Chapter 9: New Plans

Gu Wen carried Jiang Yun over his shoulder and dumped her onto Tian Yi's bed, then walked out of the room, keeping a wary eye on Tian Yi as though the man might suddenly leap up and bite someone.

Pulling the door shut behind him, Gu Wen asked, “What are you going to do with this woman?”

Tian Yi was the same as ever: when he didn't want to go into something, he gave a vague answer. “She'll be useful. That's all.”

Gu Wen walked around the desk and sat down opposite Tian Yi. “For your collection? For display? For actual use?”

“None of your fucking business.”

“I'm the one who kidnapped her.”

“Speaking of which, I do have a question,” Tian Yi said. “The bookshop hasn't moved. Our surroundings are exactly as they were before I entered subspace, which means we're still in the Dragon Commandery. Jiang Yun is from the Dragon Commandery. You probably grabbed her, Yang Gang, and Carl yourself, locally.” He changed tack. “But taking everyone from the Dragon Commandery would make it easy to get caught, so the others came from all over the world. You can't be everywhere at once. Getting them all together at short notice would be a hassle, and I might have noticed. So someone must have helped you.”

Gu Wen took off his black cloak and carefully folded it. “Of course I have plenty of outside help I can call on, mostly people in the business I've had the pleasure of working with a few times before. Even so, just producing this material that blocks your ability took far more money and connections than I'd expected.”

“People in the business? Heh… All right, let's speak plainly. Are you the leader of Silver Shadow?” Tian Yi asked.

Gu Wen pulled a small freezer out of the jumble of books at his feet, opened it, and took out a bottle of tomato juice. He took a sip and replied, “None of your fucking business.”

Tian Yi smiled. “Both partners ought to show the same amount of good faith.”

“Sure,” Gu Wen said. “I can answer your question, but first you have to explain what just happened in subspace.”

Tian Yi answered without hesitation. “After I die, I wake up in the bookshop's bedroom.”

“That's it?”

“That's it.”

Gu Wen smiled, then suddenly said, “No.”

Tian Yi understood him. “So it isn't you. But you must know who it is.”

“I do, but she and I have an agreement. I won't reveal her identity to anyone,” Gu Wen said.

“Then I won't ask,” Tian Yi said. “But you'll have to pass a message to her for me.”

Before Tian Yi could say it, Gu Wen worked out what the message would be. “You want to help Gambling Snake again?”

“Oh, you already know about that…” Tian Yi said.

Gu Wen continued, “Gilson II wasn't all that stupid. The central provision of his will was that if he died before his enemy, his entire estate would go into the ‘Revenge Fund,’ payable to whoever killed Gambling Snake with their own hands.

“After what happened in Vegas, Gambling Snake managed to escape for the time being, but those formidable Silver Shadow fighters working for Gilson II naturally knew about the fund. They aren't going to give up that kind of money.”

“Exactly,” Tian Yi said. “But a word from their leader would put an end to this pointless pursuit.”

“I'll pass that on,” Gu Wen said. “I can't guarantee she'll do you the favor.”

“Unless she's an idiot, I don't think she'll insist on making an enemy of someone like Gambling Snake,” Tian Yi said. “All right, let's discuss how the various plans are progressing…”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Gu Wen looked at Tian Yi. “You don't take any personal offense at the tests I've put you through these past few days?”

“As long as it doesn't affect the bigger picture, I don't mind that sort of behavior. We're just starting to work together, so this much probing is normal. Given the sort of person you are, I don't think it was too far out of line,” Tian Yi replied. “Of course, if it leaves you feeling anxious or guilty, just kneel before me and call me ‘my lord’ every time we meet from now on. I'm sure that will bring you some small measure of inner comfort.”

Gu Wen splashed tomato juice all over Tian Yi's face. “I feel much better now. We can discuss the plans.”

Tian Yi wiped his face with his hand, still acting as though nothing had happened. “Any word from Darkwater these past few days?”

“He was over in Europe when we last spoke,” Gu Wen replied. “Still no trace of Zuo Dao, though.”

“That damned Taoist really has become incredibly hard to find since he learned about the Book of the Heart,” Tian Yi said. “We'll just have to get Darkwater to pick up the pace and swallow more people for information. If this drags on too long and Blood Owl keeps waiting for someone who never comes, he may go off and do his own thing. Then we'll definitely have a mess we can't fix.”

“No need to rush,” Gu Wen said. “Gunsmith hasn't finished ‘that’ yet anyway.”

“Gunsmith keeps his word,” Tian Yi said. “If he says it'll take a month, it'll take a month. Our problem is getting Zuo Dao into Tidal Prison before it's finished.”

As they spoke, the computer screen on the desk lit up by itself. A dialog box appeared in the middle of the desktop, asking whether to accept a call. Tian Yi accepted and spoke into the microphone to his right. “Who is it?”

“It's me.” The man spoke English in a gruff voice.

“Oh, Bob, old buddy,” Tian Yi replied. “It's been a long time since you called me.”

“Buddy, you know I don't normally get in touch with you.” Bob lowered his voice. “Can you talk right now?”

“What is it? Just tell me,” Tian Yi said.

Bob swallowed and said gravely, “I've just come into some information. Interested?”

Tian Yi chuckled. “Heh… Since you called me, can I assume your preliminary assessment is that this information is too dangerous for anyone but me to touch?”

“Yes, you're a complete lunatic, and you always pay good money for information of this caliber. So cut the crap and tell me if you're interested,” Bob replied.

“I'll send you an address,” Tian Yi said. “Send the information by courier, along with your asking price. I'll transfer the money once it arrives.”

“Is that a safe way to send it?” Bob asked.

“Buddy, the best security measure in the world is making people think something doesn't matter at all. Put a lump of shit in an armored truck and send two hundred special forces soldiers to escort it, and someone might actually try to steal it.” With that, Tian Yi clicked the mouse and ended the call.

“Who's this Bob?” Gu Wen asked.

“An information broker. Runs a pig farm in Philadelphia,” Tian Yi replied.

“Oh… a pig farm… I see.” Gu Wen seemed to have picked up on something else.

“Speaking of pigs, I'm a little hungry,” Tian Yi said. “If you happen to pass that roast duck place on Highway Five north of town, bring one back for me. They don't deliver.”

Gu Wen stood up with a long sigh. “Ah… I'll go back to the hotel and change first, and while I'm at it, get some money, and while I'm at it, pick up the car keys, and while I'm at it, fill up the tank, and while I'm at it, drive a dozen or so kilometers, and while I'm at it, ‘happen to pass’ the roast duck place, and while I'm at it, bring one back for you…”

Tian Yi finished the coffee in his cup. “Oh, right. What you said yesterday about self-negation and dialectical understanding gave me an idea. We could invite Steel Commandment in the Dragon Commandery and the local high and mighty to play a similar game. Jiang Yun could be quite a useful pawn.

“Military confrontations on the scale of those in Europe and South Africa are still nowhere near enough. What this world needs is a shock. Only enormous upheaval and conflict can remind them that the times have already begun to change.

“I think one of the world's five largest commanderies completely engulfed in war would make an excellent signal.”