The opponent launched an aggressive offensive, eager to check Lucas’s king as quickly as possible. Each move was calculated to corner Lucas, but Lucas saw through every plan, methodically building a solid defense.
As the pieces moved across the board, the opponent sneered, “I’ve seen your moves a hundred times before. You’re not surprising anyone.”
Meanwhile, the spectators watched with wide grins, engaging in their own discussion. “He’s doing his favorite move again,” one of them remarked. “This kid won’t last long.”
“Yeah, it’s only a matter of time before he crumbles,” another added, mocking Lucas’s impending defeat.
Despite the taunts, Tyrone sat calmly, watching the large screen. He knew Lucas’s capabilities and remained unfazed by the crowd’s jeers.
On the screen, the opponent began a fierce attack, systematically capturing the pawns in Lucas’s initial defense line. Yet, Lucas remained unshaken, calmly crafting his own strategy.
The two players exchanged moves, each trying to outmaneuver the other. The opponent, growing more confident with each move, believed victory was within his grasp. However, Lucas suddenly executed an unexpected defensive maneuver, one that the opponent hadn’t anticipated.
Lucas spoke calmly, “You’ve seen my moves many times, but you didn’t notice the subtle changes. You were too focused on what you thought would happen.”
The opponent now saw Lucas’s intricate formation, a nearly impenetrable defense that obscured his king. He swallowed hard, realizing the difficulty of breaking through. In his shock, he instinctively moved into his favorite pattern, hoping to regain control.
Lucas smirked and advanced his bishop. “Check,” he announced.
The room fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. The spectators were stunned, their eyes glued to the large screen displaying the unexpected turn of events. Only Tyrone remained smiling, as if he had anticipated this outcome all along, yet still pleasantly surprised by Lucas’s brilliance.
The opponent suddenly stood up, snapping back to reality, unable to believe what had just happened. “You cheated!” he accused Lucas, his voice filled with disbelief and frustration.
Lucas remained calm, responding, “I didn’t cheat. You just didn’t see the moves coming.”
The opponent was left speechless, unable to counter Lucas’s calm assertion. He glanced over at the gangster leader, who was still in shock, contemplating the loss of his Chess Palace along with his player’s defeat. The leader smirked and declared, “The bet is invalid.”
Lucas nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. “Shameless, aren’t you?” he taunted the gangster leader.
The boss chuckled, scanning the room. “Did anyone see anything?” he asked, his voice dripping with mock innocence.
The bettors who had placed their money on the gangster caught on quickly. They exchanged glances and shook their heads, one by one.
“Nope, didn’t see a thing,” one of them said, while another chimed in, “Nothing at all.” Their voices echoed the unspoken agreement to deny witnessing anything.
The opponent grinned arrogantly, “If I say you cheated, then you cheated.”
Lucas nodded again, cracking his knuckles. “In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless with those who are unjust.”
With that, Lucas grabbed the man’s hair and slammed his head repeatedly onto the chessboard, embedding the pieces into his face until blood flowed. He didn’t stop until the chessboard, made of gold and diamond, shattered. Only then did Lucas toss the man aside, leaving him bloodied and unconscious. Blood splattered across the board and pieces, with a bloodied knight landing nearby.
Lucas dusted off his hands, calling it a warm-up, before turning to face the gangster leader, who was in disbelief at the brutality he had just witnessed. Though a gangster, he had never seen someone so ruthless. He looked at his man, unconscious and with a shattered face.
Lucas’s companions were also stunned, not expecting such violence from him. Even Tyrone was taken aback by the scene.
Lucas looked at the gangster leader and asked, “Will you admit defeat, or do you want a more severe beating?”
The gangster leader snapped back to reality after hearing Lucas’s words, glaring at him. “You’ve got some nerve causing trouble in my territory!” he exclaimed.
Lucas shrugged nonchalantly. “Your territory? I won, so it’s mine now,” he taunted.
The gang leader smirked. “Not so fast,” he replied, waving his hand. Suddenly, about twenty men emerged from the hallway, quickly surrounding Lucas.
The leader laughed, boasting, “These are my veterans. If you win, I’ll surrender peacefully, but if-”
Lucas cut him off, “If I take down all your men, peace won’t be an option for you.”
With that, Lucas launched into action, attacking the nearest man with a knee to the face. The sudden assault sent the man’s teeth flying.
Lucas found himself surrounded by the first five men, each eager to take him down. The room was dotted with tables, each adorned with chessboards and pieces made of gold and diamond, glinting under the lights.
The first man charged at Lucas, throwing a punch. Lucas easily sidestepped, causing the man to stumble forward. With a quick kick to his back, Lucas sent him crashing into a table, scattering the precious chess pieces everywhere. The clatter of gold and diamond pieces hitting the floor was almost musical.
Seeing an opportunity, the second man rushed at Lucas, fist raised. Lucas ducked just in time, and as the man flew over him, Lucas gave him a playful nudge. The man tumbled into a pile of chairs, which clattered loudly. One chair even bounced back, hitting him on the head with a funny “thunk.”
The third and fourth men decided to team up, hoping to overpower Lucas. They approached from both sides, but Lucas was ready. He grabbed a nearby tray, using it as a shield. As they closed in, he spun around, the tray catching both men in the face at the same time. The metallic clang echoed through the room, and they staggered back, looking as if they had just walked into a cartoon trap.
The fifth man hesitated, watching his companion’s comical defeats. He tried to sneak up on Lucas from behind. But Lucas, always alert, saw him in a shiny chess piece. With a quick turn, Lucas grabbed a half-empty soda can from a table and tossed it over his shoulder. The can flew perfectly, hitting the man on the forehead. He blinked in surprise as the soda sprayed out, drenching him and causing him to slip and fall with a loud “splat.”
Seeing that attacking one by one was futile, the remaining men decided to rush Lucas all at once. The room, with its scattered gold and diamond chess pieces, became the stage for a high-stakes showdown, reminiscent of a high-end action movie.