Chapter 1 - Early distress signals

12th December 2010

12:30 PM Security Cell, Li Empire Estate, Shanghai.

A man in his late thirties was seated before his computer in a grey suit and navy-blue tie, surrounded by a group of young men, who were all eyes on the footage retrieved from the CCTV.

A young man pointed to the footage and said, "Mr. Yang, there's no way that the alert was false. The footage clearly shows that someone was trailing the car of Mr. Chang. These footages clearly reveal the same."

Mr. Yang ran his hand through his hair and said, "I can understand your concern, however, our security team sent along with them to Bora Bora has come out clean."

"Could it be that they were paparazzi wanting some photos of their wedding to be published?"

"But they were trailing him even when Jia was not around and photos were being clicked even when Bao was driving the car."

"Could it be that the people who were trailing were not financially sound enough to trail them to Bora Bora?"

"Hm! Valid point. That could be the case."

"What about the rest of the family? Did you check the CCTV footage of their cars during the said period?"

"We have already done that. None of them were trailed other than the car of Liqin. Hence it could be the case of paparazzi wanting some wedding photographs, especially since it was a close-knit family affair."

Another man in a navy-blue suit and blue pin dot tie walked in with two cups of coffee. He handed over a cup of coffee to Mr. Yang and said, "Here, your cup of coffee. What's the update?"

"Mr. Chen, the security report from Bora Bora has come out clean. But my gut feeling still says it's not paparazzi."

"Have the footage of all the cars have been checked by them, Mr. Yang?"

A young man walked in and said, "Yes, we checked the footage of all the cars, except for the car of Bao that was had been sent for repairs and maintenance."

Mr. Yang turned to him, looked up, and said, "What do you mean by that? Have you have not checked it out?"

"We checked it. But the footage was not useful as it was sent to the automobile repair center for repairs. The footage is the one recorded while the car was in for repairs."

"He must have driven some other car during that time. Isn't it? Did you check that out?"

"He did not drive another car."

"He accompanied Liqin to the office in his car."

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that he drove to the office in Liqin's car?"

"Yes."

"Was the car of Liqin trailed after they left for Bora Bora?"

"Yes."

"What about the CCTV footage near the mansion?"

"There have been shreds of evidence of people loitering around the mansion and trailing the car leaving the mansion."

"Did that happen after Liqin and Jia went abroad as well?"

"Yes, till the time junior Mr. Li did not leave for Zermatt, the car of Liqin was being trailed."

"Could they have not guessed that Liqin and Jia had left for Bora Bora as the car they drove to the airport was different from the one he regularly used?"

Mr. Chen adjusted his spectacles, sipped the coffee, and pondered for a while, and said, "Could we be monitoring and providing security to the wrong person?"

Mr. Yang picked up the coffee up, looked at Mr. Chen, and said, "You are right. What if the person who was being trailed was not Mr. Chang but Mr. Li Bao?"

"That could be very dangerous as he has not allowed himself any security cover on this trip to Zermatt."

"Get in touch with the security agency in Switzerland with whom we tie up with usually and immediately provide cover to Mr. Li Bao without his knowledge."

"I'll do that."

Mr. Yang picked up the phone and contacted the security agency in Switzerland and downloaded the complete information to the team. As the phone was disconnected, he said, "That's done. But they need his live location. How do we get that? He was already stringent on his privacy not being trailed on this trip."

"Mr. Yang, call up Mr. Accardi Antonio, their butler, and keeper of the villa. He surely will have a way out for this. Can I see the footage once? One of you check out the time in Cervinia."

Mr. Yang and Mr. Chen sat down and brushed through the concerned footage once again

"Sir, the present time is around half past six in the morning in Cervinia."

"Mr. Yang, call up Mr. Accardi and request him to send us his live location. With the relation that he has with Bao, he will surely be able to get the details."

Mr. Yang turned back and asked, "Should I apprise Mr. Accardi of the seriousness of the concern."

