The Cannon Fodder Refuses to Leave Midnight

Su Yan grips a sealed phone in his locker while the last train line goes dark outside. The station noise is gone, but the city still presses on him like a closed fist. He works cases by watching people the way a beekeeper watches a hive, reading tiny moves, split loyalties, and the moment a crowd turns as one. That makes him useful and dangerous inside a giant company where every floor hides a different kind of witness. He keeps an old company badge from a former colleague and a retirement-fund slip with the founder's double seal, because both may matter more than his police file. Lin Qiao is the only person who sees how hard he is trying to stay honest. Su Yan can survive pressure. What he ...