Chapter 127: A Visit from Bai Jianjun

It was past ten o'clock in the evening when Wei Hua left Rong Zhijian's residence. Ding Peng drove them back to Qiyuan. As they stepped through the gate, the butler, David, hurried to greet them.

"Sir! Vice President Bai from the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch is here to see you. He says he is an old friend of yours and has been waiting in the living room for quite some time."

"I see. Vice President Bai is indeed an old friend, though he has likely been too busy lately to visit. This is his first time at Qiyuan. You may go back to your duties; I will attend to him myself." After acknowledging the instruction, David turned away to attend to his tasks. With an estate as vast as Qiyuan, managing the dozens of staff kept him perpetually occupied. Wei Hua then turned to Ding Peng. "Would you like to join me? He holds a position similar to yours, and it might be good for you to get acquainted for future mutual support."

Ding Peng considered this for a moment. "That sounds wise. It is good to meet him; one never knows when we might need his assistance. While our fields of work are similar, we belong to different systems. Still, since we are both in Hong Kong, looking out for one another is only appropriate."

Bai Jianjun was sitting on the sofa, watching television with a look of boredom, when he spotted the two men entering. He tossed the remote onto the couch and addressed Wei Hua. "My friend! I heard you had moved, but I have been tied up with work and recently had to make a trip back to the mainland. I will bring a housewarming gift next time. I must say, this estate of yours is truly magnificent—it must be among the finest in Hong Kong! Even the properties of those old, established families don't seem as grand as yours. It’s certainly nice to have wealth!"

"It is nothing special. Money is meant to be spent, isn't it? If I just left it in the bank, what would be the point of earning it? Come, Vice President Bai, let me introduce you. This is Ding Peng, my driver, who also hails from Beijing. You two are fellow countrymen, so please, get to know each other."

Bai Jianjun was aware of Wei Hua’s plan regarding Indonesia, though he had only been responsible for the initial reporting to the authorities before others took over. Realizing that this driver had been sent from Beijing to assist with that project, he—as a seasoned intelligence officer—knew better than to ask questions. He smiled warmly. "Is that so? That is wonderful! It is not easy to find a fellow Beijing native in Hong Kong. Brother Ding, if you ever need anything, just say the word. I will do my absolute best to help."

"Thank you, Vice President Bai! I am new to Hong Kong and still finding my way, so I am sure I will have to rely on you in the future," Ding Peng replied politely.

As the three men sipped tea brought in by David, they chatted for a while until Wei Hua asked, "Vice President Bai, you came to see me so late—is there something urgent?"

"I almost forgot! I just returned from the mainland, and my superiors asked me to inquire about something. They are very interested in the solar cell technology from your Changbai Tech Laboratory in the United States. They would like to know if you could provide it to the mainland, and if so, under what conditions?"

"Providing it to the mainland is not a problem," Wei Hua replied. "As for the conditions, I will need some time to consider them."

Wei Hua was currently awaiting a response from the Soviet KGB. By letting Basha go, he had essentially sent a message to the agency, hoping to establish a cooperative relationship. According to the records in his communicator, the Soviet Union would collapse in 1991, leading to the rapid disappearance of decades of accumulated wealth—trillions of dollars, along with advanced technology and talent. If he could secure those, the possibilities would be endless. He wanted to build a rapport with the KGB now, gradually expanding his influence within the Soviet Union in preparation for the future.

"Very well! But please, be quick about it. You know how the old gentlemen back home are—they are rather impatient. Don't let me be the one to get scolded!"

"Rest assured, I will get back to you as soon as possible." Basha had been gone from the laboratory for over a month; if the Soviet space agency truly needed his solar cell technology, he was confident someone would find him in Hong Kong soon.

Two days later, Wei Hua, Ding Peng, and He Xiaoya attended an auction held by Sotheby's at the Regent Hotel. Rong Zhijian had mentioned days earlier that he would be attending with several members of the "princeling" circle and had invited Wei Hua along. Knowing that Rong was well-informed about the auction's inner workings and that several national treasures were to be sold, Wei Hua decided to join.

Inside the banquet hall, the auction had not yet begun, and guests were mingling. After exchanging greetings with several prominent Hong Kong tycoons he knew, Wei Hua suddenly spotted a familiar face: the Soviet KGB "Swallow," Miss Basha Kuravlyova.