Liang Wei was late. Again.
It was the second time that week he'd overslept, and the bus that usually carried him to his university had long since come and gone. Wei cursed under his breath as he jogged through the crowded streets of downtown Nanjing, dodging market stalls and scooters. The city was alive with its usual buzz—people haggling, the scent of street food filling the air, neon signs flickering to life as dusk approached.
As he passed an alley, something caught his eye.
It wasn't the kind of alley that invited people in. It was narrow, too dark for the early evening, and seemed like the perfect place to lose your wallet—or worse. But there, tucked between two crumbling brick walls, was a flickering sign: "Shen's Pawnshop". Wei skidded to a stop.
He had never noticed the shop before, and that was strange. He'd walked this route dozens of times. The sign, illuminated by a single bulb, looked old, like it had been hanging there for years, weathered and forgotten. It swayed gently in the wind, as though waiting for someone to notice it.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. His boss. Probably asking why he hadn't shown up to his part-time job at the restaurant.
Wei ignored it. Something about the shop pulled at him, a curiosity that gnawed at the back of his mind. His feet moved before he realized it, carrying him into the alley.
The temperature dropped as he approached the door. The chatter of the streets faded, replaced by an eerie silence. Wei hesitated, hand hovering over the rusty door handle. But the pull was irresistible. He stepped inside.
The interior of the pawnshop was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of incense and old books. Shelves lined the walls, filled with objects that seemed too bizarre to be real: a violin with no strings, an hourglass filled with shimmering black sand, a mirror covered in frost despite the warmth of the room.
At the counter stood an older man, his back turned to Wei. He was tall, his long black robe flowing as he moved with a grace that belied his age. His hair, silver with streaks of black, was pulled into a neat knot. Without turning, the man spoke, his voice soft but commanding.
"You're late, Liang Wei."
Wei froze. "H-how do you know my name?"
The man chuckled and turned around. His face was sharp, angular, with eyes that glittered like dark jade. There was something ancient about him, something otherworldly. He tilted his head, observing Wei as though he were an item to be appraised.
"I've been expecting you."
Wei blinked. Expecting him? He had never set foot in this shop before. He glanced around, looking for a reason to leave, but his feet stayed planted where they were.
The man stepped forward. "I am Shen Ming, but you may call me Mr. Shen. This is my shop. And I believe you are in need of a job."
Wei stared at him, disbelief crossing his face. "Wait, how do you know that? I just got here."
Mr. Shen smiled, an unreadable expression. "I know many things. You've been struggling, haven't you? Working two jobs, trying to pay off school fees, family debts…"
Wei's eyes widened. "Are you some kind of fortune teller?"
"No," Shen replied simply. "But I can offer you something better—a job with… unusual perks."
Wei didn't know whether to laugh or run. Everything about this was strange, but there was something in Mr. Shen's eyes that held him there. "What kind of job?"
Shen gestured to the shop around him. "I deal in trades. People come to me for things they need, things they can't find anywhere else. In return, they give me something of value—sometimes tangible, sometimes not."
"What does that mean?" Wei asked, his curiosity growing despite himself.
"It means the world is not as simple as you think, Liang Wei. Every object in this shop has a story, a cost. And you will help me manage it."
Wei was silent for a long moment. A strange pawnshop that dealt in… what, magic? It sounded ridiculous. Yet here he was, standing in it, feeling the weight of the decision pressing on him. He thought about his debts, the bills piling up, the part-time job that barely paid enough for his rent.
"I'll do it," Wei said finally, his voice more confident than he felt. "What do I have to do?"
Shen smiled, wider this time, and Wei felt a shiver run down his spine. "Simple. You'll greet the customers, take in their trades, and make sure the items they leave behind are… stored properly. In return, I'll pay you a fair wage. But there's one condition."
Wei waited.
"Once you start, you cannot leave until I say so. This shop is… not like others. You may come to find that your time here will change you, in ways you can't predict."
The silence stretched between them, heavy and thick.
Wei swallowed. "Alright. I accept."
Mr. Shen nodded and placed an old, leather-bound ledger in front of him. "Then let's begin."
Just as Wei was about to ask what he had gotten himself into, the door to the shop creaked open. A man stepped inside, his face pale and his eyes wide with desperation. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, and his clothes were wrinkled, as though he'd been wearing them for far too long.
"Mr. Shen," the man croaked, his voice hoarse. "I need your help."
Mr. Shen turned to the man, his expression calm and unreadable. "Zhang Bo. I told you not to return unless you were prepared to pay the price."
The man, Zhang Bo, flinched but nodded. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, ornate box. He placed it on the counter with shaking fingers, and Wei could see the look of fear in his eyes.
"I know… I know what it will cost me," Zhang Bo stammered. "But I can't live like this anymore. Please, take it back."
Mr. Shen's eyes flicked to the box, then back to Zhang Bo. "You made a trade, Zhang Bo. You asked for a life of wealth and success, and I gave it to you. Now you wish to return it? What you ask is not a simple matter."
Wei stared, confused and intrigued. Was this some kind of elaborate con? Or was there more truth to Mr. Shen's strange pawnshop than he had initially thought?
Mr. Shen reached out and slowly opened the box. Inside was a single gold coin, glowing faintly in the dim light. Wei couldn't tear his eyes away from it. There was something… unnatural about it, as though it was pulsating with power.
"The coin of fortune," Mr. Shen murmured. "It granted you what you desired, but at the cost of your health. Now, you want to reverse the trade."
Zhang Bo nodded frantically. "I can't take it anymore! The headaches, the nightmares… I'm losing my mind."
Mr. Shen looked at the coin for a long moment, then back at Zhang Bo. "Very well. But know this—once the trade is reversed, the wealth you've accumulated will be stripped away. You will have nothing."
"I don't care!" Zhang Bo cried, tears filling his eyes. "I just want to be free."
Mr. Shen closed the box and tucked it beneath the counter. "Then it is done."
Zhang Bo collapsed to his knees, sobbing in relief. He stayed there for a moment, and when he finally stood, the weight of his former life seemed to have lifted. He looked up at Mr. Shen, whispered a soft thank you, and turned to leave.
As the door closed behind Zhang Bo, Wei stood frozen in place, his mind racing.
"Was… was that real?" he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Mr. Shen glanced at him, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "It was. But not everything is as simple as it appears. You'll learn in time, Liang Wei. You've taken your first step into a much larger world."
Wei's heart pounded in his chest. The sense of danger, of mystery, swirled around him, but so did a strange sense of excitement. He had just witnessed something impossible—something that defied every rational explanation he had ever known.
Mr. Shen handed Wei a key. "You'll need this."
Wei blinked, taking the cold metal in his hand. "What's this for?"
"The shop," Shen said. "It only opens at midnight. Be here on time tomorrow, and we'll continue your training."
Wei stared at the key, then back at Mr. Shen. "And if I'm late?"
Shen's smile returned, but this time, it held a sharper edge. "Don't be."
Wei nodded, slipping the key into his pocket. He wasn't sure what he had just agreed to, but something told him that his life would never be the same again.