Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

Zhong Liang sat alone in a quiet bookstore nestled between two towering office buildings, a rare moment of peace in his hectic life. His glasses perched low on his nose as he flipped through the pages of a business journal, eyes scanning over financial forecasts and investment strategies. This was his world, the one he had worked so tirelessly to build.

The low murmur of other customers filled the air, but for Liang, this was the only place where he could silence his mind,...