The Provincial Chief Inspector got out of the jeep. Zhou thought the military boots and trousers an odd outfit for a Provincial Chief Inspector, but the ways of these higher officials were nothing if not mysterious. Another man got out as well, a man not quite Chinese and not quite European, what Zhou’s mother would have called a mongrel. He wore a blue suit with thin-soled office shoes.
They walked over to Zhou, a woman with a clipboard trailing behind. The suited man pulled himself erect and said in an officious tone, “Chief Inspector, may I present Third Foreman Zhou Xiang, in charge of this sector.”
Zhou was stunned. He thought he might have seen the mongrel man before, perhaps at one of the interminable all-hands meetings held once a quarter, but the fact the man knew his name and position was deeply disquieting, especially with the Chief Inspector’s unannounced visit.
Uh, this doesn’t bode well. Love how the tension ratchets up, up, and away, based on Zhou’s observations.
Dear Josh
A bit of mystery here. I agree with Karen. Good build of tension.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Excellent build-up of tension to the cliff-hanger. I suspect Zhou is the fall guy and he knows it.
Uh oh….now I’m wondering what happens next
Could be a positive recognition or a frightening conclusion. A brilliant build up for the unraveling climax.
Thanks, John. It could go a lot of different directions. That’s what’s so fun about these short prompts.
A powerful piece, Josh.
Thanks
What happens next?
Ghost Town
Hmmm… Something smells fishy.