Jackpot

64

Back in the green room, Teddy found Dale briefing part of the security team on what was about to happen. Teddy listened as she commanded the conversation and conveyed the danger and process of their plan without divulging details that could compromise anyone involved. When she was done and everyone went out to their stations, Teddy approached her.

“It sounds like everything up here is wrapped up as much as possible,” he said, “which is good because Li Feng just arrived carrying a sword.”

“There’s a whole sea of people down there wearing swords,” Dale said. “It’s Sonny Ma’s trademark.”

“I figured there would be plenty of fake swords, but I didn’t think Li Feng was the sword type.”

“She’s currently chatting with Sonny Ma — peaceably, it seems — who, it seems, will be escorting her to her seat at the premiere.”

“That’s... interesting.”

“And right before I came up here, I saw Bingo arrive as well. It’s a fifty-fifty guess whether he’s here as Li Feng’s backup hitman, or on a mission to kill her.”

“The plan will still work if Bingo shoots Sonny Ma instead of you, correct?”

“Yes. My way is safer, because my gun is loaded with blanks, but as long as Bingo doesn’t shoot him in the head it should be fine.”

“What if Li Feng uses her sword?”

“Same thing, as long as she doesn’t go for the head.”

“It sounds like we should rethink security around Sonny Ma’s head,” Dale said.

“I’ll talk to security and make sure they keep an eye on Bingo,” Teddy said. “They need to lure him in but stop him before he tries to kill anyone.”

Li Feng reveled in the attention as she made her way through the lower level of the shopping and cinema complex with Sonny Ma. Though she knew most eyes were on the man the premiere was honoring, it was only a matter of time before she stole the spotlight.

When they reached the top floor and the premiere auditorium, she saw Sonny Ma gesture subtly to the ushers that his guest required a seat with him. The crew deftly made the necessary adjustments, and the couple sat down.

“The attention is intoxicating,” Li Feng said. “How can you not crave this every day?”

“The kind of attention I used to attract was more dangerous than this. People used to try and kill me if they had my attention. I think the odds of someone trying to kill me at a gala like this are much smaller.”

“Don’t you worry with all of the swords around?”

“They’re all play swords, I suspect. But these people all love me here.”

“We’ve both had servants and staff to wait on us, but this feels different,” Li Feng said. “Like they’re making our lives easier because they love us and respect us, not because they’re family servants or spies.”

“I’ve grown fond of taking care of myself. I like doing things around the house for my mother and I like working in the garden in my building. Could you ever have imagined me gardening?”

They both laughed and Li Feng felt at ease for the first time all night.

“You should join me,” Li Feng said. “We could be the power couple of the Chinese entertainment scene. We could even go over to the U.S.”

The goodwill and wavering commitment that had been building through the conversation died right there as Sonny Ma went silent and turned away from her. Li Feng refused to return to a life behind a desk. It seemed Sonny Ma could not help her after all.

As the ceremony began, Li Feng looked around to avoid having to look at Sonny. She saw Arrow’s right-hand man, Bing-Wen Jo, and then spotted the hitman who called himself Zosima. Were they both here to kill Sonny Ma? She was feeling better about her chances. Maybe they would all kill each other, and she could truly be free and in the clear.

When her attention came back around to Sonny Ma, she noticed he was standing and holding his hand out for her.

“Join me on stage. This talk has been wonderful and has made me appreciate where I’m from and where I’m going. Enjoy the spotlight you so desperately crave.”

She didn’t know why he was doing this, and the tone in his voice was more ominous than collegial. But with two men in the audience likely there to kill him, she wouldn’t have to see to the deed herself, and if she was on stage when it happened she would seem like the least likely suspect. She might even be able to harness the attention to give her a boost in her new career.

Li Feng unhooked the sword from its sash around her waist and left it on her seat, then she joined Sonny Ma on stage.