Free The Clout of Gen by Ahmad Ardalan Page B

exact time written on each of their respective files. He was very strict in telling me, ‘These individuals can never know the source of this information. They must never find out who you are.’
     
    “Their files were smaller than mine, only three pages in each. There was a page outlining their responsibilities, and the remaining two explained how to make money. Some provided advanced information about stock investments or what industries and companies they should focus on. Some of them were tasked with the responsibility of passing knowledge on to others. It was something like a web, growing and growing,” continued Yaturo.
     
    “Our discussion was interrupted many times because the man needed fresh air. He didn’t seem to be feeling well. He claimed he was a bit nauseous, and he blamed it on some food he’d eaten the day before. So, once in a while, we ventured outside. I smoked my pipe, and he played with his toothpick. But every time, when we went back inside, he continued from right where we left off. He was in control, and he explained to me how my approach to each person, each one of the thirty contacts, would be. He offered a simple plan. ‘Approach each one of them the same way I approached you,’ he said. ‘Bait them with a tidbit of important information in the beginning and schedule a meeting two days later. The only difference will be that during your meetings, you will simply hand them the file and go away without a word.’ He told me I would always be disguised and that my disguise would have to change each time so that I never used the same disguise twice. He also informed me that I should always incorporate some protection from a distance, just in case. When he realized that made me a tad bit uneasy, he said, ‘I am from the future, Hitari. Don’t worry. You won’t be hurt. You will live to a nice old age, but precaution is always a good idea.’
     
    “At that point, I still had some doubts. I wondered what I was getting into. Whenever I dazed off, it was as if he could read what I was thinking. When he sensed something was wrong or that I was starting to doubt him, he knew just the words to draw me back in. Finally, the guy stood up and said, ‘Wars will come. There will be some you can stop and others you can’t, but believe me, Hitari, if you don’t do what I have told you to do, things will be gravely worse. You should be proud of all the things you will achieve. You will play a vital role in stopping the Cold War, preventing poverty, and so much more.’
     
    “I then asked him if we would meet again, and he answered, ‘No. I will look exactly like this twenty-three years after you die.’ When he said that, I knew I had one last chance to ask him my burning question. I asked him who he was, and he gave me a wicked smile and replied, ‘I suppose you deserve to know, Hitari. It’s Alexi.’ He went toward the door and looked back at me and said, ‘Udachi!’” Before John could ask the question, Yaturo anticipated it and answered with a smile, “I checked it out later. It means ‘good luck’ in Russian! After he said that, he went away, and I never saw him again.”
     
    “So what did you do next?” John inquired.
     
    “Well, after he left, I had two things on my mind. First, I had to keep those files safe. I knew I needed to contact a security company, as the files I held in my hands were worth more than one could imagine. And second, I needed a sketch artist right away. I wanted to have a sketch of the person I had met. I wasn’t sure if everything he had told me was true, and I still didn’t trust him completely. Believe me, John, I have been on the lookout for that strange man from day one as the years have passed. Like you, I have been obsessed with discovering the truth.”
     
    John had interrupted very little during Yaturo’s talk. He was focused on taking in every detail and had been furiously scribbling down notes. He was utterly hypnotized and mesmerized by