Who Is Lina?

Chapter Six

Working his well rehearsed power move formula of speed and weight, Lee thread an air flare. His raw talent and individual style thrown out into the centre of the practise floor. Xinqian's boyfriend, Lee had been preparing for the Battle of Taiwan Elimination final that evening in Taipei. Throughout the night he had perfected his moves, and still without a break morning arrived and he left his practise studio and head for the exhibition centre. A couple of their crew members were due to attend university soon after the Battle of the Year Final (the international street dancing championship for crews) and were therefore practising seven days a week as this could be their last chance to win. The crew were all from the countryside, Lee came from a poor family. His dance was his shadow, he lived to dance not to make money, though he needed money to enable him to dance. In the lead up to the final, the crew made a pact to switch off all mobiles and contact with friends and family to allow them to concentrate and reinforce their team spirit. Upon leaving the studio and heading for the bus stop, Lee glimpsed sight of Xinqian's face appear on the TV screen displayed inside an electrical shop window. Pausing for a couple of seconds, he put his hand up to the screen. His crew members called him to hurry so before he saw the news headline, he started running to catch up with the crew. While running he looked to the sky and pointed towards the sun, "this one's for you and our baby Xinqian, we'll do it this time, I promise."

Blissfully unaware of the plane crash, and completely focussed on the final he jumped onto the bus just as it pulled away from the stop. If they won Battle of Taiwan, the next stop would be Germany. Only then if they could bring home the World Championship's Title, would people start to recognise their talents for what they were and not carry on treating them as lowlifes. Lee especially wanted to earn the trust and respect of Xinqian's parents who saw him and treated him as if he were a cockroach that had infected their home. His appearance didn't fit that of the desired suited lawyer/doctor stereotype, he was head to toe hip-hop, rugged jaw line, not cleanly shaven, baggy with holes jeans type but worst of all he had a tattoo on his lower left arm.

The rival corporation of Xinqian's parents on hearing of their dislike of Lee had tried to poach him into the world of cut-throat sales. Ma Cui, the ruthless head of the corporation had spent the best part of his life trying to revenge Xinqian's father who had stolen his girlfriend and hoped that Lee might be of a similar way of thinking. However, even after Xinqian's father had him kidnapped, Lee still seemed to understand the crazed ways of a father who cared deeply for his daughter's future. It was the first time Xinqian's father had reverted to the use of violence, and upon hearing that the gang had successfully carried out his orders, he succumbed to an episode of double vision. Gasping for breath, his blood pressure surged as his brain went into spasm. Not feeling ready to hit the go button, he speed dialled the gang's leader and ordered them to set Lee free. Confused, Lee had escaped without a single bruise.

The atmosphere in the warm up room at the Battle of Taiwan exhibition centre was full of caution. Dancers wanting to practice and keep their bodies loose before their set, while not giving too much away to the competition. Lee's team were called Sky Dreamers, named after their ambitions to reach to the top. Only the champion team would be able to go and compete at the finals in Germany and this was their fourth attempt. Kit bag in hand, Lee carried it proudly into the room as if his whole future was stored inside. His dark smoky eyes scanned the competition, his hair still gleaming with the sweat of his midnight practise. He had come to do battle.

The lead member of Dark Angels was warming up with some windmills and flares before freezing. Last year's winners, The Ace of Spades were performing a group drill all in perfect sync. Lee started his routine with some head spinning while his team members were just finishing eyeing up their rivals. While spinning, the noise in the room drifted off far away into the background. Images of Xinqian began to spin around with him, flashbacks of her parents disapproval followed and then Xinqian's picture floated further and further into the distance. His hand tried to touch her face but it broke up into fragments and dispersed into thin air. Lee span faster and faster, the determination drawing beads of sweat down into his hair. Some of the other dancers stopped to watch, the sounds of the room started flooding back like a tidal wave crashing against the wall breakers. Suddenly he stopped mid spin and ran to the toilets to splash some cool water on his face. His hands gripped both sides of the sink as he looked into the mirror, Xinqian's face appeared again but this time in black and white, smiling and waving towards him. He splashed his face yet again before heading back to his team to sync some of their moves in preparation for their first display set. Only the top few teams from that stage would enter into the face off battles.