There are more than a dozen uniformed enclavers at the Taipei table. This being the Scholomance, all of them are visibly armed, most just with knives and power sharers, but the seniors with a variety of artifice weapons suitable for general carry. Alexius can see the uniforms change as they run up from the foot of the table - baggy and still holding their original colors - to the sweat-stained, worn, patched uniforms the seniors wear, most with half-a-dozen individually customized trinkets attached with whatever wards or readied spells this year's graduates-to-be might have accumulated during their years in the Scholomance.

There are two poles in the table, this year; the leading junior remains Cai Baihan, arrogant grin and firm grip with a massive warhammer that looks impossible to lift dangling from his belt, overshadowing the more modest seniors near the head. And near the foot is Cai Xian, talking to the girl next to him (who Alexius might recognize as a homework-and-spells seller) in a voice that does not carry but with undertones of quiet conviviality that do.

Taipei sure gives off an impression of having their shit together. That bodes well, even if he can't wholly trust appearances. And they're doing business with another active trader, which is also a good sign. 

Alexius isn't sure who is the contact person for bodyguard duty, but one side of the table seems preoccupied. He stops a respectful distance from Mr. Warhammer's side and waits to be acknowledged. 

Cai Baihan notices... a shop guy? Some westerner's hanging around the Taipei table. He's got a power sharer, so he's not indie trash, probably worth being respectful to, but Baihan memorized a full list of members for all the major enclaves, and he's not on it.

Baihan puts his face into the generous smile of a powerful nobleman possessing immense resources of patronage who is pleased to speak with a slightly less powerful nobleman (who, though obviously of inferior status, is still of noble birth), and beckons the westerner inwards, to speak with the great lords of Taipei.

Cool, not immediately rejected. Alexius approaches the rest of the way, his own face as polite and attentive as he can manage. 

"Good evening," he says in crisp but vaguely stilted Mandarin. "I understand you to be seeking those suitable for the duties of a bodyguard?" 

There is a sense in which Cai Baihan could, if he wished, choose to be insulted at the suggestion that he needed a bodyguard. He instead chooses not to, because being insulted would get him nothing except momentary satisfaction. Instead he gives a lordly wave down at the bottom end of the table. "Good evening," he says, his voice rich and deep. "For the younger generation, yes, while they find their feet." Whoever this is is a first-year, and he's a little skeptical any first-year could do a good job.

Hm. Interesting question - pass him down to Xian-di, or negotiate himself? If he pays himself, it's coming out of Taipei's reserves, if he sends it to Xian-di, Xian-di's paying... but it also strengthens his status within Taipei, reinforces his abilities as leader of the first-years since he's managing negotiations and hence as a potential leader in Taipei...

... And if Baihan does a bad job of negotiating, gets conned - a first-year would have gotten one over on him, visibly... Ah, of course - undermine Xian, pass him straight to his rival, -  

"Zhang Jinye -" a lordly wave that clearly indicates the short, dark woman who sells spells and homework "- and a couple of her friends. Why don't you have a word with her?"

Progress! Alexius emits an appropriate thanks, manages what he hopes is a polite bow, and makes his way down the table to the indicated young woman. When an opening presents itself, he asks, "Zhang Jinye?" with exactly the same pronunciation as was spoken to him. 

"Alexius Marcus," says Zhang Jinye, in an extremely friendly voice, exactly as if she knew who she was. "I'm pleased to meet you."

(While she does this, she ruffles through her set of Alexius Marcus facts: 

- Active trader, but screwed up a batch of potions and had to refund everyone at the start of the year.

- Not from any significant enclave but wears a power sharer.

- Not in any classes with her.

Aaaand... that's it. She thinks.)

Oh! She's heard of him! 

Oh. She's heard of him. 

He's never going to live that down, is he. Well, it's still early in the school year, maybe he'll have a chance to distinguish himself as more than an abject failure of an alchemist. 

Where to go from here? Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

"Good evening. I understand you to be seeking those suitable for the duties of a bodyguard?"

"Good evening." She nods. "That is correct; both for myself and for one of my enclavemates."

(Across the table, Zhou Taiyang makes puppy-dog eyes.)

Yup. One. Exactly one. Not two at all.

Well, she did not immediately shun him. That's encouraging. "Glad to hear it! I wish to apply; would you care do discuss qualifications and particulars?"