veiled　implication　that　Quan　Ting　would　be　financed　by　the　Chinese　government　with　Yin　Tsang's　blessing　and　endorsement。
　〃You　insult　my　intelligence。　You　have　used　the　Orion　Lake　mishap　as　an　excuse　to　cancel　my　association　with　the　People's　Republic　of　China　so　you　can　go　into　partnership　on　the　sly　and　rake　in　the　profits　yourself。〃
　〃You　are　no　stranger　to　greed；　Qin　Shang。　You　would　do　the　same　in　my　shoes。〃
　〃And　my　new　facility　in　Louisiana？〃　asked　Qin　Shang。　〃Am　I　to　lose　that　too？〃
　〃You　will　be　pensated　for　your　half　of　the　investment；　of　course。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Qin　Shang　repeated　acidly；　knowing　full　well　he　would　never　receive　a　cent。　〃Naturally；　it　will　be　given　to　my　successor　and　you；　his　silent　partner。〃
　〃That　will　be　my　counsel　at　the　next　party　conference　in　Beijing。〃
　〃May　I　inquire　as　to　whom　else　you've　discussed　my　expulsion　with？〃
　〃Only　Quan　Ting；〃　answered　Yin　Tsang。　〃I　thought　it　best　to　keep　the　matter　quiet　until　the　proper　time。〃
　
　Qin　Shang's　private　secretary　stepped　into　the　room　and　moved　to　the　sitting　area　with　the　grace　of　a　Balinese　dancing　girl；　which　is　exactly　what　she　was　until　Qin　Shang　hired　and　trained　her。　She　was　only　one　of　several　beautiful　girls　who　served　as　Shang's　aides。　Women　he　trusted　more　than　men。　Unmarried；　Shang　kept　nearly　a　dozen　mistresses…three　lived　in　his　penthouse…but　he　followed　a　policy　of　never　being　intimate　with　the　women　close　to　his　business　dealings。　He　nodded　his　appreciation　as　his　secretary　set　a　tray　with　two　cups　and　two　teapots　on　the　low　table　between　the　men。
　〃The　green　teapot　is　your　special　blend；〃　she　said　softly　to　Qin　Shang。　〃The　blue　teapot　is　jasmine。〃
　〃Jasmine！〃　Yin　Tsang　snorted。　〃How　can　you　drink　tea　that　tastes　like　women's　perfume　when　your　special　blend　is　far　superior？〃
　〃Variety。〃　Qin　Shang　smiled。　As　a　show　of　courtesy　he　poured　the　tea。　Relaxing　in　his　chair　while　he　cradled　the　steaming　cup　in　his　hands；　he　watched　as　Yin　Tsang　sipped　until　his　tea　was　gone。　Then　Qin　Shang　politely　poured　him　another　cup。
　〃You　realize；　of　course；　that　Quan　Ting　has　no　cruise　ships　available　to　carry　passengers。〃
　〃They　can　either　be　purchased　or　leased　from　other　cruise　lines；〃　said　Yin　Tsang　offhandedly。　〃Let　us　face　the　light。　You　have　made　immense　profits　over　the　past　few　years。　You　are　not　about　to　go　bankrupt。　It　will　be　a　simple　matter　for　you　to　diversify　Qin　Shang　Maritime　Limited　into　Western　markets。　You　are　a　shrewd　businessman；　Qin　Shang。　You　will　survive　without　the　People's　Republic　of　China's　benevolence。〃
　〃The　flight　of　a　hawk　cannot　be　acplished　with　the　wings　of　a　sparrow；〃　said　Qin　Shang　philosophically。
　Yin　Tsang　set　down　his　cup　and　rose　to　his　feet。　〃I　must　leave　you　now。　My　plane　is　waiting　to　fly　me　back　to　Beijing。〃
　〃I　understand；〃　Qin　Shang　said　dryly。　〃As　minister　of　internal　affairs；　you　are　a　busy　man　who　must　make　many　decisions。〃
