Chapter Four: The Honest Trap

The second root pointed to the East Suburb garage, an altered mileage record, and bus 317. He sent the recording to Zhou Mo with one line: Help me ask the questions where everyone can hear them. At nine, Zhou Mo posted an interview on a local forum under his school-paper account. “Can the transit company guarantee that bus 317 passed inspection?” He accused no one. He merely published a vehicle number and two questions. Ten minutes later, the company’s official account replied: “Every vehicle is maintained to the highest standard. There are no safety hazards.” It was a lie, preserved by thousands of readers. At noon, an emergency inspection conducted before news cameras found a deliberate cut in 317’s brake line. The transfer officer vanished.