Free The King of Shanghai by Ian Hamilton

judge of the wine,” Xu said.
    It was the last thing she cared about at the moment, but she sniffed, took a sip, and then rolled it over her tongue. “Wonderful,” she said.
    As the glasses were being filled, the other waiter emerged with a tray with two platters on it.
    “Bird’s nest with minced chicken and deep-fried prawns with a wasabi dressing,” Xu said.
    The waiters apportioned both dishes and then backed out of the room.
    “The food smells fantastic,” Ava said. “Unfortunately, I can’t get my attention past what you just said about wanting to put money into our company.”
    “I apologize for bringing it up so abruptly,” Xu said. “Let us eat, and then we can resume our discussion.”
    He reached for a prawn with his chopsticks. He severed the head from the body and split the shell. Then he put the prawn into his mouth, separating the meat and spitting out the shell. He chewed slowly.
    Ava’s eyes never left him. “I don’t want to wait. How can your money be beyond reproach?” she said.
    “Thank you for asking. I hope you are actually interested in my answer,” he said, plucking a prawn from the platter and putting it in May’s bowl, then repeating the process for Ava.
    “We had, I believe, the beginning of this conversation over the phone while I was still in Toronto,” Ava said, ignoring the food.
    “We did, and I handled it very badly.”
    “Given the subject matter, I don’t know how else it could have gone.”
    “There is a history that needs to be understood — the evolution of what my father began many years ago.”
    “Evolution?”
    “That may be a poor word choice. What I am trying to say is that he began to guide the Heaven and Earth Society along the road back to what it had been and was meant to be. It is a challenge I have taken upon myself, using his experience and the wisdom of men such as Uncle.”
    “Heaven and Earth Society?”
    “People refer to us as Triads, but we are not Triad in the common sense. Triad is a term invented by the Hong Kong government. They took our symbol, a triangle with the word hung in it — a symbol that represents the union of heaven, earth, and man — and affixed that name to it. We think of ourselves as the Hung Society or the Heaven and Earth Society, and it is to the concepts of those societies I am trying to return.”
    “Ava may know what you’re talking about, but I don’t,” May Ling said.
    Xu smiled and then reached for the bottle of wine, which was nestled in an ice bucket. He refilled their glasses and his own. “We should get another bottle, you think?”
    “Yes. I may need it,” Ava said.
    “And we should eat before the food gets cold,” he urged.
    The door opened and the waiters reappeared, each carrying a tray. On one Ava saw a plate with a steamed fish, and on the other, sliced beef and noodles.
    “Steamed garoupa with soy sauce, beef tenderloin, and ba bao, a traditional Shanghai noodle dish,” Xu said. He looked up at the waiter. “Another bottle of wine, and keep a third one on ice in case we decide to have more.”
    May took a spoon and fork and began to dissect the fish. Steam rose from it, carrying hints of ginger and soy.
    The thinly sliced beef sizzled on a metal plate. Ava could smell garlic, but the paste on top of the meat was green. “What is that coating on the beef?” she asked.
    “Pistachios,” Xu said.
    As May served each of them a generous portion of fish, Ava’s interest in Xu and his money offer was finally overtaken by hunger. They ate quietly, working their way through the dishes. When they had put down their chopsticks, Xu pressed a buzzer on the wall. The waiters appeared so quickly that Ava guessed they had been standing right by the door.
    “You can remove our plates,” Xu said.
    “More wine, sir?” one asked.
    Xu looked at Ava and May. They both shook their heads. “If we want anything else, I will call for you,” he said.
    The door closed, and Ava emptied her glass. “Jet