　Yin　Tsang　noted　the　contempt　but　said　no　more。　His　unpleasant　duty　performed；　he　gave　a　curt　bow　and　entered　the　elevator。　As　soon　as　the　doors　closed；　Qin　Shang　returned　to　his　desk　and　spoke　into　the　inter。　〃Send　me　Pavel　Gavrovich。〃
　Five　minutes　later；　a　tall；　medium…built　man　with　Slavic　facial　features　and　thick　black　hair　greased　and　bed　back　across　his　head　with　no　part　stepped　from　the　elevator。　He　strode　across　the　room　and　stopped　in　front　of　Qin　Shang's　desk。
　
　Qin　Shang　looked　up　at　his　chief　enforcer；　once　the　finest　and　most　ruthless　undercover　agent　in　all　of　Russia。　A　professional　assassin　with　few　equals　in　the　martial　arts；　Pavel　Gavrovich　was　offered　an　exorbitant　salary　to　leave　a　high…level　position　in　the　Russian　Defense　Ministry　to　e　to　work　for　Qin　Shang。　Gavrovich　had　taken　less　than　one　minute　to　accept。
　〃A　petitor　of　mine　who　owns　an　inferior　shipping　line　is　proving　to　be　an　irritant　to　me。　His　name　is　Quan　Ting。　Please　arrange　an　accident　for　him。〃
　Gavrovich　nodded　silently；　turned　on　his　heels　and　reentered　the　waiting　elevator；　never　having　spoken　a　word。
　The　following　morning；　as　Qin　Shang　sat　in　the　dining　room　of　his　penthouse　suite　alone　and　scanned　several　newspapers；　foreign　and　domestic；　he　was　pleased　to　discover　a　pair　of　articles　in　the　Hong　Kong　Journal。　The　first　read；　Quan　Ting；　chairman　and　managing　director　of　the　China　&　Pacific　Shipping　Line；　and　his　wife　were　killed　late　last　night　when　their　limousine　was　struck　broadside　by　a　large　truck　transporting　electrical　cable　as　Mr。　Quan　and　his　wife　were　leaving　the　Mandarin　Hotel　after　dinner　with　friends。　Their　chauffeur　was　also　killed。　The　driver　of　the　truck　vanished　from　the　scene　of　the　accident　and　has　yet　to　be　found　by　police。
　
　The　second　article　in　the　newspaper　read；　it　was　announced　in　Beijing　today　by　the　Chinese　government　that　Yin　Tsang　had　died。　The　untimely　death　of　China's　minister　of　internal　affairs；　who　succumbed　to　a　heart　attack　while　on　a　flight　to　Beijing；　was　sudden　and　unexpected。　Though　he　had　no　known　history　of　heart　problems；　all　efforts　to　revive　him　failed；　and　he　was　pronounced　dead　upon　arrival　at　the　Beijing　Airport。　Deputy　Minister　Lei　Chau　is　expected　to　succeed　Yin　Tsang。
　
　A　great　pity；　Qin　Shang　thought　wickedly。　My　special　blend　of　tea　must　not　have　agreed　with　Yin　Tsang's　stomach。　He　made　a　mental　note　to　tell　his　secretary　to　send　his　condolences　to　President　Lin　Loyang　and　set　up　a　meeting　with　Lei　Chau；　who　had　been　nurtured　with　the　necessary　bribes　and　was　known　to　be　not　nearly　as　avaricious　as　his　predecessor。
　
　Putting　aside　the　newspapers；　Qin　Shang　took　a　final　sip　of　his　coffee。　He　drank　tea　in　public；　but　in　private　he　preferred　Southern…style　American　coffee　with　chicory。　A　soft　chime　warned　him　that　his　private　secretary　was　about　to　enter　the　dining　room。　She　approached　and　set　a　leather…bound　file　on　the　table　beside　him。
　
　〃Here　is　the　information　you　requested　from　your　agent　at　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation。〃
