We return to the room. Helene glances at the wall clock (which is decorated with bright floral patterns and olive branches, and looks like it's made of a special type of wood) – it's 9:30 AM. Aldo is standing by the window, his eyes focused on the bustling city center of Tarif, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
"Good morning, Aldo!" I wave at him. Aldo turns around to look at me. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine. Where have you two been for the past hour?" Aldo asks, still wearing that indifferent expression. He's always been terrible at showing emotions.
"We just toured room 232. There's a lot to say about it," I respond with a frown.
"Right. I've witnessed a whole new level of slave exploitation…" Helene chimes in.
"Room 232 is notorious for its extreme depravity. Lucky you didn't directly witness any live sexual acts there," Aldo comments.
"But right in the middle of the Arab and Islamic culture?" Helene is surprised, her pupils widening.
"Humans have desires. If they're suppressed for too long, who knows when they'll break out? People justify it because no one really knows, even though there are many rumors. Each time they indulge, they get addicted," Aldo remarks, sipping his coffee.
Helene leans closer to me and whispers, glancing at Aldo with a raised eyebrow, "This bookworm sometimes comes up with such philosophical lines. You've heard this from him before, right?"
"Don't worry, Aldo won't be like this when talking about music and art…" I reply cheerfully.
"What about the other stuff?" Helene wonders.
"I told you, except for music and art, and a lot of life experience, he's like a living dictionary," I respond.
"Well then, Helene…" Aldo looks at her and emphasizes, "The design is still there. Veritas' forge has all the tools and materials. When do you plan to start reassembling the enzyme extraction machinery?"
Helene blinks for a moment, then remains silent before replying, "How about starting from August 20?"
"I think after the conference ends. Starting August 23, would that work?" Aldo replies.
Helene nods.
Then Aldo turns to me.
"By the way, Truong, I just bought some useful items for the process. You can take a look..."
Aldo places a glowing fabric, a book, a chisel, and a mold on the table.
"How will the fabric and the book help me with mechanical fabrication?" Helene bends over to inspect these items closely.
"Oh, this fabric is just a sample. If you need more, I can order a larger quantity. Essentially, it's designed to assist artisans working in high-temperature environments like the forge. The fabric not only emits a soft glow but also automatically adjusts to the wearer's movements. It keeps the body cool, allowing the workers to endure extreme heat for long periods without exhaustion," Aldo explains calmly.
Helene is still curious and picks up the book. When she opens the first page, we see illustrations of pure iron with detailed descriptions about its hardness (around 4 on the Mohs scale), its malleability (iron is highly malleable, meaning it can deform without breaking, especially when heated. Its high malleability allows it to be easily forged or rolled into various shapes), tensile strength (iron has a relatively high tensile strength of about 370 MPa for pure iron. When alloyed to make steel, its strength can increase many times, depending on the ratio and types of alloys added), corrosion resistance (pure iron has poor corrosion resistance, easily oxidizing and rusting when exposed to oxygen and water), and melting point (1,538°C), among other things.
Curious, I touch the illustration, and a cool sensation runs to my brain. My hand also feels the hardness and roughness of the surface.
"The illustration even simulates the metal as if it's real!" I exclaim in surprise.
"Where? Where?" Helene asks, intrigued. Without thinking, she pushes me aside and touches the illustration. She reacts with the same surprise.
Look at those wide-open eyes and lips!
Then Helene brings her hand to her nose, sniffing.
"It even smells like metal..."
"This classic yet highly practical book is a tool that helps artisans understand and choose the right materials. Inside the book are detailed illustrations of various materials. When artisans touch the drawings, a gentle aura surrounds the pages, allowing them to feel the texture, hardness, and other properties of the materials as though holding them in their hands. The Material Book not only saves time but also helps users better understand the characteristics of each material to apply them to their works," Aldo explains while observing us.
"Oh, right. Also..." Helene raises her head, smiling brightly, radiating energy.
"The chisel and mold, they must have something special, right?"
"The Self-adjusting Mold adapts to the material being crafted, and the Material Book is an illustrated guide that allows users to feel the texture and properties of materials by touching the illustrations, aiding in material selection," Aldo explains, finishing his coffee and immediately leaving.
"Wait, Aldo, where are you going?" I ask, curious.
