Chapter Three: A Crack in Success

Inside were test reports, altered acceptance records, and a note: if the East District gate took water backward, the underground shopping zone would fill in forty minutes. The real key was at the Harbor City Disaster Data Center, but they will not let you in. Red text flashed again. [Countdown: 19:47:32. Please confirm your belief.] Xu clenched the note until his knuckles whitened. At last he understood. The system did not want a light, cheerful wish. It was forcing him to choose: when reality offered no ready-made conditions, would he still go out and gather them one by one? The first raindrop struck the tin roof like a starter pistol.