New job?

The brunette looked at me curiously, then turned to the guy who was behind the bar with her and said something to him. She then left the room, motioning for me to follow her, which I did. We then were standing in a quieter part of the room, where there were no more prying ears, so I decided to explain: "I need money."

Limei looked at me quietly for a few seconds before she spoke: "What are you willin´ to do for it?"

I sighed. I didn't have any intenion to become a dealer or anything like that. I haven't had such a bad situation. So I just shrugged my shoulders and waited for her suggestions. I wasn't going to do anything crazy for the money, but I had to do something and had no idea if I would be able to have a second job considering there are tons of other people looking for a work around here.

The brunette looked at me thoughtfully and examined me from head to toe, to which she asked: "Have you ever been down there to watch the matches?"

I raised a questioning eyebrow. I've heard something about matches where practically anyone could compete, but I've never been there in the Underground. It wasn't that I hadn't thought about it until now, but the possibility hadn't even crossed my mind when it came to money. I totaly forgot about the existence of that place.

"Wait a minute," a woman a few years older nodded at me and returned to the bar, where she made an announcement, after which she left through the staff door. It was clear to me that she must have excused herself from work, and we'll probably go look at the lowest parts of this city.

I leaned against the wall behind me and waited for my company to return, which she soon did. Limei returned in a moment dressed in civilian clothes, nodding her head towards the front door.

"Have you ever fought?" Limei asked out of the blue with a curious look on her face.

I chuckled at her question. Not only did I get into spontaneous fights a few times, but Jasper and I were just rehearsing some of the fighting, so I certainly wasn't a beginner, but I had no idea what it was like down there. I could be only sure that it was brutal. At least sometimes.

I looked around curiously like a little kid when we found ourselves in a den of scum after a not too long way to there. Loud noise everywhere around, the smell of alcohol and some food. But just like at the races, one could see all possible types of people down here, so it was clear to me that even some of the tie-dyers had to earn something in this place.

Most of the people were clustered around the rings where the contestants were currently fighting, which could be seen on a huge screens located on the biggest buildings around. I curiously looked at the people fighting, while the other human beings around cheered for their favorites.

At one point I noticed that I was standing there alone. Limei disappeared somewhere, but I didn't pay much attention to that at the time. I focused on two male characters slightly older than me who were having a fist fight.

I scanned the movements and tried to outrun their next steps. It was quite an interesting sight, I was already thinking about going here again. However, at that moment I didn't think for what reason it would be.

"Many matches are held here," Limei suddenly spoke up next to me, and I looked at her a little startled. She offered me a cup of unknown drink, which I accepted, to which she continued: "There will definitely be someone who would like another fighter. "

I nodded in understanding as I drank from the cup some kind of cider as I´ve found out. I started thinking about the idea of fighting here, but I didn't want to rush it, even though that didn't seem like a very bad idea. However, everything always had a catch.

Limei looked at the screen above us, where the referee was raising the hand of the winner, while a partial cheer was heard all around, and said: "I have a friend here. I can let him know about you if you want."

I looked at the half empty cup in my hand. I started to think about what the brunette next to me had said. I could talk to someone about it, it wasn't a bad idea either.

Limei looked at her communicator which she started clicking on. She was obviously texting to someone. Meanwhile, I was looking at the screen where another match was taking a place. It was still the same style of fight between two men who were apparently competing for advancement.

Moments later, a guy in a red shirt approached us. I noticed him by chance when I decided to look around. I could tell he was heading in our direction, plus he was smiling so friendly. Probably at Limei.

I turned to Limei questioningly, who looked at me with the same expression as the guy had on his face, but then she began to explain: "That is my friend, Zhang Shuo."

It was immediately clear to me that he was the one she had texted to a moment ago and the one she had mentioned before. One of the people who probably knew it here like the back of their hand. He seemed like that too, because he was walking here as if it all belonged to him.

The guy was with us in a few seconds and greeted Limei in a friendly manner, after which his gaze settled on me. He looked at me searchingly, to which he extended his hand to me: "Zhang Shuo, it's my pleasure."

Throughout the Alliance, there were all sorts of greetings from the formal to the informal. One could only see a few of them on Shinrin in practice. And shaking hands was the one I didn't like to do the most. But in order not to be unnecessarily rude, I could do nothing but accept the offered hand which I did as I squeezed his hand: "Rayne."