Both cars reached the finish line at the same time. "Damn!" Li Nuxie slammed her palm against the table, her breathing was heavy. While she was frustrated that it's a tie, Rezvani slowly release his breath. I need to win the next two games, both Li Nuxie and Rezvani thought.
"It's a tie!" the referee's booming voice announced.
Li Nuxie took a deep breath, leaning closer to the screen. She pushed her eyeglass higher, her gaze never wavered. Her left hand was already pressing on the space bar while her middle finger was positioned on the nitro key. She was used on playing with a game console but right now, she needed to concentrate on the game in front of her.
"Second match to commence!"
3…
2…
1…
Start!
Li Nuxie pressed harder on the nitro key, her car zooming away from the starting line. This time, she didn't aim for barrel rolls or even drifting. Instead, she took advantage of the air time. As of now, she already familiarized herself of the route so she knew what obstacles to avoid and when to use nitro.
Everyone was holding their breath as Li Nuxie's fingers danced over the keyboard. Their eyes were darting back and forth following her fingers.
While the players outside fixed their gazes on the two players, inside the Black Box, the Black Emperor was sitting languidly on the gaming chair. He was rotating the wireless mouse against the mouse pad as his eyes were trained towards the dancing lights on the screen.
He just finished playing in the regular ranking tournament and found all the players boring. He twitched his lips when he realized that the only player he has found pretty interesting was Blitzkrieg. Unfortunately, that player was nowhere to found. Even his hacking skills were no match to Blitzkrieg's elusiveness.
The sound of the intercom disturbed Black Emperor's flow of thoughts. His brows drew together as he threw a sideway glance to his friend.
"What is it?" The man who was leaning against the wall asked. The employees of the underground café will not use the intercom unless it was a matter deemed as important.
"Boss, there is an interesting match outside. It's Rezvani versus B, a newcomer," the employee informed from the other side.
"How interesting?" the boss asked.
"I can't describe it, Boss. You need to watch it to understand."
The shoulders of Black Emperor went stiff as the information was processed in his mind. "B?"
"Uhm," the employee from the other side paused, hesitating whether to answer. But when no one spoke for the next minute, he continued. "That's the name of the woman, sir."
"A woman?" Black Emperor asked while squirming in his seat.
"That's correct, sir."
Black Emperor stood up from his seat slowly. He needed to see this player. For an employee to inform his boss of the game, it only meant that it was something that does not happen normally. He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Meanwhile, the car of Li Nuxie zoomed towards the finished line with a record time of 39 seconds. Her heart was still beating faster than normal and beads of sweat trickled down her face. She has not removed her hood and although the air conditioner was cold enough to make her tremble, it didn't prevent her from sweating.
"Yes!" She punched her right fist in the air.
Rezvani slammed his fists on the table, his breathing was shallow.
Huang Wensheng's lips formed into a smile before jumping. "You're so cool Elder Sister!"
Li Nuxie gave him a thumb up then winked. "Of course, no one beats Blit—" she paused as she caught herself on time. "I mean B. Me. No one beats me. He he," She mentally knocked her head for being so lousy.
"The winner of second match is B!"
Li Nuxie exhaled, putting her palm over her chest. You just need to win this one, she thought as her eyes glinted with determination.
"If B will win this, she will be the winner," the referee paused and looked among the audience. "However, if Rezvani will win, there would be a tie-breaker. Players, are we clear?"
"Yes!" Li Nuxie and Rezvani answered together.
Both players' backs were straight like a rod and were breathing heavily. This was a do-or-die match for both of them. Forget about their stakes, the biggest blow if one of them loses in this match will be a crushed ego.
"Third match to commence!"
The audience who were just watching could not help but also straightened their backs. Their hands were clammy while their throats were dried. But no one attempted to leave and get water. They cannot miss this match!
3…
2…
1…
Start!
Both cars zoomed away from the starting line, racing side by side. As they zoomed along the narrow road, Rezvani's car rammed on the side of Li Nuxie's car, which veered away from the designated route.
"Fvck!" Li Nuxie inwardly flinched when she realized that Huang Wensheng was also watching the game. "You didn't hear anything, Huang Wensheng!" She maneuvered the car towards the designated road. Rezvani wanted to play dirty? Well then, she would return the favor.
Huang Wensheng chuckled. "Don't worry, Elder Sister. I heard worse," he told her.
