Geniuses behind the Great Wall
Chung Chun, Ronald Man, Group 3: Fiction, Po Leung Kuk Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College
ow. The Great Wall is immense,’ Thomas exclaimed. I was attending an exchange
programme in Beijing, and Thomas was my roommate. We were having a tour around the
city and doing some sightseeing. ‘No wonder why it is hailed as one of the most significant
structures in the globe.’ I said. We were both walking along the Great Wall while admiring
the scenery as well as the oriental architecture. ‘Do you know who built the Great Wall?’
Thomas popped the question. ‘For sure I know. It was built by Emperor Qing ages ago.’ I smiled. ‘Well, I just
can’t believe the construction was so arduous. Obviously, countless people were forsaken at that time.’ Thomas
grew serious.
We were chatting when I suddenly saw an object on the floor. Picking it up, I held it in front of my eyes
for a closer look. It was a cross-shaped object. ‘This looks like my key ring.’ I commented as I showed it to
Thomas. Neither did he know what it was. ‘Just leave it.’ I slipped it into my pocket.
Later that night, Thomas went shopping at a night market in the vicinity. I felt a bit fatigue after a whole
day sightseeing and touring around the city, so I returned to the hostel to take a rest instead of accompanying
him. I intended to go to sleep when I felt the cross-shaped object in my pocket. I took it out and examined it
carefully. It was made of a material that I hadn’t seen before, and there were some odd words carved on it. It
reminded me of my key ring. It seemed ordinary, but something told me it was not. I was examining the item
when I suddenly heard knocking at my room door. I sighed as I thought it was my absent-minded roommate
who returned to get his room key.
Soon after I opened the door, two powerful arms stretched in and clasped my throat. I was coughing as the
stranger lifted me up with his strong arms. I struggled vigorously to escape his grip, but my effort was totally in
vain. The stranger in black then spoke to me in a dangerous tone, ‘Give it back to me.’ Having been released a
bit, I managed to stutter, ‘Wh..wh..wht…at thing?’ I acted innocent, though I immediately recognized what he
was talking about. Somehow, this guy managed to find out that I took the ‘key ring’ and even tracked me down.
‘
Don’t toy with me,’ the stranger looked straight into my eyes.
Notwithstanding his intimidating threat, I didn’t knuckle. I prayed in my heart as I handed my own key
ring to the stranger. ‘Is thi…is wha…at you wan…ant, sir?’ I muttered. Perhaps my acting was splendid, the
stranger didn’t realize I was lying. He snatched the key ring with a sneer and finally released his grip. Turning
away from me, he suddenly halted. ‘Just forget all about this, or…’ He gave me a last warning and left without
finishing the line.
The stranger probably thought that violence could stop me from entangling the case, but he was totally
wrong. As soon as I recovered from the shock, I raced down the stairs and traced him from behind. I tried my
best not to be discovered. The stranger walked past several blocks and turned into an alley.
The stranger eventually arrived at his destination, which was in fact a deserted and dilapidated factory. I
crept stealthily around the building for a few times and finally found a window which was easy for me to break
in. A deafening loud shout from a room soon revealed his exact location. ‘That stupid kid had fooled me! How
dare him! I am going to…’ ‘Calm down, Osama,’ another voice was heard. I was stunned because of the
familiar name, Osama. Should I not be mistaken, Osama stood for Osama bin Laden, the leader of a powerful
organization that was believed to bare the blunt for countless terrorist attacks. I was astounded. Wasn’t Laden
killed in a raid by several American soldiers? My mind was in a total mess and I let out a sound gasp.
Soon after the noise slipped off my tongue, the two men dashed out of the room promptly. One of them
stayed back while the other, who was supposed to be Laden, pinned me down on the floor. ‘Osama, please do
not hurt him.’ Laden turned his head around and shouted back, ‘But this is the guy who took our key!’ ‘Just
release him’ ‘But he…’ ‘No “but”, just listen to me.’ Sighing, Laden let go of me and stood up. I could not
understand why Laden obeyed the command of the man.
Then, I turned to the man behind. Just one look at the man told me that he was an extraordinary person.
He dressed in a white robe and seemed quite amiable. Somehow he looked familiar. Then, I recalled and
couldn’t believe my eyes! He was Albert Einstein, the noted scientist in the 20th century! I was puzzled by the
alliance between this superb scientist and the crazy terrorist.
Being too astounded, I exclaimed, ‘Weren’t you two dead?’ Both of them gazed at me as if I was crazy,
and then burst into laughter. ‘Well, now that you have made a guess, perhaps you should really learn more,’
Einstein winked at me. Hearing this, Laden protested, ‘But our secret mustn’t be…’ ‘It’s okay. I’m beginning to
appreciate his curiosity. Besides, we need the key to enter the chamber. Now, shall we move to a more suitable
‘
W