Zhongnanhai, dubbed “the White House of China”, was unusually hectic today.

From early in the morning, its personnel had been barely keeping their head above water. With floors to sweep, rooms to furnish, and lines of important guests to salute to, for many of the workers here, they were having the busiest day of their life.

Outside of the “Gate of New China”, the Xinhua Gate, curious onlookers formed rows and columns, flooding the nearby streets. The flag-raising ceremony had been long over, but they still stayed, despite security guards squeezing them into blocks tighter than Kowloon City to make way for state cars. They were long sedans with a red flag badge on the front fender. The people’s eyes were drawn in by their luxuriousness. They mumbled and chattered. The atmosphere was lively.

“Hey, do you know what’s going on? Why are all the big shots coming over?”

“I have no idea. There was a crowd, so I brought my family to join the fun. Maybe some kind of state meeting? But they did not announce anything on the news.”

“Can confirm that. The next Politburo’s meeting is still many days away. What the hell are they doing here?”

“Shhh, don’t tell anyone, ok? My brother is in the military, so he gave me some little tidbits. Apparently, they are going to discuss something about an island.”

“Oh, islands again? And I thought we were getting something new. This time is it with the puny Japs or the Filipinos? Or maybe the Malay and Indos from down there?”

“I don’t know. He only told me that much, the rest is top secret, he said. He doesn’t have access either.”

“Ehhh, and I thought your bro is some military bigshot, but he turned out to be just another foot soldier. Boring~”

“Hey, my brother is an artillery colonel. And just FYI, if you don’t shut your damn mouth and keep talking shit about him, I won’t hesitate to call him over and shred your buttocks into little pieces, you hear me!?”

“Oi oi, scary~”

Despite being squeezed into a tight formation, the onlookers showed no disdain. The scorching heat and air filled with sweaty odor did nothing to faze them, as they kept their attention affixed to the row of cars. Some parents lifted their children up and seated them on their shoulders. The tiny hands then clumsily waved similar-sized red star flags, while the rest of their family braced themselves for the imminent moment.

A limousine, Hongqi L5 type, parked at the very top of the column. Its sleek, black door was pushed open. A man, old and wrinkled, stepped out of its frame and onto the street. The crow erupted in cheer. A team of Caucasian-looking people in a sea of Chinesemen, as if waiting for this exact moment, rushed to the front and laid down their equipment. They were dressed in blue uniforms with the line “SCB News” stitched above their chest pocket. A blonde woman, holding a mic in her hand, stood against the crowd, while the rest pointed their camera toward her. They patiently waited for something, maybe a signal.

“... and we are going to ask our correspondent in Beijing, Lydia. Good morning, Lydia. How are things going outside the Xinhua gate?”

Seeing a nod from the cameraman, the woman held the mic close to her mouth.

“Thank you, Charlotte. Since morning, there is a crowd gathering just outside the Gate of New China, preface to the most powerful political entity in Chinese society. They were all patiently waiting for Chairman Ma, who just stepped out of his personal limousine and made his appearance.”

The team adjusted their camera toward the old chubby man, who had grey hair on his head and was waving to the crowd, his expression warm and gentle. His face wrinkled up as he smiled toward them. The crowd continued their cheering.

“As we could see, enthusiasm of the Chinese people towards ‘the father of modern China’ has not gone cold. Often credited as the one who modernized China from a third-world backwater to a sprawling economic giant, his social policy received massive support from all layers of Chinese society. At the ripe age of 85, he is still going strong, much to the delight of his fellow Chinesemen.”

The camera refocused. The blonde woman continued speaking.

“Following him, we have who political scientists considered to be Chairman Ma’s right-hand man, Vice-Chairman Bai. Right next to him is his son, Bai Liu, president of North China Industry Group and a potential addition to the Standing Committee, quoted experts.”

Two men followed, both dressed in Western suits and shiny, polished shoes. The older one was in his fifties, while the younger barely reached thirty. He cut a dashing figure on the camera. His hair was a sleek black hue, loosely embracing his obsidian eyes and delicate, but ice-cold features. Onlookers’ eyes were glued to him, especially the female demographic. A fine young man is always a treat to the eyes, especially compared to the grumpy and bald old men that followed.

