Chapter Four: The Second Song

“The second song returns you to that day,” the singer said. “Let her choose you again, and she’ll come back.” “Who forgets me next?” “The price isn’t a menu.” “You can choose it,” Wen Yu called from above. He had followed her inside. A portable spectrum analyzer glowed in his hand. Two waveforms on its screen matched perfectly. One was labeled MIA, the other XIA MI. “Every time Xia Mi sings, your signal appears eight seconds earlier,” he said. “You don’t take her back. You go first and leave the door open.” For the first time, the woman stepped away. Someone applauded from the dark beside the stage. A middle-aged man in a gray coat emerged, wearing a festival badge that identified him as He Chen, executive director.