The Path of the Warrior - M

[Lei Wulong]

Genre: Crime and Action.

Warnings: Violence, Gore, graphic depiction of death.

Rating: M

Summary: Wulong lived a peaceful life with his brother after his parents' deaths.  However, Wulong wanted to be a cop, and Fulong didn't wish that on his brother, fearing that he would die and tear their family apart.  Wulong then finds out that his Father's death was related to the Triads in Hong-Kong.  Wanting to avenge his father and put the killer to justice, Wulong flees Shanghai and starts his new life in Hong-Kong in order to avenge his father's death.  

This story details the events in Lei's life that lead up to the killing of Big Chin Mao the man whom Lei had at first thought killed his father.  Plan on doing a sequel that takes place after Maya's death and Lei's thirst for vengeance awakens again.

And yes, I made the title a rip-off of my novel on purpose, lol.  Since the two titular characters are very similar.  Both the Super Cop and The Phoenix are a pair of bad-asses in in their 40's.  While I own Alise and all the events in her past are canon, I don't own Lei. So we don't really know his backstory, so I'm really just filling in the blanks. Like Lei, the two first make their debut in their mid 20's.  Man, I should do a cross-over series!  Oh wait, I already did one.  Well, I should re-do it!

*UPDATE - I changed the title because it sounds better and no. 2 Wu - the first character in Lei's personal name means "warrior". So Lei's name translates to: Thunder Warrior Dragon. Also I kinda re-wrote the fic so we can have more of Lei interacting with his friends and family in Shanghai before going to Hong-Kong and using his Super Cop skills to track down his father's killer! Anyway enjoy!

[Lei Wulong]

The Super Cop Rises

Chapter 1

It was raining outside, as the sound of the rain splashing on the tin-roof were heard. Inside this warehouse, two men, sweating, and injured, and tired, panted as they squared off. The older man with a huge scar on his chin smiled as he looked to the younger man.

“You’re just like your father… Don’t know when to quit!” He approaches the younger man, who was on his knees, trying to recover from the injury that he had just received prior.

The younger man’s long hair was matted and wet from the sweat. The older man held a gun straight at his forehead, as the cold steel made contact with his face. “Tell Zhaolong that Big Chin Mao sends his regards!”

The young man closed his eyes, as he heard the clicking sound of the safety being set off. His life soon flashes right before his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a nice warm spring. The snow stopped as the grass was growing again. A small boy with his long black hair done up in a braid, sat down in his room, playing with his toys. His mother and brother were both out, and since his dad was going to be home soon, his mother didn’t bother taking him with her. After all, Little Wulong was very hyperactive. However, his father soon approached him, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Huh? You're home... all by yourself?" The father asks Wulong.

Wulong, smiled. "Yes, Mama and Fulong both said you would be here."

The brown-haired man sighed. "Well, I was planning on taking the whole family out to movie night, but I guess you'll do."

"Yay!"

Wulong got in the car with his dad, as the two talked about his case. "Well, before I press charges, I was hoping to see everyone, but it seems that I'm just stuck with you."

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're gonna see a movie together! But it will be our little secret. Don't tell mom."

Wulong smiled as he zipped his lips up and threw away the key.

Wulong and his father made it to the theater and went to go see The Strongest Man in the world. The two watched the movie, shared a popcorn and finally once they were done, Wulong's father decided to head out to the car. He went to the payphone booth and called the house. He spoke to his wife, nodding as Wulong watched with his curious little eyes. Finally, his dad got off the phone.

"Mom's on her way to go get Fulong. What do you say, you and I get some candy?"

Wulong nods, smiling.

"Good. Here, go buy us something good! I'll pull the car around."

Wulong then ran back into the theater and purchased two Payday candy bar for himself and his dad. He meets his dad and hands him the candy bar. However, it wasn’t before long that as Wulong looked at his father, his head appeared to have exploded with red stuff coming out, along with a few chunks of pinkish-red guts flying all over the place. Zhaolong fell forward, landing on the sidewalk, as his eyes were closed. It was as if he was trying to sleep. Wulong saw red stuff gushed out of his father’s head, running down his neck. Wulong kept poking his dad in the cheeks, shaking him, thinking he’ll wake up.

"Dad! Wake up! Dad! C'mon! Dad!" Someone pushed Wulong away, as the paramedics came in and checked his pulse. They load the long-haired Chinese man onto the stretcher, as Wulong helplessly watched his dad get taken away. The police came in and put Wulong in the back of the cruiser as Wulong kept reaching out for his dad. However, Wulong witnessed a blonde woman in a coat waltz by and take his dad's car. He could have sworn that woman looked at him in pity. She looked really sad about this.

This was the first time that Little Wulong has learned about death and dying. And he had first-hand experience. It was unfortunate that he witnessed his father dying. Minghua had explained to her son that his Father was dead and he was never coming back and they had to prepare the funeral. Wulong heard that his dad was going to Northern China to be buried next to his parents and ancestors, so they had to get ready.

But Fulong still had to go to school. As Wulong sat down in his room, trying to come to terms with the fact that his dad was never going to wake up, and that the bad people that he stopped hurt him. Wulong wondered if the bad people were going to hurt him, too. He also wondered about the blonde woman who stole his dad’s cruiser.

However, Wulong noticed that his mom was taking awfully long in the bathtub. As he approached the bathroom, he noticed some sort of yeast-smell.

“Mama! Mama! Are you okay? Mama?”

No response.

“Mama! I’m going to come in the bathroom now!”

Wulong immediately barged into the bathroom to see his mother slumped over in a pool of the same red liquid that his father squirted. Her skin was waxy and pale, as her eyes were glassy. Wulong poked her, and noticed that she felt ice cold and she was really stiff. Wulong knew that his mother had died.

“MAMA! DON’T DIE! PLEASE! DON’T JOIN DAD! PLEASE! MAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

It was raining as Wulong and his brother were both at the funeral. It was a real tragedy as Wulong overheard the adults talking about what to do with the kids.

“Elder Brother Fulong, what’s going to happen to us now?” Wulong asked his brother.

“I don’t know anymore.”

“The grown-ups are talking about taking me to an orphanage!”

Fulong heard whispers about what to do with him, but everyone is insistent on putting his tiny brother in to an orphanage. But Fulong was too old to be adopted, and that would mean the two would be separated.

“What does that mean?”

“We’re orphans now. We don’t have parents.”

“Yes we do! We have Father and Mother.”

“No, I mean they cannot care for us anymore.”

“Because they went to sleep forever?”

“No, the proper term is that they are dead. Dead. Little Wulong… do you not understand… our parents are dead! They cannot take care of us or look after us. What the grown-ups are talking about is taking you to a home where other kids like us whose parents all died are taken care of, while another family comes along and adopts you and puts them into their family.”

“So… Strangers take care of me? What about you?”

“Nobody wants to adopt a teenager.” Fulong sighed.

“But… We'll be separated!”

“We won’t. I will be sure of it.”

As the caskets were placed underground, Wulong actually shed several tears. He finally realized that his parents were gone forever. No more playground games. No more Kung Fu training. And no more playing with the ducks. His parents were dead. And gone. Forever. And so was their home.

Fulong held his brother as he cried. As the two brothers cried, a young albino girl in a white Qipao appeared. She had heterochromia with her left eye being red and her right eye being green. She was pale and had white hair.

“I’m sorry about your parents.” She said. “My Mother died, too.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Lana.” The girl smiled.

“Well, I'm Fulong and this my very small brother Wulong!”

“I know. It was a tragedy wasn’t it? Your father murdered by an assassin in cold blood… and your mother so depressed and distraught over this decides to slit her wrists. She literally could not live without the love of her life. It is both tragic and beautiful.”

Fulong flinched at the small girl’s description of their parents' deaths. Her appearance as a creepy little girl made her words even more unsettling.

“Um… yes… who are you? How do you know_”

“Lana! It is forbidden to talk badly about the dead!”

Fulong saw a man who resembled his father except his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He was going to ask the man who he is, but he dragged Lana away.

“See you later, Wulong and Fulong!”

It has been two years since the funeral. To Wulong, it still seemed like it was only yesterday that his parents both died in his very eyes. He did his usual routine, and sat in a corner alone, crying. He earned the nickname, “Crybaby Wulong” since he cried all the time. He was a very disobedient and wild child. Always getting into fights with the bigger kids, and just disobeying the adults. Wulong generally had a bad attitude about everything.

“Look at him! Crybaby Wulong! He’s at it again!” One of the bigger kids taunted and pointed.

“Well, he lost his two parents!” A girl said, defending the crying boy.

“I lost my parents, too, and I ain’t a crybaby about it!”

The big kid then approached the child, laughing at him. “Aww… crybaby crybaby… won’t you cry for me?”

Wulong stood up. “Go away!”

“Awww…. What’s the matter? Crybaby wanna cry more?”

“Leave me alone!”

Wulong then threw in a sucker-punch at the bully’s nose. The girl screamed, and then the boy quickly sent in an awkward kick to the bully’s testicles.

Eventually the headmaster interfered, grabbing the two boys into her office.

“Wulong! Qiang! What is wrong with you two? That’s the third time you got into a fight!”

“Qiang called me a crybaby!” Wulong shouted.

“Wulong punched me in the nose!” The bully said, as he had a tissue to his bleeding nose, no thanks to Wulong.

“Enough! Wulong stop crying! Nobody wants to adopt a crybaby!”

Wulong stood up. “Fine, I won’t get adopted!”

“Sit down!”

“No!”

“Wulong…”

“Nyeah, nyeah, nyeah! Not listening! You’re not my Mama! Because she’s dead! Just like my Baba! I don’t have parents anymore! Because a bad-man killed them both!”

“You answer to me now!”

Wulong then gave the headmistress the finger, along with sticking his tongue out. He then turns around and leaves the office.

“Wulong, get back here!”

“Make me!”

He quickly runs out of the office and darts through the halls. The woman wasn’t even going to bother chasing that wild kid this time. She sighed.

“Qiang, just don’t call him a crybaby, okay?”

She was seriously considering sending that child to juvenile detention. But she understood why Wulong behaved the way he did. It’s never easy watching your two parents die in front of you. But she never thought that boy understood what had happened. After all, he is the son of China’s best detective. Surely, he’d be more… obedient?

Later on that night, Wulong laid in his bed that he shared with several other orphans when he heard a light tap on the window. He looked out and saw his brother. Wulong then quietly opens the window to be let out, as his brother climbed down the building. He followed him to an alley, where Fulong had a present for him.

“How was your day, Little Wulong?” The older boy asked his brother.

“I got into a fight.” He said.

