Chapter 6: The Team Game

"What we need to do, Zen?" whispered Kai asking Zen for the solution.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. Once you see me start moving, just shoot the guy, then proceed to the one who is pointing his gun to me" said Zen.

"I don't know what crazy plan on your mind, but it seems like is no other way, so just assume I agreed" said Kai.

Zen calculated the probability of his plan will be succeed in his head "That guy is standing at least five meters from me. From that range, my body is filling his sight in about 40 percent. If I crouch, I can reduce the percentage to maybe 30 percent, no, it can be down to 20 percent. With that low percentage of his sight on me, it will be harder to shoot me if I move randomly. Yes, this is the winning way!"

"NOW KAI!" Zen shouted to Kai as the sign he started to move.

Kai without hesitation, shoot the falling guy at the head. Meanwhile Zen, starting to dash forward into the guy who point his gun to Zen.

Suddenly Zen, rolling on the floor, and keep moving randomly to left and right.

"What is this random movement? I can't read his movement. It is so… random" said the guy who are still in shocked seeing Zen movement.

Zen shouted to Kai "What are you waiting for?! Just shoot him!".

The guy's eyes suddenly focused on Kai while saying "damn, I should take that B rank first in this situation! Why am I so shocked with Zen's movement until I don't finish the easiest one first?!"

Kai said "too late to realise, my friend" then Kai shoots that guy on the head also.

Without wasting so much time, they ran to the bomb room. When they arrived in front of the room, they can't see Reina and the other two.

"I can't see Reina and others" said Kai.

"Me neither. I don't know if they make it or not, but we need to proceed, we don't have much time" said Zen.

Before they step in the room, the check the room surrounding and saw Seiji was waiting there while smoking. They tried to use the easy way by shooting Seiji without him noticing.

Unfortunately, Kai missed the shot as Seiji started to move, makes Seiji realized that they already arrived.

"My my, what a cheap strategy to take me out like that" said Seiji.

"Cheap or not, if it works, it works. But luckily it didn't hit you" said Zen while walking entering the room with Kai at behind.

Zen whispered to Kai "you defuse the bomb, let me buy time for you".

"Roger that!" said Kai.

Zen started to move forward in front of Seiji, and said "how if we finish the score, looking for which one have the best combat technique?".

"Why not" said Seiji while bring out his knife.

Zen smiled and brought out his knife and stand on a fighting stance as a sign he is ready to fight. Seiji smiled and brought out his fighting stance out too.

Everyone who was watching felt verry hyped for that fight, even chief.

They were starring each other, waiting for movement. As there was no movement after a few seconds, they started to dash into each other to attack. They were clashing their knives while trying to slash each other. Then Zen started to do a roundhouse kick to Seiji's body but blocked and grabbed by Seiji. Seiji then tried to throw Zen away, but Zen quickly back thrust to Seiji's face, makes Seiji released Zen's leg.

"Not bad, so you want to play a serious game, eh?" said Seiji while rubbing his right cheeks.

"I never said I will take easy on you" said Zen.

"Well, it is really like you. That's why I want you to enter my team!" said Seiji while charging onto Zen.

Seiji tried to slash Zen, but Zen dodged by moving to Seiji's left hand, and Zen tried to counter by stabbing the knife onto Seiji's left ribs but Seiji saw that coming and move his body to dodge that, than continue by grabbing Zen's hand and throw Zen to the floor.

"Game over, my friend" said Seiji while kneeing, grabbing Zen's hand, and tried to slash Zen with the knife.

Zen quickly hit Seiji body with his right knee, followed up with a thrust to the Seiji's left lap while Zen's body on the floor until Seiji released Zen's hand, and makes him can stand again and dashed back to catch some air.

Zen said in his mind "I hope I already buy enough time for Kai to defuse the bomb".

"Uh, excuse me Zen?" Kai is calling Zen.

"Are you done defusing?" asked Zen.

"Actually, I don't know how to defuse a bomb. I'm not a bomb expert" said Kai while smiling blushingly, rubbing his head.

A moment of silent for a second for everyone in the room. Even Seiji who listened to that was speechless.

Seiji asked Zen "you came here for a bomb defusing simulation, but you didn't have a bomb defuser in your team?".

Zen replied "I thought everyone know how to defuse a bomb, like in video games".

"So, do you know how to defuse the bomb? We can switch place if you can" asked Kai.

Zen smiled blushingly, while rubbing his head "I don't know".

"EVEN YOU DON'T KNOW!" Kai and Seiji shouted to Zen.

"How many time left, Kai?" asked Zen.

Kai replied "About 40 seconds".