"The potential member asked me to play a game of chess with him in the chess room at the hotel. His name is Choi Joon-soo. I promised," Aldo replies as he leaves.
"Aldo is so strange!" I sigh.
And he leaves the room as I stand there in confusion, while Helene is still mesmerized, touching and admiring the unfamiliar items.
I know I'll have to catch up, so I wrap my arm around Helene's waist and run straight outside. We bump into Aldo, but he doesn't seem to care, focused on watching the Korean man, who's a famous street vendor in the city, play a game of chess with a local Arab.
I glance at the chessboard. The current game position is as follows:
White: • King: g1
• Rooks: c7 and e6
• Bishops: b3 and g5
• Pawns: a4, c5, f3, g2, and h4
Black: • King: h5
• Rooks: b8 and b7
• Bishop: a6
• Pawns: a5, b6, d4, g7, and h7
Helene, still reading through each page of that Materials Book, leaves me speechless. She's so focused, she barely notices anything around her, just like Aldo.
I glance at the board and say to Aldo,
"White is launching a strong attack on the Black King at h5. The rook on e6 and bishop on g5 are directly threatening it. The white rook on c7 controls the 7th rank, putting pressure on the black pawns and rook on b7. The white bishop on b3 supports potential moves along the a2-g8 diagonal. The white king at g1 is relatively safe, and the pawn at f3 protects the king from any potential checks."
Aldo glances at me briefly and responds in a casual tone,
"Yeah, I know. Clearly, the local guy's losing…" He crosses his arms and waits, probably referring to Choi Joon-soo, the guy he mentioned earlier.
It's White's turn. Joon-soo pushes pawn g2 to g4 and checkmates Black. The other guy sighs, looking frustrated and angry, then storms off from the hotel. Joon-soo smiles smugly, turning to Aldo.
"Look at how pissed he is! That's the feeling I love the most! Nothing's better than crushing your opponent's ego…"
He gives us a doubtful look.
"Your friend? So, I'm playing against three people now?" His voice is laced with mockery, almost as if he's teasing us.
Aldo remains calm and answers coolly,
"No, it's just me and you, as promised. They're just here to watch."
Joon-soo chuckles, full of confidence,
"Good. Let's play right here, then!" He starts adjusting the pieces on the board, like someone who knows each move by heart.
Aldo raises an eyebrow, glances at the board, then at Joon-soo.
"Don't you need a Chess Room or a time limit?"
"No, let's just start right away." Joon-soo smiles, the expression almost daring Aldo to take him on.
Aldo doesn't ask further, nodding and sitting down. The game is about to begin. He plays White, Joon-soo plays Black.
The game starts: White moves pawn e4, Black responds with pawn c5. The atmosphere in the room becomes tense immediately.
White moves knight c3, Black responds with knight c6. Every move feels like a battle of minds, each piece shifting like a strategic maneuver.
White moves knight g3, Black pushes pawn g6—both sides solidifying their defenses.
White advances pawn d4, Black captures with pawn c5. The white knight from c3 jumps to b5, putting on a strong attack.
Black counters by pushing pawn e5, and White, without hesitation, moves bishop c4. Black doesn't fall behind and pushes pawn a6.
White retreats knight from b5 to a3, preparing for a different strategy. Black immediately pushes pawn b5.
White's bishop moves up to d5, overpowering Black. Black responds with knight f6, and White moves bishop g5, locking the position in place.
Black pushes pawn h6, creating space for their pieces. White's bishop g5 captures Black's knight on f6 with a bold move.
Black's bishop quickly advances to b4 and checks White's king. White remains unfazed, pushing pawn c3, counterattacking fiercely.
Black captures White's bishop with queen, a sharp move. White quickly takes Black's bishop on b4 with pawn c3.
The game continues, with each move shifting the strategy. Black castles, White does the same.
The pieces keep moving, the moves grow more complex. Black plays rook b8, White's knight moves from a3 to c2, while Black's knight moves from c6 to e7.
White pushes pawn a4, gaining control of the position. Black captures White's bishop on d5 with knight, and White takes the Black knight with pawn.
Black pushes pawn d6, advancing further, and White plays queen d2. Black's bishop moves to f5, eyeing White's queen. The tension rises, each move more critical.
White's rook moves from f1 to c1, preparing to counterattack. Black's bishop moves to e4, and White's knight moves from c2 to e1, a calculated maneuver.
