Chapter Three: Beyond Seven Seconds

The leading news story read: DISGRACED SHOT-CALLER GU CHEN CLEARED; MYSTERY INVESTOR FORMS TEAM ECHO. It had been published at 11:59—ten minutes before their victory. Lin Yao sent a photograph of herself standing in rain, holding an old candy wrapper with no recognition in her eyes. Gu Chen called the group. “Training begins tomorrow. We clear twelve qualifiers, then reach Worlds.” “And then?” Pei Jin asked. “There can be only one champion.” “The system alters records and deletes people, but it needs the matches to be played. That's its limit. We follow its rules until we reach the core—then change them.” Wanqing joined first, then Zhou and Pei Jin. “I may forget all of you,” Lin Yao said at last. “Then we'll introduce ourselves every day.”