Thirty of them... I'd already spent 15 million before even uncovering the truth on this trip.
"Hey, mister."
Just as Lin Hui was about to leave the Fine Food district from the passageway entrance, he suddenly heard a voice, thin as a mosquito's buzz, slip into his ear.
"Hey, mister, over here." The voice seemed to come from below and to his right.
Lin Hui followed the sound with his gaze.
He saw a Sparrow Person only as tall as his calf, wearing a hat and looking up at him.
The Sparrow Person was round all over, with grayish-brown feathers, two glossy black eyes like peas, a dark yellow beak, and dark yellow talons. He also carried a cloth satchel slung across his body.
"Sorry, mister. I didn't recognize you at first. Long Ji said you were coming, and I looked everywhere just now but couldn't find you. Turns out you're a whole lot fatter than in the portrait." The Sparrow Person wiped his gleaming, grease-slick beak, his face full of apology.
"...I wasn't like this half a day ago." Lin Hui was speechless.
"Really? Well, then. Looks like you couldn't resist eating too much either." The Sparrow Person extended one wing-hand. "Nice to meet you. My name is Tian Long."
"...Lin Hui." Lin Hui reached out and touched hands with him.
"Shall we find somewhere to talk?" Tian Long asked in a low voice.
"Sure." Lin Hui nodded.
The Sparrow Person took the lead. The two left the Fine Food district and returned to the Fine Wine district, finding a street bench outside a more secluded tavern.
"Ah, this place really isn't suited for us nonhuman races. But I just fucking can't help myself. Ah, this rotten beak." Sparrow Person Tian Long sighed and fiercely slapped his own beak.