SUBJECT FILE

Guan Tao

The Oath-Keeper

Guan Tao forgives debt. He does not forgive a promise described as flexible.

ArchetypeOath-keeper and corridor defenderAugmentationCrimson heat-dispersal cheek and temple plates with a partial combat frameLocationPeach House, the Undervolt

Overview

Guan Tao reads every promise aloud. Dates. Names. What will happen if the speaker fails. He does this even when the agreement is small. A borrowed filter cartridge receives the same attention as a shelter evacuation. The speaker usually laughs once. Tao waits. The laughter does not survive the silence.

He served as a rail-corridor recovery contractor before the Peach House breach. His job was to clear people after the network cleared their access rights. During one removal he found a family behind a shutter that the work order marked empty. He opened it. The contract system recorded an unauthorized delay and ended his shift allocation. Tao kept the crescent rail-cutter and its serial number. The company still sends recovery notices. He files them beneath the blade.

Liu Shen gives his discipline a humane purpose. Zhang Lei gives it a daily stress test. Tao would die for either man. This is admirable until their safety conflicts with the Peach Compact's duty. He has already shown which promise he will keep first.

Human Premium Services can certify sincerity. Tao asks what the certificate holder will do when keeping faith hurts.

Appearance

Tao has the weathered human face of an older Chinese general. Narrow rising eyes sit beneath heavy brows. Small crimson heat-dispersal plates follow his cheeks and temples without hiding his skin. A black fiber-optic beard falls to his chest and carries small diagnostic lights near its metal clasp. He wears a long green armored coat over repaired transit plating. The coat is clean. The plating is not.

The Green Dragon is taller than he is. Its crescent head once cut power rail and crash laminate. Tao maintains the edge by hand. He left the corporate serial visible because he considers erased ownership a form of lying.

Case File — Additional Record
Age	47

Voice

Tao uses formal sentences and almost no contractions. He repeats a person's exact words when they try to soften them later. Approval is a small nod. Anger is complete stillness. The beard's diagnostic lights go dark before he moves.

He never discusses his first broken oath. Three knots sit near the handle of his oath cord. Two have public names. The oldest does not.

Signature and Tells

His pet peeve is the phrase "I swear" used for emphasis. He stops the speaker and asks whether an oath was intended. This has ended arguments, friendships, and one marriage negotiation. The marriage continued after clearer terms.