Chapter Four: The Nameless Man

Inside Number Seven stood a broadcast recorder from Baiyu Station. Cheng opened it and found a duty tape. First came nineteen-year-old Cheng Yao's voice: “Ge, I'm inside.” Then another Cheng answered, “Don't wait for him. I'll take you aboard.” Zero had existed before her disappearance. An elderly stationmaster asked on the tape, “What will you trade for passage?” “My name,” Zero replied. “From now on, let everyone recognize only me.” At 2:02, the recorder produced a blank ticket. The fourth appointment was complete. Cheng became solid, and Xu Man remembered his face—but not his name. Mother called outside, repeating “Cheng Du” until her voice sounded like a stranger's. When Cheng reached the alley, only Zero waited in the rain.