Gu placed the furnace drawing on the witness table. A red line connected the local barrier to the central command bus. He explained how the design allowed an order from the Registry to reach a valve without a fresh station reading.
“I knew the line could carry a population contract,” he said. “I did not publish the safer version when I first recognized the risk.”
Deng Shu stood from the witness row. He held the folded roster close to his chest. “Could my brother’s station have used a separate release?”
Gu checked the old drawing. “A manual disconnect was possible. The part wasn’t installed in that district.”
“Who denied it?”
Gu named the office and date. “I saw the request. I didn’t keep pressing after the denial.”
Deng looked at the clerk. “Enter both facts. The office’s refusal and Gu’s silence.”
The clerk wrote them down. Gu signed the copy before leaving the table. He did not ask the clerk to soften the language.
