Location: Sky Garden Villa, the Master Study.The moon hung above River City, shining like a pale coin through the bulletproof glass windows of the villa.The din of the auction house felt like a distant memory. The silence here was complete.I sat at my mahogany desk. On a velvet cushion in front of me lay the Heart of the Ocean.The huge blue gem sparkled under the desk lamp. It was flawless. Deep. Mesmerizing. It cost a billion dollars. This was the GDP of an entire country.Sarah was standing beside me, staring at it. She was frightened to touch it."Ethan," she muttered. "We really... we really spent a billion dollars on this? It's beautiful, but... that's a lot of money.""Money is just paper," I said, peering into the depths of the blue stone. "This necklace is worth something beyond its monetary value. It cost my mother her life."One could almost feel Sarah's shock in the silence. She placed her hand gently on my shoulder. "Your mother... was she wearing it when...?""Yes."I

Location: The Vance Family Estate in the Imperial Capital.The Vance Estate had its old-world charm, but it was a fortress of wealth. The capital sprawled across fifty acres-the densest yet germane in its expensive district-and so an emblem of old money-infested and ruthless power.Yet the main hall presented the scene far gloomier than that of a grave at this time.Lord Julian Vance-the Patriarch of the clan-strolled ceaselessly on the short Persian rug. He was a most terrifying man with hair like silver and eyes that pierced like a hawk. He held an ebony cane topped with a golden cobra.His son, Lucas Vance, lay on the center of a stretch in the room.Lucas was a mess. His face was wrapped in bandages. His jaw was wired shut. His ribs were in a cast. He was whimpering softly, unable to speak because of the missing teeth."They hit my son in that trash city?" Lord Vance hissed, gripping his cane until the wood creaked. It sounded like a country bumpkin in some trash city dared to touc

The Grand Medical Pavilion of the Capital was an imposing emblem. Heavy marble pillars as old as an oak forest, high ceilings that absorbed all sound but the half-dreaming whispers of the nation's medical elite.The mood changed the minute Ethan and Sarah entered through the gilt doors. Not very steady as she ordinarily was, Sarah tugged at her blazer's hem, surveying the crowd: men in bespoke suits, women in designer dresses, and doctors with white coats that cost more than their cars."Ethan," she whispered, drawing closer to him. "Everyone here is either a department chairman or a specialist from the top hospitals. Perhaps we should have prepared a fake resume or something?"Ethan's hands were shoved deeply into his pockets, and his face showed mild indifference. "Why bother? Real skill doesn't need a piece of paper."Rounding the registration booth, a bespectacled clerk glanced up from his clipboard, the pen held in a motionless hovering position."Name and affiliation?""Ethan Sm

The aftermath of the second round was chaotic. As soon as the judges declared the session over for the day, the audience surged forward like a tidal wave."Dr. Smith! Just a moment of your time!""My hospital is ready to pay you five million a year!""Dr. Smith, please; my daughter is suffering from a rare ailment..."At the outer stage, Ethan freezing cold with no expression on his face. Sarah, beside him, was almost in shock, using her briefcase to shield herself from reporters and headhunters."We will not take any questions!" she shouted, trying to exercise authority, although her voice shook slightly. "Please, step back!"Ethan gently grabbed Sarah's arm. "Let's go."He moved through the crowd with uncanny grace, smooth as liquid. Whenever an individual tried to block his passage, he would glide effortlessly past them, like smoke slipping through fingers. And before anyone in the crowd knew it, Ethan and Sarah were at the exit of the Grand Medical Pavilion.Just as they stepped o

The steam rising from the teacup was the only thing moving inside the shattered Rolls-Royce. Lin Yuna sat frozen, her porcelain skin pale against the dark leather seats. She stared at Ethan Smith, who was casually sipping his tea as if he were sitting in a quiet café, not surrounded by groaning, broken bodies on a dark street in the Capital."You..." Yuna started, her voice trembling before she cleared her throat, forcing the steel back into her tone. "You are a Grandmaster."Ethan set the cup down. "I am a doctor, Miss Lin. I just know a little bit about anatomy. Knowing where to hit is just as important as knowing where to heal."Outside, headlights flooded the scene. A convoy of three armored SUVs screeched to a halt. Twelve men in suits jumped out—the Lin Family's elite security team. They had arrived too late.The captain of the guard rushed to the window, his gun drawn, panic in his eyes. "Miss Lin! We lost the signal! Are you hurt? Where are the assassins?"Yuna slowly lowered