Chapter 1: Hello, Brother Luo
The morning Luo Feng was released from detention, Zhou Huayang and Zhang Haobai sat alone in an antique teahouse private room in Yian District. Steam curled from their teacups, the aroma of oolong tea clashing with the tension in the air.
"Brother Zhou, why drag me here at dawn?" Zhang Haobai whispered, leaning in. "Did it work? You know the money's ready if it did." He clung to the hope that Luo Feng's limbs were now broken, his voice tinged with eager anticipation.
Zhou Huayang's face darkened, silence stretching like a noose.
"Brother Zhou?" Zhang Haobai pressed, uneasy. "Say something—what's going on?"
"Zhang Haobai, you're a dead man walking, and you're dragging me with you," Zhou Huayang sneered, eyes icy.
"What… what did I do?" Zhang Haobai stammered, panic rising. The cold fury in Zhou's tone told him this was no minor issue.
Zhou Huayang exhaled sharply. "You asked me to hire thugs to cripple Luo Feng, right? Break his leg and arm?"
"Yeah, so what?" Zhang Haobai nodded, clueless.
"So what?" Zhou laughed harshly. "Luo Feng's a Provisional Warrior."
The room froze. Zhang Haobai went pale, sweat beading his forehead as the words sank in.
Zhou Huayang sipped his tea, eyes locked on the younger man's panic. No need to elaborate—Zhang Haobai knew the law: assaulting a Provisional Warrior meant the Security Bureau would come for him. And once the Bureau got involved, lives were ruined, not just ruined—erased.
"No… no…" Zhang Haobai muttered, face ashen. Jealousy had curdled into terror. His wealthy upbringing hadn't prepared him for this: Provisional Warriors were untouchable, their rights enforced by a law that made ordinary justice look like child's play.
"Scared now, you idiot?" Zhou slammed his cup, tea splashing. "You think I wanted this? The Bureau already questioned me! I had to tell them everything—do you think I'd die for you?"
Zhang Haobai flinched. Of course Zhou had ratted him out—survival was the only code in their world.
"I'm here out of loyalty," Zhou sneered, standing. "Go beg your father for help. He's got connections. Me? I'm done. Bill's paid—don't bother contacting me."
The door slammed behind him, leaving Zhang Haobai alone with his horror.
"How… how could he be a Provisional Warrior?" he muttered, mind reeling. Weeks ago, his punch was 800kg. Now this?
"Dad… I need Dad."
He bolted from the teahouse, panic driving him home at a dead run.
××××××
At the Zhang residence, Zhang Haobai collapsed onto the sofa, fists clenched to stop their shaking.
"Click." The door swung open.
"Haobai, what's so urgent you'd scream about dying if I was late?" Zhang Zelong rushed in, taking one look at his son's face and cursing inwardly. This is bad. Very bad.
"Dad… I messed up." Zhang Haobai's voice cracked.
Three words, and Zhang Zelong's blood ran cold.
"Explain. Everything. Now." The older man's voice was calm, but his eyes burned—he'd survived the Great Nirvana; he knew the smell of 大祸 (disaster).
Zhang Haobai spilled it all: the courtyard incident, the bribe to Zhou Huayang, the failed assassination plot.
"You what?" Zhang Zelong's roar shook the room. "You tried to cripple a Provisional Warrior?"
"I didn't know! I swear!" Zhang Haobai shrank under his father's glare.
Zhang Zelong pulled out his phone, fingers flying to dial his brother—Zhang Zehu, the family's only warrior, their last hope.
"Busy signal." He frowned, tension knotting his gut. "Your uncle's hunting outside the base. We'll have to wait."
Minutes later, the phone buzzed.
"Big brother? Make it fast—I'm in the Wilds." Zhang Zehu's voice was a low growl, background noise of distant roars hinting at nearby monsters.
Zhang Zelong repeated the story, voice trembling.
Silence, then: "Idiot kid! Provisional Warriors are under Bureau protection! Haobai, you stay home. No contacts, no 外出 (going out). Wait for me to handle this."
"Yes, Uncle," Zhang Haobai breathed, clutching the phone like a lifeline.
"Relax, Haobai. I'll fix this." Zhang Zehu's tone softened slightly. "But no more stupid moves. I'm deep in a mission—could be weeks. Just sit tight."
The call ended, leaving the room oddly quiet. For the first time in hours, father and son dared to breathe.
××××××
While the Zhangs scrambled, the Luos celebrated in peace.
That evening, Luo Feng pushed Luo Hua's wheelchair through their cramped community, the setting sun casting long shadows over crowded, gray buildings.
"Brother, we've lived here forever," Luo Hua said, eyeing the concrete jungle. "In Moonlight Community, I can wheel around whenever I want. No more waiting for someone to carry me downstairs."
Luo Feng smiled, hand resting on the wheelchair's handle. "No more sharing a tiny room, no more Mom and Dad sleeping on the couch. This is just the start, A Hua."
His brother nodded, hope in his eyes—hope they'd clung to through years of poverty, of watching others look down on their disabled son, their struggling family.
"Someone's coming," Luo Hua said, spotting a figure approaching.
The man wore glasses, a polite smile on his face. He nodded at Luo Hua first, then turned to Luo Feng: "Brother Luo, right? I'm Zhou Huayang. Got a minute to talk?"
Luo Feng tensed, recognizing the name from the detention center report. The middleman who tried to cripple me.
"Talk here," he said flatly, hand tightening on the wheelchair.
Zhou's smile wavered, but he pressed on: "I want to apologize. What happened at the detention center… I was just following orders. I—"
"Save it." Luo Feng's voice was ice. "You helped Zhang Haobai try to disable a Provisional Warrior. The Bureau already has your statement."
Zhou paled, realizing Luo Feng knew everything.
"I'm not here to beg for mercy," he said, voice dropping. "Just to warn you: Zhang Haobai's uncle is Zhang Zehu—a Warrior with the Monster Hunter Association. He's on his way back. Be careful."
Luo Feng's eyebrow rose. A Warrior? Dangerous, but not invincible.
"Thanks for the heads - up," he said, already wheeling Luo Hua away. "But next time you help someone target a warrior, make sure they're ready to pay the price."
Zhou watched them go, cold sweat soaking his collar. This kid isn't just a Provisional Warrior. He's a storm coming.
And storms, Zhou knew, destroyed everything in their path.