Chapter Fifty-Seven: Homecoming

Japan’s government, unsuspecting and naive, laid a feast before Weihua, and there was no way he would miss the chance to carve out a generous slice for himself. Weihua planned to openly fleece the Japanese government, leaving them unable to voice their grievances. His mention of cooperation with America was a deliberate move to instill a sense of urgency in Japan. At the time, anti-Japanese sentiment was rising in the United States, and the cost for Japan to acquire the technology from the US government would be far higher than getting it from Weihua. So Weihua was certain the Japanese would do everything possible to obtain the preliminary technology directly from him.

A week later, Yoshio Kato appeared once more in the reception room of the Japanese branch of Excellence Private Investment Company. Japan’s government had confirmed Weihua’s agreement to cooperate with the US Earthquake Bureau, and Kato’s mission now was to secure the technology. Negotiations were difficult; Weihua’s asking price was sky-high—five hundred million dollars—while Japan was offering just fifty million. The two debated fiercely over the price, and in the end, Japan purchased the technology for eighty million dollars. Looking at the purchase agreement in his hand, Kato beamed at Weihua and said,

“Mr. Weihua! Thank you for your support! I’m sure we’ll have more opportunities to work together in the future. We’re also very interested in your cooperation with the US government. If possible, perhaps your Changbai Technology Laboratory and our government can collaborate as well.”

Like hell I’d want to work with you, Weihua thought, but his face wore a pleasant smile as he replied,

“To work with the Japanese government is a great honor for Changbai Technology Laboratory. We’re just a small lab, and in terms of funding and expertise, we’re still far behind the world’s renowned laboratories. We must work harder, indeed!”

The contract was signed, but the earthquake prediction technology still existed only in Weihua’s mind. He needed to turn it into written form. The technology from thirty years in the future involved numerous instruments and techniques not yet invented, so Weihua had to substitute them with current devices and methods. Where substitution was impossible, he used the original specifications from his memory. These yet-to-be-invented technologies would be registered as new patents from Changbai Technology Laboratory. With so many new patents and innovations embedded in the earthquake prediction technology, Japan should not feel deceived; Weihua had no intention of giving them reason for such suspicion—his investment company still had fortunes to make in Japan, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for a small gain.

All of Weihua’s plans needed to be executed at Changbai Technology Laboratory, so he had to request leave from the three women. Naturally, they wouldn’t agree easily; he had only been in Japan a few days, and now he wanted to return to America? Weihua had to talk at length to persuade them, and that night, the four spent the evening together, Weihua deploying every charm to make the three women happy. At last, they sent him off to the airport, smiling as he boarded the plane back to America.

History had not changed, even though Weihua had mitigated the losses from the Tangshan earthquake. On September 9, 1976, China’s top leader passed away. In October, the Cultural Revolution, which had brought endless suffering, finally ended, and the Gang of Four was toppled. A cadre of veteran politicians returned to the stage, including the second generation of future leadership. Though Weihua knew these events would happen, when the news reached him in America, he was exhilarated, sharing in the joy of his compatriots. He had experienced firsthand the unique hardships brought by that political upheaval.

In January 1977, Weihua’s meticulously crafted earthquake prediction technology was ready, with many innovations credited to Changbai Technology Laboratory. The lab’s cooperation agreement with the US Earthquake Bureau was finalized; the Bureau compensated the lab with fifty million dollars and obtained Weihua’s freshly developed technology. The US government understood Weihua’s sale to Japan, since the pre-cooperation technology was exclusive to Changbai Technology Laboratory. Once Japan’s eighty million dollars arrived, Kato received all the technical documents, and all three parties were delighted.

At the end of January 1977, Weihua returned to Japan, and the four enjoyed a blissful period together. With the Japanese stock market soaring, the company’s assets grew daily, and the three women were happier than ever. If Weihua were only a little older, they would have dragged him to the altar already. Selene, Jessie, and Mary had made plans to marry Weihua in three different countries to circumvent legal complications—Jessie’s idea. The locations had been chosen: Selene picked Paris, Jessie Rome, and Mary Melbourne. Now, they just awaited Weihua’s coming of age, though it was still more than a year before he turned eighteen.

In May 1977, Sakurako Kinoshita graduated from MIT and returned to Japan. At the request of Heiji Kinoshita, she joined the Japanese branch of Excellence Private Investment Company. Her arrival put Selene, Jessie, and Mary on high alert.

Sakurako’s employment at the investment company was a family decision. After cooperating with Weihua, the Kinoshita family underwent a dramatic transformation. The Black Dragon Society was inexplicably wiped out, erasing the family’s crisis. Changbai Technology Laboratory’s name now resonated far and wide, and its technologies drew widespread attention. Products like cassette-based game consoles and VHS recorders, all laboratory innovations, sold rapidly, bringing considerable profit to the Kinoshita family. When Heiji learned that Selene and the other two women were Weihua’s lovers, he had an idea. He believed Weihua was the kind of old-fashioned Chinese man who favored multiple wives and many children—so why shouldn’t his own daughter become one of Weihua’s women? If Weihua became his son-in-law, what would the future hold for the Kinoshita family? Heiji had pondered this for a long time.

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