#Snap him up Isen he's easy prey now

[feilien]

 “Plenty of chances, but no real reason. Unless you’re infringing on Black Dragon territory, disrespect him, or publicly declare war with the clan, he’s not going to waste his time or energy. There’s a reason the clan has been so successful and undefeated for so long. He keeps his strength stacked where it matters, and doesn’t bother with unnecessary gangwars like so many others do just to prove a point. It makes our—” Long Zhi paused, then sighed, “their territory so impenetrable.”

 Why exactly he felt the need to become defensive, he didn’t know. Old habits, perhaps. The clan had been his entire life, and although he knew he was no longer a part of it, it was difficult to get rid of that mindset. But he knew he had to, sooner or later.

 Most likely sooner than not. Because there it was, the offer. A generous one at that, despite the polite warning. And it was too good to be true, really. Long Zhi was naive at times, but not naive enough to believe that they were talking about simple gang related work. There was a hook, and it had to be a big one.

 Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait too long to learn what it was. This time, he tensed up visibly and shifted in his seat. How the fuck did he know? Isen, a man he’d never even met before knew something no one else knew, not even Xiao Dan. Of course, he could’ve simply been referring to Long Zhi’s skill of being able to kill without a trace, but there was something about the way he said it that made it very clear to Long Zhi that that was not what he was talking about. He knew.

 And suddenly, he felt terrified.

 If a complete stranger had been able to learn about his abilities, who else knew? What did that mean for him? Would they be coming for him? With things worse than a very generous offer? Had word gotten out to Xiao Dan? Was that why the price was so high? He thought it was purely because of the betrayal, but—

 Swallowing hard, Long Zhi tried to pull himself back together, tried to appear confident and casual. None of which he was. “What are your terms?”

It had been difficult, impressively so. Hardly anything escaped Isen in this city. And yet, Long Zhi had been elusive, smart, evading capture while the full might of the Dragons hunted him down. Clearly he was someone Isen wanted under his command, even without his expertise.

Still, the answer Long Zhi gave was cowardly. Isen tsked. "I'll admit your former clan is strong. However, don't you think there's a reason Xiao Dan hasn't started a war with me? He's had plenty of chances, and I would certainly humor him."

Now he leaned back. That ring around Long Zhi’s iris had caught Isen's attention right away, and it aligned with the intelligence he'd gathered. It was the only thing keeping Isen from throwing Liu Long Zhi to the wolves and reaping the reward from the old man himself.

"But I'll get to the point. You have a very valuable skillset that I could use. Believe me when I say I've considered the benefits and consequences of this arrangement. I want you to work for me, in exchange for protection from the Black Dragons and anyone else who may cross you. In addition, I am willing to offer a generous wage, and provide you with an apartment within the city limits for the duration of your employment with me."

As he finished, he tilted his head, taking a moment to let the words sink in. "In the interest of transparency, I'm also aware of the full spectrum of your capabilities. That makes you uniquely qualified for this position." Isen gestured vaguely. "But I will not beg. If you refuse, I'll let you walk out without retaliation. Xiao Dan will not hear of your location from me."