"What's that?!" Deacon Feng almost threw his teacup upon reading the blood-red banner. He leaned forward, his usual calm composure shattered as he ordered, "Open it. Hurry up!"
Zong Rushi trembled and meekly nodded, his finger hovering over the glowing title. He was about to tap it, to reveal the contents of the ominous thread that had silenced the entire hall.
However, just as he was about to access the thread, something happened.
KSSHK!
The vibrant holographic interface flickered erratically, the text and images dissolving into a chaotic storm of digital static. Before anyone could process the malfunction, the projection cracked like a pane of glass, shattering into a thousand fading motes of light.
In its place, a single, final message materialized, written in cold, impersonal script.
[Detected hostile elements in your vicinity. For the security of all patrons, this Viewing Jade's network access has been permanently revoked. Have a convenient day.]
