diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 77b6cc9..bbff6dc 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@
 .pen-note{position:absolute;right:16px;bottom:10px;font-family:var(--hand);font-size:20px;line-height:1.1;color:var(--red);opacity:0;transition:opacity .28s ease .3s;pointer-events:none;white-space:nowrap}
 .pen-note--a{transform:rotate(-1.6deg)}
 .pen-note--b{transform:rotate(-2.9deg)}
-.pen-note--c{transform:rotate(-3.4deg)}
 .pen-note--d{transform:rotate(-1.9deg)}
 .pen-note--e{transform:rotate(-0.5deg)}
 .lab:hover .pen-note,.lab:focus-within .pen-note{opacity:.92}
@@ -227,6 +226,7 @@
 .lab__links{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:4px 28px;margin-top:auto;padding-top:14px}
 .lab__links .lab__go{margin-top:0;padding-top:0}
 .lab__go--alt{position:relative;z-index:1}
+.lab--private{grid-column:1/-1}
 .lab--private .lab__go{color:var(--soft)}
 .also{margin-top:28px;font-size:16px}
 .also a{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;min-height:44px}
@@ -465,15 +465,8 @@ <h3><a href="/beijing-loop/">Beijing — Endless <span class="ul" data-ink="1">S
         <span class="pen-note pen-note--b" aria-hidden="true">one take</span>
       </li>
       <li class="lab" data-ruled>
-        <p class="lab__n"><span class="mono">Exp. 03 · Cloudflare Workers</span><span class="mono">live demo</span></p>
-        <h3><a href="https://open-ledger.brickerp.workers.dev"><span class="ul" data-ink="2">open-ledger</span></a></h3>
-        <p class="lab__fact">Every fill hash-chained into an append-only ledger · verify it in the browser</p>
-        <span class="lab__go">Open the ledger ↗</span>
-        <span class="pen-note pen-note--c" aria-hidden="true">verify it yourself</span>
-      </li>
-      <li class="lab" data-ruled>
-        <p class="lab__n"><span class="mono">Exp. 04 · public skill · MIT</span><span class="mono">Cookiy AI</span></p>
-        <h3><a href="https://github.com/cookiy-ai/user-research-skill"><span class="ul" data-ink="3">user-research-skill</span></a></h3>
+        <p class="lab__n"><span class="mono">Exp. 03 · public skill · MIT</span><span class="mono">Cookiy AI</span></p>
+        <h3><a href="https://github.com/cookiy-ai/user-research-skill"><span class="ul" data-ink="2">user-research-skill</span></a></h3>
         <p class="lab__fact">1.5k+ GitHub stars · the open-source skill that gives Claude, Codex, Cursor and OpenClaw end-to-end user research</p>
         <div class="lab__links">
           <span class="lab__go">user-research-skill on GitHub ↗</span>
@@ -482,14 +475,14 @@ <h3><a href="https://github.com/cookiy-ai/user-research-skill"><span class="ul"
         <span class="pen-note pen-note--d" aria-hidden="true">read the source</span>
       </li>
       <li class="lab lab--private" data-ruled>
-        <p class="lab__n"><span class="mono">Exp. 05 · private · Baidu MeDo</span><span class="mono">not public</span></p>
-        <h3>Agent platform &amp; <span class="ul" data-ink="4">revenue backend</span></h3>
+        <p class="lab__n"><span class="mono">Exp. 04 · private · Baidu MeDo</span><span class="mono">not public</span></p>
+        <h3>Agent platform &amp; <span class="ul" data-ink="3">revenue backend</span></h3>
         <p class="lab__fact"><span class="redact" role="img" aria-label="6,750,000">█,███,███</span> ledger entries reconciled in the overseas billing migration</p>
         <a class="lab__go" href="/resume.pdf">Details in the resume →</a>
         <span class="pen-note pen-note--e" aria-hidden="true">ask me about this</span>
       </li>
     </ol>
-    <p class="also">Also: <a href="https://ledger-mcp.brickerp.workers.dev">ledger-mcp ↗</a>&nbsp;· <a href="/about/">full programme →</a>&nbsp;· <a href="/resume.pdf">resume (PDF)</a></p>
+    <p class="also">Also: <a href="/about/">full programme →</a>&nbsp;· <a href="/resume.pdf">resume (PDF)</a></p>
   </div>
 </section>
 
@@ -562,7 +555,7 @@ <h3>Agent platform &amp; <span class="ul" data-ink="4">revenue backend</span></h
 
