Chapter One: The Bankrupt Manager's Lunar Hotel

The revolving door had stopped by the time Zhou Yuan stood in the lobby of the Yunjing Hotel for the last time. Half the crystal chandelier still burned. Court seals ran from reception to the liquor cabinet. Only hours ago, guests had been complaining that breakfast offered one flavor of jam too few. Now the uniformed staff stood in two rows, dropping their badges into a cardboard box, unable to meet his eyes. “Manager Zhou, are we still getting paid?” The night supervisor who asked had recently become a father. Zhou Yuan summoned the reassuring smile he had practiced for ten years. “Finance is coordinating the payments. Send me everyone's attendance records, and I'll—” “You'll what?”