li j a to understand en all t e sc? as rouble ies? li j’s structions er and to keep an eye on cer if off erized voice sayg “critical ndition”, o t take o tal all tuff about puters t understand w o do

ever to, o z yet, li j rouble, o z o oatically to at ture bank yul city at ervals if ty?

li j ed a pce to , ted cave d still ricity and li j ed t need electricity or retc t looked like dical supplies every fees, o zurn around and look at t on earto? li j looked over at tried to put ease

“don’t ’s a project reted to tuff t i udyg at tsghua,” he exped

“if you say but understand it fro y pot of vieurn up t after alost to do to be t understand it”

“i to you after’s jt a uple of weeks”

“ok, if you say go off tructed rectantly li j took a left turn and tiated terra it ipossible to see clearly t and one urng uld pn to a steep rave

t fifty kiloters outside ty of yul, a fortified garrin toy t ion of t all teau t ner ongolia’s u desert, a ountao expanse of yello stretc all beans scattered across ted ndscape, tions long eroded by sand, er and tless passa of ti

a feerprisg vilrs all, g its pounded earto build d ered fragnts of a great ory t disappeared tural gas and oil nearby e vils acy ricity, unications er but t tion rporations an arid fotten end

as li j eep cle several arne dooro ttened cliff t but till seed to be o ted tc t out of t at one of the doors

o zook ts of rottg to as trougic e one side of tg er o a sunken urtyard surrounded by several roos o zoc on a sgle sixty t bulb o life

one rner of ted ptfor, ade of unbaked cy ts and pans to one side of t looked like explosives sat one rner despite ts creepg along t, tion

“is t dynaite?” li j asked potg at the explosives

“yes, i do you ted for years to live o xian troyed by encroachg sand dunes one sgle day”

“t, o zhank you”

“ok i will hey ca

“thanks”

li j follo pce, safe fro pryg eyes yet, li j ed too ucion o keep to hiself

“o z tell anyone about t?”

“ li j? as far as i a ncerned i seen you for t trouble”

“i a not trouble i proise you,” li j lied

“ok t’s t then”

ty utes ter, t and to tor gog and t errupted pos, a neric nle, profesr yao’s backdoor rig and a ctery for backup o zook all t like a farr fro a reote provce visitg a r city for t ti it ed strgg ts, drips and pups to an au ar next to t took on t worried look aga

“ are tg at traveno drips

“to keep fed ans you’ll only need to e once every feo see at t beat” li j pced one of t and tor started untg up, g grap rate”

“ok i tal before about wo poop or pee?” o zchg his head

“yes, it is tals if i a any danr, te atically but long before t, you ified on your cell ter is set up to call you if anyt o deal afterwards”

“puters can do t? call y cell p risg his head

“yes, and uctg-ed stuff, t’s est it secretly”

“ok,” o zhou said liply

tcg elents ioned beloor the far rner of one roo

“ you reber the procedure, o zhou?”

“yes, i a to e back every to see te do piece of paper next i a to ake sure t t red lig on if t is green to add ore fuel to tor, ake sure it is full every ti if everyt po drive you to dr yu’s clic yul city”

“excellent t’s over o zo you i t i a pcg it your hands aga”

“don’t ntion it you are not a stranr”

“ok i a gog to go to ter no fro t er and reoved ts pstic scapped at t belo tisfied ion of table on t o raced t disappeared fro to tic box t li j yrene to ake it erproof

“goodbye o zhou and see you on”

“goodbye” o zears o tled on to tcarted ovg around akg sa possible? ood ces tor seed fe of and c ed ovg to tside and ourned around and looked at tose on tg elents to tyard, closg the wooden doors behd hi