Chapter 3
The neon sign of the noodle shop across the street buzzed with an erratic flicker, casting intermittent red light across the kitchen table where Leo and Mei bent over the paperwork. The golden shopping bag lay empty beside them, its glossy interior reflecting the single overhead bulb.
"Look here," Leo whispered, pointing a calloused finger at a densely typed paragraph on page fourteen. "This clause references the municipal zoning act of nineteen-ninety-eight. But the warehouse property was reclassified under the commercial expansion act in two thousand and five."
Mei leaned in closer, her shoulder brushing against his chest. She adjusted her glasses, squinting at the fine print. "If the property classification changed, then the lien Chen’s firm holds only applies to the primary structure, not the surrounding land plots. The distribution rights we signed over... they might still be legally independent."
"Which means Chen’s buyout offer is based on a false premise," Leo said, his pulse quickening with cautious optimism. "He’s trying to swallow the whole block by claiming an all-encompassing mortgage, but the land where the old workshop stands belongs to the cooperative, not your uncle’s estate."
Mei let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for hours. She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the stained ceiling with a look of profound relief mixed with sudden apprehension. "If this is true, then Uncle knew. He must have known when he drafted the agreement. That’s why Chen is pushing us so hard to sign before the weekend. He wants us to lock it in before the municipal registry updates its public portal on Monday."
"We need physical proof. Digital files can be altered or blocked by their firewall, but the paper archives at the city hall downtown are open until midnight on Fridays," Leo said, standing up and grabbing his denim shirt from the chair. "We need to get into the records office before they lock the basement archives."
Mei stood up with him, her green jumpsuit rustling as she grabbed her jacket. "It’s risky. Chen’s security team monitors public access terminals in the municipal building. If we use our own credentials, they’ll know within five minutes what we’re looking for."
"Then we don't use our credentials," Leo replied, locking eyes with her. "We use your cousin’s old researcher pass. It hasn't expired yet."
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The plan was desperate, born of necessity and fueled by the realization that compliance meant total ruin. They left the apartment quietly, descending the creaking stairs into the cool night air. The city around them hummed with indifference, unaware of the small war being fought over a few square meters of brick and mortar. Every shadow in the narrow streets felt like a watcher, and every passing car sounded like Chen’s dark sedan closing in on their trail.
***
