Their gazes met in midair.
The man smiled faintly, said something to the people beside him, then walked toward Li Yun with a wineglass in hand.
The fat man was still talking nonstop when he suddenly noticed that the person in front of him was no longer paying attention. He paused, then turned to follow Li Yun's gaze.
"And this is-"
"Something seems to have come up. My apologies, gentlemen. We'll discuss the rest another time." Li Yun set down his wineglass as well.
No further explanation was needed. Both men were shrewd enough to take the hint from his reaction, and tactfully excused themselves.
By then, the newcomer had reached him.
He was around forty, tall and broad, with a completely exposed bald head that deliberately showed off his wide forehead. It certainly looked full and prominent.
On closer inspection, however, his features were deeply defined, and his mismatched eyes carried an uncomfortable gravity when he stared at someone-or perhaps strangeness was the better word.
"Mr. Li."
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged bald man who had approached him spoke Chinese. He had an accent, but his speech was just about
fluent. "It's an honor to meet you. My name is Michael Wood. I'm a member of this delegation, currently working at the American consulate in Iraq."
He offered his hand first.
Li Yun still did not reach out. Instead, he raised a finger and wagged it, his cold attitude a stark contrast to the other man's. "Spare me the pleasantries, sir. You should know that nobody likes shaking hands with a corpse."
The man paused again. Even the tattoos around his neck seemed to squirm slightly, as though alive.
But he did not seem particularly surprised.
Amid the glittering banquet, the bald man merely gave the guest before him a searching