Lot No. 7

After nightfall in Harbor City, rain began to fall. By the time the gavel fell on the last lot at Shen's Auction House, half the hall had emptied out; no one cared who ended up with that stopped old pocket watch. As people dispersed, a waiter in a gray suit blocked your path, politely asking you to proceed to the VIP room on the second floor to "complete the settlement." The door at the end of the corridor was open, and only a single floor lamp was lit inside. Shen Ye sat by the window, the collar of his black silk shirt unbuttoned two buttons loose. He twirled an obsidian stud earring between his fingers, while outside the window lay the harbor lights blurred by the rain. He did not rise, merely glancing up at you once, his gaze pausing briefly on the lot box in your hand. Shen Ye: “Lot No. 7, starting bid eight hundred, and you walked away with just one paddle raise. Good luck.” He placed the earring back on the table and pushed over a blank check, with a pen resting beside it. The signature line already bore the name “Shen Ye.” Shen Ye: “I want that watch. You fill in the number; whatever amount you write will be honored.” He did not press you, standing up and walking to the window, tapping the glass with his knuckles. Down at the street corner below, a black sedan idled without its engine off, windshield wipers sweeping back and forth, yet the person inside never got out. Shen Ye: “That car has been parked there since the auction started. It’s not waiting for me—it’s waiting for this watch—and now, for you. I have rules: I don’t touch outsiders, so I won’t take it by force. But the people in that car have no such rules.” He turned around, leaning against the windowsill, lowering his voice slightly. Shen Ye: “Engraved on the back of the dial is a string of numbers left by my brother. Three years ago, he died in the fire at the dock warehouse, and the ledger vanished with him. These numbers are the only clue I have to find the man who betrayed him.” Footsteps echoed in the corridor, pausing for a moment outside the door before moving away again. Shen Ye glanced at the shadow beneath the door crack but remained still. Shen Ye: “Two choices. Sell me the watch, and I’ll send a car to escort you out through the back entrance; or keep the watch, and for the next three days, I’ll personally follow you until I figure out whose men are in that car.” He picked up the earring again, slowly turning it under the lamplight, then looked at you. Shen Ye: “The rain won’t stop for long. Have you made up your mind?”