"I might not have the chance for you to help me if I lose my life in a half-baked escape plan. I wouldn't say this is a fair trade," but Jonas wasn't worried about Xiao Lin's response because his attitude was completely different from when their conversation had first begun.

"What would be a fair trade?" Jonas squinted with a friendly smile, and Xiao Lin pursed his lips.

"I'll mind my own business, but I won't help you escape. If you succeed in beating Howard Hurts, I'll come with you to the surface, and you'll introduce me to your master. I want to know how to unlock my Original Sin, and I want to know where the Sin Assessment is."

"Oh, would you like fries with that too?" Jonas rolled his eyes. "I'm not giving out fate-changing secrets for you to hide in your room and reap all the benefits of my sacrifice. Here's the deal, take it or leave it. You'll help Ahmed fight Thomas Vale while Yuki and I take on Howard Hurts. In return, I'll introduce you to my master, and we'll give you the information you want."

"Us beating Thomas seems possible. I doubt you and Yotama Yuki can take Howard Hurts. No, I changed my mind. You can't beat him with the two of you."

"Don't worry. Our two groups only need to hold them off until the riot reaches our battle, and the rest of our numbers will swarm the two bosses. It's a good plan, and I know it will work. I'm risking my life on this," Jonas held his chin high, and he looked like someone that wasn't afraid of failure.

"And you're sure your master will share his secrets?" Xiao Lin tried to seem skeptical, but both knew he was only playing the part.

“Of course,” said Jonas. “Why do you think I offered in the first place?”

“It was your bargaining chip,” Xiao Lin said smartly.

“Sure it was,” Jonas nodded. “But my real bargaining chip is I have a fantastic chance of making this plan work, and that’s the best you’ll probably ever come across.”

“I’ve never been propositioned like this before, and I’ve been here for decades.”

“There's never been a time that nearly all the top-fives agreed to try and escape.”

"Very true," Xiao Lin nodded and sipped his tea. "Even Howard Hurts wouldn't expect it to happen. You're confident you can hold him off while waiting for your friends?"

“I’m a Crusader,” said Jonas. “I don’t do anything I’m not confident in,” Xiao Lin was silent as he contemplated the young man. Although his facial expressions didn’t give anything away, Jonas’ instincts told him that Xiao Lin was on the edge of agreeing.

“What about Garth?” asked Xiao Lin. “I’ve known him for a while, and I have to say he isn’t trustworthy at all.”

“But now he has a good reason to help us,” Jonas reminded.

“What do you mean?"

“He’ll know that you're helping us,” Jonas explained. “And that would be a good enough reason for him to try to escape. Four top-fives and a riot are pretty good odds for him. Hell, I know Garth likes it down here, but this may be his only chance to escape if he hates being a slave to Howard,” this revelation dawned on Xiao Lin, and he couldn’t help but bite the inside of his gums in frustration.

“Give me a day to think about it,” Xiao Lin said quietly, but Jonas wouldn't accept that answer.

“We don’t have time to think about it. Tomorrow might be the day that we attempt to escape.”

“We need time to plan,” Xiao Lin looked exasperated.

“We've finalized the plan,” Jonas scrunched his eyebrows. “We have all the firepower we need to break out. We'll wait for my next fight because that's when Thomas and Howard will be outside, and we can start the riot."

"Not at night when they leave?"

"Our backup plan is to find the guard with the code to the door, and we can't do that at night because they reset the code, and only the bosses will know it."

"That makes sense," Xiao Lin nodded. "It's better to have a backup plan if something goes wrong. However, you're right that there isn't much planning needed with all five of us top-five fighters."

“As long as you and Garth are helping, we'll be escaping this place for sure.”

“I agree, for the most part.”

“Look at it this way. Ahmed and Yuki will stay with my companions and wreak havoc in the gang, while you and Garth will do the same elsewhere. After my fight, I'll join you guys, and it won't be long before Howard and Thomas come walking through the front doors. After, we'll start our duels with them and need to hold them off until the rest of the riot is over. Howard will go after you and Garth, while Thomas goes after Yuki.”

“How can you be sure?”

“They’ll attempt to reason with us to convince us not to break out,” Jonas explained. “Thomas would have the best chance of convincing Yuki, while Howard would have the best chance at convincing you and Garth.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Smart,” said Xiao Lin. “That'll separate the two leaders, and then we take them out.”

“Exactly,” Jonas nodded his head. “I’m confident that Ahmed, Yuki, Ralph, and the others can beat Thomas Vale, and I’m sure that me, you, and Garth can beat Howard Hurts.”

“It sounds too easy,” Xiao Lin looked skeptical. “Especially when you put it like that.”

“Not too easy,” Jonas smirked. “Howard and Thomas are idiots. They overestimated their ability to keep so many slaves in line with nothing but themselves and some low-ranking gangbangers.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that,” Xiao Lin laughed. “It was different when Sunny was alive, and they had three gang leaders of that caliber. However, he died, and Howard had to rely on Brow, who earned his spot off of Keal’s coattail.”

“Exactly. Howard and Thomas might be close to being True Sinners, but their side only has two people, while we'll have dozens.”