Mr. Chen still deeply studying the footage replied, "We don't have evidence to prove that. Moreover, it is an assumption. We are taking precautions in urgency before confirming the same. Inform him that Mr. Li Enlai is concerned about his safety as he wants to avoid security cover; hence, we want to assign our local security to him without his knowledge. Also, tell him to get the details in complete secrecy. If Mr. Li Bao finds out he might object to it. I spoke to him yesterday and he had informed me that Mr. Li Bao is staying in a hotel with some newfound friends and is on the move. Tell him to tell Bao that it was needed for him to update Mr. Li Enlai about his whereabouts in case he calls Mr. Accardi."

"Fine, I'll do that."

"If he still insists, then let him know that there is a chance of a security breach and an unknown threat to Bao's life. Then he will surely get it for you."

As Mr. Yang got up to connect to Mr. Accardi, Mr. Chen browsed to the concerned footage. He picked up the pen and noted details on the notepad as he browsed through the footage."

Mr. Yang walked back after about fifteen minutes and said, "Mr. Accardi has been briefed about the need. He will get back to us with the details."

Mr. Chen, stood up, picked up the writing pad on which he had noted down important points, and said, "Gather the complete team in the conference room, Mr. Yang. I think we are in trouble this time."

Mr. Yang walked up to him, looked at him, and asked, "Is it serious?"

Mr. Chen placed his hands on his shoulder, clenched his teeth, and said, "It could be."

Mr. Yang turned around and said loudly, "Guys pick your notepads and gather into the conference room."

As the team gathered together, Mr. Chen pointed to the footage on the screen and said, "My observation of some of the footage shown on the screen clearly shows that the person had been trailing Mr. Li Bao and not Mr. Chang. We might have to stay back late today and sort this miss-out."

Mr. Chen handed over the sheets to the person seated first and said, "I have listed out the dates and names of persons who will study the footage. I want you to go through the footage for any links that could get us to the person trailing. This is also to confirm that the man was trailing Mr. Li Bao and not Mr. Chang."

A young man picked up his pen and said, "The car that was trailing was using a fake vehicle number. The face of the person was masked and hence not visible."

Mr. Yang stood up and added, "We found an abandoned car without a number plate later. It had been robbed and used for trailing."

Mr. Chen turned around and asked, "Did the owner lodge a complaint before we got to know this piece of information?"

"Yes, they had."

"Okay. Let's get going. We are going to go through the complete footage to clear our doubts. These footages also showed that Mr. Li was being photographed."

As they walked back to their seats, they soon got busy checking on the footage. A call on the security number distracted their intensive scrutiny.

Mr. Yang picked up the call and said, "Okay got it."

"Were you able to get the live location?

"Fine. Do you have my mobile number?"

"Send it on my number."

Mr. Yang kept the receiver of the phone back and said, "He has got the complete schedule of Bao as well as the live location map. He is sending it to my number."

A beep sounded on the mobile of Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang picked up the mobile checked the details and said, "I have received the same. I will forward it to you, Mr. Chen. Should we confirm with Mr. Li Enlai before forwarding it to the agency in Switzerland?"

Mr. Chen tilted his head toward Mr. Yang, closed his eyes, opened his eyes, and said, "Is Mr. Li Enlai in the office today."

"Yes, he is in the office."

"Call Ms. Xu and ask for an urgent appointment."

"I'll do that."

Mr. Yang sat down, dialed an extension, and asked, "Does Mr. Li have any urgent appointments today"

"No, not that I am aware of."

"We need an urgent meeting with him. It is an emergency. Could you schedule it for us now?"

"I'll check and return a call."

Mr. Chen turned to Mr. Yang and asked, "What did she say?"

"She'll return a call."

"Pick up the laptop with the footage and prepare to go."

Mr. Yang turned back and held his waist by his arms and said, "She has not confirmed yet."

"Mr. Li Enlai does not compromise on security at any cost."

As he completed the sentence the phone rang, Mr. Yang walked to the phone picked it up, and said, "What did he say, Ms. Xu.?"

"You can come up immediately."

"Fine, thank you."

As he disconnected the call and turned, Mr. Chen shook his head and said, "I told you, he does not compromise on security. Past incidents have taught him not to do so."

