Chapter One: The Seventh-to-Last Second

The industrial district had been sealed seven years earlier. "His name is Zhou Jiming, thirty-six, acoustic engineer," Lu Zhi said. "No toxins, no head trauma. Nothing that explains the coma." "You heard what he said?" "He's the third this week." He showed her two emergency records: a teacher who had collapsed in class and a cabdriver who had blacked out at a red light. Both had briefly awakened. Both had said, Don't let her wake. "Why wasn't Psychiatry notified?" "Because one detail never entered the reports." Lu Zhi lowered his voice. "All three hearts stopped for exactly seven seconds." The stairwell lights flickered. Her phone changed from 11:16 to 11:17. The map zoomed by itself toward Pier Seven.