The Dragon Head of Hong Kong Read Online Free PDF

to get him to live up to his responsibilities.”
    “I’m sorry. I would help you if I could,” the woman said.
    “Isn’t there anyone in here who might know where I can find him?” Ava said.
    The woman hesitated and Ava saw her glance towards Kung’s empty desk.
    “Please, Auntie,” Ava said.
    “Wait here for a minute,” the woman said, rising from her chair.
    Ava watched her walk towards and then past Kung’s desk and enter one of the closed-in offices. A moment later, the man who was inside looked in Ava’s direction. Ava hoped he wouldn’t come out to talk to her. She was feeling self-conscious enough about the lie she had spun. She’d had no idea she could lie that well, but then, she had never really tried before.
    Whatever they were talking about in the office, the conversation was getting more animated. It made her uncomfortable to watch. She sat in one of the chairs, out of their line of sight.
    When the woman returned, she was carrying a piece of paper in her hand. “Here,” she said, thrusting it towards Ava. “That’s the name of a hotel in Shenzhen. My boss thinks that’s where Kung is most likely to be.”
    “What makes him think that?”
    “It’s his normal hole in the ground when the collection boys are after him. He’s in Shenzhen often enough that he even has an office there.”
    “How many collection boys are chasing him now?”
    “Nosy little thing, aren’t you?”
    “I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business. I’m really grateful for your help.”
    “One more thing. My boss says that he doesn’t use his real name when he’s there.”
    “What name does he use?”
    “If I knew that, I would have told you already.”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “Now, good luck to you.”

( 7 )
    SHE LEFT THE office on Bute Street, disappointed that Kung hadn’t been there and discouraged by the reality that was Kung Imports. What had Kung shown Mr. Lo that convinced him he was dealing with a legitimate company? Surely not that office , she thought. But then, who knew what Lo had been told and what his state of mind was. Maybe he went there the morning after a night at the karaoke bar.
    She was pleased with herself, though, for getting a lead. It was still early in the day, and it occurred to her that she probably had time to get to Shenzhen to check it out. Ava knew of the city but had never been there. Until 1979 it had been a small village at the very edge of Hong Kong’s northern border with China; then it became the first of the special economic zones established by the Chinese government to attract foreign investment and create jobs. Premier Deng himself had travelled there to make the announcement. When questioned about cozying up to capitalists, he said, “When you own a cat, what does it matter if it is black or white? All that matters is that it catches mice.” The village was now a city with a population that neared ten million. That was a lot of mice, and Ava had to assume Kung was one of them.
    When she got back to the Oriental Crocus, she went directly to the check-in desk. “I need to go to Shenzhen today. Where can I catch a train and how long will it take?” she asked.
    “You can get the train at the Mong Kok East MTR . It takes about forty-five minutes to Lo Wu station, which is the entry point from Hong Kong into Shenzhen,” a young woman said.
    “Thanks,” Ava said, turning to leave.
    “Excuse me,” the woman called after her. “Do you have a visa for China?”
    “No.”
    “You’ll need one, but you can get it at Lo Wu when you arrive. The only problem is that the lines can be very long and slow. I thought I should warn you.”
    “Thanks again.”
    Ava rode the elevator to her room to collect her passport and the two photos of Kung that Lo had given her. She looked at the bed and quite suddenly felt an urge to sleep. She fought it off and headed downstairs.
    “Now, where exactly is the Mong Kok East MTR ?” she asked the same woman.
    The station was a