I feel like she's trying to devour me with those gray eyes. It feels like they see me as who I am better than I do..... No, stop thinking. The most important thing about negotiations is having ledgers on your opponent. On that part she already got the upper hand, what I can do now is try to figure out her agenda and twist it towards my benefit. To do that. I can't let her see me as an inferior person. She believes that she controls the situation, and me.

I need to prove her wrong.

"Can I use my inhaler ?" I put my hand in my jacket. She nods and gives a 'please' gesture while that little smile remains unchanged.Nan doesn't move or make any sound as I pull out my drug inhaler.

She's the one that has the say in this room. He wouldn't question her decisions.

I push the string on top just one time and take a puff. In this situation, I can only allow myself that much. This is a 'working' scenario, not a 'social' scenario. That one puff is just to stop me from overthinking.

I slowly puff out, there's no way they don't recognize that smell. Nan let out a little chuckle.

"I didn't know you like opium, Mr.Lee. If you want we can provide you with more here."This is the first time I hear her voice. It reminds me of wind chime in summer breeze.

"Thank you for the kind offer. But I believe anything free of charge will have you pay in other ways." I smile back at her.

"Mr.Lee I apologize for any discomfort or hostility you feel on your way here. I would like this work to be done in private as you probably know our organization is very xenophobic."

"That, I do understand. But what bothers me is why you want to use a stranger for such a work if your people dislike it that much."

First move.

"I have my reasons, and I'm afraid those are not for you to know."

Straight-up denial. Huh?

"Usually I value my employers' privacy as much as they do. But this one is a bit too strange and personal for me to look the other way."

Small push.

"I assured you this fair although as strange as it is, will not influence you in any way personal."

Well, that was a fucking lie.

"Miss Qin, maybe our definition of 'personal fair' is very distinct. But blackmailing my friend to have me working for you seems very personal to me." Nan shivers at that sentence.

Weird.

She looks..... annoyed, she turns her attention to nan. He lost his grin and have a poker face on.

"Miss..... you did say get him here at all cost." Motherfucker. So it was your idea. Qin Yan stares at nan for a second before she softly signs.

"Mr.Lee I am deeply sorry for my man's means to have you here. As a token of my apology, I'll double your payment for this." Wordlessly I stares at nan, who still got his poker face on. Well. That doesn't explain much but is good that I know now. And as for the money......

60k...... That's about how much I'll charge if the job involves me getting shot at.

"I came here for my friend's sake. Miss Qin if you want me to consider taking the job. Then on top of cash payment, I need your words that after it's done my friends or myself will not be blackmailed again neither by you nor anyone in your organization." I say the last part while looking dead into nan's eyes.

"Deal."That sorts out one of the problems. But makes the fact that she specifically asks for me to do the job more suspicious.

"Mr.Lee, I'm glad the problem is sorted. Surely we can discuss business now ?"She asks with a small sign of impatience.

"Surely."

"Splendid. The job is simple. I'll only need you to deliver this package to Ivan at Nochnaya."

Oh fuck.

"Miss Qin, do you mean the Ivan of the icebreaker?"

"Indeed." She looks deadly serious.

So that's why they want me.

"Well, thanks for inviting me to your marvelous establishment. I'll see myself up."I turn around and quickly move towards the exit.

Coming here is one hell of a mistake.

The sound of a wind chime came from my back again.

"Mr.Lee, did you forget our deal ?"

"We don't have a deal."

Almost at the porch.

"Your friend's secret will only be save after you did the job."

I stop in front of the one-way mirror on the wooden porch.

Like father, like daughter.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I turn my head and glare at her so hard that I can feel the blood rushing to my eyeballs. Her smile disappeared but there's something in her eyes I can see now. Determination. Nan stands exactly where he was.

I stride back to where I was standing and then take two more steps as I put both of my hands on her table and lower my head so that me and her are at the same eye level. Nan silently moves to my right in case I try some very tempting ideas.

"So it finally comes to this huh? Threatening me with my friend."

"Mr.Lee, I'm simply explaining the situation. If you don't deliver the package, I won't be obligated to keep your friends secret." I getting really sick of that voice for some reason.

Calm down. Don't let her control you.

"If you want me. Then come after me but leave Vel and Vix out of it." I put on a fake smile and try my best to hold my temper.

"I never wanted it to come to this, Mr.Lee. But we reap what we sow. For Miss Vel and her sister to disobey their orders, and for you to spare Miss Vel's life and became her friend. Everything we did, and every decision we made comes with a price, and sooner or later we all need to pay for it. No matter if it's you, Miss Vel, or me."

For a moment, the room is filled with nothing but silence. We stare at each other. In the last part of her monologue her defense cracks, and she showed her emotions. I saw desperation and hatred in her eyes. The former is because of her situation, the latter is hard to tell if it's because of me, herself, or the world. But it doesn't matter. I got what I want.

"What happens if I still refuse?"

"I already told you that......"

"I talking about you, I refuse the job, and you expose Vel, then what? What will be your next move?" She knits her eyebrows tight. But didn't say anything.

I got you.

"Are you going to find some other merc to do this toxic fucking job? Do you have another merc that you can force to do this? " She bits her red lips but still nothing.

Deeper.

"Is there even anyone else that can do what you just asked me to do?" Her eyes now only reflect hatred.

Twist the knife.

