The "Bagel Place" was loud, but the food was dense. Wei appreciated density.

  He was currently eating a sausage, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel. It was a chaotic mix of flavors, but it provided significant caloric energy.

  Across the small table, Sarah was working.

  She had a notebook open. She was making a list.

  "Okay," she mumbled around a mouthful of cream cheese. "So, revenue streams. We have the Park Class (projected $300/day). We have the Coffee Gig (projected $500/day if you do the Solo Special). That's... actually decent money."

  She scribbled something.

  "Expenses: Food (high). Laundry (critical). Permits (annoying). And my 15% cut."

  Wei held up a hand.

  "I require accommodations," he stated.

  Sarah paused. "Right. The tree. You can't live in a tree, Wei. It's illegal and also weird."

  "A cave would suffice," Wei suggested. "Or a secluded peak."

  "We are in Manhattan. There are no caves. And the peaks are penthouses that cost ten million dollars."

  She tapped her pen against her chin.

  "I might know a place. My uncle implies he's a 'property manager.' He has a unit in Queens. It's... terrible. It's been on the market for months because it has no windows and smells like wet stone."

  Wei's eyes lit up.

  "No windows? So no sun glare to disturb meditation?"

  "Uh, sure."

  "And wet stone? A strong connection to the Earth element?"

  "If you want to call it that. It's a basement, Wei. A dungeon."

  Wei finished his bagel in one bite.

  "Take me to this Dungeon."

  ***

  The train ride to Queens was an ordeal. The "Subway" was a metal worm that screamed as it traveled through the earth's intestines. Wei respected the engineering but disliked the smell.

  They arrived at a brick building that looked tired.

  Sarah used a key to open a heavy steel door at the side of the building.

  They walked down a flight of concrete stairs.

  The air grew cool. Damp.

  "Here it is," Sarah said, flipping a switch. A single bare bulb flickered to life.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The room was a concrete box.

  The walls were unfinished gray stone (concrete).

  The floor was cold.

  There were no windows.

  In the corner, a pipe dripped rhythmically into a drain. *Drip. Drip. Drip.*

  Sarah cringed. "I know, it's awful. But it's cheap. Six hundred a month."

  Wei walked to the center of the room.

  He stomped his foot. The floor was solid. *Good foundation.*

  He touched the walls. Thick. Soundproof. *Secluded.*

  He listened to the pipe. *A natural water source.*

  He closed his eyes. It was dark. Quiet. Cool.

  It was perfect.

  "It is a Daoist Paradise," Wei whispered reverently.

  Sarah blinked. "Ideally, you'd want... sunlight? Furniture?"

  "Furniture is a distraction. Sunlight burns the eyes."

  Wei pulled the roll of cash from his sleeve.

  "I will take it. For six months."

  Sarah sighed. "You're a weird guy, Wei. But okay. Welcome home."

  She watched as Wei immediately sat down in the center of the cold, damp floor, crossed his legs, and smiled.

  "The acoustics," Wei noted, his voice echoing perfectly off the concrete. "Are excellent for chanting."

  "Great," Sarah muttered, backing towards the stairs. "I'm going to go buy you a mattress. Don't... summon anything while I'm gone."

  Wei didn't answer. He was already deep in the Azure Cloud Breathing Technique.

  He had a Sect (The Park).

  He had a Job (The Alchemist).

  And now, he had a Cave.

  The conquest of Earth was proceeding ahead of schedule.