Old Xu's shoulders sagged as he stared at the chaos of his own making that surrounded him. He took one shuddering breath, then another, then sank heavily into his chair.

  "I'll sell." His voice cracked as he spoke and he couldn't meet my eyes. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I'll sell Qin's Fresh Catch to you."

  "It's the right choice." My tone was gentle and a flicker of something I couldn't quite parse crossed his face.

  Of course I was pleased that I was starting to rebuild my empire, but this was the end of a man's life's work. He was hurting and I would respect that. "I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning with a notary to finalize our agreement. Take tonight to say goodbye to the place and take any of your things that you want."

  Old Xu gave a single, stiff nod without looking up, his hands trembling in his lap. I turned and walked out, leaving him alone with his thoughts and his ghosts.

  Outside, I finally allowed myself to crack a smile as I took a lungful of the evening air. I had just acquired a business that would be the first step to generate the funds I needed. With proper management, Qin's Fresh Catch would help finance the resources I would need to face the Vanguard in six months.

  But celebration would have to wait. I quickened my pace toward The Broken Mast. Yanzi would be starting his shift soon, and I had work of my own in the ring.

  The familiar sounds and smells of The Broken Mast's fight pit greeted me as I descended the stairs, but something felt different. People stopped to stare at me and conversations died as I passed. In my previous life I had accepted this as my due, in this one it wasn't likely to be good.

  I wove through the crowd toward Ironjaw's booth, ignoring the stares and murmurs that followed in my wake. As I walked I caught fragments of conversation where my name was repeatedly mentioned.

  As I approached the booth, Yanzi materialized at my elbow, his eyes bright with excitement.

  "Taros! Is it true what they're saying about you and Wu Shengli?"

  "Yanzi." Ironjaw's warning growl cut across the din. "I don't pay you to gossip. Go find something useful to do."

  The boy was not cowed but he complied. He gave me a wink and scurried away toward the bar. Ironjaw gestured to the empty seat across from him as he took a swig from his wooden cup.

  I settled onto the bench and met his stare as he rubbed the join between his metal jaw and his face. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the crowd's roar as someone landed a particularly brutal blow in the ring.

  "So." Ironjaw finally spoke. "What am I supposed to do with you?"

  "How do you mean?"

  His dark eyes studied my face. "Don't play the fool. Everyone's talking about how you destroyed one of Lang Feizhen's crew in a fight today. Broke him proper, from what I hear."

  I shrugged. "I didn't start it."

  "Doesn't matter who started it." Ironjaw leaned back in his chair. "What matters is that you finished it. Against someone on the verge of becoming an Initiate. In front of witnesses."

  Well that was quick. Word had spread faster than I had anticipated. In the less salubrious corners of a place like Shuilin Haven, news of a fish delivery boy defeating a pirate would definitely count as quality gossip.

  "This confirms what some folks have been suspecting," Ironjaw said. "I can't keep you in the amateur matches anymore. You're moving up to the professional fights now, not in a couple of weeks like we'd planned."

  "Fine by me. Who am I fighting tonight?"

  Ironjaw gave me a look that suggested I was an idiot. "This isn't the amateurs anymore, boy. You think we make it up as we go along? The professional fights are already planned for the next few evenings. Go home and come back when I've had time to work things through properly."

  He paused. "I'll send word through Yanzi when I'm ready for you. It'll be at least a couple of days."

  I nodded. "Fair enough."

  As I stood to leave, Ironjaw grabbed my hand to stop me. "Taros. Professional fights mean professional enemies and you've already got the crew of the Bonehull out for your blood. The marines do a decent job, but they can't be everywhere. Tread carefully."

  He let go and I gave him a nod, then walked out.

  * * *

  I arrived at Qin's Fresh Catch just as the first pale light of dawn touched the water in the harbor the next morning. To avoid Sarei's wrath I had snuck in after she had gone to bed the previous night and had left before she woke. She would know what I had done soon enough.

  The notary behind me yawned as she clutched her satchel of documents. I had to pay her a premium to come out this early, but it was worth it to be sure that this was all watertight.

  Old Xu shuffled in twenty minutes later, looking as disheveled as ever but mercifully sober. His eyes were bloodshot and his clothes wrinkled, but his hands weren't shaking.

  "Let's get this done," he muttered, not meeting my gaze.

  The notary spread the papers across Xu's desk with crisp movements and I placed the gold tear beside them. For something so significant, the transaction, signatures, seals, and the exchange of coin, all took less than ten minutes.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "The business is yours, Master Shen," the notary announced, gathering her papers and passing both Old Xu and me our copies. "May fortune smile upon your endeavors."

  After the notary left, I turned to survey my new domain, already thinking about the changes I needed to make.

  I paused when I noticed Old Xu hadn't moved. He sat slumped in the chair behind what was no longer his desk, staring at the gold tear in his palm.

  "You know," he said quietly, "my grandfather started this place. Built it from nothing." His voice carried none of its usual bluster. "When I was young, I used to do the deliveries. Just like you. I thought I was learning the trade from the bottom up."

  He set the coin down and rubbed his face with both hands.

  "Then my father died. Heart gave out when I was fourteen. Suddenly I was running this place and I had no idea what I was doing." His laugh was bitter. "Still don't, apparently."

  I looked at him carefully, seeing past the slovenly exterior for the first time.

