The opening of the novel introduces Matthew Walton, who is contemplating a vacation with his daughter while also juggling his law practice. He receives an unusual call from Matsuo Noda, a mysterious Japanese industrialist, who hires him to look into acquiring a significant property in New York. As Walton prepares for an auction at Sotheby’s, he reflects on his past relationships and professional life. The section richly describes his character as someone caught between personal loss and professional ambition. It sets the stage for a suspenseful intersection of legal maneuvering and the dark undercurrents of international finance, hinting at a larger, potentially dangerous conspiracy involving Noda and the implications of a huge financial scheme that could have dire repercussions for the U.S. economy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)