At 11 o'clock Golf park arena, Jean felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her. Austin was much more relaxed but Joe and Flex were the worst.
Horror filled their eyes, Jean was a little anxious but she didn't understand why.
"Mr Grey is also one of the participants!"
Black lines filled Jean's forehead as she tried to digest this, a whole CEO of a multibillion dollar enterprise was joining this small project? It didn't make sense. That was just one of their many projects and the amount of money from this could not make a difference to his life.
Why would he come personally? Unless it had something more to it was it a hobby?
While Jean was still thinking Grey and his team of three were already before her. So now they made a team of 8 people.
With a single raise of his hand, and Carlos handled the contract signing process. He packed and was about to drive away when Jean suddenly called him.
"Carlos, are you seriously leaving your boss behind?"
Carlos felt like laughing out aloud, this Fella guy couldn't he see that his boss was dawned in a black sportswear ready for training.
He shook his head and drove away resolutely as if he could get his boss to leave willingly. Jean knew that was something they had to deal with but in fact she seemed to be overthinking because among the few people that were on Grey's team Frank was there but he was on a phone call.
"Eh Fella? I didn't know you had leadership skills."
Before Jean could throw bullets at Frank, Grey intervened. "Fella, this here are Frank, Jude and Seth." With that and Grey stepped towards the training area.
"Was that even an introduction?" Frank who heard Jean's grumble for the first time he felt like he had a comrade who understood his feelings.
"Finally I found a partner, you also think boss is too miserly with his words don't you?"
Frank was whispering but it could be heard all the way by everyone, why didn't he just speak normally then. Jean widened her eyes as she pushed him away, " I don't want to die with you. Keep off!"
It was Jude who finally hit Frank's head, it seemed they were a little close.
"Frank grow up." He left with those words.
Frank was stupefied till everyone was almost disappearing and instead of running to stop Jude he ran to Fella's side.
"Dude, tell me what was that guy saying earlier?"
"Frank must you put your arm across him when you talk?" It was Austin who finally asked. Suddenly everyone had a knowing look in their eyes.
Even Grey who had his head straight ahead finally had a reaction but Jude and Seth were on the confused side. "Is there something I am missing?"
Before anyone could say anything, Frank let go of Jean and jumped five meters away. What was with that reaction? Jean almost passed out because of embarrassment. As if not enough,
"Gay man, but you only like boss don't you?"
Seth and Jude had a look of realization while Joe and Flex were wondering how Frank knew Fella was gay.
"Captain your taste is strong?"
Jean was really embarrassed this time, she didn't expect group teasing to be this lethal. The she felt that strong gaze on her, of course when she turned she saw Grey looking at her silently as expected.
'RUN..'
"Fella if you dare run."
"Boss one day you will give this young man a heart attack." It was Frank's good time when Fella was suffering, he didn't know one day all these will overturn.
Jaden simply strode towards Jean and caught her sleeve before dragging her ahead.
"Boss I'm not a sack of potatoes."
Jean protested while her eyes became aggrieved. Jaden didn't even look at her but he could guess her expression at that moment.
"Of course a sack of potatoes doesn't know how to run."
As everyone was walking in silence wondering why this scary man was bulling their captain, they heard a big sigh.
"Sigh, I'm getting old. Finally my son is dragging someone. Don't worry that is their love language."
"Frank why are you always foolish."
Pearls of laughter were heard when they heard the exchange between Austin and Frank. Of course Frank would never tolerate anyone who calls him a fool. That earned Austin a good chase.
Austin was pretty fast as he ran up stairs, it took Frank ten minutes to give up and come back to the group. He raised his hand wanting to place it on Jaden but of course he dodged with a sneer.
The group entered the prepared training venue ready to start, first the scripts were given so that they could choose the characters. The game features were very complex and it was not something that an ordinary person would pull out easily.
It was bound to be hard for Seth, Flex and Joe who were just ordinary university students who had never practiced martial arts. It was game that involved levelling up by grinding, while most games involve grinding monsters, this was to grind any evil person and level up.
Evil people were categorized in different classes, there were evil scientists, evil military personnel, evil politicians, evil tech wizards and evil parents. The storyline was about a female lead called Black Rose who dominated the game world to annihilate the evil.
She levelled up at a fast rate as she played the assassin role, but in this world most lone battles have their own limits compared to group battles. Evil can't be uproot in a day and sure as you can be you need many arms to do that.
That was what Purple Forest a swordsman in this storyline told Black Lolli when he saved her. This made Black Rose who had almost died reset her mind.
Although she was stubborn, she knew that learning and growth happens daily and when necessary her brain level up. She made a decision to build her own guild where she became a president while Purple Forest became the vice president. They strategized daily and managed to annihilate evil.
Basically Black Rose was doing her revenge against her parents killers while purple forest was trying to save the remaining man kind from becoming lab rats, cannon fodder and stepping stones for others.
