Starting from the age of thirteen, Ying Hui had been inventing new mathematical formulas. While growing up, he became interested in evolution and application of the available resources in new fields, especially in the area of Rare Earth elements. He had figured out a new cheap method to extract Rare Earth from other metals recently and both the governments in China and U.S. were vying for his work.
As essential and functional materials, Rare Earth elements had long been named "The Vitamins of Modern Industry".
In recent years, demand for these had been increasing, particularly in energy efficiency (green energy) and high-technology, making it a precious commodity to the World Superpowers.
The main reason for Ying Hui to start working in this field had been that alternative energy systems such as wind power generation, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and rechargeable batteries, as well as the permanent magnets used in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, all relied on Rare Earths.
He had a burning ambition to be able to help produce clean, green environment for the world that they lived in. But it wasn"t something that he propagated. He knew that the governments and corporates who were chasing him didn"t have the same goals as him. Still, he wanted to align himself with the least evil out of all of them. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were all sailing in the same muck loaded boat.
Hui had thought about funding the project himself. It wasn"t as if he lacked the money. With his brains, he had been conquering the stock market"s trends since he was fifteen years old. His un.o.btrusive trading accounts were spread and invested across continents.
Despite the funds, he knew that the prototype would be launched faster and in a more efficient manner if it had the right licenses and government backing attached to it. Hence this visit to Shanghai. But now it seemed that he had made things worse and for the first time, he didn"t know how to go about rectifying the situation.
"Uh…Eric, are you still on the line?" he suddenly asked.
Eric had put the international call on speaker mode and gone back to work.
"Yes, right here. Have you figured out a solution yet?" he asked, without commenting upon the fact that he had been holding the phone line for the past five minutes.
"I think we need to let things cool down a bit here. I still believe China is a better bet to go ahead with, as a partner. But let"s not tell them that yet. I have decided to go to Tunisia instead of heading back to London, right now. I will stay in touch," with that he disconnected the call.
Tunisia had been a frequently visited place by Hui, mostly because of the abundance of various types of minerals there. Ever since, he had discovered an interest in Rare Earth elements, he had undertaken an intensive course in Geology. He had, of course, finished the entire learning in a fraction of the normal time taken by others.
Since there wasn"t going to be any business talk in the coming few weeks, he had decided that a research trip to Tunisia would be ideal at this point. His thoughts had blurred his vision which happened frequently enough.
"Ooouuuccch," he had banged into someone.
Trying to get the appropriate expression of apology on his face, he stopped mid-action. The other person had fallen down. His insides groaned upon realizing that it was a woman. In his past experience, women tended to be unnecessarily melodramatic and irrational.
"It was just a b.u.mp. Did that cause the fall?" He addressed the woman, who was clutching her chest as if she was having a heart attack.
She looked up at him with startling green eyes. Jia Li struggled to collect her things which had spilled out of her handbag and get up. But she still looked as if she was in immense pain. After a moment of uncustomary reaction to her beauty, Hui"s common sense rea.s.serted itself. He noticed that people around them had started to give him a nasty look, as if he had molested the woman or something.
"Uh, if you are that delicate to be affected so badly by a small shove, maybe you should be extra careful while walking around people," he couldn"t help remarking.
And regretted right after uttering those words. Why couldn"t he keep his anti-normal thoughts to himself. Now, she would surely create a ruckus.
Silence!
The woman gave him a near pitying look and walked away without speaking a single word.
Jia Li lifted her sweater and s.h.i.+rt inside the washroom to inspect her wound which seemed to have opened up. That man"s elbow had hit her squarely at the place where Fu had given her a knife wound.