My first thought was that maybe something awful had happened to Vivian. Perhaps she had been abducted by an Uyghur resistance group or a gang of organ traffickers. A lot could go wrong in two weeks. Maybe that mysterious, omnipotent father of hers had caught wind of her plan to meet me and sent his henchmen to take her back to Hong Kong. None of these were as horrifying to me as the possibility that she had simply changed her mind. There were, of course, any number of explanations as to why she didn’t call me that day, but for the sake of my sanity, I preferred to focus on the ones where I could rescue her.
In any case, it was too early to start worrying. There was probably a benign explanation for her radio silence, something as simple as her phone breaking or an unfortunate travel delay—in which case, I was convinced, she would reach out soon through other channels. No matter what, I had my first day at the new job to prepare for, and I couldn’t let any unfounded anxieties derail my first impression.
The next morning, I steeled my nerves with a double-shot espresso and set out to my first meeting with Bo. The day was bright without being oppressively warm. I was wearing a black suit, brown loafers, and a white shirt with no tie. In my backpack was the hard drive containing my files from General Motors.
I descended into the subway and it was a quick three-stop ride to Guomao, or Central Business District. A tunnel took me from the subway doors through a subterranean mall directly to Terra Cotta’s lobby. I showed my photo ID at the front desk and took the elevator up to the fiftieth floor. The receptionist told me I was a few minutes early and asked me to take a seat.
To my surprise, I ended up waiting in the lobby for nearly an hour. Every now and then, someone would pass through and give me an odd look; I must have looked like I was here for an interview. Finally, Bo stepped out of the hallway wearing a thick gray cardigan and greeted me.
“Sorry I kept you waiting, Michael,” he said, gripping my hand tightly. “I’m glad you made the journey safely. Come, follow me, we’ll talk in my office.”
Bo’s corner office was sparsely decorated, save for a few framed pictures of Bo doing impressive-looking activities: giving a keynote, cutting a ribbon to commemorate the opening of a factory, sitting at a banquet with political leaders. He kept a lot of books conspicuously lying around, a mix of Chinese and English titles, though some of the English-language books were embarrassingly elementary, like The Great Gatsby or 1984. Bo gestured for me to take a seat on the L-shaped sectional, and his assistant brought in some tea and steamed buns.
“Please, eat,” he said. “You must be hungry. How’s the apartment?”
“The apartment is incredible,” I said. “Thank you so much for arranging it.”
Bo waved his hand. “It’s nothing, Michael! We just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable. Sanlitun is a trendy place for young people. If you need anything, just let me know. Now, I must ask… was there any problem with your departure from the US?”
“No problems. Everything went smoothly.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Then you have the materials we discussed?”
I took the hard drive out of my backpack and handed it to him. Bo nodded. “Very good, Michael. I knew we could count on you.”
A pleasant lull came in the conversation. Bo took a bite out of a steamed bun and I poured some tea for us.
“So, Michael, now that you’ve settled in, it’s like a new start for you. I wanted to ask you—what is your mission in life?”
The question caught me off guard. I had not contemplated my “mission in life”—or even entertained the seriousness of such a concept—since writing my common app essay my senior year of high school.
“I want to make the most out of the opportunity you’ve given me. I hope we have the chance to work together for a very long time.”
“Of course, Michael. I have the highest confidence in you, that’s why I brought you in. You’re going to do great things in China and make a lot of money. But every man must live for more than himself alone.”
I didn’t know what to say. “Sorry, what do you mean?”
“Every man is born in a particular place in a particular time. Every time and place has its unique challenges, so our birthright is to inherit these challenges. It is a great honor. Do you understand this?”
“Yes.”
“Let me give you an example. I was born in 1965. My father was a cook in the People’s Liberation Army. Our home was in Heilongjiang, a very cold and impoverished place. Everyone was poor. But, I was born during an important time in history. When I became a young man, Deng Xiaoping declared ‘To get rich is glorious.’ China would open itself to the world and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, starting with the development of the manufacturing industry.”
