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Properly awed by the scope and splendor of the rebuilt teed around the swi pools or worked in the library, which was staffed with highly professional secretaries and specially equipped with the latest publications, coovernment officials so they could remain in convenient contact with their various offices

Dinners were always forathered in an iarden aterfalls, reflection ponds filled with vividly colored carp and a light perfu Women, to protect their hairstyles, sat under artistically dyed silk ureat hall of the te roos and aruests, gold-plated utensils for those used to Western tastes Instead of the traditional long rectangular table with the host seated at its head, Qin Shang preferred a huge circular table with the guests comfortably spaced around the outer circumference A narrow aisle was cut in one section of the table so gorgeous, svelte Chinese woh slits in the skirts could serve a multitude of national dishes conveniently fro's creative mind, this was farover a guest's shoulder

After everyone was seated, Qin Shang h the floor He usually wore the expensive silk robes of a mandarin lord and sat on an ancient throne elevated two inches above the chairs of his guests Irrespective of status or nationality, Qin Shang acted as if every meal was a ceremonial occasion and he was the emperor

Not surprisingly, ranking guests loved every ed dinner that was actuallyled them to a lavish theater where they were shown the latest feature films flown in from around the world They sat in soft, velvet chairs and wore earphones that translated the dialogue into their native language By the end of the prograht buffet was laid out, and the guestswould disappear into a private sitting roootiate business deals

This evening Qin Shang requested the presence of Zhu Kwan, the seventy-year-old scholar as China'sface and small, heavily lidded brown eyes He was invited to sit in a thickly cushioned wooden chair carved with lions and offered a s-dynasty china cup of peach brandy

Qin Shang s, Zhu Kwan"

"I araciously "It is a great honor to be a guest in your nificent home"

"You are our country's greatest authority on ancient Chinese history and culture I requested your presence because I wanted to meet you and discuss a possible venture between us"

"I must assume you want me to do research"

Qin Shang nodded "I do"

"How can I be of service?"

"Have you taken a close look at some of my treasures?"

"Yes indeed," answered Zhu Kwan "It is a rare treat for a historian to study our country's greatest artworks firsthand I had no idea so ht nificent bronze incense burners inlaid with gold and gem-stones from the Chou dynasty, the bronze chariot with life-size driver and four horses from the Han dynasty-"

"Fakes, replicas!" Qin Shang snapped in a sudden display of torment "What you consider raphs of the originals"

Zhu Kas astonished and disillusioned at the same time "They look so perfect, I was completely fooled"