The Empty Dojo Joshua, Frank, and Khan slid open the doors of their dojo. The place was huge—echoes bounced off the wooden beams—but it was almost empty. In […]

The Flying Entrance The scene cut to a quiet high school campus. Out on the walkway, a short but ridiculously muscular boy in a crisp white shirt came […]

The Frying Pan of Faith The three judges sat at the table, still tearing into plates of dog meat, grease dripping down their fingers, not even bothering to […]

Auntie G Appears As soon as the old lady walked into the arena, Karl jumped in first, speaking with absolute confidence, like he had already solved the mystery:“Don’t […]

A Casual Entry Right after the previous auntie got blown into pieces, the organizers didn’t waste even a second—they jumped straight into the second round, not even bothering […]

The Grand Opening The next day came quickly. The main arena was dressed up in an over-the-top way, covered with balloons and wreaths, like some strange mix of […]

The Reporter in the Dust The smoke and dust swallowed the sky, turning what used to be a bright day into a heavy, storm-colored ceiling. The ground was […]

Eat Our Words Inside the broadcast room, Mr. Wei and Mr. Seng sat glued to the monitors, still rattled by what they’d just witnessed. Seng muttered with conviction,“Michael […]

The Commentators and the Beggar The match had been going on for hours, but the two commentators—Vice Chairman Mr. Sang and Chairman Mr. Wei—were still at it, nonstop. […]

A Street Full of Aunties In another corner of the city, Robinson was strutting down the street with a pack of a dozen thugs at his back. The […]