Chapter Five: Believers Share the Weight

Engines sounded beyond the ruins. Two gray recovery vehicles broke through the fence, bearing unmarked balances. Their cranes reached for the lock as if its location had been known all along. Lu shoved the cart toward a drain. Qiao swung his truck across the path. “Light Freight House handles cargo, not lives,” he shouted. “Starting today, that rule has one exception.” The first vehicle struck him. His phone flew through the windshield and embedded itself in the hood. Its screen showed a message from his daughter: DAD, I GOT MY COWORKERS INTO HENGYUAN TOO. YOU SAID THIS ONE WAS SAFE. Belief-weight came not only from believing, but from making others believe. Qiao’s burden was far greater than an ordinary investor’s.