“Item One: Unauthorized nocturnal trespassing onto an active interplanetary bridge construction zone without a hard-hat!”
Abacus Su unrolled the three-yard-long yellow billing scroll until the bottom end brushed right against Phantom-Blade Ghost King’s glowing green nose.
“Item Two: Instigating three thousand subordinates to commit diagonal jaywalking across four lanes of traffic! Item Three: Brandishing an unregistered, unsanitary Rank 8 poisoned dagger within six inches of the Mayor’s teacup! And Item Four—the most wasteful offense of all—”
Abacus Su pointed a trembling, outraged finger at the five-hundred-gallon drum beside Old Guo’s stove, where neon green road paint was splashed all over the rim.
“—contaminating and spilling one whole barrel of custom-fused Indestructible Fluorescent Road-Paint by diving into it without washing your boots first!”
Hong Ling stood right beside Abacus Su, resting one heavy kitchen cleaver on her shoulder while holding a red ink-pad in her hand. “Do you know how many Deep-Sea Neon Pearls went into that paint barrel? You soaked at least thirty gallons right into your cape!”
Lying flat on the stone roadbed, Phantom-Blade Ghost King raised his glowing green head with a dazed groan. “You threw me into the barrel with fireplace tongs! How are you charging me for the paint?!”
