Chapter Two: A Million Is Not the Finish Line

Qiu smiled thinly. “If your objection is malicious, you will cover our losses.” “If I am wrong, I will cover reasonable inspection costs.” Shen transferred three thousand yuan into Haiyue’s deposit account. “If I am right, Haiyue produces a complete inventory and submits any cultural property for appraisal.” “Agreed,” Gu said before Qiu could answer. The cabinet was opened in a side room under video supervision from an archives official. Moldy payroll sheets, machine manuals, and union awards covered a long table. At the bottom lay a kraft-paper envelope. Inside was a 1979 special-asset receipt: “One commemorative silver coin received from the Guizhou Technical Assistance Group. Serial Q17-03. Assigned to the factory-history exhibition room.”