  "Started drinking to deal with the stress. Gambling too. Thought it would help, but it just made everything worse." He looked up at me with tired eyes and gave a small sad smile. "Those delivery days were the last time I remember being happy."

  Old Xu picked up the coin again, turning it over in his fingers.

  "Always felt like a failure. Like I was letting my father and grandfather down every single day. But you…" He gestured vaguely at the office around us. "You'll make something of this place. I can tell. I'm glad. It deserves better than me."

  He heaved himself to his feet and pocketed the gold.

  "Probably time to get a drink."

  I studied his face more closely. Despite his nickname and weathered appearance, I realized he was only in his thirties. The years of failure and alcohol had aged him.

  I made a decision.

  "Follow me."

  "What?" He blinked in confusion.

  "You heard. Come on."

  "Why would I…"

  "You'll see. Besides, it's not as if you've got anywhere else to be."

  I led Old Xu through the morning crowds to the baths I had been using regularly. The attendant looked skeptical when I requested a bath, shave, and haircut for the disheveled man beside me, but copper spoke louder than appearances.

  While Xu soaked away years of grime, I visited the clothing vendor in the market. Simple but clean dockworker attire: sturdy brown trousers, a white cotton shirt, and a decent vest. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, but all respectable.

  Seven centuries of command had taught me essential truths about leadership. When you're at sea, the ship needs its crew and if someone isn't working out you can't just dismiss them. Unless you want your brig overflowing, every soul on board has to pull their weight until you reach port. One way or another, a captain who can't quickly measure people and motivate them won't remain captain long. Neither the ocean nor a crew have patience for poor judgment.

  I had seen something in Old Xu beneath the drink and failure. Not just the remnants of a decent man, but someone who genuinely cared about his family's legacy. His grandfather's business mattered to him and he had given it his all. His problem wasn't that he didn't care, it was that he cared too much. The crushing weight of responsibility had broken his spirit

  And in my view, if you've been drowning for decades you deserve a chance to be pulled to dry land.

  When Old Xu, no Laoxu, he was old no longer finally appeared, I barely recognized him.

  Gone was the slovenly drunk who had haunted the warehouse. In his place stood a normal, if overweight, man with clear eyes and color in his cheeks. The careful shave and trimmed hair revealed pleasant features that had been hidden under his own neglect.

  All of his clothes has been replaced except for the, now cleaned, blue sash that he still wore about his waist. His movement were straighter and more confident. The simple act of being clean had restored some dignity.

  "Master Shen, I..." He stared at his reflection in the bath house window, touching his smooth chin. "Why?"

  "Because I have a job offer for you."

  His head tilted and confusion flickered across his face.

  "It happens that I know the man in charge of organizing deliveries at a fish warehouse," I continued. "And I also happen to know that they have a vacancy. One of their delivery boys was fired yesterday morning."

  Understanding dawned and tears gathered in his eyes even as a genuine smile spread across his face.

  He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. Instead, he nodded vigorously.

  "Good," I said. "Let's go to work."

  * * *

  We walked back to Qin's Fresh Catch at a brisk pace, Laoxu's stride was more confident than I had seen before. The morning shift had already begun, and the familiar sounds and smells of the fish processing filled the warehouse.

  "Everyone gather round," I called out, my voice carrying across the work floor.

  Knives paused mid-cut and conversations died as the workers looked up from their sorting tables with curious expressions. Sarei emerged from behind a stack of barrels, wiping her hands on her apron and her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she saw Laoxu and me standing next to each other.

  Delivery Master Wei approached first, his weathered face creased with concern. Jiru shuffled over from where he was dealing with a large delivery more slowly, his perpetual scowl deepening as he took in Laoxu's transformed appearance.

  "What's this about?" Jiru demanded, his sour expression more pronounced than usual. "We've got quotas to meet."

  I waited until the entire crew had assembled, nearly seventy workers in total. The morning light streaming through the warehouse doors illuminated their faces, some looked worried, but most were simply curious. Anything that broke up the monotony of their days was good.

  "As of this morning, Qin's Fresh Catch has new ownership," I announced. "I've bought the business from Master Qin. But don't worry, he will be staying on in a more hands on role."

  Mutters echoed through the warehouse as the workers exchanged looks, a number of them glanced over at Sarei to gauge her reaction. I did the same. The horrified look on her face was about what I had expected.

  Jiru's face darkened further. "You? A delivery boy?"

  "Changes are coming," I ignored him and continued, "but they will be good changes. For everyone willing to work hard, there will be significant financial rewards."

  Master Wei stepped forward, his expression thoughtful rather than alarmed. "What kind of changes, Master Shen? Are you getting rid of us."

  "The opposite. If things go as I expect we're going need more people. A lot more." I gestured toward the warehouse around us. "With all due respect to Master Qin, this place has potential that's been wasted for too long."

  Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some faces showed cautious optimism but most remained skeptical.

  "Master Wei," I said, "would you join me in the office? I'd like to discuss a few thoughts with you. Everyone else, back to work. We have fish to process and nothing changes for now. I'll speak to you all later today."

  The workers began to disperse, conversations buzzing with speculation. Jiru lingered, his expression suggesting he had swallowed something particularly unpleasant, before stalking back out to his station.

  I headed toward the stairs, Master Wei's following a respectful distance behind. I had barely stepped into the office when footsteps thundered up the steps.

  Sarei stormed past Master Wei and slammed the office door in his face.

  She whirled to face me, her eyes blazing.

  "Shen Taros. What in all the hels is going on?"