“Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves, you lazy pig!” a chef dressed in spotless white clothes shouted at Zi Han as he dumped another stack of greasy plates into the sink. “I want them all crystal clean. No scratches or spots, or you’re getting nothing for overtime. Do you hear me?”“Understood, sir,” Zi Han replied as he resumed scrubbing the dishes without daring to look at his boss.The chef, however, did not seem too pleased. “It’s ‘chef’, not ‘sir’, you uneducated peasant!”“Yes...yes chef. I will get the job done,” Zi Han stuttered, bowing his head in submission.As the chef strutted off, muttering more insulting remarks, Zi Han could only curse at him inwardly, but he dared not speak up directly.Zi Han was a lean, twenty-one-year-old college student who used to work as a dishwasher at ‘The Oriental Delights’ on the weekdays to supplement his meager income as a pizza delivery guy.Every day after college, he would go straight to the restaurant and prepare for another ro

As the clock struck one, Zi Han was awakened by the rumbling clouds that showered the streets with rain. Feeling the cold water splashing on his face, he slowly clambered back to his feet and sat down on the pavement.Zi Han’s bloodied face with the broken nose reflected in the dirty puddle of water in front of him. He truly looked like a vagrant who had no place to go.The night had started off with him getting ridiculed at the restaurant and being fired by his boss, and the downward spiral continued with Miranda cheating on him and kicking him out of her apartment.It took Zi Han a few minutes to get his bearings straight, after which he realized it wasn’t a good idea to be sitting on the pavement at this hour since the streets would be deserted soon, and he wouldn’t be able to find a ride home.“Ahh, shit. I forgot to recharge my phone!” Zi Han hastily pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and opened his inbox. There were two unread messages, both from his stepfather. He quick

The bracelet tied around Zi Han’s wrist reminded him of a mysterious past. But it all felt like a forgotten dream, and he could barely believe his strange visions.Still in two minds about whom to trust, Zi Han looked around him like a helpless hare caught in a snare.“What is going on with me? Why do I see faces I can’t even remember?” he asked in a quivering voice, his breathing shallow and fractured. “I swear I am just an orphan. I can’t be any Great Dragon. You are making a mistake.”Dongxiang hastily unbuttoned Zi Han’s left sleeve and pulled his hand. “Then how do you explain this?” he asked, pointing at the dragon-wing scar glowing on Zi Han’s wrist. “This is the mark of the dragon.”Zi Han’s heart raced inside his chest as he tried to make sense of his present situation. Although it was an uncommon scar, he had always dismissed it as a birthmark.But he could find no explanation for the shocking memories swimming before his eyes. He had never met those people in his life, yet t

Zi Han drove off with Zhen Lee in his personal Range Rover and headed down Qingcheng Boulevard, taking the underpass to save time. After a thirty-minute drive, they finally reached Majing Square, where Zi Han ordered Zhen Lee to stop the car.The car rolled to a smooth halt outside a small pizzeria with the words ‘Uncle Sam’s Pizza’ scribbled on its display board.Zi Han stepped out of the vehicle alone and ordered Zhen Lee and his men to stay put.As he entered the pizzeria, he was immediately greeted by its owner, Ryler Smith. “Oh, thank God you’re back. I was worried you might skip today, and we are already short on drivers,” he said, sighing with relief. “I already have three deliveries lined—”“I am not here to work,” Zi Han replied, cutting him off. “I am actually here to quit.”The words came as a shock to Ryler, who stood there gawking at Zi Han. For a moment he thought he had simply misheard him or it was some kind of a prank.“Nice joke, man. Listen, I’ll pay you two hundre

Zi Han looked around as he realized something was wrong, but he had no idea what was happening.“Who are the Sand Scorpions? And why are they following us?” he asked.Zhen Lee gave the driver a set of quick instructions before turning to Zi Han. “The Sand Scorpions are a gang of cutthroats and low-life thugs who can do anything for money. They weren’t a threat even a few months ago, but someone’s been feeding them weapons and cash. Now they are always trying to step on our tail and disrupt our businesses.”This was the first time Zi Han had heard of the Sand Scorpions, and he was surprised to see Zhen Lee so bothered by their presence. “I thought the Black Dragons were the most powerful gang in Argos. What are you afraid of?”Zhen Lee bowed his head in shame and replied in a muffled whisper, “Forgive us, Supreme Dragon, but we have fallen off the old ways. Our influence has weakened over the years, and without you to guide us, the vultures have started pecking at us.”“These bastards e