"What the hell?! Was that suppose to assure me?" she shouted as her fingers continuously pressed on the nitro key. Li Nuxie leaned closer to the monitor, as if that will guarantee her win. There's only half a meter left between Rezvani's car and hers. Rezvani kept on glancing at her, his mouth was set in a mocking smile.
She can already see the finish line banner. She cannot lose this round. With one last press on the nitro key, Li Nuxie's car was already on Rezvani's side.
The crowd erupted into cheers when Li Nuxie caught up. Half of the crowd became her fans the moment she finished the race in 39 seconds. Pressing on the left key, she slammed her car to Rezvani which in turn rammed against a boulder.
Rezvani's fans groaned when their minds processed what happened. In contrast, Li Nuxie's fans were cheering, particularly Huang Wensheng.
"Holy cow!" Rezvani pushed the keyboard in front of him, clenching his fists.
The car zoomed past the finish line. "I did it!" Li Nuxie leaned back on the chair.
"B won this match. It means B was the winner." The referee announced. Staring at Rezvani, he told him, "I hope you will honor whatever the two of you have agreed."
Li Nuxie turned to Rezvani. "So? Are you ready to be my slave?"
Rezvani glared at her. Whoever wanted to be a slave? But he was the one who proposed it so he cannot back out. "As you wish, madam," he answered; his tone was that of mockery.
Li Nuxie stoop up from her seat. "Don't worry, I'm a good boss. But since we don't have a time frame, does it mean that you're my slave for eternity?"
Rezvani widened his eyes. "Y-You wish!" he stuttered. This woman was outrageously good in Forza Horizon as well as in arguments.
When laughter spilled out from Li Nuxie's mouth, Black Emperor's eyes became dazed. The laughter assaulted his senses, curing the emptiness that was trying to crawl towards his heart. He watched her won the second match in just 39 seconds.
When the woman cursed, he dropped his jaw. He cannot make a mistake on that voice. It was Li Nuxie! Her voice was the last thing he listened before he went to bed and the first thing he listened to after he woke up in the morning.
He was unable to move, his fixed gaze could probably drill a hole at Li Nuxie's back. His mouth curled up into a smile. His woman never fails to surprise him. Who would have thought that she was also a gamer? Certainly not him.
Li Nuxie's fingers expertly flew over the keyboards. Hence, he knew that she was playing for a long time already. However, her codename was not familiar.
"Care to play with me?" Black Emperor asked as he took a step towards Li Nuxie.
Li Nuxie turned her head to the owner of the voice. Her breath was caught in her throat as the man entered her line of sight. Those charcoal eyes! She cannot forget that.
The man from the pre-launch! The one who stole her kiss!
Her eyes squinted as her hands on her side trembled slightly. In front of her, she almost forgot the aura of the man who towered over her. It was an aura that suffocated her but at the same time, she can feel butterflies in her stomach.
Stop it, Li Nuxie! She scolded herself.
The man stopped when he was only a foot away from her. Inhaling, Li Nuxie caught a whiff of his scent. Damn, his scent was making her legs go jelly. It was the type that made her sense of smell ran amok. She shook her head. Why was she curious about the way he smells?
She forced a smile; her eyes were trained at the middle of his eyebrows. She felt like she could drown in those charcoal eyes. Someone told her that if she cannot look someone in the eye, might as well look in the middle of the eyebrows. "Sorry, I still have an appointment after this."
"That's bad. I badly want to play with you," the man told her, mirth was dancing in his eyes.
Li Nuxie's eyebrows drew together. This man hasn't changed. He was still a pervert! "I don't like the way you say it," she said as she crossed her arms.
"Why? How do I say it?" the man raised an eyebrow.
"You know what I mean," she pressed her lips, turning away. "Rezvani, Huang Wensheng, follow me outside," Li Nuxie strode towards the exit as if she was going on a midnight sale.
The Black Emperor's shoulders shook before erupting in a full-blown laughter that most of the people inside dropped their jaws. What was so funny? They kept asking themselves if they miss something.
The owner went to the side of Black Emperor. "Is she the next Young Madam of your family?"
Black Emperor threw a sideway glance to his friend. "What do you think?"
The man shrugged his shoulders. "I thought it was some other woman."
"No one decides about it but me," the Black Emperor declared, his gaze was still fixed at the exit.