Alex couldn't let it go. His mind was racing, trying to piece together the elder's cryptic words, his bizarre composure, and that impossible win streak. He tailed the elder as they made their way to another roulette table, unable to resist pushing for answers.
"You told me earlier that I'm a threat," Alex said, sidling up next to him. The elder remained calm, casually flicking chips onto the table with an unshakable focus. "A threat to what? To whom?"
The elder didn't even look at him. His eyes tracked the spinning ball as if Alex's questions were no more than background noise. "I said, you're a threat," the elder repeated calmly, his voice barely louder than a murmur. "But as to who? That's up to you."
Alex clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're being intentionally vague. Why can't you just give me a straight answer?"
As the roulette wheel slowed, the elder placed another bet, not missing a beat. "You'll learn soon enough."
"Great. Vague threats and ominous riddles. Super helpful," Alex muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What do I need to do to get a real answer out of you?"
The elder didn't reply. Instead, the ball dropped into a red slot. A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd as the croupier swept a pile of chips toward the elder. Alex's eyes narrowed. What does it take to break this guy's concentration?
He leaned closer, trying to throw the elder off. "So, is this your whole deal? Just throwing people around and gambling like it's nothing?" Alex's voice grew louder. "I mean, what are you really after? Money? Power?"
Still, the elder remained silent, coolly placing his next bet. Alex could feel the tension mounting inside him. He had to do something to get a reaction.
"So, if I'm such a 'threat,' why don't you just take me out now?" Alex said, crossing his arms. "Why waste time playing roulette?"
The elder chuckled softly. "Because I don't fear you, Alex. I'm curious about you."
Alex threw his hands up, exasperated. "Curious? What's there to be curious about? I'm just some guy who got lucky at the slots."
The elder finally turned his head slightly, glancing at Alex with a faint smile. "It wasn't luck. You know it. I know it. That's why you're dangerous."
Alex's heart skipped a beat. He had been hoping the elder wouldn't figure out the truth so quickly. But the man was sharp—sharper than Alex had anticipated. "Does he know about Kofi? If this guy knows more than he's letting on, I could be in serious trouble."
Before Alex could respond, the elder's next bet hit again—another win. The crowd cheered, but Alex could only shake his head in disbelief. How was this guy not missing anything?
"Tell you what," the elder said, casually adjusting his shirt sleeves. "Let's make this interesting." He motioned to Jin, who had been quietly observing from a distance.
Jin stepped forward, his large frame looming over the table. The elder nodded toward Alex. "You've been pestering me for answers. So let's bet on it."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "A bet?"
The elder's lips curled into a small grin. "By the end of the day, if your total winnings surpass mine, I'll tell you everything you want to know."
Alex blinked, caught off guard. "Wait… what?"
"You heard me," the elder said, placing another bet, his eyes fixed on the wheel. "If you can outplay me by the end of the night, I'll tell you who I am, what I mean by 'threat,' and why I've taken an interest in you."
Alex hesitated, eyeing the elder skeptically. "And if I don't?"
"Then you'll remain in the dark," the elder said simply, never losing his focus on the table. "And perhaps you'll learn a valuable lesson about not poking around where you don't belong."
"Seems like you've got nothing to lose," Alex said, his voice tinged with suspicion. "What's your angle?"
The elder placed his final bet on the table and then stood up, his eyes meeting Alex's. "This is about what happens next. You beat me, you'll get answers. But lose, and you might just lose yourself in the process."
Alex stared at the elder, trying to gauge if he was bluffing. "Fine," he said after a moment. "I'm in. How much are you up by?"
The elder turned to the cashier.
Alex watched as the cashier began counting a tall stack of vouchers. The seconds felt like hours as the man worked through them, one by one. Finally, the cashier cleared his throat and looked up. "Your total winnings come to… ten million dollars."
The words hung in the air like a punch to the gut.
Alex's jaw dropped. "Ten million?" He glanced between the elder and the cashier. "You've made ten million dollars today?"
The elder didn't respond, just gave him that same enigmatic smile. The cashier, meanwhile, continued, "Would you like that in cash or check?"
Alex stood there, stunned. Ten million? In one day? His mind raced. How the hell am I supposed to beat that?
Kofi's voice crackled through his earpiece, dripping with sarcasm. "Hope you've got some miracle up your sleeve. 'Cause right now, you're about to take a swan dive into 'Screwed-ville.'"
Alex grimaced. "This is insane."
"Insane," Kofi echoed, "but interesting. Now the real fun begins."
"Jin, go with him." the elder tol his enforcer.
—--
Alex was still reeling from the sheer size of the elder's winnings. Ten million dollars. He'd need to pull off the impossible to even come close to matching that. But he wasn't about to back down. His mind churned with ideas, scanning through all the tricks he could pull using his aPhone's abilities.
He glanced over at Jin, who stood quietly nearby, his expression unreadable. Alex decided to test the waters.
"So, Jin," Alex began, trying to sound casual, "what's the biggest casino in town? You know, besides the old man's place."
Jin gave him a sideways look, as if he were assessing the intent behind the question. "There's The Golden Dragon," he said slowly, "but you won't find anything as grand as Master's establishment."
Alex nodded thoughtfully, filing that information away. Golden Dragon. Got it. But there was no way he'd win ten million bucks just hitting up slot machines or basic bets. He'd need to outsmart the system. And the aPhone was his only shot. Problem was, Jin had been watching him like a hawk since the elder laid down the bet, and Alex knew he couldn't pull anything sneaky while under that kind of scrutiny.
He turned to Jin, putting on a casual smile. "I'll head back to my hotel room for a bit," Alex said. "Need to take a nap, clear my head before we really get into it."
Jin's eyes flickered with surprise. "You're… going to take a nap?" He blinked, clearly baffled. "You think you can just wake up and beat the Master after resting for a few hours?"
Alex shrugged, playing it off as if he weren't feeling the pressure. "Hey, I'll need all the energy I can get. You saw how the old man plays—cool, calm, doesn't miss a beat. If I'm gonna have a shot, I gotta be in top form. Plus, maybe you'll get a nap in, too." He threw in a wink for good measure.
Jin remained silent, clearly still puzzled by Alex's confidence, but he gave a respectful nod. "I'll wait downstairs," Jin said. "Don't take too long. Master doesn't like to wait."
As soon as Jin walked away, Alex's grin faded. A nap? I'm not resting until I figure out a way to beat ten million. He felt the weight of his situation sink in further. There was no room for error now.
He made his way toward the elevators, formulating his plan. Kofi buzzed into his ear. "A nap? Really? That's your genius move?"
"Relax," Alex muttered. "I needed to get rid of Jin for a while."