Chapter Three: The Exile Comes Home

The memory card held an eleven-second recording. A woman's voice broke through the rain. “Chenzhou, if the list begins again, return to the Lu estate. Do not trust the winner... Find the person without a name.” He played it seven times. It was Shen Man's voice, not an illusion manufactured by memory. When reporters blocked the theater exits, he did not release the recording. He published the complete feed from Wanqing's camera, proving that at least four cameras had been positioned before the argument, and said, “Tomorrow at eight, I will explain this umbrella from the Lu estate—and explain how the Lu corporation uses public opinion to select its heir.” One sentence transformed a private scandal into a dynasty's secret.