Margaret’s initial embarrassment was turning very quickly to anger. How in God’s name did he know where she’d spent the night? “I think it would be fair to say that’s none of your business,” she said.

He dropped his notes on the desk with a bang and turned to face her, eyes livid. “Well, I think it would be very unfair to say that. Considering I had to take your class at the last minute, and then spend the next half-hour in Professor Jiang’s office trying to make excuses for you.”

“What—everyone knows where I spent the night?”

“Yes. They do.”

“How?” She was incredulous.

“Lily Peng.”

“What? You mean that little bitch was spying on us?”

“Don’t blame Lily,” Bob said abruptly. “She’s only doing her job.”

“Jesus Christ, what is it, a crime to spend the night at someone’s apartment in this country?”

“Well, actually, yes it is,” Bob said, knocking all the wind from her sails. “Everywhere you go in China, every time you change your address, it is a legal requirement to report to Public Security. For legal purposes, checking into a hotel is regarded as the same thing. You didn’t stay at your hotel last night. Technically you broke the law. Lily reported your whereabouts to Public Security, they reported to your danwei here at the university. Professor Jiang and everyone else in this department feels dishonoured by your conduct. They consider your behaviour to have been outrageous, and I agree.”

“Fuck!” Margaret stood with her hands on her hips, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. “This is unreal.”

“No,” Bob said angrily. “This is China. And it’s very real. I thought you’d read your briefing material from the OICJ.”

She couldn’t meet his eye. “I said I’d got it. I didn’t say I’d read it.” She heard his gasp of frustration. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I only came here to teach a few classes and get away from a lot of shit back home. I didn’t know I was going to have to take Big Brother along for the ride.”

“It’s not Big Brother who keeps an eye on you here,” Bob snapped. “It’s everyone. Your neighbour, your bellhop, the elevator man. The street committee, the census cop, the work unit. It’s a self-policing society. Of course, you’d know all that if . . .”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she cut in. “If I’d read my briefing material.”

“Well, I’m glad you can treat it so lightly. I can assure you the OICJ will not. They have spent a great many years building good relations here in China, and you could have ruined that in one night.”