Chapter Four: The Lowest-Cost Death

It was the first time she had spoken his name, but Gu felt no surprise. Only three people had seen the vulnerability report before his dismissal: a board representative, the compliance director, and chief architect Cheng Shu. The first two could close the report. Cheng could copy Gu's test token. “Why me?” Song pointed at the palm reader inside the door. “Seven years ago, the core entered causal lockout. It rejects every registered administrator. It will accept only one person from the accident site who was never registered. During the missing fifteen minutes, that person set a human passphrase, then left using Gu Yan's identity.” Ye Ning turned to him. Gu did not look away. “Do you know the passphrase?” “I don't know that I ever set one.”