The Mandarin's Vendetta (Rayna Tan Action Thriller Series Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  Cover

  Special Offer

  Author's Introduction

  Introduction to Modern China

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  SPECIAL!

  Invitation

  Also By Wesley Lowe

  Did you Enjoy the Book?

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  THE MANDARIN’S VENDETTA

  (The Rayna Tan Series - 2)

  By

  Wesley Robert Lowe

  Copyright © Wesley Robert Lowe 2016

  All Rights Reserved

  This book or any portion thereof may not be used in any manner without the express written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Author's Introduction

  China, the once-sleeping dragon, has awoken. Airborne and spreading its wings wide, its energy and influences are global and formidable.

  And yet, it is still an enigma, full of inconsistencies and contradictions. Transparency and openness remain elusive and despite brash, fantastic displays of pageantry - who could ever forget the dazzling opening of the Beijing Summer Olympics or Shanghai’s pronouncement as a “great world city” when it hosted the World Expo - there is still the mystery and reality of the “inscrutable Chinese.

  The Mandarin’s Vendetta shows us a bit of the dragon’s hidden underbelly. Mixed in with the breakneck, unrelenting action is illumination into the dark world of corruption, crime and desperation of both sides of the Pacific.

  Introduction to Modern China

  China. One of the most fascinating, complex and unpredictable countries in the world. With a history of more than five thousand years, the “Middle Kingdom’s” population is approaching a billion and a half people that speak one or several of the over two hundred dialects of Chinese. Tectonic shifts politically, socially and economically are the norm, especially since Chairman Mao declared the formation of the People’s Republic of China. The proverbial China, governed by dynasties, warlords, emperors, autocratic monarchs and regional kings, is no more.

  After the assumption of power by the Communist Party in 1949, Chairman Mao ruled China with a reign of terror while he transformed China from an agrarian society to an industrial one. Despite mistakes, abuses and an inability to control corruption, there was one factor that endeared him to the people—Mao stood up to foreign imperialist powers and ended a century of humiliation.

  China’s desire to establish itself on the world stage continued after Mao’s death with subsequent generations of leaders—but with a radically different approach. While never stated as official policy, the older Communist ideal of all people being equal was replaced by a more capitalist approach of letting the cream rise to the top, economic advancement and opening the “Bamboo Curtain” to enter the global economy.

  Since 1977, it’s been a constant tug of war between traditional and contemporary, Communist and capitalist, laissez-faire and government control. What has made it more difficult for the Chinese and anyone or any country trying to establish business or diplomatic relations is an inconsistency in application of rules. Some bureaucrats and party officials ignore them; others follow them to the letter of the law. That doesn’t mean the system is broken. It just means that playing the game has to be approached from multiple perspectives. (As an example, in Beijing, one can visit Tiananmen Square where, in 1989, pro-democracy protesters were mowed down by soldiers. Yet, in the midst of the square, is the mausoleum of China’s dictator for twenty-five years, Chairman Mao Zedong. And, mere steps away, is the Forbidden City, the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.)

  With no strong guiding hand of governance, towns and cities have become mishmashes of economic, cultural and social environments, often co-existing virtually side by side. Bright megastores are steps away from street hawkers with carts; European designer houses are footfalls from little shops with cheap knock-offs hidden behind the counter; turn the corner from a luxury apartment and there may be cardboard and sheet metal shacks.

  This current generation, with the emergence of capitalism, has seen an explosion of millionaires and even billionaires. While China under Communism is largely atheistic, that doesn’t mean there is no God. He’s just been replaced. With money as the new center of worship, there has been a stampede toward materialism, any for many, the desire to flaunt their new wealth. In major cities around the world, designer shops cater to mainland Chinese. China today is the single most important market for Mercedes Benz and Porsche. Chinese buyers account for one quarter of the world’s luxury goods sales. From single malt scotch to expensive French wines, the Chinese have become the most important purchasers.

  How did so many Chinese get their wealth? Of course, there are many honest, hardworking citizens who grew their businesses, paying attention to regulations, standards and ethical business practices. But, like everywhere else in the world, advancement’s wheels are oiled by willing officials who will bend or ignore the regulations when bribes are offered. The preponderance of corrupt administrators, civil servants, officials and party members has grown astronomically and p
eriodic crackdowns have been unable to stem the tide.

