Bianhua Ch. 07

On the drive back to Alana's parents place she and I discussed the events of the day trying to decide what we should explain to her parents. I pointed out that with Suling's name change that she was also reaffirming the path she had chosen for herself. It was during that drive that her mother's wish to conceive came up again. Alana revealed that Fen believed that her mother would take matters into her own hands after she thought about things. I explained that the Zen masters would try to resolve all problems in a manner that was best for all concerned and that after having discussed it with my adopted father that I would have the final answer.

"Dirk there's something else you need to know. Fen's questioning her sexuality again," Alana said, "she told me when we were driving to her parent's place. I think it's because she is beginning to see that her view of men is changing. It started when she learned about her father's relationship with their mother country because it explained the long term conduct of both her father and brother causing her to wonder if a lot of their conduct was because of the games they were playing."

********

Chris Devereau was sitting at his kitchen table drinking a hot coffee while reviewing what had transpired that afternoon. His wife and his youngest daughter were out spending the day window shopping. He called it that because most likely with all the clothing they would look at or try on they would arrive home with nothing to show for their efforts. He saw days like this as their quality time together while they shared something they both enjoyed.

They had left early and thankfully they did because the phone call he received shortly afterwards had sent him out to a private meeting with a person who had some important information to pass on. After hearing it he had called his older brother Carl asking him to drop over as soon as possible because the choices he now had to make had already been done by him and he wanted to find out from one who had done it what the cost had been. It had been an investigation by the FBI that had led to his brother's problems being magnified. It had led to him having had to end his career and his lifelong association with the country of China. His brother had resigned and moved out of the district of Washington. Even though the web showed that he was still employed he had to reinvent his life after having been outed.

It's hard to accept that a bit of sensitive information coming out from halfway around the world would force one to change their career and lifestyle. Inside information had been picked up by those monitoring the embassy out of Singapore that he was under the start of an internal investigation by the security staff overseeing operations in China. If they continued to investigate there was a very good possibility that his long role as a double agent would be exposed. That was something that both the government of China and he could not afford for different reasons. There was no way he could afford to do time as a guest of the federal prisons.

It was common knowledge that when one was under the first stages of an investigation if they removed themselves from the situation that the interest in that one seemed to disappear. At that point, all contact with his handler and all links to China in any relationship would be terminated. From their end all internal records would be destroyed so nothing could be connected between the two of them from their side. This was done because the last thing the CPP could afford was having one of their top recruiters caught and on trial in the US mainland. Those considered to being a possible future security leak in China's eyes would be rewarded appropriately.

Thankfully because of his years of Federal service he could now retire with a payrate that would be equal to what he was currently receiving. Like his brother had when they had started closing in on him, he would have to distance himself from the situation, he found himself. To accomplish that he would have to remove himself from the current administration and move out of Washington DC. The one thing that he could not figure out was why his handlers had been so interested in the project he had been putting together with the youthful Dirk Blackstone. Before then all they had been interested in was the inside information that he was able to gather on the current administration, their political views, and how they viewed the current China administration.

Ever quarter when he got the latest report from Dirk dealing with the progress he was making, he had copied it and turned it over to his Chinese handlers who were thrilled to death with the insights it provided. When they had asked him to provide a background check on Dirk that was when thing became serious. Since that was at the start of putting the ecological plan together, he'd been able to maneuver himself through it to the satisfaction of all concerned. It had been quite the shock to discover representatives of the CIA waiting for him one morning when he returned to start the work week. After explaining why, he had requested the background check they had seemed to be satisfied. It was made quite clear by them that the request would be withdrawn forthwith because of the needs of national security.

He had expected further pressure to come from his Chinese handlers but when he informed them about what had transpired it was if a thousand fireworks had been lit off above them because they were thrilled with what the information had disclosed. His handler was so excited that in front of him he had made a phone call using his cell to instruct someone to relay the information that the Wuming had been found. It became clear that Dirk Blackstone was the one they called the Wuming but to date he'd been unable to find out why he was so important to the Chinese authorities.

In the Epa office Dirk was seen as a bright star who had brought forth the restoration work in the planet further in months than most had done in years. Thanks to him seven different countries were inquiring with his department to see if Dirk would be willing to lease his program and act as an advisor on similar programs they were wanting to set up. This was one of the things he had to discuss in his meeting with Dirk and the Governor of Washington State. It was clear that he was achieving what they all wanted without the political baggage that came with it because even those who had a green agenda could not find any fault with it. Dirk and the Governor had no clue that thanks to u tube their joint project was receiving worldwide attention because of what Dirk and his employees were able to achieve.

