Chapter Five: A Date Destined to Succeed

Four stars joined into a burning line. The ceiling collapsed—not onto them, but through a fire pipe. Water drowned the explosives and washed conductive powder from the wires. The echoes faded. Xiaoman woke at the crash, bit the nurse, and smashed her knee with an extinguisher. “Lin Wanxing!” she yelled while running. “Warn me next time you rescue me!” The nurse lunged. Jibai turned, and her knife entered his abdomen. His face whitened. The wound vanished, replaced by another red line. Wanxing's smile died. Her command had been fulfilled exactly: the knife was not fatal now because he had postponed it. She had said nothing about settlement. Obsidian agents subdued the powerless Red Hats. Gu arrived with perfect timing. The ledger recorded: