Chapter Three: The Price of Match Four

Her father, Lin Heng, had died in a traffic accident when she was twelve. Her mother had called him an ordinary programmer. Sports research had never been mentioned. “You knew him?” “He tried to delete ZERO before the project closed. His accident happened that same day.” “Why tell me now?” “Because the moment you entered the warehouse, the program woke up.” Jianxia gripped the seat. The blue lines doctors had dismissed as hallucinations, her father’s permanently locked study, her mother’s almost fearful hatred of football—suddenly the pieces locked together. Qiao Ran approached from the rear after Xu had pocketed the photograph. “We’re at the noodle shop,” she said. “Three wins deserve an extra egg.”