"Thank you for helping us, our benevolent landlord!" A scream greeted Aiden as soon as the elevator doors opened.
All twenty-four people he had selected were standing there. Some were bowing, some were openly staring at him. All of them had washed up and were wearing proper clothes, not the rags that they had to wear in the camp.
Everyone was there as if they wanted to make a good first impression on the man who turned the fearsome Karina into a docile subordinate.
Yet to Aiden, it felt like they were at a zoo and he was the exhibit.
"Who put you up to this?" Aiden asked, stepping out of the elevator.
"Sir…" Marcus mumbled from the side.
He wanted to surprise Aiden, but it didn't seem like he was surprised in the way Marcus had envisioned. Aiden smiled and waved his hand, and two vending machines appeared inside the elevator.
"Since you like surprises so much, I'll give you one too," he instructed Marcus. "Set these up on this floor, by yourself."
