After reading it for the second time, though, he felt better and found it actually well written, even fiercely elegant. In fact, none of the main events and figures was left out. Reading it for the third time, he was impressed by the skill of the writer, who hadn’t wasted a word, as though doing a poet’s job.
His friends in Gold County were very pleased with the article. Yen called and said excitedly, “Brother Shao, this time we nabbed them. The County Administration wanted to talk with Old Jiang yesterday evening. Boy, they’re scared.”
“Good,” said Bin.
Yen went on, “It’s a victory, and they’ll have to rehabilitate every one of us soon. Get ready for it, Brother. Don’t let them off the hook easily.”
Secretary Yang was shaken by the article and became restless. Intuitively he realized the whole thing would grow bigger and bigger if he didn’t take action to stop it. The article’s last sentence said clearly, “We are waiting with our eyes open to see how the local leaders will respond to this report.” So he had to correct the case in time, to prevent the highest authority in the capital from pursuing him further.
His aide, Dong Cai, reported that Chairman Ding had ordered his men to investigate the case and interview Bin. Surely the enemy faction would use this article to destroy Yang, driving him out of Dismount Fort.
After brief consideration, Yang concluded that Bin was the key figure in the series of events. If he could pacify Bin, the Ding faction would be automatically stopped. By now he was very impressed by Bin’s ability — not only as an artist but also as a political activist. Nobody else in the entire commune was able to get the attention of all levels of authorities and have his case printed in such a top legal journal. Eight months before, when he had read the report on Bin sent over by the fertilizer plant, Yang had thought Bin was no more than a crazed bookworm, of whom he had met many and had known how to handle them. Now he deeply regretted having neglected the talent in this small man.
In reality, Yang’s faction was not as strong as Ding’s, mainly because Chairman Ding had in his hands most of the writers in the commune and could maneuver without impediment in the field of propaganda. Yet Yang bet none of those pens in Ding’s faction was as capable as Shao Bin, who could place articles and works of art in big newspapers and magazines with such ease. If only he had enlisted Bin’s help.
He telephoned the Commune Guesthouse to have two dinners arranged. Then he had Dong Cai come in and told him to find Bin and take him to the guesthouse in the evening.
The first dinner started at three in the afternoon, in honor of the fertilizer plant’s leaders. Two days before, Liu and Ma had read the article and got angry as usual, but they hadn’t taken it as something that would cause any change. Bin remained the same maniac to them, and they wouldn’t try to “rectify their mistakes” as the article demanded. By now they were somewhat used to this kind of warning from the media, which had always come like lightning without a storm.
The spacious dining hall in the guesthouse was empty, with all the chairs propped upside down on the tables. The terrazzo floor was wet and sprinkled with sawdust, which made the room smell of pine and cypress. Behind a set of sky blue screens on which white cranes were on the wing, the three diners — Yang, Liu, and Ma — sat down at a table covered with a green plastic tablecloth. They were going to eat prawn soup, crabs, and steamed buns stuffed with brown sugar.
“Since you both have read the article, what do you think we should do?” Yang asked.
“Believe me, Secretary Yang,” said Ma, “Shao Bin is a mere lunatic. We should send him to a mental home.”
Liu chimed in, “Yes, that will solve the problem once and for all. We’re just fed up with him. He enjoys pestering others so much. Do you know what his nickname is in our plant?
“What?”
“Man Hater.”
“We should have him locked up,” Ma insisted.
“No, no.” Yang shook his head, chuckling. “He isn’t a lunatic. Even if he was, the whole of China knows of the case now, and we couldn’t punish him without hurting ourselves.”
The soup came in a white enamel basin, and the crabs and the sugar buns in two bamboo baskets. Liu and Ma remained silent, drinking brandy in gulps.
After the waitresses left, Yang resumed, “I’m positive Shao Bin is an able man. We must stop him; otherwise we’ll all lose our jobs, or at least be demoted. The whole boat is in danger now. Chairman Ding will surely use this case to root us out. They’re already on the move.”
Both Liu and Ma were shocked, but they had no idea what to do, so they kept sucking crab claws.
Yang went on, “Ever since the ancient times, there have been two ways to get out of such a situation. One is punishment, the other is reward.” He paused to take a spoonful of soup.
Seeing Liu’s surprised look, Yang smiled and said, “Don’t panic. I’ve decided to use reward. I’m going to be generous to Shao Bin. This is the only way to appease him now. Besides, I want to use him and make him our man, to keep him in our pond. But I’ll have to punish you two in appearance. You’ll be criticized in the internal bulletin. Don’t be upset. Next year, I promise, you each will get a raise.”
Yang went on explaining how he would reward Bin. Though both Liu and Ma thought Yang took the maniac too seriously, they were pleased that the secretary would take Bin into his own hands. From now on, they would be able to do many things in the plant without being painted and written about. As long as there was no disciplinary action against them, their official careers would be safe. Criticism in the internal bulletin would at most inflict a scratch on them, and people would forget it in a month. So without delay they praised Secretary Yang’s wise, timely decision.
Before he left for the dinner, Bin whispered to Meilan in the corridor that if he didn’t return that night, she mustn’t go to the plant or the Commune Administration to look for him. Instead, she should get in touch with Yen, either by telephone or by telegram, and ask him to take emergency measures to get him out. Seeing that she was horrified by his words, he grinned and assured her that the invitation might be a reconciliatory sign from Yang. He then set off with Dong Cai, who had come to escort him to the Commune Guesthouse.
At the sight of Bin, Secretary Yang stood up and came across the dining hall to meet him. Holding Bin’s hand, he said, “I’m sorry, Comrade Young Shao. I was at a meeting just now and couldn’t go to your home to invite you in person.” He smiled amiably, the mole on his nose quivering like a bee.
The warmth Yang showed put Bin at ease instantly, though Bin still couldn’t fathom what this meant. The dishes on the green tablecloth looked so appetizing, especially the pair of smoked yellow croakers and the braised pork cheek that had been sliced and arranged into a large lotus.
“Sit here,” Dong said to Bin, pulling a chair closer to the table.
As soon as they sat down Yang raised a glass of Jade Spring wine and proposed a toast, “To your glorious future, Young Shao.”
Following Yang and Dong, Bin took a sip, weighing the word glorious. He couldn’t help wondering whether there was poison in the red wine and regretted having drunk it. But he curbed his fantasy, telling himself that they dared not poison him so soon. He put down the glass carefully as Yang pointed his chopsticks at the dishes, saying, “Please help yourself.”
Though still baffled, Bin ate a piece of the smoked fish Dong had put on his plate. Then Yang began to apologize for interceding for him so late, but he swore by his Party member’s conscience that he hadn’t been involved in persecuting him, that there was a lot of misunderstanding between them, and that he had reprimanded the plant’s leaders. Bin thought Yang was scared. Damn you, he said in his mind, you also have fearful moments. It’s too late to extricate yourself.