Chapter Five: The Missing Four Minutes

Every recipient appeared to be a legitimate merchant. The money did not seem missing. “The more normal it looks, the more likely those companies are shells,” Lin Yan said. Ye Heng had stayed. She agreed to delay publication for twelve hours if no evidence concerning the driver deposits was removed. Searching corporate registries, she learned that 427 recipients had changed their financial contact on the same day. Every new number came from a defunct virtual carrier. Wancheng found a different contradiction at the banks. Farland's receipts bore valid bank signatures, yet core records said the transactions occurred four minutes before those signatures had been generated. “Someone obtained valid signatures in advance?” Lu asked.