Chapter 103(2)
"Third, I want to buy another building for a second ring," Elijah said. "At the moment, our ring hosts both unranked and lower-ranked fights on the same nights. The new building will take all of the unranked fights, where anyone can step in regardless of skill or experience, while our current ring becomes a dedicated lower-ranked venue."
Tristan's purple eyes sharpened. "Why split them? The ring we have works fine."
"It works, but it mixes two very different audiences," Elijah replied patiently. "People who come to watch amateurs throw wild punches aren't the same people who come to bet seriously on trained fighters. If we separate them, we can market to each crowd properly and earn more from both."
Tristan considered the answer and then leaned back without further comment, which from him counted as agreement.
Elijah turned back to Daniel. "Your weed operation and the SSMA company will stay under your management for now, but there is one change I need you to make. The security payments you've been collecting from local businesses and keeping as pure profit will move to the ten percent model we use throughout the Azura Gang."
Something flickered across Daniel's face before he smoothed it into neutrality. "That's fair, and it matches how you run the rest of the gang, so I'll make the change immediately."
"The weed operation will need more work," Elijah continued. "We have to expand it and professionalize it so that it becomes a real business rather than a side project."
"I agree, because the market here is growing," Daniel said. "We need to be careful, though. The NCEA might not be active in Blackridge yet, but they will be someday, and when they arrive, operations like ours are exactly what they'll be looking for."
"That's a concern for another day," Elijah said. "We'll worry about the NCEA when they actually show up."
The meeting stretched on for another hour as questions were asked and answered and concerns were raised and settled, until everyone understood the path forward and their own role in it. Eventually, Elijah leaned back and let his gaze travel around the table once more. "Before we wrap up, is there anything any of you need, whether it's resources for your work or something personal that's weighing on you?"
Henry shifted in his chair, his eyes dropping to the table before rising again. "I'd like a few days off to visit the orphanage where I grew up. I haven't been back in a month, and I want to check on Mrs. Chen and the kids."
"Take as much time as you need," Elijah said without hesitation. "You've been working harder than anyone in this gang, and you've earned it." He turned to Rena. "Give Henry twenty thousand dollars from the gang's accounts so he can help the orphanage with supplies, repairs, or whatever else Mrs. Chen needs."
Rena nodded without comment and recorded the transaction before returning to her minutes.
Henry's mouth opened in protest, but Elijah raised a hand before he could speak. "Don't argue with me, Henry. The orphanage deserves it, so take the money, use it well, and come back when you're ready."
For a moment Henry's jaw tightened as though he might refuse, but then his expression softened into something close to gratitude. "Thank you, Elijah. I won't forget this."
No one else spoke at first, until Sylvia raised her hand with an eagerness that made Daniel roll his eyes beside her. "I have a question about the Inner Breathing technique you've been giving the Vice Leaders," she said. "Daniel told me about it, and I was hoping I could have a copy."
Something that might have been calculation flickered behind Elijah's eyes. "The Inner Breathing technique is reserved for Vice Leaders and above, Sylvia."
Her smile did not falter, and she leaned forward with an intensity that made her brother shift uncomfortably. "I'm going to be your wife, Elijah, which makes me part of the family. I think that means I deserve the same protection and opportunities as everyone else in this room."
Elijah studied her for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'll make sure you get a copy, and I'll assign someone to train you in it."
Sylvia clapped her hands together in delight. "Thank you, Elijah. I promise I won't let you down."
Daniel cleared his throat. "Since we're on the subject, I wanted to ask the same thing. The Inner Breathing technique gives seventy percent enhancement while my Wolf Hunter technique only gives fifty, and I want to be as strong as possible to protect my sister and my people."
Elijah shook his head slowly. "Changing your breathing technique after reaching the Advanced Knight Stage is incredibly dangerous, Daniel. Your Ki core is already formed and your circulation pathways are already set, so forcing new ones could damage your cultivation or destroy your core entirely."
