Across town, Chen Kai sank into the backseat of his family's sleek black sedan, his gaze wandering over the Shanghai skyline that blurred past the window. The neon lights, a constant glow against the encroaching dusk, flickered like promises of success and excitement that never quite satisfied. His father had insisted he attend tonight's tech event, a gathering of the city's brightest minds and wealthiest elites. Kai had long since learned to play his role—a figurehead, a smiling face in a suit, his presence merely an extension of the Chen family's influence.
The ballroom was filled with a glittering crowd, their laughter and conversation blending into an ambient hum. His father, Chen Jian, stood at the center of it all, surrounded by a loyal coterie of associates and admirers, his eyes ever-watchful over his domain. Kai joined him, enduring a firm handshake and a brief nod of approval.
"Kai, I want you to meet some people," his father said, gesturing toward a group of business partners.
Kai obliged, shaking hands, smiling, and nodding at the appropriate moments. The routine was as familiar as it was hollow. Despite his father's insistence that he "build his network," Kai had never felt connected to this world. To him, these people were as much strangers as the nameless faces he passed on the street.
As the evening wore on, Kai excused himself, slipping out onto a small balcony that overlooked the sprawling city. Below, Shanghai pulsed with life. He envied the people down there, the freedom they had to come and go without expectations binding them.
One day, he would break free of this gilded cage. But tonight, he was still the dutiful son, trapped by obligations as heavy as the family name he bore.