Zhang Wei stood alone on the rooftop of the Zhang family headquarters, the cold night air brushing against his skin. Below him, the city sprawled in every direction, its lights glittering like stars on the ground. He'd always found solace here—away from the pressures of his family, the constant demands of running their powerful security and technology conglomerate. But tonight, the weight on his shoulders felt heavier than usual.
The curse. It always came back to that damn curse.
Wei scoffed at the thought. Superstitions were for the weak, for those who needed something to blame when things didn't go their way. And Zhang Wei was not weak. He was a man of action, a man who made things happen. He had taken control of the family business at a young age, navigating the treacherous waters of corporate politics with ease. Where others faltered, Wei thrived. He was sharp, cunning, and relentless—qualities that had earned him both fear and respect.
People said he was arrogant, and maybe they were right. But Wei had never seen arrogance as a flaw. To him, it was simply confidence—confidence in his abilities, in his power, in his destiny. He was Zhang Wei, heir to a legacy of strength and dominance. He wasn't about to let some ancient curse dictate his life.
Still, there was no denying the unease that gnawed at him. His father, Zhang Ming, had been just as confident, just as sure of himself—until the curse had reduced him to a shell of the man he once was. Wei had watched with growing frustration as his father wasted away, clinging to life as the curse drained his vitality. The memory of his father's failure was a bitter pill, one that Wei had vowed never to swallow.
He had inherited his father's empire, and with it, the burden of the curse. But unlike his father, Wei had no intention of letting it destroy him. He was stronger. He was smarter. He would find a way to break the curse, and he would do it on his own terms.
A soft chime interrupted his thoughts. Wei pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen—a message from his assistant.
Factory incident report ready for review. Awaiting your approval.
His jaw tightened. Another incident. Just last month, one of their production managers had collapsed without warning, and now this. He wasn't sure how much longer they could keep things under wraps. The investors were growing restless, and so were the media. It was only a matter of time before the rumors spread too far.
Wei exhaled deeply, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He couldn't afford to waste time thinking about the curse—not when his company was at risk. Still, there was a gnawing unease deep in his gut, one he couldn't shake.
He stared out at the distant horizon, his mind racing. His dreams had been filled with strange visions lately—visions of a woman he had never met, yet felt inexplicably drawn to. In his dreams, she was always dressed in traditional robes, her delicate features framed by long, flowing hair. Her eyes carried a deep sorrow, and though she never spoke, Wei knew her pain intimately. It was as though she were part of him, and he of her. Each time he reached for her, the dream would shift, and she would slip away like smoke between his fingers.
He hadn't told anyone about the dreams—not his family, not his closest advisors. There was no place for such things in the world he lived in. He was a leader, a businessman. He couldn't afford to indulge in fantasies. And yet…
Wei's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the rooftop door opening behind him. He turned to see his assistant, Feng, approaching with a solemn expression on his face.
"Wei," Feng said quietly, "I've reviewed the report. It's not good. The doctors still don't know what's wrong with the worker, and there's been talk… about the curse."
Wei sighed, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. "I figured as much. What do the shareholders know?"
"Only what we've told them. For now, they believe it's an isolated incident."
"But we know better, don't we?" Wei muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Feng. He didn't like the idea of something beyond his control threatening his carefully constructed empire.
Feng hesitated before speaking again. "There's something else you should know. I've been looking into the factory records, and there's a connection I think you need to see. The worker who collapsed… he's distantly related to the Liang family."
Wei's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Liang family. He hadn't thought about them in years, not since his father's rivalry with Liang Sheng had resulted in Sheng's disgrace and death. But the Liang name was one that carried weight in this city—powerful, dangerous weight. The two families had been at odds for centuries, and the curse only deepened the rift between them.
"A connection to the Liangs?" Wei asked, his tone hardening. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"
"I only discovered it a few hours ago," Feng replied, his voice steady but cautious. "It seems like more than a coincidence."
Wei's mind raced, his initial irritation giving way to a cold, calculating focus. The cursed history between the Liang and Zhang families had always been more than just a story. Now, with the worker's collapse and this strange connection, it felt like the curse was tightening its grip, pulling them all closer to a fate they couldn't escape.
"Keep this quiet for now," Wei ordered, his voice sharp. "I don't want this getting out until we know more."
Feng nodded and left quietly, leaving Wei alone on the rooftop once more.
As the wind picked up, Wei clenched his fists, feeling the weight of centuries pressing down on him. He couldn't allow the curse to control his life, to destroy everything he'd worked for. His father had tried and failed to break free, but Wei wouldn't make the same mistake. He was Zhang Wei—stronger, smarter, more determined. He always got what he wanted, and this time would be no different.
He would break the curse, no matter what it took.
Yet, somewhere deep within his mind, he couldn't shake the image of the woman in his dreams. Who was she? And why did she feel so familiar?
Wei turned his gaze to the horizon once more, his resolve hardening. He didn't have time for distractions—not now. His family's future, his company's future, depended on him. The curse might have claimed his father, but it wouldn't claim him.
But despite his iron will and unshakable confidence, the memory of the woman's sorrowful eyes lingered like a shadow he couldn't escape.