Liam stared at him, apparently unsure whether Ning was mocking him or simply telling the truth.
"Then I'll pay you," he said after a moment. "Units. More than the two thousand you took off me, if that's what it takes. Name a number."
"I don't care about that either."
The frustration on Liam's face deepened, and he leaned forward slightly as though trying to work out what kind of person sat across from him.
"Then what do you care about? Everyone wants something. Tell me what it is, and I'll find a way to get it for you."
Ning thought about the question for a moment, mostly because Liam seemed to deserve at least that much consideration, and then he gave him the most honest answer he could.
"Honestly? Nothing," he said. "There's nothing you have, and nothing you could get for me, that would make me want to spend my evenings teaching you."
The room went quiet.