“I take it you won the fight?”

“Yes, Qiang called me a crybaby, so I bloodied his nose and tore up his ‘baby-makers’.”

Fulong smiled. “You know, he had it coming. I mean, I still cry to this day. Little Wulong, it’s okay to cry. Alright.” He placed his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder.

“Our parents aren’t around anymore! I hate the other kids! The food is awful! Mama cooked better food than this! And I want to do some Kung-Fu training, but I am stuck watching Jackie Chan movies and trying to mimic him!”

“Listen, I’ve got some good news for you. You won’t be living there too long. I’ve got a job, and a home now. I’m about to get married. I wish I could take you with me to the wedding, but I don’t have the rights to you.”

Wulong nodded. Another reason to hate this dump. They refused to let him see his brother because they wanted Wulong to be adopted by a stable family instead of leaving him with his brother who won’t provide him the same stability. They wanted him to get used to not seeing his brother around once he got adopted. But with his brother getting married… things are going to change.

“What happens next?”

“They see that I’m married, I have a good income, and I adopt you into the family.”

“Really? You’ll adopt me?”

Fulong nodded. “Yes, I will. That’s what Father wanted. I’m kinda pissed that they didn’t honor his will. It clearly said that I was to take care of you! I guess they didn’t trust Father’s judgement just because I wasn’t an adult.”

“Ooh! Will I get Kung-Fu training?”

“Yes, Mr. Wang will personally train you once you hit 7, as per Father’s request.”

“YAY!” The little boy jumped for joy.

“Also, I’ve got you a present.”

Fulong set down his knapsack to hand his brother a small box. Wulong looked at it, recognizing the box before opening it. It contained a pair of chopsticks with a design of a dragon on them. He marveled at it.

“This belonged to Baba!”

“Again, this is more of his inheritance stuff that the Chinese kept from us.”

“Why?”

“Again, they didn’t trust his judgement because we are orphans. However, I am sure that will be changing soon. Once I hit 20, Father’s inheritance will go to me. I’ll invest in a few houses, and start my business. Then, I should be able to put you through a good school.”

“Really? I get to live with you when you get rich?”

“Yes. Because you’re family, Little Wulong. Always are and always will be. Remember this, blood is thicker than water.”

Those words stuck to Wulong as he was eventually adopted by his brother six months later. He lived a happy life with his brother. Learning Kung-Fu from Master Wang, a long with helping his sister-in-law take care of his nephew, Qin. Wulong wanted to learn Zui Quan, after watching The Drunken Master. He was up to the challenge to learn such a difficult style. Thankfully, he was born naturally flexible and double-jointed. So he was able to perform all the fluid movements of a drunkard. But he still had more training to do. He still has a grudge after all those years. He channeled his rage into his training and excelled. Eventually as time went on, and Wulong made new friends and found a kinship among his students, his anger and rage at his parents demise had calmed.

Now, Wulong was 18 years of age. He worked part-time at his master’s dojo, as well as doing construction work for his brother’s business on the side as well. Since Wulong was finished with school he was now figuring out what he wanted to do in life. He enjoyed learning and training Kung-Fu. That was his source of happiness in life, but also… his father was a gifted and talented cop. Wulong wondered… if maybe he’d be the same way. Fulong insisted that he should be a doctor instead, but Wulong knew in his heart that this isn’t what he wanted to do. It also re-opened some old wounds as Wulong wants to find out why his father was murdered. What did he do to piss someone off that badly?

“Just think of all the poor orphans who ended up that way because their parents were murdered! I can help them find closure!” Wulong said to his brother.

“But, you are forgetting that you may be murdered, too.”

“So what? I’m not going to just sit there and do nothing!”

“This isn’t what Father would have wanted.”

“What do you know about what Father wants? As far as I know, I was his favorite!”

Fulong frowned at his brother’s comment. “You were only four! He had to spend extra time tending to you!”

“But Father said that I needed to follow in the footsteps of the ancestors and serve China!”

“And then die? No, no, no! Our parents didn’t die just for you to go and turn around and throw away your life!”

“Says you! I’m not throwing my life away! I’m actually helping people… unlike you.”

“I’m selling homes to people!”

“But what about the poor orphans like us? What about the people whose child got murdered?”

Fulong didn’t have any words to say.

“That’s what I thought!” Wulong then turned around, running away as he cried.

Wulong ran up to where Master Wang resided. This man knew his grandfather and personally trained his father, so he knew exactly what his father would have wanted. He knocked on the door as the elder man allowed the teen inside.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Lei?”

The boy sat down, sighing. “Look, Fulong and I got into a fight. He doesn’t want me to be a cop. He says I’m practically throwing my life away and that it wasn’t what Father would have wanted. You knew Father, what would he have wanted?”

Wang poured some tea in a cup. “I knew this day would come.”

“What?”

“Your brother has been hiding you from your destiny.”

“For what reason?”

“He doesn’t want you die. There is always that risk when pursuing a career in law enforcement. This is why your Father requested that I train you once you turned 7.”

“What? So Father did want me to become a cop?”

Wang nodded. “Yes. He told me that you were to carry out his work. And finish what he started. Here, he left me a letter that I was going to give you once you became of age. But I feel like now is the time.”

Wulong waited for a moment as Wang made his way into his quarters before finally returning with an envelope. He handed it to Wulong, as he allowed the young teen to open it up and read it.

Dear Lei Wulong,

It would appear that my time has come to an untimely end. I knew it was my fate, as warriors like us die in battle. My only regret is that I never lived to see what kind of man you will become. Just know, my son, that the road ahead is a long and dangerous one. It is up to you to carve your own path and see it to the end. Wulong, you’re going to face a lot of challenges and battles ahead. Just know, don’t give up hope. Understand that I lived my life, standing by my convictions. Everything I did was for your sake, Fulong’s sake, and your Mother’s sake. Now go forth, and unlock your full-potential, my son! Make our ancestors proud!

Love, Lei Zhaolong

“He entrusted this letter to me before he left for his mission in Hong-Kong.”

“Hong-Kong, huh? So…” Wulong mulled this over in his head. He didn’t know too much about his father’s investigations. All he knew was that sometimes he’d be gone for weeks at a time or a whole month. And his missions were often quite dangerous in nature.

“I didn’t know the details of his investigation in Hong-Kong. What I do know is that a few months later, he met his untimely demise after travelling to Japan. He knew he was going to die. He wanted to spend the last moments of his life with you.”

Wulong nodded. “I see.”

He then adopted a thinking posture, looking up as he placed his hand on his chin.

Baba was working on a case in Hong-Kong. He knew he was going to die and wanted to spend the last moments of his life with me. That meant, the man who killed him is in Hong-Kong. But who? Is he even still out there? Where do I even begin?

Wulong finally stood up, bowing to his teacher respectfully. “Master Wang, thanks for everything! I believe I know what I must do now!”

[Lei Wulong]

Chapter 2

After his meeting with Master Wang, Wulong arrived at the Shanghai police station. He entered the glass doors as he greeted the receptionist. Wulong bows his head in respect. This was the very same place his father worked at. He had flashbacks of sitting down at the chairs in the lobby and waiting on his father to finish up police work as he played with his toys.

“How may I help you, young man?”

“I’m here to meet with Sgt. Chong.”

“Ahh, yes…” The receptionist thumbed through her files. “You’re late Det. Lei’s son, aren’t you?”

Wulong nods. “Yes.”

“I will send for him to come meet with you. Just have a seat over there on the chair. He’ll be right with you.”

Wulong did as told, taking a seat in the very same chair he sat in as a young child.

“Mama, why are we here?” The little boy looks up at his mother, his bright brown eyes widened with curiosity.

“Your father is about to go on lunch. He enjoys my homecooked meals!”

“So we’re going to eat as a family?”

Minghua nodded. “It is very important. We might not be able to have family meals together all the time, but your father is doing good work out there.”

Wulong nods. “Yes. Must be hard fighting crime on an empty stomach.”

“Plus, family-time raises morale. He’s going to work harder and do better as we will keep reminding him who he really fights for. I want you to remember this, no matter what happens, blood is thicker than water. Family is very important, my son.”

Eventually, Zhaolong appeared in his uniform, immediately walking over to lift up Wulong in the air before kissing his wife on the forehead.

“Unfortunately, it is sad that my schedule conflicts with Fulong the Eldest.” He sighed. “But it’s okay.” He smiled. “I have a wonderful family willing to go eat some lunch with me.”

“Of course!” Wulong hugs his father. “I love eating lunch with you!”

“Lei Wulong!”

The young teen was startled as an older man in a uniform approached him, bringing him back to reality. He stands up and salutes the man before shaking his hand.

“Sgt. Chong, so nice to meet you, sir!”

“My, my… you have grown so much since the last time I saw you. You’re shaping up to be an impressionable young man.”

“Yes, sir!” Wulong honestly didn’t know how to reply to that statement. It has been a long time since he has last seen this man. If memory serves, he was his father’s superior.

“And very respectful, I see. You don’t have to call me, sir, all the time.”

“Um… yes… sir!”

“So, you want to follow your father’s footsteps? And pursue a career in law-enforcement. We don’t get many teenagers interested in this line of work. So, let me ask you? What makes you interested to join the Shanghai force?”

Wulong followed Sgt. Chong as he walked the young teen through the precinct.

“Well, it was something my Father was good at. And I barely knew him. I suppose I could give it a shot, and maybe… feel closer to my family and honor my fallen ancestors.”

“I see.”

Wulong nods. “Father told me that I descended from nobility. Our bloodline was said to have been soldiers who served the emperor for many centuries.”

“Ah, yes. Indeed. And I’m assuming you wish to bring that name back?”

Wulong nods once more. “Yes… I also wish to serve the people as my ancestors have in the past.”

“Yes. Your father had the same ideology. He became a cop because he was tired of all the injustice that his people and his family had suffered by the hands of the Japanese. As I recall, he didn’t wish to join the military, as he felt that he would be serving his country better by protecting those who cannot protect themselves, instead of fighting in battle.”

Wulong took note of all the uniformed officers answering phone-calls, writing up reports, and reading through some files. It was very lively as the noise of people talking almost distracted Lei from Sgt. Chong’s voice.

“Yes… my grandfather… General Lei Li-Long. He died in during an ambush in Burma in 1957.”

“Very unfortunate. Too bad you didn’t get to meet him.”

Wulong nodded. Eventually, he was led into the office, where he sees an even older man in the same uniform, but this time his chest bore several medals, more medals than Sgt. Chong had on his left breast.

“This is Lei Wulong, the son of Det. Lei Zhaolong.” Sgt. Chong introduced the young teen to the man in the office.