“I like our odds,” Xiao Lin was rather excited for a person who had been so argumentative just moments earlier. However, Jonas wasn’t going to complain now that he had answered the biggest question of his escape plan: what to do about Xiao Lin?

“So, my friend,” Jonas stuck his hand across the table. “Are you in, or are you out?” Xiao Lin examined the tremendous youth in front of him. It looked like the old Chinese warrior knew in his heart which decision he had made.

“I’m in,” Xiao Lin gripped Jonas’ hand tightly as they shook.

“Good,” Jonas kept his composure because he didn’t want to seem too excited. “I think you made the right choice.”

“Only time will tell,” Xiao Lin let go of his hand and sighed deeply. It seemed the conversation had taken a lot out of him.

“I’ll keep you updated,” Jonas wasn’t going to overstay his welcome, and he stood up from his cushion. “Good night, Xiao Lin.”

“Please do. It was a pleasure meeting you. Good night, Jonas.”

It wasn’t until Jonas reached Yuki’s room did a big smile bloom on his face.

“What are you so giggly about?” she asked with raised brows.

“Yours truly convinced Xiao Lin to join our plan,” and he wore a self-satisfied smirk. Yuki quickly shot upright from the bed and looked at him in disbelief.

“You’re serious?” she asked. “Tell me what happened?” Jonas began explaining the entire conversation from when he arrived in the room to when they shook hands.

“You’re such a butt!” she had tears in her eyes as she laughed. “You said that with a straight face?” She began speaking in a mocking, deep voice. “They aren’t laughing at me anymore.”

“I had to convince him somehow!” Jonas’ cheeks were red as he watched her perform impressions of himself. “He bought everything I said.”

“I can’t believe a guy like Xiao Lin was so easily led around by the nose,” she wiped her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

"I'm not wrong, am I? They aren't laughing at me anymore," Jonas crossed his arms and pouted.

“No love, you’re not,” she bit her lip to prevent the laughter. “Everything you said was completely true. Everyone underestimated you, but…” she tried to keep a straight face. “They’re not laughing at you anymore!”

“Oh, you think you're so funny!” Jonas launched himself at her and began pinching her sides, and she screamed like a hyena as she tried to push him away, but he wrapped her in his embrace and began tickling her into submission.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She took deep breaths of air as she rolled away from his attack and held her hands defensively in front of herself.

“Serves you right,” he said while leaning against her pillows. “You can have the couch tonight.”

“Oh really?” She asked with narrowed eyes. “And you’ll just have that big bed all to yourself?”

“Until you can admit that you’re wrong and that I’m awesome, this is my territory, and that’s yours,” he pursed his lips and pointed at the lounge.

“You’re pretty strong,” she gave him a seductive smile. “But I’m not sure that you can take me.”

“Take you where?” He asked sarcastically. “Oh, you mean a fight. Yeah, I think I can take you.”

“You better get off my pillows,” she said with a smirk. “Or that big head is going to leave an indent.”

“They’ll match the indent in the mattress from your big ass.”

“Oh, you’re so dead,” she pounced like a tigress; her fangs and claws bared. They wrestled for a few minutes, and neither held back as she tried to put Jonas in a headlock, and he attempted an arm bar.

A few crazy minutes later, they were both breathing heavily, and she was huffing and puffing while staring daggers at Jonas, who was resting next to her.

“You used to be so nice and innocent. What happened?”

“Oh, like you’re the one to talk,” he rolled his eyes. “I seem to remember you calling me to your room in the middle of the night while wearing a bathrobe as you threw your arms around my neck, trying to tempt me into murder.”

“I did that?” She thought back hard. “No, not ringing any bells.”

“Drink hemlock as punishment for corrupting the youth,” he chuckled.

“What?” She looked bewildered.

“Socrates?” he asked plainly.

“He’s a Greek philosopher, right?” She asked while wearing a silly face. “I heard a bit about him, but I’m from seventeenth-century Japan. You need to reference Dōgen, Ennin, or perhaps even Arai Hakuseki, who became popular during my lifetime.”

“Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning for corrupting the youth,” Jonas explained. “I have no idea who those people you just named are, though.”

“Just as Japanese philosophers are not well known in America,” she said. “Why the heck would I know anything about Greek philosophy?”

“Okay, okay,” Jonas conceded. “I was proving a point, but were you serious when you said I wasn’t nice or innocent anymore?”

“Of course not,” she tapped his nose playfully. “You’re the nicest guy I ever met.”

“Err,” he gave her a strange look. “That’s not great when you consider your history with men.”

"You're wrong, Jo. You're great for me, even when considering my history. I'm nervous, though."

"That's very sweet of you, but why are you nervous? Jonas could see something was bothering her, so he sat up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I was overthinking and made myself sad. It's nothing worth mentioning."

"Please tell me? You can open up to me about anything."

"What about when we've escaped, Jo?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're going after your brother? You're taking the Sin Assessment and whatnot?"

"Yeah," said Jonas, and he had a bad feeling about what was about to come next.

"I don't want to be a True Sinner. I want to open my house for lost girls."