Chapter Four: What Five Million Cannot Buy

Chenzhou showed Qinghe. Calmly, she disabled every remote credential. The stolen algorithm displayed an expired-license warning. "It's a six-month-old demonstration copy," she said. "I deliberately let him take it last night." She turned her screen around. Gao's download history, Hanhai's receiving address, and complete timestamps were assembling into an evidence package. "Mr. Gu, you aren't the only person who waits for others to follow an old script." Chenzhou held out his hand. "Welcome aboard." She shook it once. "Correction. We're partners." Outside, a corner was still missing from Blaze's old sign. Inside, a company without an office or official name already possessed its first club, its first algorithm, and the first person who truly