“Crews have been trying to clear the inside of the building, but the environment is highly volatile, and progress has been slow,” the news reporter continued. “In the meantime, another indictment has been brought against Jin Feiming for bribery and coercion as three more e-mail exchanges surfaced between politicians and a man who went by Mr. Wu, a criminal directly linked to Jin with evidence provided by the same anonymous source. The e-mails detail Wu preventing the introduction of environmental laws to improve Taiwan’s polluted air and waters through threats and bribes under Jin’s direction. Jin Feiming left for Beijing just a few days after the bombing and has not returned since. He has never addressed the accusations lodged against him but has the most prominent attorney in Taiwan, Chao Haiping, working in his defense.”

Lingyi and I had exchanged only a few messages since the bombing. So it was Arun who had told me she was the anonymous source behind all the leaks on Jin. I had already suspected it, but the knowledge made me miss Lingyi and the way she always followed through with conviction.

The screen cut to footage of Jin in Beijing; he stood in Tiananmen Square with the Forbidden City behind him.

“It’s with great excitement that I announce the building of a new Jin Corp just outside of Beijing,” Jin said, smiling with charm into the camera, his dark eyes bright with enthusiasm. “The loss of our original Taipei headquarters was unexpected, but only a minor setback. I can’t think of a better place to rebuild and manufacture even better suits than before, with more features and cutting-edge enhancements—”

A reporter shoved a small silver microphone forward as others followed suit. “Mr. Jin, could you please address the allegations from politicians back in Taiwan who have stepped forward and accused you—”

Jin didn’t even blink but continued as if he’d heard nothing. “I absolutely expect the new Jin Corp to be up and running within the next year. With the impressive resources we have here in China and the unrivaled workforce, I fully anticipate bringing new suits onto the market at price points that every person can enjoy—from the working man to those who can afford more luxury.” He nodded graciously, happy and at ease. “I promise they will be available again globally within two years’ time.”

“Mr. Jin, with your suits defunct now, shouldn’t our main focus be on cutting back pollution and improving our environment?” the reporter asked.

Jin lifted his dark eyebrows in amusement. “That’s a fantasy,” he replied. “Childish, naive dreams. We humans are consumers; we use resources and we buy things. And why shouldn’t we? There will still be a demand for Jin suits when we come back onto the market.” He swept a hand behind him, and the Forbidden City was barely visible, the palace’s curved rooflines melting into Beijing’s heavy smog. “And none too soon.”