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Chapter 132: Scales and Variables The bus stopped at the entrance to town. The engine died. The tailpipe let out one last breath of black smoke. Lin Chen lifted his schoolbag. His left foot touched the ground. The scabb...
Chapter 131: Paper and Compensation The tip of the pencil scraped across the answer sheet. A dry rustle. Like spring silkworms chewing leaves. Lin Chen's gaze locked onto the first multiple choice question. A long promp...
Chapter 130: The Scale and the Margin 8:42. The minibus rolled over the speed bump at the provincial capital's passenger station, and the whole body of the vehicle dropped hard. Lin Chen opened his eyes. The digital clo...
Chapter 129: Negative Five and the Scale The bench outside the Academic Affairs Office was made of sheet metal, its surface coated with a thin layer of condensation. Lin Chen sat at the very edge, his back pressed again...
Chapter 126: Tick Marks and the Red Seal The fog had not yet fully lifted. The bluestone road had drunk its fill of night dew, and it was slightly slick underfoot. Lin Chen shifted his balance, pressing his weight onto...
Chapter 125: Marks and Echoes The repair shop smelled of machine oil and old metal. The owner set down his soldering iron and took the old radio Lin Chen handed over. Its casing was dark gray plastic, the knob a little...
Chapter 124: Scales and the Exam Hall There was no warmth in the boiler room at night. Wind squeezed through the cracks in the broken window, carrying the smell of coal dust and damp earth. Lin Chen leaned against the b...
Chapter 122: Scales and Gates 7:42 a.m. The coach’s tires rolled over the last speed bump, the whole vehicle jolted hard, and it pulled to a stop at the back gate of the county bus station. Lin Chen opened his eyes. A t...
Chapter 120: Outliers and Manual Review The terrazzo floor of the corridor radiated the damp chill of winter. Lin Chen leaned against the wall, his breathing gradually steadying. He looked down at his left foot. After t...
Chapter 119: Zero Tolerance The jolting inside the cargo bed was harsher than he had expected. Pellets of snow struck the tin canopy overhead in a dense dry rustle. Lin Chen held the document pouch against his chest. Th...
Chapter 115: Scale and Frost The 11:00 minibus pulled into the station right on time. Lin Chen dragged his left foot as he stepped aboard. The coin slot only accepted coins, so he handed over a twenty cent paper bill. T...
Chapter 107: Scale Marks and Gaps Early the next morning, the academic affairs office was still closed. Lin Chen leaned against the radiator at the end of the corridor, his left foot raised, his right planted on the flo...