Chapter Two: Four Dollars’ Worth of Causality

Lu took his old laptop and followed. The economy cabin was dim. Most passengers were watching movies or sleeping. At 48A, Zhou Ke was unshaven, his hoodie pulled down over his brow, a sticker-covered computer balanced on his knees. The seventh coffee trembled in the armrest cup holder whenever the air shifted. The artist sat in 48C, a seat that had previously been empty. “Introductions,” she murmured. “Su Mi. Illustrator.” “Lu Chen. Bankrupt.” “That identity is valuable in the Exchange.” “Is that why you switched his coffee with yours?” Su smiled. “You see coffee. I see a decision. Dr. Zhou has been awake for four nights. Soon he’ll fall asleep. If the coffee spills into his computer, he loses his data.