《Another Road》 The Digger ¡°Don''t expect anything from Matthew Danhill,¡± a voice warned. Looking out the train window, Audrey sighed and brushed some hair out of her face. Matthew Danhill, a particularly strange and dangerous businessman in Munich, known for his strange strategies and daring moves. Audrey had spent all summer vacation reading upon the man she''d be dealing with, only to be warned that he couldn''t be easily dealt with. ¡°Genuinely, Audrey,¡± her companion, Artemis continued, ¡°I wouldn''t have let you go under such circumstances. Danhill is extremely unpredictable-I wouldn''t go myself, not that you invited me along.¡± ¡°Please, Artemis. I know what I can do,¡± Audrey said as she flipped through Danhill''s autobiography. It was always boring stuff about his achievements, honorary titles and gold, silver and bronze medals. Danhill is, like Audrey, a teenage genius in business. However, he is far more dangerous than any teenager genius on the world. ¡°You''ll see soon enough, Aud,¡± Artemis said, glancing at Audrey with a doubtful look, ¡°Danhill would be far more dangerous than you think.¡± * * * ¡°Alright,¡± Audrey whispered to Artemis, ¡°I''ve got this.¡± Artemis looked even more doubtfully at the teenager dressed in a two-piece suit sitting on a chair, his fingers drumming on the table. ¡°You haven''t prepared enough.¡± ¡°I have prepared, Artemis, have faith.¡± ¡°By reading.¡± ¡°Really, Artemis, are you going to let go or not? We look like two idiots peeking at a teenager through a crack between two walls!¡± ¡°He looks like an idiot too, wearing a two-piece suit as a teenager,¡± Artemis pointed out. That seemed pretty fair to Audrey, but there was no time for discussing. Audrey pulled Artemis away from the crack, and they walked toward Danhill. Matthew Danhill smiled in a creepy way as they approached him. Artemis and Audrey both sat down as Audrey secretly studied him. Danhill had a pale face, with brown hair and blue-black eyes shining intelligently and dangerously. Looking at the Irish teenager made Audrey swallow, but she tried to put on her best business smile. ¡°To business, miss Warrace,¡± Danhill said, ¡°You said that you have developed a new ion technology. Where is it? I heard that it could be ahead of the current technology at least fifty years.¡±Stolen novel; please report. Audrey sighed. Danhill makes it look like all-important-business-time. Seriously, the technology is a technology, with no shape, no sound, no smell and no taste. ¡°It is on my computer,¡± she corrected sarcastically, ¡°it contains me and my friend here, Artemis''s own intelligence. It is not a thing to taste, to smell, or to feel.¡± Danhill raised an eyebrow. ¡°Certainly, miss Warrace. I must clarify I did not require your explanation of the technology I have required. Furthermore, I believe we should collaborate, not throwing threats to each other.¡± Audrey looked at Artemis beside her. She looked at Danhill, dumbstruck. Audrey swallowed. ¡°Of course, mister Danhill.¡± Audrey pulled out my computer and typed in a variety of codes, bringing up the AI technology system she named as the Digitout system. ¡°Good. Let''s talk about it then.¡± Danhill said, ¡°How do I call it?¡± ¡°Hello, Digger.¡± Audrey sighed. ¡°Hello, Digger. Um-bring up the history about Ching Ling Foo, a well known Chinese magician in America in the 20th century.¡± Danhill obviously had research about the person before. ¡°Ching Ling Foo,¡± Digger started in a mechanical voice, ¡°also known as Zhu Liankui, was a renowned Chinese magician and performer who gained international fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in the mid-19th century in China, Ching Ling Foo became one of the first Chinese magicians to achieve global recognition. He was celebrated for his traditional Chinese magic acts, which included feats such as producing bowls of water from nowhere, swallowing swords, and performing the famous "Rice Bowl Trick." Ching Ling Foo''s career took a significant turn when he began performing in the United States and Europe, where he was often billed as "Ching Ling Foo." His performances were a blend of traditional Chinese magic and theatrical flair, which captivated Western audiences and helped bridge cultural gaps during a time of limited interaction between East and West. Despite facing competition from other magicians, including the famous American magician William Ellsworth Robinson (who imitated him as "Chung Ling Soo"), Ching Ling Foo maintained his reputation as a master of his craft. His legacy lies in his pioneering role in bringing Chinese magic to the global stage, inspiring future generations of magicians and performers. Ching Ling Foo''s life and career remain a testament to the power of cultural exchange and the universal appeal of magic.¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Danhill applauded, ¡°even more detailed than my background information! You passed my test, Digger. What''s the price?¡± He asked Audrey with eager eyes, like preparing to carry the computer home. Audrey rolled her eyes. ¡°As I said, mister Danhill, it has no price. It is a form of technology, with no shape, no smell, no sound. It can answer our questions at all need, but no, it can not be sold. The only thing that can be sold is its code, which I am also eager to sell you, but no. The code I used on the Digitout system is an eternity code, which I expect you and your team to spend eternity to crack the code. No, mister, it is not for selling. The only thing I can sell you is this,¡± she pointed at a flash disk, ¡°it contains the cloned version of the Digger, and I shall expect some tons of gold coming to my manor the next day if you want it.