Teamwork

Two boys in their teenage age ambled down the stone pathways as one of them bouncing a basketball along.

"Hey, we'll graduate our high school in a month. Do you know what do you want to do after this?" The one with the ball asked his impassive looking's friend.

"I don't know..maybe just staying here."

"Ugh..it can't be. We've been here all our life..going back and forth from this place to our school only. I want to see the outside world... Be a gamer and participate in every tournament all around the world and achieve my dream to be the top gamer. Why don't you join me too? Don't you have any dream?"

The indifferent teenager faltered in his steps. There's a hint of sadness in his eyes as he gazes at a garden on their left side- "I want to repay our 'parents' kindness..but I guess it was an impossible dream to achieve now as they're no more in the world." -and resumed his steps forward.

"Yeah..me too. That's why I want to leave this place. It's suffocating here, with all the happy and bad memories tangled together. But..I heard our parents have a daughter..."

"Really? Who is she?"

"Fu Mingxia. I try to trace her whereabout, but failed. The last news I read..she was involved in an accident over a year ago."

His friend frowned. "Didn't our parents died in an accident over a year ago too?"

"Yes but not in the same accident. Now that I think about it, there's must be some connections between their mishap." Both of them stopped and looked at each other, silently agreed about their suspicions.

"Ye Jun! Jin Zihao! Captain Fu asking for your attendance in his office," a girl at the same age as the boys shouted from the main entrance of the orphanage, their home in the past eighteen years of their life. "Faster!"

The boys sprinted into the huge farmhouse and together they marched into Fu Da's office and greeted him. But to their shock, there's a woman sitting lazily on the couch, eying them up and down before she nodded in approval.

"You..! I..I know you-" Jin Zihao shakily pointing his finger at her.

"How rude!" Fu Da swatted his hand with a long metal ruler. "Call her Master."

"I..I'm sorry, Master."

"It's okay. So tell me how do you know me?" The woman had an amiable smile on her face but underneath there's a danger lurking in her eyes.

"I...I..."

"Let's me gives you an advise, she hates liar. And you wouldn't want to know what happened to the numerous people who lied to her," Fu Da asserted as he pinned him down with his sharp stares.

Jin Zihao gulped nervously and his legs shook by the threat. "I...I know a little about co...coding. So..that day..I..I just want to know about...about our parents.. I mean..this orphanage's founders. And...and..I stumbled upon...upon a picture...."

"Picture of me and them."

"Y..yes, Master."

"You've a great skill then if you managed to dig the picture. So you lied to me then."

Jin Zihao flopped on the floor after his wobbly legs gave up on him. "I...I don't dare. F..forgive me for this time..."

The woman laughed merrily but it sounded like a dirge in the ears of the teenagers. Ye Jun and the girl, Song Jia stood with pale faces but they did not dare to help their friend, lest they get punish later.

"What're you two doing? Isn't he your friend? Help him up," the woman mused.

Ye Jun and Song Jia glanced at each other warily, silently communicating either it's really an instruction or just mockery.

"Don't you heard her?" Fu Da thumped on his table loudly.

The pair of teenagers jolted in fear as they scrambled to help Jin Zihao up and stood closely together.

"Let's spar with me." Fu Da's shocking suggestion made the teenagers widened their eyes in horror. They felt alarmed and panicking when Fu Da cracked his knuckles and throw a punch in the air to flex his muscles. "Now."

Ye Jun felt dread washed over his body when Fu Da rushed towards him and hurled a punch on his face before he blocked it with his crossed arms but soon coughed when his abdomen was jabbed by Fu Da. But their captain did not stop as he continuously rained his body with punches and kicks. There's some that he managed to fend off and dodged but he still received many blows all over his body.

"Stop."

Fu Da ceased his attacks and bowed slightly to the woman before he stood at the side. Song Jia and Jin Zihao rushed towards their friend and supported his enervate body before he could fall down. There're bruises all over his face and exposed skins.

"You've disappointed me. Don't you learn from what I said before?"

The teenagers kept mum as they felt confuse by her question. The woman sighed. "Teamwork. Isn't he's your friend? Why don't you two help him to deflect the barrage of attacks? Or attack Fu Da together? Did Fu Da said he wanted to spar with only a person?"

They bowed their head in ashamed. "You don't feel confident with your skills?" They heard the woman asked. They shaked and nodded their head, frantically tried to justify themselves.

"Sit." They looked up and saw the woman pointed at the couch opposite of her. Slowly, they trudged and cautiously took their seat.

"I had learned that you three are the best among your peers. You got some potential but unfortunately you're still lacking far from my expectation." She scrutinising them one by one.

"Fu Da."

"Yes, Master."

"Tell them about my proposals later. I want to know the answer tomorrow. And if they agreed, train them accordingly. I'll come back two months later to inspect their progression."

"Yes, Master."

They all watched as the woman rose up and disappeared into the hidden door. Fu Da took a stack of documents from his table and passed each of them a copy. "Read and comprehend them carefully."

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Come in."

Fu Chu walked into the room and put three bottles of organic bird nest drinks and a small ointment on the table- "Master's order." -before she strode out.

"Here." Fu Da hand each of them the drinks. "This is an excellent ointment for your bruises. Apply it everytime after your bath or anytime you feel pain."

"Thank you, Captain." Ye Jun muttered followed by his friends.

Fu Da just flicked his wrist. "Let's get down to our discussion. When I said discussion, it means you can ask questions and negotiate anything you deem necessary but it doesn't mean your demand will be fulfilled. l'll discuss them with Master first, as she is the one in power. So, let's start."