Wulong saluted before shaking the man’s hand ad he stood up. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Superintendent Song. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Sgt. Chong tells me that you are interested in a career in law enforcement.”

“Yes. I am. I’ve discussed the details with Sgt. Chong and he told me to come down here for an interview.”

“I see. Now, as you know, you will have to go through rigorous training and discipline for 6 weeks.”

Wulong nods. “Yes. I am aware of this. But I still like to know more about this opportunity before I jump in. Considering this is something that I plan on doing for the rest of my life, I’d like to know more about this career.”

“Smart boy. Just like your father.”

“Yeah, I get told that a lot. I barely knew the man, and yet I’m compared to him. Nothing wrong with that, just… makes me wonder if part of his soul is inside me.”

“Possibly. And your motivations for this career…?”

“Carry out my father’s will. And finish his work. He requested that I become a detective like himself and bring honor to our fallen ancestors. I also wish to help serve the people the best I can.”

“I see… That’s usually how they start. With good intentions before their hearts become hardened and their souls become corrupted over time. You have a pure heart, but how pure will it remain?”

Wulong took note of that statement. If memory serves, his father was a bit of an… asshole. Very authoritarian and strict. He remembers hearing a story from his brother that involved his father catching a thief and when he was going to make the arrest, he snaps the thief’s wrist as he cuffs the perp on purpose to teach him a lesson. He also had such a strong and intense hatred for the Japanese. Wulong recalls, he remembers overhearing a conversation upon hearing on the radio news of Heihachi Mishima starting the new Mishima Zaibatsu.

“Those damn dirty Wokou! Of course they’d be into weapons production! Because they’re all just a bunch of war-hungry savages!”

Wulong knows his father is rolling in his grave right now, as the young man had a Sony Walkman that he bought after saving up his money from working in the dojo. His father used to preach about how he should never trust a Japanese man or Japanese products. But considering what had happened to his clan during World War II, Wulong understood his father’s blatant racism. Would Wulong be hardened by witnessing horrors and end up as a racist extremist asshole like his father, who breaks limbs off criminals in order to “teach them a lesson”.

“Corrupt cops must be a problem. I swear, I’m not going to end up corrupt. After all, I’ve already experienced the horrors of life and what people do. I really only wish to help.” He bowed.

The Superintendent smiled. He likes this young teen’s enthusiasm and naïveté. But this kids is right, he saw his own father get killed, and he saw his own mother kill herself. Though he did wonder just how strong his optimism is. He looked forward to seeing him in action.

“You have a very strong will. And that’s exactly what is needed to join the police force. Cadet Lei, I look forward to seeing you on the force.”

Wulong nods, shaking the Superintendent’s hand. “I look forward to working under you, Superintendent Song. Is it possible for me to work here part-time as I plan on furthering my education. I wish to study psychology at the University. I have always been curious about what drives people to do extreme things and what makes people tick. And also…” Wulong paused for a moment as he looked down, thinking about his mother. “My mother killed herself a day after my father’s murder. I think when I found her, she was probably dead for hours. Her corpse smelled like it… I want to understand why she did such an extreme thing. Did she not realize what her death caused?”

“Yes, of course. I think psychology is a great field to study. It will make you great at this job. If you wish to get promoted and join the upper ranks, you must go to college. I feel like psychology will help develop your empathetic abilities. It will help you assist the people.”

“Of course… Father said that I was too soft. But empathy would make me a great cop. And it would also allow me to use my talents that were granted to me by the blood of my ancestors. It’s my destiny to protect and serve. It’s in my blood.”

“Come, let’s have a tour of the station. I’ll show you around.”

Wulong got up and followed the Superintendent as he showed him around the station.
“The decision is final! You are not going to be a cop!”

Wulong returned to his home, now at the dinner table with his sister-in-law, nephew, and brother. They were having noodles and roasted chicken for dinner along with fried eggplants and vegetables in the dish. Wulong groaned as his brother still wouldn’t budge on his decision to not allow his brother into the police academy.

“You are to pursue your psychology studies in the University and become a psychiatrist!”

“Yes, I am! But I’m also going to be a detective, too! I can use my talents to its fullest potential! You said it yourself, I have an amazing gift. We both inherited it from Father. Do you think this ‘gift’ made him a really good cop?”

“Why can’t Uncle Wulong be a cop, Baba?” Zhulong asked his father, jumping in on the conversation.

Fulong sighed, running his hand through his face. “I’ve already explained this to him. And I’ll explain it again. Becoming a police officer is basically committing suicide. The moment you sign up, your fate is sealed!” He turned to look at Wulong. “Unlike a soldier, you will not die with honor. You will die with no pride. People will kill you for settling a dispute. They will kill you for wearing that uniform. You saw what happened to our parents. And being a cop will tear apart your entire family, too.”

“It’s not about honor. It’s not about dying. It’s about fate. Don’t you see it, it’s my destiny!”

“Wulong, you have the power to create your own destiny and set up your own fate. You don’t have to follow Father’s path that he laid out for you.”

“I’m not. I’m choosing my own path. This is the path that I’m choosing. On my own!”

“I think it’d be awesome if Uncle Wulong was a cop like Zu-fu! Do policemen get killed a lot, Baba?”

“Yes, they do. You know what happened to my parents.”

“I think Uncle Wulong is tough. He’s a young Kung-Fu master! He can kick everyone’s butt in a fight!”

“How practical is Zui Quan even in a fight?” Fulong asked his younger brother after slurping on some noodles.

Ming Xiao, Fulong’s wife stayed silent and just enjoyed her noodles as she didn’t want to get involved in the conversation at all. She personally would just let Little Wulong become a cop instead of causing some unnecessary drama. It’s great job security and the pay is good and a great way for Wulong to earn his living. It is an honorable position, but she understood how her husband felt.

“It’s very practical. I’m still learning some basic Kenpo attacks to cover-up the weaknesses of Zui Quan.”

“Do what you wish. You may study Kung-Fu, but please, don’t throw your life away, okay? You’re the only living relative I’ve got.”

Wulong nodded. “I won’t. I know what I must do.”

Later on that night, Wulong laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling as he thought about today’s events. In his drawer was the letter his father wrote to him. The young man was somewhat conflicted. Reading the letter and learning about his father brought back memories. He remembered all the pain and sorrow he had when he was at the orphanage. It was all caused by one man. A man that the police couldn’t catch.

“Looks like I need to figure out a name before I do anything.” Wulong said to himself out loud. “But how do I get such information?”

Wulong closed his eyes to think. He wondered how he would get information on his dad’s murder. And where would he go? After several minutes of thought organization, Wulong finally figured out his first move. He sat up from his bed in revelation.

“Aha! I can go check the news article in the library! The report might be able to point me into the right direction!”

Wulong then shot out of bed and grabbed a notebook. He had to organize his thoughts somehow. First, he had to figure out who the police suspected killed his father back in 1973. Then he can possibly look up their information in a phonebook and find more information about them.

The very next day, Wulong found himself at the library. He greets the receptionist who directs him to the microfilm machine. As he sat at the machine, the librarian hands him newspaper clippings on his father’s murder.

“Here you go, young man.” The woman smiled. “So, why are you so interested in Detective Lei’s murder?”

“Well, his death intrigues me, you know?” Wulong smiles, looking at the librarian. “He was apparently one of Shanghai’s best cops, and nobody solved his murder.”

“Really now? Are you trying to figure out who murdered him?”

“No, not really. It’s just really fascinating that after thirteen years, they still haven’t found the killer. You’d think the whole entire department would pour all their resources into finding the man that killed their best detective? But it seems like the trail went cold.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“It was a set-up!” Wulong shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. “Of course! Why didn’t I realize this sooner?”

“What?”

“According to this article, they found his cruiser at the bottom of the Yellow River. That means, whoever killed Det. Lei was trying to hide something that was in his cruiser! And whoever it was, had the entire thing planned! I think Det. Lei was executed by a corrupt cop.”

“…”

Wulong sighed with relief as he ran his fingers through his hair. “That’s why Superintendent Song was talking about police corruption… he knew Baba got murdered by some corrupt cops! There’s my lead!”

The librarian stayed silent as Wulong got up, kissing the woman on the cheek. “Thank you so much! You’re the best!”

He quickly gets up and leaves the library. As he left Wulong had to figure out his next move.

“According to the articles they said that his death was Triad-related.” Wulong said as he wrote down notes in the journal. “I think there was an inside man at the police station. I think he probably gave the boss information on Baba’s whereabouts. And maybe Mama got scared and killed herself. She probably knew who the murderer was, but she’s dead.”

Wulong sighed. While Wulong was hoping to solve the mystery behind his father's death, he also needed to figure out why his mother killed herself. He had a hunch that it was more than just her missing her husband.

“She didn’t seem to be the type whose world would fall apart if she suddenly lost her husband…”

“Hello, Wulong-renxiong!”

Wulong turned to see his “fiancèe”, Wang Xiao Hua. She was an energetic and spirited girl. Her black hair was done up in ox-horns as she wore a pink qipao. She is Master Wang’s granddaughter and possible wife for Wulong. Although the long tradition of arranged marriages were suddenly declared illegal (and a lot of other ancient Chinese traditions), thanks to Chairman Mao, it still didn’t stop many families from practicing it. However, the marriage between the two wasn’t really “arranged”; it was more of pushing them in the right direction of their true fate.

Personally, Wulong isn’t interested in Xiao Hua. He’s five years her senior and she’s very child-like. He wasn’t interested in a relationship with little girls, but perhaps maybe if they paired him up with a more mature woman closer to his age, he wouldn’t mind. The matchmaker declared the two to be a perfect match. Only because Wulong was an Earth Monkey and Xiao Hua was a Water Ox, making them the best pair, according to the Chinese Zodiac. Also, since the one-child policy is strictly enforced by Chairman Mao, Master Wang felt that it was best to pair his granddaughter up with a descent of the Lei bloodline. Not only to symbolize the strong friendship Master Wang had with Wulong's forefathers, but also to produce a worthy heir to his dojo. With Wulong’s ability to pick up different fighting styles on the fly, and Xiao Hua’s gifted talents in Piguaquan, their child would become a very powerful Martial Artist.

“Hello, Xiao Hua!” Wulong greeted, quickly putting away his journal.

“I see you just came from the library. Are you getting ready for the university entrance exams?”

“Well, um… actually… I should probably do that…” He smiles as he rubs the back of his head nervously. “Actually, I'm looking into my father’s murder.”

“Oh…”

“And you know, my mother killed herself, too right after.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I think maybe my mother knew who killed my father. I think that’s why she killed herself. She knew that the killer knew she knew that he killed her husband.”

