Riberhaw: Gambit Mission

1. Two Troublemakers

My face veiled by the glare of the table lamp in my nightclub. I was immersed with my work on my laptop screen. My mind was focused, leaving the boisterous crowd behind. I don't know, I'm more comfortable working in a bustling atmosphere, it's easier for me to get inspiration and positive energy.

Every night I spend my evenings sitting at this small table in the corner, surrounded by an atmosphere of music and beats. Here at Alpha Nightclub, one of the most famous nightspots in the Macao area. I offer my affluent clients to gain access to an opulent VIP area so they may enjoy an outdoor space with a view of Macao City. To get into my club, the middle class had to make reservations the day before.

"Meimei, there are two men who claim to be your friends, but they don't have tickets," said one of the entrance guards who approached my table. I've been called meimei since I was a child by my parents. My parents said that I had an older brother who was called gege. I don't really remember gege. He disappeared when I was about four years old. Maybe if I met him, he would be 21 now, three years older than me.

"I don't have an appointment with anyone. What's his name? In an hour the tournament will start, is everyone ready? Don't take care of unimportant things," I said a little annoyed.

Tonight I'm holding a snooker pool tournament at my club. I organized this tournament with my own money without any sponsorship. Every six months I hold this tournament which has a prize of 210,000 USD for the winners. 120,000 USD for first place, 60,000 USD for second place, and 30,000 USD for third place.

Suddenly, my club went pitch black. This was the first time I had ever experienced this situation. All the guests were shocked, the sound of music was instantly silent, a cacophony of people confused and scared, wanting to get out of my club immediately. Five seconds later it was on, five seconds later it was off, repeating up to seven times.

"You have to meet them meimei, it's them," the guards met me with desperation. I walked towards my office on the second floor. "Take them to my room, hold all the things they brought, but before they enter my room, put their things on my desk first, I will check it."

My aide stood behind me after putting down the belongings of these two men. I sat down in my chair and touched pretty normal things, just a ring, umbrella, and glasses. They weren't carrying any weapons, but I never saw the car keys. The design of the key looks more luxurious and shiny, they should have the money to pay for admission to my club.

"They don't carry weapons?" I asked the aide while touching their rings.

"No meimei," he replied. I nodded, giving the aide the code to let them see me.

My gaze shifted as they stood before me, I saw that these two men, with their suits and turtle neck looks, further showed that they had the ability to pay the entrance fee. I looked at them and poured a drink into my glass. "Sit down."

The blue-eyed man with a thin beard started a conversation with me. "I'm sorry for interrupting your show and your place."

"My club is not a public facility," I said. "So what do you want?"

He didn't answer me for a long time and just looked at me. "Are you sorry that you can't say anything?" I added with a faint smile at them.

"We don't have any money, but we want to participate in this competition, we really need this money," said the man with the oriental face. I raised my eyebrows and stared in surprise at his words.

"Yes, we'll pay for the entry and registration fees at the end of the tournament," said the blue-eyed man in front of me.

"So confident that you'll win?" I said.

"I'm the guarantee, you can beat me with all your aides," said the man in front of me.

I looked at my watch, in thirty minutes the world snooker tournament would start. "If you win, I'll deduct thirty percent of your prize, not including the entrance ticket."

"Thirty percent? too much," replied the oriental man in a protesting and slightly hardened tone.

"Okay deal," said the man in front of me, extending his hand to me.

I ignored his hand. "Why are you bringing umbrellas to the club?" I asked, looking at the man across from me.

"Prepare an umbrella before it rains," he replied.

I stood up and told them to get out of my room. "Get out, take this unnecessary stuff off my desk," I walked out of the room to the VIP area on the second floor. My VIP customers could enjoy the night view of Macao from the open terrace here. They could also watch the billiards tournament from up here, but I had set up VIP seats on the first floor. I greeted some of my business associates who had come to my club tonight. Just a quick chat and I see the oriental-looking man enter the VIP area, but my aide blocks him and I watch him go down to the first floor.

Thirty minutes after talking with my partner, the tournament begins. I went down to the first floor to continue my work at the usual table without watching the tournament. My eyes were starting to get sleepy after almost five hours of staring at my laptop, while the atmosphere of the room was very noisy with people watching the pool match. A blue-eyed man came over to me and sat down next to me. "My name is Zayn," he said, extending his hand.

His blue eyes were so close in front of me, I replied to him, "Does anyone care? And did anyone tell you to sit here?" I immediately closed my laptop and stood up from my seat.

"After this I have a final with my friend, Jian Lin, you should see it," he said.

His voice sounded low and cold, unlike his friend who was more friendly and cheerful. My steps paused for a moment, but I continued walking towards the snooker arena. I saw Jian Lin competing against the defending champion, my friend Xie Bin. He always won the matches I organized, but Xie Bin could never beat me.