The Theft and the Search

This thread traces the escalation from a seemingly ordinary theft to a state-scale search and a personal catastrophe that cannot be reversed by recovering the notebook.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Briefcase Disappears

The Briefcase Disappears A missing object Rong Jinzhen discovers that his leather briefcase has vanished from the train compartment. A fellow passenger recalls seeing a young man with a similar case near the connecting platform. A grave mistake concealed At first Jinzhen thinks only of the lost ticket, money, and book. He does not immediately understand that the missing case contains his notebook and the record of his work on BLACK.

The Notebook Remembered

The Notebook Remembered A sudden realization Jinzhen’s mind reconstructs the contents of the stolen case and he remembers the notebook. The realization transforms regret over ordinary belongings into terror over the loss of his inner work. A security emergency Vasili alerts train security and Unit 701, and the report moves up the chain of command. What began as a theft becomes an incident with national-security consequences.

The Search Expands

The Search Expands Cities mobilized Officials examine passengers, railway staff, stations, guest houses, waste sites, and public facilities across A City and B City. Thousands participate in an operation of extraordinary scale. The owner joins in Jinzhen searches refuse and streets himself, convinced that the thief may discard what has no monetary value. His participation reflects devotion to the notebook but also intensifies his exhaustion.

The Owner Disappears

The Owner Disappears Rain and despair A torrential storm deepens Jinzhen’s fear that the notebook has been washed away. His thoughts shift from practical search to a struggle over whether his suffering can be called just. No one sees him leave That night he vanishes from his room. The investigators now face two linked mysteries: the stolen notebook and the disappearance of the man whose work it contains.

Found at the Waste Pile

Found at the Waste Pile A man searching paper After a missing-person notice circulates, a report leads officials toward M County. Rong Jinzhen is found barefoot, injured, and sifting through discarded books at an industrial waste site. Recovery without return He is brought back to Unit 701, but the search has not restored his former mind. His rescue closes the investigation’s immediate phase while opening a long aftermath of disability and lost memory.

the second night of the return journey

minutes after the theft is discovered

the first days after the theft

the sixth night after the theft

3 January 1970, in M County