At 11:15 PM, the sliding glass doors at MinusMart automatically swung open. The man who walked into the store bypassed the magazines, coffee machines, and every other reason people might enter a convenience store at this hour. He headed straight for Soren.A fluorescent light reflected off the seam in his dark suit jacket—the suit was professionally tailored and purchased with government funds. This was a man at Level 67. Soren didn’t need to use Appraisal to determine this—it was as obvious as knowing a person’s height or the color of their eyes. This was the kind of level earned by facing real dangers over many years, not by merely working on spreadsheets.He wasn't shopping or pretending to. He simply waited, condensation forming on the inside of the freezer glass between him and Soren, until Soren acknowledged him.Soren continued checking inventory: they were running low on Matcha Ice Cream, and Melon Bars had been misplaced. These were items Soren could correct."Valdris-san," he said.He took the misfiled red bean ice cream from the wrong shelf and returned it to its proper place.“Director Tanaka. W.I.D.” He paused—very efficient, very professional. "Workplace Integration Division. I am assuming you are familiar with why I have come."It had been approximately three days since Soren realized they would be able to track him down, based on the cameras documenting his special talent for managing gas leaks in the parking lot."I'm not surprised," Soren said. "You're not." Tanaka's tone was flat. "Most people would be." "You walk like the government." Tanaka paused. "And you don't walk like a convenience store clerk.Soren reached into the freezer and retrieved two containers of matcha ice cream from the bottom shelf. He handed one of the containers to Tanaka.Tanaka (...)