Ethan leaned back in his chair at the Dragon Chamber headquarters, the city lights stretching below him like a living circuit board. Each pulse of electricity from the streets mirrored the pulse of his Dragon Qi, faint but ever-present, reminding him that he had returned not as a man, but as a force the world couldn't ignore.
He tapped the glass surface of the digital table in front of him. Charts, graphs, and newsfeeds responded instantly. In one corner, the Mitchell Group's financial collapse glowed like a dying ember, flickering but not yet extinguished. Their panic had been delicious, but Ethan knew patience was a weapon more precise than rage.
"Master," Miller said, his tone cautious as always. "We've received confirmation. All preliminary acquisitions are complete. The majority of the Mitchell debts are now in your control."
Ethan didn't respond immediately. He allowed the words to settle, to sink into the undercurrent of the city beneath him. The Mitchells thought they were untouchable because of their name. They hadn't realized that a ghost one they had scorned, humiliated, and imprisoned-was—was now moving pieces across the globe like a god playing chess.
"Good," Ethan said finally, his voice soft but carrying the weight of command. "Keep monitoring. Every subsidiary, every offshore account, every investor connected to them we watch. And anyone trying to sell, move, or hide assets…" He let the sentence hang. "…we intercept."
Miller's eyes flicked to him, wide. "Yes, Master. But… what about Lisa?"
Ethan didn't flinch. His Dragon Sight had grown stronger, sharper than ever. He had observed her for months, mapping every heartbeat, every fluctuation of the black mist in her chest. He had healed her before without her knowing, but now he could feel the decline accelerating. The irony wasn't lost on him. She had treated him with disdain, had watched him rot, yet her fragile life was still tethered to him in ways she couldn't comprehend.
"She'll survive," he said quietly. "For now." His lips curved slightly. "But she won't be ignorant of the truth forever."
The following days were a blur of acquisitions, financial maneuvers, and silent domination. Ethan moved like a phantom through boardrooms, never physically present but always felt, always shaping the outcomes. The Dragon Commerce Chamber's assets allowed him to manipulate stock prices with ease, buy controlling shares with invisible hands, and redirect wealth flows to serve his strategy.
He watched competitors crumble silently as if the city itself were bending to his will. And in every move, he left subtle messages reminders of his intelligence, his precision, and the inevitability of his return.
At the same time, Ethan turned attention to the personal stakes. Hailey's health had stabilized, but he refused to leave anything to chance. Through underground channels, he had secured experimental treatments and private physicians who reported directly to him, unaware that their patient's safety depended on the secret Dragon God guiding their hands.
Hailey still believed he had been working a high-paying corporate job abroad. She didn't know about the five years in prison, the powers he had awakened, or the empire he now controlled. Ethan allowed her to believe it some illusions were necessary for protection.
But even as he expanded his financial web, shadows from his past began to surface.
One evening, as he reviewed reports from multiple continents simultaneously, an alert flashed across the tablet:
"Incoming message: Unknown. High priority."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. The encryption was sophisticated, unlike anything he had encountered from ordinary rivals. Whoever it was, they knew him or at least knew about the Dragon God.
The message displayed a single line:
"You've grown strong, Ethan Hunt. But every empire has its cracks. Are you ready to face what you cannot control?"
A cold smile touched his lips. Whoever had sent it underestimated him. But the warning intrigued him. There was power in secrets, in the unseen, and he had always thrived where others feared to tread.
"Prepare a counter-surveillance grid," he said to Miller. "Find them. Quietly."
Miller hesitated. "Master… should we respond?"
Ethan shook his head. "Not yet. Let them reveal themselves first. Let them underestimate the Dragon."
Meanwhile, Lisa Mitchell remained oblivious to the storm forming around her. The Mitchell mansion was quiet, a fragile shell of its former glory. Robert and Martha were constantly anxious, and whispers of potential buyers haunted every hallway. Lisa, pale and delicate, felt the black mist in her chest intensify, though she convinced herself it was stress or exhaustion.
She had no idea that every heartbeat she felt was being monitored, every decline noted, every risk calculated.
One night, she stood by the window, staring at the city lights, whispering to herself, "Who… could be behind this?"
Her words drifted into the empty hall, but the answer was closer than she realized. Across the city, Ethan's golden light pulsed faintly, unseen by anyone, but reaching her heart in ways she didn't yet understand.
Ethan's empire-building wasn't just about wealth. It was a game of influence, information, and fear. Every competitor he toppled, every investor he manipulated, every corporation he quietly acquired, was a step closer to reclaiming the world that had once scorned him.
And yet, he remained patient. The Dragon never rushed. Every chess piece was in motion, every move calculated, every moment designed to shape the outcome.
But the first unexpected complication arose sooner than he anticipated.
It came in the form of a man sharp, impeccably dressed, but with eyes that burned with a mixture of calculation and amusement. He appeared at one of the Dragon Chamber's subsidiary offices, introducing himself as Mr. Luo, a financial consultant from Hong Kong with a reputation for uncovering hidden power structures.
"I've been following your moves," Luo said smoothly, bowing slightly. "Your acquisitions are aggressive, precise… but there's a pattern. One you haven't considered."
Ethan studied him, his Dragon Sight flickering subtly, sensing the threads of ambition and secrecy within the man. "And what pattern is that?" he asked, voice calm but dangerous.
"Even the Dragon has a weakness," Luo replied, smiling. "You're building an empire, yes… but you're visible now. Someone or some group could be watching. Someone who knows more about your… powers than you realize."
Ethan's pulse didn't quicken. Most people would have panicked. Most would have fled. But not him. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, letting the golden light flare faintly under his skin.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Tell me more."
And as Luo outlined possibilities, Ethan's mind raced faster than the man could speak. Every warning, every threat, every unknown variable was an opportunity. He could anticipate, outmaneuver, and dominate but he would need patience, calculation, and cunning.
The Dragon didn't simply react. He orchestrated.
As the night deepened, Ethan stood alone atop the Dragon Chamber headquarters, overlooking the city like a king surveying his domain. The wind whispered around him, tugging at his coat, but it was nothing compared to the invisible currents he felt the currents of power, wealth, and fear moving beneath the streets.
Somewhere in the distance, the Mitchells stirred, unaware of the storm that was already encircling them. Somewhere in another part of the world, a group watched his moves with interest… and fear.
Ethan's lips curved into a smile that was both cold and magnetic. The Dragon had awakened. The Golden Finger pulsed steadily beneath his skin. And the game… the game had only just begun.
Dear reader, the Dragon has awakened, and the city is already shifting beneath his fingers. Ethan is growing stronger, smarter, and more untouchable by the day but unseen forces are beginning to emerge.
If you were in Ethan's position, would you strike at the unknown threat immediately, or continue building your empire while letting them reveal themselves first?
Comment below and share your thoughts what would you do if you were the Dragon? Who do you think is watching him, and what could their next move be?