The Boys

Chapter 1: Shattered Dawn

Broken glass cast an eerie glimmer across the asphalt. Xu Dongsheng's carotid artery throbbed violently, and he heard a dying beast's low growl rising from his throat. Memories of the car crash burned through his mind like an electric shock: his mother's pale fingertips brushing his palm, blood splashing across the embroidered qipao she loved most. The instant he pushed her away, the steering wheel smashed his ribs. Yet now, he could clearly feel the shrapnel embedded in Soldier Boy's collarbone throbbing. From the end of the alley came the cloying scent of caramel pudding, the distinctive sweetness and decay of Victoria City's slums