Arm's POV
"You must trust Khun Vegas, Pete. He must be here following some lead. Let him get the information we need. Trust his ways"
"Which ways, I wonder..."
"Hey...it's not usual to see you upset like this..."
"Vegas cheating or hooking up with shitty people in the past doesn't bother me much, Arm...at some point those people deserved what they got from Vegas...but playing with the feelings of someone like Ton...that makes me furious..."
Pete doesn't seem inclined to accept the real reason for his dissatisfaction.
"Or jealous, Pete?!"
"..." He looks at me in surprise, and then looks away.
"Pete...Macau, Tankhun and Pol are coming!"
"What?!"
Pete and I don't have time to hide. Pete pretends to arrange some glasses of champagne on his tray. I pretend peeling fruit for drinks.
"Look at those costumes, Pol!" Macau says to Pol, pointing to the club staff excitedly!
"Wow!" Pol looks amazed to those costumes.
"Damn brat! If you hadn't stopped us to see these silly costumes, we wouldn't have parted ways with Vegas. Not that I want to be that close to him anyway. He's too bossy. CHAMPAGNE!!!"
Khun Noo shouts shrilly.
Pete has no option but to serve those glasses of champagne that are on his tray for the three of them taking their seats at the counter.
"OMG!Look at her! Sooo cool!"
Macau speaks excitedly pointing to Pete, who almost drops the tray in fright.
"Oh...you are scaring the girl, Khun Macau." Pol says apologetically to waitress Pete.
Tankhun rolls his eyes, bored.
"I'm sorry, miss! It's just...this costume of yours...it's so cool!"
"What's so great about it?! Not that the BDSM theme is to my taste... now I understand why Vegas and his friend chose this place...ew...."
Tankhun says disgusted, taking a sip of his champagne.
"BDSM? What is that?"
"Well, I read BDSM means..."
"Khun Noo! I don't think it's appropriate to discuss this with Khun Macau without permission from Khun Vegas or Arm..."
"You're so distressed, Pol! Hello! He's from Minor Family, remember?! I bet he already knows the concept, he just doesn't know the name!"
Of course Macau doesn't know that! Well...not that I noticed it...
Pol looks at Khun Noo disapprovingly. I would too!
" Right... never mind, brat."
"Anyway...these costumes are cosplay, I'm sure! I can't believe you guys don't recognize her costume! Any mafia kid would know." Unconsciously Macau holds Pete by his arm.
Pete gets huddled between Macau, Tankhun and Pol.
"You're the kid here..."
"In fact, this cosplay is based on a comic book character from your generation, old Cousin."
"Whatever. You talk like a nerd. What is Arm doing to you, boy?!"
Hey, Khun Noo! Macau and I enjoy those things!
"Come on, you two really don't know?"
"Of course I do." Tankhun says.
"I doubt you know!" Macau teases him.
"Look at her gloomy face and this terrible outfit. It's obvious."
Pete flinches.
"So?!"
"Wednesday Addams." Tankhun speaks confidently.
"Yes. Positive. Wednesday Addams." Pol agrees.
Pete nods as if he agrees...
"Come on, you guys can't be serious!"
Khun Noo, Pol and Pete make a puzzled face, not understanding Macau's annoyance.
"Why are you here?" A firm, angry voice rises from behind the group. It's Vegas. "I already told all of you to stay close to me."
"Hia!Hia! Who do you think she is? Macau ignores Vegas' scolding and asks his brother, pointing to Pete.
Immediately Pete places the tray partially over his face.
"A maid " Vegas answers in English, trying to be patient.
"No! I mean, yes! But it's a cosplay. Try again!"
"Wednesday Addams?!" Vegas answers trying really hard to be patient with Macau.
"Wednesday Addams is not a maid, is she?! It's Roberta, for God's sake!"
"..."
Khun Noo, Pol and Pete make a puzzled face again, followed by Vegas.
"Roberta?! Black Lagoon?! assassin maid who kills gangsters with an umbrella that fires tons of bullets at once?!No?!"I feel proud of Macau! He recognized Roberta costume. "Arm would know. You guys embarrass me. Obviously you won't know who Kakashi is." Macau says, pointing at me, dejectedly.
Vegas rubs his brother's hair affectionately and then turns to Tankhun.
"Come, Tankhun... I need you to come with me to the private area. Pol, stay here with Macau."
"I'm not going anywhere without Pol."
"Don't worry, brother... I'll stay here at the bar quietly until you come back."
"Don't ever leave this place, Macau." Then Vegas turns his face to me. I jolt. "Hey, bartender! Keep your two eyes on him. Don't let anyone get close to him."
I nod.
Vegas glances at me and Pete, then leaves with Tankhun and Pol.
In a way I'm relieved that Macau will be at the bar with me. I'm not going to let anything happen to Macau for sure.
Pete and I were also relieved that no one recognized us.
Something catches Pete's attention, and he signals to leave.
I continue preparing drinks at the bar in silence.
But my heart beats faster knowing that Macau is close to me.
I feel eyes staring at me.
Suddenly, the lights in the hall go out, and a stripper show begins on the dance floor.
I realize that someone has jumped onto the counter.
I can't see who it is... ...this person seems to be down.
"I ask you to leave the counter, please, this side is only allowed to the staff."
I feel hands going over my bare back and abdomen.
"Hey! I said out!"
"Calm down, bartender...no need to get mad. I just want to feel your chest... I'm Yai...a VIP customer here. Hey...accompany me to the second floor...
"No sir...I'm working. I just prepare drinks, nothing more. I can ask for an urisen for you."
"But I want you..."
...
Vegas' POV
When I enter the private room again, Tang Yi and Andy are talking with Kamol.
Behind them there are four decent-looking young men dressed in silk robes.