Mr. Yang looked down, took a deep breath, picked up his laptop, and said, "Let's go."

As they walked toward the elevator, Mr. Yang asked, "Why did you say that past experiences have taught him to take security seriously."

"This is not the right place to discuss the details."

The elevator slid open, both of them got in and pressed the twenty-second floor. As the escalator closed, Mr. Chen turned to Mr. Yang and said, "Did you carry your access card?"

"Yes, I did. I will not get an entry to the elevator of the twenty-third floor if I forget it and you will not permit me access in your card."

"That's true. Being in charge makes you responsible to follow the protocol yourself first. Isn't it? This is something that I have learned from my stint with the air force."

"You are right."

"About your earlier question. There have been some unsolved incidents in the family that have forced Mr. Li to keep away the limelight. My dad used to work with the Li since the time the security team was set up and hence, I am aware of the details."

The elevator reached the twenty-second floor, they walked out, swiped their card to an entrance that led to a passage that opened toward a cubicle elevator.

Mr. Yang pressed the twenty-third floor. The elevator came down and opened. As they walked in Mr. Chen said, "All these security measures are an outcome of those incidents."

The elevator opened to the twenty-third office of the Li Empire Estate. A receptionist was seated at the entrance.

Ms. Xu walked to them and said, "Good afternoon. He is waiting for you guys in the chairman's office. I hope you don't need my assistance. I was about to walk out for lunch."

Mr. Chen smiled and said, "You may proceed for lunch. We do not need your assistance."

Ms. Xu pressed the elevator for the twenty-second floor and turned around as she walked in and said, "Have a good day."

Mr. Yang nodded his head and said, "Same to you Ms. Xu."

As Mr. Yang and Mr. Chen turned right and walked into the passage, on the right side were two large cabins with the names "President Li Bao" and Vice President Chang Liqin." On the left side, there was a huge conference room with three cabins for the secretaries of chairman, president, and vice president. They walked straight to the end of the passage that opened to a large cabin of the chairman.

Mr. Li Enlai was seated on his executive chair cushioned in leather and working on some details of a business deal that Bao had left him in charge of.

"Good morning Mr. Li."

"Good morning Mr. Li."

He looked up, rested his back on the chair, and said, "Good morning to both of you. Is there something urgent Mr. Chen? Have a seat."

Mr. Yang and Mr. Chen pulled a chair and made themselves comfortable. Mr. Chen gestured to Mr. Yang who opened his laptop and browsed through the footage. Mr. Chen turned the laptop toward Mr. Li and said, "I think we need to provide security for Mr. Li Bao."

The mention of Bao made Mr. Li pull his chair forward, pull the laptop toward him, and as he browsed through the images he asked, "What makes you say that, Mr. Chen?"

Mr. Li rested his chin on his arms as he browsed through the images and asked, "Is he being trailed?"

Mr. Chen replied, "Though the car belongs to Mr. Chang, our calculations make us believe that the one who was trailed was Mr. Li Bao."

"Did you find out the culprit?"

"The car that used was robbed and had a fake number plate. Though prima facie it looked like some paparazzi interested in some photographs, the fake number plate, and the robbed car rings an alarm."

Mr. Li Enlai clenched his fist, raised his brow, and said, "Have you called the security agency in Cervinia."

"We have assigned the security team in Switzerland to provide him security without his knowledge. In one or two days, we will come to know if there is any danger lurking in the dark. Mr. Li Bao is not in Cervinia but is on the move with some friends in Switzerland. Mr. Yang earlier spoke to Mr. Accardi, and we have his complete schedule for the next twelve days along with his live location."

"Do you think one or two days might not harm him?"

"He will be provided cover. Be rest assured."

"Keep me updated daily. Did Bao inform you of any untoward incident? He somehow seems too busy on this trip. It is unlike him who posted a lot of photos to us and kept us updated on his tours. He sent a message to both me and his mother after reaching on the eleventh. He might call us today. If he does not, I will ring him up."

"Mr. Li Bao has till date not informed us of any incident of him being trailed."

