Sorry, Li DanFC is my bodyguard. I booked this room with his name,
he explained, pointing at the man in a suit outside the door.
The man in the suit waved.
I’m Li DanFC, Mr. Yun Huateng’s bodyguard.
Yun Huateng?
I repeated, confused.
Yes, that’s my name,
he replied with a smile.
The woman beside him looked at me with thinly veiled shock.
Your family name is Yun? Why would you want mine then?
I asked.
Let’s talk in the living room. It’s quite complicated. It’s a little weird for us to see you lying down.
Yun Huateng pointed at the hall area.
The bodyguard withdrew and took his post by the door.
The couple watched me as I got off the bed and walked out. I looked around to see if anyone was hiding in a corner.
After I was satisfied that there were only three of them, I turned to observe the bodyguard again.
He was a big fellow and I definitely wasn’t his match.
I sat on the sofa in the living room and Yun Huateng asked,
Tea or coffee, Mr. Gou Dan?
Water’s fine,
I answered cautiously.
He waved his hand and his bodyguard started preparing the cups.
I thought about the situation and the man’s motive.
Yun was a good surname, and since they were able to book this room, it was safe to say that they were exorbitantly wealthy.
It was very unlikely that he had taken a liking to my surname, so what did he want to talk to me about?
Yun Huateng looked about 40 or 50 years old, and although the woman beside him had an air of elegance about her, her mature age was more than obvious. Every time I looked at her, I get the sense of deja vu, but I couldn’t point out exactly when or where I might’ve seen her.
I probed,
Is the woman your lover?
My wife, Wang Xiaomei,
he answered kindly.
Aha!
She was a female lead in an old television series I followed when I was young.
That series came out before I was born and she seemed to be decently popular during that period. Was this a rich and famous combination couple? They weren’t average people for sure, so what do they want with me?
To try and take the lead of the situation, I hedged,
I’m a surname changer. I don’t think you’re hoping for your child to follow my surname, right? Yun and Wang are good surnames. And if I’m not wrong, this lady here isn’t even pregnant yet. It’s already June and if she’s giving birth, it would take place next year. Aren’t you seeking me out too early?
Yun Huateng explained, smiling,
We do want a surname change for our child, but he’s not here.
Was the child from a mistress?
Why bring the wife then?
An enemy perhaps?
Did they want the enemy’s child to be a Gou for life? Just as how the ancient emperor had humiliated our clan?
The world belonging to the rich was difficult to comprehend.
Please clarify this matter, Mr. Yun,
I said.
He took out a photograph from his pocket.
Take a look at this.
I glanced down at the photo and shuddered.
When did you capture this photo of me?
So you think so too?
he asked, smiling.
Think so? Think what? You mean to say this person isn’t me?
I took a closer look at the person in the photograph and realized that it wasn’t actually me. He was dressed in clothes I did not have, and he was leaning against a Ferrari, another item that I most certainly did not possess. We looked so alike, we could pass off as twins.
Who is he? Why do we look so alike?
He’s my son, Yun Huan. He’s born half a year later than you. He’s studying in America right now.
What are you planning to do?
The situation seemed too strange.
We want him to have your surname and identity,
he answered.
My mind went straight to the case I’d heard about a black man. He had committed a crime, and in order to stay alive, he needed a new identity.
What if this was the case with this family?
That’s illegal.
I swiftly stood up from the sofa and grabbed the teacup handle, raising it high up. I didn’t know exactly how this teacup would do me good, but anything is better than being defenseless.
The bodyguard surged forward to protect Yun Huateng.
A minute passed silently.
Just as the atmosphere turned a bit awkward, Yun Huateng reached his hand out to his bodyguard.
It’s okay, nothing’s going to happen. Leave us alone.
The bodyguard retreated two steps back, but I kept my gaze locked on Yun Huateng. My arm was starting to ache and I made a mental note to start exercising more. I really was unfit.
Please relax, Mr. Gou Dan. We wouldn’t have invited you over to talk if we had bad intentions. We just wanted to negotiate. You won’t be disappointed by what we can offer you, and we can guarantee your safety. No risks at all,
Yun Huateng promised.
I won’t do anything illegal,
I insisted frustratedly before lowering the teacup.
Have you thought about it, Mr. Gou Dan? Surname changing is a shady business, too,
Yun Huateng brought up.
Teacher said that we’re walking on the fine line that’s dividing what’s legal and not. So technically, it’s not illegal,
I corrected.
That’s great because what we hope you can do is also not considered illegal. Just do this once and you’ll live the rest of your life in luxury.
I’ll give Teacher a call first. This is beyond what I expected,
I told him.
I do not wish for anyone else to know about this transaction. The lesser who knows about this, the safer my son will be,
he explained.
Fine. So, you want me to change the surname of your son, the man in the photograph. But if that happens, if he becomes me, what about me
?
I questioned.
You’ll still be you.
I smell deceit.
I started to stand up again, agitated.
Settle down and let me finish, please, Mr. Gou Dan,
he urged.
Hesitantly, I sat back down.
I looked at the bodyguard, who was preparing tea and said,
I’ll leave if I sense something problematic. Promise me that you and your bodyguard won’t stop me.
He nodded.
Yun Huan has been accused of killing somebody in America. His roommate was the victim, a white man. There weren’t cameras around to check for evidence, so my son became the main suspect since he was the only one present. You should know how severe racial discrimination is there. We’ve tried spending money to resolve this but to no avail. The judge is on our side, but we were unable to bribe the jury, which is bad since they are likely to be biased.
If I try to bribe them and it spreads, my son will be in greater danger. Right now, he’s under pending investigation and is unable to leave the country. Our idea is simple. He can just return to China safely and the rest can be settled with money and he won’t have to be in court anymore.
The case is unsolved but you want him to return with my identity?
Yesterday, my bodyguard saw you by chance and snapped a photograph. The resemblance is striking. I got an even greater shock after meeting you in person. Even your heights are similar,
he continued.
What about the details? The procedures to travel back?
I asked.
That’s also simple. You will go over there to have fun for a month before coming back. In the month that you’re over there, he’ll learn to imitate you. My son then will return by sea with your identity and he will continue living with us under your name.
Wait, why must I go over there?
I demanded.
I hope you know that sounds fishy and it’s not helping your case.
Because we’ll need your passport. Leave it with us when you’re back and I’ll mail it to my son so he can disguise himself as you and make his way back. Your identity belongs to you, and he’s just borrowing your passport. Future assets of his, like houses and cars, will be bought under my company name. We can also use the money to keep his future wife’s family mum. We won’t misuse your identity,
he assured me.
