Stratagems #21: The AI Thought P Was Still Alive. P Was Already Gone.

Keep the shell. Preserve the presence. The ally doesn't suspect; the enemy doesn't move.

— The 36 Stratagems, Slough off the Cicada's Golden Shell

Previously on this series:

#19: Mark Found His AI Audit Method in a Training Manual. He Left a Trap in His Report. — P confirmed Mark's report was read from a Singapore IP. A note was left: "Entry's gone. Two weeks. Don't reach out. I'll find you."

#20: Alex Felt the AI Collector Slow Down. He Knew Someone Else Had Made a Move. — ACL's processing latency climbed abnormally. Someone had done something in the same time window.