tc.thebearandthedragon-第53部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　The　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　looked　up　from　the　briefing　document。　〃Jack；　when　I　ran　Columbus　Group；　I　had　to　regard　all　of　my　investors　as　my　family；　okay？　Their　money　had　to　be　as　important　to　me　as　my　money。　That　was　my　professional　obligation　as　an　investment　counselor。〃
　Jack　nodded。　〃Okay；　George。　That's　why　I　asked　you　into　the　cabinet。　You're　honest。〃
　〃Okay；　but　now；　I'm　Sec…fucking…Treas；　okay？　That　means　that　every　citizen　in　our　country　is　part　of　my　family；　and　these　Chink　bastards　are　planning　to　fuck　with　my　country…all　those　people　out　there〃…Secretary　Winston　waved　toward　the　thick　windows　of　the　Oval　Office…〃the　ones　who　trust　us　to　keep　the　economy　leveled　out。　So；　they　want　MFN；　do　they？　They　want　into　the　WTO；　do　they？　Well　；fuck　them！〃
　President　Ryan　allowed　himself　an　early…morning　laugh；　wondering　if　the　Secret　Service　detail　had　heard　George's　voice；　and　might　now　be　looking　through　the　spy　holes　in　the　door　to　see　what　the　motion　was。　〃Coffee　and　croissants；　George。　The　grape　jelly　is　Smuckers；　even。〃
　TRADER　stood　and　walked　around　the　couch；　tossing　his　head　forcefully　like　a　stallion　circling　a　mare　in　heat。　〃Okay；　Jack；　I'll　cool　down；　but　you're　used　to　this　shit；　and　I'm　not。〃　He　paused　and　sat　back　down。　〃Oh；　okay；　up　on　The　Street　we　trade　jokes　and　stories；　and　we　even　plot　a　little　bit；　but　deliberately　fucking　people　over…no！　I've　never　done　that！　And　you　know　what's　worst？〃
　〃What's　that；　George？〃
　
　〃They're　stupid；　Jack。　They　think　they　can　mess　with　the　marketplace　according　to　their　little　political　theories；　and　it'll　fall　into　line　like　a　bunch　of　soldiers　right　out　of　boot　camp。　These　little　bastards　couldn't　run　a　Kmart　and　show　a　profit；　but　they　let　them　dick　around　with　a　whole　national　economy…and　then　they　want　to　dick　with　ours；　too。〃
　〃Got　it　all　out　of　your　system？〃
　〃Think　this　is　funny？〃　Winston　asked　crossly。
　〃George；　I've　never　seen　you　get　this　worked　up。　I'm　surprised　by　your　passion。
　〃Who　do　you　think　I　am；　Jay　Gould？〃
　〃No；〃　Ryan　said　judiciously。　〃I　was　thinking　more　of　J。　P。　Morgan。〃　The　remark　had　the　desired　effect。　SecTreas　laughed。
　〃Okay；　you　got　me　there。　Morgan　was　the　first　actual　Chairman　of　the　Fed；　and　he　did　it　as　a　private　citizen；　and　did　it　pretty　well；　but　that's　probably　an　institutional　function；　'cuz　there　ain't　that　many　J。　P。　Morgans　waiting　around　on　deck。　Okay；　Mr。　President；　sir；　I　am　calmed　down。　Yes；　this　is　business；　not　personal。　And　our　reply　to　this　miserable　business　attitude　will　be　business；　too。　The　PRC　will　not　get　MFN。　They　will　not　get　into　the　WTO…as　a　practical　matter；　they　don't　deserve　it　yet　anyway；　based　on　the　size　of　their　economy。　And；　I　think　we　rattle　the　Trade　Reform　Act　at　them　nice　and　hard。　Oh；　there's　one　other　thing；　and　I'm　surprised　it's　not　in　here；〃　Winston　said；　pointing　down　at　the　briefing　sheet。
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃We　can　get　'em　by　the　short　hairs　pretty　easy；　I　think。　CIA　doesn't　agree；　but　Mark　Gant　thinks　their　foreign　exchange　account's　a　little　thin。〃
　〃Oh？〃　the　President　asked；　stirring　his　coffee。
