Chapter Three: The Countdown Is Not for Sale

A glass shattered across the room. Zhou Chongli gripped the table as his countdown reached zero. The crimson digits broke into threads and vanished into his chest. He did not collapse. He only stared around in confusion. When his wife caught his arm, he asked politely, “Madam, who are you?” Thirty years of marriage had been collected in an instant. Guests called for a doctor. Jianwei alone saw a red scale-shaped mark emerge on Zhou’s wrist. The “equivalent” was no metaphor. “How do I settle?” “Complete a transaction without the Lens in which both parties receive what they genuinely need. The Exchange charges for the advantage you stole. Prove you can close the bargain without it.” “Who judges?” “The mirror.”