THE VENDING MACHINE PROPHET

At seven years old in Shanghai, Luke Li learned that love was conditional on perfect performance. After a public humiliation involving torn calligraphy practice, he made a promise that would drive him across three continents: never again would he give someone the power to hang his shame where others could see it. From Tokyo playgrounds where vending machines dispensed miracles to Canadian high schools where friendship felt temporary, from Seattle networking events where sophistication masked lon