Chapter Four: Selling Tomorrow's Stands

On the third occasion Milo raised a fist, then stopped it four inches from Luo's nose. “Again,” he said through his teeth. Gu offered a behavioral contract. Every suspension-free appearance increased the bonus. A first violent offense erased it and sent Milo to coach harbor children. A second terminated the deal. “You think I'm an animal?” Milo asked. “I think you deserve evidence that you aren't.” Milo signed for no fee. His wages came from the open training session. Bluebridge's artificial pitch was a narrow box built for high balls and collisions. In the nineteenth minute, a striker elbowed Milo under the chin. The referee ignored it. “A shipwright thinks he belongs in the First?” the striker whispered. Milo's shoulders tightened.