The Voyage to Hong Kong, China, was a dull and tedious trip. The waves swashed on the ship's bottom part. The thunder rumbled and the lightening flickered. It was a hail of storm. Oliver just looked through the window. The storm raged angrily, Oliver was angry, too. He was hungry for revenge that seemed impossible. The rain drops were pattering on the ship's deck, the constant sound irritated Oliver. Oliver remembered the promise he made to his father; that was his last wish, and Oliver swore to keep it. After the storm, beyond the horizon, the sun emerged with all its glory – It was a new dawn. Oliver didn't sleep a wink the previous night, disturbed by dreams of horror, while wide awake. He felt sleep coming with it's lazy nature; he could hardly keep his eyes open, and he dozed off beside the window.
The voyage was a long one. A day and more days, a week and more weeks, and it rolled into months. The sun arose over Asia, dominant in it's glory. Beyond the mountains it sat. The ship had reached its destination, China, a great and mighty country.
Vanya came back to school after persuading her dad. She just wanted to see all her friends. She eagerly waited in the school's lobby for her friends. Soon Maryam came into the school building, and to the lobby. She was super excited to see Vanya. She screams, and embraces Vanya.
'What happened? I thought you changed your school without informing us.' Maryam says.
'You know I will never do that. Where's Charlotte?' Vanya asks.
'She went back to France.'
'And Oliver?' Vanya asks.
'I've not seen him for weeks. It's all over the news, Oliver Sparrow is the abandoned son of the actress, Asantel Dion, Stanley's mom.' Maryam says.
'Certainly, Oliver is Stanley's brother. Where's Stanley?'
'I also don't know where he is.'
'Life has its ways of separating people. Friends are gone in a flash. If I knew this, I would have added more value in the time I spent with my friends.' Vanya states.
'It's time for lectures,' Maryam says, looking at her watch. 'You've a lot of catching up to do, I wish you luck. If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask.' Maryam walks to the class, and Vanya follows suit, escorted by her bodyguard, Wu.
'It is in the news that Oliver Sparrow and his dad were killed by assassins.' A girl tells Angel.
'What? I think it's Asantel Dion; she had to clean her past sins, but I am not sure that my Oliver is dead.'
Vanya overheard this and was disturbed – Is this true? No it can't be; Oliver can't be dead. She was distracted through out the class.
After school hours, she rushed back home. She watched the news, and browsed the net. She heard that Oliver's dad was killed by a gang. She was sorry for Oliver. She wanted to help, but how could she? Oliver was declared missing by Asantel and Caramel Dion, but he was not found. Asantel Dion gave Myles .M. Sparrow her last respect. She and Caramel give him a grand burial in honor of his life.
Asantel wished she saw Oliver. She felt more love for Oliver, she didn't feel love for him when he was born.
When Oliver, Li Chang, and Charles reached Hong Kong, men in black suits led them into a car. They had their eyes covered with blindfolds. They reached a place and they got off from the car, and led Li Chang and his entourage into a cave. Oliver felt like he was in an elevator, which led them down. Their blindfolds were removed. They were in a place, which was beautiful and peaceful. They were in Shéshizú – The serpent clan. A little girl approaches them. She was holding a weird but beautiful flower. She hands it to Oliver. Oliver smiles at the girl.
'What's your name?' Oliver asks, but she just looked confused. Li Chang walks to Oliver tells the girl in Chinese. – Hello, Huābàn.– Li Chang greets the little girl.
'She's called Huābàn, because of her love for flowers. She's my niece, and you're in Shéshizú, the snake clan.'
The people welcomed Li Chang and his guests, they gave gifts to them. Li Chang showed Charles and Oliver to their room.
'Have a good rest.' He says and leaves.
'We're in Hong Kong. I would love to see around this place.' Charles says to Oliver, who wasn't listening.
'I miss back home. I dearly miss my dad. I also miss my school mates, especially Vanya.' Oliver says.
'Who's Vanya?' Charles asks.