Black's pawn captures White's pawn, and instantly, White's rook on a1 captures Black's pawn. The game has reached a turning point; the pieces seem to dance in the air.
Black pushes pawn g5, and White's rook on a4 captures Black's pawn on a6. Black's pawn moves from g5 to g4, increasing the tension.
White's knight on f3 captures Black's pawn on d4, and Black immediately recaptures with pawn.
White's rook moves from c1 to c4, like a predator waiting for its prey, while Black's rook moves from f8 to e8, closing in.
White's queen captures Black's pawn on d4, and Black's bishop captures White's pawn on d5. White's queen moves to g4, checking Black's king.
Black's king moves to h8 to escape the check, and White's rook retreats to c1. Black's queen captures White's pawn on b2, and White's queen immediately moves to f4.
Black's rook captures White's pawn on b4, and White's queen captures Black's pawn on h6, checking Black's king once more.
Black's king moves to g8, and White's queen advances to g5, continuing the check.
Black's king finally moves to f8, helpless against the powerful attack.
This is move 29 for both sides, and the room feels still. Helene and I both realize that Aldo will lose in a few moves, even though I'm not very good at chess. But clearly, this game is incredibly tense, like a gripping movie that we can't take our eyes off of.
White's rook on a6 captures Black's pawn on d6, threatening Black's bishop on d5, a move that forces Joon-soo to think hard. Black's bishop quickly retreats to c4, but Black's rook on b4 defends, holding steady.
Aldo looks at the board, a slight smile crosses his lips.
"But this is a mistake..." He whispers, as if realizing the weakness in his opponent's move.
When Joon-soo doesn't catch this mistake, Aldo swiftly takes advantage, moving White's rook from a6 to d8, offering to exchange rooks.
"How about an exchange?" Aldo asks, his tone cold, waiting for a response. Of course, Black's rook can't resist the opportunity to capture White's rook, and thus, White's queen captures Black's rook and checks Black's king.
Black's king has no choice but to quickly move to g7 to escape the check. But Aldo doesn't stop there. White's rook moves from c1 to d1, distracting his opponent and preparing for the next move.
A wrong move from Aldo opens a new opportunity for Joon-soo. Black's queen moves from b2 to e5, targeting White's knight, forcing White's rook to protect the knight, unable to move.
White's knight moves from e1 to d3, threatening to capture Black's queen or rook, forcing Black's bishop to capture White's knight. White's queen takes Black's bishop and retreats to protect the White king. Black's rook moves to g4, attacking White's defense. White's pawn moves to g3, protected by two pawns below, strengthening the defense.
At this point, Aldo has the advantage, two pawns ahead of Joon-soo. Aldo smiles lightly, clearly confident that victory is within reach.
Black's rook moves from e4 to e2, continuing to pressure, limiting White's king and targeting the defense line. White's queen retreats to d2, not allowing the initiative to slip away, while Black's rook continues from e2 to b2, applying significant pressure.
Aldo isn't rushing, maintaining his position and keeping the pressure up. White's queen moves to d4, offering to exchange queens with Black. Both sides exchange queens, and now, White's rook is on d4, while Black's king moves to g6, preparing for the next moves.
We remain silent, eyes fixed on the chessboard. Each move now feels more important than ever.
