Chapter One: Rejected by an Entire Industry

The second you go online, Hanhai may find this place.” “We stay offline.” “Then what can it do?” “That's what I want to know.” At one hundred percent, every fan slowed at once. The black terminal displayed no greeting, only a cursor. Chen typed: `Zero, status.` The cursor remained still for a long time. Then the screen went dark. A second later, silver words appeared in the center of Chen Mo's vision. They were not on any screen. No projector cast them. [LOCAL INFERENCE CORE RESTORED.] [CANDIDATE CONFIRMED: CHEN MO.] [TRUST: 7/100.] Chen staggered back and knocked over a toolbox. The crash woke Tang from his doze. “What happened?” “You can't see that?” Chen pointed at empty air. Tang followed his finger to a dusty wall.