Kamol gives me an uneasy look.
I know well that under the silk there are leather ribbons and red ropes at most.
I'm glad of my decision to leave Macau at the bar.
"It's a pleasure to have you at De Light again, Vegas."
"How are you doing, Tang Yi?"
We greeted each other without too many formalities.
When I was in Taipei with Kamol a few years earlier, we came to De Light often.
For business, for fun...for pleasure.
"This is my cousin Tankhun...and his personal bodyguard, Pol."
Tankhun nods in boredom. Pol bows respectfully.
"The first son, I see..." Tang Yi smirks. Should I call for more? He points to the boys."
"This place is too crowded... I hate crowded places, Vegas. Send them away."
Tankhun says imperiously, exactly as we agreed.
I anticipated that, like in the old days, Tang Yi would bring boys to entertain us.
but I'm not the same Vegas as before.
I don't want to be old Vegas again.
For me and for Pete.
"I appreciate Tang Yi's kindness, but my cousin doesn't like this kind of entertainment. Maybe another time."
"Sure..." Tang Yi glances at Andy.
Andy waves the boys out of the room. Andy stays to pour us red wine. Andy is Tang Yi's partner at the night club and a personal friend of his.
No other staff are allowed in the room.
"I heard you arrived in Taipei yesterday, Vegas"
"Yes...we arrived yesterday..."
"Did you come with Yu Ming...?
"Jade?"
"I heard he got back from Bangkok yesterday too...I thought maybe you all came together, since you two are ...close."
Tankhun looks at me with disgust. He will always cling to the old me to disprove me and get Pete back.
"We are not close."
Jade...Pete told me about Jade...He had met Jade at the main family's mansion, but I hadn't paid much attention. Could it be that Pete and Arm came with Jade to Taipei? Jade approached Pete on purpose, but why?!
"We came in Lian Wang's helicopter...a courtesy of him."
"Lian Wang...?!"
"You are all here for the same reason, aren't we." I say looking at him and Kamol.
"What do you mean, Vegas?"
"Oh, please...surely not for a chess championship." Tankhun rolls his eyes and asks for more wine.
"You are an interesting person, Tankhun, eldest son." Tang Yi gives a little laugh.
"So you two also got your keys to the chess room." Kamol said, looking at me and Tankhun.
"Yes...we did. We are here for the in-person initiation meeting in the chess room...whatever it means" I answer him.
"As far as I know it doesn't mean much."Tang Yi says. "Chess room controllers will validate our keys and we will have access to the data of the main deals traded in the room. Eventually some more exclusive deals may be made, anonymously or not." Tang Yi said. "We are not joining a secret sect that follows satanic Asian mafia rituals. It's just exclusive black-market deals offered primarily to members of the chess room."
"Coincidentally, this year main associates of the chess room has changed their members as the patriarchs died or passed the succession of their businesses to heirs, which happened to all of us, including Jade and Lian Wang." Kamol added.
"Why have I never heard of Lian Wang before, if his clan is so important in the Pacific region?"
"I only met him a couple weeks ago, Vegas, when I took over my father's business. Lian was in Bangkok." Kamol explained.
It was probably when Lian Wang stayed at The Diamond hotel and met Pete.
"Lian Wang is not directly involved in the negotiations. He primarily deals with legal business and manages illegal business with his subordinates since they have the white queen position vacant." Tang Yi says.
"What does it mean?" I ask.
"Well, I don't really know much about it. The white clan follows rules of the chess room. The position of each one in command of the clan obeys the position of a chessboard. But the white queen's position has long been empty. This position usually takes care of the clan's illegal business." That position has not been occupied for years, which is strange for a clan bound by the rules of the chess room.
"Is this the white king's wife position?"
"I think not. I've heard that the queen's position is not that of consort. They can be anyone, even a loyal subordinate of the king. They had a Master, who was the white king, Lian's grandfather, but he died too."
"Killed?!"
"Illness...but who knows?!"
"And about his parents?"
"I'm not sure, but I remember my uncle saying they were dethroned."
"What does it mean?"
"They have been removed from their command positions on the white clan chessboard...in other words...killed."
"By the clan itself? Why?"
Lian Wang wasn't lying at all when he said that his parents were murdered. Did my dad do this? What is our family's relationship with the white clan? Maybe this is not only about commercial affairs.
"I don't know who the masterminds were or the motives. But the executors could have been any one of us...I mean...from our families. As I said, the white clan follows the rules of the chess room. All death requests are negotiated there. By the way, you have a lot of interest in the white clan, Vegas..."
"Lian Wang and I have unfinished business. I'm just interested in getting to know my counterparty better."
"Well, that's all I know."
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK
Someone knocks frantically on the door.
A distressed employee enters.
"Forgive me, Mr. Andy, Mr. Tang Yi. It's an emergency...Ton has been..." The employee shuts up realizing he shouldn't say it in front of customers.
"Say it. What about him??" Kamol gets up abruptly, worried and orders the waiter to spit it out, before Tang Yi and Andy can ask anything.
"One of the VIP customers and his underlings took Ton to the second floor... they took advantage of the start of the show to take him...since it's a VIP costumer, our security guards await your orders..."
"Which room? Kamol grabs the poor waiter."
"I knew it! I told Ton to leave De Light...it's your fault!" Andy yells at Kamol.
"I've made it very clear that no one can touch my employees freely." Tang Yi says angrily. "Show us the way."
"Mr. Andy, Anong is with them too!" The waiter adds, very worried.
"OMG!!" Andy says in horror.
"Who's Anong?" Tankhun asks.
"Our new waitress...she is Thai." Mr. Andy says while desperately running out of the room with the waiter, Kamol and Tang Yi.
Tankhun turns to me, terrified.
"Wednesday Addams, Vegas!!"
...