After finishing all his tests for the day, Michael was heading home late but decided to stop by his favorite bar for a drink. "Milk, please," he told the waiter, who poured a glass and slid it to him."Belchhh!" Michael heard a loud belch from beside him. He turned, expecting to see someone, but there was no one in sight. Then, a familiar voice rang out, "Another glass! For me and the kid, and make it the strong stuff this time."Michael looked down and spotted Dreg—the man he had met at the interview—sitting at the bar. Delighted to see a familiar face, Michael greeted him with a laugh, "Dreg! What a surprise seeing you here!"Dreg, in the middle of gulping down another drink, grinned back at him. The waiter placed a glass of beer in front of both of them, sliding it across the bar."I don't really drink," Michael hesitated, but Dreg laughed. "Don't be a killjoy. You're a man, aren't you?""You're right!" Michael said, taking a big gulp of the beer. "Another one!" he shouted gleefully, raising his glass. He asked Dreg, "I didn't know you came to this bar.""I always come here, little man," Dreg replied, eyeing some girls at the corner who were smiling their way. Michael noticed Dreg's gaze and quipped, "You know they only want your money, right?""Live a little!" Dreg laughed, wearing a silly grin.After several rounds of drinks and a few reckless bets, Michael and Dreg had lost all their money—and even their clothes."S-snap! I-I forgot about the time," Michael stammered, struggling to stay upright. He stumbled out of the bar, jaywalking down the sidewalk in nothing but his pink bunny-patterned boxers.As he hurried, a van suddenly pulled up beside him, and before he could react, strong arms grabbed him and dragged him into the van, covering his face with a black mask. "I'm not a sex offender!" he tried to muffle through the mask, but then everything went dark as he was drugged.When Michael regained consciousness, he heard the voice of an old man. "Hello, Michael," the voice said as Michael's vision started to clear."Sorry about how my men treated you," the voice continued. Michael blinked and saw an elderly Chinese man dressed in a sharp suit, leaning on a wooden cane with a long white beard. The man smiled kindly, though his presence was unsettling."I really need to get home—my mom's going to be furious," Michael pleaded, trying to speed things up."Oh, don't worry, boy, we have no intention of keeping you" the old man said with a chuckle. He gestured to his female assistant, who had been standing quietly behind him. She approached and freed Michael from his restraints. After being untied from the chair, Michael adjusted his wrists with a twisting motion, trying to relieve the tension."What a fine savage you are," the old man said, his tone amused. But Michael stayed silent, eyeing him warily, as if silently demanding answers."How could I forget," the old man chuckled. "You can call me Mr. Yang. I'm an acquaintance of Olsen." Standing by Mr. Yang's side was his female assistant, perfectly still and robotic in demeanor, which made Michael uneasy."Look, I don't know you people, and I don't know what you want from me. I just want to get home," Michael said, his patience clearly running thin."Calm down, boy," Mr. Yang said with a grin. "It's simple, really—I want you to work for me.""Ugh," Michael muttered in confusion. Ever since he'd graduated, he hadn't landed a steady job, and now, out of nowhere, two groups seemed to be after him. The strangest part? He still didn't fully understand what they wanted him to do."Sir," the assistant interrupted, "Miss Akira from Remax Co. is here.""Let her in," Mr. Yang responded calmly.Miss Akira was escorted into the room by two guards, who stood outside the door. "Good evening, Miss Akira," Yang's assistant greeted her, but Miss Akira's sharp gaze swept through the room, ignoring the pleasantries. The assistant continued, "This is Mr. Yang, head of the White Sun.""It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Mr. Yang said with a smile."Enough with the pleasantries. You have a colleague of mine," Miss Akira stated firmly. Michael, recognizing her, felt a wave of relief. Seeing a familiar face, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed—his situation seemed a lot less dire now."Oh, your colleague, is he?" Mr. Yang said mockingly, a cold smile playing on his lips. "We were planning on releasing him," he added, but his tone was far from reassuring. "However, since you came here yourself, I, Mr. Yang, CEO of the White Sun, challenge Remax Co. to a War Game." His voice grew icy, and Michael could feel the shift in the room's atmosphere as a chill seemed to settle in the air.Miss Akira paused for a moment, clearly weighing the situation. The tension was palpable, but she remained unfazed. "It's not my place to accept your challenge," she responded calmly, her eyes locked with Mr. Yang's. Then she turned to Michael. "Let's go, Michael."Without hesitation, Michael followed her, feeling a wave of relief as they both exited the room, leaving the unsettling presence of Mr. Yang behind.I'm sure you're wondering what a war game is....Well I am too😆Let's find out together in the next chapter.Michaels story is about to take a big turn and I hope you're ready for it.