Chapter 18 — World Chess Game

Even the eldest uncle and aunt. All were tied tightly, like trapped prey, with no blood on their faces. In Trieu Thien Thanh's hand is a phone. On the screen... is Tham Hao. His face was covered in blood, his eyes were filled with panic and despair. He looked straight at me through the screen. His voice was slow, as if he was enjoying this moment.

“Tham Nguyet, good evening.”

“Have you seen everything on the memory card?”

“Now I give you a choice.”

“Use my criminal evidence… in exchange for your cousin's life.”

"Or use evidence of your uncle's betrayal... in exchange for your entire family's life?"

He stopped, then pointed to the corner of the room. There… is a time bomb. Bright red numbers.

“You have ten minutes.”

“The game… officially begins.”

“This hell invitation… I personally sent it to you.”

19 Flip the chessboard Trieu Thien Thanh's face covers the screen. In my eyes, it is scarier than any demon. He thinks he won. Thinking he had trapped me in a chessboard with no way out. Thinking he could watch me collapse, despair, and then obediently choose one of two ways to die. He's wrong. I looked at him. Look at the people behind him—my family, the people who once hurt me to the core. And I… burst out laughing. With less than nine minutes left on the clock— Laughing until tears flowed from my eyes. Lam Phong, A Luc, and Chu Ky all looked at me like I was crazy.

“Tham Nguyet, you…”

Lam Phong's voice was full of worry. I raised my hand to wipe my tears. Then raise your head and look straight at the screen. My smile... is colder than his.

“General Trieu.”

My voice was terrifyingly calm. Calm like the sea before the storm. The smile on his face stopped for a moment. He didn't expect me to react like that.

“Have you finished choosing yet?”

“Choose your cousin's life… or—”

I shook my head, so lightly it was almost invisible.

“General Trieu, you are wrong.”

“From beginning to end… this game was never set by you.”

My fingers gently tapped the table top. A very light tap. But with Cycles… it's a signal. His eyes lit up. Fingers immediately hit the keyboard.

“What do you mean?”

Trieu Thien Thanh frowned. He began to feel... something was wrong.

“I mean…”

I looked at him, each word falling like cold ice.

“It's the children who have to choose.”

“I choose to overturn your chess board.”

My words just ended. The large TV behind Trieu Thien Thanh—in my living room—suddenly changed its image. No more bullshit movies. But... himself. The video shows him sitting in his office, calmly admitting all the crimes.

“…driver Tham Hao, dumb as a cow, very easy to control.”

“…as for her cousin, Tham Nguyet, I have prepared a ‘reasonable suicide’ death.”

His voice... resonated clearly. Trieu Thien Thanh's face immediately turned pale. Behind him, my parents... even my aunt and uncle... All were dumbfounded. Their eyes turned from fear… to horror… then finally— To resentment. Everything... falls on Tham Chi Cuong. He went limp and fell to the ground.

"No! It's not! This is fake!"

Trieu Thien Thanh screamed and rushed towards the TV. But it's late. I laughed coldly.

“So this part… how do you explain it?”

Transition screen. My eldest uncle's face appeared. Accompanying the recording— The voice is obsequious, dirty, blood betraying.

“…my useless son, with that annoying granddaughter…”

“Sorry General Trieu… handled it cleanly.”

The whole room... was silent. My mother screamed, her voice cracking.

“Shen Zhigang! You are truly an animal!”

My father's eyes turned red and he rushed forward, wanting to beat him to death. The whole living room turned into a mess.

“How are you, General Trieu?”

I smiled, looking at him through the screen.

“Surprised?”

“Oh, I forgot to say…”

“It's not just my TV.”

I tilted my head.

“Chu Qi, tell him—how big is our audience.”

Chu Ky pushed up his glasses, his cold smile chilling.

“Thirty million devices.”

“The video and audio were recently distributed virally—simultaneously across the entire platform.”

"Servers of news sites, livestreams... we borrowed them temporarily."

“Currently, the top 10 hot searches…”

“It's all you.”

“The title is…”

“Deputy General of Dang Viet Group Trieu Thien Thanh—confessed directly.”

His face... turned deathly gray. He lost. He wants to destroy me. And I... put him on trial for the whole country.

“You crazy!”

He shouted, pointing straight at the screen.

“I will kill you! I will definitely kill you!”