“What?”

Wulong smiled, placing his hand on Xiao Hua's shoulder. “Basically, my mother killed herself so that she would die on her own terms instead of getting murdered by the same man who murdered my father.”

Xiao Hua gasped.

“If memory serves, my mother was a very prideful and stubborn woman. She would do a stunt like that…” Wulong sighed. “I suppose that’s where I get it from.”

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“I guess I am just going to somehow get access to the case files that the police have.”

“I can help!” Xiao Hua shouted with excitement.

“It’s illegal, but the man who killed my father has to pay!”

“How does Mr. Lei feel about this?”

“I haven’t told him anything but he made a huge fuss when I wanted to join the police academy.”

“But that’s your dream!”

“I know… and I support my brother’s dream.”

“Where are you headed, anyway?”

“I’m thinking about getting more information from Elder Brother Fulong.”

“And then…” she tilts her head.

“Maybe I can go ask around the police station and see if I can find information on my father’s killer.”

“Can I come with you?”

Wulong let out a slight laugh. “Ahh… well… I mean, I am just asking questions. But it might get dangerous.”

“I can handle myself!”

“I don’t doubt it, but the man who killed my father will probably go after you, too. I don’t think I can live with myself if anything ever happened to you.”

Xiao Hua blushed. “You do have feelings for me, Wulong-renxiong!”

“No, it’s just that I care about your safety. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Well, I suppose we should go see Mr. Lei then!”

Wulong was not looking forward to this. But his brother so far is his only lead.

I'll find him, Baba! I promise!

[Lei Wulong]

Chapter 3

Wulong and Xiao Hua arrived at the tall building. Wulong takes a deep breath in before heading inside. At least with Xiao Hua with him, things shouldn’t get too nasty. As he enters the building and steps in the elevator, all he thought was how to squeeze information from his brother. They finally arrived at his office.

Fulong had his long waist-length black hair neatly braided as his back was turned to the pair. He looks out of the window as his arms were folded under his long ruby-colored sleeves of the silk Mandarin robes that he wore. He breathed an air of nobility, contrast to Wulong who was more down-to-earth with his waist-length hair done in a much looser braid, as Wulong’s hair cascaded around his face. With Fulong, not a single lock of hair was out of place. Everything was pulled back tightly and neatly.

Fulong then turns around, smiling upon the sight of his guests.

“Ahh, yes, Little Wulong and young Miss Wang. How good it is to see you two. Getting along, I hope?” He then holds his hand out. “Please, have a seat you two. I’m sure that this is very important.”

Wulong and Xiao Hua both took a seat in the chairs as Fulong sat down in his chair behind his desk.

“So, have you thought about what we said last night?”

“Yes, I did.” Wulong smirked, crossing his arms.

“And what did you decide?”

“That’s not what I came here for.”

“Oh?”

“I want to know more about Baba.”

Fulong smiled, leaning forward. “What is it that you want to know that you don’t already know about him?”

“About his death. What was the very last thing he did before he died?”

“He invited you out to the movies.”

Wulong sighed. “I meant before then!”

“Oh? I see what’s going on here…” He points his finger at his younger brother.

“You do?” Xiao Hua finally piped up.

“You want to know who killed him? So you can find the guy? Look Little Wulong, I know how hard it is, but you just have to let it go!”

“I can’t let it go! This man probably went on to kill more fathers and families! We need to find him and stop him and get justice for Baba!”

“Don’t you even care about your own father?” Xiao Hua added.

“Baba killed himself. He was a fool who died without honor.”

“How dare you speak of Baba like that?” Wulong stood up from his seat, placing both hands on his desk. “You said he killed himself and died without honor! Fulong, you know who killed Baba! You knew about that stint in Hong-Kong! You knew exactly what he was doing! You know who he was investigating!”

“What?! Nonsense! Who told you this?!”

“That’s not important! All I need is for you to tell me what you know about the events leading up to his death! I know you know who killed him! You've been hiding this information from me! It’s gone on for way too long… Because of your stubbornness, the police never found Baba’s killer! I guess you didn’t care… because you resented Baba for choosing me to be his successor, instead of you!”

Fulong was speechless as Xiao Hua stayed silent.

“You hated Baba even more because Mama killed herself!”

The office was eerily silent for several minutes before Fulong managed to regain composure of himself. He lets out a heavy exhale before speaking.

“Baba was in Hong-Kong for a few weeks. Before he left, he entrusted me to look after you. And I did. He told me to raise you and groom you into becoming a strong man like him. He said that he had to handle some business down there.”

“Business?”

“He said he was going to meet with Big Chin Mao.”

“That’s a weird name? Is he a yang guzi?”

“I don’t know. But now you have a name. You got a lead. I don’t know if that man is Baba’s killer. But if he is…” Fulong leaned forward to whisper in his brother’s ear. “Make sure you kill that son of a bitch.”

Wulong nods. “Planning on it.”

He then bows as Xiao Hua did the same. “Thank you, Elder Brother Fulong!”

“I realize now is too late to stop you. Once your mind is set, you keep going. All I can do now is pray to the ancestors that you see this through. I don’t need that man killing the only family I’ve got.”

Wulong nods. “He won’t!”

The pair left the office as Wulong writes his findings down in his journal.

“You have a diary?!”

“Not really. It’s just to help keep my thoughts organized. I'm very scattered-brained.” He smiled.

“So, are you going to go to Hong-Kong?”

“If the killer is there, yes.” He closes the notebook.

“But it’s so far away! Grandpa will be mad if I follow you there!”

“Yeah. This is something I have to do alone. But I won’t be leaving just yet. I still need to confirm that Big Chin Mao killed my parents.”

“And how will you do that?”

“I guess I will have to just ask around. I can ask the police, maybe. Or go back to the library.”

“I see. If there’s any way I can help, I will be there!”

Wulong then looked at his watch. “Oh no! We’re late! We were supposed to be at Master Wang’s school thirty minutes ago!”

“Oh no!”

“We should get going! Here, climb on my back! It will be faster!”

Wulong then kneeled to allow the small girl to climb on his back, giving her a piggy-back ride as they raced onwards to the dojo. After their arrival, Master Wang, Master Zhu, and Master Dim were outside waiting.

Wulong and Xiao Hua both bowed.

“We are sorry for our lateness.” Wulong said.

Master Wang walked around the two with his cane. Wulong and Xiao Hua both stood still.

“Ah… what should you two do, today? Hmm… how about you two head the class, today?”

“Um… sure, Master Wang.”

He smacks both Wulong and Xiao Hua in the back of their heads with his cane. The two winced in pain.

“Get a move-on you, two!”

The pair then entered the dojo where all the students waited. Everyone was on their knees, waiting for their masters to return. Wulong and Xiao Hua both stood in the middle.

“Since these two were late, they are going to head today’s lesson.”

Wulong wasn’t sure where to begin. Neither did Xiao Hua. However Wulong figured that they start out with a solid left-roundhouse kick that they both know.

“Alright, so here’s a move that I invented!” Wulong said as he gets into his stance.

Wulong earned the name, “Young Master Lei” since he pretty much invented his own fighting style. He added different styles from different dojos that he visited and put them into his own style. He also managed to master Zui Quan, and it was a good starting point as it taught Wulong how to manipulate every muscle in his body and allowed him to pretty much learn almost any move he wanted to use.

“This is called high kick and low kick!”

Wulong and Xiao Hua both swung their left leg out at the same time and promptly spun around and did a sweep kick. His back was now turned as Xiao Hua had no idea what Wulong was doing. But she turned her back, anyway.

“It allows you to turn your back on the enemy. This will invite the enemy to try and approached you. Any volunteers?”

One student got up, approaching Wulong.

“Alright, ready your stance and attack me!”

The student did as instructed, sending in a forward punch. Wulong then catches their arm, and spins them around and tosses them on the ground.

“You see, having your back-turned to the opponent provides a huge advantage in combat. And this double kick will help you get there.”

The students then stood up as they practiced the new move with Wulong. Xiao Hua trained as well. However, training was cut short when Master Zhu appears. The whole class bowed.

“That’s enough! Kumite!”

Everyone got into position as Master Zhu walked around the class.

“Young Master Lei. I need you to spar with Tin.”

Wulong nods as Tin shook his head.

“Master Zhu? Do you expect me to_”

“You can learn a lot from using your fists. C'mon, Tin!”

Wulong bowed as he stood in front of his opponent. Everyone formed a circle as Wulong and his opponent were going to spar.

The two got into their stances after bowing respectfully. Master Zhu then gives a signal, allowing the two students to start sparring.

Tin noticed that Wulong was moving rather erratically, freely moving around as he held his fists up, while Tin stood still, watching and observing. He knew that young Kung-Fu master had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. His expression was fierce, contrast to Wulong’s easy going expression. Was this a joke to him?

Tin made the first move, lunging forward for a spin-kick, which Wulong blocked with his forearm. While his opponent was open, Wulong took a step forward and sent in several punches to his opponent’s gut, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent the opponent flying.

Tin gets back up, charging at Wulong again, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks, as Wulong masterfully dodged and blocked them all. He retaliates, kicking his opponent as he blocks his leg with his leg. Wulong then swings his head back, doing a surprise headbutt at his opponent, stunning him. Tin recovers just in time to block the strong right hook that his opponent was about to send.

Wulong then quickly gets on one leg, as his right arm is in a fist above his head as his left arm is curled towards him above his left knee. Just as Tin was about to strike, Wulong found an opening by lowering his stance. He spins and uses the momentum to send in a very powerful overhead kick aimed at Tin’s head. He immediately fell on the ground as Wulong then reached his hand out, helping the student up. The two bowed as they both stepped back.

“Wow, you were amazing!”

Class was over as Wulong was now outside, sweaty and shirtless as he was drinking water from a gourd that came from a well. He had a towel wrapped around his neck and his braid hung in front of his chest. Xiao Hua was sweating and tired, too, drinking the same water from a different gourd.

“Thanks.” Wulong replied to Xiao Hua after taking a sip.

“You invented your own moves! That’s cool! I think I learned a new move from you!”

“The high and low kick?”

“Yeah, but I kept the first part. I call it… the Cloud Kick!”

“Because you'll be up in the clouds when you get hit by that attack!”

“Oh! I wasn’t thinking of that! Well, I call it that because it is a high kick.” Xiao Hua giggled.

“Young Master Lei!”

Wulong quickly turned his head to see one of Master Wang's students. He approached the pair with urgency.

“What is the matter?”

“It’s the Hillside Gang!”

