Rumble! Boom! “Help! We need help!” In an instant, dark smoke and strong odors enveloped the capital of the Xiuman people, the city of Fu’erjin. The sound of buildings collapsing and people screaming mingled into a terrifying crescendo. The once serene and harmonious city was unrecognizable. The Xiuman people were known for their mechanical ability, and had lived here for thousands of years. Under the leadership of generations of the Elders, the Xiuman people grew prosperous, and became the most populous group of people on the continent of Pisi. They inherited the ability of working with their left hand, and by using the less-than-rich resources of this land, they made endless buildings appear as if by magic. The buildings were orderly and pleasing to the eye. As the Xiuman people grew more powerful, they wanted to fill the void in their heart, and that was when they experimented with building robots of flesh and blood, who had minds, emotions, and who even resembled humans. They built the robots and gave them the mighty name Chilong, meaning “Red Dragon,” which were known for these features: 1. The robots were stronger than the Xiuman 2. Though the robots were stronger, they had to obey all commands of the Xiuman 3. The robots could live for at most 43,800 hours (around five years) All that Chilong robots wanted, before their lives expired, was to have a smile, a hug, or a kiss from their owner, and then they would willingly accept their inevitable end. Yet, even this pitiful request was almost always ignored by the greedy Xiuman, who treated the Chilong robots like tools, which could be replaced and used in building new tools. On every inch of Fu’erjin City, Chilong robots were recycled into new robots, but no one foresaw the consequences of this abuse. It was inevitable. A group of Chilong robots, with their pent-up frustration and hate, combined into a giant robot called Yuanlong, the hateful dragon, who was determined to seek revenge on the Xiuman. The bustling streets, busy markets, skysc.r.a.pers, scenic parks . . . everything wonderful was annihilated. But this didn’t seem to be Yuanlong’s ultimate goal. After Yuanlong destroyed the last Elderly building owned by the Xiuman, heedless of the attacks from the Chilong Brigade, it charged toward the Xuan Clock Tower. “Aiyao, it’s trying to destroy the Xiuman people’s foundation, we’ll stop it!” a good-looking young man shouted, oozing confidence from his every pore. The group of Xiuman watching seemed to sense impending victory, so they backed away, leaving him to fight the enemy on his own. “Yes, Master!” A lean and elegant shape leapt across the sky, landing in front of Yuanlong. Years of battles taught her that to win against a powerful foe, it was necessary to attack first. Just as Yuanlong used its fist to hit the Xuan Clock, Aiyao used her right leg to kick its left eye. Pow! Aiyao’s foot sank into Yuanlong’s eye socket. Aiyao was indeed more capable than the Xiuman; as machine parts scattered, she turned her body effortlessly. In a flurry of movements, the circuit inside Yuanlong’s eye socket was decimated. Yuanlong grunted, but it was not yet beaten. Using a speed that was surprisingly fast for its giant body, Yuanlong used its steel hand to slap Aiyao, trying to kill her. Pow! Another loud noise meant Yuanlong was hurt by the impact, too. Yuanlong shook its head. Upon realizing that Aiyao wasn’t dead, it scanned the surroundings with its remaining right eye. “Hey, don’t be distracted in a fight!” Aiyao’s cold words followed another hit—Kapow! A darkness fell in front of Yuanlong. “Aiyao, process complete. Come back now,” said the young man. “Understood!” An easy leap by Aiyao landed her next to the young man. “A li er, fei de mu!” The young man chanted the mantra that didn’t belong to the Xiuman, and then, raising his right hand, he slapped his hand on Yuanlong’s belly. Yuanlong’s belly first showed flashes of red light, which turned into a fiery red, until bright flames burst from its belly. This was where the hateful thoughts were stored in the Yuanlong, the heart of its mechanism, and its weak spot. The young man seemed unsurprised as he watched Yuanlong start to disintegrate. He was the oldest son of the Qing family, part of the Elders of the Xiuman people. He knew the art of machines very well, so finding and hitting the Yuanlong’s weak spot and destroying it seemed rather easy. The remaining Xiuman people broke out into a loud applause. “Nice job, Mr. Qing Youyue! You’re definitely the son of Elder Qing Yin!” “Would great fathers have weak sons? Never!” “Mr. Qing Youyue, you’re our savior! We want to follow you forever!” “Yes, yes!” This handsome young man was Qing Youyue, the oldest son of Elder Qing Yin. Seeing the endless praise and obedience of the Xiuman, Youyue suddenly felt dizzy. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, watching his people closely. Subconsciously, he knew they were the ones who had been calling him “useless” and “moron.” As he felt dizzier, he started doubting the scene of jubilation in front of him, so he frowned and shook his head. “What’s wrong, Master?” Aiyao could sense Youyue’s unease. “I’m okay, it just feels . . . surreal, and not natural,” answered Youyue. “Hhha!” Sounds of grotesque laughing came again. “Youyue, you moron! You really think you’re this powerful?!” Yuanlong, who had turned into a pile of ashes earlier, had now regenerated! Its ridicule hurt Youyue’s heart; the feeling of shattered dreams made him take a few deep breaths. Splat! Youyue kneeled on the ground of broken rocks, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and chin.