Macaus' POV
After passing through the last gate, we get inside the Chess room.
It looks like a fancy Casino-bar.
Well-dressed guests drinking, eating, playing and, according to Jade, making all kinds of business. The Asian mafia elite.
"No way I'm your damn Queen." Cousin vociferates to my brother Vegas.
"According to Jade, you are." Bother shrugs.
"..." Tankhun turns to Jade with withering eyes.
"Hey, don't blame me! This is what the machine says."
"It must be broken."
"There's nothing wrong with our system, Tankhun. Blame your parents." Jade replies to cousin while, offering a glass of champagne to me and Pol, that refuses.
"Thank you, but I don't drink in service, sir." Pol says politely.
"Relax, honey...we don't allow any sort of trouble inside the Chess Room" Jade touches Pol's shoulder and winks at him.
"Hey, get your filthy fingers off my bodyguard... you bitch won't take what is mine like these two miserable brothers."
Tankhun looks angrily to me and my brother, then motion his finger to Jade to move from Pol's side.
Pol smiles embarrassed.
"Alright...alright...you are not in a good mood tonight, Tankhun...seems you cherish this one..." Jade steps back, smiling wryly.
"Huh!" Tankhun pulls Pol to our side and turns his back to Jade.
I pull the hem of Pol's suit and whisper to him.
"I think that was a confession, Pol."
"Do you think so?!No...really?!?!" Pol covers his mouth when brother Vegas turns to look at us, suspiciously.
Tankhun is busy complaining about his Queen position to Jade again.
"Finally! I thought you would not make it!" Kamol approaches us. "Why did you take so long?!"
"Cousin made Jade check entrance registration a hundred times." I replied to him.
"Why?" Kamol looks at us, puzzled.
"Tankhun can't accept he is my queen and owes me obedience." Brother teases cousin. "Now, Tankhun...be a good queen and get in front of me, will you?!"
"W-Why?!" Taknhun asks, puzzled.
"To be my human shield, of course...finally you found yourself a use."
Tankhun shows him his middle finger.
"Interesting...if Tankhun is your queen, that makes Pete your mistress in the Chess Room, Vegas?!" Jade teases my brother, while offers him a glass of champagne.
"Why not?!" Hia holds the glass and speaks nonchalantly. "It's the queen that dies for the king, isn't it?!" He glances to Tankhun. "Why would I risk Pete in that position."
Cousin Tankhun is not sure if he should appreciate brother Vegas' concern towards Pete or frown to the fact my brother doesn't care about cousin's well-being at all.
"I'm sure Pete would not allow anyone take the role of protecting you, Vegas." A voice speaks behind us. "...even if he dies trying."
This is Lian Wang again smiling maliciously at my brother.
Before my brother can reply, Tankhun gets in the middle of both, pointing his finger at the guy's face.
"Is this a threat? Huh? Is this a threat? Huh?!Huh?!" Cousin looks terrifyingly dangerous. Some people around look at us.
"Not actually...I'm just... saying..." With a startled look, Mr. Wang takes a step back.
"If you are just saying you better shut up!" Tankhun grabs Mr. Wang by the collar.
"Calm down, sweetie! Don't punch my boss. I'm the one who will have to beat you up later, babe...Just leave him...don't mess with his expensive suit either, I don't have time to go after a master tailor." Assistant Lee appears to hold Tankhun.
"That's okay, Lee...Tankhun is already exercising his duty to protect his king." Jade says mockingly.
"What do you mean?! Is Tankhun THE red queen?!This is unexpected." Assistant Lee gests surprised and looks to Mr. Wang and then to brother Vegas.
"Apparently yes, Lee."
"Go on, Tankhun, do your job. Punch the guy. I wanna see this." My brother says.
"Do my job my ass. I would not protect you even if my life depended on it. I'm protecting Pete."
"But your life depends on it now." Jade rolls his eyes.
"Yeah...yeah...This is just bullshit."
"Oh, boy...not really...according to The Chess Room rules, you' are attached to Vegas now as he is usually attached to Pete's butt, dear."
"Don't be so graphic, Lee." Mr. Wang frowns to assistant Lee. I agree...It was too graphic...wow...
