Chapter Four: Viewer Zero

Old Zhou was officially a facilities technician. Twenty years earlier, he had been an investigative reporter. From a steel cabinet he removed tapes labeled with World Cups, Olympics, and presidential debates. Every sponsor belonged to Crown Capital. “Crown doesn't predict the future,” Zhou said, loading a tape. “It assigns attention to it.” Static cleared into a 1998 soda commercial. In the final, an athlete raised a bottle. In a rejected cut, a boy in the stands released a red balloon. The next day, that balloon tangled in a cable outside the stadium. The broadcast failed for eleven seconds, erasing a rival's spot. “An editor like Chen?” Zhixia asked.