¡± Danhill swallowed. He considered the problem. ¡°Deal,¡± he decided. Audrey smiled victoriously at Artemis. ¡°Let''s go,¡± she said. Safe or Not? Artemis woke to the chirping of birds the next day. She sat up and dressed up. With auburn hair and deep brown eyes, Artemis could be a famous teenage girl actor if she liked. She had a cool personality and could get along with anyone, although that wasn''t really what her parents wanted her to be. Artemis, the Greek goddess of archery, was known for her diligence and soberness. Artemis'' parents obviously wanted her to become a strong female like Artemis the goddess. But Artemis was kind and fragile, her heart not like diamonds, but rather like glass, fragile and breakable. ¡°Artemis?¡± Audrey''s voice sounded in Artemis'' phone, ¡°there''s something important. Meet me at the coffee shop next door. Be quick.¡± Artemis sighed. Little old Aud, always taking up a meeting to discuss Americanos and oolong tea. But Audrey''s voice made it sound like something big is happening. Something bad. Artemis draped in a black coat and carried a handbag, running towards the shop. * * * ¡°Aud,¡± Artemis said while sitting in a coffee shop towards Audrey, ¡°what''s wrong again? The last time you called me was to discuss if ¡®Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire¡¯ is better than ¡®Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban¡¯.¡± ¡°Forget that, Artemis. That was when I still wasn''t fully recovered from a fright in the incident in Sweden!¡± The Asian girl argued. ¡°Are we going to talk or not?¡± A voice sounded behind Artemis. She looked back and saw Matthew Danhill standing behind them, holding the flash disk Audrey had given to him. Embarrassed, Artemis sat beside Audrey as she flushed. ¡°What are you doing here, Danhill?¡± Artemis scolded, ¡°don''t you live in Ireland?¡± ¡°I invited our good friend Matthew here, Artemis. Be polite. So, mister Danhill. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Danhill snarled, ¡°you need a favor, right? Your Digger is missing-" ¡°What?¡± Artemis paled. ¡°Artemis!¡± Audrey scolded. ¡°Your Digger is missing. But I need a favor too, Warrace. This-" he held up the flash disk, ¡°is a fake. How about you first solve my problem? Then I can help to solve yours.¡± Danhill''s face showed a mixture of bitterness and frustration. ¡°Impossible!¡± Artemis shouted, causing people around them to look at her, ¡°we ran a variety of tests on the cloned version! If it is a fake, we would have known. I would have known. Unless-somebody wanted to replace it, causing damage on our relationship!¡± Artemis paled, ¡°tell me you didn''t put that in public!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.¡°I did,¡± Danhill said, ¡°I put it on a restaurant table and looked the other way.¡± ¡°You see? Problem solved!¡± ¡°Not exactly problem solved, miss Sue. First, the real one isn''t back in my hands yet. Second, who would want to cause damage on our relationship? I thought our relationship was rocky enough!¡± ¡°I had the same question,¡± Audrey said, resting her temples on her fingertips. ¡°I have another question,¡± Artemis scowled, ¡°perhaps the Digger missing and the cloned version being stolen has some relationship to each other?¡± Audrey looked at Danhill. ¡°You''re right,¡± she said, ¡°we''re going to find out.¡± * * * Artemis groaned as she sat on the airplane to Dublin. ¡°I hate heights.¡± ¡°Concentrate, Artemis. Mister Danhill, please reload the camera feed last day evening. Let¡¯s see if there''s any pieces of evidence left.¡± Matthew Danhill reloaded the camera feed. In the replay, Danhill put the flash disk on the table in the restaurant after looking at it closely, and-cut! The flash disk disappeared and a shadow appeared on the restaurant floor. Then the shadow moved towards the kitchen and disappeared after moving a meter. ¡°Looks like someone wiped the person''s pattern from the camera feed. But didn''t wipe it entirely,¡± Danhill concluded ¡°Exactly. According to the direction the shadow went and the face, it must be heading towards the kitchen, or at least somewhere near it,¡± Artemis said. ¡°Whoa, wait a minute. If the person even thought to wipe their pattern from the camera feed, it proves they must be smart. So, what if the shadow is just a misdirection? What if the person knows we can see the shadow? Can we know for sure that the person is heading towards the kitchen?¡± Audrey pointed out. ¡°We don''t,¡± Artemis and Danhill said together. ¡°So, now everyone in the restaurant is suspects,¡± Audrey shuddered, ¡°and that restaurant was really popular that day, and that mean we have a total of 103 suspects, including mister Danhill.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Danhill protested, ¡°are you going to help or not?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Artemis mediated, ¡°that mean we have 102 suspects. Don''t make a face, Danhill. Come. Let¡¯s go through every one of them.¡±