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While testing a
kite, Tess briefs Monica and Andrew on their next assignment: it can
change many lives because the "courage of one single person" can
change history. That chance may come for Edward Tanner, CEO of
Tanner Toys, and he may not recognize it. It will come for one
of Edward's employees, Jean Chang, a second time -- she will
recognize it and "that's why she may say 'no.'" Tess demonstrates
her new "portable kite" that can fly without wind to Alex Stella,
Edward's longtime friend and legal counsel for Tanner Toys. He
is intrigued by the technology, but quickly brushes her off as
Edward enters to discuss moving their manufacturing to China.
Alex introduces Monica as a consultant who will acquaint them with
the import-export business. Monica explains the new
opportunities that China's open-door policy has given to Western
businesses and recommends that Edward hire a translator from within
the company. When the job is offered to Jean, she is offended,
claiming she is Korean and they just assumed she was Chinese because
she looked "oriental." Her cover is quickly blown, however,
when she arrives at a Chinese restaurant where Edward, Alex and
Monica are eating lunch and proceeds to order in Chinese. When
she comes to their table to apologize, Alex is unexpectedly pulled
away from the conversation by an exuberant Tess, the "kite
inventor." With Alex distracted, Jean explains to Monica and
Edward why she lied. Admitting to be Chinese, Jean tells them
of how she was orphaned during the Cultural Revolution and how she
fell in love with a picture of the Statue of Liberty in a banned
book. Edward finds himself becoming genuinely interested in
her -- an interest that will eventually turn to love -- as she
explains how she and many like her were affected by Western culture.
While an idealistic student in China, her husband adopted the
nickname "Gus" after Auguste Rodin's "Thinker" and their best friend
adopted his name, "George," after Washington. Jean explains
how she and her husband took part in the Tiananmen Square protests
while George stayed home with her daughter, Piao Yue (Liberty Moon).
When the crack-down came, she was separated from her husband and
although she heard that he was killed, she was unable to verify his
death and was forced to flee to America before she could find George
and her daughter. As Monica and Edward investigate China further,
they are shocked to find one of the companies courting a joint
venture with Tanner Toys is none other than Liberty Moon
International Management. Edward shows Jean the letter and
agrees to take her with them to Beijing. In China, Monica
distracts the customs agents, allowing Jean to sneak safely back
into the country. They soon meet George, who is frightened to
see Jean. George tells them he will no longer
guarantee that his company, Liberty Moon, can do business with them.
However, after Tess plants some seeds of courage in George, he helps
Alex, Edward and Jean to infiltrate a "re-education through
labor" camp under the guise that they will use the factory
being constructed to manufacture Tanner Toys. Jean recognizes
a sickly worker at the labor camp as her husband, Gus. After a
bittersweet reunion, Jean and the others quickly leave the camp when
a guard becomes suspicious of their presence. Alex is angered
to learn of the risks Edward has taken with the business and
attempts to fire Monica -- but is overruled by Edward. They
later read in a newspaper of Gus' death in prison and his
"renouncement" of his actions in Tiananmen Square.
As Jean resolves to speak out against the lies, soldiers move into
their hotel, spot Jean and give chase. Later, Edward and
Monica meet Jean in a busy street and offer to help her. As
they walk away together, a soldier hands them a leaflet depicting a
wanted criminal -- it's a photo of Jean from her Tiananmen Square
days. They go to meet George and ask about Jean's daughter, Piao Yue. Ashamed, he tells them that he took Piao Yue to a
family in the south who would look after her until his return.
He further explains that there was a terrible flood and that he no
longer knows what happened to Piao Yue. He explains that he
named his company "Liberty Moon" with the hope that they
would one day be united. Believing she has nothing left to
lose, Jean goes back to Tiananmen Square to openly tell the people
who she is and the truth about what happened to her husband.
As the police arrest her, she looks up at the sky and notices a kite
with the Liberty Moon symbol on it. She follows the string
down to a group of young girls, but cannot make contact with her
daughter before she is taken away. Edward, desperate to help
Jean, goes to George who explains the judicial process to him: Jean
will be convicted and sentenced quickly, and some
"accidental" death in prison will soon follow.
Seeing that there is nothing left for them in China, Alex leaves for
home and apologizes to Edward for his behavior. Monica reveals
herself as an angel to Jean and physically shields Jean when she is
attacked by fellow prisoners -- taking the painful blows herself.
The prisoners are frightened by the miracle, Jean is unharmed after
the beating; but the guards are furious and they take Jean to the
top of a staircase and throw her down where she dies in Monica's
arms. Monica promises Jean that she will tell Piao Yue the
truth about her mother. Monica reveals herself to Edward and
tells him of Jean's death. He goes to George and together they
use Tess's "portable kite" with a Liberty Moon symbol
painted on it to find Piao Yue. George then uses his influence
to adopt Piao Yue and Edward promises that she can live with him in
Maine every summer. As Edward's plane flies over New York, he
looks out the window to see the Statue of Liberty. He breaks
down and cries.
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