I nodded, recalling the rough outline of Bo’s subject from a modern China class I had taken many years ago. Deng Xiaoping was Mao Zedong’s successor in the Chinese Communist Party; he led the economic reforms of the 1990s that made China the “factory of the world.”
“After I graduated from college, I went back to support my family in Heilongjiang, working as a civil engineer for the provincial government. There were three generations, ten people in total, living under one roof. At the time, my father was too sick to work, and it was a very difficult time for my family. But I left them to answer Deng Xiaoping’s call for young men to perform revolutionary works, and moved to Shenzhen. They cried out and said they’d never forgive me, but I knew I had no choice; it was my place in history. In Shenzhen, I opened a factory to manufacture trucking parts. I failed many times, but knew I could never give up; I had a responsibility to my workers, to their families. Finally, we were successful. I opened many more factories and made powerful friends. In Shenzhen, I met my wife, and many years later, I moved to Beijing and started a family.”
Bo’s voice softened as he continued. “I have many regrets too. When I left Heilongjiang, my big sister stayed behind. Growing up, we were best friends—inseparable. I had such a big appetite, and whenever we ate together she always saved her last bite of meat for me. But after I left, she never spoke to me again, and she passed away three years ago.”
Bo picked up a picture of his family that was sitting within reach and showed it to me.
“I have my own family now too. Terra Cotta was formed ten years ago. I already made a lot of money before that, and my wife has been asking me to retire for many years. This is my only son, Kevin. Because of how much I work, I rarely get to see him. But I continue to do what I must do, because now we are in different times with new challenges.”
Here Bo paused again, and when he did, I noticed that I was hanging on his every word.
“Michael, you came to Beijing during an important time in history. We’re reaching an inflection point. After Deng’s economic reforms, China became the fastest growing economy in the world. Millions rose from poverty. But this progress is not sustainable. Now that ordinary people have money, they don’t want to work in factories anymore. Everyone is moving to the city. Global companies have started relocating their factories to cheaper places: Vietnam, Thailand, Laos. That’s why Li Keqiang announced a new national initiative: Made in China 2025. China will become the world leader in the most important technologies for the future. By 2025, we will make the best smartphones, semiconductors, and smart vehicles in the world—we’ll unlock creative energy and bring lasting prosperity to people who have waited several lifetimes. We must do this, because if we don’t, China will remain a second-world country forever.
“That’s why my partners and I started Terra Cotta. Our mandate is to invest in the strategic industries Li Keqiang identified for Made in China 2025. We will make the world champions in these industries. Artificial intelligence, 5G, clean energy, advanced robotics. So you see, Michael, you were born in the United States, but now fate brings you to Beijing. I think you came just in time.”
After Bo finished his remarks, I sat back in awe. Now the room was completely silent and something stirred inside me. I recognized it as inspiration but also something more—perhaps the feeling of being ensconced in history.
“It’s an honor to be part of this mission,” I said. “When do I get started at Naveon? Any advice for my first few weeks?”
Bo shook his head. “You will need to be patient, Michael. It’s not the right time to bring you into the organization yet. Things are disorganized at Naveon right now; Peng tells me there are some issues with the core technology, specifically with the 5G chip and the internal combustion engine. We need to wait for a more stable time to introduce you as the new VP of R&D.”
“Oh, okay. That makes sense. Do you have any idea how long that will be? Or what I can do in the meantime?”
Bo shook his head. “Hard to say—could be a month, maybe several months. In the meantime, it would be best if you can try and get in touch with some former colleagues or classmates to see if they can share anything that can help the team. While we wait for the right moment to bring you into the organization.”
I blinked. “You mean see if I can get any of my connections to send me IP?”
“Yes, correct.”
“Got it. Is there anything specific I should be looking for?”
“For now, it will be good to cast a wide net. Feel free to send whatever you find directly to me.”
I nodded. Bo smiled and excused himself, saying he had to catch a flight to Tokyo. Just as he disappeared into the corridor, I thought, for a moment, about whether to ask him about Vivian’s whereabouts, but something held me back.