"So, come here, 40 seconds are more than enough, we are going with a new strategy. If we eliminated all the team members, we could win, right? So, let's take out Commander Seiji! Our skills in combat are on par, but if you help me, we have a higher chance to win" said Zen.

Seiji stood up and said "Hey isn't that unfair? You said you want to settle the score".

Zen replied "sorry Commander, maybe we can settle the score later, but for now, it is fair, we not breaking any of the game's rules".

Seiji smiled and said "So, bring it on! I will give you my best performance!".

Kai immediately points his gun to Seiji. Seiji saw that coming, he dodged by rolling down to his left side. Without he realized, Zen already jumping onto him to slash him, but he changed his rolling direction to avoid Zen, then stood up again.

He took his handgun from a sheath on his belt, and tried to shoot Kai, but Kai dodging those paint bullet. Zen dashed onto Seiji's back, but got hit on the face by Seiji's elbow, makes him thrown back.

Kai covered himself behind a table there and tried to shoot Seiji, but Seiji was aware of Kai, Seiji dodging all the paint bullets, spammed by Kai.

Unfortunately, he slipped while dodging those bullets and let his guard down. But that was Kai's last bullet, so he can't shoot anymore. Kai threw his gun on the floor and dashed to Seiji to slash him. Meanwhile, Zen also saw that opportunity, and dashed also onto Seiji to slash him. Seiji can't do anything; he is falling, and his guard was down. Both of them, Zen and Kai slashed the knife on Seiji's body until it showed a "X" mark as there were two slashes.

A bell sound was ringing as a sign the game is over. As all Seiji's team members were eliminated, automatically Zen's team won the game.

"Finally, it finished! It just three minutes but it felt like forever" said Kai while sitting down as he is getting tired from that game.

"Yes. I think I need to learn how to defuse bomb after this" said Zen while lie down on the floor.

Seiji slowly walked toward them and said "good game, Zen. I never thought you would win. I actually using my first squad for this game, just to invite you enter my group. Unfortunately, you win this game. But because of this game, I think I found someone else to invite enter my team. That B rank with you".

Zen replied "I refuse".

Seiji clueless and asked "refuse what? I'm not inviting you, I'm inviting him".

Zen replied again "yes, I refuse to let him enter your team".

Seiji asked again "but why? Do you really hate my team that much?"

Zen said "no, I'm not hating your team. In fact, I thought your team is awesome. Just, that kid is still new. Also, he still in rank B, meanwhile your team members were all rank A. I don't want to make you look biased. What do you think people would think of him while there are still so many A rank want to join your team? After that, don't you think that he will get bullied and discrimination by the other teammates as he is the only rank B in the team?".

Seiji sighed and agreed with Zen "I guess, you right".

Zen continued "come back later when he ranks A. That time, I would be happy to see you take him into the team".

Three of them walking out from that building and saw all people who watched the match cheered for them. Zen saw Reina and the other two already wait outside.

"We apologized for not make it to the bomb room" said the other two to Zen.

Zen smiled and said "no worries, we already won. Let's celebrate it. What you want to eat? Let me treat you guys".

One of the other two was approaching Reina and starting his words "Reina, actually I like you. I think you are the most beautiful woman in the police department… no, in the world".

Zen suddenly interrupted the confession "oh you confessed to Reina? Reina is my girlfriend by the way".

Those two simpers shocked listened to what Zen just said.

The one who just confessed said to Zen "its ok, I think I don't have appetite to eat and celebrate right now". They walk away with sadness on their faces.

"Thanks, Zen, for saving me" said Reina.

"Nah, I just do that to keep our secret away from them" said Zen while smiling.

"What secret?" Kai asked.

"Kai, what you want to eat? If I ask Reina, until tomorrow she will not tell the answer" Zen tried to change the topic.

"Come on, what secret?" Kai asked again.

"Answer my question, what you want to eat?" said Zen with a happy intonation. They keep teasing each other until they were away from that scene.

That night, Seiji still not finished his shift, so he stayed in the headquarter, doing some unfinished paperwork. Suddenly he felt like want to check the police database that only can be access for people with S rank.

He checked Kai's database and said "well he is not bad, he already solves a drug dealing activity once, but other than that, he doesn't have enough activities yet to get promotion to rank A. Well, that's ok, he is still new, let him gains more experience first".

He then felt like want to check Zen's database, but he can't find Zen in rank A and S.

Seiji asked himself "What rank is him? It is not possible if he ranks below A based on his skills and strategy making.

Let me search by name. What his name again? Zen… Zenith Kwok, right? Yes, I found his database".

Seiji shocked looking at the database "what is this? Only have name, profile picture, and entering date? Where is other information? I heard a rumour he solved a lot of cases. Even chief praised him. What is this? The database is… empty".