Chapter 2 – The Earring and the Old Man

Jack strolled through the bustling Chinatown night market, humming to himself, hands tucked in his pockets, occasionally snatching a free snack from vendors who either loved him or were too scared to say no.

The smell of sizzling meat skewers, fresh baozi, and cheap cigarettes mixed in the air as neon signs flickered, painting the streets in reds and yellows.

Then it hit him—"Shit. I forgot to buy a suit."

Boss Lu Yi's wedding was tomorrow, and while Jack was the craziest lieutenant in the gang, even he couldn't show up in his usual leather jacket and ripped jeans.

He veered left, pushing through the crowded alleys, past noodle stalls and mahjong parlors, until he reached Madam Wong's Tailor Shop—a tiny, cluttered store run by an old woman who had been dressing gangsters since before Jack was even born.

The moment he stepped inside, Madam Wong smacked the back of his head with her measuring tape.

"Aiya, Hou Wu! You wait until the last minute again, you useless monkey!"

Jack grinned, rubbing his head. "You know me, Auntie Wong. I like the thrill of a deadline."

She scoffed, dragging him to a raised platform, already pulling out tape, pins, and fabric swatches.

As she worked, she grumbled. "You run around like a crazy person all day. One day, someone will catch you, and I won't be sewing you a suit—I'll be sewing you a burial robe."

Jack grinned wider. "Damn, Auntie, that's dark. You been watching gangster movies again?"

She ignored him, tightening the measuring tape way too much around his waist, making him gasp.

After a few minutes, she stepped back and nodded. "Black suit. Red tie. Classy. But you need accessories."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What kind of accessories?"

Madam Wong gestured vaguely. "A watch, a bracelet, maybe even an earring. Something that makes you stand out."

Jack thought about it, rubbing his chin. "An earring, huh?"

With his shopping bags full, Jack strolled through the night market, chewing on a stick of grilled lamb, when something felt off.

This was his territory. He knew every vendor, every scam artist, every street performer.

So when he saw a new stall—one covered in faded red cloth, filled with trinkets, charms, and ancient-looking antiques—he paused.

Behind the stall sat an old man with piercing golden eyes, skin wrinkled like old parchment, wearing a robe that looked out of place in modern Chinatown.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You new here, old man?"

The old man didn't answer directly. Instead, he stroked his long white beard and muttered,

"A traveler arrives not when he plans, but when fate demands."

Jack blinked. "What?"

The old man chuckled. "Even a monkey must wear his crown before he rules the mountain."

Jack scratched his head. "Man, you sound like one of those fortune cookie writers who took too much acid."

Then—his eyes landed on something.

A single earring, stick-shaped, dangling like a tiny staff.

Something about it called to him. His fingers itched to grab it.

He pointed. "How much for that one?"

The old man smiled faintly. "A warrior should wear his legend before he writes it."

Then, he handed it to Jack—for free.

Jack frowned, shaking his head. "Nah. This is my territory. I make the rules here."

He pulled out a wad of cash, dropping it on the table. "We don't take freebies. If you're selling, you get paid."

The old man nodded approvingly, but his golden eyes glowed for just a second as Jack took the earring and clipped it onto his left ear.

A strange warmth spread through his body, but it was gone before he could think too much about it.

Jack rolled his shoulders. "Alright, old man. Welcome to my market. Don't scam anyone, or I'll be back to make sure your trinkets become toothpicks."

The old man just smiled, watching him leave.

Jack yawned, stretching. "Damn, I need some sleep before the wedding."

And with that, he walked off into the neon-lit streets, the stick-shaped earring swaying slightly in the night air.

…

Jack woke up to the sound of someone banging on his front door like the cops had finally decided to arrest his ass.

He groaned, rubbing his face, then swung his legs over the side of the bed. His apartment was a mess—empty beer cans, half-eaten takeout boxes, a pile of clothes on the floor that probably could've filed for citizenship by now.

Another bang on the door.

Jack yawned, stretching as he stumbled toward it. "If this is a hitman, I just wanna say—good luck. I'm hard to kill."

He swung the door open and blinked.

