May was hoping to broker cigarette lighters in . Her friend said that Mr. Wang was a manufacturer in China. She gave May Mr. Wang’s number. May called Mr. Wang, and invited him Los Angeles. She arranged several meetings between Mr. and some US wholesalers. Because he did not English, she was the interpreter at the meetings. . Wang promised to give May a commission for business deal was made and for all future .

The first three meetings were unproductive. The last was with a Chinese wholesaler. He spoke Chinese, there was no need for May to interpret remarks. She sat there throughout the meeting and . The two men discovered that they both had up in Guiyang, a large city in southwest . At meeting’s end, no deal was made. Everyone hands.

May and Mr. Wang walked out to car. Then Mr. Wang said that he had something. He excused himself and walked back to office. May waited a moment. Then, suspicious, she back to the office and heard the two making a deal behind her back. Mr. Wang cutting her out of her commission.

May went out to her car and waited. Mr. Wang whistling as he returned to the car. He for making her wait. She said it was problem. Then she drove Mr. Wang back to hotel. He thanked her for her help, and he was returning to China the next day. didn’t say anything about what she had overheard. went home and tried not to cry about had just happened—she must be strong.