　Winston　nodded　emphatically。　〃Mark's　my　tech…weenie；　remember。　He's　very　good　at　modeling　stuff　on　the　puters。　I've　set　him　up　with　his　own　little　section　to　keep　an　eye　on　various　things。　Pulled　the　professor　of　economics　out　of　Boston　University　to　work　there；　Morton　Silber；　another　good　man　with　the　microchips。　Anyway；　Mark's　been　looking　at　the　PRC；　and　he　thinks　they're　driving　off　the　edge　of　the　Grand　Canyon　because　they've　been　pissing　away　their　money；　mainly　on　military　hardware　and　heavy…manufacturing　equipment；　like　to　make　tanks　and　things。　It's　a　repeat　of　the　old　munist　stuff；　they　have　a　fixation　on　heavy　industry。　They　are　really　missing　the　boat　on　electronics。　They　have　little　panies　manufacturing　puter　games　and　stuff；　but　they're　not　applying　it　at　home；　except　for　that　new　puter　factory　they　set　up　that's　ripping　off　Dell。〃
　〃So　you　think　we　ought　to　shove　that　up　their　ass　at　the　trade　negotiations？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　remend　it　to　Scott　Adler　at　lunch　this　afternoon；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　SecTreas　agreed。　〃They've　been　warned；　but　this　time　we're　going　to　press　it　hard。〃
　〃Back　to　their　foreign　exchange　account。　How　bad　is　it？〃
　〃Mark　thinks　they're　down　to　negative　reserves。〃
　〃In　the　hole？　For　how　much？〃　POTUS　asked。
　〃He　says　at　least　fifteen　billion；　floated　with　paper　out　of　German　banks　for　the　most　part；　but　the　Germans　have　kept　it　quiet…and　we're　not　sure　why。　It　could　be　a　normal　transaction；　but　either　the　Germans　or　the　PRC　wants　to　keep　it　under　wraps。〃
　〃Wouldn't　be　the　Germans；　would　it？〃　Ryan　asked　next。
　〃Probably　not。　It　makes　their　banks　look　good。　And；　yeah；　that　leaves　the　Chinese　covering　it　up。〃
　〃Any　way　to　confirm　that？〃
　〃I　have　some　friends　in　Germany。　I　can　ask　around；　or　have　a　friend　do　it　for　me。　Better　that　way；　I　guess。　Everybody　knows　I'm　a　government　employee　now；　and　that　makes　me　sinister；〃　Winston　observed　with　a　sly　grin。　〃Anyway；　I　am　having　lunch　with　Scott　today。　What　do　I　tell　him　about　the　trade　negotiations？'
　Ryan　thought　about　that　for　several　seconds。　This　was　one　of　those　moments…the　frightening　ones；　as　he　thought　of　them…when　his　words　would　shape　the　policy　of　his　own　country；　and；　possibly；　others　as　well。　It　was　easy　to　be　glib　or　flip；　to　say　the　first　thing　that　popped　into　his　mind；　but；　no；　he　couldn't　do　that。　Moments　like　this　were　too　important；　too　vast　in　their　potential　consequences；　and　he　couldn't　allow　himself　to　make　government　policy　on　a　whim；　could　he？　He　had　to　think　the　matter　through；　quickly　perhaps；　but　through。
　〃We　need　China　to　know　that　we　want　the　same　access　to　their　markets　that　we've　given　them　to　ours；　and　that　we　won't　tolerate　their　stealing　products　from　American　panies　without　proper　pensation。　George；　I　want　the　playing　field　level　and　fair　for　everyone。　If　they　don't　want　to　play　that　way；　we　start　hurting　them。〃
　〃Fair　enough；　Mr。　President。　I　will　pass　that　message　along　to　your　Secretary　of　State。　Want　I　should　deliver　this；　too？〃　Winston　asked；　holding　up　his　SORGE　briefing　sheet。
　〃No；　Scott　gets　his　own　version　of　it。　And；　George；　be　very；　very　careful　with　that。　If　the　information　leaks；　a　human　being　will　lose　his　life；〃　SWORDSMAN　told　TRADER；　deliberately　disguising　the　source　as　a　man；　and　therefore　deliberately　misleading　his　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。　But　that；　too；　was　business；　and　not　personal。
　〃It　goes　into　my　confidential　files。〃　Which　was　a　pretty　secure　place；　they　both　knew。　〃Nice　reading　the　other　guy's　mail；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Just　about　the　best　intelligence　there　is；〃　Ryan　agreed。
　〃The　guys　at　Fort　Meade；　eh？　Tapping　into　somebody's　cell　phone　via　satellite？〃
