Kyle Hong, a British national of ese dest, had moved to London a few years ago, rebelling against his family’ expectations.

  It was time for the Hong gang and the Tachibana to choose their future leader. This time, they arranged a series of tests to determine which young master or miss would bee the future mafia boss, ruling over both the Hong gang and the Tachibana , which together, trolled parts of the underworld in Hong Kong and Japan.

  Kyle, the son of the Hong gang’s leader who had married with the Tachibana leader, was supposed to be the young master with the highest ce of taking over his parents’ throne and leading the bined mafia gangs. However, he refused the offer, fled to Engnd, and took a job as a shop assistant for one of his father’s friends, who owned an antique shop.

  Of course, his parents were furious and cut off his financial support, leaving him without access to the credit cards they’d given him or any of the bes that came with his mafia status, which he had grown aced to since childhood. All he had left was a savings at and the modest ine from his job, which wasn’t nearly enough to buy the luxury items he was used to.

  But he stood his ground, refusing to give up and tinued living like an ordinary man in London.

  Not fortable, but endurable.

  “I just don’t get what you young people are thinking these days,” said the shop owner, a former member of the Hong gang who had retired a decade ago, as he restocked the shelves, “Being the leader would bring you a status you ’t even imagine, even as the young master. I thought youngsters were looking forward to this sort of thing. At least when I was ye, I dreamt of being the Boss.”

  To be ho, the Hong gang and the Tachibana were somewhat sidered the “good side”, especially when pared to those who did far worse. They even cooperated with the police to hunt dowain targets, like drug dealer, which led to an unspoken mutual agreement. As long as the bined mafia gang didn’t go too far, the police would turn a blind eye, and things generally went smoothly betweewo sides.

  “Nah, I don’t like violence.” Kyle said zily as he restocked another aisle.

  “Well, you could lead them in a dire where they don’t have to resort to violenymore,” Uncle suggested. “I’m sure you’ve noticed they’ve legitimised most of their past. Now they’re registered panies running legal businesses. All you’d have to do is take over the business and guide them towards a brighter path, that’s all.”

  “Nah, I’m not ied,” Kyle replied, clearly not wanting to tihe versation. Sensing this, Uncle let the topic drop and instead reminded him about his day off to visit the orphaake my car with you. You’re not seriously thinking ing those presents and cakes on the bus, are you?”

  “Thanks, uncle!”

  He went to the orphanage, saw the peculiar yet kind little girl, and received the decorated pendant a few days ter. He felt the simple joy of helping others and accepted the girl’s gift with gratitude. After that, he put the matter aside and tinued his life as usual.

  One day, he went back to Hong Kong, sponsored by Uncle , to selee atues for the shop, just as he’d done a few times before. He didn’t visit his father’s manor, nor did he approach areas trolled by his father’s gang. He stuck to pces tightly secured by the police. It had been smooth sailing the st few times, but not this time.

  Someone was tailing him.

  Although he had refused to accept his fate, unwilling to pursue the throne, he had learned a few moves to protect himself.

  He quickly mapped out the police station in his mind and subtly altered his route to head in that dire. However, his attempt was soon noticed. He found himself surrounded by a gang of men sp dyed hairs, tattoos, cigarettes, and gold neckces. Some looked muscur, others younger, all armed with steel bar and bdes. Among them, one wore a helmet, with something suspiciously cealed in his pocket – something no ordinary person could acquire. Their iions were clear: they wanted him dead in this dark alley.

  Punches and kicks flew as Kyle mao grab a bde from one of them, defending himself as they uheir attack.

  There was no holding back; he gave it everything he had, striking with the bde he’d seized. If he didn’t go all out, he’d certainly die here. He had no time to sider whether he’d taken someone’s life.

  After taking down a few of them, he bolted towards another alley, dodging a few muted gunshots by using whatever obstacles he could find. He finally reached a busy street where he khey’d have to stop; they wouldn’t risk drawing public attention. That would mean trouble – challenging the authorities would lead t enfort by the police, stant patrols ierritory, blog every opportunity for profit or escape. It wasn’t in their best i.

  But the shooter decided to take o shot. Just as Kyle was about to step onto the bustling street, a bullet struck him in the back, right in his spine.

  He felt a sharp, burning pain as he colpsed onto the doorstep of a nearby shop. Screams echoed around him as people fled for their lives, and the gang members retreated.

  He heard someone calling for the polid an ambuhen it hit him - he was still processing everything he’d heard and seen. He hadn’t bcked out; he was still scious.

  What is going on...He wohen he realized, he could move.

  He slowly crawled up, using his knees and elbows, panting heavily with sweats dripping down his fad his chest burning from the frantic breath he was taking. But...the pain in his back was gone. He survived!? But...how?

  Then he heard a faint crag sound. It was so soft that under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have noticed it, but somehow, he did. It came from something on his chest, beh his shirt.

  He pulled out the neckce, and right before his eyes, the jade pendant shattered into pieces. It clicked in his mind - the jade pendant had saved him, some sort of prote.

  There’s a on belief in ese culture that if an accessory, especially one made of jade, cracks or shatters, it means it has protected you from danger. It could be from something mundane, like a car act, or something supernatural, like a ghostly enter.

  Of course, such beliefs are usually reserved for accessories that have been blessed by Buddhist monks, Taoist priests, or other practitioners with mystical powers. Most young people these days don’t believe in such things – there's no stific proof, after all. Many dismiss it as pcebo effect for the elderly, or worse, as a scam by fake monks and priests preying on superstitious old folks.