'She's a special friend. I don't feel good not seeing her. I value her presence a lot. What do you miss back home?'
'I would say… my cash. Back home, I was always with a lot of money. But I know one thing, and that is my home is with my loved ones, and you're my only family – no place like home.' Charles says and sits on his wooden bed, 'Get some rest; your eyes are saggy – you've eye bags.'
'Wait! Where's the phone I had with me?'
'What phone?' Charles asks.
'It was the only thing I have against the senator.'
'It's apparent you left it in the Ship. Don't forget to get your rest, you need it.' Charles says, and lies down on the bed.
No! He had misplaced the only thing he would have used in avenging his father's death.
The next morning, the sound of whips woke Oliver from his sleep. A group of boys were punished by a Sensei. Oliver walks out of his room. He saw a crowd of young teenagers practicing kung Fu, just like in the movies. Oliver was a fan of martial arts movies.
Suddenly, a man in black robes walks to Oliver. – Are you Li Chang's guest? – He speaks in Chinese. Oliver did not understand what he said.
'I don't speak Chinese. I'm new here; Li Chang brought me here.' Oliver explains to him.
'You don't speak Chinese? Of course, you don't. I'm Mäyï and you are?'
'I am Oliver. Oliver Sparrow. It's nice to meet you Mäyï.'
'It's nice to meet you, too. I'm the concierge. If you need me, I'll be at your beck and call.' Mäyï walks away.
Oliver wondered why the large walls surrounded the hamlet. He saw drawings of a curled up snake, coming out from the mouth of a skull. He remembered seeing this drawing on Li Chang's necklace. Why is the hamlet cut out from the whole world. This was a riddle he had to find answers to. He was thinking about the drawings, when the little girl he met earlier, Huābàn, walks to him.
'Hello, Huābàn,' Oliver says. Huābàn was with flowers, again. It seems she is obsessed with flowers. She had the drawings of the curled up snake coming out of the mouth of a skull, tattooed on her neck. Oliver found this strange. He knew China for loving dragons, but not snakes. What does this symbol mean? He walks to the girl and bends over to the girl's height.
'You don't speak English? I would love to ask you so many questions.' Oliver says.
'I speak English.' Oliver was shocked with the reply -what a strange girl.
'Wow! What a shock.' Oliver exclaims.
'Are you an American? You have a darker skin than Americans.'
'Yeah. I'm not white, but I'm American from an African-American descendant,' Oliver says. 'I have only one question for you: why is this great walls surrounding this small hamlet?' Oliver asks.
'You'll know with time.' The girl walks away.
Oliver didn't know Li Chang very well. He heard he was a crime lord – a Serial killer. But it's not possible that all the people in this hamlet are also serial killers. If Li Chang wanted to kill him, he would have been dead, so Li Chang isn't a threat.
Li Chang comes with a decorated Samfu, (A type of suit worn in China, consisting of a shirt with a neckline bound down the middle with tassels, and a trouser.) He walks to a large Siheyuan, (A traditional type of Chinese residence, consisting of four houses with a courtyard in the middle; a Chinese quadrangle.)
Everyone was quiet, they showed respect for Li Chang. Li Chang was like a monarch, a king. Everyone just looked at him in awe of his presence. Li Chang makes his way into the courtyard Of the Siheyuan, and the people follows him.
–We have been hiding from the outside for ten years, and yet God kept us. He's the one that brought me back alive. – Li Chang says in Chinese. – We must keep protecting what our families sacrificed everything to protect. Let our ancestors lead us aright, amen. – Li Chang says, and walks back to his house.
He could remember when his father led the clan. He was a man of virtue, but he was no more. He was gruesomely killed.
Charles wanted to see around Hong Kong, but he was not allowed to step outside the walls. He planned to climb the walls, who was he kidding? The walls are like mountains set on the 4 cardinal points. He couldn't even dare climb it, if he loved his life.