Wulong immediately stood up and chugged the last bit of his water. “Alright! Where are they?” he pops his knuckles and his neck.

“Right this way!”

Wulong followed the student as Xiao Hua accompanied him as well. Wulong realized that this is the perfect opportunity to get intel on Big Chin Mao. The Hillside Gang were a small Triad faction whose territory often cross paths with the dojo. But no matter how many times those thugs terrorize the residents near the dojo, they keep coming back for more ass-kicking. Eventually, the three were at the designation where the gangsters were spotted. Wulong took note of the people being shaken down.

“Where’s the cops?!” Wulong shouted in anger.

“I guess everyone is scared.” Xiao Hua commented.

Wulong sighed. “Looks like I got to handle this.”

The two teen martial artists approached the gang members. There were four of them and one of them was a large burly man. The other three were smaller but still intimidating. Wulong approached the larger man, popping his knuckles. “Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Well, you see here, this woman here needs to pay up! With no money, we can’t protect her.”

“From what exactly? Yourselves?” Wulong was fuming.

“From other gangs, of course!”

“What you’re doing here is a big scam and I don’t like it!”

Xiao Hua and the student both stood there silently and watched as Wulong spoke to the gang member.

“The people here seem to agree with this arrangement. Who are you to judge? The Communist Party doesn’t give a shit about us! The police refuse to do anything to help these poor people.”

“Probably because ruffians like you keep taking advantage of everyone!”

The thug then grabbed Wulong’s hair. “You wouldn’t know because you're part of the Communist Party. Must be nice not having to worry about thieves breaking into your home at night.”

“What are you talking about? I am not a Communist!”

The thug then lets go of Wulong’s braid and shoves him, however, Wulong takes his wrist, and pulls the man closer to him to send in a blinding punch to his face.

The three thugs then surrounded Wulong, as one of them had a bat in one hand, and another one had a crowbar. The last one had a chain-whip.

“You just made a big mistake. Don’t worry madam, we’ll protect you from these kids.”

Wulong and Xiao Hua both got into their fighting stances as the student stands with the woman that was being hassled. The young martial artists knew that they were outnumbered and their opponents were all armed, but they knew that they could handle this.

Xiao Hua stood in front of the large thug, as Wulong kept his eye on the other three. He watched as Xiao Hua parries the large thug’s punch, and quickly sent in a toe-kick at the thug. It was soon followed by her lunging forward, waving her arms as she uses the momentum to deliver a vicious palmed strike to her opponent’s gut. The sheer force of the attack alone sent the man rolling backwards for several meters. Wulong could understand why this move was named, “Storming Flower”.

The three thugs then approached Wulong, ready to split his head open. Wulong does a sweep kick, quickly getting back up to send in a roundhouse kick. The man spun as he hit one of his allies. The remaining thug charges, as Wulong spun around him.

The thug then tells his comrades to stand back as he had his chain, spinning it around as a means of intimidation. Wulong smirks, grabbing his own hair, mimicking Bruce Lee as he moved his braid around as though it was a nunchaku. He hops around his enemy as he tries to hit Wulong. He quickly hops to the side and hits his opponent in the face with his hair. Surprisingly, the hit stung him. Wulong continued, hopping around and taunting his enemy, only to give him another strike with his hair.

Another opponent sneaks up behind him, ready to bash him in the head with a baseball bat. Sensing his other opponent, he quickly dropped to the ground, and kicks his opponent in the face, launching him in the air before getting back on his two feet.

Xiao Hua was doing pretty good on her end, effortlessly taking out the large bandit. She moved on to fight the thug with a chain, being very careful not to get hit by him, and using his range against him as she got into her Phoenix Illusion Stance. Unlike Wulong’s version of the Phoenix Illusion, hers allowed her to get low to the ground, avoiding enemy strikes, as well as send in surprise attacks from above. She lunges forward, getting closer to her opponent, as she noted that with his chain, he has no way of defending himself from up close. She unleashes a jumping kick to his gut, followed by several side-chops with a powerful palm strike to finish him off.

He rolls backwards, as Wulong quickly crouches as he sticks his leg out, tripping the enemy as he falls on his comrades. He and Xiao Hua both stood side-by-side in their stances, as Xiao Hua motioned for the opponent to come forward.

The thugs all coward and ran off in fear. However, Wulong catches a straggler, grabbing him by his arm, forcing him to his knees as he had him restrained, tugging at his shoulder. With enough pressure and force, Wulong could break his arm.

“Look, I’m sorry! We’ll leave you alone! Please, I’ll do anything you want! Don’t hurt me!”

“I’m looking for information. Who do you work for?” Wulong pulls the arm.

“Uh… his name is Master Lam.”

“Master Lam… where can I find him?”

“Uh… he has a hideout… at the tattoo shop!”

“Tattoo shop? Which one?”

“AHHH! I don’t know?”

Wulong yanks his arm, doesn’t break it, but sends the man in searing agony. “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re part of the Hillside Gang, aren’t you?”

“Look! I’m just an errand boy! Okay! All I do is collect the money! You’ve got to believe me!”

Wulong then releases the ruffian as Xia Hua stood there, stunned. She never knew Wulong to be rough on people, but here he is, almost letting violence consume him.

“I supposed that Master Lam might know Mr. Big Chin Mao.” He smirks as he pops his fingers. “Come, Xiao Hua. Let’s go pay Master Lam a visit.”

“Um, actually, I uh… should get going now! Mama is making dinner! Bye!” Xiao Hua stammered as she hurriedly ran off back towards her residence.

“Hm. I guess it’s all up to me now.”

[Lei Wulong]

Chapter 4

Night fell. The street lamps were lit up as people hurry to their destinations, as well as multiple bars and nightclubs open. There were also police officers in uniforms patrolling the streets. However, Wulong was on a mission to find this “Master Lam”. He believes that this man is the key to finding Big Chin Mao. There was also a lot of Triad activity going on at night, especially at nightclubs. He didn’t know which tattoo parlor to look for, but he figured that he might be able to get intel at a nightclub.

Wulong wasn’t quite dressed for the part. He had on a simple pair of jeans and sneakers, as well as an olive T-shirt. He was also quite young, and fresh as his skin harbored no tattoos. As he approached an alleyway, to gain entrance to a bar, two drunken men stood in his way.

“Hey, what are you doing here, little boy?” One man asked.

“This is no place for a schoolboy like you!” Another drunken man said.

“I don’t have time for this.” Wulong said, his eyebrows furrowing as he scowled.

“Go home, kid! Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

The drunken man swung a sloppy punch at Wulong, as the young teen caught his arm, using the momentum of the attack to swing his opponent around and slam him into a stack of crates. Wulong then continued on, as the other drunk guy smashes his bottle, prepared to harm the teenager.

He slices the air as Wulong then catches his wrist and sends in a side-chop to the man’s neck, disabling him. He entered the bar, as everyone stared. Wulong took a good look at all the people at the bar. They were all bigger and more intimidating than him, but it didn’t matter. He knows he can take them all on.

“I’m looking for information on Master Lam.” His narrow eyes scanned the room. “Do any one of you guys know where to find him? Which tattoo parlor he hides out at?”

“Who are you to come in and ask us where someone is!” One man shouted.

“Lookie-here! This kid’s playing detective like Scooby-Doo and the Scooby-gang!” Another guy added.

Everyone laughed as Wulong remained valiant. He could sense the violence in the air as he knows that these are very dangerous men.

“Why don’t we teach that kid a lesson in meddling with adult affairs!”

One man sneaks up on Wulong, who quickly sends in a spinning hook-punch, sending the thug flying.

That riled up all the men as Wulong was now surrounded by several opponents. Wulong picked up the barstool, using it to defend himself as his attackers soon assaulted him. He then knocks one guy in the head with the stool, and then tossed it in the air, kicking it as he made it a deadly projectile.

This kept several men back, as Wulong soon hopped backwards and hid behind the counter. The bartender was just about to stomp on him, but Wulong did a sweep kick, and rolled backwards. His opponents were advancing, and he watched as one thug grabbed a pool stick. Wulong looked and saw that there were sticks nearby, and quickly grabbed one.

He got into a battle with the thug, their weapons clashing against each other, as the young man then performed some elaborate staff-play, attempting to scare off his attackers. Unfortunately, this didn’t work, as two men lunged at him. The young man hits one between the legs, and another one at the side of his head.

The man holding the pool stick charged forward, as Wulong ducked, and quickly pokes the man in the gut with his stick. Just as his last opponent was going to punch him, but Wulong caught his wrist with his left hand, and had his right hand at his opponent’s throat.

“I won’t repeat myself again! I’m looking for information on Master Lam!”

“Ugh… Master Lam… the Red Pole!”

“Yes!” Wulong held his grip tighter. “What do you know? Where’s the tattoo shop!”

“It’s in… the Lihua area! Be careful… a lot of triads over there…”

“Good.” He lets the man go. “I’ll be leaving now.”

Wulong then walks out of the bar, ready for his next step.

“WULONG! What the hell were you thinking? Staying out this late at night! Do you know how worried my husband is?”

Wulong had returned home to be greeted by his sister-in-law. As quiet as she normally is, she isn’t above giving the young man a lecture.

“I’m sorry Elder Sister Ming Xiao.” He bowed respectfully. “I lost track of the time at the arcade.”

“Please, next time Wulong, call us in advance the next time you’re going to be out late at night. And please, don’t come home later than 11!”

“Yes, Elder Sister Ming Xiao.”

“Now that we’re at an understanding, go to bed!”

Wulong did as told and obediently went to bed. He wasn’t in the mood to fight back or defy his sister-in-law. After all, she mustn’t know that he’s looking for his father’s killer. He strips of his clothing, unbraids his hair, and lies down in his bed. He tries to go to sleep, but every time he closes his eyes, he sees his father, falling on the ground, collapsing as he bled out. He saw chunks and chunks of flesh flying as he called out for his dad.

Wulong eventually woke up, glancing at the clock. He slid out of bed, not bothering with his hair as he made his way to the kitchen. He saw that it was just Ming Xiao in the kitchen washing the dishes. Wulong takes a seat at the table and noticed that his portion of the meal was left over. Wulong rubbed his temples as he sighed.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“No.”

“I figured. Zhulong heard you screaming in your sleep last night.”

“It’s just a bad dream is all…”

“It’s about your Father dying, isn’t it? He's been on your mind a lot lately.”

“Yeah… you’re right.”

“I can only imagine how horrible it must be to go through such a thing.”

Wulong nods. “The worst part: the police never found his killer.”

