Wei asked the three soldiers to tell him what they remembered about the forms before he showed them the official wording. Mao Lin said he thought the paper approved an extra meal allowance. Gao had been promised winter boots and believed his mark confirmed the size. Shen Yu remembered an aide saying the sheet covered standard company supplies.
None had known that the Commander’s Harvest Formation would take their future cultivation.
Wei read the clause aloud in plain language. The commander would gain access to the soldiers’ later progress. Mao listened without moving. Gao took out the receipt for his boots and placed it beside the order.
“The receipt says winter boots,” he said. “The form says we gave away years.”
“That’s right.”
Mao asked whether the transfer could be stopped later. Wei pointed to the formation map, where each soldier’s qi joined the central seal. “Once it’s active, the formation takes what it has claimed. There’s no return channel.”
“Can we challenge the order?” Gao asked.
“I’m going to ask the general.”
