"How did they end up like this? Don't tell me you used these things to block a blade?"
Behind the counter, Samael flipped through the two Colt M1911A1s on the table. When his gaze fell on the crack that had nearly severed one barrel, his face darkened as he asked the question.
"I ran into a tough one. I didn't have anything handy at the time."
Natalia shrugged as she sat before the counter and answered casually.
As she spoke, the woman pulled a pack of cigarettes bearing a yin-yang symbol from her pocket, flicked out a crumpled cigarette with a shake of her wrist, and skillfully lowered her head to hold it between her lips.
But just as Natalia began searching herself for a lighter, the cigarette in her mouth was plucked away by an outstretched hand.
"No smoking in this establishment."
Samael pointed at the sign beside the counter and casually tossed the crumpled cigarette into the trash.
"Tch, mind your own business!"
Natalia rolled her eyes at him without much concern, reaching back into her pocket as she spoke.
Samael snorted disdainfully and reached out with his right hand, directly snatching the half-pack of crumpled cigarettes from Natalia's grasp, his face full of contempt.
"I told you, smoke less around here from now on. When you're on my turf, you follow my rules."
Even so, he did not throw the half-pack into the trash. Instead, he seemed to casually tuck it into a drawer beside bundles of Franklins and several gold bars.
Smoke Dragon Brand Cigarettes were antiques from the Republican era in China. They seemed to be produced only in Taiwan and Hong Kong, popular mostly within small circles. They were not made by any major company, merely a niche and inferior brand.
They were nothing