　〃Wait　one　moment　will　you；　Su　Zhong。　I'd　like　your　opinion　on　something。〃
　
　Qin　Shang　opened　the　file　and　began　studying　the　contents。　He　held　up　a　photograph　of　a　man　standing　beside　an　old　classic　car　who　stared　back　at　the　camera。　The　man　was　dressed　casually　in　slacks　and　a　golf　shirt　under　a　sport　coat。　A　crooked；　almost　shy　grin　curled　the　lips　on　a　face　that　was　tanned　and　weathered。　The　eyes；　laughter　lines　wrinkling　from　their　edges；　were　locked　on　the　camera　lens　and　had　a　probing　quality　about　them；　almost　as　if　they　were　measuring　whoever　peered　at　the　photo。　They　were　accented　by　dark；　thick　eyebrows。　The　photo　was　in　black…and…white；　so　it　was　impossible　to　assess　the　exact　color　of　the　irises。　Qin　Shang　wrongly　guessed　them　as　blue。
　
　The　black　hair　was　dense　and　wavy　and　slightly　unkempt。　The　shoulders　were　broad　and　tapered　to　a　slim　waist　and　narrow　hips。　The　data　in　the　file　gave　his　body　size　as　six　feet；　three　inches；　185　pounds。　The　hands　looked　like　the　hands　of　a　field　worker；　the　palms　large　with　small　scars　and　calluses；　and　the　fingers　long。　The　eyes；　it　was　stated；　were　green　and　not　blue。
　
　〃You　have　an　inner　sense　about　men；　Su　Zhong。　You　can　envision　things　others　like　me　cannot　see。　Look　at　this　picture。　Look　inside　the　man　and　tell　me　what　you　find。〃
　
　Su　Zhong　swept　her　long　black　hair　back　from　her　face　as　she　leaned　over　Qin　Shang　and　gazed　at　the　photograph。　〃He　is　handsome　in　a　rugged　sort　of　way。　I　sense　a　magnetism　about　him。　He　has　the　look　of　an　adventurer　whose　love　is　exploring　the　unknown；　especially　what　lies　under　the　sea。　No　rings　on　his　fingers　suggests　that　he　is　unpretentious。　Women　are　drawn　to　him。　They　do　not　consider　him　a　threat。　He　enjoys　their　pany。　There　is　an　aura　of　kindness　and　tenderness　about　him。　A　man　you　can　trust。　All　indications　of　a　good　lover。　He　is　sentimental　about　old　objects　and　probably　collects　them。　His　life　is　dedicated　to　achievement。　Little　of　what　he　has　acplished　was　for　personal　gain。　He　thrives　on　challenges。　This　is　a　man　who　does　not　like　to　fail　but　can　accept　failure　if　he　has　tried　his　best。　There　is　also　a　cold　hardness　in　the　eyes。　He　also　has　the　capacity　to　kill。　To　friends　he　is　extremely　loyal。　To　enemies；　extremely　dangerous。　All　in　all；　a　most　unusual　man　who　should　have　lived　in　another　time。〃
　〃What　you're　saying　is　that　he　is　a　throwback　to　the　past。〃
　Su　Zhong　nodded。　〃He　would　have　been　at　home　on　the　deck　of　a　pirate　ship；　fighting　in　the　crusades　or　driving　a　stagecoach　through　the　deserts　of　the　old　American　West。〃
　〃Thank　you；　my　dear；　for　your　extraordinary　insight。〃
　〃My　pleasure　is　to　serve　you。〃　Su　Zhong　bowed　her　head　and　quietly　left　the　room；　closing　the　door　behind　her。
　Qin　Shang　turned　over　the　photograph　and　began　reading　the　data　in　the　file；　noting　with　amusement　that　he　and　the　subject　were　born　on　the　same　day　in　the　same　year。　There；　any　similarity　ended。　The　subjec