After she's confronted by a disturbing Muertian refugee VR experience, Jianwen programs Empathium, a new type of cryptocurrency that allows people to donate directly to other people, bypassing the need for charities. The existence of Empathium disrupts the flow of donations to the charity Refugees Without Borders, which is administered in part by Jianwen's old roomate Sophia. On the basis of "if you can't beat them, join them, then beat them from the inside", Sophia enters Refugees Without Borders into the Empathium system with the eventual goal of seizing control of the platform via the Emp points awarded to users who back popularly supported causes. Jianwen, however, anticipated this outcome, and immediately allows VR experiences onto the platform. Just as the VR swayed her choices, it sways the funding choices of everyone on the platform, keeping control of the funding out of the hands of the big charities, and directing money away from American-favouring causes and towards lesser-known issues like Jianwen's pet cause, the Muertian refugees. This strips Refugees Without Borders of much of the Emp points it has accumulated, weakening its power in the system. Sophia responds by travelling to Muertian to look for evidence that will discredit the refugees as troublesome rebels. She is caught and wounded by the rebels, and rescued by none other than Jianwen. They argue over the ethics of their different forms of empathy, and Sophia reveals that she recorded her entire brutal experience at the hands of the rebels, which both women know will reverse the sympathy for them on the Empathium platform. The two will never agree: one believes in empathy as a tool for advancing fair and rational decisions; the other sees empathy as valuable in itself, and a great driver of justice and change. Ultimately, the controversial VRs compel China to send troops to protect the rebels. And the users of the Empathium network move on to other diversions.