Recap: Penny surrendered to the Chinese authority for the prisoner swap. During the arrest, she tried to persuade Sunny to defect and escape with her before the swap.
Chapter 17: The Absent Father
“Good acting. I trained you right,” says Col. Tao to Sunny in her office.
“I’m not sure she bought it. She probably knew I was wearing a wire. And even if she doesn’t, I doubt she’ll spill anything to me.”
“Do you think she was serious about giving you a life in the US?”
“I have no idea.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“What?”
“You know very well she’s serious. She’s crazy about you.”
“I don’t know that! Maybe she just wants to save her career by catching me.”
“No way. Lin is not a career-oriented person. You certainly noticed that, didn’t you? And she’s right. You didn’t spy on their soil, so the Americans have no justification for putting you in jail. It was an enticing offer she gave you. Am I right?”
“Are you doubting my loyalty now?” Sunny reacts with a trace of nervousness.
“Look at you,” Col. Tao smirks. “What? Doubting you or not, you think I’m gonna purge my own daughter?”
“I’m just saying I’m loyal to my country. I’m not gonna disappear just because some lesbian spy wants to take me away.”
Col. Tao walks over to Sunny and, in a rare display of affection, puts both of her hands on Sunny’s shoulders. “Loyalty can be a tricky thing.”
Sunny is quite surprised by the physical contact and tightens up, uneasy about what her mother is about to say. “I don’t find it tricky. I just… do what I’m told.”
“Told by whom? By me?”
“Of course. You’re my supervisor, so you represent the state… as far as I’m concerned.”
“What if…” Col. Tao lowers her voice, “I ask you to go with Lin?”
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