Chapter One: Rejected by an Entire Industry

“If Zero really belongs to Hanhai,” Chen Mo said, “why can't you take it?” Silence held for two seconds. “Ten tomorrow morning. Final deadline.” The call ended, and the coworking lights went out. A receptionist spoke through the doorway. “Mr. Chen, your desk package has expired.” Chen Mo slipped his laptop into his backpack and walked into the cold October rain. Two blocks away, he bought the cheapest rice roll at a convenience store. As he paid, more notifications appeared: Hanhai Cloud service terminated; personal developer credentials revoked; open-source account frozen for “potential security risks.” Three cuts, delivered immediately after Zhou's call. It was not persuasion. It was a countdown.