Chapter One: Seven Rules and the Eighth Chair

6. The Last Birthday Table may seat only seven people. Do not count the empty chairs. 7. Trust the red writing. Do not trust the black writing. The back of the page was blank. Zhou Ran studied Rule Seven. Every word on the page was black. Only the punctuation marks were red. The digital clock changed to 23:59:50. A-Bei shouted from the dining hall. “The finale is starting! Leon just turned his head!” On Camera One, the stage curtain had closed. Only three pairs of mechanical feet remained visible. Leon's golden paws, once at center stage, now touched the curtain's edge. 23:59:57. At Table Eight, the short-haired woman looked directly into the camera. She flashed a badge: Lin Wan, Municipal Criminal Police. Her lips moved.