Mr Wang holds cousin's hands and get them out carefully from his collar.
"Sorry, boss...I was just illustrating the situation for him to understand the seriousness of this queen role thing."
"Come on, Tankhun. Let me explain it to you" Mr. Wang embraces Tankhun kindly like a father calming his child and preparing him for very bad news. "As far as I could understand, Vegas holds the black king key, which means he is your master. He is still Minor Family that owes obedience to your Main Family, however, you...you are personally responsible for his safety. If he falls, you fall. If he dies, you die...unless...
"Unless?!" Tankhun pays full attention.
"Unless you die; register your first son as successor or ultimately the black king changes the red queen key holder."
"This position...for whole my lifetime? Attached to this prick?! This is so unfair! I don't want to be attached to his butt!"
"Yes, my boy, attached to his butt for a lifetime...but you will be fine...I guess." He pats cousin's head.
"Why are you calling him boy?! You're around the same age..."
Mr. Wang frowns to Assistant Lee.
"Even liking the idea of Tankhun dying for me or in my place and living a miserable life by my side (not behind me, no), it doesn't make sense." My brother says abruptly.
"Why not, Vegas?!" Kamol asks.
Brother Vegas keeps staring Mr. Wang.
"I don't know what happened, but if my father were the real black king, he would still be alive, not my uncle."
Taknhun keeps quiet as sensing my brother's bitter tone of voice.
"Hmm...you have a point, Vegas." Mr. Wang smiles.
"I want to see those trade records." My brother says firmly looking at Jade now, who exchange glances with Mr. Wang.
"Follow me then...just the two of you." Jade says, keeping Pol and I from moving forward with Vegas.
"Where?" Tankhun asks.
"Trade records room, of course.... as Vegas demanded. Actually... it's just a room with a big touch screen fully secured."
"Don't worry, Vegas, I will keep my both eyes on your baby brother." Assistant Lee holds my arm and smile.
"I hope you get your answers, Vegas." Mr. Wang says, giving a little push for Tankhun to follow Vegas and Jade.
Suddenly his friendly face turns grim.
..
Vegas' POV
My answers?! All Lian Wang wants is his answers.
My mind is not on the chess room though.
It's at De Light.
As Pete asked me, we haven't spoken a couple of hours before I got here.
I'm worried if he managed to get into Tang Yi's room in safety.
Even the champagne wasn't enough to calm me down.
I want to reach him out, but he can't get inside the Chess Room with phones or devices of any kind. Security is ten times heavier than at The Diamond Hotel.
"This way". Jade points the direction.
We already passed through many doors, corridors and elevator.
"Is this a maze"? Tankhun asks worried. "You're not going to let us see those records and then shoot us, are you?"
"Haha...no... the last time someone died inside the Chess Room it was for not following the rules. And one of the rules is not to attack each other in here. I'm glad you didn't do what Vegas told you to do and beat up Lian... my guards would have to beat you. Besides Lee."
"You see! You gave me a wrong order, Vegas! You suck as king, asshole."
"Who said I gave it wrongly, you idiot?!
"Calm down, boys. Here we are. Who wanna be first?" He points a door.
"This question again?!" Tahkhun rolls his eyes.
"We will do it together. I will not let stupid Tankhun have access to the red queen's traded orders alone. He won't tell me if there's something that compromises his damn father."
"Are you okay with this, Tankhun?! You decide it. My men are everywhere. Vegas can't force you to do anything related to your records. As a member of the chess room and a key holder, you can't be forced to open your trade records to anyone, not even to The Black King.
"Okay, he can come with me. I'm going to see his files too. Besides, I don't believe my father did anything against his own family."
"Pete is not his family."
"Pete is dear to me. My father knows that."
As smart as he is, Tankhun is totally blind when it comes to his father...or pretends to be.
"Okay. Go ahead then. Procedure is same as the entrance. You will see a device next to the screen. Just place the chess key over it and your hand on the reader. See you guys later."
The heavy double layer steel door opens, and we enter.
"Which chess key shall we place first?" Tankhun asks me. His face shows apprehension.
"The red queen was in your father's vault. And the black king with my father. You go first, Tankhun. I want to know who if your father ordered Pete's death."
