With his cell phone pressed to his ear, Tian spoke to a man half a world away.

He tuned into the chatter of corporate America, absorbing secrets from technology companies, learning the intricacies of American politics, and watching the relentless cycle of fear-driven news. He ruefully noted how the media constantly stoked anxiety and fear about terrorism, racial tensions, crime, bioterrorism, and nuclear threats, keeping the American public afraid all the time. It saddened him, how easily they were manipulated. With his cell phone pressed to his ear, Tian spoke to a man half a world away.