The news broke at noon, but this time, it had a different headline.
I was on the couch, phone in hand, scrolling through social media with the kind of blank expression that suggested complete disinterest.
The television was on in the background—some cooking show Xu Zhenlan had left running before disappearing into his study. The host was explaining the proper way to fold dumplings.
Then the program cut to a breaking news alert.
I didn't look up immediately. Just kept scrolling, my thumb moving across the screen in lazy swipes. But I was listening.
"—reports coming in from across the city of what authorities are calling a coordinated theft operation of unprecedented scale—"
My thumb stopped moving.
"—hundreds of stores affected overnight. Pharmacies, grocery stores, supply shops, hardware retailers. In each case, security systems remained intact. Doors were locked. No signs of forced entry. And yet—"
