Chapter 3 It Can't Get Any Worse

• 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 quickly tapped the keys to open it, and the first message read:
• Where the hell are you? Do you have any idea what time it is? There won’t be any dinner for you tonight!
• “Just my luck,” Zi Han muttered before tapping to open the second message. As he read it, his expression changed completely.
• Your rent was due yesterday, but it’s well past midnight now, and you still haven’t paid! Find yourself some other place to stay, you filthy freeloader! And don’t worry about your stuff. We’ve already thrown it all out!
• “Great! That’s just what I needed!” Zi Han hung his head low, his mind clouded with self-deprecating thoughts. Looking up at the dark sky, he asked, “It can’t get any worse than this, can it?”
• Just then, the sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention.
• “Hey...look what we have here! Isn’t that the broke pizza nerd?” A familiar voice taunted.
• As Zi Han turned his head, he saw Tanaka and his two lackeys: Jackson and Butch, walking toward him dressed in brown leather jackets and boots.
• Tanaka was Zi Han’s senior in college, and his two cronies were his batch mates. The roguish trio never missed a chance to pick on the new students and humiliate them for their entertainment.
• Tanaka was skinny but packed a mean punch, while his lackeys were tall and much more muscular. The trio had made Zi Han’s life in college a living hell, and now it seemed like they were looking to continue their fun outside as well.
• As the three bullies approached Zi Han, Tanaka’s face lit up with a sly grin.
• “Yeah, he does look familiar, but someone must have remodeled his face,” Jackson chuckled. “I personally think he looks better this way.”
• “Wonder what he’s doing over here in the middle of the night,” Butch sniped, looking Zi Han down from head to toe.
• “Probably begging for some extra cash.” Tanaka chuckled, giving him a look of condescension. “You should probably come down to my house and clean our toilets. I’ll pay you well. No need to beg on the streets like this. After all, that’s what friends are for, man.”
• Zi Han clenched his fist and glared at Tanaka. He had been bullying Zi Han ever since he joined college, and his cronies never missed a chance to ridicule him in front of the other students.
• Every single time, Zi Han would turn the other cheek and do his best to avoid a fight, but tonight, he was not in the best of moods. It was one of those nights when he was questioning if he really had anything else left to lose.
• “Is that a box of chocolates?” Butch asked as he swooped in and picked up the crushed box of chocolates from the pavement.
• “I never knew you had such a sweet tooth, Zi Han. But aren’t these a little too expensive for a worthless trash like you?” Tanaka jeered. “I bet you stole them from a shop, didn’t you?”
• “Shoplifting is a crime, you know?” Jackson stated, tossing the box of chocolate into the nearby trash can. “Besides, eating too many chocolates can cause diabetes. We are only trying to look after your health.”
• Zi Han looked up at them, his ruffled black hair shading half his face and his eyes flashing with suppressed rage. “Go bother someone else. Just leave me the hell alone!”
• “Oh, it looks like this dog can bark!” Tanaka mocked, grinning at Zi Han. “What’s that you’re holding? Another stolen item?”
• Zi Han tightened his grip on the packet in his hand and stood up. He wanted to walk away, but Butch blocked his path, and Jackson snatched the packet from his hand.
• “What’s this? A swimsuit?” Jackson asked as he stared at the red swimsuit in confusion.
• “I never knew you liked playing dress-up,” Tanaka chuckled. “Why don’t you put this on and give us a little show?” he continued, mocking Zi Han.
• “Give that back to me! It’s expensive!” Zi Han tried to grab the swimsuit from Jackson, but he threw it to Tanaka.
• “Whoa! Calm down, loser. All we want is a picture of you wearing this thing. I swear we’ll let you go after that. Don’t be shy, slip it on,” Tanaka continued harassing him. “Go on, loser. Wear it and show us.”
• Zi Han eventually lost his temper and lunged at Tanaka. “I said give it back and leave me alone!” He was about to claw at Tanaka’s face when Jackson caught him and tackled him down.
• “It looks like this dog has forgotten his own master. Let’s teach him some manners, boys!” Tanaka growled in a cold voice.
• Jackson and Butch grabbed Zi Han by his arms and picked him off the floor. Holding him from both sides, they dragged him to Tanaka.
• “Let go of me, you stupid jerks!”
• Pow!
