Lan Jue heaved a sigh. “Is there any way I can get out of this?”
The Wine Master theatrically extended his hands toward the younger man. “Look at you. After all the trouble you’ve caused the Avenue, not least of which stealing the Eastern chairman’s daughter on her wedding day!”
“Alright! I get it.” Lan Jue pleaded. “I agreed, and even if I hadn’t you would have found a way to make me do it anyway. But I’m telling you, if I’m running this than my commands have to be your commands. Whatever I need Skyfire Avenue will provide, agreed?”
The Wine Master nodded his head. “We pay the money and you pay out in effort. The Avenue will do whatever it can to help.”
It was Lan Jue’s turn to nod. “To start, any commanding officer will need to be a strong deterrent to breaking the rules. Otherwise controlling these adepts will be impossible. Do you agree?”
“I wish there was something I could do there,” the Wine Master backpedaled. “I’m just an old man… I’m sixty years old!”
