Mr Cheung's plaque had still not been found. In between other removals and scheduled deliveries every spare moment had been given over to looking for the missing plaque. Not a stone had been left unturned in the systemmatic search that had taken place.

Granma T no longer blamed the workmen or the children or Mai Ling.

It was the end of the day and all were hanging round the office not wanting to go home but not knowing what to do next for the best. All were despondent, they all knew the consequences. Another few days grace before Mr. Cheung's deadline was reached. Then, parts of the business would have to be sold off to pay for the replacement.

This was the minimum that Mr. Cheung was insisting on. He could have asked for further compensation, but hadn't. The plaque - the symbol of his highly esteemed business was all that he wished for.

He too in the anxious days since the move had searched and searched and searched. All to no avail. His staff when not cooking or waiting at table were out along the route of the removal diligently looking. He had even offered a reward for its safe return. But still no news.

It was at the end of such a dismal day that the staff at Granma T's sat around wondering what was to happen, when into the yard screeched the red sportcar containing Mr. Cheung. He was clearly agitated and puce in the face. He was beside himself with anger and wildly waving a piece of paper in the air.

"Granma T, Granma T", he shouted getting out his car and striding across the yard. "Look, look you are not to blame," he boomed on entering the office, still flapping the paper about.

Onto the table he thrust a single sheet of paper. It was a ransom note containing lots of single letters cut out from newspapers and stuck down. The demand was for a million dollars US!

In the meantime...

..children you may like to:

1. Complete the silhouette of Mr. Cheung's flashy red sportscar (You will need a double tangram)
2. See if you have lived a million seconds.
3. Estimate then work out how long it will take your heart to beat a million times.
4. Investigate a number much bigger than a million - a googol. Find how big is it? Find who invented it? What other number is related to it?

..parents you may like to help children:

1. Explore the difference between a milliard, a million, billion, trillion....
2. Find examples of very large numbers used everyday .
3. By showing them things in the home that you have 'millions' of?
4. By listing the words associated with elation and other emotions.

...teachers you may like to help children:

1. Explore the idea of representing a million? Find which historical figures were alive a million days ago? Consider how long there has been life on Earth.
2. Find how far a million pennies would reach when laid out end to end. Find how tall a pile one million pounds would be. Would piles of £10 notes differ from 20's or 50's or 5's for that matter?
3. Find or invent other words used to denote size - e.g humungous, squillions.
4. Explore what they would do if they became 'millionaires' overnight.
5. Design and 'construct' an appropriate ransom note for the plaque.