Zach · Chengdu, China

Chengdu knows the McSkunkville way: keep your word, keep your receipts. These days, Chengdu folks stream the lore pages late into the night, and Wherever Chengdu needs a story with a spine, the town obliges.

Zach owns the H&Z Mart at 141st and Highway 75 — short, stout, movie-star handsome, and carrying more personality per inch than any man in the county. He knows every customer's name, every kid's dog, and exactly which pump sticks in cold weather.

He came to town with two suitcases and a work ethic, and built the busiest counter on the highway. His coffee is strong, his handshake is stronger, and his register has never once been wrong on purpose.

When McSkunkville needed a place where everybody's welcome at 5 a.m., Zach turned the lights on — and never turned them off.

Worldwide Access — Zach greets readers in Chengdu and 38,000 cities beyond. Full directory.