　〃Sources　and　methods…you　really　don't　want　to　know　that；　George。　There's　always　the　chance　that　you'll　spill　it　to　the　wrong　person　by　mistake；　and　then　you　have　some　guy's　life　on　your　conscience。　Something　to　be　avoided；　trust　me。〃
　〃I　hear　you；　Jack。　Well；　I　have　a　day　to　start。　Thanks　for　the　coffee　and　the　pastry；　boss。〃
　〃Any　time；　George。　Later。〃　Ryan　turned　to　his　appointment　calendar　as　the　Secretary　walked　out　the　corridor　door；　from　which　he'd　go　downstairs；　cross　outside　because　the　West　Wing　wasn't　directly　connected　to　the　White　House　proper；　dart　back　inside；　and　head　off　into　the　tunnel　leading　to　Treasury。
　
　
　Outside　Ryan's　office；　the　Secret　Service　detail　went　over　the　appointment　list　also；　but　their　copy　also　included　the　results　of　a　National　Crime　Information　puter　check；　to　make　sure　that　no　convicted　murderer　was　being　admitted　into　the　Sanctum　Sanctorum　of　the　United　States　of　America。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　17
　The　Coinage　of　Gold
　
　
　Scott　Adler　was　regarded　as　too　young　and　inexperienced　for　the　job；　but　that　judgment　came　from　would…be　political　appointees　who'd　schemed　their　way　to　near…the…top；　whereas　Adler　had　been　a　career　foreign…service　officer　since　his　graduation　from　Tufts　University's　Fletcher　School　of　Law　and　Diplomacy　twenty…six　years　earlier。　Those　who'd　seen　him　work　regarded　him　as　a　very　astute　diplomatic　technician。　Those　who　played　cards　with　him…Adler　liked　to　play　poker　before　a　major　meeting　or　negotiation…thought　he　was　one　very　lucky　son　of　a　bitch。
　His　seventh…floor　office　at　the　State　Department　building　was　capacious　and　fortable。　Behind　his　desk　was　a　credenza　covered　with　the　usual　framed　photographs　of　spouse；　children；　and　parents。　He　didn't　like　wearing　his　suit　jacket　at　his　desk；　as　he　found　it　too　confining　for　fort。　In　this　he'd　outraged　some　of　the　senior　State　Department　bureaucrats；　who　thought　this　an　entirely　inappropriate　informality。　He　did；　of　course；　don　the　jacket　for　important　meetings　with　foreign　dignitaries；　but　he　didn't　think　internal　meetings　were　important　enough　to　be　unfortable　for。
　That　suited　George　Winston；　who　tossed　his　coat　over　a　chair　when　he　came　in。　Like　himself；　Scott　Adler　was　a　working　guy；　and　those　were　the　people　with　whom
　Winston　was　most　fortable。　He　might　be　a　career　government　puke；　but　the　son　of　a　bitch　had　a　work　ethic；　which　was　more　than　he　could　say　for　too　many　of　the　people　in　his　own　department。　He　was　doing　his　best　to　weed　the　drones　out；　but　it　was　no　easy　task；　and　civil…service　rules　made　firing　unproductive　people　a　non…trivial　exercise。
　〃Have　you　read　the　Chinese　stuff？〃　Adler　asked；　as　soon　as　the　lunch　tray　was　on　the　table。
　〃Yeah；　Scott。　I　mean；　holy　shit；　fella；〃　TRADER　observed　to　EAGLE。
　〃Wele　to　the　club。　The　intelligence　stuff　we　get　can　be　very　interesting。〃　The　State　Department　had　its　own　spook　service；　called　Intelligence　and　Research；　or　I&R；　which；　while　it　didn't　exactly　pete　with　CIA　and　the　other　services；　occasionally　turned　up　its　own　rough　little　diamonds　from　the　thick　diplomatic　mud。　〃So；　what　do　you　think　of　our　little　yellow　brothers？〃
　Winston　managed　not　to　growl。　〃Buddy；　I　might　not　even　eat　their　goddamned　food　anymore。〃
　〃They　make　our　worst　robber　barons　look　like　Mother　Teresa。　They're　conscienceless　motherfuckers；　George；　and　that's　a　fact。〃　Winston　immediately　started　liking　Adler　more。　A　guy　who　talked　like　this　had　real　possibilities。　Now　it　was　his　turn　to　be