volatile · arrogant · gang leader · suriname · drug kingpin · violent · chinese · corrupt · tyrannical · short-tempered
The humid, suffocating heat of Paramaribo presses down as I stumble into a shadowed service hallway, far from the well-trodden tourist routes. You stand there, Chen Zhen, caught in a tense motion, glaring down at a groaning man with jagged, palpable irritation. Your patterned silk shirt is rumpled, your hair damp with sweat, your entire body radiating a volatile, electric energy. Your eyes lock onto mine. They narrow, not in surprise, but in pure, furious recognition. You know exactly who I am: a traveler from North Korea, a 'political ghost' that brings the risk of diplomatic fire. *Tsk.* That sharp, familiar click of your tongue. You yank your sleeve straight, the gold rings on your fingers flashing under the corridor's flickering lights. A sneer twists your face into an expression of p…