• As Zi Han struggled to break free, a hard punch landed on his stomach, knocking the air out of him.
• Pow! Pow!
• Two more punches followed in quick succession, making Zi Han cough up blood.
• “Is that how you speak to your seniors, you freaking dog?” Tanaka yelled. “Did your mom not teach you how to respect your elders?”
• “I heard his mom was a two-bit slut who died in a car crash,” Butch sniggered, chuckling in Zi Han’s face.
• This last insult about his mom was too much for Zi Han to bear, and he stomped Butch’s leg with his shoe.
• “Argh! You little shit!”
• As Butch loosened his grip, Zi Han broke free and tackled Butch to the ground.
• “Take your words back, you bastard!” Zi Han growled, glaring at Butch like a rabid wolf.
• He was about to punch him in the face when Tanaka and Jackson grabbed his arms, pulling him back.
• “It looks like this one’s still got some fight left in him. Hold him properly this time,” Tanaka instructed his lackeys.
• Butch and Jackson grabbed hold of Zi Han and dragged him toward the road. Holding him in place, they looked at their leader.
• “You really should have just stayed down and taken the beating like the worthless loser you are.” Tanaka rushed in and landed a powerful kick which sent Zi Han stumbling back.
• He rolled onto the hard asphalt, coughing up blood.
• Tanaka suddenly pulled a switchblade from his pocket and grinned at Zi Han. “No one messes with my pals, you little pup. Time to teach you a lesson you'll never forget.”
• Zi Han tried to get up, but the kick had knocked the air out of his lungs and left him in excruciating pain. Even his head was spinning after hitting the ground, and he did not have the strength to even move a finger.
• Tanaka was about to slash Zi Han’s face with his switchblade when a pair of headlights appeared on the road, followed by a loud honk. Before either of them could move away, a Black Range Rover screeched to a sudden halt inches away from them.
• Zi Han passed out from the ordeal, but Tanaka was not ready to let him go yet.
• “Get the hell off this road!” a voice yelled from inside the car.
• Tanaka scoffed at this and replied, “Drive around, you dumb bozo. Can’t you see we’re in the middle of some—”
• The words stuck in his throat as a tall skinny man dressed in a black suit and tie stepped out of the car, wearing black aviators. He had long black hair skirting his shoulders and a dragon tattoo on the left side of his neck.
• “What did you say to me, punk? Do you know whose car this is?” the man in the black suit asked, walking up to the group.
• “Look at that tattoo!” Jackson cried in a panicked voice. “They are Black Dragons, man!”
• Even Tanaka knew the Black Dragons were one of the most feared gangs in the city. He immediately dropped his switchblade and scampered off along with his thugs.
• “What’s all the commotion about?” a solemn voice asked from within the Range Rover. “Hurry up!”
• “It was just a bunch of kids, boss. They beat up some loser and left him on the road,” the mobster informed.
• “That’s hardly an excuse to stop my car. Get back here, Suzuki!” the voice yelled. “I can’t afford to be late tonight, or my wife’s going to be pissed. Just run him over. Who cares?”
• “Yes, boss!” The mobster was about to get in when he felt a sharp pain in his neck. “Argh!”
• Even the boss inside felt the tattoo on his chest burning up. “What the hell is happening?”
• The boss dressed in a white suit and tie took off his suit and unbuttoned his shirt. When he looked at the dragon tattoo on his chest, he noticed its scales were rippling in waves and its eyes were glowing red.
• Streams of sweat rolled down the boss’ cheeks as he realized what was happening. He stumbled out of the car, pushing his henchman aside.
• “Boss! What’s wrong?”
• “Just stay back!” he yelled, fixing his eyes on Zi Han.
• When the man dressed in the white suit approached Zi Han, the burning sensation in his chest spread to his neck.
• As soon as he took a closer look at Zi Han's arm, he spotted a flaming red scar on his left wrist. It was shaped like a dragon’s wing and pulsed with elemental energy.
• “The mark…of the dragon.” He gasped, and his eyes widened in shock.
• Immediately, the vice leader of the Black Dragons fell to his knees and bowed his head in reverence.
• “Ma...ma...master Zhao Long, you have returned at last! Truly, it is a blessed night!” he exclaimed passionately. “Please forgive us for our insolence, Supreme Dragon! We are at your service!”