Qiao Wen placed the independent circuit beside the central maintenance schedule at the capital gate map room. He had marked staffing, materials, repair time, and failure points on both drawings.
“The central plan needs fewer operators,” he said. “But it depends on repairs the Registry has not completed. The node plan needs more people and more stones. A local failure can be isolated.”
Wuchen examined the diagram. “Too many separate switches make it impossible to guarantee the province-wide barrier.”
Yan asked, “Is a guarantee meaningful if the districts cannot report local failures before the next surge?”
“Local reports already reach my office.”
Wei pointed to the missing crew records and diverted stone orders. “Some reports did not become repairs.”
Wuchen acknowledged the delays. He said the ceremonial walls had been treated as public safety structures, not decoration. Their work had protected people inside the capital even while the old relays waited.
Qinghe asked him to let local engineers choose one neighborhood for a test. “The residents should choose the site and hold the release cord.”
