Amy continues the story of her father, recalling that he was arrested for supposedly joining the secret service of the opposing government. He was scheduled to be executed. Amy explains that, to do business in Shanghai prior to the communist takeover, you had to pay protection money to gangsters. The ceremony involved buying dinner for the gang leaders and committing yourself to them as “brothers”. The gang boss introduced Amy’s father to someone more important since he was doing business in multiple parts of the country. The more important person happened to be the head of the Kuomintang secret service. The leader didn’t want political assistance, he just wanted money.
Amy explains that the secret service agent had originally been part of the communist party, before defecting to the Kuomintang. He then decided he wanted to defect back to the CCP. Amy’s father was sent by the CCP to determine if he actually wanted to defect. If he had not defected, Amy’s father would have been executed by the CCP. Amy had just been born at the time. Amy’s father did not know if he would see his family again.
The first time Amy’s father attempted to contact the secret service leader, he found the mans girlfriend and asked where he lived. She didn’t know the location of his home, but knew that his wife had breakfast at the same location every week. Amy’s father acted as though he was delivering money to the secret service leaders wife, but then questioned her and found out where the secret service leader lived. Amy’s father returned to the CCP and reported what he had found out. They did not kill him. However, Amy’s father was completely controlled by the CCP from that point on. He eventually had his business confiscated.
