The robbery had been my doing. The muscular man who’d attacked us was none other than Gao. At first, when I’d asked him to do it, he’d adamantly refused. Not that he was breaking his promise to do anything for me but because he couldn’t bear to see me threatened, even though it would be fake. However, after a little flirting, he had agreed. Of course he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, so I deliberately hit my forearm against his knife to draw blood. In the Thirty-Six Stratagems, this is called kurouji, literally “painful flesh strategy.” You intentionally injure yourself to get the trust of your enemy. Now not only had I gained Shadow’s trust, I had also discovered her weaknesses—greed and fear. She’d left with my jade ring on her pinky. She’d peed in her dress. However, if I were in the same situation, would I stay as calm as the Buddha? I believed so. Because I was a spy. During my vigorous training, my boss had always quoted the Chinese saying: Even when Mount Tai is collapsing in front of you, your expression will be unchanged.