  Kyle never imagihat his pendant would shatter in front of him right after taking a bullet, just like those old folks believed. He thought he might be halluating, but the medical report firmed he had taken a severe blow to the spine, yet somehow, only a bruise was found. He had miraculously survived.

  “Don’t worry, son,” his father, Mr. Richard Hong, said, standing by his hospital bed. “I promise they’ll pay for this.”

  His mother, Lady Sato, sat down on a stool beside him, “The leader of the Fay Loong gang died a few months ago, and now the underlings are all scrambling to secure the throne. Chaos has erupted throughout their territory, and you just happeo show up at the wrong time. They probably assumed you were there on our behalf, supp one of the fas...But still, the one wheted you is far too reckless to lead a gang.”

  “They’ll be gohin the month.” Mr. Hong said, as if it were just a task to be pleted with his approval.

  “I don’t care.” Kyle sighed, “You know, this is why I don’t want to take part in the petition for your position. Once I get involved, it’s likely I’ll never have peace for the rest of my life. I’ve had enough of all this...”

  Being kidhreate at a distance; so-called “friends” who were either gold diggers or spies sent by rival gangs or the police...He longed for a normal life, but it seemed impossible to escape it all. His parents were still the leaders and seemed destio remain in the underworld forever.

  “I’m going back to London as soon as I’m discharged,” he said, and silently added, and I’ll repay the girl who saved me with that jade pendant.

  However, wheuro Engnd and tacted the orphanage about adoption, the director politely deed, not even hinting that she would discuss it with the girl.

  “Why? I mean...” Kyle asked nervously, “I thought it would be better for the children to be adopted by willing parents? If you doubt my ability to be a good parent, you always do surprise visits to che her well-being. I eve to you monthly or weekly if needed...”

  “No, Mr. Hong, we don’t have any issues with you adopting our children, but with Scarlet, it’s a different case.” The director’s voice was calm over the phone. “She has a detailed pn for her future, and being adopted isn’t part of it. We respect her decision.”

  “Well, could I at least visit her from time to time?”

  “Yes, of course. We wele anyone who wishes to visit our home,” the director said warmly, “Just give us a call beforehand so we could let you know if Scarlet is around. She might be attending petitions or events away from orphanage, you know.”

  “Sure, thanks.”

  Not long after that phone call, Kyle finally had the opportunity to meet the girl named Scarlet.

  It was a Tuesday m. When he arrived, only the orphanage direadame Brown, Scarlet, and two infants were in the house.

  After a few weling words, Scarlet requested a private versation. To Kyle’s surprise, Madame Brown agree, and soon they were both sitting alone in the director’s office.

  “I heard you want to adopt me?” Scarlet Smith, a seven-year-old girl, spoke with a tone far too mature for her age - another surprise for Kyle, who was beginning to grow immuo the string of surprises that seemed to bombard him.

  “Yes, and I promise I would love you as my own child and give you everything I if it would bring you happiness,” Kyle said sincerely. A warm and stable family - this was the best way he could think of to repay an orphan like Scarlet. Though he had some financial challenges and couldn’t offer her a manor or castle like those he was aced to with so many credit cards, a cozy apartment was still within his means.

  Scarlet stared at him for a moment. Gazing at the man before her, she decided to take the biggest gamble of her life.

  She wasn’t an ordinary girl, nor was the man in front of her. She could sehe man was lost in his path, just as she had lost her anchor point in this world.

  Perhaps I o form a bond with someone, a family, an anchor in this unknown world, Scarlet mused.

  She then handed him a book - a o be precise. “How quickly you get through a book?”

  “Pretty fast, I think.”

  “Quiough to extract the main points from the story?”

  “Yes...so?”

  “Please skim through the book first, and then we tinue our discussion.” Scarlet tapped the cover of the book twice to get his attention. Only then did Kyle notice that the author’s name was Scarlet Smith!

  “You...wrote this book?” Kyle uzzled but saw that the little girl wouldn’t say anything more until he skimmed through it. He couldn’t help but start reading.

  The story was fasating, with a unique world-building cept involving many abnormalities and a magical group called the Caster Association, which fought against these anomalies to protect the world. Kyle found himself wanting to read it iail ter, but for now, he focused orag the key points.

  A few mier, he closed the book, and the title Akahime’s Diary: The daily Life of a Caster caught his eyes again. He praised her, “You have such creative ideas! It must have been hard for you to write so many words...”

  “I’m Akahime.” Scarlet interrupted before Kyle could finish his sentence. She watched his astonished expression and emphasised, “I’m Akahime, the caster iory. That was my previous life, and I was reinated into this world as a newborn child.”

  Kyle was stunned, “...you’re joking, right?”

  “I’m telling the truth.” Scarlet replied calmly.

  “And you expect me to believe in your story?” Kyle regarded the girl he was about to adopt with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism.

  “Well then, care to expin the jade pendant I gave you?” Scarlet asked with a casual air. “I don’t imagihere are many girls who could ent a jade pendant for prote.”

  She rarely acted without gathering information first. In her previous life, she’d often found herself at a disadvantage due to insuffit information – o nearly cost her life. However, this time, she decided to take a gamble, seeking a future where she could have a family member she could rely on, just like a regur blood retive.

  And she knew she was right when she heard he’d survived a gunshot instead of the car crash she’d expected when she sehe pendant she gave him shattered. Araordinary girl with araordinary man - a pair of odd, yet somehow fitting, father and daughter.

  She had a family now.

  Annourying to keep Kyle's background story short.

  Somehow, I think this is a filler, which I'm not sure why this chapter had to e out but it keeps hauntiil I spill it all out to the word dot, so here it is -shrug-