The hatch to Annex B hissed open. Colder air washed over them, carrying a sharp tang of solvent and ozone. The sodium lights hummed at a higher pitch. The footfalls of the "Supervisor" behind them didn't match the precise cadence of a proctor. His badge LED stuttered again, a frantic, silent pulse.
Qin Ye executed a Quiet Pivot, a minute adjustment that re-squared their triad formation. "Public route parity. Clause 3.2," he stated, the words a blade cutting the tension.
His hand brushed the steel hinge of the hatch.
[Daily Sign-In available.]
[Location: Annex B Hatch Hinge.]
[Sign-In? Yes / No]
Yes.
[Ding! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: Annex Thread (Lv.1, 25 breaths — highlight lawful service paths & audit benches) + Custody Ping (1 use — auto-page nearest proctor with your live Device Witness feed & node coordinates).]
---
False Supervisor Probe.
The man gestured to a shrouded workstation. "The closed bench is prepared for this classification."
The Supervisor Echo Lock, still active within its twenty-breath window, mirrored the key's signal. The hash mismatch flared red again in Qin Ye's perception.
"Legacy key. Hash mismatch. Public verification required." A proctor's stamp hit the log. They kept moving, the argument dismissed before it could begin.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "No Reroute, No Stall."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Appeal Resistance +2% (situational).]
---
Annex B Corridor: Twin Obstacles.
A heavy wheeled cylinder and a swinging service arm moved in concert, attempting to box them in.
Qin Ye and Lin Xiu flowed into a Shadow Duet Step, their bodies slipping through the narrowing gap as one. A subtle Blade Nudge from Qin Ye's baton corrected Yue Hong's line without touching the apparatus, guiding him through. As they passed, Qin Ye's eyes caught a half-torn work-order chit wedged in a floor grate: "Proc-Sub2 / Lot M…" A tiny smear of the Null Crest ink gleamed beside it.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Hold Formation Through Twin Gate."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Squad Coordination +3% (situational).]
---
Chamber: Audit Bench vs. Closed Bench.
Two benches sat side-by-side. One was open, marked as a Public Audit Bench. The other was screened, a Closed Bench. The "Supervisor" gestured firmly to the closed one.
Qin Ye ignored him. He tapped the plate on the Audit Bench. The Device Witness orb logged the action: "Public bench engaged." He activated the Annex Thread. A faint glow illuminated the lawful path, culminating at the public bench.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Public Bench, Public Log."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Procedural Presence +1 (situational).]
---
Evidence Bite.
On the audit bench lay a stamp pad, its surface holding the distinct residue of the Null Crest. Beside it was a micro-shim, its burr a perfect match to earlier finds.
"Evidence Seal," Qin Ye called, his stride never breaking. As he advanced, maintaining the squad's forward momentum and line-of-sight, Lin Xiu seamlessly applied the luminous seals to the items, the chimes echoing their steps.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Seal While Moving."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Chain Continuity +1 (situational).]
---
Legacy Key Gambit & Custody Ping.
The "Supervisor" moved to a wall panel, attempting a legacy-key lockdown on the corridor doors. The Echo Lock mirrored the command again. The hash displayed a third, distinct variance—another concrete clue.
Qin Ye triggered the Custody Ping.
A clear tone rang through the annex. A voice followed from a proctor's comm: "Live feed and coordinates received. En route." The public audit status was forcibly reinstated. A stamp hit the log from the arriving proctor. Momentum preserved.
---
Tri-Confirm Gate & Yue Hong Beat.
A console requiring three simultaneous palm-confirms blocked their path. Qin Ye and Lin Xiu placed their hands without hesitation. Yue Hong's hand hovered, his eyes flicking toward the closed bench.
Qin Ye didn't speak. A single tap of his thigh and a Silent Step that opened a safe angle gave Yue Hong the line he needed. His palm came down. Three green lights flared. The gate unlocked.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Tri Confirm Under Pressure."]
[Reward: +200,000 Spirit Stones; Duo/Trio Timing +2% (situational).]
---
Climax: Identity Nick & Roll Forward.
The Device Witness orb, panning across the scene, caught the "Supervisor's" badge face-on for a single frame. The number etched on it did not match the ID engraved on his chest plate.
He made a final, desperate play. "Safety reset! All movement halt!"
"Clause 8.1. Reset requires logged cause," Qin Ye cited, the squad already flowing past him in a series of Quiet Pivots. No contact. No stall.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Refuse the Safety Reset."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Center Retention +3% (situational).]
---
Ending.
The Integration Timer pulsed in his vision. Ninety breaths remained.
The final corridor opened into a chamber dominated by two consoles. The left was labeled "Registry Bind," the right, "Route Parity Finalize." A panel above them flashed: "Bind under challenge — supervisor override pending."
From the corridor behind them came a new set of footsteps—crisp, authoritative, with the unmistakable cadence of a real proctor. The figure who stepped into the light wore a Supervisor's robe of a different, more official cut.
Two consoles waited like twin blades, and only one would cut clean.
[Ding! Integration Timer — 90 breaths remain.]