“With all due respect to Director Buckingham and the excellent work that his staff has done, I would urge caution against shouting that the sky is falling just yet. Yes, someone has just killed the Chinese president. Yes, there may be evidence of a continued conspiracy against the United States. But I find it hard to believe that China could be planning for a massive war without a making a much more visible footprint. I agree it would be prudent to take precautions. But with all that’s going on in the region — including options that we’ve discussed to tame North Korea — I don’t want to overstress our armed forces by taking unnecessary action. Our military is spread pretty thin as it is. And we have a strong presence in the region that serves as a deterrent to China.”
The president said, “What’s your estimate for worst-case scenario, General?”
“Worst case, Mr. President?” The general rubbed his chin. “Well, I was concerned about the report I read that they were purchasing equipment for up to ten million troops. Blood bags, I think it was. I even read one of General Schwartz’s memos on the increased military recruitment they’ve been doing.”
“So you are concerned?”
The general took his time. “Honestly, Mr. President, I just don’t see the Chinese military capable of long-range power projection. There are strategic disadvantages they have, based on the makeup of their armed forces. It is possible that if they became truly belligerent, I would say that perhaps China finally makes a play for Taiwan. But anything beyond that is just not realistic, in my view. A large-scale war would be settled by the US Air Force and Navy in the far Western Pacific. Our bases in Korea and Japan, and our carrier strike groups in the region, simply have too much firepower for them to test us there.”
Director Buckingham surprised David by speaking. “And, General, what if the Chinese did get past our fleet in the Western Pacific, and were able to neutralize US and allied military forces in Japan and Korea?”
The general said, “The Pacific Ocean is very large. And we have critical military strongholds on Guam and Hawaii. Those are very strategic locations. Our aerial refueling program allows us to project air power all across the Pacific. Our airborne early-warning aircraft and other radar assets provide us advance notice should anything go wrong. As long as we have Guam and Hawaii, and air superiority, China could never challenge American dominance in the Pacific.”
The president said, “Thank you, gentlemen. General, please take precautions as you see fit. But let’s not do anything that might provoke China during an unstable transition period.”
Director Buckingham, in an unusual breach of protocol, spoke after the president. “Mr. President, excuse me. One more question for the general. What if, to play devil’s advocate, China were able to find a way to neutralize all four of those locations — Korea, Japan, Guam, and Hawaii? What then, General?”
The general let out a snort, frowning and shaking his head. “It’d never happen.”
“What if?” the director pressed.
“Well, then, we’d be shit out of luck, wouldn’t we?”
12
Lin Yu walked through the crowded marketplace. Carts of food and cheap goods were stacked along the curb. Young men carrying heavy burlap bags of produce on their shoulders hustled to restock the outdoor shops. Mobs of people moved in and out of the street like ants. Salesmen hawked their products. The old women bargain-hunters had made their way down from tiny high-rise apartments, eager for their daily entertainment. Young and old alike, their heads were buried in their mobile phones when they weren’t actively doing anything else. The normal fast-paced bustle of life in Guangzhou, China.
But there was something new in the crowd today. A tension that hadn’t been there the week before. Before the president and his family had been murdered on live TV.
People were kinder to each other. More polite to each other. More open in their conversations with perfect strangers. “That poor girl.”
But there was something else. They were unified. Angry at foreigners, and at the religious zealots that would attack their peaceful leader.
Lin Yu’s social network feed was a volcano of fury. People wanted revenge on the man responsible for the terrorist attacks on their president and his family.
But it was too late.
The police had killed the Christian terrorists as they’d entered the building. Four white people. Americans, they said. The leader was a Christian advocate against the Chinese government. He had posted videos online, and everyone had been sharing them. The lunatic had called for their president to be killed. He was obsessed with abortions and religion.
Lin Yu stopped at the market to purchase some vegetables — his mother wanted them to make dinner. He overheard the conversations ahead of him in line. An older woman was speaking to the owner of the small outdoor shop.
“Our poor president. And those poor women. I just hate the people that did this.”
The store owner was nodding in agreement. “Yes. Yes. Especially for what they did to the daughter. Crazies, all of them. Religious fanatics.”
“Have you heard that the government has started to come down hard on the local churches?”
“Yes. I saw one two streets over. They had rocks thrown in the window. Now, I don’t think people should throw rocks at them, but—”
“And why not?” asked the woman. “They’re responsible for this. We shouldn’t allow them to spread their hateful message.”
The store owner shrugged.
Lin Yu said, “Sir, may I buy these?” He held up a pair of bell peppers.
The man and the woman both shot him a look for interrupting.
The woman, spurred on by Lin Yu’s impatience, finally handed the shopkeeper her items. The owner rang her up as she continued talking.
“I hear that the daughter was being taken out of the building, but that the religious leader — the American man from the video — he called her back in because he wanted everyone to see her being murdered. He knew that the TV cameras were on.”
The woman shook her head. “Despicable.”
“And the only one who is standing up for the citizens of our country is on trial. Did you hear? Cheng Jinshan is going before the Politburo on TV next week.”
“I have heard that. I’ve never seen them do this before. A publicly broadcast corruption trial. They must know how much people care about the outcome.”
The woman paid for her things and left. Lin Yu handed the man his peppers. “Who is Cheng Jinshan?”
The store owner scoffed. “You young people need to pay more attention. Don’t you read the news? He is a businessman who was appointed by our late president to root out corruption in our government. And now they want to try him for conspiracy.”
“What do they say that he did?” Lin Yu had heard of Jinshan, but he wasn’t sure about the charges against him.
“Something about the military. He and an admiral from Guangzhou were training to defend us against the American military. Some say that he didn’t ask permission. And somehow the American training accident that sank our navy ships was related to this. It’s complicated. Not so easy for a young man like you to understand, I think. But Jinshan is a good man. He wants China to be strong and protect itself from other nations that would see us become nothing but their workers. You should watch tonight. Everyone else will be.”
Lin Yu paid for his food and thanked the man, heading back home.
Lin Yu sat on his couch the next morning, half-watching TV while he scrolled through his social network feed on his phone.