“I know. Fulong had a strained relationship with his Father, you know. He is as angry about it as you are. But he is more angry at the fact that he died because of his profession. He is even more angry that the man who took away his parents is still out there, killing people.”

“That’s how I feel right now!”

“This is why I think you should become a cop.”

“What?”

Ming Xiao sat at the table across from her brother-in-law. “I’m serious. I know I am not supposed to disagree with my husband, but for what it’s worth, you should be able to find closure.”

Wulong nodded.

“And you have so many gifts and talents that allow you to be an effective cop. Plus, it’s an honest job with decent pay.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“I say go ahead and sign up for the academy. You may not have your brother's blessing, but you have mine. Just promise me you’ll come home tomorrow by 9 if you’re going to the arcade, okay?”

“Alright.” So much for his quest.

This set him back a little. Considering that the best way to get to Master Lam is to show up at night when the Triads conduct their operations. Unfortunately, now he has to do his investigation during the day. He also has to find Lihua and figure out how to get there. Plus, he has to go to work and go to the dojo. He needs to find the time to find Master Lam.

“I promise that I won’t be out late.” Wulong reluctantly agreed.

Ming Xiao smiled. “Great. We're all at an understanding. I’m glad that we had this talk.”

“Me, too.” He really wasn’t too happy about this, but it was nice to know that someone supports his dream.

Wulong arrived to work after braiding his hair and wrapping it around his neck for protection, along with his hard-hat. He did his usual routine, doing a few Qi Gong stretches before making his way to his work-area. Wulong was to assist his team in setting up the iron girders on the fifth floor. This was going to be an apartment complex one day, courtesy of his brother, Fulong. And Wulong wanted to help his brother’s dream come true, by helping him build it. Yet, he refuses to let him follow his own dreams. However, Wulong had more important things to worry about than question his purpose in the grand scheme of things. Right now he had a job to do, and he was intent on focusing on it. However, interrupting his thoughts was a cry for help. Wulong glanced over and noticed that the scaffolding that his coworker was standing on is collapsing. He was hanging by the ledge and would fall to his death if someone didn’t get to him in time.

Thinking fast, Wulong immediately ran across the beams, as well as climbing up scaffoldings and girders. Wulong takes a leap of faith, landing on a crane that held a girder. He swung with it as he managed to jump to a girder that was just above the falling man. Wulong reached out a hand, pulling the man to the girder. He then helps him to a more stable scaffolding as the man thanked the young teen.

“Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me, it was the least I could do.”

After work, Wulong then began his search for the tattoo parlor in Lihua. He caught the bus that took him to the Qingpu District, which was out in West Shanghai. There were a lot of residential houses over there, as Wulong has heard his brother was thinking about buying some apartments there for his business. After getting off the bus, the young man found himself alone. While Xiao Hua makes for a good companion, it is best to keep the young girl out of danger.

Master Wang would totally kill me if anything ever happened to her…

He walks around, asking people for directions to Lihua and how to get there. He was going to skip the class for today, but he can handle the punishment. After all, he is so close to finding his father’s killer. He could almost taste it. After what felt like hours of wandering aimlessly in a strange part of town, he finally found the tattoo parlor where he would meet Master Lam.

Wulong took in several deep breaths before entering the building. He was soon greeted by some ruffians who took note of his “preppy” appearance.

“Look who just walked in! What do you want?”

Wulong retained a defensive and stern posture as he crossed his arms. “I’m looking for Master Lam. I only wish to speak to him.”

“Ahh, yes… right this way, young man.”

The man with the needle then approached Wulong, expecting the young man to follow him into the back room. Luckily, the young teen could sense something fishy about this. He soon was hit on the back of his head by a blunt object. The young teen fell over, dizzy from the hit. Just as his opponent was going to finish him off, Wulong quickly performs a backflip, knocking them back.

He runs up the wall, avoiding enemy attack, quickly landing on the ground as he stands in the middle of the thugs. One guy punches Wulong in the face, forcing him to hit the thug that was behind him in the face, as he then kicks the guy in the front. He drops to the ground, avoiding all attacks, before doing a cartwheel, knocking some guys back.

He is then kicked in the back, forcing him to fall forward, but he uses the momentum to roll, and knock over more enemies. He gets up and continues down the hall, trying every door. He knocks out several of his pursuers with a door, and once he entered a room, he took note of a man in a tanktop with gold chains around his neck, and a golden gun on the table. He was surrounded by several men as well. Wulong locks the door behind him as he gets into his Piguan stance, ready to take on the men in the room. The man in the chains points his gun sideways at the young teen’s head.

“What’s the meaning of this? Who are you?”

“I’m Lei Wulong! Son of Detective Lei Zhaolong! I’m here to speak with you, Master Lam!”

“Oh… you’re a cop’s son aren’t you? Never heard of Detective Lei.”

“Don’t need to. I only want to know about the Triads!”

“What makes you think I’ll tell you about the Triads?”

“I’ll kick everyone’s ass in this room!” This was really the only threat that he has.

“Hahahah! He’s going to kick our asses, he says! You’re really funny, you know that, Lei? But I should be impressed that you managed to find me. Good for you!”

Wulong kept his eyes trained on the gun. He could disarm him if he could get closer, but any sudden movements will result in his untimely demise.

“I tell you what? How about you scram, and we forget this happened? Sound good?”

Wulong wasn’t about to leave empty-handed. He didn’t come all this way for Master Lam to not cooperate. However, he had a gun and Wulong knew that he will use it. How is he to find his father’s killer if he’s dead? Wulong took a look at his surroundings. He notices a chair that he could kick nearby. That could distract him. He took note of the table, too. Finally, Wulong looks like he surrenders, but he kicks the chair. This catches Master Lam off-guard. He drops the gun as the chair gets him in the gut. The weapon slides across the table as Wulong does a quick maneuver to catch it. He holds the gun up pointing at Master Lam. The weapon trembled in his hands as Wulong noted that this is the very same weapon that was used to murder his father. One click and his enemies are dead.

“What’s it to you, schoolboy? You don’t even have the balls to shoot!”

“Are you willing to take that risk?”

The unarmed thugs approached Wulong as he tucks the gun underneath his waist band. He assumes his fighting stance as he takes on every opponent with ease. Eventually Master Lam got in on the fight, proving himself to be a worthy opponent. The two fought, throwing kicks and punches as they both blocked each other.

Wulong sees an opening. He does an elbow blow to the side of Master Lam's head, dizzying him as Wulong took the opportunity to hold him in a lock.

“Now, then! As I was saying, tell me about Big Chin Mao!” He pulls his arm. “Or else you won’t be shooting anyone anymore!”

“You’ve got guts kid. I tell you that. I am guessing you’re that poor little orphan who saw his daddy get killed!”

“So you know…”

“Word of advice kid, if you try to take him down, you'll end up like your father. But since you're intent on joining him in the after-life, I will tell you where to find Big Chin Mao.”

This is it. “Alright.”

“He’s currently shipping weapons at the harbor. You should be able to spot him. He has a huge scar over where his chin used to be.”

“Okay.” Wulong then drops Master Lam and disarms the gun. “Time for justice to be served!”

Wulong eventually left the hideout, thinking to himself, that was easy… too easy… he knew that this was a trap, but anything to confront his father’s killer face-to-face. He didn’t have quite the welcome greeting once he got home. Fulong stood there in his silk robes with his arms crossed.

“I know what you did, Little Wulong!”

“You do?”

“You got into a scuffle with the Hillside Gang again!”

“Yeah…”

“You should save the vigilante stuff for finding our Father's killer.”

“…” Wulong didn’t know what to say. He knew his brother gave him a name, but he didn’t realize that he was serious about stopping Big Chin Mao.

“Be very careful.” He pats his brother’s shoulder before sauntering back in the house as Wulong followed him.

“I will. Very careful.”

If he was going to confront his father’s killer, he was going to have to prepare himself. He took down some low-level Triad bosses. He was sure not to get overconfident. He goes to bed, just thinking about the encounter. He patches up the injuries that he had sustained from his bout and went to bed.

[Lei Wulong]

Chapter 5

This is it. This is the day. Wulong was going to confront Big Chin Mao. He got some more sources and intel that Big Chin Mao is going to be doing a drop at the docks. He sneaks away in the night ready to finally avenge his father.

Wulong quietly makes his way around the harbor, as well as trying not to draw attention to himself. He was dressed for the occasion, opting for a black silk Mandarin robe, with matching shoes and gloves. Wulong even used the belt as a mask to hide his face. He was almost there.

However, Wulong found himself tripping over a crate and attracting unwanted attention.

“Who’s there?”

Wulong quickly climbed up the shipping container. As the thug was looking around, Wulong dropped from the skies above, landing on the man’s back. He then holds him in a sleeper-hold and immediately knocks him unconscious. The young teen then opens a shipping container and hides the body in there. The last thing he needed was for people to know that he is here.

Wulong then grabs his binoculars and spots his man. There he stood. This man looked to be in his early sixties-late-fifties as his hair was sprinkled with grey. Selling weapons and drugs is a stressful business. He then noted that the man was indeed missing a chin, as there was a huge scar where it should have been. He still had a jaw, though. He then noticed him smoking a pipe and directing his underlings.

He did a quick prayer to his ancestors before confronting this man. Wulong jumps from the crate from above, intent to knock him out. However, Big Chin Mao effortlessly stepped to the side to avoid Wulong’s attack. The teen then threw a pair of punches as his opponent ducked, once more, dodging him. Wulong then decides to surprise him with a sweep kick. His opponent then places both hands behind his back as he stands on one leg. Seeing an opening, he kicks Wulong in the gut, stunning him momentarily before throwing what looks like a pair of claws at him. Wulong manages to recover to parry the move, but he couldn’t react to the oncoming roundhouse kick that sent the young teen flying. Big Chin Mao stood there with his arms behind his back as he turned his back to Wulong.

“Foolish little boy. You stand no chance against I.”

Wulong then gets up and charges at him, intent on punching him. However, his opponent simply dodges, and as Wulong left himself vulnerable, Big Chin Mao sends in a powerful palm attack that sends the teen flying once more. It knocked the wind out of him as he hit the ground.

“Mind telling me why a little brat like you decided to pick a fight with me?”

“My… Father… You killed him!” Wulong said as he struggled to get up.

“Your father, huh?”

Wulong takes off the mask. “Detective Lei Zhaolong. You killed him!”

“Oh of course… I knew our paths would cross again.”

Wulong held his chest as he panted. “What do you mean?”

“I know Zhaolong was going to send you after me. He told me this as he cut off my chin.” He slides his hand across his scar. “He was going to send his youngest after me… Wulong… isn’t it? Lei Wulong?”