 <section id="contact" class="sec contact" aria-labelledby="contact-h">
   <div class="wrap">
-    <header class="sec-h"><span class="mono">§3 · Contact</span><h2 id="contact-h">Exp. 06 — your project</h2></header>
+    <header class="sec-h"><span class="mono">§3 · Contact</span><h2 id="contact-h">Exp. 05 — your project</h2></header>
     <p class="contact__sub">I work on agent tool use, streaming and real-time backends, billing systems, and the tests and operational checks that keep them reliable.</p>
     <aside class="status-card" data-ruled aria-label="Status and terms">
       <p class="mono">Status · 2026</p>
diff --git a/scripts/verify-static.mjs b/scripts/verify-static.mjs
index a1b4115..b39daf5 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-static.mjs
+++ b/scripts/verify-static.mjs
@@ -510,16 +510,16 @@ assert.match(rootHtml, /id=["']pendulum-burst["']/, 'index.html: the burst layer
 assert.match(rootHtml, /id=["']notebook-stamp["']/, 'index.html: the live stamp must exist');
 assert.match(rootHtml, /id=["']notebook-page["']/, 'index.html: the visit counter must exist');
 assert.match(pendulumSvg, /id=["']pendulum-burst["']/, 'index.html: the burst layer stays inside Fig. 1');
-// The reader's pen: one underlined key phrase per lab entry, five hands that
+// The reader's pen: one underlined key phrase per lab entry, four hands that
 // must not repeat, drawn in real pixels (never a stretched viewBox), and
 // the lab entry's whole-card link must stay whole.
 const pensSource = await text('src/pens.ts');
 assert.match(pendulumSource, /from\s+['"]\.\/pens['"]/, 'src/pendulum.ts: must boot the reader\'s pen');
 const inkSpans = [...rootHtml.matchAll(/class=["']ul["'][^>]*data-ink=["'](\d+)["']/g)].map((match) => match[1]);
-assert.deepEqual(inkSpans, ['0', '1', '2', '3', '4'], 'index.html: every lab entry needs its underlined phrase, in order');
+assert.deepEqual(inkSpans, ['0', '1', '2', '3'], 'index.html: every lab entry needs its underlined phrase, in order');
 const inkSeeds = [...pensSource.matchAll(/seed:\s*(\d+)/g)].map((match) => match[1]);
-assert.equal(inkSeeds.length, 10, 'src/pens.ts: five hands, two strokes each');
-assert.equal(new Set(inkSeeds).size, 10, 'src/pens.ts: no two strokes may share a seed');
+assert.equal(inkSeeds.length, 8, 'src/pens.ts: four hands, two strokes each');
+assert.equal(new Set(inkSeeds).size, 8, 'src/pens.ts: no two strokes may share a seed');
 assert.doesNotMatch(pensSource, /vector-effect|non-scaling-stroke/, 'src/pens.ts: pen strokes must not rely on non-scaling strokes');
 assert.match(
   rootHtml,
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ assert.match(plateSource, /IntersectionObserver/, 'src/plate.ts: the plate plays
 const rulingSource = await text('src/ruling.ts');
 assert.match(pendulumSource, /from\s+['"]\.\/ruling['"]/, 'src/pendulum.ts: must boot the hand-drawn rulings');
 assert.ok(
-  (rootHtml.match(/\bdata-ruled\b/g) ?? []).length >= 8,
+  (rootHtml.match(/\bdata-ruled\b/g) ?? []).length >= 7,
   'index.html: the plate, every lab entry, the margin note and the status card must carry data-ruled',
 );
 assert.match(rootHtml, /\.ruling__frame\{[^}]*animation:ruling-boil/, 'index.html: rulings must boil in stepped frames');
@@ -579,10 +579,10 @@ assert.doesNotMatch(
   'src/paper.ts: the ink mark and the K splash are retired',
 );
 
-// Contact: the status card replaced the red checks, and Exp. 06 keeps the story.
+// Contact: the status card replaced the red checks, and Exp. 05 keeps the story.
 assert.match(rootHtml, /class=["']status-card["']/, 'index.html: #contact must print the status card');
 assert.doesNotMatch(rootHtml, /class=["']contact__list["']/, 'index.html: the red checklist must be gone');
-assert.match(rootHtml, /Exp\. 06 — your project/, 'index.html: the contact title must keep the Exp. 06 story');
+assert.match(rootHtml, /Exp\. 05 — your project/, 'index.html: the contact title must keep the Exp. 05 story');
 
