Arm's POV
Assistant Lee sits at the bar counter.
"Assistant Lee?!"
"Are you enjoying your new job, babe?!"
"Not bad..."
I pour her a drink.
"I liked that ninja costume of yours, by the way. Lit. Bet your mafia baby boy liked it."
She winks at me.
"Were you here that night?!"
"Yes...Kimono girl..."
"Damn...that was cool...
"Give me your hand, honey."
"My hand?!Why?!"
"I'm gonna break it."
"Seriously?!"
I withdraw my hand.
"Of course not. Come with me"
Assistant Lee pulls me by the arm into the restroom and locks the door.
"Ma'am..."
"I need your elbow."
"What?"
"Your elbow"
"For what?!"
Suddenly she grabs my wrist and spins my arm around behind me.
"Hey, Hey, you're gonna break my arm."
Assistant Lee is skilled...I can't move.
"Why is your name Arm, Arm?! So weird..."
"This is something quite rude to say, you know..."
"Yeah, yeah...stand still...It's gonna hurt a little."
"Are you really going to break my arm?"
"No, babe..."
She picks up from her pocket a device that looks like some sort of stamp in syringe format.
"What is it?!"
"A Key... I'm going to stamp a digital master key on your elbow. Nobody checks the elbow."
"Digital key?!For what?"
"I'm sure you are going to figure this out later."
"Ouch!"
She stamps something on my elbow, then releases my wrist.
I check my elbow in the mirror and see nothing.
"Nanotechnology. Untraceable"
"What's going on, Assistant Lee?!"
"You are a game changer, babe...welcome on board... White Bishop."
"White Bishop?! Me?!Will I receive a diamond chess key?!"
"Likely... when ownership changes hands."
"Who's the current owner?!"
...
Pete's POV
"Knock knock"
"Come in"
"..."
I'm not that surprised to find Lian Wang in the private room.
Something was telling me sooner or later he would show up.
I bow to him and serve his drink silently.
"Interesting outfit, Pete."
"I thought this is not a place Mr. Lian Wang would come."
"I've made an exception to see you, my friend. Please, have a seat."
He points to an armchair across from his.
"Damn dress."
The tight uniform annoys me.
"You look good."
"My ass."
"Let me pour you some drink."
"I don't drink on the job."
"That's why I like you, Pete. Work ethics."
"Wanna hire me?!"
"You are already working for me...don't you know that?!"
"So it was a plan of yours and your jealous boyfriend?"
"Not at all...it was just the best use of coincidence."
"There's no such a thing as coincidence."
"Jade is predictable. By the way...he's not my boyfriend."
"So he also says."
"Are you jealous?!"
"Why would I? Is your name Vegas Kornwit?!"
"I guess not."
"So I'm not jealous, Mr. Wang."
"You are very sure of your feelings, Pete."
"I know myself."
"Do you?!"
"I'm a kind of tired of your riddles...sir."
Lian Wang smiles at me.
"I apologize, Pete. Oh! Chess Room meeting will be held tomorrow night."
"Where?!"
"None of guests were informed yet. But you can't enter, anyway."
"Why don't you give me The White Knight Key back?!"
"'Cause you are not The White Knight."
"Tianshi is The White Knight, right?!"
"Hmm...You did some progress in your investigation."
"Am I a substitute?!That key has my name on it. Assistant Lee told Vegas I was chosen by your Master...your grandfather"
"You were..."
"So?!"
"What do you think?!"
"Stop it, dude! Can't you be clear with me?! Stop playing games!"
"If I give you all the answers, you won't find who you are supposed to."
"Who do I have to find for you?!"
"The White Queen. You must find the White Queen for me, Pete."
"So you better give me some more clues! And that key back. I must enter the chessroom meeting. Don't you want me to find things for you?!"
"I wish I could. You are doing fine though. Don't worry, you won't need that key."
"Who's the White Queen?"
"If I knew, The White Queen would not be missing."
"Why would I know where to find the white queen?!"
"You are the only one that can find the white queen."
"Why?!"
"You will know when time comes."
"Is this some sort of a game for you?!"
"A chess game, yes...we are all on the board."
"Those two days Vegas is missing...are you responsible?!"
"No. You are."
"Me?!"
"Don't you know your lover?! He spent all this time chasing your aggressor."
"That old mafia boss..."
"Yes...Master Chen..."
"Who is he?!"
"A member of the white clan...better saying...he was a member of the white clan. Thank to Vegas, Chen clan no longer exists."
Why have you made Vegas kill a member of your own clan."
"Because I can't kill him myself, obviously."
"But why?!"
"Disagreements."
"You want us to take the blame for you."
"Sort of."
As Vegas said, Lian Wang is completely blunt, but at the same time, he tells nothing.
"You are using us to kill members of your own clan."
"I'm just allowing Vegas to fulfill his urge to protect you. Besides, I was hoping you could kill Master Chen yourself. That's why I told Lee to warn Master Chen there was an assassin trying to kill his son in a private room."
"Do you want me killed?!"
"I know you would not be killed, Pete. You are trained to not die easily."
"Oh, I don't remember P'Chan giving me a training to stop bullets with my head!"
"But you were trained to survive any situation. If not, you wouldn't be here...not with me...not with Vegas."
Lian gets up from his armchair and leans over mine, resting his hands on both sides of the armchair.
His face is close to mine.
We stare at each other.
I don't fear him.
He is not threatening to me.
That familiar feeling again...
"If being tortured and raped didn't break you, what would?!"
Blunt.
"You can't make me hate him, Lian."
I say calmly, placing my hand on his shoulder.
He places his hand over mine.
It makes me realize my action.
I don't know why I've done that.
"I know. I'm not trying to, Pete. As I said, you were trained for that."
He says calmly too.
"For what?!"
"Cope with pain...and smile."
I widen my eyes...there's something I should recall...but I can't...my head aches...
I lift my head up and forward...
"PETE!"
I jolt and turn my face to look at Vegas standing by the door.
Lian smirks to him.
...