Across Borders beyond fate

Even as the sun barely grazed the horizon, Joaquin had reached the gates of the university. The fatigue weighed on him like an oil-slicked coat with every gasp of his body feeling worn out from the escapades of the last few days. Those many miles back to campus opened the way for thoughts to flow into his mind, yet nothing would ever wipe away that picture-the cold, calculating stare of Wei Zhang or mirror that dreadful feeling of being tied up in the dark room. He had narrowly escaped with his life, but now was just the beginning of a much larger battle.

He tightened this hold on his bag; breathed in deeply, stepped back onto the lands again. The noise of students rushing for classes was quite a contrast with the chaos he had faced not long ago. For just a moment, he felt as an outsider looking in- as if the life he had once known was now a distant memory. 

His path led him toward the dormitory, his mind racing with thoughts of what he would do next. This room was just as he had left it—books strewn across the desk, the bed unmade, the faint smell of instant noodles hanging in the air. But now, it felt different. Now it was alien. Once a sanctuary, it now felt like a gossamer flimsy shield against a tempest brewing outside.

On the edge of his bed, Joaquin sits pulling out the USB drive from his pocket. Empty now-the files found by Wei Zhang's men had been cleaned out. But still, the weight of its existence pressed down on him. He had to find another way to know the truth and make Wei Zhang accountable for his actions. At least for now, he needed to lay low to reload his energies.

By mid-afternoon that day, Joaquin pumped enough into his body to drag himself to the cafeteria after spending hours trapped in the dorm. He hadn't had a proper meal for days, and his body was begging for one. As he entered, he was greeted with the inimitable scent of fried chicken and rice, and for a brief moment he was able to feel normal. 

He stood in line, when a familiar voice suddenly called out to him, "Joaquin! Where the hell have you been?"

It was Marco, his roommate and closest friend on campus. The mixture that was smeared in Marco's face consisted of relief and audition.

"Hey, Marco," Joaquin said, stretching his weak smile. "Long story."

"Oh no, you better start talking, Marco replied, grabbing his arm and shoving him toward the table. You were MIA for days. People were starting to think you've either quit or something.

Joaquin sighed and sat on one side of the table without touching the tray he brought from the cafeteria. "I ... was busy with some stuff. Some private matters."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Personal stuff? That's the best you can come up with?"

"For now, yeah," Joaquin said. He appreciated Marco's concern, but the last thing he needed right now was dragging his friend into the dangerous web of secrets he was entangled in. "Let s just say I needed to clear my head."

Marco studied him for a moment before replying: "All right. But if you ever want to talk, you know I'm here."

"Thanks man," Joaquin said, finally taking a bite of his food. The warm meal provided a small comfort, grounding him in the present moment.

Joaquin went to his first class after coming back. The buzzing lecture hall was full of students preparing during banter. He found a seat near the back as usual to avoid being the center of attention.

The professor known as Dr. Reyes entered the room and started off with a lecture on political systems and corruption. As she spoke on how powerful individuals manipulate systems for their gains, Joaquin couldn't help but think entirely about Wei Zhang. The files he had seen, coded transactions, the picture of Adrian Mendoza, and everything else seemed very real and personal.

"Joaquin" Dr. Reyes called him back to reality. "What's your take on this?"

He blinked, realizing the entire class was now looking at him. "Uh... could you repeat the question, ma'am?"

Dr. Reyes raised an eyebrow but obliged. "I asked, in your opinion, what are the most effective ways to hold powerful individuals accountable for their actions?"

Joaquin hesitated before coming up with a response. "Transparency and evidence," he said carefully. "If you have solid proof of wrongdoing, and you make it public, it's hard for even the most powerful people to escape accountability."

Dr. Reyes nodded. "Good point. But remember, evidence alone isn't always sufficient. It's also about who controls the narrative."

Joaquin felt a thrill of fright sweep over him. "Control the narrative." He had heard that in the video from the USB drive. Wei Zhang's voice echoed harshly in his head-theasification of everything that factored into the equation.

The most unlikely of alliances

After class, Joaquin hung around by the library. Most importantly, he needed resources to piece together the different facets of Wei Zhang's operations; he, however, knew it wouldn't be a solo venture. After scrolling through his contacts and debating with himself whom to trust, one name leapt off the list: Lianhua.

He hadn't spoken to her since leaving the Zhang estate. The last conversation had ended in her asking for time to figure out her next step. Now, after a moment's hesitation, he typed in a message to her.

Lianhua, I'm back at university. We need to talk. Urgent.

To his surprise, the near-instantaneous reply followed: Meet me at the coffee shop near the main gate in an hour.

Joaquin arrived earlier than was necessary, nerves humming within him. When Lianhua walked in, she looked neither too much at ease nor very determined, so she took a seat across him and scouted eyes around the room before focusing on him.

"You are actually lucky to be alive," she said simply.

Joaquin nodded. "I know. But there's no time for that. I need your help."

Sighing, Lianhua said, "You don't know how herculean is this task. My father... has eyes everywhere. If he finds out that we're talking, then we're both in the grave."

"Then why did you bother agreeing to meeting me?" Joaquin asked.

There was a pause before she spoke again. "Because you're right. What happened to Adrian was unmerciful. And if my father is indeed involved in something bigger, someone needs to stop it."

Joaquin looked at her intently as he said, "I have a plan but I need more information. You are the only one who can help me."

The look on Lianhua's face turned from confusion to scorn. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything that implicates your father in illegal operations," said Joaquin. "Transactions, communications, anything. We need solid proof."

Lianhua nodded warily. "Okay. But we have to be cautious. If we get caught."

"I know the risks - but this is bigger than us; we have to do the right thing."

Joaquin and Lianhua had worked undercover for almost several days. Joaquin, for example, spent hours in the university computer lab studying encrypted files of the father from Lianhua. With each tiny piece of information gleaned from their investigations, they were one step closer to completing a picture of Wei Zhang's movements.

On one such evening, when he was really absorbed in a maze of papers, there burst in Marco asking, "What are you doing?" The tone suggested half-knowledge and half-worry.

Joaquin froze from the sound but hung for a moment in indecision about the possible reactions. Leap-frog narration sat in his mind: "Marco, I need your help. But first, you must promise to keep it a secret."

Marco's eyes went wide. "This sounds serious."

"It is," said Joaquin. "And dangerous. But I can only do this with your help."

Marco's hesitation was brief. "Okay. I'm in. What do you want?"

So Marco had certainly been among the three who contributed to rapid advancement. They discovered a network of offshore accounts connected to Wei Zhang, as well as letters to and from influential figures they suspected were a part of his schemes.

The course of action had progressed, and with that, the greater risk. One night, Joaquin received a text: Stop checking on things or you'll regret it. That was a threat.

He shared that with Lianhua and Marco: the look on their faces instantly mirrored his worry. "They know," Lianhua gasped, voice trembling.

"We're running out of time," Joaquin said. "We must carry out steps immediately."

They drew plans to go on revealing Wei Zhang based on all the evidence they had. Then Joaquin contacted Daniel, who agreed to guide them through the best ways to expose their findings to the appropriate authorities and the mass media.

But just when they were about to implement everything that had been put together, Joaquin suddenly felt a strong premonition of an oncoming calamity: the malevolent shadow of Wei Zhang lay safely upon them. The path to securing justice was far from being over.