The question that was in the back of Chris's mind was one that would not go away. Most in the world did not know that between China and Hawaii there was a place called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that covered an area of six square miles. Currents carried various items towards this area constantly and a recent removal had removed over sixty-three thousand pounds of plastic from the seas had only been a drop in the bucket. Chis wanted to know if Dirk's system for dissolving plastic could be safely used on salt water.

Chris Devereau cursed himself because until now he couldn't see it. The reason his Chinese handlers were interested in Dirk was because of the ecological process he had created. China was known to be one of the worst polluters in the world and knew it was a major reason that a lot in the free world wanted nothing to do with them. For them to be able to steal the process would go a long way to improve their image and take some eyes away from what they actually were doing.

Looking at the clock he realized that his brother would be arriving within the next half an hour. That would give him plenty of time to change out of the suit he was wearing so that he appeared to be going through the rest of the day in a carefree casual manner. If there was already someone assigned to keep a watch on him the visit of his brother would come across as if it was just a normal happening and not an organized business meeting.

Carl listened as his brother explained what had happened earlier that day before saying. "It sounds like the investigation into you is just starting to warm up, so you have time to remove yourself before it gets hot. I did and the investigation into me disappeared, but I was warned by CIA officials at that time if I got involved with anything that could be considered political or to be tied directly or indirectly with the Chinese that it would be opened up again. You got to realize that the system sees no value with a democratic administration running things in prosecuting one of their own for past crimes if the situation has resolved itself. Its only when the mass media creates a public outcry for satisfaction that the ultimate price is paid. Once I had reestablished myself an envelope arrived at my new residence which when opened was a bonus as a thankyou from our eastern employer."

"So can you say there's been no permanent damaged caused by the choices you made," Chis asked.

"Actually, it's been a real benefit," Carl stated. "My blood pressure is now so good that the Doctor has taken me off all of the blood pressure medication. My relationship with my wife and family has improved greatly primary because I am no longer so stressed and angry. My wife feels she is seeing the man she married once again. If I had known what the choices, I made was doing to me, I would have gotten out years earlier. My wife and I are now considering selling out and moving somewhere in the mid of what's called flyover country because we want a simpler way of life."

How can you believe that" Chris asked?

"I can because it's true," Carl responded before adding, "I no longer had to live with the fear that each day would be my last day of freedom because the fear of being charged and imprisoned is gone. I just wish I could have seen the real cost of my believes before acting upon them because maybe the decisions I made would have been a lot different."

After his brother left Chris went into his home office and began composing his resignation letter. It was easier than he thought because his brother's last words weighed heavy on his mind. Based on what his brother had explained it was clear that the burdens he had been carrying most of his life had been affecting him in ways that he had not seen. It would be interesting to see what he would become once he was free from the bondage, he had put himself in. He would announce to his wife and daughter that he'd been thinking about taking an early retirement for months and had decided that it was now the time to do it.

********

It had been a busy week David and I had been hiring construction crews all week. The lumber company was hauling out the tree's off of the mountain side using teams of horses to bring down the logs so that they could be loaded on trucks to be sent to the mill. They went that way because there was not enough area to get the heavy equipment up to the first leveled area. Ian had spent a whole day watching the work being done because it brought back days of his youth. Alana had never known that her great grandfather had used teams of horses for years when he first started logging.

Working with the iron ore company we had successfully removed the rock from the side of the mountain so that the new office building could be started. Thanks to their expertise it had only taken one small blast to create the space we needed. The crushing machines were already at work turning the waste material into items that would be used in the road or in making concrete blocks for the foundations when we started building the log homes. David's number one crew was forming the frame for the foundation and the concrete floor reenforcing it with double the rebar required for it.

David after hearing about the events of the weekend had decided that it was best that we put a security department office on the main floor which added an additional floor to the original building plan. Under the new procedure once we were occupied would require all who entered the building to pass through the same security that all fed building had.

On Friday morning at ten all work was stopped, and all staff were called in for a general meeting to announce that we had sealed the deal with the district for a school to be built which would be ready to be used at the start of the next school year. For a lot of them that's when the concept of the village became real. Legal got asked a lot of questions on how the sub lease of land worked within the plans for the village. In discussion with all of our staff with legal in attendance the idea was brought up that we should look into starting our own small bank. I said I would be interested in the possibility but only if it was community owned. One of the legal staff implied that it could take up to a year to get all governmental approval if we could prove that we had enough funds to firmly establish the fact that we had enough to cover the operation.

