48 - The Chess Room

ete's POV

(Three hours before chess room meeting)

["Both the black king and red queen pieces showed a sequence of numbers. By the time we found out what it was, an hour had already passed...Kamol arrived and said that those were coordinates from the Taipei map, but inverted."]

"All this trouble to give an address?!"

["Stupid Secrecy. Tell them we are not in a stupid movie."]

"My point exactly!"

["If only there was a way to get Arm inside the Chess Room...he might try to hack into the system."]

"Yeah...Oh! Assistant Lee was here while Lian Wang was talking to us. She stamped something on Arm's elbow...some nanotechnology...but didn't say what it was. And she said she would name him the white bishop.

["Stamped?!Excellent. Are they trying to recruit every member of the Minor Family to their clan?"]

"Wait a minute! Do you already consider Arm a member of our family?! Hey Arm! Vegas said..."

["Pete, don't!!"]

"But you said..."

["You heard wrong...I didn't say anything."]

"But I'm sure you..."

["PETE. DON'T." (in English)]

"Okay, okay. You don't have to speak in this scaring tone! We have three hours until the meeting. We better not talk until then. You know what you're going to do there, right? In the meantime, we'll break through Tang Yi's office."]

["Get what you need and get out before he returns. You hear me?!Don't do anything that can put you in danger, Pete."]

"You either! Don't try anything reckless, Vegas! You will be alone with Khun Noo.

["Each of us can take one bodyguard inside."]

"You only have Job that you can trust."

["Actually, Macau has been whining the whole afternoon until I agree to take him with me."]

"I'm surprised you've agreed! I don't know if it is a good idea."

["Well, I don't have a choice. It must be someone I can trust. Job will enter as my bodyguard, and Macau with Tankhun. Macau will keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do stupid things."]

"But they know Macau is your brother."

["Kamol said this is not a problem. His father told him mafia families usually take someone of the clan to escort the main guest. Besides, I will never let anything happen to Macau. I'll sacrifice Tankhun first. He might be useful for something."]

"For Buddha's sake, don't say such a thing, Vegas. Just behave, and everything will be fine."

["Don't worry. I know what to do. I've been in a lot of important meetings with mobsters before, Pete. Sometimes you forget that."]

"Sometimes you forget that I was a bodyguard attending those meetings. Just listen carefully and talk minimum. Also don't fall into any of the white king's traps, even though he says he wants you there. He may try to tease you. Promise me."

["Okay, I promise."]

"For every time you break a promise, your karma gets worse, you know that right?!"

["Stop saying this, Pete. I will not let you down."]

"Okay. Take care. I have to hang up and get back to work."

["You too, Pete. I love you, babe."]

"Love you too. Behave!!"

["Okay, mom!"]

"Bye"

"KNOCK, KNOCK"

"Who is it?!"

["It's me, Ton. Mr. Tang Yi is calling us for a staff meeting at his office."]

"Oh...okay...Narong is in the bathroom. We'll be there in a second."

["Ok, See you there."]

"Hey, Arm! Are you finished?"

Arm comes out of the bathroom awkwardly.

"What happened?"

"Staff meeting at Tang Yi's office. This is a good opportunity for us to map the place."

"Good!"

"Why do you always take so long in the bathroom lately. Do you have a stomachache or something?"

"Uhhh...Macau wants to talk to me all the time...and...you know..."

"Ri...ght."

"...Oh! What were you talking about Khun Vegas?"

"He considers you part of the Minor Family."

"Really?!?!?!"

"Yeap. He said it himself."

"WOW! That's sudden. Should I call him?!"

"For what?!

"Thank him?!"

"Better not."

"Okay."

"But you can't accept any other job offer!"

"I won't! I won't!"

"Okay..."

"I would just quit my job to work with you, Pete."

"Good!"

...

Arm's POV

(One hour before Chess Room Meeting)

"Hey, Pete! PETE!"

"Uh?! Arm?! Where are we?! TON?!"

Pete, still a little dazed, looks at the room, all barred, although well decorated.

We have our hands and ankles tied in a way that it is impossible to loosen.

