caldwellemergedfromhesairwellonhegroundfloorandfoundhimselfinhenexowerlobbyheprisinewhiemarblewallsweredoedwihmassivepsmascreens,erecedforhesolepurposeofreassuringcusomershaheirdaawassafeifheysoredianexdaacenersherewerescreensshowinghedaaflowsofhenexworksinplexbubeauifulcolorcodedgraphshereweremoniorsdispyingpulsingrafficlighiconsindicainghasysemswerehealhywihagreenligh,abouohaveproblemswihamberorindeeproublewiharedlighallofnex’ssysemsseemedohavehegreenlighsiwasallsysemsgo

ahugehorizonalscreen,agridofmuliplemoniors,dispyedmuliplecameraviewsofhemainnexdaacenerconrolroomechniciansinshinysilverandpurplewindbreakerswihhenexlogoembzonedonhemgawkedaerminals,sudiedhegraphsandgenerallyriedolooklikeheyweregivinghecusomerheirmoney’sworh

iwaslunchimehesecuriyguardinhelobbywassuffinghisfacewihheconensofasyrofoamlunchboxinhebrighglowofwhielighfiringdownfromagianmodernchandelierinhehighceiling,designedolooklikesacieshangingfromheroofofsomeicecave,hebereedsecuriyguardlookedwoefullyouofpcefourhaierrobosroamedaroundhemarblefloorsheirsensorsoldhemosayawayfromcaldwellhewalkedupoheelecronicdirecoryboardandsudiedilikeavisiorlookingforherighfloorheconrolroomwasonhewenyeighhfloor,sandwichedinhemiddleofhebuilding

herewasaerminalinonecornerofhelobbyhaspewedmarkeingbullshiabouhebenefisofleingnexhandleallyournewchinaregiondaaneedsvideomonageswaxedlyricabouhesizeofnex’sbackbones,bandwidhondemand,amazing247cusomersuppor,raisedfloors,emperaureconrondauomaicservermainenanceandrafficmonioringservicesheerminalwenonabouhowniypercenofhehangsengnewchina100usednexoserveallheirdaacenerneedslogosofsaidpanieslinkedomorecyberspacemarkeinghypefromsaidcusomersweredispyedreadyobeclickedbyhepoenialcusomercaldwellhadseenenoughiwasallonebigsmokescreenhehadremoelybrokeninoenoughdaacenersoknow

caldwellwalkedupohesecuriyguardwhowaschewingonsomekindofgreenvegeablehalfofi,heleafybi,washangingonheousideofhismouhbecauseheoherhalfonheinsidewasrefusingobechewedswallowingwasnoonhecardsforhisguyasheseemedohavemanagedogeahugesalkofsomeveggielodgedhalfwaydownhishroacaldwellmadehismove

“chungkingrealesaeechnician,”hesaidincanonese“washereearlier,ijuswenouograbsomelunchseeyouaresillenjoyingyourswheredidyoubuyha?ilooksreallygood”

allhesecuriyguardcoulddowasmoionwihhisheadinhedirecionofhelifshisexpressionsaid:“don’bohermewhileiameaing,gweilohalfbreed”caldwellwinkedahimandeneredanempyelevaorhepressedhebuonforhewenyeighhfloorhelifsinhongkongwerewayoofasiookallofeighsecondsforhebellosoundandhepuerizedvoiceosay“wenyeighhfloor”

caldwellwalkedouinoahugehallliwihpurplehalogenlikeanighclubherewasameallicdesignerrecepiondeskoonesideawhichamosquiohinchinesegirlwihacuefacewasalsoenjoyingheconensofasyrofoamriceboxshedidn’payhimheleasbiofaenion,focusingallherenergiesonlunch

herewasasunkenareainhemiddleofhehallwihagssfloorexpensivelookingbckandgoldgoldfishswamzilyinalipoolbelowhegssjusbeyondheundergroundaquariumwasareinforcedseeldoorandargewindowshowingesseniallyhesameviewashemoniordownsairsinhelobbyhiswasheconrolroomhecamerasmushavebeeninsideheconrolroombecausecaldwellcouldonlyspoonecameraousideinhehalndiwaspoiningaherecepiondesk,makingsureheski

yrecepionisdidn’falsleeponhejobcaldwellspoedaligensanddiessignandwalkedcasuallyowardshewashroomsheckofsecuriywasfrigheninginhehackingage,elecronicsecuriywasdeemedordersofmagniudemoreimporancriminalsheworldoverhadrealizedhavaluabledaawaslockedupinsidepuersandworksnoinhephysicalpremises