"Don't you think it will be too early of him to notice him being trailed? He just reached yesterday evening and is scheduled for a tour from today. If he has made changes to his earlier plan and opted out of staying at Cervinia, then the chance of him being trailed today is less unless they have trailed him from the airport."

"Did you share the schedule and live location. With the Swiss team?"

"I thought we should discuss it with you before sending the same."

"Share it to the Swiss team and inform them not to share it with any unknown person. I do not want you both to share the schedule and live location with anyone else other than the both of you. Send it to me too."

"We'll do that."

"If there is the slightest inch of doubt over his security, we'll call him back to Shanghai. What about Liqin and Jia?"

"We had provided them cover over the past five days, but it has come out clean."

"Don't remove the cover till they return. It must be around eight in the morning in Zermatt. Send it to the security team before Bao leaves for the day. He is an early riser. Must have been up at five am to begin the day. If he had been trailed, he would have intimated us as he is smart enough to notice the slightest movements around him."

"They are scheduled to take the Glacier Express."

"In that case, you should provide the schedule immediately. How will they book the tickets for the Glacier express at the last moment? Can I see the schedule?"

Mr. Yang opened his mobile and forwarded the live location and schedule to Mr. Li Enlai."

Mr. Li Enlai opened his mobile and checked and said, "Ask them to reach Bugenstock resort directly if they don't receive tickets for the Glacier express at the last moment. Don't delay it anymore. Send it across immediately."

Mr. Yang opened his mobile and forward the live location and schedule to a contact from his phone and said, "It's done, sir."

"I'll be in office till the time both of them return, so if you have any need you call me and walk in. Even if I am in a meeting if it's urgent, I'll meet up with you. What's the use of earning so much if you can't secure the life of your children?"

"You are right sir. We'll get back to work."

"Have a great day Mr. Li."

"Same to both of you."

As Mr. Chen and Mr. Yang walked out, Mr. Li picked up his phone and dialed a number, and said, "Did you receive the location and schedule?"

"Yes."

"Ensure that there is no lapse in providing him cover and keep me updated every day."

5:55 PM Security Cell, Li Empire Estate, Shanghai.

Mr. Chen walked up to Mr. Yang and said, "Did they update you from Cervinia.?"

"They'll do so by evening. They have reached the resort."

"Beep"

Mr. Chen picked up his phone from his pocket and checked the message. He crinkled his nose, and with a creased brow said, "Mr. Li is quite smart."

"What makes you say that?"

He showed Mr. Yang the message and said, "Look."

The message read, "Did you guys send people to cover me up?"

Mr. Chen picked up a chair and sat beside Mr. Yang and typed, "No. Is there a problem?"

Mr. Chen rested his chin on his hand and waited for the reply. The phone beeped with the next message that read, "Have me covered only with my knowledge?"

Mr. Chen typed back, "Sure. Let us know if there is a concern. Why did you ask so?"

The phone beeped again, "I feel that the security personnel are trailing me."

Mr. Chen stroked the nape of his neck, pondered for a while, and typed, "Are you sure it is the security. That could be dangerous."

The phone beeped again, "Is it necessary? They don't seem dangerous."

Mr. Chen crossed his arms, thought for a while, and replied, "You never know. We are assigning private security to track you. That will be better. Send us your location."

Mr. Yang smiled as he waited for the reply. The phone beeped with the message, "Didn't you receive it from Mr. Accardi? Ensure that I am not disturbed. I have friends in my company."

Mr. Chen crossed his legs, put his arms out with his palms forward, and shook his head. He picked the phone and messaged back, "Sure. Have a great time."

Mr. Yang turned to Mr. Chen wide-eyed and asked, "Did he guess our plans out?"

Mr. Chen turned to Mr. Yang and said, "He is the son of Li Enlai. That was bound to happen. Call the security team in Switzerland and inform them to provide security under cover in plain clothes as tourists. This way, they can keep a watch on him as well as keep a check on people around him."

"I'll do that."

"I think it's better to let him be informed about the same. That way we will have his support in this mission."