北京麻雀 (Sparrows of Beijing)
东 London, 2001 - 04
4
Philadelphia
2000
If you were standing there, you would see an old computer, with what would be called a CRT - which is out of fashion in any advanced computer economy. It was in an office with narrow cramped ceilings. There were people who were much brighter than the people who surrounded themselves within the little town that was the home of the people company in Western Pennsylvania, which was a backwater and had very little to recommend it. She and he were talking. Of course, his conversation was by text, not email, or voice. And of course, it was with her. By this point, he knew what her name was, and also the English-sounding name which she used. Because people in English did not know how to pronounce her Chinese name. Who can it be now?1
“It is good that you are out of that nasty little place.” I’ll wear my sunglasses at night.2
“I'm still working for the same company, but I have transferred. We’ll let us say the company that is dropping the business on us.”
“Do you think they know what they are dropping?”
“They are a smaller company and have decided to leave while the leaving is good. We are a large company and can charge more.”
“Is it worth enough?”
“My directors think so, someday various people will be caught. We just have to make sure it is not us. Tarry not, o cloud.3”
“And what do they think they will find?”
“Almost certainly that someone has hidden a bug that will be uncovered by the Y2K nonsense. And unless I miss my guess, the rumblings from different parts of the cable company, make it clear that they do not have a fix for things. They were trying to pawn it off as someone else's. But that is not going to work. At least, that is what I am doing. Making sure that all of the changes they make stay within the bounds of their code, and thus say that if anyone is responsible, it is them.”
“And what do you think the changes are?”
“I do not know, but there is something wrong with the number of people. I put in a fix that should have reduced the number, by eliminating duplicates. But that has not happened, and I do not know why.”
“Could it be as simple as wanting more money?”
“It is always that simple, but the key question is not how much, but when. Always ask when, because the aim is always the same. Do not ask when someone needs money - because many millions of people can answer that - but when which only a few very rich people can answer more than 60% of the time.”
“I have noticed that too when they want to get out is always the question. And the key point is how dishonest they make their getaway.”
“I think it is the same the whole world over. At least in America and China, it is the same, though the means are different.”
“America and China have different house rules, that is all.” She had the coy murmur of someone who had a number of men on her beckon. Don’t be afraid of a guy in shades.4
“And what would the house rules be for China?” He already knew what they were in America – he had searched for them. How it taunted him that a generation ago they would whip out a pack of cigarettes and Mr. Wagner pies.
“In China, they would admit that there were more people on the system. They would not have to hide it.”
“Is that an aspect of what you call 'face'?
“Oh, indeed so, it is the very essence of face.”
“In America that is part of the difference. We hide.”
“How do you trick other people?”
“By telling them one thing and doing another.”
“And how does that help?”
“When the appropriate time comes, people want to sell out, and they find out that all of the stock is at a low price when they thought it would be at a high price.”
“Cannot they look at the market and sell when the price is high?”
“They go to bed, and the prices are high. In the middle of the night, the price goes very far down. And when they woke up in the morning, they found that there was only a little bit of stock, and that had been sold while they were asleep. Then the market opens and the stock plunges in value and essentially, they find out that their stock is worthless, having had no chance to sell.”
“Is that the way it happens?” Her eyes opened.
“There are other tricks, do you want me to explain them to you?” An irk subtly crosses his face,
“Another time. I wish I could be there with you and unbutton your top.”
“That is rather risqué.”
“I remember that you said you always wanted to tell me what was on my mind.”
“Yes…” No. And in between. “I’m empty and and aching.”
“Have you changed your mind?”
“No.” Yes, but I changed it back. “You don’t smoke.”
“No, what would you like me to do?” The question did not need all that much of a response, and he sketched out a proof of the idea from his head. There were a large number of other details – and there were technical challenges which really were people's challenges in disguise. But none of these would-be problems. He had already been introduced, and the Indian woman in charge of the junior construction party would be amenable to all varieties of technical challenges, so long as they would make it finished sooner. Which he was willing to assure her that this would be the case. The other problem was a rotund old man who herded a huge team of junior Indians and made them jump through hoops. He probably knew much more about whatever it was they were doing to their computer system. And making sure that it stayed broken, there was a deviousness to have him sat up which was more Baroque than it needs to be. But he would think of something.5
Minion stood them before him in the real world, asking some sort of question, but he knew that it was not for the job. Probably about how he drifted down here on the highway rather than taking a plane. He did that, both here and in Western Pennsylvania. It was a lovely drive to both locations, and he would often do a bit of scenery. Once he took Route 5 in New York State, which was a long way out of his way. But when you have to show up at 3 AM, no one is going to complain. Thus, he brushed the minion away with a wave of his hand. Kwaui-lu. Life in a northern town.6
Several things popped into his mind, and he wondered if he should type any of them in. he probably should, but he did not do so. It was not that he was shy, particularly. Or at least not usually. But he did not want to express these things by typing. For a moment his mind was deciding whether topographical could be made into a play on words, it probably could. But he did not have the wit to come up with something on the spur of the moment. He imagined that after the session was over, something would come to him. Then he would have to explain not only the play on words but the circumstances as well. He could imagine how that would play out, even though the play on words was not known yet. But it was tantalizingly close. He wanted to be asleep and dreamt of that moment.
Headlines from the finance section were dismal, and everyone began to wonder if they had missed out on a great opportunity. But everything was going so swimmingly well, at least all the commentators on the television thought so. And the giddy little little people thought that well would come trickling down, and they would at least have a job. But Galbraith had said differently in one of his books, though it was not read at the time. Some things go in and out of fashion.
1 Men at Work, “Who Can it be Now?”
2 Hart, “Sunglasses at Night”
3 Holst, The Cloud Messenger
4 Hart, “Sunglasses at Night”
5 Clarke, Arthur C. 2001: A Space Odyssey
6 Dream Academy,"Life In A Northern Town"