Chapter 10 — World Chess Game

I don't want to pull you in any deeper. This… is already too dangerous. After sending, I turned off the phone and hid it under my pillow. I curled up in the blanket, wrapping myself tightly. But still not warm. Just as I was about to fall asleep... My old phone... suddenly vibrated. A new message. The pupils immediately constricted. The sender is an unknown number. That message... wasn't text. It's not a word. It's a photo. In the photo... it's me. Huddled on the old bed of this room, wrapped tightly in the blanket like a fugitive. The shooting angle… is from the ventilation hole in the ceiling. Below the photo, is a line of blood-red text.

“Got it, little mouse.”

12 Allies in Desperate Situations At that moment, it was as if a basin of ice water was poured straight from my head to my feet, cold to the bone, making every heartbeat numb. Fear was like an invisible hand squeezing my throat, so tight that I couldn't breathe, every thought was crushed in panic. This room… has a camera. I screamed, jumped up from the bed as if I'd been electrocuted, then rushed to rummage through everything like a crazy person. Under the bed, under the table, behind the TV, on the ceiling... I searched the whole room, but couldn't find anything. That camera... is hidden too well. I trembled as I leaned my back against the cold wall, sliding to the floor, the feeling of despair slowly rising like a tide, engulfing my entire consciousness. I have been discovered. They know I'm here. They were like cats hiding in the dark, and I... was just a mouse being played with in the palm of my hand. I can't stay here. This place... is a trap, a death cage. I have to run. I jumped up, grabbed my bag, and rushed towards the door, but as soon as my hand touched the handle, I stopped as if frozen. Where can I go? Outside… there might be someone waiting. Waiting for me to put my head in the net. What should I do... What should I do... Despair rose like a wave, swallowing every remaining bit of reason. At that moment, the phone Lam Phong gave me... suddenly vibrated. I was like a dying man who grabbed a buoy and rushed forward to grab it. It was you calling. My hands trembled and I pressed the button to listen. My voice trembled, carrying a choking sound that I didn't even realize.

“Where are you?”

His voice was still calm, but underneath it was an urgency that couldn't be hidden. I was about to say the name of the motel, but immediately stopped. Impossible. I'm not sure if this phone is absolutely safe or not.

“Listen to me, Tham Nguyet, you are in very danger.”

His voice became serious to the point of being scary.

“I don't care where you are, just do as I say.”

“Lock the door, don't open it for anyone.”

“Don't trust anyone.”

“Stay there… wait for me.”

“I'll be there soon.”

His words were like a life-saving medicine, pulling me from the brink of collapse. You know I'm here? Before I could think more, the call was cut off. I stood there dumbfounded, still holding the phone in my hand, each second passing by like a century. The sound of footsteps in the hallway, the TV from the next room... any small sound makes my heart jump. Don't know how much time has passed. Ten minutes… or half an hour. Suddenly, the room door was knocked.

“Knock… knock… knock…”

Three hours, evenly, not fast, not slow. My heart immediately rose to my throat. Lam Phong... or the one who wants to kill me? I asked, voice obvious trembling. There was no response from outside. There was only eerie silence. Just as I was about to collapse, the phone vibrated. Message from Lam Phong. Those two words were like untying the rope that was tightening my nerves. I rushed forward and pulled the door open. The person standing outside... is indeed you. Behind him, there was also a large man with fierce eyes, clearly not an ordinary person. Lam Phong glanced at the chaotic room, then looked at me - his face was pale, his clothes were disheveled. His eyebrows frowned slightly. Without saying anything else, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me straight outside. The other man walked behind, his wary eyes scanning the hallway. We left the motel in silence. Get in a black SUV parked on the side of the road. The car started and merged into the night traffic. At that time... my heart gradually lowered.

“You… how did you know I was there?”

I turned to look at him and asked.

"Phone."

He drove, never taking his eyes off the road.

"The phone I gave you has a location, I saw you standing still for too long, I knew something was up."

Turns out... he never really believed I could handle it myself.

"Thank you."

I spoke softly, my mind as confused as a thread.

“No need to thank me.”

His voice is still cold.

“I just don't want my name attached to a murder case.”

“Besides… Trieu Thien Thanh is also your enemy.”

I was stunned.