Chapter Four: Those Who Refuse to Win

Something shifted in Lu's mind. Convergence evaluated which consciousness deserved possession, but never asked whether both wanted to coexist. Its so-called consent might have been counterfeit from the beginning. White Noise suddenly turned toward the door. Flecks of static tore away from her outline. “Someone outside is lying,” Su whispered. A brown envelope slid beneath the shutter. Tang yanked the door open. The alley contained only rain. Crossroads revealed six possible escape paths, but none belonged to the courier, as if no one had ever entered the alley. Inside the envelope were half a broken hard drive and a handwritten note. The writing was Gu Chen's.