Chapter Three: The Third Shareholder at the Gala

Zhiwei stepped onto the stage and took the chief appraiser's loupe. “You say the embossed seal is genuine but the text was added later. This cotton pulp was immersed in seawater twenty-five years ago. Its pores contracted as it dried. Later ink would sit on the surface. Here, the black pigment lies inside closed fibers. The words existed before the paper entered the sea.” She connected the microscope to the main screen. The evidence was unmistakable. The appraiser began to sweat. “It still lacks Obsidian's hidden authentication.” “Because you used the wrong light.” Zhiwei removed the sapphire brooch and turned its second prong. Violet light swept across the certificate. A star track and reversed M flared onto the giant screen.