Wheel of Fate
Breaking News
Li Family Mansion, living room, 10:00 am
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*sitting curled up on the couch*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*one leg tucked under a blanket*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*scrolling idly on her phone*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*sitting beside her and watching tv*
The television murmured in the background, playing the news.
Reporter
...... and in today’s headlines
Reporter
The Ministry of Education is proposing— …....
The screen suddenly flickered
A red banner slid across the bottom: BREAKING NEWS
Reporter
We’ve just received reports that CEO of Shengli Group, Mr. Li Jianhong, has—
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
Wait—what?
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*stand up, grab the remote, turning the volume up*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*glance up at TV, nervous*
Li Jianhong, has allegedly jumped from the 20th floor of the company headquarters this afternoon
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
No, no, that's... that’s not true
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
He— he….
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*low, frail sob*
Papa!
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*eyes stayed fixed on the screen *
TV showed a wide shot of the Shengli Group building. Police. Yellow tape.
Then, a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance, white sheet over the body.
A close-up followed—blurry, but enough to recognize the lavender trench coat. Tailored. His favourite one.
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*chest tightened, phone slipped from her hand*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*tears run down her cheeks*
Reporter
Emergency services have confirmed his death on the scene
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*throat tightened, ears ringing with news*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*fall down on knees*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*something sharp and heavy lodged beneath her ribs, like she couldn’t breathe deep without it hurting*
Everything felt slow and hollow
Her phone screen lit up again with unread messages. She didn’t look.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*vision blurred*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*shaky voice*
That can’t be him.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
Jianhong wouldn’t—
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
No… that’s not possible.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*sobbing, breathing hitched*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
He just left for work.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
He… he kissed me on the forehead.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*shoulders heaved with each breath—like she couldn’t catch enough air*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*low, frail voice*
Mom
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
He said he was coming home early tonight
*voice broke on the last word*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*eyes turn to the screen, breathing unsteady*
Reporter
This comes just as the Ministry of finance launched an internal investigation into finance department of Shengli Group’s core accounts.
Reporter
The company’s financial chain has reportedly collapsed
Reporter
Share values have plunged over 60% within the hour
Reporter
Shengli Group is heading toward bankruptcy
Xiao Yang's thoughts spun
Everything crashing at once
Authy
No character intro. You'll know them as they appear.
Authy
And I'll be glad if you share your perspective of them.
Authy
But I would like to talk about the title
The title "Wheel of Fate" suggests the idea that destiny or life events are constantly changing and beyond human control—like a wheel that turns unpredictably. It implies that fortunes can rise and fall, and that people are often subject to forces greater than themselves, such as fate, luck, or divine will. The metaphor comes from the ancient concept of the "Rota Fortunae" (Wheel of Fortune), where the goddess Fortuna spins a wheel to determine who experiences success or suffering.
Fear
Reporter
Shengli Group is heading toward bankruptcy
Xiao Yang's thoughts spun
Investment Fraud, Bankruptcy, Suicide.
Everything crashing at once.
But through the noise, one thing rang louder than anything else: fear.
Not just for what happened, but for what came next.
With the whole world watching.
And neither of them knew how to survive this.
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*cries grew louder, wavering between disbelief and grief*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
Why would he do that?
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
Why didn’t he say anything?
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*voice lowering*
Why…
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*body slumped sideways, hitting the floor with a soft thud*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*scared, eyes widened, trembling*
MOM!
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*shaking her gently, then harder*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*panic rising like a wave, voice cracked*
Please
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*cheeks streaked with tears*
Please don’t do this
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
Please just open your eyes
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*fumbled for her phone with trembling hands*
Phone slipped down from her unsteady hands
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*picked it up again and dialled*
Nurse: This is lifeline hospital
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*sobbing*
Please, my mom fainted
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
She’s not waking up
Nurse: Please calm down and tell us your address. We will be there asap!
Outside The Emergency Room
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*sitting, arms wrapped around herself*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*eyes red and tears continuosly running down cheeks*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*approach him, frail voice*
Doctor!?
Doctor
She fainted due to emotional shock
Doctor
Her body couldn’t handle the sudden stress
Doctor
She’s physically stable for now
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*barely breathing*
physically?
Doctor
Emotionally, she’s unresponsive
Doctor
We call it catatonic depression
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*feeling weak in her knees*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*nodded lightly*
Thankyou doctor
Li Family Mansion, Living Room, 4:00 PM
The house didn’t feel like theirs anymore
It was too quiet, too heavy!
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*sat in a chair near the window, wearing a sweater*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*blank eyes, no expression*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*kneel beside her*
Mom
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*brushing her mother’s hair gently behind her ear*
It’s cold today
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
You should have something warm, okay?
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
I’ll make your favourite mushroom soup
Her mother’s eyes didn’t move
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*smiled faintly and continued, voice soft*
Do you remember that road trip to Suzhou?
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
You insisted on driving, and you couldn’t even figure out the map
This incident always stirred up her mom.
Her mother just stared outside.
Outstanding Debt
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*throat tightened again*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*forced herself up*
Bank Officer
I would like to meet Mrs Li
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
What is it?
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
I'm her daughter, Li Xiao Yang
Bank Officer
*handed her the document*
This is a formal notice.
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*takes the file*
Bank Officer
The house is now scheduled for auction under asset recovery procedures.
Bank Officer
Outstanding debts tied to the late Mr. Li Jianhong must be repaid.
Bank Officer
Everything listed under family ownership, including personal belongings of value, will be seized and auctioned.
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
I understand.
Bank Officer
Then I'll leave now.
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*close the door*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*read the document*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
(Just few hours, how did things become like this)
Next day morning, funeral was held
Very few old friends of her dad came
Fewer business related people and blood relatives came as no one wish to get involved in investment fraud cases
Half-filled suitcases lay open on the floor
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*packing clothes*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*sitting in the living room, knees drawn up, eyes blank*
Huo Meng (FL's mom)
*hadn’t said a word since waking up in hospital*
When the doorbell rang, Xiao Yang didn’t expect anything
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*standing on the other side of the door*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*slightly out of breath, a school bag slung across her shoulder*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*open door*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*hug her instantly*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*voice breaks, tears running down her cheeks*
Nian Nian
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*pat her back*
I am here
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*feel heartache*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*hold her hand and step inside*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*carefully look around the house*
Pack your stuff
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
My apartment’s small, but you’re coming with me
Xiao Yang didn’t move at first
Her body wouldn’t respond
She stared at her friend, then down at the floor
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*hug her*
Xiao Yang!
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*burst into loud sobs*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
Listen to me, okay?
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*free herself from hug, nods*
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*gently wipe hear tears*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*bow down*
Thank you
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
Aye! Little things like this, you don’t have to be so polite!
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*voice cracked*
I didn’t know what to do
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
I didn’t even know where we’d go
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*pat her back*
That’s why I came before you had to ask
In Evening, Nian Nian’s Apartment, Living Room
The room was small and quiet
A faint breeze came through the window
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*voice low*
So.... What now?
Xiao Yang didn’t answer right away
She stared aimlessly, eyes tired
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
Everything's gone
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
Jewelry, furniture, paintings, stocks... All of it.
Xue Nian (FL's bestie)
*rested her chin on her hand*
And it's still not enough?
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
*shook her head*
Li Xiao Yang (FL)
I still owe three hundred million
Download MangaToon APP on App Store and Google Play
