Chapter Four: ClearMark Opens Its Doors

“All real or all fake?” the seller asked. “I have a flight.” “All twelve are composite pairs.” His smile vanished. “The website approves them.” Su sampled pinhead crumbs of midsole. The spectra nearly matched, except for one weak plasticizer peak. “The left shoes contain a domestic additive released three months ago. Obsidian sealed these samples last year. The dates are impossible.” The seller reached for the report, but Lin held it down. “Our agreement says we retain samples and notify the platform when goods may be illegal.” Outside, the watchers lowered their phones at once. That night, someone swapped all twelve pairs at a courier depot, leaving empty boxes.