The On1y One You (A TianWang au)

IV. Some Truth

4

Jiang Tian stood by the large windows of his penthouse, the city sprawling beneath him, his expression unreadable as his phone buzzed in his hand. The number on the screen was unknown, but he answered it without hesitation, his voice cool and controlled.

"Speak."

A low, measured voice crackled through the line. "Tian, it's time. You've completed your mission. The directive is clear—return to Europe."

Jiang's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained stoic. "There are... complications."

"Complications?" The caller's tone sharpened. "You've tied up all the loose ends. What could possibly be left for you in Carp City?"

No one in Carp City knew the full story of Jiang Tian's disappearance—least of all Sheng Wang. When Jiang left China, he didn't just leave his old life behind. He left behind the one person who meant everything to him. It had been a bargain, a deal struck in desperation, one he never imagined making.

But Sheng Wang's father had left him no choice.
Sheng Wang had been on the cusp of a bright future, about to transfer schools in his final year, his academic path carefully crafted by his ambitious father. But the problem was Jiang Tian. Their relationship, their connection—it was a threat to the pristine image Wang's father had for his son.

So, he made an offer that Jiang Tian couldn't refuse.
Jiang Tian remembered the conversation vividly. Sheng Wang's father, cold and unyielding, had stared him down.

"You leave China, and you leave my son alone. No letters. No calls. You cut all ties. In return, I won't ruin his future. He'll graduate, and he'll never have to know what you sacrificed for him."

It wasn't a choice, not really. Jiang agreed, and in exchange, Sheng Wang's father arranged for Jiang and his mother to migrate to Switzerland. His phone was confiscated, any possibility of reaching out to Sheng severed in an instant.

He was given only a few thousand dollars to start a new life abroad, nothing more.

But life in a foreign country was brutal. In the first few months, Jiang Tian was robbed, scammed, taken advantage of by people who saw a desperate immigrant and preyed on his vulnerability. Money disappeared quickly, and opportunities were scarce. But the worst part was his mother's decline.

Already fragile when they left China, her mental state rapidly deteriorated under the strain of displacement. Hospitals and therapy drained what little they had left, and soon, Jiang found himself in an endless cycle of struggle, trying to keep them both afloat.

It wasn't until Jiang had a chance encounter with a man named Danny Rogers, or at least that's what he called himself, that his life took a sudden, unexpected turn. Jiang had been trying to enroll at a local university, hoping for a shot at stability and a better future.

But Switzerland had proven to be as hostile as it was beautiful.

One day, after yet another frustrating setback, Jiang found himself cornered by a group of street thugs, looking to rob the desperate young foreigner who had already lost so much.

But Jiang Tian wasn't the type to go down without a fight. Years of hardship and survival instincts kicked in. He fought back against the thugs with a precision that surprised even himself, fending them off with a mix of calculated moves and sheer determination. Little did Jiang know, his brawl had caught the attention of Danny Rogers, a supposed professor at the university, but in reality, an MI6 agent operating under a deep cover.

Danny had seen something in Jiang—an intelligence and resourcefulness that set him apart. After watching him hold his own against the group of attackers, Danny introduced himself and made Jiang an offer that would change his life.