Disappointment crossed Daniel's face, but before he could respond, a screen flashed into the corner of Elijah's vision.
[Quest: The Creator's Path]
[It is time for you to stop relying on the system and start trusting in yourself. Upgrade Daniel's Wolf Hunter Breathing Technique to match the Inner Breathing Technique without the system's direct help. However, you may purchase materials to help you understand how breathing techniques are created and modified.]
[Additionally, recreate the Eternal Grounded Tree Breathing Technique from scratch at Level 1 without using the system's automatic creation function.]
[Reward: 10,000 System Points | 10,000 EXP]
[Punishment: Loss of the Eternal Grounded Tree Breathing Technique]
Elijah read the description twice, and his sudden stillness drew puzzled glances from around the table. The system was asking him to step outside the comfortable framework of automatic creation and take responsibility for his own growth, which made the quest a test of his understanding, his skill, and his willingness to trust himself.
Accepting it with a long breath, he turned back to Daniel. "I can't give you the Inner Breathing technique because the risk is too great, but I can try to upgrade your Wolf Hunter technique until it matches it."
Daniel leaned forward eagerly. "Is that even possible with someone else's technique?"
"I don't know for certain, but I'm willing to try," Elijah said. "Give me everything you used to learn it, including the instructions, the diagrams, and your notes, and I'll look for a way to improve it without risking your cultivation."
Daniel drew a small, worn notebook from his jacket and set it on the table. "This is everything I know about the Wolf Hunter technique, so take it and do whatever you need to do."
As Elijah flipped through the pages, the cramped handwriting and detailed diagrams revealed a technique far more complex than he had expected. Upgrading it would be a serious challenge, but he had accepted the quest and given his word, and he was not the kind of man who went back on it.
"Thank you for trusting me with this," he said. "I'll let you know as soon as I've made progress."
"I trusted you with my sister," Daniel replied, "so trusting you with this was easy."
Before Elijah could answer, Sylvia raised her hand again. "I want a breathing technique too, Elijah, one you create just for me and suited perfectly to my body and my fighting style."
Another screen flashed into view as soon as she finished speaking.
[Quest: The Queen's Technique]
[Your future wife has requested a breathing technique created specifically for her. Create a unique breathing technique for Sylvia without using the system's automatic creation function.]
[Reward: 5,000 System Points | 5,000 EXP]
[Punishment: None stated, but the disappointment of your future wife is its own punishment]
Elijah chuckled at the system's characteristic bluntness. "Okay, Sylvia, I'll create one for you. It might take some time, and I can't promise it will match the Inner Breathing technique, but I'll do my best."
She clasped her hands to her chest, beaming. "I knew you would say yes."
The meeting wound down a few minutes later, and the Vice Leaders began to file out one by one. Aurora left first with her notebook tucked under her arm, and Henry followed with the envelope of money in his hand and his thoughts clearly on the orphanage.
Tristan departed without a word, his footsteps silent on the wooden floor. Mai lingered at the door, watching Elijah with an expression that was difficult to read, and although she opened her mouth as if to speak, she closed it again and left. Rena followed her daughter with her pen still moving across the page.
Sylvia was the last to leave, and she paused in the doorway with a softer expression. "Thank you for today, Elijah, and for treating me like a partner instead of a burden. It means more than you know."
Elijah nodded, and the sincerity in her voice drew a rare smile from him, which made her own smile widen before she closed the door behind her with a soft click.
In the quiet that followed, the only sounds were the hum of the ventilation and the distant murmur of the gambling den below. Elijah sat with Daniel's notebook open in his hands, his mind already working through the technique's complexities and the danger of altering it without harming Daniel's cultivation.
Jack remained at the window with his gold aura pulsing steadily, while Kai watched Elijah with equal parts curiosity and concern.
At the far end of the table, Daniel sat motionless with his hands folded in front of him, waiting like a man who knew something important was about to begin. As the weight of the day's decisions settled over the four of them, Elijah understood that the real work was only just starting.