Master Tang started brushing his long beard. I realized that whenever he did this, it meant he was thinking hard. The man could probably outthink most people before his fingers even reached his chin.
"You see..." he trailed off, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "that depends on your performance."
"What is this, an interview?" I muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"You can think of it that way. And you should be happy — not everyone gets to join our little secret group."
"A secret circle, huh?" I said, smirking. "Pretty sure Mr. Sakamoto had the memo already."
"You're right. He knows I oppose them… but he can't do a thing to me. Do you know why?"
"Because… you're rich and powerful?"
He shook his head. " It's much deeper than that. I have connections, allies I can trust. If he ever made a move against me… nothing would stop them from responding in kind."
