Latency windows do not announce their expiration.
They constrict quietly—until one variable forces synchronization.
For the energy storage firm, that variable arrived externally.
A cross-border regulatory bulletin.
Not accusatory.
Not punitive.
Just a notice requesting harmonized disclosure across operating regions.
Routine on paper.
Destabilizing in practice.
Han Zhe forwarded the document within minutes of publication.
"Scope is broader than expected," he said.
"Yes," I replied. "They're being asked to reconcile what they've optimized separately."
Fragmented reporting survives as long as no one demands cohesion.
Cohesion exposes divergence.
Market reaction was restrained but attentive.
A two-point decline.
Analyst notes labeled it "administrative."
Administrative is the first public stage of window closure.
Gu Chengyi called before noon.
"They're internally scrambling," he said. "Compliance teams weren't aligned."
"Of course not."
"Leadership is framing it as temporary."
"They're still inside denial bandwidth."
He exhaled slowly.
"How long until that collapses?"
"Depends on how quickly they request centralized reconciliation."
By evening, a secondary issue surfaced.
An earnings restatement—minor in magnitude, but symbolically significant.
Revenue timing adjustment across two regions.
Insignificant financially.
Critical structurally.
Restatements shrink latency to near-zero.
Han Zhe's tone shifted.
"This is accelerating."
"Yes."
"Do we wait for outreach?"
"No."
This time, waiting would mean entering at exposure stage.
Prevention requires proximity before pressure peaks.
I drafted a brief, direct communication to a board member I'd observed during the earnings call.
Not alarmist.
Not opportunistic.
Just structural.
"You are experiencing jurisdictional desynchronization. Voluntary harmonization now preserves optionality."
Optionality is leverage language.
The response came faster than expected.
"We would value perspective."
That was awareness.
Not full admission.
But proximity.
Gu Chengyi reacted cautiously.
"They'll worry about optics."
"They already have optics risk," I replied. "The question is whether they internalize it."
He didn't disagree.
Within 48 hours, a closed-session board meeting was convened.
Agenda undisclosed publicly.
But trading volatility spiked briefly before settling.
Market participants sensed compression.
They always do.
Han Zhe monitored the signal cascade.
Internal audit requests increasing.
Regional controllers escalating concerns upward.
Legal counsel participating in operational calls.
The latency window was closing visibly now.
I joined the board session as an external observer.
No mandate yet.
Just assessment.
The Chair spoke first.
"We believed decentralization was strategic strength," she said. "We may have underestimated integration risk."
There it was.
Recognition.
Recognition marks the final moment before exposure becomes public narrative.
"You still control timing," I said evenly. "If harmonization precedes enforcement."
A director asked the only question that mattered.
"And if we delay?"
"Then synchronization will not be voluntary."
Silence.
Because they understood.
When the session concluded, no resolution was announced.
But three internal directives were issued immediately:
• Unified revenue recognition standard across jurisdictions
• Accelerated consolidated audit timeline
• Temporary pause on cross-border expansion
Momentum interrupted voluntarily.
The same inflection point as before.
Just closer to the edge.
After the call, Han Zhe summarized in one sentence.
"Window nearly closed."
"Yes," I said. "But not sealed."
This engagement would be narrower.
Faster.
Less forgiving.
Because latency compresses response bandwidth.
Still—
They had chosen alignment before regulatory escalation.
Barely.
Which means prevention remains possible.
But this time—
Margin for error is thin.
And thin margins demand precision.