After about a dozen more moves, the position is as follows: • White (Aldo):
King on g3Rook on e6Pawns: f4, g4, h3 • Black (Joon-soo):King on d4Rook on b8
Clearly, Aldo holds a major advantage, with three superior pawns. Everything is progressing as expected for him. In the end, Aldo wins, checkmating Black's king with the following position, leaving Joon-soo unable to believe his eyes: • White (Aldo):
King on g6Pawn on g5Rook on f2Queen on d2 • Black (Joon-soo):King on d1Rook on g1
Joon-soo has no escape, and the game record is meticulously recorded by Helene:
e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nb5 e5 6. Bc4 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Bd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bxf6 Bb4+ 11. c3 Qxf6 12. cxb4 O-O 13. O-O Rb8 14. Nc2 Ne7 15. a4 Nxd5 16. exd5 d6 17. Qd2 Bf5 18. Rfc1 Be4 19. Nce1 bxa4 20. Rxa4 g5 21. Rxa6 g4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Rc4 Rfe8 24. Qxd4 Bxd5 25. Qxg4+ Kh8 26. Rc1 Qxb2 27. Qf4 Rxb4 28. Qxh6+ Kg8 29. Qg5+ Kf8 30. Rxd6 Bc4 31. Rd8 Rxd8 32. Qxd8+ Kg7 33. Rd1 Qe5 34. Nd3 Bxd3 35. Qxd3 Rg4 36. g3 Re4 37. Qd2 Re2 38. Qd3 Rb2 39. Qd4 Qxd4 40. Rxd4 Kg6 41. Rd6+ Kf5 42. h3 f6 43. g4+ Ke5 44. Ra6 Rd2 45. Kg2 Rd1 46. f3 Rd2+ 47. Kg3 Rd8 48. f4+ Kd4 49. Rxf6 Rb8 50. Re6 Rc8 51. f6 Rc3+ 52. Kh4 Rf3 53. Kg5 Rxh3 54. f6 Rf3 55. Kg6 Rg3 56. g5 Rg1 57. f8=Q Kc4 58. Rf4+ Kd3 59. Qa3+ Kd2 60. Rf2+ Ke1 61. Qe3+ Kd1 62. Rf1# 1-0
With this victory, Aldo defeats Joon-soo.
As for Joon-soo, he reacts just as someone with a high ego would when defeated. He stares at the board for a long time, wide-eyed and grinding his teeth, his face expressing disbelief. In his mind, there is a mix of anger and childish rejection, or perhaps a mature acceptance.
"Hey, Aldo?" Joon-soo turns to Aldo.
"Hm?" Aldo responds.
"Will joining your organization really help me get back to Earth?" Joon-soo looks directly into Aldo's eyes, emotionless and calm.
"It's possible," Aldo answers.
"Possible? What do you mean by that?" Joon-soo raises an eyebrow.
"We're not planning a revolution, mostly we're just trying to find a way back to Earth. But it's still a dangerous journey, and of course, full of risks," Aldo replies.
"Have you planned it out in detail? Do we have enough resources?" Joon-soo continues to probe.
"Basically, yes, it's quite detailed and specific, and we're on track," Aldo responds.
"So, what can I contribute to the organization?" Joon-soo asks, his face lighting up with enthusiasm.
"Hmm, let's see... for now, just focus on developing finances and knowledge, in other words, go back to playing with your bakery and café (Joon-soo grimaces here). I'll provide you with a summary of the plan to return to Earth later. If you're interested in tasks that require combat skills, we currently have some urgent missions..." Aldo explains, in a voice as robotic as ever. But Joon-soo's eyes seem to light up upon hearing the word "combat," and his enthusiasm is evident.
"Great! I'll take it, I'll take as many as you have!" Joon-soo tilts his head closer to Aldo, replying with fiery enthusiasm.
"Alright then. So, we'll leave it at that for now," Aldo nods.
Joon-soo, overjoyed, jumps up and runs off.
"This guy's a bit too energetic, huh?" Helene observes, smirking with amusement.
Just a moment later, the guy comes running back, trips over a velvet rope at the hotel gate, and crashes into the side of a table, ripping his shirt, before tumbling and landing on Aldo, causing both of them to roll on the ground for a few moments.
"Careful!" I laugh.
"Watch where you're going, Joon-soo," Aldo sighs.
Joon-soo, now looking up at Aldo, asks, "Is there anyone gay in your group?"
"Why do you ask?" Aldo rolls his eyes. "No, there isn't. I wouldn't expect them to survive much longer anyway, probably be killed off right at the moment of selection when we summoned them as slaves."
And Joon-soo, the guy, just... nods and immediately runs off.
"This guy is really weird!" I comment, watching Joon-soo sprint away while holding Aldo up.
"Let him be. What matters is that he has the skills," Aldo replies.
"Anyone who survives the slave chains and is still alive now has to have some ability," Helene adds with a knowing smile. Aldo and I understand immediately, and only now do I realize that I've been holding her waist for the past half hour.
"Yeah, so do you and Truong have anything else today?" Aldo asks coldly.
"Meeting with Chun-hei," Helene responds.
"Then, get ready. By the way, stop by the Guild where those guys are working!" I suggest.
"Okay!" Helene nods. "But can you put me down now?"