Chapter 4
The municipal archive basement was a labyrinth of steel shelving, damp air, and the unmistakable smell of decaying paper and old paste. Fluorescent tubes overhead hummed a low, migraine-inducing tune, casting a sterile white glow over the rows of grey filing cabinets. Leo and Mei moved stealthily between the aisles, their footsteps muffled by the worn rubber flooring.
Mei clutched the laminated researcher pass tightly in her hand, her knuckles white. She scanned the directory board mounted near the microfilm station. "Row twelve, section B. Property deeds from nineteen-ninety to two-thousand."
"Keep your head down," Leo murmured, scanning the corners for security cameras. There was a dome camera mounted near the ceiling junction, but the casing was dusty and pointed stubbornly toward the copier machine, leaving a blind spot near the rear shelving units.
They reached row twelve without incident. The metal drawers were heavy, sliding open with a metallic groan that seemed deafening in the quiet vault. Mei began flipping through the heavy manila folders, her eyes scanning the tabular indexes at lightning speed. Leo stood guard at the end of the aisle, listening for the distinct click of the heavy fire door at the top of the basement stairs.
"Found it," Mei breathed, pulling out a thick, yellowed folder stamped with the municipal seal in faded red ink.
Leo hurried over, looking over her shoulder as she opened the binder. Inside lay the original land registry maps, complete with hand-drawn survey markers and official surveyor stamps from twenty years ago. There, clearly marked in black ink with a red revision stamp, was the boundary separation they had hoped for. The workshop land was deeded separately to the community workers' union, completely free of the corporate encumbrances Chen had leveraged in his contract.
"This changes everything," Mei whispered, a rare, genuine smile breaking across her face. She pulled a small, flat scanner from her canvas tote and began capturing high-resolution images of the critical pages, the soft click of the shutter masked by the hum of the overhead lights.
Suddenly, a heavy thud echoed from the top of the stairs. Voices drifted down into the basement—calm, authoritative, and entirely too familiar.
"Check the microfilm terminals first. The registry portal flagged an unusual login using an inactive researcher ID just three minutes ago," a sharp voice commanded. It was one of Chen’s legal aides, accompanied by the heavy, measured tread of a security guard.
May you like
Leo’s blood ran cold. He grabbed Mei’s arm, signaling her to pack the scanner immediately. The footsteps were moving down the concrete stairs, echoing off the bare walls, closing the distance between them and the only exit from the row.
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