Chapter One: Thirty Years on a Shoebox

Each repetition energized Manager Ma. He leaned through the door. “Lin Chuan, clear the defect section tonight. The Skyvault displays arrive tomorrow morning. Unglued soles, wrong labels, missing accessories—employees can buy them. Anything left gets dumped.” Lin Chuan picked up a faded blue box. Damp had softened its corners. Its label read: Windrunner II, size 42, display defect. Even a perfect pair of the ten-year-old domestic basketball shoe would struggle to fetch five hundred. The instant his fingertip touched the lid, pale golden words appeared in his vision. [Collectible: Windrunner II—unreleased player test sample.] [Authenticity: Genuine. Produced April 12, 2016, at Obsidian Sports' Hailin laboratory.