Malin had attended dinner at the old Ding Qi's home for three days in a row, showing ample respect to the elder—originally planning to leave at noon on the third day, but the train crew found several parts that needed replacing, so he ended up waiting half a day longer.
When the train was finally ready to depart, the half-human appeared and gave Malin some rather unwelcome news—the thief hadn't been found, but he suggested it was likely the work of a traitor from the local Thieves Brotherhood, and added that if Malin did encounter him, dead or alive didn't matter, it would be two thousand Mowish on sight.
Malin smiled and decided to let the fellow earn this hard money himself.
"Do you still hold a grudge against me?" Malin asked the half-human before leaving.
