Chapter One: Seven Rules and the Eighth Chair

They had purchased a premium “hidden show” that promised fifteen minutes of extra entertainment after closing. Their leader was a silver-haired food streamer called A-Bei, broadcasting to more than a hundred thousand viewers. With him were two assistants, a young couple, and a short-haired woman who had arrived alone. “Head office approved it,” A-Bei said, waving his digital voucher. “The Last Birthday Table. Just follow the script.” Zhou Ran checked the reservation. It was real, but its payment date was twenty-three years ago. He refreshed the page. The date changed to tonight. At 11:52, he entered the security room. Twelve monitors showed the dining hall, kitchen, freezer, storeroom, and staff corridors.