The air in the semifinal lane was cold iron and tension. The neutral hand-bell rang with a clean, untampered tone. Ropes hummed. The scent of wax resin hung over the officials' table. Qin Ye's eyes tracked the maintenance apron as it moved near Lane Two. The toolkit in its pocket bore the same broken circle and chevron. The hand was here. He would pin it before the first step.
---
His boot scuffed the anchor plate bolting the lane to the stone.
[Daily Sign-In available.]
[Location: Lane Two Anchor Plate.]
[Sign-In? Yes / No]
Yes.
[Ding! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: Stride Thread (Lv.1, 20 breaths — damp partner wobble & micro-corrections) + Clerk Beacon (1 use — freeze & snapshot instrument state for 5 breaths; auto-save to log).]
---
Chain-of-Custody Move.
He didn't approach the apron-bearer directly. He addressed the head clerk. "Clause 9.4. Public verification of that toolkit. Two witnesses."
The clerk and Liu Shan stepped forward. The apron-bearer, a man with nervous eyes, was instructed to place the toolkit on the table. He opened it. Inside, among axle caps and shims, was a single micro-weight, identical to the one from the faulty bell.
Qin Ye didn't touch it. "Evidence Seal."
The soft chime sounded. A luminous seal settled over the weight. The ledger timestamped the entry.
The head proctor's voice was sharp. "All assistants will stand clear of the apparatus during the bout. No contact." The procedural trap was sprung. The face-slap was public and silent.
---
Semifinal Begins — Neutral Bell Mode.
The clean bell rang. The segments flowed: mirror baton, duet steps, edge proximity. Instructor Mo's trainees were sharp, their movements a coordinated blade. They began their signature push-call pressure, crowding the rope, creating legal shoulder angles designed to bait a shove or force a judge's reset.
Qin Ye had pre-registered a line. "Parity check on boundary post alignment." The marshal nodded.
As the pressure came, Qin Ye activated the Clerk Beacon. A visible sigil flared on the bell frame and boundary post, freezing their state for five breaths. A snapshot saved to the log. No one could claim drift.
He triggered the Stride Thread. Lin Xiu's slight wobble during a crosswind pulse smoothed into stability. A single thigh tap locked their rhythm to the silent Pulse Counter in his palm.
When the push came, he didn't absorb it. A Quiet Pivot turned the line. His toes stayed a finger's width inside the boundary. A feather-light Blade Nudge with his baton corrected Lin Xiu's angle. Legal. Surgical.
---
Attempted Procedural Wedge.
The lead trainee raised a hand. "Appeal. Non-verbal cue excess. Improper correction during push-call."
The clerk pointed to the placard. "Tactile cues are permitted. The apparatus snapshot shows no contact. Appeal dismissed." The Device Witness log confirmed it.
---
Finish & System Pings.
They closed the lane under the neutral bell's clean ring. The final stamp thudded onto their scorecard. The crowd exhaled as one.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Beat the Push-Call."]
[Reward: +300,000 Spirit Stones; Center Retention +5% (situational).]
[Ding! Paired Application — Semifinal Victory.]
---
Side Quest Progress.
The head proctor approached Qin Ye, his voice low. "The vendor line has been flagged. The chain is escalated." The system acknowledged the progress.
[Ding! Side Quest updated: Trace the Hand (Stage 2 — handler identification pending).]
Qin Ye's eyes noted the apron-bearer's badge number: 47. A human trail.
---
Ending Hook — Finals Posting.
The board updated. Final: Qin Ye & Lin Xiu vs. He-line Flagship Pair ("Echo Step" Duo).
An announcement echoed. "The final will be conducted under Neutral Bell Mode with active Device Witness. Lane assignment will be random draw at call."
The lots tray was brought forward. As it settled on the table, Qin Ye's eyes caught a faint smudge on the felt lining—a partial broken circle, a chevron. The vendor mark.
The hand-bell was spotless; the tray wasn't.