"He is still unconscious. They removed our gags. This is so suspicious. Why Mr. Tang Yi didn't torture us?! We were sedated and brought to this place. Before I blackout he said he would sell us as sexual slaves in the Chess Room, Pete!"

Suddenly Pete starts laughing.

"Hahahahaha"

"What's wrong with you? Why are you laughing? Did the sedative do something to your brain?"

"So we are in the Chess Room."

"Do you think this is funny? Sexual slaves, Pete!"

"The white king...he definitely ratted us out to Tang Yi."

"Son of a bitch!"

"Somehow Lian Wang convinced Mr. Tang Yi to send us here...he put us inside the Chess Room, Arm. That's why he said I wouldn't need the white knight's key. Bastard..."

"But why is Ton here with us?"

"I'm not sure, but..."

"What? Why are you frowning?"

"If Lian Wang said something about us, he also might have said something about Vegas...and Kamol...which would make Ton a suspect as well..."

"He implicated an innocent guy!"

"Vegas is coming to the Chess Room along with Khun Noo and Macau."

"Macau?! Why?!?!?!"

"I guess Macau didn't tell you not to worry you. Fuck! We must find a way to warn Vegas. We can't trust Lian Wang."

"Fuck, Pete! This looks like a luxury prison."

"CREAK"

Suddenly Tang Yi and his henchmen enter the room.

Ton wakes up scared.

"Get them!" Tang Yi orders.

Pete and I looked at each other, but it would be crazy to try to fight back.

We tacitly agreed to obey our tormentors.

Ton trembles with fear.

Some reminiscence of the past. He starts screaming.

"No!!No!!please, Mr. Tang Yi!! Why are you doing this?!You saved me before, why are you doing this?!Why?!"

Ton begins to struggle as the henchmen try to hold him down.

"Hold him, but don't leave a scratch."

"Hey!!" I protest as our clothes are ripped.

"You almost fooled me with your pretty face, girl" He walks to Pete.

"What are you going to do with us?" Pete asks him.

"Sell you. Although..."

"...?..."

"I'm not sure if I should keep you for myself..."

Mr. Tang Yi holds Pete's face with the tip of his fingers.

"Disgusting." Pet shakes his head to free himself from Tang Yi's grasp.

"Huh."

"Are you not going to ask us anything?"

"I don't need to."

Pete and I look at each other, puzzled.

"Why?!" I ask.

"Let's see how valuable you are to your boss or bosses."

Mr. Tang Yi turns to his men. "Prepare them!"

They gag us again.

...

Macau's POV

"I'm not going inside... this building gives me the creeps. Look how old it is!"

"This is not old! This is a historical building, cousin. It's perfectly fine."

"You say it because it looks like your house! Old! I bet it has a dungeon."

"Come on, cousin! Don't make my life harder! It was hard enough convincing my brother to let me come!"

"Why do you think I care how hard your life is, Macau? I'm not going inside."

"Get your ass inside this building, Tankhun."

My brother holds tight to first cousin's arm, pushing him forward.

"Don't wrinkle my suit, Vegas! It's new!"

"Go."

"Ease, boys" Kamol get both my brother and cousin by their arms to take them inside.

Job and I just follow them.

The interior of the building is nothing like its exterior.

Although classic, the decor is richly ornate, with visibly expensive furniture and artworks.

"Ming Dynasty Vases are priceless...their beauty, intricate details and design are mesmerizing. I have a pair myself, but not of this size."

A cordial and police voice explains to me, looking with admiration to the Chinese vases in front of me. It's Khun Sanya.

"Some rats usually hide themselves inside expensive vases." My brother says, approaching us.

"Oh! Hello P'Vegas! Long time no see you! It's great to see you again!" A young man rushes to talk to my brother

It is Yin, younger brother of Khun Sanya.

"..." My brother ignores him.

"Ah...Nong Vegas...How do you do?!Where's our beloved Pete?!" Khun Sanya asks my brother.

I discreetly squeeze my brother's arm for him not to get out of control.

"There's no reason for you to see him, Sanya."

"I shall return Pete his umbrella. He lent me his to protect me against a particular storm."

"Storm of bullets, I presume." Another voice joins the conversation. A calm but powerful voice.

"Lian Wang." Khun Sanya greets the distinguished man.

