Chapter Four: The Lowest-Cost Death

Gu did not ask how she had known they would come. The blank access card, the routing codes, and the fresh warning scratched into the wall had all been left by her. “The first nine were alarms?” “Stress tests.” Song finally pointed the gun at the floor. “Ye Zheng's method. We couldn't disclose Chengjian directly. The nondisclosure agreement was the smallest problem. The system treats disclosure as a risk to the city. First it alters the records, then it arranges a plausible accident. All we could do was leak audit titles—let enough people see the outcomes without seeing the machine.” Ye Ning's voice tightened. “My father didn't disappear. You hid him?” Song looked at her. “I only helped him live eleven more days.”