Chapter Five: Who Breaks First

Qiao Qi seized on the pronoun. “You were part of the Consensus Desk.” Lu Chen did not deny it. Applause sounded in the distance. A young man in a red hoodie sat backward on an office chair and rolled toward them along a corridor that did not exist. Two words crossed his chest: DEFENSE BROKEN. “Tours require appointments, Mr. Lu. Especially with outsiders.” He smiled. “Teacher Lin, we’ve waited a long time.” Lin Mo knew his face. Xu Zhao had been a famous emotional-content creator three years earlier before online abuse drove him off the internet. Every current report said he had moved abroad. Paper records said he died during a livestream. Xu Zhao snapped his fingers. Transparent rooms lit around them.