  There are also many for whom rules and honesty are nuisances to be ignored. No different from anywhere else in the world but, with such a preponderance of those who have entered the category of the nouveau riche, it is clear that corrupt government officials often collaborate with criminals or fraudsters in the private sector.

  But, as Abraham Lincoln allegedly stated, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

  And, even if you don’t get caught, the consequences can still be dire.

  Chapter One

  Corruption and Shoddy Construction Behind School Collapse in China Earthquake (China Daily Tribune - English Edition)

  Guangzhou

  After a three-month investigation, a committee investigating the collapse of two primary schools in the city of Zongtian during a mild earthquake that measured only 4.2on the Richter scale has concluded that shoddy workmanship, substandard materials and shortcuts in construction were the root causes.

  The four-story schools, less than five years old and located three miles apart from each other, crumpled within sixty seconds, crushing hundreds of children beneath a sea of bricks and concrete. Three hundred schoolchildren were crushed to death and close to two thousand children, ages six to eleven, suffered injuries ranging from minor bruises to fractured skulls. Frantic rescue workers and wailing parents searched overnight in pouring rain, clawing through tons of mud, rubble and debris.

  With many older buildings surviving the earthquake, outraged parents demanded an investigation. (In most cases, an earthquake of this magnitude causes only slight shaking and minimal damage.) At that time, Chen Bigao, the Housing Minister for China’s Guangdong Province, stated, “It is unacceptable that we put the lives of our children into the hands of property developers who care only about lining their pockets with money obtained through the blood of our children. We will not stop until we have all the answers and imprison all those who are guilty of murdering our children.”

  Today, the results of that inquiry were released:

  The vertical columns in the Zongtian primary school had inadequate reinforcing rods—a critical structural flaw. The concrete was substandard with a high percentage of sea sand instead of the legally required river sand. The untreated sea sand contained chlorine and salt that corroded the steel girders. In addition, an oversupply of the cheap sand was mixed with the concrete, making the structure less sturdy. To cut costs further, illegal and inexperienced migrant workers, mainly farmers or “rural refugees,” made up the construction crews instead of experienced construction workers. They were recruited from “shanty towns,” impoverished slum areas in major urban areas. These unskilled laborers worked for a fraction of what properly trained workers cost… but the amounts paid by the government to the contractors was at the top of the pay scale for the best workers. (In China, people must have permits, or hukou, to be allowed to work, live or go to school in an area outside their place of birth.)

  School Planning Director, Wen Jiang, who okayed all the major contracts, has been arrested. His explanation was that he was given an “impossible” budget to complete the project and that Zongtian, which has never experienced significant tremors, was in an “earthquake-free zone.”

  A deeper examination revealed that his recordkeeping was abysmal—there was little in the way of a proper paper trail. Many transactions were done with cash and without receipts. Other “contracts” were made with fictitious companies, or companies that have gone out of business and cannot be tracked down. While all of Wen’s assets have been seized in China, it is suspected that the corrupt official laundered millions into hidden overseas accounts. Wen has been arrested for corruption, negligence and homicide, and justice officials plan to seek the death penalty.

  ***

  Thirty-seven-year-old Wen tried to sleep on the concrete floor in the Western Mountain District Detention Center in the city of Guangzhou. It wasn’t easy because he shared the moldy, dank cell the size of a classroom with thirty other men. He had no blankets, no pillows, and was wearing only the clothes he had on when he was arrested. His luxury condominium was seized and his wife and the love of his life, his one-year-old son, were evicted. He had no idea where they were or how they were doing.

  For the week he had been detained, he’d had the crap beaten out of him almost daily. Sometimes it was a guard; sometimes it was one of the other inmates. For this, his money was of no help and he knew no amount of bribes would ever gain him freedom again. Even though there was no proof of his direct involvement, that mattered little. Public outcry was too much for someone everyone felt was responsible for the deaths of so many innocents.

  He was a leper. Other than to use him as a human punching bag or as an ashtray to butt out illicit smokes, no one associated with him or wanted to talk to him. It really didn’t matter if anyone did or not. Festering pus around an untreated stab wound in his arm was growing. It would only be a matter of time before no one paid any attention at all to him.

