I kept silent as I observed Iris. Although I’d known her for two years, she remained an enigma. Her movements were as spare and concise as her physique—there was never anything casual in her motion, anything unnecessary or extraneous. She was tough because she’d had to survive for so long on her own, Lingyi had told me. Among our group of five, she was the most reserved in her words as well.

Iris began clearing the table after she was done. Arun stood to help. “Well, if we had leftovers before, we certainly don’t now,” Victor quipped.

“I said I was hungry,” Iris stated.

“You’re always hungry,” Victor replied.

“Look who’s talking!” Lingyi said.

We laughed as only people with full stomachs in the security of a warm home could laugh as a threatening typhoon loomed. I pushed back from the table, bringing the last of the dishes while Arun loaded them into the domed washer. Arun and I chatted about cheats for Frenzy, ready for a night of gaming soon, while the washer cycled through. Three minutes later, we were stacking the dry dishes back onto the kitchen’s open shelves in exactly the way Lingyi liked them.

Victor brewed jasmine tea for everyone, and we all soon settled back onto various plush seats, nursing teacups in our hands.

“We were just going over Zhou’s new identity,” Lingyi explained to Iris. Lingyi sat in the middle of the sofa, flanked by Victor, who was leaning in toward her so their thighs almost touched, and Iris, who perched again on the armrest.

“I’ve already befriended the best tailor in Taipei,” Victor said. “You’ll have a complete custom wardrobe made. The yous are less likely to question your pedigree the more expensively you’re dressed. No more ripped shirts or jeans—unless they’re designer. I’ll be getting you the best gadgets and accessories on the market too. You’ll be decked out better than Bond.”

I tilted my face up and suppressed a groan. How convincing could I be as an entitled you? I needed to pull this off. No fear. No hesitancy.

Victor reached over and swatted the back of my head.

“Ow!” I yelped.

“Ungrateful wretch. This is all coming out of the main fund. I’d love to get everything you’re getting and play the cool, rich guy. I’ll be securing an apartment for you soon as well. How would you like it furnished?”

“I’d like a rock wall,” I said.

“A rock wall?” Victor shook his head. It was obvious he thought I was hopeless in my rich-you-boy role. “Anything else?”

I shrugged. “A bed, two chairs, a table, and an espresso machine?”

“All this money and you live like a hermit?” Victor paused. “A wall-climbing hermit?”

I smiled, and everyone laughed.

“What am I supposed to be doing in my new identity, anyway?” I asked.