The council did not vote.
They adjusted language.
The Statement
A prepared message appeared on the screen, revised in real time.
The council acknowledges the operational effectiveness of Dr. Lin Chen's interventions under extraordinary circumstances.
The words were careful.
Effective.
Extraordinary.
Circumstances.
Every term a boundary.
Not Approval—Containment
Dr. Hart read it once, then again.
"They're not endorsing you," he murmured.
"They're isolating you."
Lin Chen nodded.
"That's still acknowledgment."
The Conditions
Another clause followed.
Future actions must include council visibility and post-event review.
Visibility.
Not permission.
A concession disguised as oversight.
System Log
[System Log: Authority Status — Partially Recognized.]
[Constraint Layer — Introduced.]
The system adjusted parameters.
No protest.
It had learned something too.
Lin Chen's Response
"I accept review," Lin Chen said evenly.
"Not delay."
The distinction mattered.
The council did not object.
They couldn't.
A Quiet Win
The hearing moved forward.
No longer a trial.
Now a negotiation.
Lin Chen sat back.
Not satisfied.
But no longer cornered.
End of Chapter