Chapter Four: The Kiss Experiment

The theater blazed with light a century ago. A younger Chenxing placed a deed on the counter. “Twelve properties for everyone's freedom.” The green-clad woman fed it to an oven. “Agreed. But you forgot to ask whether everyone includes you.” Chenxing withdrew at exactly three seconds. Both their burns had faded. Jiming's watch had shattered; the six on Zhou Lin's wrist briefly became five. “The kiss transferred death,” Zhou Lin said. “Partially. Injury went to me, became financial loss through Jiming's desire, then offset your countdown. The circuit works.” Chenxing still watched her, hunger not yet hidden. “Miss Xu, do you write a report after every kiss?” “Depends on the subject.”