Game of Chess [part 1]

The following morning, I woke up with an even stronger sense of anticipation than the day before.

The golden light of the sun filtered through the window of our room at the Ryushin resort, casting dancing shadows on the coins I had left scattered on the bedside table.

I jumped up, feeling the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

The nanny looked at me with her usual mix of apprehension and affection.

And she said:

"Now that you're awake, let's go have breakfast."

Hearing that, I dressed quickly, my morning hunger urging me to move swiftly.

So, the nanny and I headed to the dining room, where a sumptuous breakfast awaited us.

As we took our seats at a table near the window, I asked her if we would be stopping at another Ryushin resort that evening.

Hearing that question, the nanny nodded, explaining that it would take another 4 days to reach our destination.

Hearing this, I was surprised, as I had the opportunity to modify and make more effective, or even completely change the plan I had devised the night before.

It was quite simple, and required the use of a small voice recorder, which could be easily and discreetly hidden inside a pocket, and a device capable of distorting and changing the voice, which could also be easily hidden inside a pocket.

The execution of the plan was also simple: record some of the conversations, change the voice to make it resemble that of the victim, and then finally use them to further manipulate people's perceptions.

So, now knowing the possibility of doing that, I asked her if there were other places within the resort, besides the Colosseum where bets usually took place.

And she replied saying:

"Of course, there are many other places where betting takes place here at the resort. There's the theater of illusions, where people bet on the numbers of the winning tickets of the shows, a virtual racing lounge, where you can bet on simulated races of horses, cars, and even drones. But..."

She took a little time before continuing, saying:

"There is especially a large underground casino that few know about. It is reserved for elite players and the highest stakes. That's where the real opportunities... and the real dangers are."

The mention of the underground casino made me jump.

"A secret casino?" I asked, trying to mask my excitement.

"How can we get in?"

The nanny lowered her voice. "It's not easy. You need a special invitation or an inside contact. But if you can get in, the rewards could be huge."

"Anyway, after breakfast, we should hurry to go to another resort"

"Anyway, after breakfast, we should hurry to go to another resort," the nanny concluded, returning to her worried but resolute expression.

After finishing our breakfast, I got up with renewed energy, ready to leave for the new destination.

The nanny and I left the dining room and quickly headed for the resort's exit.

We began to run towards the next stage of our journey, a now well-established routine.

As we ran, I felt the energy drain from my legs.

The adrenaline that had woken me up that morning seemed to dissipate quickly.

The nanny, on the other hand, ran with the same grace and endurance as always, as if she had never known fatigue.

With every step, my breath became shorter and my leg muscles protested more and more.

But the nanny continued to encourage me with her steady pace and determined gaze.

Every now and then she turned to make sure I was still behind her, smiling with understanding and urging me not to give up.

Finally, after hours of non-stop running, we arrived at the new Ryushin resort.

I was exhausted, my legs were shaking, and sweat was running down my back. The nanny, however, seemed to have just started her day.

She put a hand on my shoulder, her smile encouraging.

"You did well, and you have good talent," she said. "But you have to work hard to exploit it to the best of your abilities, so don't focus exclusively on scams."

The nanny looked at me with a serious, almost solemn expression.

"See," she began, "life is like a game of chess."

She continued by saying:

"Every move must be pondered, every strategy must be balanced between risk and reward. Scams may seem like a shortcut to success, but in the end, they are just moves that lead you into a dead end if you have nothing else besides being skilled in them."

As we walked towards our new accommodation, the nanny continued to talk.

"Training and discipline are the keys to making the most of your talent. It's not just about physical strength or mental cunning, but about endurance, patience, and determination."

We entered the Ryushin resort, a place that was now familiar to us.

By now, the security check, greeting the staff, and passing through the luxurious corridors to our room had become routine.

"Here, in these resorts," the nanny continued, "you can find many opportunities to hone your skills."

"Not only in the gaming rooms, but also by observing people, learning from their behaviors, their victories, and their defeats."

She stopped in front of the door to our room and turned to me.

"Remember, every experience is a lesson. Even if you don't participate directly, observing and reflecting can teach you as much as the action itself."

With a nod, the nanny opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

"Now, rest. Tomorrow is another day full of possibilities. And who knows, maybe we'll find a way to get into that underground casino... but only if it's the right move in our game of chess."

The nanny's words echoed in my mind as I lay down on the bed, my body tired but my mind still alive with thoughts.

"Life is like a game of chess," she had said, and at that moment, I realized how true it was. Every decision, every action I had taken up to that point, had been a move on that invisible chessboard that is existence.

I reflected on my strategy, my skills, and how I could improve them.

The nanny was right; I couldn't rely solely on scams, but they had to serve something.

They had to serve my becoming more powerful, and they couldn't be my dependency.

And this, to always be prepared for any eventuality, because in the game of life, unlike chess, you can't always predict the opponent's move.

I promised myself that, in addition to continuing my plan, I would dedicate much more time to my training.

I would observe more, learn more, and practice more.

Not only to be able to defend myself if things went wrong, but also to be sure I could seize every opportunity that presented itself.

With these thoughts, I fell asleep, dreaming of chessboards and underground casinos, of scams and hidden talents, and of a life full of endless possibilities, just waiting to be discovered and conquered.

And when I woke up the next day, I was ready to face whatever challenge fate had in store for me, with the nanny by my side and a new vigor in my heart.