"Khun Sanya...Khun Vegas...Kamol. Good evening" He greets in the Thai way, with his hands together. "And you are...?!" The man looks at me with a cordial smile.

"Hello baby boy!!" A beautiful woman says euphorically, pushing the gentleman aside roughly."

He adjusts his suit.

I recognize her friendly smile.

"Assistant Lee! Wow! You look gorgeous, ma'am!"

"How are you, kid?!" I see big brother let you come to the meeting."

"Yeah...I'm escorting Tankhun."

"God bless you, Macau."

"Oh, Is this Khun Kan's youngest son?!...nice to meet you. I'm Lian Wang."

"Technically I'm not the youngest anymore, sir... Oh! Wait! Do you know my father, Mr. Wang?!"

"Sure...we were very close. I hope to have the same degree of closeness with his children."

Mr. Wang smiles warmly again, looking at me and then at my brother.

I glance at hia, who hasn't told me about Lian Wang and our father. Brother Vegas seems uncomfortable, trying to hide his anger behind a cynical smile.

"How secret is this crap?!" Tankhun cuts the tension. "It looks like college reunion party."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I think we were not formally introduced, first Threerapanyakul son. I'm Lian Wang...nice to meet you."

He extends his hand to cousin.

"I don't trust you." Cousin ignores him, turning his back.

Mr. Wang doesn't seem offended. He just smiles again at my cousin's rudeness.

"Shall we go inside, Lee...Sanya? We'll see you later gentlemen, after your registration."

"Registration?!" I ask.

"Yeap! Good evening, gentlemen! I'm Jade, a Chess Room Controller. Who wants to be first?!"

A very handsome young man... perhaps my age, appears in the Hall. He points to where Mr. Wang and the others followed. His face is not strange to me.

Mr. Wang, Khun Sanya and Assistant Lee take a position in front of a large, closed door. One at a time, they put their chess piece key on a device attached to the big door and they place their hands on a glass reader. After less than two seconds of reading, the two-phase door opens.

After being fully scanned and frisked, Yin enters too.

As my bother explained to me, only one bodyguard or escort who provides security for the participant in the chess room is allowed to enter.

Assistant Lee is a member of the chess room, but she is also primarily responsible for Mr. Lian Wang security. That's why she entered with him. Khun Sanya on the other hand entered the Chess Room with his brother, Yin.

Among us, Kamol goes first, guided by the young dude, Jade.

"I think I've heard his name before...even his face..." I whisper to my brother, Tankhun and Job.

"I'm sure he was at the Main Family Mansion couple of days ago." Job says.

"Really?!" I look at Jade again in surprise.

"He's Kim's ex-boyfriend" Tankhun replies.

"Oh! Right!! The singer! Chay's hard competition!"

"This bitch was two-timing my brother with Vegas." Tankhun looks at hia with contempt. "Lucky Kim doesn't know about it until now, Vegas!"

"WHAT?!?!" I turn to my brother with a disapproving face. "Oh! Not cool, bro ...Does P'Pete know about him?!?!?!"

"I should have just shot you when I had the chance, Tankhun." Brother Vegas glares at Tankhun. "Pete and I have no secrets from each other, Macau. Jade lays in the past anyway."

"Are you sure?!" Tankhun raises an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up and give me the red queen. Take the black king, Tankhun."

"I don't like this color." Cousin refuses to take the black chess piece."

"Are you serious?! That's the King, dude!" I yell at him.

"Whatever.... it's so dull." Tankhun replies rolling his eyes.

"Couldn't agree more!" Jade says, tapping my shoulder, smiling slyly at Tankhun and Vegas.

"Oh!" I jolt.

...

Vegas' POV

"You." I stare at him.

Jade.

The one who brought Pete and Arm to Taiwan.

He smirks.

"Although usually the eldest sons of clans choose the "king" as their representation in the chess room, the pieces do not represent gender nor the family position. But it does represent the function, purpose and role of the chess piece in the criminal organization. Do you know which is the most valuable piece in the chess game?"

"The King! If you kill him, the game is over" Macau hastily replied.

Jade gives a mocking smile...

"I guess you don't play chess much..."

I listen to him with seriousness.

"Whatever..." Macau pouts.

