Chapter Four: Lies Grow Legs

The director said nothing. Millions of comments pressed him like a kettle nearing boil. Gu Ye raised a hand. "I'll borrow ten seconds of urgency." The comments kept moving, but their demand to be obeyed vanished. In those ten seconds, the director looked at the fish and said, "Thirteen centimeters. Found three months ago and reinforced. Tonight the water is two meters below the safety line." No lie emerged. The second warning was false too. Relief curdled into anger. NEVER BELIEVE A THIRD TIME trended. People made comedy compilations of evacuees falling down. Others promised they would not leave their mahjong tables for warning number three. Four hours remained.