Standing there, arms crossed, face already tired, was Xiao Ling—another lieutenant like him, but one who actually took her job seriously.

Jack smirked. "Oh nooo, Xiao Ling, what are you doing at my place? Are you gonna have your way with me? I'm too pure for this! Too innocent! Also, you're too wild for me, please don't break my heart!"

Xiao Ling sighed so hard her soul nearly left her body. She pushed past him into the apartment without waiting for an invitation.

"My car broke down yesterday. I'm going to the venue with you," she said, already regretting her life choices.

Jack shrugged, picking up his suit and shoes from the couch. "Alright, you can hitchhike with me, but you gotta hold my stuff as payment."

Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow. "You want me to hold your suit?"

Jack grinned. "Nah. Carry it like a loyal servant. Come on, let's go, slave. Bring my stuff to my car!"

Xiao Ling deadpanned, but grabbed his suit anyway. "I'm going to crash this car into a river with you inside it."

Jack skipped ahead, humming happily as she muttered death threats under her breath.

…

They drove through Chinatown, the city waking up around them as Jack tapped the steering wheel to an offbeat rhythm.

Xiao Ling glanced at him and squinted. "Are you wearing an earring?"

Jack turned his head dramatically, flipping his single stick-shaped earring so it swayed. "Oh, you noticed? Took you long enough."

Xiao smirked. "What happened? You finally realized your feminine side?"

Jack gasped. "How dare you assume my fashion choices are gendered? This is peak masculinity."

Xiao leaned back in her seat. "So what, you just woke up and decided, 'Yeah, I'm gonna be a pirate today'?"

Jack grinned. "Nope. Some weird old man gave it to me for free."

Xiao's eyes narrowed. "You took jewelry from a weird old man?"

Jack nodded. "Yup."

She blinked. "And you just… put it on?"

Jack shrugged. "He said some cryptic shit. I liked the vibe. Also, I paid him anyway, so it's not weird. Market rules."

Xiao sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're gonna get cursed one day, and I'm not dealing with it."

Jack grinned wider. "Oh, come on, I already act like I'm possessed. What's the worst that could happen?"

The conversation derailed from there, mostly with Jack rambling about the art of scamming rich people and Xiao pretending not to listen.

Before they knew it, they arrived at the wedding venue, a massive banquet hall decked out in red and gold, with security already stationed around the perimeter.

Jack parked the car, stepping out and stretching. "Alright, time to do wedding shit."

Inside the venue, the other Triad lieutenants were already gathered, checking assignments, talking security, and pretending they didn't hate each other.

At the center of it all was Sun Jie, the second-in-command, flipping through a clipboard, barking orders. Sun Jie was serious, efficient, and didn't like bullshit—which meant he didn't like Jack.

"Alright," Sun Jie said, addressing the group. "Today is a truce day, but we're not getting complacent. We've stationed extra men around the perimeter. I expect every lieutenant to do their part."

He went down the list, assigning roles:

One lieutenant would handle the entrance checks.

Another would patrol the kitchen and hall.

Another would watch over the VIPs.

Jack waited patiently, rocking on his heels, until Sun Jie reached the end of the list and…

…didn't assign him anything.

Jack blinked. "Hey. What about me?"

Sun Jie looked down at his clipboard again, tracing his finger down the list.

"Hmm. This one… no, you can't be trusted with that."

"This one… no, you won't give proper orders."

"This one… if I give it to you, I'll probably get shot in the next five minutes."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You're running out of options, bud."

Sun Jie sighed, scanning the room, then pointed to the front door. "You. Guard the entrance."

Jack grinned, giving him finger guns. "Got it, boss!"

Then, instead of going to the entrance, Jack immediately walked toward the backstage area.

Sun Jie stared. "What… are you doing?"

Jack stopped, turned, and smiled innocently. "What?"

Sun Jie rubbed his temples. "Why did you even ask for a job if you're not gonna do it?"

Jack grinned wider. "Because I like to feel included."

Sun Jie took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and muttered something about patience.

Jack skipped off backstage, leaving the second-in-command re-evaluating his life choices.