“Watch out for public opinion. I’m telling you, everybody knows what’s going on.”
“Everybody? Who are they? There’s nobody who dares to interfere with our work.”
Pham Quyen had a deep suntan and there was a growth of stubble on his chin, and he looked to be in better physical shape than when he had been on office duty. Instead of summoning the maid, Hae Jong went out herself to retrieve a bottle of wine she had put in the refrigerator to cool.
“Is there a moneychanger you know well?”
“It doesn’t matter whether I know them or not. If I need to, I can make them listen to me.”
“I’m getting started with gathering up military currency. And in the last few days before the exchange deadline. .”
Quyen immediately understood. “Has someone promised you help?”
“Yes.”
“An American?”
“Naturally. In the finance office.”
“Not bad.”
“It’s better than that. If I handle it properly, we’ll make a huge sum. Military currency that can’t be officially exchanged is worse than wastepaper. You can exchange it at one-tenth — no, one-hundredth of the face value after the expiration date. Ten dollars go from being a thousand piasters to worth only ten piasters. Isn’t that something? What’s the rate now, honey?”
“One hundred twenty piasters to a dollar, maybe. But the black market rate demanded by moneychangers may be as high as five hundred piasters for a dollar — for greenbacks, that is. That’s why the moneychangers from all over Southeast Asia are swarming this battle zone.”
Hae Jong’s eyes sparkled. “Even with greenbacks, they’re making no more than fivefold profits, and we’ll be doing business that pays a hundredfold profits. Half of the gains will go to the American, but it’ll still be a lot, won’t it?”
“Sure will. When is the day?”
“Saturday.”
“Better hurry up, then. Are you going out? I know a moneychanger just right for this.”
“Madame Lin at the Sports Club is also in on this. I imagine she’ll hire her own moneychanger.”
Pham Quyen finished his second glass of wine, then got up.
“Time for me to head out. I’ve got to see Nguyen Cuong and some of the buyers. How about we meet at seven o’clock? We’ll go see the moneychanger and then have dinner together somewhere.”
“Which way are you going?”
“To Guangzhou Restaurant, near the Hotel Thanh Thanh.”
“Then drop me off on the way at Doc Lap.”
“What’s up?”
Hae Jong glanced back at Pham Quyen. “Oh, nothing special really.”
Hae Jong walked down Doc Lap Boulevard and then crossed the street. The Korean language signboard of the Dragon Palace Restaurant came into view. Ahn Yong Kyu was sitting by himself in the otherwise empty place. Hae Jong was pleased to see nobody else there.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen you here,” said the old woman who owned the restaurant, fussing over Hae Jong as she sat down across from Yong Kyu.
“That soy paste you gave me last time was great. I don’t know how to thank you,” Hae Jong said.
“Shall I make you another potful? Today the stuffed cucumbers are just right.”
“Yes, please.”
Sitting across the table, Ahn Yong Kyu finally interrupted the chatting. “You asked to see me, God only knows why, but you aren’t even going to say hello?”
“Ah, sorry, it’s just it’s been so long since I’ve seen her. It won’t be too long now, will it?”
Yong Kyu didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
“Aren’t you going back home?”
“In about a month.”
Hae Jong nodded very slightly.
“Is Major Pham still out on the operation?”
“It’ll soon be over.”
Yong Kyu was going to say something about the provincial office, but then he stopped himself, thinking it was none of his business. The moment he sets sail over that sea, everything in this place will become vague and sink into the darkness of forgetting, like an afterimage that gradually melts away, the darkness distorting and then dispersing its original solidity and bright colors.
“They say that in gambling the secret of winning is to quit while you’re ahead,” Yong Kyu said. “It’s much harder then, though. You ought to get away from this place.”
As usual, Hae Jong just let out a short laugh. “There you go again with your meddling.”
Then all at once she grew serious and looked directly into Yong Kyu’s eyes. “Haven’t you been saving up military currency for your return home?” she asked.
“No, not at all. Since my time in the jungle, I have no use for greed. The money I get, I spend it all here. Besides, I’m not making any money now. When I head home, I’ll just take my shaving kit.”
But Hae Jong did not seem to take his words at face value. Her cold eyes asked him why the hell he had come there and risked his life.
“Listen to me carefully,” she said, “there’s no reason why we should come all the way here just to be outdone by the Americans. I’ve heard they’ll be changing the military currency. They may have announced it today at their headquarters. As you know, the GIs haven’t been allowed off their bases since last week.”
Yong Kyu nodded. “We already guessed that much. Maybe the rumors will start to spread gradually tomorrow. Anyway, I appreciate your concern.”
“Isn’t anyone in your unit returning home before you?”
Yong Kyu thought of the sergeant and answered, “As a matter of fact, there’s a man leaving in about ten days.”
“What do they call it, a transit container allowance? What’s the limit on those when you go home?”
“Each of us is allowed two. All you need to do is take the stickers they give you and paste them on the containers.”
Hae Jong assumed a business-like tone. “Mr. Ahn, would you introduce me to that man?”
“To send goods home?”
“Yes. I want to ship some things to my mother and my sister. I want to make sure they are taken care of even with me away.”
For a few moments Hae Jong’s gaze was focused off in the distance and then she was back. “All your unit members have ration cards, don’t they? When the currency is swapped, their ration cards will also be replaced. If you buy all the items covered by the ration card it would make a few truckloads of goods, but if you stick with the high-value things you can limit the bulk. I don’t need any appliances. Help me partner with him. I can provide him with an unlimited supply of military currency to buy things, and he can keep half the purchases for himself.”
Ahn Yong Kyu let out a short laugh, as she had earlier. “That proposal will make our sergeant jump for joy, you can be sure. I’m afraid you’ll have to hurry. They say the PXs will start an inventory within a few days.”
“I know. They’re always like that. Soldiers can buy whatever they want until this weekend.”
“I’ll introduce him to you.”
“When?”
“This time tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow morning,” Hae Jong said, advancing the meeting time.
“We’re extremely busy today and probably tomorrow, too. We’re moving, you know.”
“Major Pham’s Land Rover is available, so he and I can use that car to shop at the different PXs. After the purchases are made, we can store them at Son Tinh.”
“Don’t worry about that; the house we’re moving into has a huge warehouse right outside.”
“How about ten tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll tell him. Anyway, will I be left empty-handed after building a bridge between the two of you?”
“I’ll buy you a new shaving kit, won’t that be enough to keep you happy?” said Hae Jong, suddenly breaking out into carefree laughter.