  Which was why it was surprising that someone requested to speak with him.

  In a small interrogation room, Wen watched as a sixty-something-year-old man entered. He looked like so many other bureaucrats around the world: cheap suit, tie that was tied too long, and a disinterested attitude that told you he was counting the seconds before retirement. As the man sat, his cell phone fell out of his pocket. He snarled, picked it up and placed it on the table.

  “What do you want?” asked Wen.

  “You know what I want. The same as the rest of us that have come. We want to know who your accomplices are,” droned his bored interrogator, going through the motions. He glanced at the tiny window in the door and saw the guard staring in. The man lifted his hands in exasperation. His body language declared—WTF. He’s not going to say anything, but it’s a job.

  “I have told you all a million times. I don’t know anything. I was just hired to do a job. I never asked questions.”

  The official discreetly kicked Wen subtly under the table and with the slightest of motions pointed at his cell phone. “Yeah, same as me. I have a job to do, too.” He stood up, took a quick, firm hold on Wen’s head and banged it on the table. The guard watched with interest, not noticing that the man had directed Wen’s head at the cell phone screen.

  There was a message on the cell that flashed for a second. Act normal. I have saved your family.

  “There’s not a chance I’ll get out,” snapped Wen, yanking himself up. “Even if I knew anything, what’s in it for me?”

  For a second time, Wen’s head was hammered against the hard metal table. This time it was face down so that when Wen’s head lifted, his nose was broken and bleeding. Again, the guard was more interested in what was happening with Wen than looking at the cell phone.

  Wen glanced at the phone’s screen. There was now a picture of his wife and son smiling under a sign in an airport, “Welcome to Vancouver. Bienvenue à Vancouver.”

  Wen’s eyes fixed on his visitor. He thought he saw the tiniest of an acknowledging head movement. “Maybe I can get you some better food once a week.”

  “If I do that, they’ll kill my wife and son.”

  “Who are ‘they?’”

  “I… I don’t know their names…”

  “You’re useless.”

  “I told the other guy and the other guy and the other guy that.”

  The bureaucrat rolled his eyes and made ready to leave.

  As he stood up, Wen barked, “Wait!”

  “For what? I’ve got to get to my next prisoner.”

  “May I send a message to my wife… please?”

  The man shook his head in disgust. “Just make it fast.” He handed his cell phone to Wen.

  Wen typed in about thirty words, then handed the phone back to his anonymous questioner. “Thank you.”

  “Maybe your memory will improve next time.” With tha
t, the bureaucrat took his phone and walked to the door.

  After letting the man out, the guard at the door accosted him. “I want to see what he wrote.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  He handed over his cell to the guard. A cursory check revealed nothing other than some brief inanity to his wife.

  The guard glared at the civil servant. “You’re not supposed to do this.”

  “I know. I did it to try and butter him up. Like I told Wen, I’m hoping next time he’ll say something I can use. Truth is, I’m not going send it. You think I’m going to risk losing my job because of him? I’m a week away from retirement and no way do I want to jeopardize that.” The official motioned his head in the direction of the interrogation room. “No way… You can keep the phone if you want.” He walked away.

  Chapter Two

  Outside the prison, the nameless bureaucrat took out a cell phone identical to the one the prison guard had taken. But this one contained the real notes that Wen had typed: seven names and three of the companies that Wen had dealt with during the school building fiasco. Because the official was physically abusing Wen, he knew the guard would be so focused on the prisoner that he wouldn’t notice that he was actually the one typing the love note. With practiced deftness, he exchanged the phones after Wen handed the phone back to him.

  He sent off the text. He then opened the cell, took out the SIM card, and replaced it with another. He broke the old SIM card in two and placed one of the halves in a bucket of dirty water that a food hawker used to rinse dishes. He walked half a block, then tossed the other half of the SIM into a garbage can.

  ***

  Halfway around the world in a secluded resort in California, in a concrete bunker fifty feet below ground equipped with state-of-the-art-and-beyond computers and electronic wizardry, super-geek Julio Ibanez was on the receiving end of the digital message. The multi-tasker’s fingers flew across a keyboard as he made a phone call to a secure private line.