To our certain knowledge the opposition had at least a hundred broadcast stations in active use. In other words, we needed to identify a hundred different stations before we could even begin to grasp the situation in the enemy’s camp, and before we could accurately deploy strategic countermeasures. If one station on average had eighteen sets of frequencies, then 100 × 18 = 1,800 sets of radio frequencies. After one week, we had identified only forty-five frequencies, about 2.5 per cent of the total. At that rate, we would need an additional thirty-five weeks before we could identify all of the enemy frequencies: about nine months before we could implement a new systematic surveillance plan. The problem was that headquarters had given us only three months to complete the mission.

It was quite obvious that we were in dire straits.

3

Strangely, even though we worked in the same building – he was the officer in charge and I his immediate subordinate – we never really worked closely together, despite the fact that we should have. It was really odd. His name was Tie, Chief Director Tie. Of course we had met briefly once or twice; we had exchanged nods, looks of recognition. But the impression I took away from these encounters was that his position was much above mine. His physique was imposing. He was quite handsome, but emotionally detached. He had the face of a leader: stern; like a guerrilla fighter materializing out of the jungle. Almost everyone in Unit 701 feared him, wary that at any moment he would break the silence with an explosion. It was for this reason that he earned the nickname ‘Landmine’, meaning that he was someone you wanted to leave well alone. On that day, while I was on the telephone, he suddenly burst into my office. Without saying a word he was standing there in front of me. He grabbed the receiver from my hand and slammed it down. Then he cursed. ‘I’ve been trying to call you for over half an hour, but the line has been busy. Tell me, what have you been nattering about? If it wasn’t about work, I am going to fire you on the spot.’

Luckily Chief Wu was there to bear witness. I was indeed on the phone for work reasons, talking to other agents working on intercepts: nothing he could criticize me for. If I hadn’t been, I would have been on my way out. It was quite clear that he had earned his nickname of ‘Landmine’.