Pirate Chronicles

HE WHO CHEATS ALWAYS WINS! 3

"How much are we talking about?" Kwon asked the leader of the gang.

The leader crossed his arms, "How much do you need?"

"Enough for medicine," Kwon replied with a very serious expression.

"Alright. I'm Sting by the way," he said. "Your name is Kwon, right? Come here, let's play a game. If you win, I'll triple your money."

Kwon stopped him, "If I lose, I lose it all."

Sting smirked, "True. But either way, you do NOT have enough money for medicine. At least, I'm giving you a chance."

Kwon was desperate but still tried to take control of the situation. He had been through many rich swindlers that day. If he gets swindled again, he would be the most idiotic person alive. "You have to assure me that I could double my money even if I lost, or we do not have a deal."

Sting chuckled, "Well, if you lose your money in our game, you could take part in the street fights I arranged and earn money. Win or lose, you'll get money I assure you. People will be betting for you to lose because you are new. So you'll get money either way."

Kwon shook his head. "I do not know how to fight," he said.

Sting raised his left brow. "You are strong, aren't you? This is the best offer I could give you or you could walk away and be taken advantage of rich opportunists again. Go ahead you could go. But, let me tell you, there's no better offer than this."

Kwon looked at Sting but the latter was unyielding. The gang leader had a point. Chyna needs her medicine and he cannot waste any more time. "Alright, I yield."

Sting grinned and their game began. It was a simple game of odds and evens. But before Kwon knew it, he lost it all. He felt numb after realizing that all his hard work was all in vain. The gang led him to an arena. He did not even know how he got there. Sting was telling him about the rules of the street fight but his brain was too stunned to process it all. The next time he felt something was when a fist hit his jaw and he fell to his side.

He shook his head to fix his blurry vision and the first face he saw was Sting. He was smirking with his arms crossed. Sting took a deep breath but his face did not show any hint of mercy nor sympathy for him. He stepped to his direction and whispered, "You know, you do NOT need to fight honestly, right? I mean you could still earn some money but you get more if you win."

At first, Kwon could not wrap his mind around what Sting was trying to say. He lost a couple of fights before comprehending what the gang leader meant. Soon, Kwon understood that he needed to adapt to survive because if he died, no one would claim the money he earned but Sting. If he keeps losing and not fighting back he will die eventually.

With that realization, Kwon began to play dirty. He just received a jab. Kwon faked his fall and unconsciousness but his hand already took hold of a rock nearby. His contender was about to stomp on his back but Kwon tripped him and pounded the rock on his opponent's knee. Then, he sat on his chest and punched the man's face repeatedly, picturing the dishonest, rich men who swindled him. Kwon let his anger and frustration get the best of him and he nearly killed the man. But oddly enough, he did not feel any remorse!

The announcer had to separate Kwon from his opponent so he could stop. Then, he was declared as the winner. Kwon looked to his right and saw Sting gave him an approving nod. He was allowed to rest for a bit before his next fight. Before long, Kwon was studying how the other fighters fight. It came naturally to him as if it was a reflex. He was able to see openings. He knew he was not strong enough, nor was he trained for sparring and fighting. But, he will exploit those openings just like how those wealthy men exploited his need for money.

Before the street fights were over, Kwon became the favorite newcomer. His opponents could not read his plans of attack any longer and that made the crowd cheered for him more and more. Meanwhile, Kwon was beginning to revel in his triumphs. In the end, he lost seven fights but won eight. His face was swollen with bruises and cuts and his body ached all over. Yet, his pockets were full and he was able to buy not only the medicine he needed for Chyna but also a good amount of food for the both of them.

Kwon ran quickly back home, excited to show Chyna what he brought back. He smiled at the door when he did not hear Chyna's cough anymore. He sighed in relief. Then, he opened the door. Chyna was still laying on the futon on the floor with her eyes closed.

"Chyna, you won't believe what happened!" He began to tell her the story as he prepared the food he bought. "I met this man who offered me a job that I could earn a lot of money from. With what I earned last night, we are set for weeks, maybe even two months."

Chyna remained quiet so Kwon continued to speak, "I know you must be worried about my bruises, but it is part of the job. I am a natural at this. I could see the openings when they fought and I used that for my gain."

Still, there was no response. "Chyna, you have to promise me you will finish your medicine even if it tastes disgusting, alright? It's for your own good. I'm glad your coughing subsided. How are you feeling?" he asked and looked at her.

Chyna remained still. Kwon furrowed his brows and slowly walked to Chyna's direction. As he came closer to her, he noticed that she was not moving at all. When he did not see the rise and fall of his sister's chest, his heart began to pound and he rushed to her sides to wake her up.

"Chyna? Chyna? Little sister, wake up!" he said as he held her shoulders.

Chyna remained immobile. Kwon began to shake her, "No. No. Please wake up! Don't do this to me," Kwon said as he shook her harder. But there was no response.

Tears began to fall from his eyes because he knew what Chyna's deafening silence meant. He locked her in his embrace as he sobbed. He closed his eyes and imagined how her sister suffered before she died without him around to give her comfort. What were her final thoughts before she died? Did she resent him for not being there?

"I'm so sorry, I took so long," he whispered to his sister knowing she would never respond for she had already passed on.