Ling's ego was visibly boosted by the compliments to his drink. His spoon-spinning seems to have more flair and flamboyancy than before.
"Bartending is a skill of society more than any sort of job or duty. Hackers is far more permanent than any bar. True bartending comes from someone who can meld the atmosphere into something pleasant. Not a job, but more like a musical instrument.", he says, gesturing to the case at his feet. "Besides, if I left the Hackers, no doubt Wolfe would find me in twelve hours or less, and you and I know well how that would end."
Ling's humorous tone matched his smile. He pulled a thick cigar with a gold colored V&M sticker on the side from the front pocket of his suit, and clipped the end with a small bladed device. He put the end into the ashtray, and lit up his cigar. It smelled more of cooking herbs than of tobacco, just how he liked them. "The atmosphere of this event is even higher quality than the few Kusarian festivals I've attended before. Once again, nothing but the best from the North."
