Meeting X Conditions X Each takes a step back

At those words, Grey Elder's hand paused in midair, still holding his wineglass.

The rim of the red wineglass was still pressed against his lower lip, but he did not drink.

He simply looked at Jiang Ye. A flicker of surprise and bewilderment crossed his age-worn eyes; he clearly had not expected Jiang Ye to ask that.

The next second, Grey Elder smiled calmly.

He set the glass back on the coffee table, its base landing on the wooden surface with a soft thud.

"Leader of the Rust Remains Alliance."

He used the title without the slightest discomfort.

"Welcome. I'm glad you came to visit."

Jiang Ye leaned back in his chair, his hands folded at the ends of the armrests, his posture unchanged.

He watched the smile appear on Grey Elder's bark-like face and did not rush to respond.

What he had just said had been a test.

When Grey Elder used the word "drifter," he had deliberately lowered his own stance, yet also looked down on Jiang Ye as an elder would a drifter.

When Jiang Ye had asked what Grey Elder should call him, he had wanted to see how Grey Elder would respond.

If he grew angry, it meant his emotions outran his reason. Such a man could be provoked or manipulated, and a head-on clash with him could be avoided.

If he sneered, it meant his arrogance outweighed his judgment. Such a man could be led into a mistake through excessive flattery.

But Grey Elder had smiled.

He took the remark in stride, showing no resentment and making no counterattack. He had not even hesitated for long.

He went along with it, changed how he addressed Jiang Ye, and added a welcome, steering a conversation that might have turned into a conflict back toward an exchange between host and guest.

Realizing this, Jiang Ye tapped a fingertip lightly against the armrest.

Sure enough, a man who could become an elder in Meteor City did not rely solely on the backing of the Ten Dons.

A man who could endure, handle a challenge, and take a way out when it was offered was often far more calculating than someone who flipped the table at the slightest provocation.

"You're too kind, Elder."

Jiang Ye spoke in an even voice, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Grey Elder nodded, as if confirming a judgment, then picked up his wineglass and took a sip.

"Now that you're here, I won't beat around the bush."

He set the glass back on the table and leaned forward slightly, his ember-like eyes fixed on Jiang Ye in the dim yellow light.

"I am now the official elder of District 13."

"The Council of Elders has formally appointed me to govern this district."

He paused, giving Jiang Ye time to digest the news.

"You brought the Shattered Iron Group and the Gray Rat Squad together and turned the Rust Bone Gang into the Rust Remains Alliance. You're now the only major power in District 13."

"I have no objection to that."

Jiang Ye said nothing.

He waited for Grey Elder to finish.

Grey Elder's fingers brushed lightly against the side of his wineglass.

"I don't want any major conflict with you."

There was no hint of weakness in his tone as he said it.

But Jiang Ye could tell that what came next was the real crux.

"So I'd like to negotiate an arrangement with you."

Grey Elder raised his eyes, shifting his gaze from the glass to Jiang Ye's face.

"You can do whatever you want in District 13, according to your own will."

"Territory, businesses, personnel-you can consolidate them however you like."

"I won't interfere, use my authority as an elder to pressure you, or secretly support other factions to keep you in check."

He paused, then spoke his final words.

"There's only one condition."

The corner of Jiang Ye's mouth twitched in something like a smile.

"What condition?"

Grey Elder looked at him, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"You must obey my orders."

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Jiang Ye did not answer immediately.

He could not help falling into thought.

Obey my orders, not submit to me.

Those were the words Grey Elder had deliberately chosen.

He had offered Jiang Ye a way out.

You're still the leader of the Rust Remains Alliance, the territory is still yours, and you decide how things are done.

But within that framework, he had reserved the ultimate authority to give orders.

Jiang Ye could understand why Grey Elder had set that condition.

Grey Elder had only just become an official elder, and his position was insecure.

The power structure of District 13 had just been completely shattered and rebuilt by a twelve-year-old drifter. As the newly appointed elder, if he immediately fell out with a major power, the price would be too great even if he won.

The undercurrents between elders were never any less turbulent than those between gangs.

At the Council of Elders' table, Grey Elder needed to keep District 13 stable. If a war with the Rust Remains Alliance left him badly weakened, the elders of the neighboring districts would not let that opportunity pass.

So he had chosen to take a step back.

But that step back was not a true retreat.

He had given Jiang Ye freedom, but kept hold of a rein.

Once the Rust Remains Alliance grew beyond his control, that rein would serve as his excuse to make a move.

Having thought it through, Jiang Ye raised his head and looked at Grey Elder.

"No problem."

"Congratulations on officially becoming the elder of District 13."

"It's an honor for the Rust Remains Alliance to work with you."

He held out his right hand.

Grey Elder looked at the hand extended toward him.

It was small, with thin fingers and calluses on the palm.

After a quiet chuckle, he reached out and took it.

Their hands clasped above the coffee table.

One was gaunt and aged, covered in loose skin and bulging veins.

The other was small and slender, with prominent knuckles.

They held their hands there for two seconds, their grip neither too light nor too firm, then let go at the same time.

Both men smiled, their smiles perfectly natural.

The light in the reception room was dim and warm, and the liquid in the wineglass caught a dark red reflection in the faint glow.

If someone had passed by the window and seen the scene, they would probably have thought an elder and a youngster were enjoying a pleasant conversation.

But when Jiang Ye withdrew his hand, he lightly brushed his fingertips against his knee.

Grey Elder picked up his wineglass and took another sip.

Neither looked the other in the eye.

They both knew very well.

After that handshake, both sides had gained a period of breathing room.

Grey Elder could secure his position as an elder, while the Rust Remains Alliance could develop and grow stronger.

As for how long that breathing room would last, it depended on who finished preparing first.

When that day came, it would reveal who would be king and who would be branded a rebel!