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Moving slowly through the crowd, Max did his best to mimic the phrases in Mandarin that Ming-Mei had used, although they were less effective as he got closer to the VIPs. Chinese bystanders weren’t any more immune to celebrity worship than westerners, only their targets of adulation were different. In the US, a parade of national leaders would likely draw as many protesters as admirers.
Close to the limousines, the crowd was dense and difficult to penetrate, but he managed, thanks to a stern voice and his white skin. Their own security forces would protect the leaders of the superpowers, but when Van Valkenburg’s limousine pulled up Max moved in close, waving his ID badge to attach himself to the tail end of the secretary-general’s small band of security people, averting his head if h
