I Had the Best Performance in Northern Myanmar

My performance in northern Myanmar ranked first in the country.

This isn't an inspirational story. It's a record of survival.

They call me the "King of Scammers," but they don't know that every time I swindle an old person trying to save their grandchild, I carve another bloody mark into my notebook. They feed me meat and pour me liquor, treating me like a loyal dog.

They don't know I hide a bloodstained paper clip in my sleeve, or that beneath the bathroom stall partition is a list of thousands of names I've recorded.

When the company's celebration banquet reached its peak, I raised my glass toward the childhood friend who had lured me here.

The lights went out. The alarm wailed.

The hunt had begun. This time, we were the prey.