Chapter 153: Arriving in Vienna.
The plane touched down in Vienna, the crisp air of Austria greeting them as they stepped onto the tarmac. A team sent over to welcome them met the delegation and led them to a check point where their documents were swiftly stamped by local officials.
Then, they were all led to a bus, moving as a single unit. It just so happened that the bus was not big enough to accommodate everyone. Liwu’s team was assigned a separate vehicle.
She scanned her surroundings, her detective’s instincts on high alert. In this strange city, and the spy world, every face could be a threat, every gesture a clue. The professor’s death had rattled the embassy, but the killer was still at large. Maybe, he or she was already out of Austria, and somewhere in Bulgaria. But that was the one who took the shot, and they were not there for that criminal. They were their for one of their own.
Weijun, meanwhile, was practically glowing. "Look at this place! The architecture, the air, the--"
"Focus." Liwu snapped. "Admire the city when the case is over."
He grinned sheepishly. "Right. Work. But after work.....strudel."
Xuanji chuckled. "Liwu, did you ever think that you would marry a man with the childish potential of a comedian."
"No, I thought I would marry your dad." She replied.
The others laughed.
Weijun was practically heaving. He could not believe that she could tell a joke like that. His wife was serious, 98% of the time. She was not the joking kind. He used to be serious like her, until they married and he started caring more about playing detective than playing politics all day.
The delegation was taken to their hotel first, to deposit their luggage. In ten minutes, they all walked to the embassy, which was just twenty minutes away. The group was ushered into the embassy, where officials greeted them with polite smiles and stiff handshakes. The cover story held: a three day-training exchange of SOB officers on international law enforcement cooperation.
Liwu introduced herself with practiced ease, her tone professional, her demeanor calm. But beneath the surface, her mind raced. The professor had been inside these very walls when he received the message. Who had sent it? Had they been watching him?
Weijun leaned close, whispering, "If the you know who is here, they will be watching us now. You are the famous detective daughter of China’s SOB after all."
Liwu nodded subtly and she laughed. She gave him a side and acted as if he had said something sweet before whispering back, "Good. Let them watch. We will smoke them out, starting with the ones who seem overly interested in me.
Weijun loudly asked, "Do you think the serve schnitzel in the cafeteria?"
Liwu pinched the bridge of her nose. "Weijun, if you mention food one more time, I will forbid you from touring any castles after the conferences end."
He gasped, like she had promised to send him to hell.
Loudly, Xuanji groaned. "Hey everyone, we came with a married couple that is here for a honeymoon."
Some of the officers made a "wooo" sound.
The ambassador pushed his way through the others and came to Liwu and Weijun. He grasped Liwu’s hand with firmness and eagerness. "Tai Liwu, I am so glad to meet you. I am Ambassador Fu Yanxiu and I have heard great things about you. You are as beautiful as you are talented."
He was clearly kissing her ass. None of the other officers close by reacted because he outranked them, and Liwu was from the richest of rich families with a mother that was the SOB president. Every superior officer they had was always fawning over her.
However, she never let it all get to her head. Like now, she simply smiled and politely replied, "Thank you." She turned to Weijun, "This is my husband, Shen Weijun."
The Ambassador grasped Weijun’s hand. "The man who rebuilt a broken city. I am told that you have a mechanism that can make the entire city float on water in case of a flood."
Weijun smiled proudly. "I am not one to brag, but yes we do."
The Ambassador groaned like a fan boy. "What I wouldn’t give to see or live in a city that floats on the sea? How did you do it? Wait, I am also curious about another rumor. Do you really have weapons in the wall around the city?"
Weijun put a finger to his lips. "Shh! Don’t spill all my secrets."
Ambassador Fu laughed boisterously. Then he pretended to whisper, "I promise, your secret is safe with me. But, there is one thing you must absolutely answer."
Weijun nodded. "Hit me."
"How many sets of quintuplets do you two plan to have?" He asked.
Liwu rolled her eyes. If she had a dollar for every time she was asked that question, she would have 188 dollars.
Weijun grimaced. "Fingers crossed none. Maybe twins, but not quintuplets. If you have been to a Tai-Zhang party, you would understand."
Ambassador Fu laughed. His secretary, a bubbly looking young woman came over and whispered to him. He excused himself and left.
Next to Weijun, Xuanji said, "So the rest of us don’t get personalized jokes or handshakes?"
Su Jin snorted. "Change your name to Tai or Zhang and call President Alix mommy."
Liwu lightly and playfully slapped Su Jin on the arm.
Weijun maoned regretfully, "Oh, dammit, I didn’t ask him if he has some personal recommendations on the best strudel in the city."
Liwu released his arm. "I can’t deal with this strudel obsessed man. Linlin, you are with me. Let’s take a tour and shake some hands."
Before they could do so, dinner was announced. The embassy had a dining room where they hosted official breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The entire delegation went along and settled where their names had been placed.
Liwu and Weijun, were kept together. Food and drink were distributed immediately. Dinner was silent. Officers ate with precision and food manners. If any conversations were raised, they were clipped and formal.
Weijun leaned in and whispered to Liwu, "Anyone stand out?"
She giggled and shoved him on the chest with her finger, whispering, "Everyone."
In this room, every word was measured, every glance calculated. She didn’t even trust the officers that had come with the delegation. That was the downside of stepping into the spy world. You couldn’t even trust yourself.