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  • There is an old Chinese proverb "Life is like a game of chess, changing with each move.

  • And to win the game you must often sacrifice your pawns."

  • Since my first Spanish class in middle school, I never met a language I didn't like. Spanish,

  • French, Mandarin—I loved them all.

  • Junior year in college, I got to live the dream, a year abroad in Shanghai studying

  • language and philosophy. What's up, dog? It was going to be the best year of my life.

  • Shanghai was amazing. It fit me like a glove. I loved everything about itthe language,

  • the culture, the nightlife, the people.

  • Yeah, she's sweet.

  • Yeah.

  • Fear not, my fair-weather friend. I have the credit card.

  • Oh, your folks' credit card.

  • It's for emergencies, and I do believe this qualifies. Awesome! Besides, it's my going

  • away party.

  • Whoa. What are you talking about?

  • I'm headed home after the break.

  • You're kidding me.

  • Dream's over man, time to face the real world.

  • This is the real world. I'm staying.

  • What are you going to do?

  • Get a job.

  • No one is going to hire you. You've got to have the right visa.

  • Sorry, man.

  • No. The right visa!

  • So there it was my dilemma. To stay in Shanghai, I needed a visa and a job. Then one morning,

  • I spotted an online ad. The Shanghai government was looking for American students to write

  • papers on Chinese-American relations. That's how I met Amanda.

  • Hi, Glenn.

  • Yes, Amanda. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me.

  • Thank you very much for coming. So how do you think the average American views China

  • today?

  • I think China is an enigma to many in our country. There are some who view China with

  • suspicion, even fear, over the way you control your currency and your people, and quite frankly

  • your fantastic economic growth.

  • Well, what do you think?

  • It's complicated, but I found the people here to be remarkably free, and there is a fantastic

  • entrepreneurial class emerging.

  • You are a very thoughtful and candid young man, qualities I admire. We want to make Shanghai

  • the business center of the world. We want Americans to think of Shanghai first when

  • they expand to China. To do that we need to know how westerners perceive us as a country

  • and as a city.

  • So you want me to write about the business climate here?

  • First, something political. Use your judgment.

  • O.K. Cool.

  • I wrote a paper about the tensions between China and the United States over North Korea's

  • nuclear program. I was honest but took a neutral tone. Thank you, spell check.

  • I still can't believe you're leaving, man. You should be writing papers for these guys.

  • Why? What are they going to do with them?

  • Uh, who cares? It's just an essay. As long as they pay.

  • And pay they did. I wrote a number of papers and each time, Amanda paid me in cash.

  • Thanks.

  • Then she invited me to meet her supervisor Mr. Tang in a fancy downtown hotel.

  • So this is the bright young man I've heard so much about. Glad to meet you, Mr. Shriver.

  • Please call me Glenn.

  • OK, Glenn. What impressed me most about your paper, Glenn, was your insight into the Chinese

  • mind. Most westerners make no attempt to truly understand us.

  • Most westerners have never lived here.

  • True. It is the destiny of our two countries to stand together as partners and bring peace

  • and prosperity to the world. My generation has made tremendous strides towards this goal,

  • but now it is up to people like you, the future leaders of the world, to bring this process

  • to fruition. That's why we would like to help you with your education.

  • You want to help me?

  • Yes. We know that Shanghai is a very expensive city. We would like to help you by giving

  • you a stipend.

  • A stipend?

  • Yes. A quarterly sum to help you with your expenses while you remain in the country.

  • Do you want me to write more papers?

  • Perhaps. We mainly want you to focus on your studies. Consider it a...[speaking Chinese]...a

  • scholarship. Yes, a scholarship. Your country helps promising students, yes? We do the same

  • thing. Will you allow us to help you?

  • Well, yes. Thank you.

  • Excellent. Please let's keep this arrangement confidential. We don't want to be flooded

  • with requests.

  • I understand.

  • It was $2,500.I was stunned, but what was I going to do, give it back? It was free money,

  • no strings attached. I met with Amanda every couple weeks after that. We became good friends,

  • talked about everything: life, love, politics.

  • You are lucky Shanghai is a big city, or I'm afraid you'd run out of girlfriends.

  • Oh, thanks a lot. I'm not that bad.

  • So how is school going?

  • It's hard, but I'm loving it.

  • Amanda was pretty and smart, but we never went beyond being friends. It was just comfortable.

  • Over time, I grew to like Mr. Tang as well.

  • By the way, I found out I can take the written test for the State Department at the U.S.

