Chapter One: The Twenty-Yuan Silver Coin

“You don’t even know what your property is?” Shen Yan asked. The man withdrew his hand. “Return the box before tonight, Zhou, or someone else will own this stall tomorrow.” Once they left, Zhou tried to refund the twenty yuan. “Too late,” Shen Yan said. At the bottom of the paper packet, he found half a yellow label: “Linhai Machinery Works Labor Union—1979 Inventory Clearance.” “Who sold you the box?” “A mover from the old factory dormitories. Said it came from a demolition apartment.” “Scarface was not looking for the coin. He didn’t recognize it.” Shen Yan scanned the remaining items. Nothing else carried a million-yuan valuation. A battered mechanical watch, however, flashed briefly. [Current Value: ¥12.]