GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

THE FIRST STEP

Two days after that unexpected visitation of the resigned game head and his spokesperson to Denton inside the latter’s house, Denton received a call. “Hello,” he answered as the telephone of his house rang. The one who answered the call had a familiar voice, which he used to fear… but now, he was happy to hear his voice. The caller explained something to Denton who was smiling while listening to his remarks. “Yes, I’m in. You can just take me from my house. I see we should start by counseling me on what I will experience as the next game head…”

By ‘counseling’, Denton means he wanted the two guys to prepare his mind before he officially sit on the position. Of course, he knows that the position he will sit in is a hard job, and that is why he needed to prepare his mental awareness. In no time, if he will go for it without counseling, he might not do his job well. Unlike everyone’s thought about him, Denton really has a weak mental strength. He gets too heated up. He gives up easily. The only time he tried to have a strong mental strength was when he was playing inside the game. Why? Because his life was at risk. Denton was considered a strong candidate to win because of his leadership and intellect, but he admits that he has low self-esteem. Fortunately, his leadership and intellect won. However, upon leaving the game, he went back from his usual self. Denton, again, lost his self-esteem after something happened.

“You are really prepared, huh?” the resigned game head told Denton. He was looking at Denton who was wearing a full suit, with a tie and his hair fixed by gel. The resigned game head laughed after seeing Denton’s style. “Dude, what are you trying to do, attract possible investors for your company?” He laughed after releasing his joke. Denton was not really pleased by the former’s remarks. He just gave a death glare to the resigned game head who was not really threatened. “Or, wait, are you going to ask the people inside the game hall if they are interested in mining bitcoins, ‘cause you look like a networker. Some priests in this country wear suits better than you.” He laughed once more. His laugh was not really scary but Denton would prefer looking at his mad face than his insulting one.

Denton heaved a deep sigh. He realized he must be patient with the guy in front of him. “Laugh all you want but this is how I style myself before going to work… and since it is a job, I’ll take it as a work and enter the game hall with this attire,” he replied. He looked at the resigned game head who was stopping his laugh from going out of his mouth. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so. He really has this insulting laugh which intimidates Denton. “I’ll take that. I may look like a priest but, at least, I do not look like a grim reaper who guides souls to heaven or hell…”

The resigned game head’s eyes gaped open. “What did you say?” he asked Denton who was pridefully entering the car. “Hey, what did you say? I looked like a grim reaper?” He was really disappointed. He looked at his own attire which was in full black. He even has a cape on his back, which really stands out under the sunlight. He looked at the spokesperson on the driver’s seat. “Hey, tell me. Do I really look like a grim reaper with this style? Tell me, I don’t…”

The spokesperson was too intimidated to even talk back. Fortunately, it was Denton who talked back. “Did I say a name? As far as I can remember, I did not say a name,” he replied. The resigned head was really gritting his teeth at the moment. “So, it’s you who likes to assume things… it’s you who likes to laugh at someone else’s attire but hates it when someone does it to him…” Denton clicked his tongue before he paused. “You better hop in the car. You should not waste any time complaining about how I see your attire. You have a better job to do…”

The resigned game head entered the car after he calmed down. The spokesperson started driving it, but he drove it slowly after seeing that there was still a tension between the two. “You two should stop it already. Who would care about your attire there? You look like two kids who are trying to compare each other and are trying their hardest to find who is better,” the one on the driver’s seat said. Fortunately, his narrative worked and it really made the two of the people aside from him calm down. “Anyway, we will be starting to give you a quick assessment of what to expect as the next game head, Mr. Mayfly.” Denton only nodded as a response. “Anyway, the counseling you asked… for your mental preparedness, sadly, we can’t cater that, but we will try our best to make you comfortable, so that you will have an easy time to prepare for the position.” Denton was just nodding after the spokesperson’s remarks, which the latter found awkward. However, he still continued on talking. “We will be taking you to the game hall. I reckon you must stay calm. It might have a lot of memories that you have inside that place, but we advise you not to prioritize your emotions. Can you still follow?”

The resigned game head laughed his ass out. “Did you really think the guy on the back was listening to you?” The spokesperson raised his brows before looking at the rear mirror. The man from the back was sleeping soundly, with his mouth open. The spokesperson thought that Denton was still listening and was nodding to him, but in reality, his whole body was bouncing, causing his head to slightly nod. “Poor guy was probably exhausted from work or so excited that he did not even have the chance to sleep tight last night. You should start on giving him the instructions and assessment when he’s fully awake.” The spokesperson nodded. “Eyes on the road.”

“Hmm.” Denton woke up from his tight sleep only to see that the two guys were looking at him. He was, of course, surprised to see the two men looking at him tightly while he was sleeping. “Why are you staring at me? It makes me feel uncomfortable,” Denton noted. He looked at the outside view of where the car was parked. “Where are we? Are we there yet?”

“Stupid,” the resigned game head scowled at Denton who was raising his brows, asking why he was immediately called ‘stupid’ after he asked such question. “We aren’t there yet, mister. Don’t you know that the game hall was placed on a lone island that only the workers know?” Denton’s mouth gaped open as he heard that fact from the guy. “Just so you know, we have to take a boat to actually get there. This will be a tough ride, so prepare yourself. Hop out of the car, he will be requesting the car to get towed inside the yacht.”

Denton did as he was told, he immediately hopped out of the car and let the spokesperson enter the yacht with the car on him. “We’ll also hop in the said yacht?” Denton asked the guy beside him. The guy beside him looked at him and raised his brows. “Nothing,” he answered. “It’s just that even though I have all the money, I haven’t gotten a ride in a yacht yet. It might not be obvious but I am surely excited…”

“Why don’t you just buy a yacht? You have enough money to do so,” the guy replied. Denton just gave him a sour look. “Why?” he asked. “You have enough money to buy one, or even two. What’s stopping you from buying a yacht if you really want to ride one?”

“I don’t really buy things that can’t be useful for a lot of times,” Denton replied. “I would look like I buy things that I like recklessly, but I’ve learned to save my own money.” The resigned game head just nodded like he was not really interested in Denton’s life story. “Before I entered the game, I used to gamble a lot. I even used the savings my wife left before she died. All the problems came after that, most especially my daughter Denise’s medication because of her chronic kidney disease. After winning the game, I learned how essential it is to save money.”

“However, you have a handful of money. Plus, your business is really doing well, and I guess it has a lot of investors, so you’ll never get out of money,” the resigned guard muttered. Their thoughts are literally clashing at the end. They silenced for a minute before the resigned game head talked once more. “But that’s your money, and it is your right to use your own money. Otherwise, saving money is not that bad.”