...
Arm's POV
["Hey, babe...babe?! Wake up" I hear a voice calling me.]
["...Y-yes?!"]
Who calls me babe?! Macau?!...no...it's not him...Pete?! It can't be! No! This is a woman's voice.
["Oh damn, stop talking to yourself so much! just wake up already!"]
I open my eyes.
I'm inside a kind of glass cage... Ton is on my right. Pete is on my left. Each of us inside a cage. It's all dark around, only light inside our cage and a latrine in the corner.
Ton and Pete are unconscious...our wrists and ankles bound by electronic handcuffs.
["I know this voice! Can you read my thoughts, Assistant Lee?"]
["This technology I stamped into you won't last long. From your brain's electrical signals, our system is guessing what you're thinking...so...saying. Also, it transmits back what would be my response...that's why you hear my voice. Be focused on our conversation. Your thoughts are interfering with the translation of electrical impulses between your neurons."]
["Oh my God, Am I in a sci-fi movie?! And how do you want me to calm down after what you made me do?!"]
[It was just a kiss. No one will die from this."]
[It's easy for you to say that. I almost died from getting stuck in a wardrobe with him."]
["Don't worry, Pete won't let you die, honey. Now, concentrate. The handcuffs will open. Then place your hand over the reader on the back glass wall...the cage door will open, as well as the video cameras rewind 5 seconds and freeze. The steps are embodied in the nanotechnology stamped on you. Do all steps I tell you in the order, otherwise its' not goint to work and all of you will be dying in there...You have 90 seconds to do everything I say and get back to the cage, understood?"]
["Why would I do that? You put us here."]
["Because just as we got you in there, only we can get you out."]
["Okay, I already feel persuaded enough."]
["In three...two...one... Go!"]
As Assistant Lee said, the handcuffs opened. I rushed to open the cage and reach the control panel in the room.
["And now?!"]
["Lick the palm of your right hand and place it on the reader"]
["What?!"]
["Just do it!"]
["Okay!"]
["Now place your left hand above a round spot on panel where chess keys are placed. A hologram will be formed from your hand...wait until it's finished."]
["What is that?!"]
It's not a chess piece...it's something else.
Access granted. Well-come, master.
Suddenly the monitor in front of me is accessed. The design forms and data flashes across the screen, encrypted so I can't tell what they refer to.
["Stand still until I say so"]
["Why me, not Pete?!"]
["Pete is smart...but among other reasons, he doesn't have your brains, darling. Don't get me wrong, but for this technology to work, we need high-intensity neural connections...found in geniuses, like you. Ha! Let me have the pleasure to tell Lian is not genius enough for this. The substances we injected into you travel through your body on your electrical impulses. This hologram is nothing more than nanotechnology and electricity, babe...but all the steps were predetermined. We haven't been able to develop artificial intelligence yet for these beauties. It's the first time we're testing it this way...and so far, it's working great! Good news I guess ... it cost billions and they will fall apart in 90 seconds."]
["What?! What if it hasn't work?!"]
["Well... we would have to think of a plan B..."]
["Don't you have a plan B?!"]
["We are optimistic. Don't worry, you'll be fine!"]
["No matter how excited I am about this technology, you guys were going to let us all die in here, weren't you?!"]
["You're being pessimistic, dear. Try to be like us. 2 billion dollars was not spent for nothing."]
["This is me calculating probabilities, assistant Lee!"]
["Your emotions are interfering with the transmission, dear Arm. Trust in me. It's your only way out anyway."]
["What is being copied? Where is all this data going? This costs at least 2 billion plus our lives."]
["to the cloud?!"]
["Uh?]
["To your brain, honey...a tightly closed box in your memory that you won't be able to access on your own. You see! This is your ticket back home."]
["And the others?!"]
["Don't worry about them. They will be fine too."]
Complete.
["Is it over?!"]
[You have 110 seconds to get back to the cage, babe. Rush...you will fall sleep for recharge."]
I rush to the cage and put back those handcuffs.
["Hey, Assistant Lee...what is that form and why I had to ..."]
I feel dizzy...everything turns grey...my head hurts...
["Sweet dreams, babe...when you wake up, reality will be harsh."]
...