This was the story line that the game BLACK PRINCESS was based on.
After reading the storyline again, Jean sunk into deep thoughts of course Jaden was not even reading. He had his peripheral vision locked on her. All the reactions were taken in before he suddenly pulled her collar.
"Fella, this game will be released in a few days on the TOPPLE STORE officially. As you know it has in app purchases and investment of real currency before it is converted into the black coin that may be used in the game. As you its an artificial world and many mishaps may happen but this will be more than real. You will feel pain when your character is hacked but you won't feel anything when you leave game mode."
Jean listened as she scrunched her nose, was it necessary for him to pull my collar when he speaks? She thought as she tried to wiggle out of his hold but she didn't manage.
"So we have to familiarize ourselves and earn as much as possible for our companies."
"Boss, I really don't think you mind this small money from this cooperation?"
Jaden raised his eyebrow but he still answered, " You are wrong, I do mind."
Frank finally snapped out of the script, "My Lord, this Black Rose is too extreme even though she is just dealing with evil. They are still humans, she could have tried to be like Purple forest who protected everyone. She is like a cold killing machine that has no feel."
Grey who was holding on to Jean felt her squirm a little before she stood up, she looked normal but Grey noticed the small change. Sure enough this script has an issue with her. "Anything wrong Fella?"
"I will use the washroom a bit." Then she left.
Frank slapped his head as he looked at others, "Hey guys, if we are to start today then choose characters immediately. But we don't have a lady, who will be Black Rose?"
Austin who heard the lady question flinched instinctively before he looked at Frank with a hostile gaze, " If you try me Frank, I will kill you today."
"Man you are a manager of a gay club and you behave like a sissy daily why not?"
This earned Frank a slap on the head as Grey raised is head, "Fella will be Black Rose."
"Damn, I haven't spoken but you have already chosen a character for me?" Jean who came in after sorting her mood countered Grey's statement immediately.
"Do you have objections?"
What could she do? The big boss had already spoken. They were supposed to dress in their character colors as there images will be used to create the game advert and general character images in the game.
Black Rose was used to dress in red with a black rose on her ear, so Jean went in and changed her dressing when she came out, she happened to pass by Austin who was entering the changing room and her watch beeped twice.
Jean practically froze, "Austin was a girl if not a lady!" Those were her thoughts but before she could process, Franks loud exclamation interrupted her.
"OMG! Fella, you are not gay for nothing. You absolutely look stunning, I would even be bend but your chest is flat so the other gender wins.'
Grey interrupted Frank insensitive talking and pushed him towards the changing room. He didn't expect Jean to jump and hold on Frank.
Grey felt bad for no reason but Jean was delaying Frank intentionally so that Austin comes out. Though she didn't know why she dressed as a man but people have different reasons. Like her she had many reasons but Grey thought she wanted to cling to Frank.
"Fella stay put, don't go around touching everyone they have germs."
This time it was Frank and Jean's turn to be speechless.
"Boss, you are insulting me your bestfriend?"
Jean simply burst into laughter when she witnessed the comic look on Frank's face.
Joe who had already changed was also surprised by his friend.
"Captain why didn't I know you were this beautiful handsome in university? It seems your arms are much lighter in complexion but not much."
Jean heaved a sigh, she was thankful to have been exposed to the sun while in the military. Or else her fore arms would have been lighter in color.
After everyone changed, the technical team was finishing setting up some props. One lighting stand proved to be difficult to fix. Jean was almost standing to go fix it when Austin offered to go do it.
He was dressed in white taekwondo outfit. The moment he moved a few steps they heard Frank's shrill voice. "Fresh Blood!"
It was when everyone followed his finger, and froze.
Austin had a red patch on her behind it and the position was suspicious. Frank wanted to ask but Jean stood up with a her coat and immediately wrapped it around Austin who was frozen in place.
Grey who was observing seemed to have figured something out, " She is a lady."
Frank felt like he had received a shock, "The punch that day was damn fast, is she a female demon?"
Although the others didn't understand Frank's words, they were shocked to know her gender. She had disguised well. If not for this...
She heard Frank's words as he was normally loud, it was when she recalled her Great Aunt was supposed to appear today. "Damn, did it have to announce her gender this way?" Austin thought about her embarrassment and just passed out. She couldn't handle it.
"Frank take her to the hospital."
He was wide eyed as he looked at his friend, "Are you trying to sell me here? I'm not a lady to take her to change."
"Human life is at stake here."
Frank stood up and took her before he left.
Jean was still in a daze when Austin was taken away. As if on cue she felt a slight stomach crump before a warm gush in her lower abdomen.
What they saw, was an afterimage.
"Damn that was fast!"
Everyone had their eyes open as they turned to look in the direction Jean fled to.
Grey was wondering if it was planned but when he saw her bag and phone on the table, he took it and left the place. He didn't know why Jean ran away but he came here because of her.
"Keep training we will join."