The Princeling of Nanjing Read Online Free PDF Page B

that,” Ava said. “Where does this leave us as far as today is concerned?”
    “The plant manager, Wu, will be there, and I told him to take his assistant with him. Her name is Fan. She’s young and talented, and I have plans for her. She’s excited but nervous about going to the launch. I’d appreciate it if you could look out for her.”
    “Okay, I’ll find her and be sure to make her feel part of the team.”
    “Thanks.”
    “That isn’t necessary,” Ava said. “Have a safe trip.”
    “Did Xu just cancel on us?” May asked when Ava put down the phone.
    “He did. He still has problems in Nanjing that need to be resolved.”
    “Oh.”
    “You sound disappointed,” Ava said, remembering May’s hand resting on Xu’s arm the night before. “You wouldn’t be —”
    “Oh, look,” May said, her eyes leaving Ava. “There’s Amanda.”
    Amanda walked towards them with a tight smile across her face. She wore wide-leg teal trousers and a white linen blouse with billowing sleeves that were fastened with delicate purple glass buttons. Her mood didn’t reflect the brightness of her PÖ ensemble.
    “You look stressed,” Ava said.
    “It’s bedlam backstage.”
    “Is there anything we can do to help?”
    “That’s why I’m here,” Amanda said. “Chi-Tze and Gillian were going to greet people at the ballroom door and make sure they were properly seated. But we need them to help with the models and clothes. One of the dressers is ill, and they’ve sent her home. It’ll take both of them to replace her.”
    “How’s Clark holding up?”
    “Better than me.”
    “When do you need us?” Ava asked.
    “Now.”
    “Let me look after the bill, and we’ll be there,” May said.
    A few moments later Amanda led them across the lobby to the foyer. The doors to the Rose Ballroom were closed. She opened them and stepped inside. Ava followed and then froze.
    “This is unbelievable,” she said. “Where did you get all those silk pennants and banners? Did you raid a movie set about a Chinese warlord?”
    “They were custom-made. We ordered sixty of the long banners to cover the walls and surround the stage, and forty of the pennants to put on poles. There will be a soft breeze flowing through here when the show starts. They look even more spectacular when they flutter.”
    The pennants and banners were a blaze of colours. The backgrounds were solid white, red, or gold, and running down the middle of each one in a contrasting colour was Chinese script that read A SINGLE SPARK CAN SET THE WORLD ON FIRE .
    “The front rows on each side of the stage are reserved for our VIPs,” Amanda said. “There’s a name on every seat. After you greet people at the door, help them find their spot. Here are seating plans. You and May have assigned seats, but you should probably stay by the door. We don’t want anyone trying to come in once the show starts.”
    “Unless it’s Carrie Song from Lane Crawford or Elsa Ngan from Vogue ,” May said pointedly.
    “Of course,” Amanda said.
    “I assume people who aren’t on the seating plan can sit where they want?” Ava said.
    “Yes.”
    “Any other rules we need to be aware of?”
    “Such as?”
    “Can people use cellphones?”
    “Cameras, cellphones, tape recorders, notepads — they’re all permitted. We want people to have something to rely on other than their memories.”
    “Is that our camera crew that’s set up now?” Ava asked, pointing inside.
    “Yes, we’re filming the show. We’ll send a DVD to everyone who’s here, and we’ll use the footage for all kinds of marketing campaigns over the next few months.”
    “You sound like you’ve been doing this for years,” Ava said.
    Amanda raised an eyebrow. “I’m just obeying orders, and believe me, neither the producer nor Clark is shy about telling us how things have to be done. I feel like I’m back at Sacred Heart Academy in Hong Kong with the nuns.”
    “We’ll try not to disappoint,” Ava