 // The page's spine: the three floors stated once at the top, and the two
 // exhibits that carry their own entry context.
@@ -627,6 +627,7 @@ for (const [, href, label] of rootHtml.matchAll(/<a\b[^>]*href=["']([^"']+)["'][
 assert.match(rootHtml, /<h3><a href="https:\/\/github\.com\/cookiy-ai\/user-research-skill">/, 'index.html: the Cookiy entry must open user-research-skill, its most-starred public repository');
 assert.doesNotMatch(rootHtml, /npmjs\.com\/package\/cookiy/, 'index.html: the Cookiy entry must not stop at a package page');
 assert.doesNotMatch(rootHtml, /href=["']\/hire\/["']/, 'index.html: /hire/ only redirects back to #contact and must not be linked from the homepage');
+assert.doesNotMatch(rootHtml, /open-ledger|ledger-mcp/, 'index.html: the retired ledger Workers must not be linked from the homepage');
 
 // Fig. 2: a seeded random process with a stop rule, measured over 999
 // futures — canvases for the drawing, the numbers printed from the sim,
diff --git a/src/pens.ts b/src/pens.ts
index 326666d..cf0d1ae 100644
--- a/src/pens.ts
+++ b/src/pens.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
  *
  * Each entry gets one key phrase underlined by two strokes, the way a
  * reader marks a textbook: a pressured centre line with tapered ends and
- * ragged edges, then a thinner second pass a beat later. The five hands
- * are deliberately unlike one another — confident, slipped, looped, lazy,
+ * ragged edges, then a thinner second pass a beat later. The four hands
+ * are deliberately unlike one another — confident, slipped, lazy,
  * hesitant. Strokes are filled shapes revealed in stepped frames (a few
  * chunks of ink at a time, stop-motion style) on hover or focus.
  * Decorative: aria-hidden, pointer-transparent, drawn in real pixels so
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ interface Hand {
   hook?: number;
   /** A flick as the pen lifts. */
   flick?: number;
-  /** A small curl as the pen leaves. */
-  loop?: boolean;
   /** Draw only the trailing share of the phrase. */
   frac?: number;
 }
@@ -57,17 +55,12 @@ const HANDS: ReadonlyArray<readonly [Hand, Hand]> = [
     { seed: 23, from: -2, to: 6, y: 5.6, tilt: 1.6, amp: 0.9, tremble: 0.2, w: 3.2, floor: 0.22, flick: 1.2 },
     { seed: 24, from: 10, to: -3, y: 12.6, tilt: -1.4, amp: 0.8, tremble: 0.3, w: 2.2, floor: 0.2 },
   ],
-  // 2 · open-ledger — wavy, and the second pass leaves with a curl
-  [
-    { seed: 35, from: -5, to: 4, y: 5.4, tilt: 0.4, amp: 1.5, tremble: 0.5, w: 2.8, floor: 0.3, hook: 0.8 },
-    { seed: 36, from: 6, to: -8, y: 11.4, tilt: -0.6, amp: 1.1, tremble: 0.4, w: 2.0, floor: 0.28, loop: true },
-  ],
-  // 3 · cookiy-mcp — one long stroke, then a lazy half of a second
+  // 2 · user-research-skill — one long stroke, then a lazy half of a second
   [
     { seed: 47, from: -3, to: 14, y: 5.0, tilt: -0.4, amp: 0.6, tremble: 0.2, w: 3.3, floor: 0.18 },
     { seed: 48, from: 0, to: -2, y: 11.0, tilt: 0.9, amp: 0.5, tremble: 0.35, w: 2.0, floor: 0.3, frac: 0.55 },
   ],
-  // 4 · revenue backend — private work, the least certain hand
+  // 3 · revenue backend — private work, the least certain hand
   [
     { seed: 59, from: -2, to: 2, y: 5.6, tilt: 0.8, amp: 1.7, tremble: 1.1, w: 2.4, floor: 0.45, hook: 1.2 },
     { seed: 60, from: 8, to: -4, y: 11.8, tilt: -0.8, amp: 1.4, tremble: 1.2, w: 1.8, floor: 0.4, frac: 0.4 },
@@ -95,13 +88,6 @@ function stroke(width: number, hand: Hand, start: number): string {
       hand.w * (hand.floor + (1 - hand.floor) * pressure) * (0.9 + 0.2 * random()),
     ]);
   }
-  if (hand.loop) {
-    const [ex, ey] = pts[pts.length - 1]!;
-    for (let k = 1; k <= 14; k += 1) {
-      const t = (k / 14) * Math.PI * 2 * 0.92;
-      pts.push([ex + Math.sin(t) * 4.2 + k * 0.25, ey - (1 - Math.cos(t)) * 3.1, hand.w * 0.46]);
-    }
-  }
   const top: Array<[number, number]> = [];
   const bottom: Array<[number, number]> = [];
   for (let i = 0; i < pts.length; i += 1) {