Chapter Two: The Seven Seconds Every Camera Forgot

Xu Zhou chose a twenty-four-hour noodle shop opposite the Municipal Video Evidence Center. At five in the morning, they shared it with a floor-cleaning robot. Xu wore a gray uniform jacket. Her hair was shorter than Lin remembered, and a fresh cut crossed her left index finger. She sat down, sealed his phone in an isolation pouch, and skipped every pleasantry. “Chen Wan has been reported missing. You reached the scene seventeen minutes before her son's emergency call. Explain.” Lin slid over his laptop and described the release, the extra memory, the card, and the countdown as if presenting a failure review. Xu did not interrupt until she saw the half footprint on the wall. “Original image?” “Here.” “What did you touch?”