"The king is the most important, but it's not the most valuable" I reply to Jade's question. "The queen is the most valuable piece because she is the most powerful. She can move freely on the chessboard. The king has no value because the objective is to checkmate the king."

"Good, Vegas. You probably played a lot of chess with your father...or your uncle." He smirks again. "The king rules the clan...but it is the queen that holds the power to protect the king. Traditional families like the Wang Clan transfer ownership of the king to the eldest sons, but the queen usually goes to the second in command...the one who will actually guarantee the safety of the clan and the king. In old times, the queen could be a daughter, or a sister traded in marriage to get benefits to the king, but later the queen position has other roles and no gender. The queen leads the front and controls the underworld business for the king. The king is always protected even against legal prosecution."

"In other words, if shit happens, it is the queen that goes to jail." I add.

"True. This much power comes with huge risks. If the king dies, the queen is also responsible. As in the chess game, the queen always stands in front of the king."

"And eventually die in his place?! Give me that, Vegas!" Tankhun gets the black chess piece from my fingers and put his red piece on my hand. "You can have your queen."

"How nice of you, Tankhun." I roll my eyes to him.

"It's not that bad!" Jade looks at Tankhun. "I could wait a few more years and receive the jade king, which eventually will happen. But I want to feel this kind of power first as the Jade Queen." He turns to me. "Lian is looking for the white queen. Before he died, his grandfather, the grandmaster of the white clan, had chosen the best pieces to protect and help Lian rule the white clan."

"Does that mean he also had chosen who would be the next white queen?" I ask.

"I don't know. Lian has no siblings...and he inherited the white king directly from his grandfather, as his parents were murdered in a clan dispute when he was a small child. Who is the white queen of the Wang family is a mystery...actually...I thought your lover was the white queen, Vegas."

"Pete?!" Job jolts.

"My Pete?" Tankhun yells.

"Phi Pete?!" Macau gets scared.

"Why?!" (in English)

"Because Lian Wang left Taipei out of the blue to save him in Bangkok as his life depended on it."

"And you did the same afterwards and brought him here."

"What?! Pete told you, huh?!Anyway...I don't think he is the white queen."

"You looked in his files in the chess room, didn't you?"

"I am forbidden to do this."

"As far as I remember, breaking the rules was never an issue for you, Jade."

"It's not that easy. Files can only be opened with the clan's genetic code."

"Does it mean trades of a clan can only be accessed by successors. Even old trades?!"

"Yes. For example, you can see all trades made by the Minor Family since first trade done by your father's predecessor. Tankhun and Lian can access black and white kings' trades too."

Everything Lian Wang said so far was not a lie and makes more sense now (2). Since Pete is a white clan member, Lian has already seen his trades. Maybe he hasn't thought about my uncle's files at first because he is focused on my father's. But now he knows Tankhun is here because I brought him with me. Lian Wang needs me in the Chess Room to access those files and find out if my father killed his parents...and I need Tankhun to access his father's files to find out if he wants to kill Pete.

"Go on" I nod to Jade to keep talking.

"I only saw Pete's trade because I went into Lian's chess room the other night we were together. I drugged him to sleep (1) and accessed his computer. Pete was traded in his teens...chosen to be the white knight...the second white knight, after Tianshi, not as the white queen."

"I bet he let you see it on purpose. Lian Wang himself already told this to Pete. Pete needs to find the white queen for him."

"Seriously?! That bastard! Why doesn't he just ask for my help? Anyway, Pete must have taken on Tianshi's mission...to find the white queen. I think he is his substitute."

"To be Tianshi's replacement, he should look like him?! Something doesn't seem to make sense."

"Could it be that the white queen is someone Tianshi knew? Is that why they should look alike?" Macau raises the question.

"It can be a hypothesis...yeah..." I turn to Jade again. "Why are you saying all this to us, Jade. What is your goal?"

"Perhaps the same as yours. Get Pete away from Lian...Now, let's get you all inside the Chess Room. Shall we?!"

"Sure." We follow him to the big door.

Jade motions for Tankhun to place the black king on the device and his hand on the reader.

"The chess piece has the DNA encoding of the predecessors... your grandfather... your father... and the successors registered by the predecessors."