“Yes…”

“I would finish you off then and there, but you are far too weak. I’d like to see you get stronger.”

Suddenly, the two were interrupted by the police announcing their presence.

“Looks like I’ve got to go! Come find me in the walled Kowloon City once you’ve gotten stronger! I look forward to fighting you again one last time…”

Without another word, Big Chin Mao left as Wulong was later taken into police custody. The teen was too injured to even fight back, plus, he needed to cooperate with the police. The last thing he needed was a criminal record.

“By the ancestors! Wulong, are you okay? Did anything happen?”

Wulong was let out of jail the very next morning, curtesy of his brother. He has sustained a few bruises from his short battle with his father’s killer.

“Elder Brother Fulong, I found him!”

“How’d it go?”

“He defeated me. But now, I know where he is.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s in Hong-Kong. I’m going to have to travel there.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s my destiny.”

The young teen seemed sure of himself. Fulong knew that there was no way he could convince his younger brother to change his mind. He simply shook his head and sighed. All he wanted to do was to keep this family together, but it seems like it won’t happen. If it is indeed his destiny, Fulong had to let his brother go. He will find his way back to him, won’t he?

“I must follow Big Chin Mao to Hong-Kong and finish him! Baba tried in the past to kill him, but he failed! Now, I must honor Baba’s request!” He bows his head.

“You’re right.” Fulong admitted in defeat. “Baba asked for you specifically to put an end to this man.”

Wulong fold his hands inside his sleeves. “I should go talk to Master Wang. Are you going to help me get to Hong-Kong?”

“Yes. I am.” He said, once more, reluctantly. “What are you going to do once you get there?”

“I’m going to enter the police academy, go to school, and hone my skills. Once I’m ready, I’ll take him on. For Baba.”

Fulong nods. “How long will you stay in Hong-Kong?”

“I honestly don’t know. But we will see soon, shall we?”

“Yes. Always remember home.”

Wulong then arrived at Master Wang’s home once more. The two had their tea as Master Zhu and Master Dim were there as well.

“So, you’re going to Hong-Kong now?”

“Yes. Elder Brother Fulong made the arrangements.” He sips on his tea.

“I see. I take it that you will resume your training down there?” Master Zhu added.

“Yes. I need to get stronger. I wasn’t ready to face Big Chin Mao, but I’m sure I will be ready in due time.”

“Zui Quan itself is powerful. Adding Kenpo and Piquan to it has made it even stronger. However, Piquan isn’t compatible with your style.” Master Dim said to Wulong.

“Yeah. It’s hard to switch to palms and fists. It’s a little strange. I think I might pick up whatever style they have in Hong-Kong.”

“The Five Gates is very compatible with Zui Quan!”

“Five Gates?” Wulong raised a brow.

“It’s five different ancient Kung-Fu practiced in Southern China that was invented by the Tibetan Monks. I know a man in Hong-Kong who is the master of all five styles. I feel that you should seek him out and have him train you.”

“Five Gates…”

“Heihu Quan… the black tiger, the strongest cat on Earth. It’s all about power and hitting your opponents where it hurts the most. She Quan, flexible and cunning like the snake. Find an opening and strike your opponent. Bao Quan… be fast and smart like the leopard, who was able to trick the tiger into not eating him. Bai He Quan… all about maintaining balance and gliding across your opponents like the white crane. Last, but not least, Long Xing Quan… The Dragon. It is by far the most difficult style to master, and it involves manipulating your ki, which requires you to have perfect balance with the earth and water.”

Wulong nods.

“You’ve got the talent. But the question is will you be able to learn all five styles?”

“Yes. I will.”

“This is going to take you many years to master this. Are you up to the challenge?”

“I am.”

Wulong nods, finishing the last of his tea. “I will learn those styles. Not only for Baba, but for myself. I need a challenge.”

“It is a life-long journey…”

“I’m committed. I’ve been studying Zui Quan since I was seven. I’ve learned Kenpo on the fly since I was 15, so now… I’m fully committed.”

“Good. Seek out Master Yi. I will arrange for you two to meet.”

Wulong bows. “I’m looking forward to it.”

A week has passed as Wulong was now getting ready for his boat ride to Hong-Kong. This was actually an underhanded form of immigration, as China does not allow for one to emigrate. However, Fulong managed to pull some strings by paying someone a lot of money in Hong-Kong to sponsor Wulong as a full-fledged Hong-Kong citizen. Wulong made it to the boat dock. He thought about the friends and family that he was going to leave behind. His brother, nephew, Master Wang's grandchildren, namely his young granddaughter, Wang Xiao Hua.

“Wulong-renxiong, wait! Don’t leave yet! I didn’t get to say goodbye!”

The two embraced, as Xiao Hua clung onto Wulong tightly. The two eventually let go.

“Promise me that you'll be careful in Hong-Kong!” the young girl says, placing one hand on her hip and wagging her index finger with her other hand.

“I will. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. Alright?” Wulong smiles. “I’m one of Master Dim's best students. I'll be just fiiiiine!”

“Will you ever come back?”

Wulong shook his head. “I honestly don’t know if I am ever coming back.”

The girl nodded. “Well, can’t you at least stay for a little bit?”

“Look, Xiao Hua, I can’t. I’m sorry. I'll write letters to you. Okay? And I’ll let you know what happens.”

The girl then pulled out her knapsack to reveal an instant Polaroid camera. She grabs Wulong and the two pose for the camera as the girl snaps the photo. The picture comes out as Xiao Hua handed it to Wulong.

“Don’t forget about us, okay? Maybe after we both get older, we can get married.”

“Maybe. Will you be willing to come travel to Hong-Kong to be with me when the time is right?”

“Of course, Wulong-renxiong.”

“We shall see, soon. Take care now.”

Wulong then folded the picture and placed it in his wallet. He needed a reminder of who he was fighting for. After boarding the ship, he was onto the next chapter of his life.

Victoria City, Hong-Kong 1987…

Two years have passed since Wulong arrived in Hong-Kong.  He is now twenty years of age, a legal adult in China, and a Hong-Kong citizen.  Though in Hong-Kong, at the age of 18, he was already considered a legal adult.  He enrolled in the police academy and enrolled in the University of Hong-Kong in Victoria City. It was there that he began his undergraduate study in Psychology. He still thought about his encounter with Big Chin Mao, and has trained endlessly ever since. He met up with Master Yi, as instructed. He took a major beating upon first encounter, but slowly and surely, he was going to master all five animals. Right now, he’s starting off with the easiest of the five, Tiger Style. Wulong also cut his long ebony locks, opting for a more modern bowl-cut hairstyle. However, his hair kept growing out, and his bowl-cut would end up looking very long and textured as his hair was now shoulder-length. He would occasionally put it back into his usual braids, though it was a short braid.

Jolting awake, Wulong hurriedly gathered his books, placing them in his backpack. Wulong looked at his roommate, a gwailou with brunette hair and grey eyes. He was sitting down on the couch, watching TV.

“Damnit, Frank, why you no wake me up?” Wulong grumbled.

“Oh, well, I tried, but… you wouldn’t wake up.”

“I am going to be late to class. No thank you!” Wulong points at Frank.

“Look, Dragon, I'm sorry.”

Dragon was the name that Wulong instructed that the gwailous in Hong-Kong would refer to him. As they didn’t have the tongue to properly say his given name. Dragon was an easy name for them to pronounce, as it was also the second character in his personal name.

“I’ve got finals coming up soon…” he began. “The last thing I need is to miss class. Professor Yung is giving out answers to the exam! That is something that I cannot miss!”

“Understandable, but aren’t you stressing over this too much? I mean, you already work as a police officer, and not to mention you study Kung-Fu. Why not take it easy?”

“Because we Chinese value education.”

“Ahh yes, of course.”

“Plus, I want to be a detective, so I need to complete my bachelor’s.” He added as he sighed. “I’ve got four more semesters after this.” Then I’ve got to face Big Chin Mao… He thought to himself.

“Right, of course!”

Wulong then waved bye to his roommate.

“When are you coming back?”

“Later on tonight, why?”

“Cate needs a ride back home. Will you be able to pick her up from work?”

“Yeah. We’ll see… I have to get to class and go to work. Plus, I don’t know how well that Shitstang is going to hold up.”

“Why not get rid of the car?”

“Eh… it was a present to myself upon finishing the police academy. I got a good deal on it in the impound lot. Besides that, I have my own personal vehicle that I can drive wherever I please. How cool is that?” He smirked before leaving the apartment.

He arrives in the parking garage as he takes a good look at his car. It was a brown 1977 Ford Mustang Ghia Coupe. Wulong has heard about how fast and bad-ass Ford Mustangs are, but… here in Hong-Kong, these cars are horribly under-powered and weak. Lei didn’t have a preference for brand, but he’s heard that Americans were obsessed with making gigantic cars with their gigantic V-8’s. Not practical, but Wulong just loves having that extra space and extra torque. The car was in awful shape, as the iconic pony hood ornament was bent, as well as the leather seats were ripped. The tan-colored top was horribly faded as there were darken spots. To top it off, it had a storage rack on top of the trunk that was surprisingly still in one piece. One could easily carry more things that wouldn’t fit in the trunk. Makes it great for travelling. If memory serves, this car was involved in a drug bust, and Wulong just happened to be the winner or loser of the bid. The car would occasionally have issues starting and idling. Thus, it earned the nickname, “Shitstang”. However, once the car got going, it was a smooth drive. Not bad for a luxury American car from the 1970’s. Despite everything, Wulong wanted to keep the car as long as he possibly could. He know the time with this car is numbered, but hopefully by then, he’s a detective with an awesome salary and could easily afford to retire (junk) the car and get himself a new one. Hopefully it’s still running by then, as a running vehicle in the scrap yard is worth a decent chunk of money.

After starting the car on the seventh try, Wulong was off and on his way to his next destination. He rolled the windows down, as he wondered how Fulong, and Xiao Hua, and everyone else in China were doing. He hasn’t wrote them letters in a long time. He might as well start again.

[Lei Wulong]

Chapter 6

Wulong managed to arrive to class on time. He quietly sneaks in the classroom and takes a seat at a vacant desk as he pulls out his textbook, pen, notebook, and highlighter. It wasn’t long before the professor started his lecture. Wulong listened closely as he took his notes. However, thirty minutes into the lecture, a fellow classmate disrupted him.

“Psst! Hey! When is the final exam?”

“Next Wednesday.” Wulong declared.

“Oh cool! Is it multiple-choice, written, true or false?”

“Professor Yung said we will have 100 questions multiple-choice. Then we will have an optional written exam afterwards for 50 points of extra credit.”