caldwelleneredhemen’soileiwasempyexcepforasoliaryclosedcubicleheoccupanwasmakingenoughnoise,frombohends,osuggeshahehadmadehewrongchoiceforlunchcaldwelleneredhenexcubiclealongandwaiedhesillhadnoheardfrommeilinhearuniwasnowellinghimhanexowerwasbuiljuswoyearsagoandwasanohermagnificenconribuionbyhepowerfulleefamilyohongkong’svibranworldcsseconomyiwasevengoinginohowmanyonsofconcree,seendgsswereusedandhowmanyconsrucionworkershadworkedonhesie“alkabouuselessinformaion,”caldwellmueredquielyohimselfheenirebuildingwasprewiredforcyberspacehearwenonoexpinhaiwasinfacanodeincyberspacehespieceofinformaiongrabbedcaldwell’saenionifnexowerwasanodeoncyberspace,henheenirebuildingcouldbehackedbuonlyifhecouldgainhighleveccessinoheworkhamanagediasihappened,hawasexaclywhacaldwellwasryingodo

heoilenexdoorflushedandcaldwellheardhecubicledooropenhewalkedouofhiscubicleabaldingmiddleagedchinesemanwearingheshinypurpleandsilvernexwindbreakerwaswashinghishandsahesinkhema

eededhewindbreakerbecauseheemperaureonhewenyeighhfloorofnexowerwascloseofreezinghiswasoprevenhepuingequipmenfromoverheaingahousandpuerscangeneraealoofheanexowerhadohaveenimesmorehanhajudgingfromherowsandrowsofserverconsolesvisiblebehindheconrolroomandherewereseveralmorefloorsfullofserversaccordingohemarkeingblurbdownsairs

“dodgylunch,eh?can’beoocareful,”caldwellsaidinwhahefiguredwasmandarinashesoodahesinknexohenexemployeehebaldingmanurnedroundslowly

“whohefuck”

caldwelldidn’givehemanimeofinishhebackofhisrigharm,hemuscledbijusaboveelbow,madeconacwihhebridgeofheechnician’snoseheman’sheadsnappedbackandheslumpedohefloorcaldwelllowedhisbreahingoslowhewasnervousbuheadrenalinwaspumping

“you’renohavingagooddayareyou,”caldwellsaidashedraggedheechnicianinohesamecubiclehehadbeenusingearlierhecubiclesmelledofsomehingroencaldwellsrippedhimofhisfancywindbreakerandpuionunderneahhewindbreaker,henexechnicianwaswearingabckshirwihfcukprinedoniinwhiecaldwelllockedhedoorfromheinsideandsaredclimbingoverhepariionherewasasoundofsomebodyeneringheoilesheslidbackdownandcrouchedonheoilebowlheaoseechnicianwasmumblingsomehinguninelligiblehewassillouinmumbojumbond

“ahwah,youhaveaphonecallwhahehelreyoudoinginhere?havingababy?”adeepbarionevoiceinquiredinguuralcanonesehedoorclosedshucaldwellfiguredwhoeverownedhevoicehadgoneheclimbedoverhepariioninoheadjoiningcubicle

heonlywayhewasgoingogainaccessohesysemwasoakeagamblecaldwellwasbeinghaifhewalkedupbehindoneofheechniciansinhewindbreakersjusasheyweregoinghroughhedoorinoheconrolroom,heywouldlehiminwihouanoherhoughheywouldbesocaughupinheirposlunchschedulehaheywouldn’evenboheropuewheherhewasoneofhehevisualcueofheaoseechnician’swindbreakerwouldbeenough

caldwellsoodinhecorridorleadingohewashroomhopinghaheechniciancalledahwahwouldnosuddenlybeereacquainedwihhissurroundingsheelevaorschimedandacoupleofsimirlydressedechnicianssrolledacrosshehallchaeringabousomehinguninelligiblehewaiedunilheyreachedhesunkenaquariumhenmadeabeelineforhemheechnicianinfronwashavinghepalmofhishandsca

edandughingasomehingheoherechnicianhadsaidhehenpeeredinoanirissca

ercaldwellcouldseehebeamfromhesca

ermakingpassesoverhislefeyehewassocloseoheoherechnicianhahecouldsmellhishairgel

henheworshinghacouldhappendid

“ahfai,youhaveapackage,”heski

yrecepionisshouedacrosshehallhervoicewassoshrillhabohechniciansurnroundinsurprisesodidcaldwellbehindhem,whoalsowhippedroundolookinhedirecionofherecepionisandavoidhisfacebeingscruinizedbyhewoechnicianshegirlwasoofarawayonoicehahewasnooneofhedwellhopedhecouldpassforanorienalforhebrieffewsecondshaheywerelookingahidwellwasmoreworriedhaheheadphonepluggedinhisearandheargsseswouldn’givehimaway

ahfaislidpascaldwellwihouevenasidewaysgnceandheadedowardsherecepiondeskheoherechniciankeyedinhiscodehemassivedoorslidopenandheeneredhedoorclosedshucaldwellwasinsideheconrolroomhewasrelievedonoicehaingouofheroomwasmucheasierhaninginyoujuspushedabuoninasquarerecessbesidehedoorheechnicianwalkedohiserminalwihoupayinghimanyaenionheardispyshudderedandanimageappearedsuperimposedoverheviewofheconrolroowasasackofblueprinsfornexowersackedoneonopofanoherhereadousaidherewerefifysixinoalhowhehellwashegoingofindherighone?