59 Deep-Fry Tricks & Techniques (1/2)

As it turned out, Li Yang did not have to wait for two hours for Jake to return home. Jake showed up just half an hour later.

During that time, Li Yang learned what had happened to Jake's family since they moved from his apartment block. Both his parents had died: his mother of cancer, his father of a heart attack. Jake's older brother was now living in California: he'd told Jake that if he was to live in poverty, he preferred to do that in pleasant climate. He had last been in touch at Christmas the previous year.

And so Jake came to be living with his grandparents, who were very happy to have him there: he helped them out with various tasks that had become a burden in old age. He'd had a job too, as a grease-monkey in a a neighborhood car repair: he'd shown such talent for fixing up cars that he'd gotten two raises within a year.

However, that job had vaporized the previous month. Car repair was a bad business to be in after all cars had been immobilized following the catastrophe. Consequently, the owner of the repair shop set it on fire and then collected on the insurance, automatically dismissing all employees without having to pay them any severance money.

Jake was without work until just recently. But now he was collecting scrap for one of those private mints that were springing up all over the place. They paid good money for whatever he brought in. Unfortunately, that good money would turn into bad money the moment the new currency was introduced.

Since that was due in just a couple of weeks, Jake's job definitely wasn't a long-term career prospect. But at least he'd be getting guaranteed income payouts along with his grandparents. Did Li Yang have any idea of how much money was involved?

Li Yang did not. At this point in the conversation, the front door opened and Jake walked in. His face lit up when he saw Li Yang.

”Yang!” he shouted.

Li Yang jumped up from his seat and they hugged each other, laughing. But almost instantly Jake stiffened and moved back a step and said:

”I hope you're not bringing bad news. Is that why you came here?”

Li Yang finally got to tell his story. And unfortunately, it did contain bad news: his mother had died. Jake had moved a few months after Li Yang's little sister was run over by a car, so he already knew about that.

But his grandparents didn't, and were really distressed to hear about it. Someone dying of sickness - that was natural. A little girl dying after being hit by a vehicle was a different story: a cruel one. They instantly asked Li Yang to stay for lunch.

It was a meal composed of the now-familiar MREs. Right after that, Jake invited Li Yang up to his room, and that was when Li Yang told him about his New World plans, and the impending move south.

”I'm totally blown away, man,” said Jake, and looked it. ”Wow! I know a couple of guys at the mint also got hold of some stuff from the cube. But they gave it up when they were registering the mint. They didn't want to lose their license to operate it in the event they got found out. You know you'll lose your GIM if you get caught, right?”

”They can put their GIM right where the sun don't shine,” said Li Yang, using a phrase he'd often heard from Rose Fogerty. He hadn't told Jake she was dead, too; they'd shared enough death news already.

Jake looked at him and laughed.

”You know, I wish I was going with you,” he said.

Li Yang smiled.

”You can,” he said.

* * *

”You can't do that, sir,” Lea Panatella said to Carlton Brock.

Brock turned red with anger.

”The fuck I can't,” he said. ”I can and I will. I am the governor of U.S. territory in the New World. I'll build a fleet of battleships. I'll sail across the ocean. I'll find Jerry fucking Hard wherever he hides. And when I do, I'll cut off his fucking hands and wipe my ass with them while he's still screaming, right in front of his eyes. And then I'll hang him by the balls from the tallest lamp post or tree or whatever I can find at short notice. And I'll leave him hanging there till he dies.”

”Oh,” Lea said. ”I didn't realize you meant the New World.”

”Of course I meant the New World. Though I'd like a chance to do it here, too. Maybe more subdued in scale, like getting the shit beaten out of him. I think I could arrange that.”

”Better not, sir.”