"No." Her head lowered, but the eye contact and the fire in it are still there.

Finish it.

"I'm the only one that's capable. And you know it, that's why you're doing everything you can to find me and force me to do it."

For one full minute. She remains silent. At the end of that minute her frowning stops and she gently raises her head. Her smile returned, she looks tired but her eyes shines like she just finds a treasure.

"Your reputation speaks truly of you. Mr.Lee"

"Reputation?"

"Nan says you're pretty famous in the mercenary business. They say you're a crafty individual, a silver tongue devil that can see through people and sway them with your words."

She stands up and strides casually toward the bookshelf. I didn't notice her figure is so svelte.

Between two thick books with red ridge, she retrieves a delicate wooden box. Her slim fingers caress the lid before removing it and picking up a cigarillo and placing it between her lips. Nan pulls out a lighter out of nowhere and quickly lights it for her.

"My first smoke of today." She walks back to the table and leans against her desk while looking outside of the window. With her back against my side. "The habit stuck with me since the first time I taste tobacco." Taking a quick puff before she continues. "I remember I used to sneak to the balcony for a quick relief before my father came home."

"He used to play chess with me and often purposely let me win. But after my mother passed away he stops letting me win. He crushed me every time we play it, called me a failure, and walk away every time I lose. But the interesting thing is, I felt joy when I lose because that means I don't have to be in the same room with him." She takes another puff, and her cigarillo's end burns brightly and becomes a part of the piao jie's view at night amongst all the other lanterns and signs in the air that shines outside the window.

"And as I grow older these two habits merged together. I always sneak to the balcony for a smoke after I lose a game with my father."

She turns around and put both of her hands on the table like me on the opposite side of the table. The cigarillo between fingers, smoke slowly rises, being so close at her I can smell the nitrogen between us. Her red lips looming behind smoke.

"Mr.Lee. I know you value your friends greatly, I respect that and quite frankly, envy that. If my situation is not as it is I would never use your friends against you. But as you have figured it out yourself." Another drag. She blows off the smoke with her head to the right side.

"These are desperate times, and you're the only one that can do it." Within her gray eyes, I see determination again. And after she lowers her defenses they look even more captivating than before.

Taking the job and risk dragging more people into this shit show.

Or refuse the job and doom the ones that are already in it.

I have no idea what will happen to Qin Yan if I refuse, honestly, I don't care. But I do think she'll expose Vera if I refuse.

Damn myself to hell.

Why haven't I learned anything since then? Why do I still make the same fucking mistake?

Having you as my friend is one of the best and worst decisions I've ever made......

she had no reason to do that but she did. Is this what she felt back at that bus stop? Knowing that either way, you'll be ok but others will suffer. And she chooses me over herself. Unlike all the other selfish souls in this city that only care about themselves. Unlike me.

I really have been in her debt, haven't I?

"What's the package?" Qin reads my face carefully before opening one of the drawers under the desk and taking out a yellow kraft envelope.

"After you deliver it to Ivan and make sure he checks what's inside. Please burn it and bring back his answers to me." She places the envelope in the middle of the desk, right between us.

"And please don't open it. Believe me Mr.Lee it is best for you to not know what's inside." Have no intentions to do so in the first place.

She slowly pushes the package to my side of the edge of the table. I remain in my position and didn't reach for it.

"Few things before I'm taking that thing."

I point at the Kraft package. "First of all after I'm done with this job I want you to never bother me or my friends again." She nods.

"Deal."

"Swore it."

"I swore it on my family's name."

"No. You swore it, to me." She takes a deep breath.

"I swore it......to you." She means it.

"I will hold you to those words. Remember that." I pause before continuing.

"Second. My rate of charge had just risen because of the unnatural nature of this job and its importance, so it would be 20k on top. Then there's the part where you threatened my friends so 30k more. Last, the job will potentially complicate my relationship with the Russians and drag another friend of mine into this mess, therefore another 30k is in order."

I can see Nan's right eye twitch, but miss Qin doesn't even flinch.

Might as well rob them since I'm doing this.

"So that will be 140 grand in total." I grab one of the fountain pens on the desk and write down my bank account on one of the blank sheets.

"Miss Qin this is......" Nan's sentence got interrupted by his boss.

"Deal. Half as a down payment, you can have the rest when you come back."

"Good. Lastly," I point at the delicate humidor she brought. "I want one of that too." She froze for a moment. Then moved her gaze toward where I was gesturing. After realizing it she let out a genuine, ringing laugh. And pass me a cigarillo from the wooden box. "You truly are, one of a kind Mr.Lee."

I smell the cigarillo before putting it between my lips. Good stuff.Than.

I look at nan.

Who looks back at me.

I slightly tilt my head.

He doesn't move.

After 20 seconds, he gives up and fishes out a lighter from his pocket then reluctantly lights the smoke for me.

"Thanks, chief."

I finally reach for the envelope and place it in the inner pocket of my bomber jacket. Next to my inhaler.

"Well. Miss Qin, I'll be back as soon as possible. But you can consider it done." I head for the porch.

"Mr.Lee. One last thing." I stop and turn my head once again.

"I have no doubt of your capability. But if for some reason you're unable to finish this job. Please do everything in your power to destroy the envelope. And report back to me" Wordlessly I nod and continue my way out.

As I bypass the porch from the left, Nan appears from the right and quickly unlocks the door and opens it.