“It has been years since the last time China’s Politburo met on an unplanned date.  The full Politburo meets once a month, while the standing committee meets weekly. However, today is neither the date for both, and yet it appeared that all the members were summoned to Chang'an Avenue, where we are standing now. It led us to the question, why? The purpose of this meeting was not disclosed to the general public, but whatever is going to be discussed under the Huairen Hall, or the Hall of Cherished Compassion could be of paramount importance to China, and maybe the world. Reporting live from Beijing, I’m Lydia Thompson, SCB News.”

 

 

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The building once served as the personal workplace of Dowager Empress Cixi, de facto ruler of China now crammed with people as they filled the hall. From the days of the Qing Monarchy, through the Boxer Rebellion, the Eight-Nation Alliance and the founding of the People's Republic of China, the two-story hall had changed hands many times. It watched China’s fall and rise, on its floor etched footsteps of generations that walked China, from a colonized and dominated race to a magnificent phoenix rising from the ashes.

“I see that everyone is present. Why don’t we begin the meeting?”

Chairman Ma let out a guffaw, complete making himself at home. He and the other eight Standing Committee members were seated on an elevated platform, in opposite direction to the other Party Members. Vice-Chairman Bai sat next to him. The various state-owned corporation leaders and military generals from the Central Military Commission, as well as other provincial-ministerial level officials filled up the two-story hall. They quieted down as they listened to Chairman Ma’s speech.

“Good morning, comrades. As you know, today is not the day we would meet, however, the agenda of this meeting is going to be as important as any other. But first, since we are already here, I would like to spend a few moments to appreciate the brilliant work of our officials during recent events.”

Chairman Ma's booming voice echoed throughout the hall.

“Firstly, concerning the recent plague outbreaks, I would like to give credits to the National Health Commission and our comrades’s most splendid work there. Had it not been for your tireless effort, our Chinese people would most likely have to suffer.”

The hall was filled with applause. The Minister-in-Charge of the Commission stood up and bowed, before returning to his seat.

“Second, regarding our conflict in the mountains, I would like to give my utmost appreciation to comrade Bai Liu. Your company’s splendid cooperation with our General Staff has led us to stunning victories, earning pride and glory to the Chinese people. Our People's Republic of China and I, personally, owed you, comrade Bai.”

Following his predecessor, the ravishing young man stood up and bowed to the party members. They showered him with applause. Chairman Ma waited for the rounds of handclaps to die down, then continued to speak, his tone took a change.

“However, while things are generally going well, the Central Military Commission, in particular the Navy has perceived a potential problem arising in the East China Sea. This particular problem has come to grab my attention, and if we let it sit there, the consequences might haunt us later. Admiral Shen, please show us your discovery.”

"Understood, Chairman Ma."

The sea-hardened admiral stepped onto the platform. After some tinkering, he got the projector in the hall up and running. What was then shown to the Party Members was an innocuous map, minus a small dot of red.

The Politburo members whispered among themselves. Chairman Ma, who was still watching everything from his seat, nodded to Admiral Shen.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Shen Zhihua, Commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy. Two days ago, a J-15 fighter pilot from our aircraft carrier Shandong went missing. Further communication could not be established, indicating that the plane’s system was either damaged, or the jet itself was destroyed entirely. We tried many back-up methods, including contact with the pilot’s personal devices, but there was no result, which led us to believe the latter is the more probable explanation."

“Within that line of thinking, there are two follow-ups, one, the pilot was careless with his duty and got into a terrible accident. The second explanation is that he was shot down by external forces.”

The hall grew noisy.

“Now, before we came into any premature conclusion, we had the footage of the last moments before his jet went missing. I, myself, was present at that time, and while some portion of it was, to say it mildly, inconceivable, we had no evidence that it was faked. Everything you’re going to watch is real, unedited footage.”

The projector screen lit up. The lights in the hall dimmed down. Party members were greeted by the scene of ocean ripples. They stretched and formed an unbroken chain of blue hue, accompanied by the occasional comments from the pilot. It was not very interesting to watch, and the same footage dragged on for five minutes.

