The city never sleeps. Neon lights painted the night in crimson and gold, and yet Ethan Chen walked among the crowd like a ghost, unnoticed, unremarkable.
To most, he was just another man in a cheap leather jacket, hands in his pockets, eyes half-closed as if bored by life itself.But those who truly knew would never dare to cross his shadow.
He used to be a legend. A storm that could topple empires with a single move.Now, he worked at a tiny auto shop on the edge of Riverstone City, drinking lukewarm coffee, pretending to be average.
Until tonight.
"Ethan, they're here again."
The trembling voice belonged to Old Wang, the shop owner. His face was pale, his hands shaking as he pointed outside the window.
Across the street, three black sedans rolled to a stop. Men in sharp suits spilled out, faces cold, eyes predatory.At their center stood Damien Luo, son of one of the city's most ruthless families. He had everything—wealth, power, arrogance—and one desire: Sophia.
Sophia Lin. The woman who smiled like spring sunlight, the only person who could still soften Ethan's heart.
Damien smirked, lighting a cigar as his men kicked down the shop's door."Chen," he sneered, calling Ethan by his last name like a curse. "Do you really think you can keep hiding behind grease and engines? She belongs to me. Step aside, and I'll let you live."
The shop went silent. Old Wang's breath caught.Sophia, standing just behind Ethan, froze in fear.
And Ethan?He sighed, brushing invisible dust off his jacket. His voice was calm, almost casual.
"You shouldn't have touched her name."
The air thickened. Even Damien faltered for half a second at the chill in those words.
The next moment, Ethan moved.A blur. A storm. A single strike—faster than anyone could react.
One of Damien's men was already on the ground, groaning, arm twisted at an impossible angle.Another staggered back, coughing blood before he even saw Ethan's face.
Damien's cigar slipped from his hand.
"You… you're not—"
Ethan's eyes, dark as midnight steel, finally locked on him."No. I'm not the man you think I am." He stepped forward, each word laced with quiet fury. "I am the man you should never have provoked."
Outside, the neon lights flickered as if the city itself shivered.
Tonight, the storm had awakened.