GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

CHAPTER 34

DENTON WAS taken aback after hearing that from the spokesperson. He pointed his index fingers to himself and asked, “me?” Denton was really surprised to hear that from the two guys in front of him. He thought it would be some kind of business proposal but it was far tougher from his expectations. “I mean… uhm, I am sorry, I am really shocked to hear that coming from you. I never really expected that to happen. That was the least of my expectations.” Denton took a deep sigh before he continued on talking. “I may be stuttering a lot since that was really out of my expectations to happen. Can I just ask what made you decide to ask me to be the next game head?”

“Nothing,” the game head muttered. The game head sipped a whole volume of tea before he continued on talking. “I mean, why not?” he said. Denton really thinks that the way the game head talks is vague and is figurative. Denton pondered on that statement a lot, but was still unable to find a reason why he told that narrative. “You already know that I was also the winner of a game, right? Every winner also has a consequence they must do in order to stay alive. You do not choose what to do. The higher-ups choose what you must do. And by this, the higher-ups think that you are a better fit for being the next game head. You won that big money, you must learn to thank them by using your mind and your body to serve them.”

“I mean, I know that I owed them the prize money, that the money that I won came from them… but isn’t it unfair to push me to serve when I won the prize money because of my performance in the game?” Denton replied. The spokesperson was really worried that Denton was really having a hard time in understanding the narrative, while the game head was just smiling while sipping his cup of tea. “And for sure, it is not in the agreement that I must serve the higher-ups after winning the game. Why would they suddenly place me in a position I would not want to do?”

“Let us just say that this might not be included in the agreement you did back when you were just starting your journey in winning the game but, did you really have an agreement? And by that, I mean, a written agreement? I am sad to say that there is no,” the spokesperson mumbled. “You did have an agreement but… you have no proof that this is not in the agreement. Plus, this was also told to the current game head after he won the game.” The spokesperson was really trying his hardest to persuade Denton to just accept the offer. “Imagine, you have two choices and you must choose one between them. The first choice is risky and dangerous, it might cost you your life. The second choice is safe but it requires great skills and knowledge. What would you choose?”

“Why would I choose?” Denton replied, which surprised the spokesperson. Denton was really acting very hard-to-get this time, but this is because he thinks that it is against his principles. “I can just disregard the offer and leave? What do you want me to do? Be the game head in exchange of the prize money? I actually have that enough money to give it back to you. Just say you want the exact money back and I will leave… after that, do not interrupt me.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that we, the winners, do not choose? Instead, they choose us. And, even if it goes against your principle, your principle will be disregarded. The game government will not really care about your principles, exactly how they disregarded mine,” the game head replied. “You know what they care about? The game. That is the only thing they care about. The reason why? No one knows. You know you can’t really do anything about this, right? The governing people chose you, and you will get to learn later why they choose you.”

Denton was taken aback with the long narrative of the game head. “But…”

“No more excuses, Mr. Mayfly,” the game head muttered. “I have already passed my resignation letter and it was already granted. You have no choice but to do this. Do not worry at all. After two years, you’ll get to choose someone to succeed your term. Even I despised the idea but still did it. Even the coldest winners did. You’ve got no choice but to do that.”

Denton silenced for a couple of minutes before he talked again. “Are you really doing this because the governing people chose me or because you wanted to resign so much that you wanted to find someone to replace you?” Denton asked. “It looks like you are just pushing me to accept your proposal because in this case, both of us have no choice.”

“Smart analogy,” the game head replied. “Fair enough. You really are deserving to win. That was just one of thousands of reasons I have to make a decision to resign from that position. Yes, you are right with that. I will admit that I intentionally put you in this situation, but the thing is, I did not choose whoever will replace me.” He looked at Denton with a warning in his eyes. “You will get to know why I despise sitting in that position after you replace me. I will warn you nothing is really going to be easy.”

The spokesperson talked to stop the conversation between the two, which he already senses is becoming more and more heated. “Anyway, we will just call you for another meeting, when everything is already fine and probably, some time before the resignation of the current game head happens,” the spokesperson told Denton. “We are going to leave after this, Mr. Mayfly. The road might be confusing but that is a challenge for you. Please be safe. Please go home safely.” That is when the two guys in front of Denton left him alone on the table.

Denton was left taken aback inside the building, while the waiter went back to serve his steak. “Hi, sir.” The waiter placed the steak in front of Denton before he slowly looked at the chairs in front of Denton that were not vacated. “The two other guys… did they already leave?”

Denton brought out his wallet before talking back to the waiter. “Did they already pay for their meal? How much is it all? I will pay now.”

“Uhm, no need, sir,” the server replied. “They already paid for this table during the reservation and it is already fully paid.” Denton placed a thousand-dollar bill on the table as he stood up. “But… sir, this table has already been paid. You do not need to pay for this…”

Denton nodded and smiled. “You can eat that steak and take that money as a tip. Thank you.”

The guy who gave a thousand-dollar bill as a tip walked out of the restaurant. He immediately looked at the guard who was waiting for him outside the restaurant. The guard walked suddenly after Denton walked out of the place. Denton had no other options but to follow the guard on where he was going. Fortunately, the guard literally brought him back to where his car was parked. He placed himself inside the car and lowered his window pane to see the guard. “Thank you…” He stopped as he saw no one outside. “He was literally just here before I came inside the car. How the hell did he suddenly vanish?”

Denton did not really think about that guard who suddenly vanished. He started the engine of his car and started driving it on his way back to his house. For sure, he was bothered by the talk but he tried to forget it while he was still driving his way back home. The ride to the place was a real challenge but that does not compare to the challenge Denton felt while riding back to home. It felt like he was running his car inside a circle, just going back to where he was just minutes ago. “What’s wrong with this place?” he told himself. “I just went here minutes ago…”

He continued his ride and took a lot of turns and still cannot take the right path. Fortunately, Denton was patient enough to try all the possible ways to find the way to leave the place. For a minute, Denton felt like giving up in finding the way but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he immediately found the way to the highway. “For Pete’s sake, I have been waiting for this car to enter the highway,” Denton replied before looking back at the road he just took before the highway. “I will never ever go back to that place again. That place, really. I swear in my life, I will never go back to that road once more.”