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〃Do you say that。。。？〃
Qian shifted in his chair。 〃Remember what Deng said？ It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice。 And Mao exiled him soon thereafter； and so today we have two hundred million more mouths to feed； but the only additional funds with which we do it came to us from the black cat； not the white one。 We live in a practical world； Fang。 I； too； have my copy of The Little Red Book； but I've never tried to eat it。〃
This former railroad engineer had been captured by his bureaucracy and his job； just like the last one had been…he'd died at the relatively young age of seventy…eight； before he could be expelled from his Politburo chair。 Qian； a youthful sixty…six； would have to learn to watch his words； and his thoughts； more carefully。 He was about to say so when Qian started speaking again。
〃Fang； people like you and me； we must be able to speak freely to one another。 We are not college students full of revolutionary zeal。 We are men of years and knowledge； and we must have the ability to discuss issues frankly。 We waste too much time in our meetings kneeling before Mao's cadaver。 The man is dead； Fang。 Yes； he was a great man； yes； he was a great leader for our people； but no； he wasn't the Lord Buddha； or Jesus； or whatever。 He was only a man； and he had ideas； and most of them were right； but some of them were wrong； some of them don't work。 The Great Leap Forward acplished nothing； and the Cultural Revolution； in addition to killing off undesirable intellectuals and troublemakers； also starved millions of our people to death； and that is not desirable； is it？〃
〃That is true； my young friend； but it is important how you present your ideas；〃 Fang warned his junior； non…voting member of the Politburo。 Present them stupidly； and you'll find yourself counting rice bags on a collective farm。 He was a little old to go barefoot into the paddies； even as punishment for ideological apostasy。
〃Will you support me？〃 Qian asked。
〃I will try；〃 was the halfhearted answer。 He had to plead Ren He…Ping's case as well this day； and it wouldn't be easy。
They'd counted on the funds transfer at Qian's ministry。 They had contracts to pay for。 The tanker had long since been scheduled； because they were booked well in advance； and this carrier was just now ing alongside the loading pier off the coast of Iran。 She'd load four hundred and fifty…six thousand tons of crude oil over a period of less than a day； then steam back out of the Persian Gulf； turn southeast for the passage around India； then transit the crowded Malacca Strait past Singapore and north to the huge and newly built oil terminal at Shanghai； where she'd spend thirty or forty hours offloading the cargo； then retrace her journey back to the Gulf for yet another load in an endless procession。
Except that the procession wasn't quite endless。 It would end when the money stopped； because the sailors had to be paid； the debt on the tanker serviced； and most of all； the oil had to be bought。 And it wasn't just one tanker。 There were quite a few of them on the China run。 A satellite focused on just that one segment of the world's oil trade would have seen them from a distance； looking like cars on a highway going to and from the same two points continuously。 And like cars； they didn't have to go merely between those two places。 There were other ports at which to load oil； and others at which to offload it； and to the crews of the tankers； the places of origin and destination didn't really matter very much； because almost all of their time was spent at sea； and the sea was always the same。 Nor did it matter to the owners of the tankers； or the agents who did the chartering。 What mattered was that they got paid for their time。
For this charter； the money had been wire…transferred from one account to another； and so the crew stood at their posts watching the loading process…monitoring it mainly by watching various dials and gauges； you couldn't see the oil going through the pipes； after all。 Various crew members were on the beach to see to the victualing of their ship； and to visit the chandlers to get books and magazines to read； videocassette movies； and drink to go with the food； plus whatever consumable supplies had been used up on the inbound trip。 A few crewmen looked for women whose charms might be rented； but that was an iffy business in Iran。 None of them knew or thought very much about who paid for their services。 Their job was to operate the ship safely and efficiently。 The ship's officers mainly had their wives along； for whom the voyages were extended； if rather boring； pleasure cruises： Every modern tanker had a swimming pool and a deck for tanning； plus satellite TV for news and entertainment。 And none of them particularly cared where the ship went； because for the women shopping was shopping； and any new port had its special charms。
This particular tanker； the World Progress； was chartered out of London； and had five more Shanghai runs scheduled until the charter ran out。 The charter was paid； however； on a per…voyage basis； and the funds for this trip had been wired only seven days before。 That was hardly a matter of concern for the owners or the ship's agent。 After all； they were dealing with a nation…state； whose credit tended to be good。 In due course； the loading was pleted。 A puterized system told the ship's first officer that the ship's trim was correct； and he so notified the master； who then told the chief engineer to wind up the ship's gas…turbine engines。 This engine type made things easy； and in less than five minutes； the ship's power plant was fully ready for sea。 Twenty minutes after that； powerful harbor tugs eased the ship away from the loading dock。 This evolution is the most demanding for a tanker's crew； because only in confined waters is the risk of collision and serious damage quite so real。 But within two hours； the tanker was under way under her own power； heading for the narrows at Bandar Abbas； and then the open sea。
〃Yes； Qian；〃 Premier Xu said tiredly。 〃Proceed。〃 〃rades； at our last meeting I warned you of a potential problem of no small proportions。 That problem is with us now； and it is growing larger。〃
〃Are we running out of money； Qian？〃 Zhang Han San asked； with a barely concealed smirk。 The answer amused him even more；
〃Yes； Zhang； we are。〃
〃How can a nation run out of money？〃 the senior Politburo member demanded。
〃The same way a factory worker can； by spending more than he has。 Another way is to offend his boss and lose his job。 We have done both；〃 Qian replied evenly。
〃What 'boss' do we have？〃 Zhang inquired； with a disarming and eerie gentleness。
〃rades； that is what we call trade。 We sell our goods to others in return for money； and we use that money to purchase goods from those others。 Since we are not peasants from ancient times bartering a pig for a sheep； we must use money； which is the means of international exchange。 Our trade with America has generated an annual surplus on the order of seventy billion American dollars。〃
〃Generous of the foreign devils；〃 Premier Xu observed to Zhang sotto voce。
〃Which we have almost entirely spent