The complete key ring arrived before noon. Luo brought with it a written order allowing a supervised outer inspection, limited to the entry chamber. No candidate was required to enter, and no score would be given.
Gu read the order twice. “It says outer chamber only.”
“And we stop at the first sign of danger,” Luo said. “We can close the door from inside or outside?”
“Outside, if the key turns freely.” Gu examined the old iron key. “I’ll go first. Yan, follow only if you choose.”
Yan looked at the rope line. Wei had counted everyone and marked pairs on the roster. “I’ll stay close enough to see the threshold,” he said. “If the count changes, I call it.”
Yan had his own dressed hand, but the scrape only pulled when he clenched too hard.
“Don’t use the wrapped palm to brace the door,” Gu said.
“I won’t.”
