Question about the plot of David Wingrove's Chung Kuo

Cafe Society
1

Just in case anyone happens to be reading volume one of this series, I should warn you there’s a small spoiler involved in the asking of the question. So stop reading if you care about that.

So my question is:

I just finished book one, and I am a bit confused about why Kim Ward was betrayed by that fellow factory worker who had taken him under his wing? I can’t think of any indication previous to the event that such a thing could possibly happen - there is no indication at all that the fellow felt anything but protectiveness towards Kim.

Can anyone help me understand this?

The best I can do is to think that the fellow simply felt obligated to help Kim but that his seeming friendliness was only a matter of his percieved duty and not indicative of his true feelings - which were resentment and embarrassment at being assigned to this clayborn.

Is that it? Or is there something else I missed? Because if that’s supposed to be it, I don’t think its enough - the kid went way above and beyond the “call of duty” in befriending and protecting Kim.

-Kris

2

I wish I could help, but I deliberately purged all memory of this wretched stereotype-filled novel and refuse to even go within fifteen feet of it ever again.

(Okay, not much help, but how many Dopers have actually read the darn thing?)

3

I read it all. I found the first 3 volumes compelling and thought-provoking and the last 3 (or was it 4) to be less and less good, until it was a waste of trees. As a result, I recall very little about the whole series anymore.