I’ve operated tower cranes for five or six years, just another workhorse on a construction site. Life was steady enough. I could feed and clothe myself, and that was fine, but finding a wife seemed impossible. My family wasn’t well-off, and buying a house was out of the question.
Then I came across online rumors about a conflict zone overseas, claiming that the situation was “one-sided.” I also saw posts saying the local women were down-to-earth, didn’t expect a bride price, and didn’t care about a man’s family background. A shady recruiter was quick to sell me on the idea, promising that “security and logistical support” work there was easy, paid well, and involved little risk. I could make fast money and meet local women. It sounded like a double win.
On impulse, I signed up, full of hope that my dreams would come true. But once I arrived, I learned it was all a scam. In a hail of bullets, even staying alive was a struggle. A stray bullet whistled toward me, and I fell onto the frozen ground. In my final hazy moments, I was still thinking, “If I survive, I’ll earn enough to buy a house and marry a decent woman.” Then I stopped breathing.
When I woke again, my joints were stiff, I could barely walk, and my nails had turned black and sharp. I had actually become a traditional Chinese jiangshi! Stranded in this dangerous foreign land, a jiangshi who’d spent five or six years operating tower cranes had no choice but to grit his teeth and survive!
