The campus was blanketed in snow. A few servants and student volunteers were shouting as they shoveled the thick drifts off the roads. Several girls carried large bamboo baskets, scattering salt over the cleared paths. They said it was a trick learned from the Five Great Linked Islands in the north: salt helped the snow melt and kept the ground from icing over.
In winter, dusk fell early. The sky had already begun to darken, and oil lamps were lit everywhere. Lin Qi yawned as he walked along the covered corridor. Everyone he passed gave him a wide berth; male and female students clutching books after class all kept a careful distance.
A low toll rang from the bell tower deep in the campus, signaling that dinner was ready in the cafeteria. A few golden orioles flapped down from a leafless tree and pecked for food on the withered lawn, freshly cleared of snow. Lin Qi watched the tiny birds and sighed softly. "Winter birds are just like Lin Qi when he has no money to spend. Pitiful, every one of them!"
With another sigh, Lin Qi looked toward a tall, round stone tower in the distance. He pursed his lips, a greedy glint of gold flashing in his eyes.
As the empire's elite, students at Fifth University enjoyed excellent accommodations. Lin Qi lived in a dormitory built from thick gray marble. The six-story building was spacious enough to house two thousand students. At each corner stood a sharp, thirty-meter tower, while a massive circular dome crowned the center of the building. Strange statues with wings sprouting from their backs adorned the towers, and the dome was inlaid with colorful, translucent shells, dazzlingly bright.
When Lin Qi entered his dorm room, Yu Lian—one of the Iron Fist Brotherhood's core members and Lin Qi's right-hand man—was sitting on Lin Qi's bed, legs propped up against the headboard. He held a letter and smugly nibbled at his rakish little mustache, chuckling.
Two years older than Lin Qi but in the same year, Yu Lian was Fifth University's most notorious playboy. Born into a fallen noble family, he was tall and handsome, with neatly groomed golden hair. The rakish little mustache above his lip curled upward, making him look as if he were smiling at all times.
Yu Lian had a pair of limpid, sky-blue eyes, lively and nimble, as though constantly casting tender glances at the world. With his tall, sturdy build, handsome face, intoxicating eyes, and honeyed tongue—not to mention his hereditary baronial title—Yu Lian often featured in the daydreams of girls all over University City.
Seeing Yu Lian's lecherous grin and the pink letter in his hand, Lin Qi couldn't help sighing. "God, which unlucky woman have you seduced this time? Darling Yu Lian, are you about to add another scandal to your collection?"
Yu Lian kissed the letter in his hand with feeling, then carefully folded it into a rose and tucked it into the breast pocket of his shirt. He jiggled his leg smugly and smiled at Lin Qi as he held out a hand. "Boss, lend me an Ooh-ooh-call. She's the daughter of a minor city lord, and she's asked me out for a private, intimate rendezvous."
Yu Lian drew a deep breath and cried in a passionate, operatic voice, "A wondrous rendezvous, a bashful maiden, a fair body, a soft figure. Moonlight, roses, a serenade, fine wine, and tender veal steak! Oh, with just one Ooh-ooh-call, what a marvelous night I could have!"
Lin Qi sighed and took out the two Atonement Talismans he had bought from Father Balin at the school gate. He solemnly placed the two palm-sized scraps of rough paper in Yu Lian's hand. "God will save your soul, damn you, Yu Lian! I don't have a single copper left. Hear me? Not one copper!"
Lin Qi gave Yu Lian's stiff, shiny head a hearty slap, then snorted. "A Gissian wandering troupe has arrived outside the city!"
Yu Lian's eyes widened, and a strange smile spread across his face. "Oh, yes, a huge Gissian troupe, more than three hundred people in all, including forty-seven lovely young women. Hmm, the lead dancer, Gina, has a wonderful figure. Really wonderful. I couldn't even get one hand around her properly! Boss, you know I've fondled at least three hundred girls' breasts, but not one of them could compare to hers!"
"Gods above!" Lin Qi rolled his eyes, exasperated. The Gissian troupe had only just arrived, yet Yu Lian had already hooked up with its lead dancer. The only explanation was that Yu Lian had a remarkable talent for seducing women.
Lin Qi crooked a finger and snorted. "Mr. Grong wants to meet Gina. The lead dancer's name is Gina, right? Mr. Grong wants to have dinner with her—you know what I mean. Name your price. If she's satisfied, take her to meet Mr. Grong. And as for Mr. Grong, you know the drill!"
Yu Lian sprang to his feet, delighted. He snapped his fingers smugly, then pranced through two light turns on the spot.
"I knew this wouldn't make me miss my date with that little darling! Oh, the daughter of a city lord, a proper young lady—I can't wait for the glorious moment when I loosen her corset!" He gave Lin Qi a passionate hug, then danced out as smoothly as flowing clouds and water. "Don't worry, Boss. Your credits and the money for my date are both taken care of. Mr. Grong is a generous gentleman. I know he is—very generous!"
"Damn him!" Lin Qi stared helplessly after Yu Lian. Frowning, he opened his drawer. Sure enough, the last three silver coins he had hidden in the secret compartment had vanished without a trace. Across all of Fifth University, there was no one but Yu Lian who dared sneak into Lin Qi's dorm and steal the last bit of his private stash.
Three lovely silver coins had vanished just like that. With dinner still unsettled, Lin Qi felt a sharp pang in his chest.
"Oh, no! I have to find some way to make more money!"
Lin Qi paced around the dorm in distress, then sighed. "Winter. I hate winter. As soon as it comes, merchants and travelers drop by ninety percent. Every winter, I end up fretting over money! Damn the roaming Dragon Cavalry, damn the Security Office. Why are there so many Copper Hats in University City?"
Whenever he thought of those secret police wearing copper helmets, Lin Qi felt a stab of heartache.
"I have to get some money!"
Penniless, Lin Qi sighed and gazed through his dorm window at the tall, cylindrical stone tower.
"I have to get some money, damn it!"
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