“Is it open notes?”

“No.”

Wulong sighed as he rolled his eyes. He has no patience for people who just come to class and sit and sleep.

“And what time?”

“9 AM sharp.”

“Okay. Cool. Catch you later.”
Wulong then groaned as his classmate left the classroom. The lecture went on before eventually class was over. Wulong stayed behind to ask a few questions along with a few other classmates.

“Professor Yung, so for the practice question, nature versus nurture, do we have to cite our sources, supporting our views?” Wulong asked his professor as his peers looked on at him. Thankfully, this class had a lot of Native Hong-Kongers, so the professor spoke Cantonese.

“No need to do anything. I just want you to explain your thesis and using real-life examples would be great.”

“I see…”

“Will we be graded on spelling?” another student asked.

“No, but I will grade you on the content of your paper.”

The students all nodded.

“Anyway, I have to get going. You don’t want to listen to an old man like me all day, do you? All I can say is, you three are going to do great. And I enjoy the intelligent conversations that I had with you.”

The professor soon exits the classroom as a new one walks in and Wulong and his two classmates both eventually left. The three all walked down the hall, towards the library.

“So, Dragon, what do think about nature vs nurture?”

“I’m a firm believer in nurture. I feel like people are usually the product of their environment. Take my parents for instance, my mother killed herself after my father died. She was unable to cope with the sudden passing of her husband. Now, I feel like my mother grew up in an environment where she was raised to believe that she is nothing without a husband. I feel like that drove her to suicide, rather than being born with that suicidal tendency from the start.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, but I believe that nature has to do with it. Some people are born with chemical imbalances, and others aren’t. However, in your case, I would still have to keep an eye on you. Your mother was a suicidal woman. She more than likely passed those genes onto you. You could be suicidal.”

“Couldn’t it be both? Maybe Dragon might have the 'depression' gene inside of him, but with his environment, he's able to endure.”

“Perhaps… but we all need to figure it out if we’re going to be psychologists.”

Wulong nodded. “I just want to understand what drives someone to commit such atrocities.”

Rightt. You’re trying to become a detective, right?”

Wulong nods. “Yes. I figured that I go to college and become a criminal psychologist.”

“So it makes sense as to why you’re a psychology major.”

“Yeah.”

Once the three students left the building, Wulong went straight to his car and headed off to work. He quickly changes into his uniform and got to work. He met up with his partner for the day and got in the cruiser.

“Good afternoon, Cadet Lei.”

“Good afternoon, Officer Tsu.”

“How was class today?”

“Eh… it was class. We went over the course material for the final exam and the written exam that’s optional.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“Yeah. It should help me become a better cop. I think it’s important.”

“It will. It’s nice to see young rookies such as yourself, motivated to do good as a law-enforcement-officer. Lei, you’re going to do good in this world. I can see it.”

Wulong smiles as he nods. “I know. I’m going to make a difference in this world.”

“Enough with the idealistic views. Let’s be real. There’s something else motivating you. What is it? Are you trying to impress a girl? Are you in it for honor? Does revenge come to mind? Why go through so much effort to become the best cop out there?”

“Because… it’s in my blood. My ancestors defended China from danger! They fought for China in World War II… and now it’s my turn… my father was China's best cop. Now it’s up to me to fulfil my destiny.”

“Oh. I see. Your father, Det. Lei, was it?”

Wulong nods.

“I don’t know anything about him. But I noticed that a lot of rookies like you tend to join the police due to following the family tradition. But you do show promise and potential. But you have to remember, there’s more to life than work.”

Suddenly, there was a voice on the radio saying “10-15! We need officers on the scene!”

Wulong watched as Officer Tsu picked up the radio, pressing the button. “Dispatch. Officer Tsu heading to the scene!” He then turns to Wulong. “Do you know what we’re about to do?”

“There’s been reported a domestic disturbance. And we need to resolve it.”

“Good. I’m going to let you handle this one. Let’s see how well you work under pressure.”

Eventually, the two officers arrive on scene, to witness a woman yelling at a man. Wulong instinctively got in between the two as Officer Tsu wanted to watch the young cadet handle this rookie assignment.

“Alright, do you mind explaining to me what’s going on?”

“My husband had sex with his co-worker! I’m kicking him out!”

“Look, I was drunk, okay? It was an accident!”

“So, you’re telling me that you accidentally got hard, and you accidentally tripped and fell inside Trin? I don’t believe it for a second!”

“I was drunk! Okay? Look, we don’t have sex much like we used to!”

“Look, I want us to have a son, I can’t just randomly have sex and risk getting pregnant with a girl!”

Wulong took a deep breath in. This is totally different from the training at the academy. This is a real situation here.

“Alright you two! That’s enough!” Wulong barked. “So, she’s kicking you out, because you got drunk and had a one-night stand with your co-worker.”

“YES!”

“Okay, okay… now, ma’am, I want you to think about this.”

The woman spat in the young cadet’s face, and stomped on his foot. She was just about to slap him, but Wulong managed to recover, to catch her wrist before she could hit him. He wipes the spit off his face with his free hand.

“As I have said before, you really need to think about this. Do you want to get arrested for assault on an officer?”

“You men are all the same! Only caring about getting laid!”

“It’s nothing to do with sex! Look, you’re very emotional, and you need to calm down before you kick out your husband. I’m not defending his actions. Like, let’s be honest, that’s a bit of a dick-move.”

“I said it was an accident!”

“I know, I know! But please, you two… sit down and talk it out.”

Wulong couldn’t help but sense killing intent. He wasn’t sure what was going on. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as Wulong wondered what was going to happen next. He heard the clicking of a weapon, as the cold weapon was pressed up against his back. Wulong turned his head to see that the husband had a gun. He looked back to see that Officer Tsu had a gun of his own, as well, pointed at the husband. Suddenly, the situation turned sour as Wulong now found himself as the hostage. The wife then drew a weapon hidden from the slit of her dress. She drags Wulong, turning him around as she held the knife to his throat while the husband had his gun pointed at Wulong’s forehead.

Officer Tsu was about to go radio his walkie-talkie but the husband smiled, wagging his index finger. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. If you call back-up, this young rookie of yours is going to die.”

“What do you want?”

“We’re here to kill the son of Detective Lei Zhaolong!”

Wulong struggled as his female captor pressed the weapon closer to the young man’s throat. His brother was right, he was going to be in danger. Wulong wondered if this was Big Chin Mao's goons or some Triad faction who hated his father. Otherwise who would go to such great lengths to fake a domestic dispute just for a chance to kill him. It was the perfect crime, though. The more Wulong thought about it, it made sense. Nobody is going to investigate much into the death of a rookie cop who made a mistake on the job. Wulong wondered, do these people work for the man that killed his father? Why would they target him? He’s just a rookie cop? Why didn’t they target him when he was an orphan? There were so many questions and Wulong wasn’t going to get any answers unless he investigated.

“What is he going to do? He’s just a young man, let him go! He poses no threat!”

“You don’t know, the blood of Detective Lei must be vanquished!”

Wulong, realizing that these people were going to kill him decided now was the time to put his martial arts training to use. He immediately went limp, as his female captor struggled to hold his weight, but collapsed with him.

“Did he just pass out?” Officer Tsu asked in disbelief, still holding his gun.

With that moment of freedom, Wulong then kicked the back of the male captor’s calf, forcing him to fall to his knees, dropping his gun. He then rolled over and got up, assuming a fighting stance as the woman swung her knife around. Wulong weaved, and dodged, backing up as he trips over the husband.

Officer Tsu then called for back-up on his radio, putting his gun away.

The wife charges at Wulong with the knife, ready to stab him while he is on the ground, but he rolled over, having the woman’s weapon get stuck in the ground. Wulong then gets up once more, as the husband throws in an overhead punch. Wulong simply caught the fist and kicks the man in the chest. He then sends in a roundhouse kick, knocking his attacker out.

The woman was back, with her knife, ready to stab Wulong in the back as he cuffed the husband. Officer Tsu then kicked the knife from her hands, slamming her against the wall of the house, and cuffing her. Back-up eventually arrived as Wulong and his partner both arrested the couple. He was eventually taken back to the station.

Aree you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

“I think you should go home. And take the rest of the day off… things like this usually doesn’t happen.”

“It’s fine, really… I am just glad that I am okay.”

“Well, our best detectives are on it. So, we'll let you know if we find anything, okay?”

“Alright.”

Wulong then left work that evening and was onto his next destination: picking up Catherine, his roommate's younger sister. He arrived at the restaurant and parks his car and enters the building. He sits at the bar as he waited for Catherine to show up. She eventually did.

“Dragon! Hey!”

She was a pretty young woman who was the same age as Wulong with a pair of beautiful blue eyes and her long blonde hair in a high ponytail.

Wulong gently escorted her out of the restaurant and into his car safely as he looked out for danger.

“Frank said that you were coming to get me.”

“Yeah. I cannot let you walk at night.”

“I would have been fine.”

Wulong then tried to drive away but the car stalled. He started it again and again, but still nothing happened.

“Now, we're not going anywhere!”

“Give it a second. Car is old.”

Eventually he got the car going and declared, “The Shitstang lives again!” but before he could celebrate, the car dies again.

“Are you sure about this? I can take the bus home. We can just leave the car and let the police handle it.”

“Cate. This car was abandoned for four year!” Wulong declared. “I got it running! I can get it again!”

Eventually the car starts finally, and runs reliably as the two were on their way home.
“How was work?”

“The usual. Helped arrest people."

Wulong wasn’t going to mention those goons who attacked him. He wasn’t in a sharing mood.

“Oh, c'mon! You had to have at least had something exciting happen? Like a shoot-out?”

“I am cadet. We do not carry gun.”

“Dragon, I'm sure you'd be a very skilled sharp-shooter. You’re a very talented man.”

Wulong smiled at Catherine. “I am. Yes. Thank you.”

His English wasn’t certainly the best right now, but he certainly did appreciate Catherine. She’s a good friend and has always been nice to him and supported him. She was also kind of cute. In a way...

“You're going to be the best cop in the world! Detective Dragon Lee Hoo Lung! It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Wulong smiled though he cringed at the butchering of his name. But Catherine was right. Perhaps one day, the world will know about Detective Dragon Lei Wulong and criminals will cower upon hearing his name. “Yes it does. I will surpass my father!”

And now, he has to figure out what the couple were doing and who they were working for. He has to follow his father’s path. However, Wulong had to find someone who knew his father. And he needed to get information. Perhaps he will storm the police station for their files on Big Chin Mao.

“Hey, Dragon, what are you thinking about?”

“What I need to study for.”