A Fine Blade for a Skill: Su Yi's Support

At the Sunrise Hotel in Vine City.

The transparent surface of Magnetic Plaza outside the hotel made pedestrians feel as though they were walking through the air.

Rick walked out of the hotel, his face dark.

A voice called out to him.

He turned and saw a smiling young man with brown hair and a head a size larger than normal.

"Tell Ilis that if she spends a night with me, I might consider helping her secure her next promotion."

The young man was none other than Ilis's rival in the Navigation Department: Charlie Keynes.

At thirty, he was a powerful level 26 Gifted.

The middle-aged man beside him was Liu En Malay, the City Defense Force captain who had arranged to meet Rick.

Rick said nothing. He turned and got into the vehicle.

Keynes smiled. "Give up. I know all about your little tricks."

"The Debt Collection Company got a new supervisor yesterday."

"As it happens, that new supervisor is a friend of my brother's."

Rick climbed in without looking back, and the driver launched the aircraft smoothly and swiftly.

Leaning against the fluid headrest, Rick pinched the bridge of his nose.

The negotiations had not gone well. Liu En was a two-faced bastard.

He had demanded eighty percent of the Rebellion Suppression Merit for his own promotion.

Such an outrageous demand made it clear he had never intended to negotiate.

When Rick saw that Keynes had come too, he knew they had only wanted to humiliate him in public.

Liu En wanted everyone to see that he was distancing himself from Ilis.

And Keynes had already reached into the Debt Collection Company!

Rick's phone rang while he was still brooding.

He looked down. It was Su Yi.

He answered irritably. "Speak."

"My lord," Su Yi said, "is this