Chapter One: The Ninety-Nine-Yuan Case

“The lock is from Eagle's short 1926 production run. The body uses chrome-tanned leather that didn't exist until the forties. Someone spent a fortune making a newer case look old.” “Meaning?” “It cost too much to make and too little to buy.” She tapped Purchase. A gray sentence flashed beneath the receipt. LOST-OBJECT TRADING HAS BEGUN. SPEND CAREFULLY THAT WHICH YOU CANNOT VALUE. When she refreshed, it was gone. Half an hour later, three knocks sounded. There was no courier—only the case, wet and upright in the corridor. Security footage between 11:59 and midnight showed one solid minute of static. Zhiwei put on gloves. The lock bore no tool marks, but the lining had been replaced twice.