'Oh God! Why did we come to Hong Kong, if we are not allowed see it? I feel trapped in here.' He tells Oliver.
'I need something to smoke. I'll be back.' Charles walks out of the house to Li Chang's house.
'What's up?' Charles enters inside. 'Why are you always quiet nowadays. You used to smoke back then in the United States, what happened?' Charles asks.
'In the US I was just a civilian; but here I'm a leader, and priority is to keep my people safe.' Li Chang says.
'Save them from what? They were safe, since you stayed in the US, what will possibly happen now?' Charles asks.
'The truth is bigger than you. I've to protect them from people who will do anything just to get me. They were the ones who murdered my family. The truth is bigger than the pleasure you desire. You won't understand.'
'Don't worry I'll pick up a twig and smoke it! That will make you happy.' Charles says.
'I wish you good luck.' Li Chang says.
'This guy is insane.' He grunts, as he leaves the house.
Li Chang was sent on a time travel, back to the past…
His dad stood in front of his people talking. He was a good Chieftain; he guarded them wisely. After talking to the people, he walks up to Li Chang.
–Hello, my son. – His father says to him in Chinese, as he walked with him to a stream. The stream was so beautiful adorned with different flowers all around.
–The stream ripples silently. It's peaceful and it provides the water we drink. Unlike the sea, who is always angry, and it's water is not suitable for the thirsty. Nature also uses the stream as a tool to enhance life of organisms. – Li Chang's father puts his hand behind him, and looks at young Li Chang. – Which water body is an ideal leader to you? Someday you'll be a leader, and you can either be like the stream: a calm, caring leader, and a person who his people depend on; or do you want to be like the sea: a powerful yet weak leader, that destroys his people with a vengeful spirit?– He asks. – A leader should never show his weakness, rather he should show his strength.'…
As Li Chang remembered his father's words, he had to control his emotions: Emotions of fear, of anger, of hatred, of sadness; All these emotions were not meant for a ruler like him.
He was almost killed 16 years ago by a secret his father his from the world. But his father died, and the secret still lives on. Li Chang was now the new Chieftain of Shéshizú – The Snake clan.
Charles walks near a tree. He breaks a twig from the tree.
'Hey!' Someone calls out from the back.
Charles turns back. It was the little girl, Huābàn.
'Do you know how much you have hurt that little tree?' She says cutely.
Charles chuckles. 'Hey, little girl. The tree don't feel any pain. I even doubt it's a living thing.'
'You're wrong, mister. The trees may not have sense organs for speech, but destroying them will harm the animals, and eventually us.
'We are loosing our trees to commercial gains, and yet we can't satisfy our greed. I dreamed, and I saw an endangered world from now. If we don't stop cutting trees, the future of mother nature is at risk. I saw a world red with heat, people running helter-skelter just to plant one tree, but it was too late; the ozone layer had already depleted; damaged to no repair. The world will emit smokes, as the unprotected rays of sun will radiate on the surface. Plants and animals die from drought. We will plant trees in our houses, and close the doors, just to have oxygen to live. No one will care about having cash, anymore, because the number of trees you've in your home will show how wealthy you're, or how long you'll live.
'I pray that my dreams won't come to reality. I pray that we'll change our lifestyle towards nature, and treat it with more respect. It's our home, the only place we can leave comfortably. Let's protect it.'
Charles just watched this little girl, as she spoke, looking so cute. He was surprised how a little girl could posses such high level of intelligence.
'I am sorry.' Charles turns to the tree, and says, 'I am sorry. I'm very sorry. Take back your flesh.' He puts pack the twig, but the twig falls to the ground. 'Oops! I'm really sorry, but I need something Smoke.' Charles says.
'Why must you destroy the ozone layer, and your lungs. Some people beg to breathe peacefully, and here you're trying to damage your respiratory system. I'm disappointed.' Huābàn shakes her head.
'I'm sorry, little girl with big brains, I'm addicted; I can't do without it.' Charles walks away.
'You've to learn to adapt!' Huābàn says.