"Can you speak my language?!"

"A drop of blood was used to record the genetic code on the chess piece. Anyone who tries to tamper with the chess piece will render it unusable. Only the predecessor can open the chess room key. You will feel a small prick on your finger as the scanner's laser picks up your genetic code."

"All this trouble just to open a door?"

"All this for you to make billionaire deals in the chess room with your genetic code. This is..."

"Inheritance recognition" (in English) I complete Jade's sentence.

"Yes, Vegas...the same genetic code that will allow you to access your clan's trade files."

A message appears on the display.

"Inheritance recognition failed. Access denied." Artificial Intelligence's voice says.

"What?!Have I failed this?! I'm Main Family's first son!"

"Could it be that my uncle registered Kinn in Tankhun's place?" I ask.

"He couldn't. For the title of king, only the eldest son can be registered first. He can only be replaced if he dies or is dethroned."

"Dethroned?! I heard this term before...from Tang Yi."

"Yes, when the pieces are eliminated by the clan itself."

"My father would never kill me!" Tankhun objects.

"Try your piece, bro." Macau points to the red queen in my hand.

I follow the same procedures performed by Tankhun.

"Inheritance recognition failed. Access denied."

"What?!Why?" I frown.

"Is this thing broken?!" Tankhun hits the reader.

"Perhaps you two have not been registered. Weird. Usually, predecessors do this when we are still children. Let's try Macau."

"Inheritance recognition failed. Access denied."

"Damn! What do we do now, hia?"

"Let's exchange keys."

"But the black piece belongs to Theerapanyakul's Main Family. This I was able to check in the records. I don't know why colors are different...we can ask my mother later, but the Theerapanyakul family cannot have a black queen. Its queen is the red queen. In other words, Minor must serve and protect Major Family interests, which is how your system already works. The Chess Room just replicates this logic." Jade said.

"Let's give it a try." I take the black king from Tankhun's hand and place it on the device.

"Inheritance recognition verified. Access granted."

"Holly shit!" Macau yells.

"Try with the red queen, Tankhun". Hia orders cousin.

"Inheritance recognition verified. Access granted."

We all looked at each other, startled.

"What does it mean?" Job asks, surprised.

Jade smirks and tells us.

"That Vegas is the head of the Main Family in the Chess Room and Tankhun is his queen."

...

Author's note:

References:

(1) Chapter 13 - Phong: Lian and Jade were at a hotel in Taipei. That's when Lian purposely let Jade check her records in the chess room about Pete.

(2) Passages in fanfic where Lian talks about his reasons for having Vegas in Taipei:

Chapter 32 – Tyiny drop: Assistant Lee's POV

Assistant Lee says to Lian: "Wait...you fooled me...it wasn't Pete you wanted in Taipei...it was Vegas, right?!. That's why you weren't mad at me for bringing him with me... You incited Pete to come after the chess room as a bait. Why? What are you planning?!"

Chapter 47 – Why?:

Pete's POV: Lian says to Vegas and Pete: "Let's stop with this commotion, shall we?! It leads to nowhere." Wang says calmly but firmly, adjusting his clothes. "The task is simples, Vegas. Get into the Chess Room...Find who wants to kill Pete and finish them off. Find who killed my family...and I live you alone." Then he turns to me. "Find me The White Queen."

....

"Because I already tried and failed." Wang answers bluntly. "Besides, you told me yourself it was not Minor family that ordered for Pete's head, Vegas. I'm giving you the benefit of doubt."

Assistant Lee's POV: Assistant Lee and Lian talking:

"Shit. Anyways... since Arm is not a member, he will not be able to access those files."

"He does not have to. We have Vegas for that."

"Inheritance recognition."

"Precisely Lee. Because I am not a Theerapanyakul, I could not access The Red Queen's trades. But now we have Vegas. Not only him...but the first son...Tankhun."

"So we can break into Black King's Trades too."

"Providence. Two birds with one stone. Mr. Kornwit made it happen for us."

"You know we can be killed by the Jade Queen if we get caught, right."

"Not us...them, Lee."

"I can't believe you left me in the dark until now. Everything makes sense now...why Vegas is here..."

"...To open that damn Pandora's Box.".