It was one of our shift departments head's that suggested that those interested in becoming shareholders could authorize a certain amount to be deducted from their payroll towards shares. Legal said that was a great idea and added that a separate bank account could be set up to hold the funds and collect interest. The shift head suggested using the accumulated funds at the end of the month to buy government bonds that could be cashed out when we were ready to proceed. I said that if there were enough funds raised by the staff on their own to go forward that I would match half the amount raised providing I would get a third of the shares issued. Most thought that my willingness to do that was positive.

Legal said they would send out a text message for all to vote on it. Once it was tabulated a second text would confirm what was decided. David informed all that we had applied for a long-term lease on land that was closer to the main state road. I disclosed that we planned to develop part of it as a ski resort in the winter with a small campground for use during the summer. Someone came up with idea of moving our main gate into the area to just this side of the new land area we were trying to acquire. Legal said they would look into it but would need the approval of the mining ore company.

We had just finished the meeting and the staff were returning back to what they were doing when I got the phone call from the governor saying our planned meeting would have to be postponed because Chris Devereau had officially handed in his notice that morning. After thirty some years he was retiring from governmental service.

********

Alana called with some distressing news which required some direct action. Li Dong Fen's older brother had been at their high school every day this week just as the school day was ending. He would park across the street and watch until his sister was picked up by his uncle. My first thought that intimidation was being applied in such a subtle way to convey their continued domination over what was in play. What neither of us knew was that there were major changes taking place within the Dong's family home because of what we had done the previous weekend.

La Dong had returned to find that the doors to his house had been locked and reenforced so that he could not gain entrance. As he walked around the house, he was able to discern that some of the simple techniques to make a home secure from unwanted entry had been put into play. He was pissed off because they very things he had taught his wife to protect herself was being used against him.

For about an hour he tried calling his wife only to find she was not answering his calls. He called his son to see if he could get through to his mother. It took about ten minutes for him to return his call with the bad news. His wife now knew that he was working for their mother country and had been all along. Li told him that he been forced to reveal that their family fortune with interest would be restored to them upon their return. She now knows their being kicked out of the country had been a ruse. His wife now knew that Fen had been named as one of the Wumings consorts. Both had been secrets he had deliberately kept from her.

He had thought things could not get much worse until his son revealed the Fen had moved out of the house taking with her all her personal belongs. Bi his wife had met the Wuming and had given her written consent for him to be her guardian until she reached the legal age required by the state. His brother had brought the Wuming to their house and revealed the unknown facts to her. Fen's leaving according to his wife was caused by him and his political believes. That and the fact that he had kept the truth about a lot of things from his wife had brought them to this point. For now, Fen had moved into her uncle's home until the Wuming had built the home she would live in as Alana's consort.

La Dong knew he was losing control and he knew his handler had not been impressed when his older brother and he had ended their relationship. He knew there would be consequences because it would be seen that he had failed to keep control of the situation and he could not help wondering what they would be. Access to learning what was going on with the Wuming and the information he had in his hands was effectively being taken away from him because of things he could not control. Li had made it clear that his mother was not going to let him back into their house under the current situation. There was no way she would allow him to take her back to China. Dad, he said I have never heard mother speak with such authority or determination. When his son returned, he was able to pack some clothing for him since in his wife's eyes their marriage had come to its end. La Dong knew he had a major problem facing him because in the Chinese Communist Party a man who could not keep control of the thoughts of his own family was of no value to their system.

********

Li Dong usually locked up their restaurant after the cleanup staff were done for the day. His father had been away from the restaurant most of the week because problems going on with his personal situations. Their handler had called asking for an update on what was going on. It was he that had to reveal his father's separation from his mother. That was when he was ordered to find out as much information about anyone who seemed to be involved with the Wumings life. The handler had disclosed that they had lost a direct link to the Wuming because his conduct was being questioned by those who had suspicions.

"Your father is becoming a security risk," their handler said. "When I report this latest information there will be decisions that may require further action. I need to know if you are more loyal to the party then with your family?"

Li Dong knew what his handler was implying and had automatically reaffirmed his loyalty. He now wondered what his father was facing. Was it possible that he would be taken out? Had he by revealing the facts put a target on his father's back? He thought back to all the time he had helped his father search out the various rumors about the Wuming in their native country. Until recently he had not understood that the reason both his uncle and the Wuming were constantly under investigation was because of the data that the Wuming's parent had gathered from former internal members of the council itself who had fallen from being in the party's grace. Most had passed the information gladly because their future looked bleak.

He had just locked the back door of the restaurant on his way out after having done a walk through to make sure everything was secure when he felt a fist landing on his temple. As his mind cleared, he felt his whole body being lifted and turned. From the security light he realized he was looking down at a man wearing the typical monks clothing. It startled him because the person was holding out his hand as if his palm was supporting him. His head was covered so no light hit his face."