Chapter Five: The Severed Medical Film

The archivist came to Zhiwei's newly reclaimed studio on a cane. She placed half a radiograph on the light box. “I'm Tao Lan. Twenty-five years ago, I carried you away.” The film showed a grain-sized implant beneath an infant's left collarbone. Zhiwei had a pale scar in the same place. “Minglan expected her brother to move against her. She implanted the trust marker in her daughter. On the disaster night, Chengjun forced the hospital to substitute another infant and burn the original records.” Tao looked at Yutang. “Your birth parents accepted money. Three days later, they died in a car crash.” “Where is the other half?” Yutang asked. “Shiguang requires Miss Shen to complete the trade.”