Then, the landscape changed.

Towns and buildings, villages and roads, everything that was indicative of human activities were shown on the screen, not in a modern and effective manner, but not completely oblivious to the eyes of its audience either. Roads were cobblestone with dirt squashed together, and houses were tiny. Toning down their standards a bit, and the party members could attribute it to a footage of rural Europe.

“As you could see, these are clearly manmade structures. Satellite images gave us the same results. It was real, there is an unknown landmass to the east of Zhejiang, right on the border of our Exclusive Economic Zone with Japan. Its size is currently debated, but our experts estimate this new landmass to be around 30000 km², roughly twice the size of Beijing. This was also the last time we heard from our pilot. There was no further signal from this point.”

The hall was filled with audible gasps. Some members couldn’t contain themselves, one of them, a man in glasses, stood up in visible anger.

“Is this a joke? This is the Politburo, for God’s sake! We won’t be called here to entertain childish delusions, completely detached from reality!”

The hall grew noisy. Several shared his sentiment, and was giving the Standing Committee members disapproving looks.

“Quiet!”

A booming voice thundered across the room. The party members who were voicing their dissent got immediately shushed. They unanimously turned their gazes at Chairman Ma, whose old age did nothing to diminish his authority. They felt pressured.

He toured around the party members. After a short pause, he said calmly.

“This Huairentang was the place when our revolutionary forefathers hosted their first meeting after the civil war. It’s not an exaggeration to say, this two-story hall is where the first brick of our nation was laid. You really think,” he glared at the outspoken man, “I would lie to my fellow countrymen under this very roof? Under the watchful gaze of our forefathers?”

The man stood awkwardly. Further condescending words were left hanging at the tip of his tongue.

“That’s not what I mean, Chairman Ma, it’s just … this whole ordeal is too hard to believe. Any sane man would, based on his logic and common sense, come to doubt such fantastical thoughts.”

Chairman Ma replied.

“And as much as I don’t want to believe myself, Admiral Shen has enough proof to convince the most skeptical of men. There IS a never-to-be discovered island, big enough to cause an international crisis, and it sits right on our EEZ with Japan. Do you understand the situation now?”

The hall was filled with incessant chatter.

“That being said, the Politburo meeting today is not to entertain a defeatist attitude. We need a solution for this, and I would be more than happy to hear a sensible one. Please speak your mind, comrades.”

The Party Members exchanged glances with each other. Traces of disbelief still haunted their faces. They nervously averted their gaze from Chairman Ma and discussed under the table.

A hand raised amidst the crowd. It was from the top row, among the state-owned corporation presidents.

“Ah, yes, comrade Bai Liu. Please state your opinion. I have much to expect from yours, as always.”

Chairman Ma let out a guffaw and sipped his tea, eagerly awaiting the young man’s thought.

Bai Liu nodded and then stood up, adjusting his collar. He toured through the Party Members and then the Standing Committee, before starting his speech.

“Good morning everyone, I’m Bai Liu, president of the North China Industry Group. This is the first time I hear of this incident, and while I was initially hesitant to believe in its authenticity, I realize it was Chairman Ma who introduced us to this news. I have my confidence in our comrade, and I trust that Chairman Ma would never soil our Huairentang with untrue facts. That being said,” he paused, “I believe we should act quickly, before the Japanese or the American dips their hand on this new island.”

“And what course of action do you suggest we take, comrade Bai Liu?”

“Yes, Chairman Ma. From the pilot’s footage, I believe this newfound island has human activities, and traces of social structure, albeit not very advanced. I suggest we sent a diplomatic corps to this island first. This corps, in my opinion, should be accompanied by combat vessels from the People's Liberation Army Navy lest there be unwanted hostility and also, doubled as a show of force. They will also be tasked with retrieving our plane with its pilot.”

“Excellent answer, comrade Bai Liu. And I believe you will be the one who leads this corps?”

Chairman Ma sipped his tea, while a flash of surprise crossed Bai Liu’s face. He turned his gaze to the one sitting next to the Chairman, who retained a stone-cold face. Bai Liu lowered his head.

“I would be honored, Chairman Ma.”