Chapter Four: The Boy Who Remembered the Score

In the ninth minute, an irrelevant throw-in made North Seven applaud. The cap marked 071936 warmed in Zhou Mi's palm. “The middle pair says nineteen.” At nineteen minutes, the away striker was fouled. Before the whistle, North Seven rose as one. Zhou pointed beneath the scoreboard. “Relay indicator thirty-six flashed.” The code was proven. 07 named the zone; 19, the minute of an emotional peak; 36, a pulse channel in the control system. Together they specified one wave to feed the array. Scores, controversies, and equalizers compressed opposing feelings into one desire: again—do not let it end. “Then stop the match,” Zhou said. At twenty-three minutes, Lin Xi broke a fire alarm.