Chapter 2

This park is the Red Dragon family's private property, strictly forbidden to trespassers without permission.

We walk deep into the park. At the end stands an iron shed, its entrance covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves—no one has been here for a long time.

Carlos snaps his fingers. Hans struggles to pull the door open.

"The water pipe valve is inside. Go in."

I stand at the door, not moving. There are no windows inside—pitch black.

"Don't dawdle!" Carlos stamps his foot impatiently.

I pull out a flashlight and cautiously enter.

This is the park's tool shed. A few rusty shovels hang on the wall, empty flowerpots are piled in the corner, and there's a musty smell.

But there are no water pipes in the room. No valve.

Behind me comes the screech of the iron door's hinges.

The door closes.

"Young Master Carlos?" I push on it. It won't budge.

The door is locked from the outside.

"Relax, now you have an excuse to slack off." Carlos's voice comes from outside.

I knock on the door twice. "Sir, I still have a lot of work to finish. If I can't report on time—"

"What does that have to do with me? Didn't you lock yourself in?" Carlos's laughter is grating.

"Nice one." Hans laughs along.

I take a deep breath and clench my fists. I remember my father's instructions from his sickbed—"Don't conflict with them! Be patient! Endure until they find it boring, but don't escalate things!"

My clenched fist slowly loosens.

I close my mouth and stop talking.

"Why so quiet now?" Carlos kicks the iron door. Only the sound of wind answers him.

"Damn it..." Hans scratches his head.

"Fine." Flames ignite in Carlos's eyes. "Since you like playing mute so much, let's see how long you can hold out."

He breathes out flames. The high-temperature dragon fire instantly engulfs the entire tool shed.

"Who do you think you are, daring to ignore me!"

Watching the roaring fire, Carlos nods with satisfaction. "How boring. Let's go, I'm craving barbecue."

Hans's forehead breaks out in a cold sweat as he follows closely behind Carlos, not daring to look back.

The temperature inside the iron shed rises rapidly. Firelight and smoke seep through the door cracks. I keep backing up, bending and crawling, nearly suffocating.

The iron door crackles as it burns, the paint bubbling. The entire iron shed is like an oven, and the surrounding plants and bushes burn fiercely.

This isn't a joke. He really intends to burn me to death.

I pound the floor desperately, my throat blocked by smoke, unable to make a sound.

The skin on my arms begins to transform uncontrollably. Black dragon scales emerge from beneath my skin, piece by piece.

A power I've never felt before is about to burst forth, followed immediately by excruciating pain—my power and the curse are battling inside my body.

White light flashes. I lose consciousness.

When I open my eyes again, the dragon breath flames have somehow been extinguished.

The door is open. I rush out of the iron shed and collapse on the lawn, gulping in fresh air.

The dragon scales have receded, as if nothing happened.

I need to get out of here quickly.

I carefully escape from the park and run back to the cleaning cart.

Too concerned to worry about unfinished work, I drive straight back to the company.

As soon as I enter, Green yells at me.

"Are you trying to die? How dare you come back without finishing your work!"

"I'm sorry, boss. The young master of the Meldred Red Dragon family... asked me to do some extra work, which delayed me."

"Shut up!" Green looks at me incredulously. "Don't talk nonsense. Do you know what you're saying?"

I don't argue. Even if I tell the truth, he won't believe it.

"Get lost! All you do is make up these ghost excuses to avoid completing work!"

Green's face is livid. This time he's serious.

"You're fired!"

"Yes, sir."

I walk out of the company with my head down.

On the street, dozens of police cars roar toward the Red Dragon District. An ominous premonition rises in my heart.