  • Consulate, so, I don't know, I'm thinking about applying for a job there

  • That would be wonderful. You are a natural-born diplomat. They could use your insight into

  • China, and with your language skills, you would almost certainly come back to us. You

  • should do it, Glenn. Yes, you should.

  • Please read and sign the non-disclosure form on the first page of the test. It states your

  • understanding that unauthorized disclosure of its contents can result in civil and criminal

  • penalties. Do not break the seal until you've signed it and I've told you to begin. All

  • signed? You may begin.

  • It's OK, Glenn. I've heard the test is very difficult. Many people fail it the first time.

  • I'm sure you'll pass if you try again.

  • I don't know, maybe I'm just not cut out for the State Department.

  • We know how hard you studied for this test. Take this with our appreciation.

  • I can't.

  • Your State Department may not appreciate such a promising young man like yourself, but we

  • do. You can count on our friendship, Glenn.

  • Thanks.

  • How can we help you with this test? What was your problem area?

  • Well, the geography section was ridiculous...

  • After that meeting, I didn't hear from Mr. Tang or Amanda for a couple of months. I was

  • busy in school and I kind of forgot about it. Then I got a text message from Amanda

  • asking if we could meet. She was happy to see me, but when we went to see Mr. Tang,

  • there was someone else there, too.

  • Glenn. It's good to see you again. I have someone special I'd like you to meet. This

  • is Mr. Wu, one of our top officials in our Shanghai government.

  • Mr. Wu was an impressive figure and was treated with great deference by Mr. Tang. He made

  • me feel a little uncomfortable.

  • I have heard many good things about you, Mr. Shriver, so I wanted to meet you in person.

  • Thank you.

  • Please. We are very interested in the friendship of young Americans who can help us build economic

  • and political ties between our two countries.

  • Well, I've always dreamed of working in international relations, so you have my attention.

  • Good. We would be very interested in the success of your career. I understand you are going

  • to take the State Department test again. Very good .But I wonder have you ever considered

  • applying for work with other agencies?

  • Um, like what?

  • Like CIA.

  • What, um--what exactly are you asking me?

  • Mr. Shriver, our economies are intertwined. All we seek is information to improve relations

  • between us. Working for CIA would be beneficial for both you and us. Think about it. (Chinese

  • phrase)

  • There's an old Chinese proverb--"Life is like a game of chess, changing with each move"...and

  • the next move was mine.

  • Mr. Woo, it's Glenn. Listen. I'm going to need $40,000 to start. OK. Yes, yes.

  • Whoo! Why did I do it? I don't know. I guess it was just hard to turn off the tap. It wasn't

  • like I had actually done anything wrong. There's a good chance the CIA wouldn't even accept

  • me. I could just take the money and run, but the CIA was interested and asked me to come

  • to D.C. for an interview. It was good timing since I was headed home for a visit anyway.

  • I'd been back to the U.S. many times before> I never tried sneaking in so much as pocket

  • lint. Now I was sitting in line at U.S. Customs with $40,000 strapped to my belly.

  • Next. Hey, buddy. Next.

  • Hey. How's it going? Hi.

  • Passport? Customs form? Sir, are you bringing in any food, fruits, any alcohol or tobacco

  • products with you today?

  • No.

  • More than$10,000 in currency?

  • I wish.

  • So what were you doing abroad?

  • I told my friends I was leaving the country until the Lions had a winning season.

  • Lucky you made it back.

  • Actually I was studying in Shanghai.

  • All right, sir. Well, welcome home.

  • Thank you. Have a good day.

  • Thanks, you too. Next.

  • I made it. I was free, and it did feel good to be back. I had a day to kill before the

  • interview, so I decided to rent a car and went to visit my dad. I hadn't seen him in

  • quite some time.

  • Thought you were in China?

  • I flew back for an interview with the CIA.

  • The CIA? Ha ha ha!I can't believe any son of mine would ever work for the man.

  • Work for the man? Dad, I'm going to be the man.

  • It's good to see you. Your brother will be happy to see you, too. Hey, Ted!

  • Come on in. So how's your mother?

  • Eh, the same.

  • Want a beer?

  • Sure. So how you doing?

  • Eh, you know, getting by. Where did you get that? You been robbing Chinese banks?

  • No. I opened up an English language school on the sly. I've been killing it over there.

  • I want you to have it. Maybe you can pay off the house.

  • Ted, get in here! Well, you may not believe this, but your brother is back, and he brought

  • home the bacon.

  • Holy crap! Where the hell did you get all of this cash?

  • I earned it. I've been slinging English like crack in China. Everyone wants to learn it.

  • Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, son. Hey, it's good to have my boys together again.

  • Hey. It's good to see you, bro.

  • I felt good that day, as good as I ever had.[Sighs] I was dead tired when I got to my room. There

  • was an e-mail from the CIA confirming my interview the following morning.[Cell phone vibrates]

  • And then I got a text from Amanda.

  • I felt relatively confident going into the interview.

  • Mr. Shriver. Yes, right this way.

  • And then there was the polygraph.

  • Do you intend to lie at any time during this polygraph test?

  • No.

  • Is your name Glenn Shriver?

  • Yes.

  • Has a member of a foreign government asked you to be here today?

  • Shriver: No.

  • Are you presently in Langley, Virginia?

  • Shriver: Yes.

  • Have you ever met with representatives of the government of the People's Republic of

  • China?

  • No. Well, what do you mean by representatives? Don't all the teachers in China technically

  • work for the government?

  • Just answer truthfully yes or no to the best of your knowledge. I'll ask the question again.

  • Have you ever met with representatives of the government of the People's Republic of

  • China?

  • Yes.

  • Have you ever taken money from representatives of the government of the People's Republic

  • of China?

  • No.

  • OK. At this time, are there any questions on this test that you would like to change

  • your answer to?

  • Yes. Uh, I mean, uh, no.

  • How about you take a break, and we'll pick it up after?

  • OK.

  • I wasn't prepared for this. I was in over my head. What do I do?

  • What do you mean you quit?

  • Uh, I--I'm not interested in the position anymore.

  • That's your option, Mr. Shriver, but I must warn you this isn't going to go away if you

  • lie during any phase of this process.

  • I understand that, and that's not it. I just don't think that this kind of work is a good

  • fit for me, so--I'm sorry to waste your time.

  • Come on, man! Errgh! As I left the CIA, I was in full panic. What had I done? Oh, no,

  • no, no, no. Damn it.

  • Yes, sir?

  • You might want to keep this inside.

  • Thanks. Have a good day.

  • I didn't know where to go, where to turn, but I had to get away. I booked a flight and

  • made it with minutes to spare.

  • At this time, the doors have been closed. Please take your seat and fasten your seatbelts

  • and make sure your seatback and folding trays are in their upright position. We will be

  • departing shortly.

  • I couldn't believe it. I was actually going to pull it off.

  • Glenn Shriver, please come with us.

  • Look. I made some mistakes, but I didn't really break any major laws.

  • The courts disagree.

  • OK. I understand legally I conspired, but I didn't give them any secrets, and I don't

  • think I would have even if I got the job.

  • You might have been a bright young student, Glenn, but you were clueless about the game

  • you were playing. We've had our eye on your for some time. [Camera clicks]

  • I'm not interested in continuing. I'd like to quit. I'm sorry for wasting your time.

  • He's cooked.

  • Command post? This is Special Agent Young. Agent Hardy? He quit, walked out of the poly.

  • OK. We're on him. Hey, Joy. Subject is on the move. He's departed Langley driving east

  • on 123 in his rental car.

  • Roger that. Target acquired.

  • And do you think the Chinese would have just let you say no? Don't you think they documented

  • every meeting you had with them? [Camera clicks] If you didn't give them what they wanted willingly,

  • they would have used those recordings to blackmail you. You were just a pawn, one of many.

  • I'll never be able to work for the U.S. government. Probably a lot of the major businesses will

  • not be interested in hiring me. There are definitely a lot of negative effects associated

  • with being a felon. That's a stigma I'm going to have to, you know, beat down.

  • They say everyone has their price, and you know, when you're being told "Hey. you don't

  • have to do anything about it...we just want to be your friend. Here's $10,000, no big

  • deal." That's hard to say no to. Recruitment's going on. Don't fool yourself. The recruitment

  • is active, and the target is young people. Throw lots of money at them, see what happens.

  • I don't know what I would have done in this situation if everything had gone the way the

  • Chinese agents foresaw it. If I was placed in that position, yeah, I'm going to tell

  • you "No. I would never do that," and I don't think I would. On the other hand, if I see

  • a video of my 24-year-old self accepting $20,000 and I work for the CIA, and they're like,

  • "Hey, we've got this video...get us these secrets...it's not really a big deal...It's

  • just something very small, " I don't know what I would do. You can talk about what you

  • should have done all day long, but really it only matters what you did do.

  • Espionage is a very big deal, very big deal. You're dealing with people's lives, and that's

  • why it's such a big deal.

There is an old Chinese proverb "Life is like a game of chess, changing with each move.

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