Chapter Two: Three Million for an Old Mirror

Chenzhou recorded the injector and the man's face, then triggered the building fire alarm. Neighbors opened their doors. The attacker fled rather than face witnesses. Chenzhou did not pursue him. Evidence held by one person could be stolen; even a cloud upload could be erased by ClearSea. He encrypted and distributed the video across twelve platforms, placed the injector in a public locker, and changed his museum appointment. The next morning, the museum authenticated the ferry ticket and transferred 120,000 yuan. His mother's debt was paid, and his account was positive for the first time in months. He knew it was escape money, not freedom. Han waited at Nine Bends with a corroded bronze mirror.