00:00
A bead of blood pauses on the pen tip like a frozen second hand.
All three freeze; rain does their breathing for them.
She stops the count at "three."
Suddenly the ship's horn blares—
a searchlight slashes the deck, white and brutal.
Loudspeaker, robotic female:
"All passengers to the main deck—now."
Her wrist flicks; the bloodline rolls down her neck but doesn't break skin.
The window opens.
00:30
Main deck packed with black suits, identical "QG" badges.
A woman in a silver half-mask steps forward, voice iced:
"Tonight's surprise lot: a living heartbeat."
She raises a hand; the giant screen shows a real-time ECG—
Lot 00: Chen Yanxi
Opening bid: 0.5 BTC
Each raise: one heartbeat.
She looks at the three men, eyes like newly-sharpened knives.
"Want to play? Bid together."
01:00
Rules are cruel:
Buyers may raise once, and must have their pulse measured on the spot.
Shen Yan takes the chair first—sensor clips to his finger.
Screen: 58 bpm flat.
"Fifty-eight," he says.
Fei Ye rolls up his sleeve, veins bulging—98 bpm spikes.
"Ninety-eight."
Qi Si last—cool fingertip, steady 72.
"Seventy-two."
She plucks the sensor, clamps it to her own.
The line goes flat—dead horizontal.
The deck hushes.
She lifts the pen, presses the tip to her carotid.
"I bid zero."
The auctioneer freezes.
A beat later the flatline rockets skyward—
she drives the pen in; blood sprays the screen.
The ECG explodes.
Softly: "Sold."
01:15
Security rushes the stage—one look from her nails them in place.
The loudspeaker stutters, as if jammed.
044's cold mechanical voice blooms in her ear:
[System restart complete]
[New feature: Heartbeat Override]
[Admin privileges granted]
She lowers her gaze; a crimson bead rolls off her finger, painless.
Admin unlocked, world muted.
01:30
The horn sounds again—course reversed.
Final broadcast:
"Congratulations to the new administrator of Queen's Gambit."
She turns to the three men, voice softer than breath:
"From now on, I write the rules."
Shen Yan smiles.
Fei Ye licks blood from his lip.
Qi Si inclines his head.
The rain stops; dawn is near.
And her heartbeat, for the first time, is the only drum in the room.